“Of course.” Eleanor’s voice was crisp. “I understand my daughter was found trespassing.”
“Yes, ma’am. In the visitor parking lot. Around midnight.” Stevens glanced at Ramona. “She had a glamour active. Professor Kane identified her and contacted us.”
“I see.” Eleanor still hadn’t looked directly at Ramona. “Has she said anything about why she was here?”
“No, ma’am. She invoked her right to remain silent.”
Ramona hadn’t. She’d just refused to answer questions. But close enough.
“Well.” Eleanor finally met Ramona’s eyes. Her expression was unreadable. “The Council has agreed to release her into my custody. Provided she agrees not to return to Thornwood property.”
“And if there’s another incident?” Stevens asked.
“There won’t be.” Eleanor’s voice left no room for argument. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Stevens looked between them. “All right. I’ll need her to sign some paperwork. And we’re keeping her bag as evidence?—”
Ramona’s heart sank. The grimoires. Eleanor’s key. Maybe her phone.
“That won’t be necessary,” Eleanor said, watching as Stevens turned a shade of red, handing Ramona’s bag back to her. “We’ll be leaving immediately.”
Stevens hesitated, then nodded. He produced paperwork, his hands shaking. Eleanor Greenbriar didn’t have to shift into a demonic form to scare people — she was a natural. Ramona signed where indicated, agreeing not to return to Thornwood property, agreeing to appear before the Council if summoned, agreeing to a bunch of other things she didn’t bother reading.
“The Council will meet tomorrow to discuss consequences,” Stevens said. “They’ll contact you.”
Ramona nodded.
He led them out of the building, the three Greenbriar women walking stiff-backed and wordless toward Eleanor’s sleek SUV.
Oppressive silence filled the space as Ramona sat in the back seat, feeling Zara’s energy nearby. Had her shadows slipped into the car beside Ramona, or was she somewhere in the air as theydrove? Ramona didn’t dare reach to pat the seat beside her, drawing attention.
Ramona stared at the back of her mother’s head. At her sister. At the two people who’d known — who’dknownabout the curse and said nothing.
“I can’t believe that self-righteous bitch called security,” Eleanor said. “I never did like her. Her, or that Kate woman. I never trusted them.”
Ramona rolled her eyes from the back seat.
“What were youthinking, Ramona?” Iris said, exasperated. She turned in her seat, and Ramona noticed she had bags under her eyes and her shirt was wrinkled.
Ramona clenched her jaw, crossing her arms. “You didn’t need to come and get me.”
Rationally, she knew she was being a bit of a brat, but knowing everything, knowing about the curse and the completely unnecessary disdain for her ineptitude… it was everything she could do not to scream.
She felt a pulse of calming energy through the tether and took a deep breath through her nose.
“You knew.” Ramona’s voice came out flat. “About the curse. You both knew my entire life and you never told me.”
Eleanor’s eyes caught hers in the rearview mirror. “It’s more complicated than?—”
“It’s really not.” Ramona balled her hands into fists, her fingernails biting into her palms to keep from screaming. “I’ve spent twenty-seven years thinking I was broken. Thinking my magic was fundamentally wrong. Thinking I was a failure. And youknewthe whole time that someone had cursed me.”
“We didn’t know at first,” Iris said quietly. “Not for years?—”
“But you figured it out eventually,” Ramona snapped. “When? When did you figure it out?”
Iris’s shoulders slumped, and she leaned her elbow on the center console, rubbing at her eyes. “Ramona?—”
“When, Iris?”
