Natalie shakes her head. “Chimeras don’t talk. They’re magic, not sentient creatures.”
But her brow is pinched, her eyes darting, like my confession scares her.
“Are you positive?” I ask.
Natalie takes a long sip of her iced tea, as if buying time before she answers. When she sets it down in the cup holder, she fumbles it a little. “Magic is a mystery even witches don’t fully understand. But I’ve never heard of anyone having magic talk to them.”
I look at Hazel, who tilts her head. There’s so much we don’t understand about my ability to sense magic—and about chimeras. I won’t rule out Hazel’s theory, and it matches my own. I just don’t know how I feel about being the only person to ever hear magic speak to them.
But there’s another explanation for hearing voices too, a more concerning one.
I crumple up my burger wrapper, nauseous. “You don’t think…Sophia has gotten access to bio magic? Mind control?”
“No,” Natalie says firmly. “We’d know it. We’d be in huge trouble.”
I nod, trying to let her confidence convince me. “Okay.”
The air in the car is thick with that stale fast-food scent, the windows fogging. Rain drums harder on the roof, creating a cocoon that almost feels safe.
“Well, my algorithm worked,” Hazel says, clearly trying to lift the mood. “We knew exactly where it would show up.”
I give her a thumbs-up. “Nice work.”
“Unfortunately, so did Sophia,” Natalie points out grimly. “I believe her when she says she has eyes everywhere. She’s no doubt hired a bunch of people.”
“Um, does that mean she knows where Katie’s been staying?” Hazel asks, her voice small.
A tense pause.
Natalie throws her crumpled paper bag on the floor and dusts off her hands. “If she doesn’t already, it won’t be long before she does.” Sheturns to me, her expression hard and serious. “You need to move back to C.S.A.M.M. right now. We’ll stop at Hazel’s in the morning so you can get your bags and Ethel, but I don’t want you without full protection at all times.”
My heart skips a beat. I’m caught between worlds again—the magical one that’s trying to kill me and a normal life with my best friend. “What about Hazel?”
“I don’t mind living there too!” she says, her whole body lighting up with excitement.
“It’s okay. You’re safe at home,” Natalie says. “Sophia probably doesn’t even know you exist.”
Hazel’s expression falls, a flicker of hurt there.
“Being overlooked has its advantages,” I say, attempting to lighten Natalie’s blunt words. But when Hazel’s face tightens, I scramble to clarify. “I only mean—”
“No, you’re right.” She sits back, crossing her arms. “Let her think I’m nobody.”
Disappointment turns her mouth down, but in her eyes, there’s unmistakable longing. It’s the same look I’ve seen on her face before when talking about magic and the coven. She wants in on this world as badly as I once did. And I’m doing exactly what Natalie did to me that made me so angry—trying to force her to stay out of it.
“What Sophia doesn’t know is that we desperately need you,” I say, turning in my seat to face her fully. “We have to catch a chimera per day to get all fifty-six before my time runs out. You up for it?”
“I’ll get to work on another lead,” Hazel says, pulling out her laptop. “Staking out from inside that cafe was fun. I—I can do it again.”
There’s a flush in her cheeks that I don’t understand. Maybe it’s excitement over her working algorithm.
“Okay. And Natalie?” I reach over and squeeze her warm hand. “Tomorrow, I want lessons from your dad on how to use this net properly. Iwas a klutz with it today.” I nudge it with my feet, where it sits in a heap on the floor.
She nods, her eyes softening. “Of course. We can spend as long as you want practicing.”
“And the second Hazel finds something…” I add sternly.
“We’ll drop everything and go,” Natalie promises, lacing our fingers together. Her familiar touch soothes me when nothing else is certain.
