Chapter 14
Once everyone had left them alone, Kizzy and Mallory took a few quiet minutes to feed the birds. At last, the shredded meat was gone, and Mallory set the container aside. Kizzy passed her a napkin to wipe her hands.
“Can I trust you, Mallory?”
“I won’t breathe a word, no matter what you tell me.”
“Okay. I kind of mentioned this already, but there’s more to it. My whole family are supernatural witches. We’re born with powers humans will never achieve, no matter how long they study magic and witchcraft. There is a book we were given to guard with our lives. It’s one of three.
“Recently, another one was discovered here in Boston. Now we have two of the three, and they’re hidden in different locations behind a ton of magical wards. The family’s nemesis I mentioned is a scary group calling themselves ‘the entity.’ We think they’re made up of the descendants of Nazi war criminals who were hiding in Brazil.
“As you may or may not know, there was a belief in occultism among some of the elite SS. They honestly believed they could become gods if they could purify their race. They have the third book and are looking for the others. We think they want them because it would shorten the length of time they’d need to evolve their race into gods.
“I don’t know if this has anything to do with your father or not, but I wouldn’t doubt it. This group isnotmade up of witches. They don’t hold the same values witches do. The Witches’ Rede is similar to the Hippocratic oath. It boils down to ‘Harm none.’ These guys don’t care who they harm, as long as they get the books.”
“You say they believe in the occult. Does that mean they’re using occult spells or curses or whatever to find the other two books?”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“Up until now, I couldn’t think of who could or would ever want to put a curse on me. Dante was the one who thought of finding out if my symptoms might be from a curse or wayward spell, and then he asked that wizard he knew to lift it. He was able to remove part of the curse. I don’t see dead people anymore.”
“That’s why you were seen talking to yourself? You were actually talking to spirits?”
“Yes. And I haven’t seen any ghosts since the hex breaking. But there’s another thing that didn’t get lifted.”
“You mean the part where you turn into a monkey?” Kizzy asked innocently.
Mallory’s eyes widened. “You know about that?”
“I know that the monkey at the basketball game was wearing your cute white pin-tucked blouse and carrying your JanSport crossbody bag.”
“You thought my blouse was cute?”
Kizzy burst out laughing. “That’s what you took away from that?”
Mallory giggled. “I was trying to lighten the moment.”
Kizzy smiled. “I’m glad we’re having this conversation. I really want us to get along.”
“Me too. So what canIdo to help your family protect the books from the entity?”
“Nothing. We’ve done all we can. There are wards around both places and people to reinforce them if necessary. All you can do is keep this completely to yourself and help us find that exact location.”
Mallory fidgeted in her seat until Kizzy noticed her discomfort.
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid you might not be able to keep this secret?”
“It’s not that. My parents are coming home. I don’t know what to tell them. I mean, about me. I would never mention anything about your family or the books you have—unless you wanted me to.”
Kizzy breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. Can you imagine the implications if word gets out that these books lead to unlimited power?”Hell, I shouldn’t have told her anything.Then she corrected her inner language.Heck—I mean heck.“What have you told them already?”
“Nothing at all. I was hoping I could get this all resolved before they came home. I’m an only child. They worry about me enough as it is. I had to reassure them a million times that I’d be all right on my own. I’m twenty-five years old, for heaven’s sake.”
“I understand, but all parents worry. I’m not an only child, and I’m older than you are. My father is still overprotective. So what do you feel you should tell them? I mean since you could turn into a monkey right in front of their faces. It doesn’t seem like something you can control if you get nervous.”
“You’re right. I can’t. I don’t know what to tell them.” Mallory dropped her head into her hands. “I’m screwed.”
Kizzy wrapped her arm around her new friend’s back. “Would you like me to get rid of that particular problem for you?”
