“Keep that safe. It's the only thing that separates the Priestess from immortality.” He cleared his throat. “Or at least her version of it.”
“My mom has been moved to the dungeons.”
He nodded solemnly. “You don't have much time. But you cannot continue to trust just anyone who shows up in your circle, Maeve.”
“Should that include you?” My brows lifted.
“If you're smart.”
“Why do you always act like this? You didn't need to help us any of the times you showed up. But you did. There's something pulling you to be part of Stonewick Village.”
“I can assure you there's absolutely nothing pulling me to Stonewick other than what is mine. But I wanted you to know your daughter is in danger, even more so now that you have the stone. I wanted to give you that message in peace and privately without haunts sneaking up behind me.”
My heart stopped, and my body instantly froze, despite the stone in my palm.
“What do you mean?” The words felt dry in my mouth.
“The Priestess doesn't like to gamble. She already doesn't have the stone, and her daughter doesn't want to help her.”
Anger rose through me. “Celeste wouldn't want to help her either. She’d be of no use.”
“You need to quit thinking as if everyone plays fairly, Maeve. Remember how paralyzed you felt when you knew Celeste had been tricked by her boyfriend?” He shook his head. “Darren was able to lead her right into the heart of Shadowick.”
“Stop it.”
“Imagine what the Priestess could do if she tried. She's getting desperate. Think about whatyouwould be willing to do to get her back.”
“Anything.”
“Including handing over the stone to your grandmother.”
My mind was going a hundred miles an hour at the thought of Celeste being in danger. She didn't deserve any of this. She had her whole life in front of her, and the thought of something happening to her was crippling. We needed to protect her. I started backing away with Skonk next to me.
I'd already spent too much time here.
“Maeve, don’t do anything rash.” He shook his head. “But I'm not sure that you should be the one to go save her.”
I stopped, even though every part of me wanted to keep moving, to turn and run back through the marsh and drag Celeste out of whatever danger he was hinting at without another second wasted.
“And who should?” I asked, my voice quieter now, but it held.
Gideon watched me like he always did when he thought I was about to make a mistake.
“Someone who can think past what they’re feeling,” he said.
“That’s not an answer.” I shook my head, feeling my hands tremble.
“It’s the only one that matters right now.”
I let out a breath and shook my head, the weight of everything pressing in at once. “You don’t get to decide that.”
“I’m not deciding anything,” he replied. “I’m pointing out what you already know.”
I didn’t want to admit that he was right about any part of it, especially not now, not when the thought of Celeste being anywhere near the Priestess made my chest tighten until it hurt to breathe.
“You keep saying things like that,” I said, my grip tightening around the stone as the heat pulsed again. “Like you see something I don’t. Like you’re ten steps ahead, and the rest of us are just catching up.”
“That’s because I’ve been playing this game longer,” he said.
