Jo didn’t even turn. She recognized the interrupting voice and its eerie presence almost immediately. “Pan, what do youwant?”
“Don’t be rude.” Pan leaned against the desk, folding her arms. Unlike the first time in Jo’s recreation room, her focus was entirely and overwhelmingly on Jo. The look had an intimidating, cat-like air about it. “I’m here tohelp.”
“Are you?” Jo pushed away to look at the woman-child.
“Why are you so skeptical of me?” she asked. “I’ve been trying to help you from the start. I warned you of the dangers of meddling in the real worldandI was going to involve you in thewish.”
She wasn’t wrong. So why did Jo feel so uneasy still? Jo took a deep breath and tried to let it inflate her lungs enough to be the bigger person. “Sorry. I’m justtrying—”
“Trying to help? Time is ticking.” She tapped at her wrist and it was then that Jo noticed there was no watch there. A pocket watch, perhaps, like Nico’s? “Say, how about we make adeal?”
“Of what kind?” Jo askedcautiously.
“I’ll give you information if you show me yourmagic.”
“Didn’t you say you’d already seen it when I was working in herebefore?”
“Glimpses.” Pan continued before Jo could press how “glimpses” had made Pan confident enough to go to the group in her absence. “I want to see it infull.”
“What kind ofinformation?”
“Anything youwant.”
Jo glanced back at the monitors. It wasn’t as if she was getting very far on her own. She still only understood the ten-thousand-foot overview of what the Society did. Then, there was the current wish itself. If no one else was going to help her, what choice did shehave?
“What do you say?” Pan prodded, holding a hand out in Jo’s direction when she didn’t answer quicklyenough.
Something still felt off, like signing off on a business transaction without first getting all of the details. But Jo was a slave to curiosity, and, before she could talk herself out of it, she took Pan’s hand and shook it firmlyonce.
“Sure. But I want the informationfirst.”
Chapter 25
Cold Hands
JO PULLED HER hand back,running it along her jeans. She thought her hands felt. . .cold.
Pan’s were icy, like they were coated in a thin layer of frost that melted at Jo’s living touch. She wondered if it was some kind of residual magic, her mind instantly going back to Wayne. She really shouldn’t go making deals with magical people without first knowing what type of magic theyhad.
The young woman situated herself on the opposite desk, folding her ankles and leaning back nonchalantly. “What do you want toknow?”
Jo already knew that “everything” would be too broad, and that Pan was likely on a timer for how much information she’d give. Jo chewed over how to phrase the question for a moment, trying to decide what was broad enough that she’d get the most information possible. “How did I affect the Severity of Exchange so much with my actions involving the BlackBank?”
“I’d think it’sobvious.”
“Maybe I’mstupid.”
“I doubt that.” Pan smiledthinly.
“Will you answer ornot?”
The woman-child hummed and leaned back. “Well, the first thing you must understand is how the Severity of Exchange works.” Pan held up her thumb and pointer finger, peeking through them like a tiny window. “If it’s alittlewish, like a wish made with a drawn circle, then Snow can grant itimmediately.”
“A drawn circle?” The memory of something popped its nose up in the back of Jo’s mind. She couldn’t remember if it was something Abuelita had mentioned, or something she’d read online. “You mean, the circle that’s used to cast thewish?”
“You got it!” Pan clapped her hands, but the excitement felt distinctly condescending. “There are four levels. Circles that are drawn are for very simple wishes. Then there are circles made of non-living things, but still items of importance. Above that are those made with foliage and once-livingthings.”
“That can’t be right.” Pan seemed startled at Jo’s sudden interjection. She quickly clarified, “I drew mycircle.”
