She thought I was Eluned.
“Mother doesn’t need to know.” I lifted my chin.
“Arabesquealwaysknows.” Ondine’s laugh rattled in her chest. “That’s what makes her so dangerous.” She shuffled aside, gesturing me in with a bony hand. “Come. The water tells me you’re in a hurry.”
Her cottage smelled of algae and old books, a combination that made my nose wrinkle as I stepped over the threshold. Sunlight streamed through cloudy windows, catching dust motes and highlighting the chaotic collection of bottles, jars, and oddities that covered every surface. In the center of the main room stood a shallow stone basin filled with water so still, it might have been glass.
“I need two items to come along.” I refused to sit when Ondine gestured to a rickety chair. “A demon token and a scrying mirror.”
“Demanding, just like your mother.” Ondine’s lips pulled back in what might have been a smile, revealing teeth worn down to yellow nubs. “But at least Arabesque knows how to ask properly.”
I swallowed my pride, knowing I couldn’t afford to alienate the old witch.
“A favor, to be collected at your leisure and within my power to grant,” I managed, the word tasting bitter on my tongue.
Satisfaction gleamed in those uncanny eyes as Ondine nodded.
“Water remembers and water connects. You could travel anywhere there’s a water source, if you weren’t so afraid. Not much water witch in your bloodline, is there?”
“I’m an air witch,” I replied stiffly. “Like my mother.”
“Well, regardless, I advise you to scry before you leave. You may not have time once you arrive.”
I nodded as I pulled out Mother’s mirror. My first attempt to scry for Eluned yesterday had failed. Either she was shielded or… I pushed away the thought that she might already be dead. Instead, I focused on Serafina.
The surface rippled like disturbed water, making me step back involuntarily. Then it cleared, revealing the driveway that curved in front of Evermere. And there she was. Serafina, walking with a smile, her honey-gold hair catching the morning light. Three men flanked her like devoted sentinels. Her husbands, the Cimmerians. The blond walked slightly ahead, broad-shouldered with long hair pulled back; the dark one stayed close to her side, golden-skinned and alert; the redhead brought up the rear, his gaze constantly scanning their surroundings. All three moved with the fluid grace characteristic of predators.
And padding alongside Serafina, pressing against her leg at every opportunity, was that pathetic, malformed dire wolf Mother had purchased for her experiments. The creature’s devotion to Serafina made my lip curl in disgust.
“Found what you’re looking for?” Ondine asked, suddenly at my shoulder.
“Yes,” I said, watching as Serafina and her entourage climbed into a giant SUV. “They’re leaving. This is perfect.”
“For what, exactly?”
I didn’t answer. Let the old witch wonder. All that mattered was that Serafina and her protectors were away from Evermere, which meant I could enter their home unhindered in my search for Eluned.
“You’re Amabel, ain’t you? Thought you was the other one at first.” Ondine chuckled. “Seems your sister made quite a mess, if you’re here to pull her out of it. Arabesque won’t forgive that kind of failure, little lamb. On Eluned’s sideoryours.”
“Eluned was careless,” I snapped as anger flared in my chest. “I told her to wait, but she has no patience.”
“Twins often compete. One always seeking to outshine the other.”
I turned away, unwilling to discuss my relationship with Eluned. Yes, my sister had been reckless, but she was still my twin, still half of me in ways no one else could understand. I couldn’t leave her to the mercy of the Cimmerians.
Or allow her to blab to them.
“I need to go to Evermere,” I said, pocketing the scrying mirror. “Now, while they’re away.”
“Through the water, I assume?” Ondine’s eyes narrowed. “Easy enough.”
“Is there no other way?” My stomach lurched at the thought.
“Not if you want to arrive undetected. Don’t be such a scaredy cat. The water will carry you there in minutes.”
I closed my eyes briefly, gathering my resolve. The thought of that suffocating journey made my skin crawl, but I had no choice. Mother would return from her witches’ conference in Chicago tonight, and if she discovered both Eluned’s capture and my unauthorized rescue attempt, her punishment would be severe.
“Fine,” I said, opening my eyes. “But I won’t enjoy it.”
