“Uh. . .” Jo looked over to Takako, whose expression betrayed nothing. The way Pan acted, it was like the other woman who’d been in the Society before Jo didn’t evenexist.
“Takako is so dull that she’s practically one of the boys.” Pan shook her head. The casual discursiveness toward Takako had Jo bristling. But before she could say anything, Pan continued. “Why did no one tellme?”
“I just got here yesterday,” Joexplained.
“Not a good enough excuse.Someoneshould’ve told me.” Pan’s eyes fell on Snow, briefly, before swinging to the rest of the table. “You all know how I hate secrets!” Pan rushed over to her and Jo leaned instinctively back in her chair. Energy pulsated around her in a way Jo was coming to associate with magic. But unlike everyone or anything else Jo had felt to date, this was near-constant—a low thrum that seemed to hover in an aura around the fuchsia-hairedwoman.
“I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myselfsooner.”
“It’s fine, really, I was taking a nap anyway.” Panshrugged.
“For a whole day?” The phrase DOES NOT COMPUTE scrolled through Jo’sbrain.
“For a month. It was a good nap.” She grinned, her lips spreading toward her ears with unnatural wideness. Just like that, the visage of the woman-child transformed into something slightly more animalistic. But it was gone so quickly that Jo was left wondering if it was all in her head to beginwith.
“I thought we didn’t need sleep anymore. Does it have to do with your magic?” Jo was still pulling up errors left and right for everythought.
“No, I just like sleep.” Panshrugged.
“At least it wasn’t six this time,” Eslar whispered, the only one among them who seemed brave enough tocomment.
“Well, perhaps you can teach me how to take naps that long.” Jo thrust out her hand, mentally scolding herself for the unease she felt. “I’ve been known to like my sleep, aswell.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon enough!” Pan clapped her hands and completely ignored Jo’s outstretched hand. She spun in place and sauntered around the room to the last emptyseat.
In trying to ignore her own awkwardness, Jo observed an interesting phenomenon occur—a unique shift in the overall demeanor of the room. Everyone suddenly seemed obsessed with anything other than Pan. There was an almost subservient manner to the way their eyes were directedelsewhere.
Pan sat gracefully, swinging her legs into a criss-cross and tapping her fingers on the table. She locked eyes with the man at the head of the table, directly across from her. “It was about time, Snow. You finally have all seven chairsfilled.”
About time for what? What’s the importance of the chairs being full?Jo wanted to ask. But the questions remained heavy on her tongue. She wondered if Pan had magic like Wayne’s, and had used it to still herquestions.
Snow and the woman shared an unreadable look before Snow attempted to continue on as though she hadn’t said anything. “We have received awish.”
Questions of a different sort burned in Jo’s mouth, but she kept them quiet of her own volition. A wish meant time, and time meant being able to interact with the real world (however that worked in practice), and that was something Jo desperatelywanted.
“The wish comes from a nurse at a hospital in Canada.” Snow waved his hand, and the table glimmered to life. What could only be described as magic rippled across the surface, so tangible-looking that Jo lifted her fingers off the edge before it lapped against the side. She couldn’t stop a small gasp, or the blush that immediately followed the outburst. No one else reacted, save for Wayne.Heshot her a smug little grin. She narrowed her eyes and then promptly ignoredhim.
Jo rested her hands back down to find the surface still glass-like, despite the swirling energy beginning to coagulate into shapes. The image of a doe-eyed nurse in soft, teal medical scrubs materialized as if the entire table had been transformed into a hi-def televisionscreen.
“Is this live?” Jo whispered, to no one inparticular.
Eslar gave a noise of affirmation from herside.
“The nurse is working with a terminally ill patient in a hospital that specializes in clinical trials. He’s the second she’s dealt with, but the third to die from this disease. If left unchecked, the illness will become a pandemic,” Snowbegan.
“Can you see the future?” Joblurted.
“I can see all possible avenues relating to a wish.” The soft, almost-kind Snow from the compound had vanished, leaving behind a stoic and purpose-driven instructor. This version was different than the almost-awkward man who had encountered her rummaging through the kitchen that morning as well. While his tone wasn’t exactly harsh, it lacked gentleness—not so much leading her calmly into this new world as expecting her to follow dutifully. Like asoldier.
Was that what theywere?
“Will you take her existence, too?” The question came out more biting than Jo intended, but she also didn’t feel exactly apologetic forit.
“That only happens for a select few. The people assembled here and no more, ever.” Snow was unbothered by her tone and motioned to the room. “Usually, I only destroy an unrelated world and turn it intomagic.”
“So,” Eslar joined in, no doubt seeing the confusion on Jo’s face, “if this nurse wished for the disease to be cured. . .” He glanced at Snow, who gave a nod of affirmation. “Snow would take another wish, an alternate future ofhers—”
“To someday become a doctor herself, in this instance,” Snowvolunteered.
