“Would you consider adopting me?” she asked weakly.
“I think if you help us figure out the problem with the Source, you’ll have your pick of any coven to adopt you,” my mom said, smiling.
“So, um… about that… the Source, I mean, not the adoption thing,” Jess said, cradling her coffee mug. “Where do you think we’re at with that? I don’t want to be insensitive, with everything that happened last night, but…”
“No, I understand,” my mom said. “We’ll still help you, but… yes, we need to regroup and figure everything out. You don’t know Persi very well, but I do. I don’t want to underestimate what we’ve undertaken to do, but at this point, I fear our biggest challenge will be to keep her from storming off in the equivalent of an emotional tornado, and trying to set it all right herself.”
Jess nodded. “Honestly, I relate. I’m the chaotic sister in my family as well.”
Rhi hung up the phone with a sigh, and joined us at the table with two more plates, setting one down for herself and for my mom, before sinking into her chair. “What a sad situation,” she said with a sigh.
“It’s been sad for a long time, Rhi,” my mom said pointedly.
“Oh yes, of course,” Rhi agreed. “I suppose I meant… what a sad ending.”
“I think we have to consider the possibility that we might have to do this without Persi,” I said. I looked up from my plate to see both my mom and Rhi staring at me. “I’m not trying to be insensitive. In fact, it’s the opposite. Persi needs time to process this. She needs time to grieve. If wethrow her into a dangerous situation, don’t you worry she might… I don’t know, do something reckless or dangerous?”
Rhi and my mom traded a look that told me all I needed to know. This was exactly what they worried about.
I felt something brush against my ankle, and looked down to see that Diana and Freya had both entered the kitchen, probably lured in by the smell of food. Rhi crumbled some bacon up, and dropped it onto the floor for them.
“Look, let’s just talk things through a bit,” I suggested. “What needs to happen first? What did we decide before everything fell apart last night?”
“In order to move forward we need the grimoire back, which will be a feat in itself, because I don’t think we’ll be able to remove it by ourselves. I think at least one Conclave member will need to help us undo the enchantments, and I’m just not sure who would be willing to do that. Xiomara maybe, but we’d have to explain a whole hell of a lot,” Rhi said.
“And we need to get our hands on the Claire coven grimoire, if at all possible,” Jess reminded her.
“And that’s a big ‘if,’ especially now with… well, things just got very complicated for the Claires,” Rhi said.
“I think it became impossible, actually,” my mom said and, when Rhi began to argue, she cut her off. “Oh come on, Rhi, be serious. How are we supposed to just turn up on their doorstep and demand a priceless family artifact with no explanation? ‘Oh, sorry for your loss, but can you please hand over the symbol of your family’s deepest power while navigating a terrible loss?’ It’s ludicrous. We can’t possibly.”
“I could talk to Nova,” I suggested again. “She might help us.”
My mom was shaking her head. “I don’t want to get Nova in trouble.”
“Mom, aren’t we past worrying about things like getting in trouble?” I asked incredulously. “Besides, she’s already involved! She helped me get Jess’ body back. She was basically the getaway driver.”
“I don’t know, Wren…” my mom hedged, but I could hear her weakening.
“Look, just let me try, okay? I think it might be the only chance we’ve got,” I said.
My mom raised her hands in surrender. “Fine. I don’t like it, but then, I don’t like any of this.”
“Can I help at all?” Jess asked. “Do you want me to come with you, and help explain, or…?”
“No!” I said quickly. “Sorry, no offense, but I don’t think you’d help our case. She’s already trying to distance herself from you, and I don’t think seeing you standing there will make her feel any better about helping us.”
Jess nodded good-naturedly. “Good point. I’ll stay here.”
Figuring I’d better not waste any more time, I excused myself from the table, and ran upstairs to shower and dress as quickly as I could. By the time I trotted back down the stairs, my wet hair scraped hastily into a bun, my mother had gone out to the garden and pulled together a stunning assortment of flowers, which she arranged into a white ceramic pitcher and tied with a wide sage green ribbon.
“Take these with you,” she said, thrusting them at me. “I’ll feel better if you take something to acknowledge Bernadette.”
“Great idea,” I said, taking the pitcher into my arms and breathing in the heady aroma of my mother’s blooms. “They’re beautiful, Mom.”
“Good luck,” Jess said to me, smiling tightly.
“Thanks,” I said, returning the smile with a grimace of my own. “I think I’m going to need it.”
