“Why?” Jess asked.
Nova and I traded anxious looks again.
“What happened there? What’s with all the security? It doesn’t seem like you knew anything about Gateways before I explained it, so what’s with all the interest in that particular part of town?”
“Do you know how you said that there’s like, a code of secrecy with your sisterhood, the Du—the Du-ruh… sorry, what was it?”
“The Durupinen,” Jess repeated.
“Right. You have stuff you’re not allowed to tell people because it protects you. We’re in a similar situation here in Sedgwick Cove,” I explained.
“It’s been that way since the town was founded,” Nova added. “I probably don’t need to tell you that witches have been persecuted for centuries, because it sounds like some of you were even persecuted on our behalf. But when this town was founded, the covens that settled here agreed that the true nature of the town would stay a secret, for everyone’s protection. And we take that seriously.”
Jess was smirking, like she was expecting us to say that this was all a joke. “You do realize that your entire town is like… witch themed, right? I couldn’t walk ten feet without tripping over a broomstick or a cauldron since I got here.”
“Right, but that’s why the protection is so clever. We project this image of fake, commercialized witchcraft to hide the real magic of the place. And it works. Visitors have no idea about the deep and abidingmagical community that actually hides in plain sight here. They think it’s all a show, like an amusement park.”
Jess nodded. “Okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense. It’s definitely clever. But then… you’re saying that whatever is under the Playhouse is part of the secret?”
“It’s not just part of the secret. It’s the heart of it,” Nova said. “You’re asking us to show you the one thing we have to protect the most.”
“Why? What is it?” Jess asked, and then caught herself. “Okay. Okay, right. You probably can’t even say, can you?”
Nova shook her head. Jess closed her eyes for a second, clearly deep in thought.
“Okay,” she said. “Okay. We can… we can figure this out.”
Nova and I waited. I was pretty sure we weren’t even breathing.
“Look, I’m not trying to get the two of you in trouble. You saved my life tonight, and that’s not an exaggeration. But the fact remains that I need to get in to see what we’re dealing with under that Playhouse; and, if the events of tonight have taught me anything, it’s that I can’t do it by myself. So, here’s my proposal,” Jess said, pressing her hands together, and choosing her words carefully. “I know what I’m looking for, and I’ll be able to tell within moments if I’ve found it. If it’s not a Geatgrima, I’ll head out of town, no questions asked, and you’ll never see me again. But if it is… well, I guess we’ll have to have another conversation.”
I looked at Nova, who was waggling her eyebrows and shaking her head in a way I absolutely could not interpret.
“Could we, uh… have a second to talk about this?” I asked.
Jess hesitated only a moment. “Of course,” she said. “It’s like three o’clock in the morning. I don’t think we’re going to solve this tonight, and I don’t want either of you to get in trouble if you can avoid it. Why don’t you go home, talk it over, and get in touch with me tomorrow. This is my cell phone, okay?” She dug around for a moment in the drawer of her bedside table, extracted a business card, and handed it to me.
I looked at Nova, but she was just staring blankly at Jess, so I pocketed the card and stood up, making the decision for the two of us. “Okay. But what about you? What are you going to do?”
Jess chuckled. “Well, given that multiple people in this town have only ever seen me as a corpse, I’m going to lay low and wait to hear from you.”
“Don’t you think they’re going to come and search your room when they figure out where you’ve been staying? We might be a town full of witches, but our police officers can still do their jobs, and they’re going to track you down.”
“I won’t be staying here,” Jess assured me. “I’ll find somewhere else to keep a low profile for the moment, but I won’t be too far. Just let me know what you decide.”
“What if we decide not to help you?” Nova asked, finding her voice at last. She was looking at Jess with a level, assessing sort of gaze.
“Then that’s your choice, and I’ll respect it,” Jess said with an unconcerned shrug. “I respect that you need to protect your secrets, but I’ve got to protect mine too; and if I fail, the repercussions could be catastrophic. I respect you and your town, but that doesn’t mean I’ll just give up.” Then she turned and looked directly at me. “I think your grandmother brought us together for a reason, Wren, and it’s bigger than simply handing over a book. So think about it, and get home before the two of you get busted. I’ve got some packing to do.”
Nodding, I grabbed Nova by the arm and pulled her out of the room. As the door swung closed behind us, I caught a last glimpse of Jess’ face. She was gazing after us, a little wrinkle of worry creasing her otherwise smooth forehead.
“No.”
“Nova, come on.”
“No. No, Wren. Absolutely not. I can’t even believe we’re having this conversation. It’s a non-starter!”
We were sitting in Nova’s car, still parked outside the bed and breakfast. Well, I was sitting. Nova was, apparently, having a nervous breakdown.
