“Nothing they can do about it even if they did notice,” my mom added, and there was definite satisfaction in her voice. “It can’t be undone by anyone but a Vesper.”
“Where is it now?” I asked.
“It’s still here, in the library. But we agreed to move it to the lighthouse tonight,” Rhi said.
My stomach dropped out of me. “What? Why?” I gasped.
I suppose it wasn’t all that surprising that I’d have this reaction. The lighthouse had been the site of one of the most traumatic moments of my life, and that was the only association I had with it. My mom seemed to be expecting my panic, because her hand shot out and clasped mine, squeezing it tight.
“Wren, it’s okay. The lighthouse has undergone a complete magical stripping down since Bernadette used it. It’s probably the safest place on the Cove at the moment.”
“Not to mention it’s close to the Playhouse, which means the police details can keep an eye on both locations simultaneously,” Rhi added. “Not that they’ll be told what’s inside, of course. No one outside the Vespers and the Conclave know about that.”
I dropped my eyes to my mug and took another sip of coffee. No need for them to know that Nova was in on the secret, too.
“Today, the Conclave will be setting up the magical protections. When they are satisfied with the fortifications, they will let us know it’s ready, and we will take the grimoire there,” Rhi went on. “There we can examine it thoroughly, without fear of discovery or interruption.”
I glanced around the kitchen. “And Persi?”
My mom smirked. “She’s already over at the lighthouse. She saysshe’ll be damned if she lets Ostara cast a single spell without watching her like a hawk.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”
Suddenly, the phone on the wall—one of the many aspects of Lightkeep that made it feel like it was frozen in time—began to ring. My mom groaned, and dragged herself out of her chair to go get it. At the same time, my cell phone began to buzz against my thigh. I pulled it surreptitiously out of my pocket, and glanced at the notification.
It was a text from an unknown number. I pocketed the phone again quickly, just as my mother’s voice rose.
“What do you mean, gone?” she was saying into the phone, her posture tense and still, like an animal caught in headlights. “How can it just be gone?”
Rhi turned, frowning, to watch my mother. Then she jumped up and ran into the library, returning a moment later with a relieved expression on her face. I knew she was checking on the grimoire which, based on her reaction, was still exactly where it was supposed to be.
But I already knew that whoever was on the other end of the line wasn’t talking about a missing book. I braced myself, hitching what I hoped was an expression of mild curiosity onto my face. I saw my mom’s eyes dart toward me several times as she listened. Then she hung the phone up and turned to face us, all color drained from her face.
“What is it, Kerridwen?” Rhi whispered. “What’s happened?”
“There, um… there seems to be a…” she cleared her throat, “…a mix-up with Jess Ballard’s body.”
“What do you… you mean it isn’t actually her?” Rhi asked, looking suddenly hopeful.
“No,” my mom replied, running a hand over her face. “It’s… it appears to be missing.”
Rhi just stared at her, unblinking. “I don’t… huh?”
“They took the body to Blackleach and Graves, to the morgue. But it’s not there anymore.”
Rhi was so pale, I thought she might faint. I reached out toward her, ready to brace her if she slumped over, but she managed to stay conscious. “Someone snatched her body?” she whispered through white, unmoving lips.
“So it would appear,” my mom said. “That was Maeve. There was no sign of forced entry. She—” The shrill ring of the phone cut her off again, and she groaned. “That’ll be someone from the Conclave, goddess help us all.” She answered it again with a wary, “Hello?” as Rhi hurried off to the library again, and returned this time with the grimoire clutched protectively to her chest. Instead of sitting back down at the table, she joined my mother over at the phone, and leaned in close to the receiver so that she could catch what the caller was saying.
My phone began to buzz again. No one was paying the slightest attention to me, so I slipped out of the kitchen, through the French doors, and out into the garden. My phone kept vibrating as notification after notification popped up. A quick glance showed me that Nova, Eva, and Zale were blowing up the group chat, but I didn’t open it. Instead, I scrolled to the first text, the unknown number.
You make it back home okay?
It was Jess, that much was certain. I typed a hasty reply.
Yes, but they know you’re gone. Did you make it out of town?
The reply came quickly.I’m safe. Got out of the B&B without being spotted.
