“No complications?” I whispered, as soon as they joined me behind the rock.
They both shook their heads. “I thought I was busted for sure when I realizedabuelastill hadn’t come up to bed, but it turns out she dozed off in her seance room. I could hear her grunting and snoring from the top of the stairs,” Eva said.
“Any sign of Jess yet?” Zale asked eagerly, looking around like she might pop out and yell “Surprise!”
“No, but she’ll be here, I know it,” I said, as much to reassure myself as to answer Zale.
“Is she gonna be in, like… ghost mode again?” he asked eagerly.
“You know, for someone who flipped out so badly at the sight of a body, you seem awfully eager to see another one,” Eva said.
Even in the dark, I could tell that Zale was flushing with embarrassment. “I didn’t flip out, I just… needed a moment. I’m prepared this time.”
“Well, sorry to disappoint you, but as far as I know, she’s staying inside the skin suit this time,” I said, before turning back to Eva. “Did you bring everything?”
Eva turned partway around so that I could see the backpack slung over her shoulder.
“Thanks for agreeing to this,” I told her earnestly. “I definitely couldn’t do it without you.”
“You might not be able to do itwithme,” Eva muttered.
“Hey!” Zale snapped. “Can it with the negative self-talk, queen. You’ve got this.”
Eva gave him a tight smile that faded quickly.
“I’m sorry,” I said to her. “It was shitty of me to put so much pressure on you right after you became a waterworker. Look, if you don’t want to do it, I’m sure I can find another way to?—”
“No,” Eva said, and I was relieved to hear a hint of her usual determination in her voice. “I got this.”
I grinned at her. “Yeah, you do.”
The sound of a snapped twig, and then the shushing of footsteps broke into our conversation, and we all froze, listening. A moment later, Jess appeared from the edge of the woods with her hand raised in greeting.
“It’s only me,” she whisper-called to us.
I waved her over, and she joined us behind the rock. She was dressed all in black, though she had been every time I’d ever seen her, so that may have just been her wardrobe.
“Are we good?” she asked, looking at each of us in turn.
“Yeah, I think so,” I said, and then turned to Zale. “What can you tell us?”
Zale grinned again, clearly happy that Eva wasn’t the only one who could be useful in this operation. “I hung around in the kitchen while Maeve was over for dinner last night. My grandmother was talking to her about the security arrangements. Maeve confirmed that it’s only two officers who patrol the area. They primarily stay in the parking lot of the theater, because that’s where the only entrance to the cavern is; but every twenty minutes, they do a full walk-around of the building, which is when they get a visual on the lighthouse.”
“What’s in the lighthouse?” Jess asked.
“The grimoire you brought us,” I told her, and then, when her face folded into a confused frown, I added, “It’s a long story. I’ll explain later.”
“Right,” Jess said, though it looked like she was swallowing back her questions with difficulty.
“So, we’ll time our distraction for when they move around to the back of the Playhouse,” I said, looking at Eva now. “And when they go to investigate, that’s our chance to sneak into the cavern without being seen.”
“What’s this distraction?” Jess asked, “and are we sure it’s going to work?”
“That’s Eva’s job. She’s a water witch. And yes, it will work,” I said confidently.
Eva nodded, her lips pressed closed. She looked likeshe might throw up.
“Now, once we’re inside, how much time do you think you need?” I asked Jess.
