Spiral 1w2441

Spiral

Larkspur Academy, Book Three by Molly Lavenza cover design by Pixie Covers ©2021 Molly Lavenza, All Rights Reserved This is a work of fiction. All similarities to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Chapter One

I didn’t consider Larkspur’s doors would be locked after a certain hour; time has certainly ed, and now that I’ve followed the spiral staircase and trapdoor path, obviously backwards from how Abby taught me, I’m stuck out here. The woods loom to my side, and I swallow against the terrifying memories it holds. Along with the thought of Gavin, the way he looked at me as he confronted Gollum, the way he encouraged me. The way he believed in me. He knew I could seal the book - and the creature - when I had no clue what I was doing, and he was right. I lean against Larkspur’s brick wall and look at the red and gold lettering on the cloth cover in my hand, the book itself a dangerous piece in a larger puzzle. The gilded lettering on the spine indicates this is, arguably, Ray Bradbury’s most famous story, but no one knows how life threatening this particular copy is, no one except a handful of us here at Larkspur. And one on his way to a hospital in a neighboring county, his head bashed in by a fall caused by Georgia’s desire to protect me. To be sure I have nothing in the way of becoming the solitary Spellbinder. I tentatively open the cover, and the title page, in carefully crafted golden letters, declares this is Fahrenheit 451, a tale of fires and books and control. Control. I have to gain control over my life. I’ve been raised to believe I was an only child, and now I have a twin sister,

along with an uncle who has eyes solely for the prize for our family, for the Reeds to claim the Spellbinder as their own. The pages turn of their own accord, slowly, one by one, and I let out a long, slow breath as I see the text flash in front of my eyes. The smile on my face is temporary, as I recall how Georgia found the book with Gavin, and took it from him on my behalf. Right before she pushed him from the second floor hole in the cafeteria ceiling in a brutal fall to the unforgiving floor beneath them. I swallow hard and press the book closed against my chest, considering my options. If I can get back inside and avoid Georgia, who must be looking for me, I might be able to sneak into the office and call Kane. He can pick me up and take me to . . . which hospital? Voices pull me from my thoughts, and I recognize my uncle’s commanding tone as he speaks. “Under no circumstances should my nieces be allowed to leave the property. This is vital, Abby. Do you understand?” Abby doesn’t say a word, or if she does, I can’t hear her. Footsteps leading away from the building make me flatten myself against the wall, although no one can see me from this angle, not if they’re going to the parking area, which I assume my uncle is doing. Following Gavin to the hospital, no doubt. He was taken in the ambulance alone, with no one to sit with him during the ride but strangers attending to him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Sunny covers my mouth as I’m about to scream when she surprises me, her

silent approach so perfectly executed I didn’t hear her coming in the quiet evening. “Don’t answer until we hear him leave, and once the front door closes behind Abby.” Her whisper is so close to my ear I can feel her warm breath on my cheek, and I nod, although she keeps her hand over my mouth as if she doesn’t trust me to do as she says. An engine starts and my uncle says something else I can’t understand, and we wait. And wait. “Girls.” My sister jolts back so hard she bangs her head on the brick wall behind us, grunting as she rubs her head afterwards. “Geez, Abby, you’re like a ninja.” I want to tell her she has no room to talk, but Abby has fixed us with a disapproving stare. Her appearance is like a mockery of her usual tidiness, her blonde hair tumbling from pins at the back of her head and her white blouse wrinkled and stained with smears of bright red. Gavin’s blood. “You need to come inside. Your father has enough to deal with without having to worry about you sneaking around outside after dark, Sunny, especially when you and Mina both know how unsafe it is.” Abby doesn’t know I’m aware Sunny is my sister, and while I’m not sure she knows this fact, she must. After all, she’s older than we are, and she says she looked up to our aunt, Uncle Reed’s wife Leah, as a mother figure.

She must when Sunny was brought to live with them . . . which was . . . I want to ask Sunny so much, but I have to wait, like I have to wait to ask all my other questions. Of Gavin. Georgia. Sadie. Abby. And my father. “Have you heard anything from my father?” I turn the conversation elsewhere, to the overarching concern of my life right now. My missing father. Sunny flinches a little, enough for me to notice, and Abby frowns at her. “I’m sorry, Mina, but no. If we discover any news, you’ll be told immediately.” I try to smile, but I must be unsuccessful because she shakes her head. “Trust us, Mina. Please.” How am I supposed to trust anyone at this point, anyone here at Larkspur? Or my father, who has lied to me my whole life? “Can I make a phone call from the office?” I dare to ask, although I might be able to get a signal from my new dorm room in the North Wing, which other students claim has better reception than the part of the building we usually occupy for residence.

“It’s getting late, Mina. You need your rest.” Abby’s smile is tired, too, and I wonder how she can do all this. Keep track of all the students and their needs, as well as serve as a personal assistant to my uncle. I wonder how much I should push her on this, when I need to get in touch with Kane immediately. “She’s a spoiled brat. If that isn’t obvious by now, Abby, you’re in for a rude awakening. This sweet, compliant act . .” Sunny shakes her head slowly and purses her lips. This is the act, my sister’s words, her disgust of me clear in her expression and her words. I try not to smile, wondering what she’s doing. “There’s no need to be mean, Sunny. After all, you’re family, and you weren’t raised to behave in such a manner. Back inside, girls, now.” Abby ushers us towards the door as if we’re small children, and I have to it, our whining is reminiscent of younger kids, so I can’t blame her for being exasperated. But I need to see Gavin. Sunny offers me a tiny nod when Abby isn’t looking at us, and I notice Abby has a hand on Sunny’s lower back, while she isn’t touching me. She doesn’t want to induce any visions, like ones I’ve had with affinities before, and I’m grateful for this small but meaningful consideration. “Go to your rooms and stay there for the night. Please.” Abby’s voice is pleading rather than directive, and I’m sorry for causing her difficulties. Although she’s probably seen plenty with Sunny at the helm of life here at

Larkspur since she arrived. When Abby stops at the end of the hall where our rooms are, Sunny nudges my shoulder with her own after glancing back at Abby, and wrinkles her nose. “She’s a tough babysitter, and honestly, I don’t want to get her into hot water with my dad.” Sunny knows her real father is mine, but she’s been referring to Uncle Reed as her father for so long it must be a habit, and I’m glad it is, so no one can find out until we want them to. When will that be? “You’re in that head of yours too much, and I know you don’t have half the brain I do.” She smiles at me, the tilt of her lips momentary before she reaches out to grab a doorknob. “One hour.” I nod and take a few steps to another door, which I hope is mine. When I slide the new key into the lock, I hear Sadie’s voice on the other side, and I push open the door, pulling it closed quickly. “We thought something happened to you! Did you hear about Gavin?” Sadie waves her arms around as she steps closer to me, her agitation evident, and I nod somberly. “We wondered if you went to the hospital with him.” Hannah, sitting on her bed, pushes her round, wide-rimmed glasses onto her head and rubs at her eyes. When she taps her frames to drop them down again, they’re stuck in her messy hair and she yanks at them. I shake my head, walking over to my bed to step out of my shoes and push them under my bed with my toes.

Now I have to figure out how to leave the room to meet Sunny without making either of my roommates suspicious, or worse, curious. Both girls are smart and attentive, so it’ll be hard to get anything past them. “Why would I do that?” I answer Hannah offhandedly, as if what she suggests is no big deal, and she sighs. “Fine. You two are crushing on each other, and that’s your own business. Except everything at Larkspur is everyone’s business, and your arrival is enough news as it is.” “Is it true he could die?” Sadie’s voice tag teams at the end of Hannah’s words, her tone serious now. I don’t want to think about that possibility, which is all too real. But I shrug instead of validating her concern, hoping to downplay the situation. “I don’t know. Do you think you could help me organize some of my notes from chemistry? I know you’re a level ahead of me, so I would appreciate it.” Sadie nods, deflating a little, and I’m glad I’m able to distract her. I change quickly into a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt that was in the bag of clothes Abby gave me. “You’ll have to get some clothes when you shop this weekend, too. Usually I wouldn’t bother to go this close to exams, but I’m thinking I might. It would be nice to take a break from all the drama you’ve started up, Mina.” Hannah’s tone is teasing, and I I was supposed to ask the office to sign me up for the shopping trip Sunday. Buying clothes as well as a bag to carry my books during the school day is the least important thing in my life right now, but I need to maintain the pretense of such a concern, so I don’t draw attention to the fact it’s my fault Gavin is

injured. That he could die.

Chapter Two

I focus on my chemistry notes for the next hour, glad to have something to keep my attention and clear my head as Hannah and Sadie trail off on discussions about their organic chemistry class and homework in general. Both are on track for Harvard Medical, and the intensity of their interest in the subject and tangents it somehow brings to their minds eludes me. I have no clue what I want to study in college, and before I came to Larkspur, all I wanted was to finish high school early, with Kane at my side, and travel for a year before buckling down to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Now, I wonder what kind of a life I will have if Gavin dies. How can I carry around that guilt? Thinking this way is selfish when Gavin was asking for me as he lay on the cold, hard cafeteria floor, onishing me for grinding my teeth because it would give me a headache. But he’s also the boy who stole the problematic books from me and told me, under no uncertain , he was my rival, competing for the role of Spellbinder. His determination, a result of being raised specifically to step into the position, is frightening. Thinking of the books, of The Hobbit and Fahrenheit 451, makes me wonder if I’m missing something. Something important. “At least your notebook looks better, like you can make sense of it when it’s time to study for finals.” Sadie pats my binder, and I glance around, wondering if either of them have a clock so I can check the time.

My phone, plugged into the wall behind me, isn’t working properly. The cord might be acting up, or maybe it’s Larkspur fighting me. Keeping me from ing the outside world. It’s easy to believe this after my short time here, that this insular building and community is its own entity, that Larkspur is like a living, breathing thing that could work against me. Or is it the books in the secret library behind it? The only book I need to worry about right now is the Bradbury, which I tucked up in my closet beside The Hobbit as I was changing clothes. It shouldn't cause problems anymore, after I wrote my name inside after Georgia took it from Gavin, who took it from the library. So I wouldn’t. I need to confront him about his actions. About the possibility of another book in that library creating a new disaster. After I write my name in The Hobbit, I suddenly , which is only a few feet away and capable of causing more difficulties if I don’t finish the binding process as Georgia explained it. “I need to go to the restroom,” I mumble, and slide my feet back into my shoes as I rub my nose with the back of my hand. Before my roommates can respond, I rush to my closet and use the pen I’ve had in my hand for the past hour to scrawl my name inside the cover of Tolkien’s masterpiece, certain my homeschool tutor Mrs. Drew would be horrified by the terrible penmanship. When I put the book back, patting it as if to settle it in place, I sigh. I’m so tired, but I won’t be able to sleep until I’ve seen Gavin. As I reach for the doorknob, a knock startles me and I jump back.

“Mina?” Georgia’s voice is soft and urgent, and I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to figure out how to handle her. She’s so pleased with herself for getting the Bradbury back for me, and for pushing Gavin out of the picture. Literally. She doesn’t seem worried whether or not Gavin will survive. If he will tell anyone how he fell. Or who pushed him. “Are you going to let her in, Mina?” I blink and turn to face Hannah, who has no clue about everything that is going on here at Larkspur. With a deep breath, I open the door and force myself to smile at Georgia, who looks confused. “I waited for you, and you never came out. I don’t understand . . .” I stop her from continuing, because I know Hannah and Sadie are listening, and Georgia, who is usually quiet and keeps to herself, sounds suspiciously like she’s babbling. And who knows what she might reveal if I don’t cut her off. “I need to use the restroom. Why don’t you walk with me?” I speak softly, so only Georgia can hear, and she nods, closing her mouth as if she realizes she’s been saying more than she should in front of others. “Where have you been? I was worried . . .” As if I need someone else keeping tabs on me.

“Listen, Georgia, I know you want to help me, and I appreciate it, but I need some space right now.” A lot of space, I’d like to emphasize, but I worry Georgia will take it the wrong way, and if she’s willing to shove Gavin out of the picture, I don’t know what else she’s capable of doing. She narrows her eyes as we step into the restroom, and someone clears her throat as we stare at each other. “If it isn’t my favorite long-lost cousin.” Sunny sighs loudly after she speaks, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Her presence makes Georgia bristle, and she glares at my sister, although she remains silent. “Hi, Sunny.” I respond sheepishly, as if I’m afraid of her. This isn’t quite a lie. “I’ll wait for you, Mina,” Georgia declares, folding her arms across her chest. She’s nearly two years younger than we are, but she looks even younger, shorter by several inches and with a childlike frame that masks her determined mind. Sunny snorts with a shrug. “Lame bodyguard, Mina.” I step into a stall and Sunny taps the outside of it twice. What does she mean by that? I have no idea what to do with Georgia and Sunny both here, and I hope Sunny can figure out how to get rid of Georgia. In a non-head bashing, non-pushing from the second floor sort of way. “Why don’t you go to bed, little girl? My cousin and I have something to discuss

that doesn’t involve you.” I imagine Georgia scowling at Sunny, but what could she possibly say to refute this? “If it has to do with spellbinding, it most definitely does.” “You overstep yourself. Just because you’re an academic genius doesn’t mean you can show up here and act like you know everything about spellbinding.” I lean my forehead against the cool metal door, wondering how far Sunny is going to push her. For all Georgia knows, Sunny is my adversary, competing with me for Uncle Reed’s attention like the princess she is. And she might not be completely wrong. “Georgia,” I call out, not so loud that anyone outside the restroom can hear me. “Can you give us some time, please? I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?” The room grows silent, and finally, footsteps tap closer to the stall I’m hiding in. “If that’s what you want. But you need to be careful, Mina.” Georgia’s warning is ominous, but at this point, I know better than to think anything unexpected won’t happen. “Thanks, Georgia. I will.” I’m tempted to watch the interaction between Sunny and Georgia as my affinity leaves, but instead, I stay in the stall until I hear the restroom door close. There are so many books in the secret library, and now the Bradbury is sealed and tucked onto my closet shelf, I’m starting to worry about what fresh disaster awaits us. Will Gavin know? It’s hardly enough time for me to count the seconds before the door squeaks open again and I hear Sunny sigh dramatically.

“She’s going to be a problem. I knew it when my dad brought her here.” She sighs again, and I smile, opening the stall door to face her. “I need to talk to Gavin, Sunny. I’m sure you realize how important it is.” When she wrinkles her nose, my smile freezes in place, and I wonder if she’s going to hassle me about him. Not now, please, I want to beg. “Yeah, I know. But he’s more dangerous than that girl. At least you know Georgia is on your side, as crazy as she is. She’d be impossible to shake.” Sunny doesn’t know the half of it, including the fact that Georgia is willing to murder someone if she thinks it’s necessary to help me. “We have another car, but it’s in the garage. Keys are in my dad’s office, which is locked but that’s not the problem.” Abby is the problem, I consider, but this isn’t what Sunny says next. “I don’t have a license. Do you?” We have the same birthday, just a few days ago, so how does she think I managed to get one before my dad, our dad, left me on Larkspur’s front steps? “Wait, this is what you’re concerned about? What are the odds we would get pulled over?” I listen to myself and nearly laugh. Kane would be horrified at my disregard for the law, because while I’m usually the one who drags us into something new, it’s never been illegal. Until now. “If I can call Kane, he’ll take us.” Sunny scratches at her arm absently. “But we can’t pull him into this. We can’t pull anyone into this, Mina.”

I shrug. “We have a legitimate reason for going to see Gavin, don’t we? I mean, we’re friends, right?” She narrows her eyes and points at me. “I’m not friends with that boy. You might think you are, but no. Just no.” I head to the door. “I’m going to the office and making that call.” I’m counting on the office door being open as it was earlier, but of course, Abby could have pulled it shut. Anyone could have. The staff all live-in, and there are adults here I haven’t seen yet; cleaning and istrative staff who work behind the scenes. Hopefully, they’re all in their living quarters and the office has been left unoccupied. “Wait, Mina.” Sunny grabs my arm and I stop, catching a glimpse of our images in the mirror behind her. Side by side, we’re disturbingly identical. “How long have you known about me?” . She drops her arm and looks down at the cold tile floor. It’s the same flooring as the restroom she locked me in the other night, when she wanted to drive me away from Larkspur. To keep me out of this spellbinding situation.

Out of danger. “I was ten, and we were at Moon Lake for the summer. Abby was away at college, and I was . . . well, we had been close, and I missed her. I was hiding out near my dad’s cabin when I heard him on the phone with her, and once I realized who he was talking to, I went up to the door to ask if I could say hi.” She raises her head and looks in the mirror, avoiding my gaze as she smooths her hair back from her forehead, watching her own movements as if fascinated. “He said your name, and I the word twins, and I made some sort of noise that caught his attention. He hung up with Abby and told me everything.” When she clears her throat, I wonder what it must have been like, for a little girl to hear such a secret, not meant for her ears. How long had Uncle Reed planned to keep it from her? From us? “I forgot Gavin can’t swim, so when I saw him sitting on one of the docks reading, I shoved him into the lake, taking my frustration out on him. It wasn’t that deep, hardly over his head at that spot, but what a big deal it was. An older girl fished him out, and he cried over the book, which was ruined.” When she shakes her head, I can’t help smiling. He really does love books, like I do. Not just ones he wants to bind - ones he wants to bind before I can get to them. “Are you coming?” Sunny doesn’t answer, but she follows me through the quiet hall, and we leave the way Abby led us, taking quiet steps with the hope we won’t attract attention. But I know Abby is around, because she always is, and when my sister holds a finger to her lips as we walk up to the office door, I realize she’s heard or seen something.

We stand motionless, and I hold my breath for a few beats before reaching for the door. It’s ajar, and I can’t help smiling with satisfaction as I push it in. And find Abby waiting for us, leaning back against the counter.

Chapter Three

“You two aren’t going to stay put, are you?” Surprisingly, Abby is smiling, her hands folded neatly at her waist in a familiar gesture. I shake my head, and her gaze flickers from me to Sunny, who is doing the same. “I’ve spoken with Dr. Reed, and he’s given me permission to bring you to the hospital. However . . .” She stands up straight and leans closer to us. “You will stay with me at all times, and you will not be alone with Gavin. Not for a moment.” What does she think we plan to do with, or to him? “Okay,” I agree immediately, but Sunny doesn’t speak for a long moment. This rule doesn’t exactly serve my need to ask Gavin all my questions, which is why I want to see him. And to be sure he’ll survive, of course. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. What if he doesn’t get his sight back? “I’ll take you, Mina, but not Sunny. Clearly you plan to circumvent your father’s rule, so I’ll make it easy for you to stay out of trouble by leaving you here.” Sunny’s lips twitch, but surprisingly, she doesn’t protest. She doesn’t say a word.

I wonder if I should speak up and defend her in some way, but there’s nothing I can say. There’s no reason I can’t go alone, with Abby. So why do I want my newfound sister with me? “Goodnight, then. See you tomorrow, Mina.” I bite my lip to keep my mouth closed as Sunny turns around with quick steps meant to show she isn’t in the least bit tired, and quite possibly, she’s up to something. Of course she is. “Let’s get you a jacket. It’s a bit chilly out tonight.” I think of Moon Lake in the summer, of the change in temperature the next few weeks will bring that will make it possible for students to swim in the heat of the day. Does Gavin Sunny pushing him into the lake and ruining his book? The bookworm in me wants to know which book he was reading, and if anyone bought him a new copy. Abby rustles around in the back of the office and returns with a dark blue, thinly lined jacket with a gold L embroidered on the front, barely large enough to notice. I slip it on and mumble thank you, then follow her out the side door silently. She directs me to wait for her out front, so I do until she pulls up in a huge, dark and forbidding SUV. “Do you want to go or not?” I feel like I’m being kidnapped as I slide in after Abby hisses at me through the half-open window, and she takes off down the drive before I buckle my seat belt. This time with her is perfect for questions, but I keep my focus on the town

around us as she zips through, going at least twenty miles over the speed limit and breezing through stop signs. It’s not like anyone else is on the road, but I’m shocked by her disregard for traffic laws. This doesn’t seem like her, but it goes to show how much I know her. How much do I know anyone at Larkspur? “I’m glad you and Sunny seem to be getting along better. Neither of you have any other family besides your fathers, so it’s good you can become friends.” I wonder how long Sunny and I can, how long we should, keep the fact that I know we’re sisters from everyone else. Only Kane and his mother know, so as much as Sunny wants him out of Larkspur business, he’s already in it. I nod, unsure if Abby notices as she drives. If nothing else, at least she keeps her eyes on the road ahead of us. “Dr. Reed is with Gavin, and will stay with him until we can have a guard we trust settled by his side.” I frown. They must suspect someone pushed Gavin, someone who might come for him and try to finish the deed. Georgia wouldn’t. She couldn’t. I’m hopeful she only wanted to get the Bradbury from him, and . . . “Mina?” I look out the window and discover we’re in a parking space close to a hospital, one marked Reserved, and blink a few times before looking over at Abby.

“You must not upset Gavin. He is in and out of consciousness, and the doctors are discussing whether or not to induce a coma so his brain can rest and heal.” That doesn’t sound good, and not only because a coma means I can’t question him. I don’t want anything bad to happen to Gavin; I just want him to stop trying to take these books. To stop trying to be the Spellbinder when it’s a role meant for me. I don’t know why I care so much, aside from the knowledge that I have to fulfill this job to my uncle’s satisfaction in order to demand he tell me where my father is, even though this was never made explicit to me. Abby and I step into Gavin’s room after several twists and turns down halls and an elevator ride, one that makes me think of Sunny’s work pulling the old one at Larkspur up a floor in the dark. How much strength and effort did that take? Uncle Reed smiles tiredly at me, before looking at Gavin. His eyes are open, and he rolls his head slowly to the side as if he can see me. “Mina?” How does he know I’m here? His voice is soft, as if he’s whispering something that’s just between us, and I hurry over to his bed. But my uncle catches my arm before I’m close enough to touch Gavin’s hand. “Don’t say anything to upset him. He must not be agitated for any reason, Mina. Do you understand?” I nod. “I’ll be over by the door speaking with Abby.”

A nurse appears in the doorway, and he walks over to talk to her as Abby watches me. “Hey.” I touch Gavin’s hand, which has a thin plastic tube sticking out of it leading to a bag on a metal hook, gently, and his fingers curl a little, so I slip mine underneath them. “Do you . . . have it?” I suck in a breath at his whispered words and lean in closer, sitting on the chair vacated by my uncle moments ago. “Yes.” I watch his lips twitch into a tiny smile. “And?” I know what he’s asking, his concern so focused on Fahrenheit 451 I can’t help smiling, too. He’s so dedicated to this spellbinding business, and I think of him as an eight year old at Moon Lake among the older kids from Larkspur, with my uncle trying to force him to swim. With Sunny, who may not have been such a brat at the time. After all, he did kiss her a few years later. “What’s wrong?” His voice clears as he uses it more, but I don’t want to answer him truthfully. Because asking him about kissing my sister is not on my agenda tonight. He thinks I’m stalling because there was a problem with the book, but Georgia told me what I needed to know to seal it. To make it mine.

Gavin isn’t aware I know how to finish the job, and I’m not sure I should tell him. He must be planning to write his own name in the books to claim them. “Nothing. I have it back at school, in a safe place.” His hand in mine relaxes and his eyes drift closed. Just when I think he might be asleep, his lips move again. “You’re not . . . what I thought you would be.” I can’t imagine what he expected of me, and how long he had me in mind. My uncle knew about me all this time, but when did he start thinking of bringing me here? When did Sunny fail to meet his expectations? I consider how he told us both that Sunny’s abilities weren’t as strong, or as natural, as mine, whatever that means, and wonder how he knew this. “Does Sadie anything?” Footsteps behind me make me turn to see the nurse approaching, her head swaying from side to side as she frowns at me. “No, not really.” I lean closer to Gavin and whisper in his ear to answer him, touching the damp hair on his forehead with my free hand. He looks like a sleepy little boy, his eyes heavy-lidded, but the shaved section of his head that begins behind his ear reminds me he’s dangerously injured. “I did it, Mina. That pendant of hers. She said . . .” When he struggles to take a deep breath and starts to cough, the nurse taps my shoulder insistently.

“Time to go. He needs his rest.” As much as I want him to continue, I know pushing him is a bad idea. “It was precious to her. I thought I could draw out something from Tolkien and lure you here. Lure our Spellbinder.” His voice fades as I stare at him, and my fingers trail down to his cheek. “Come, Mina. You can visit in a few days.” I let my uncle help me up, and I force myself to turn away from Gavin as we leave the room. A man in a security guard uniform hovers outside the door, and a woman in a matching outfit steps up to him with two paper coffee cups in her hands as we stand outside of the room talking. Or rather, my uncle talks, and Abby and I listen. “This was no accident, and you both know it.” My eyes grow wide, and I watch my uncle continue to speak, not daring to say a word. Gavin must know it was Georgia, but he hasn’t told anyone. “Be careful, Mina, and be wary of anyone who says something about Gavin or anything that is outside of the usual realm of school interests.” I’ve never been to school before now, but I can guess at what he means. Anything to do with spellbinding or magic. Or the secret library. I don’t have to worry too much about this, since I can keep an eye on the culprit directly. “They’re right here, ma’am.”

A nurse interrupts us and I look away from Uncle Reed to find Grace staring at me, her face damp with tears. “Oh, Mina!” I fall into her arms as she grabs and hugs me tight, but I’m so stunned I can’t speak. What in the world is she doing here? “I went to the school, and a teacher told me you were here with a boy who was hurt. Why is it that so much has gone wrong since you left home?” Uncle Reed clears his throat, but I cling to Grace, to the hope she’ll be able to tell me where my father is. And why our house burned down. “You are?” Grace sniffles at my uncle’s question, then pats my back firmly as if I’m a little girl again. I feel like I am, a child at the mercy of the adults who surround me. “Grace, the Parkers’ housekeeper.” She doesn’t take his offered hand, instead taking mine tightly in her own. “Your father, Mina.” When she hiccups, my uncle takes a step back and nods to me, as if he senses I might need a moment of privacy with her. But why? What does he know? “I’m so sorry to tell you he’s in the county jail, and he’ll be arraigned Monday morning for setting your house on fire.”

Chapter Four

These might be the last words I expect to hear from Grace, or anyone, about my father. It’s impossible. He would never destroy our family home. “I’m expected to be a witness, so I can’t say any more than that. But . . .” Grace squeezes my hands so tightly it hurts, but I don’t pull away. “It’s all for you.” She pushes me away, letting go of my hands before running down the hall and through a door. Someone touches my back, but my head is so full of Grace’s words I can’t think clearly. My father burned our house down . . . for me? I’m sure the fires were connected to the Bradbury book, and I struggle to make a connection between what Grace has said and the text itself. Like Gollum in The Hobbit, there should be something that jumps out, if not literally, then figuratively from the story that can explain this. I can’t believe it. “Mina, let’s go back to Larkspur. You’ve had too many nasty surprises tonight, and you need to rest.” My uncle rests his hand on my back and I stare at him. But instead of his face, I see my father’s, his eyes wildly searching as his head

swivels back and forth. There’s heat and pain, a bright light and a searing burn I endure as if it’s across my own cheek instead of his. Someone screams, a woman’s voice I recognize, and my father calls my name. And then, he says, more softly . . . Sunny. A blinding heat envelops us, and then a jolt, as if someone is shaking me. “Mina!” The vision fades and I’m suddenly cold, the loss of the intense heat making me jolt to attention. No one touches me now, but both Abby and my uncle stare into my face, waiting for me to respond. “Why did you touch me? You both know what can happen if either of you do.” I’m angry, but as much of it is deserved, some is misdirected. They shouldn’t handle me unless I know it’s coming and I’m prepared. But I’m furious with my father, because now I know what Grace told me is true. He didn’t do it only for me, but also for my sister. I shake my head as Abby reaches for me, and she pulls her hands back. “I apologize, Mina. This is taking some getting used to, although that is no excuse.” Uncle Reed looks behind him as he speaks, but no one is there except the guards outside of Gavin’s room. I’m sure he’s worried someone is listening, but the two security guards are sipping their coffee and staring at their phones. This doesn’t make me feel any better about leaving Gavin alone.

Hopefully, Georgia is the only threat to him, and I can keep an eye on her at school, remind her she can’t hurt others in an attempt to help me. I swallow hard and nod to Abby, who looks as if she’s about to cry. "Tomorrow, Mina. We’ll deal with all of this tomorrow.” Uncle Reed points towards the end of the hall, where Grace disappeared through a door, and I blink a few times, my thoughts so jumbled I force myself to stop trying to make any sense of them. I run after her. I’m tempted to call out her name, but I I’m in a hospital, and no one would appreciate hearing me shout. My shoes click on the shiny tile floor, and I focus on the beat of my steps as I reach the door and shove it open. Without stopping, I turn down the stairway and use the railing to keep myself from falling in my hurry down each flight until I catch sight of Grace, who glances at me. I’m breathless as I reach her and grab her arm, holding tight to her as if my life depended on it. Because it does. “Mina.” She says my name in a whisper, and I see the tear tracks on her cheeks. I shake my head. “Why?” The door opens above us, and I know I have little time before my uncle and Abby catch up. Before I’ll be taken back to Larkspur.

“Why would he do it, and what does it have to do with me?” Grace pats my hand and pulls me into a hug, “He’ll have to tell you that, sweetheart.” She kisses the top of my head as I tuck myself against her shoulder, ing how she used to carry me around on her hip when I was a little girl. “I’m not allowed to say much, but I can say that everything he’s done is out of love for you. Do your best at school and stay out of trouble. Make him proud, Mina.” My uncle and Abby are behind me now, and I let Grace go, lifting my chin as I turn to face them. He doesn’t look angry, and I’m surprised to find comion in my uncle’s expression. Would he be so understanding if he knew Sunny and I shared a secret now, one that changes our relationship in ways he can’t exploit? I bite my lip, because I can’t be sure he isn’t able to do such a thing, especially since he really isn’t Sunny’s father. “Let’s go. You won’t be able to get out of classes tomorrow without drawing attention, Mina, so it’s best you get back to your room and settle in for the night.” Abby’s smile is so tired now, her attempt to reassure me irable when it looks as if she needs a day or two to sleep herself. Tomorrow is Friday, and then . . . We walk behind Grace, as she picks up the pace and heads out the front doors of the hospital before I can tell her goodbye. “Shopping. My roommates mentioned this, and I’d like to go on Sunday.”

This is true, but also a way to distract both my uncle and Abby from any more talk about Gavin or spellbinding. I don’t think I can manage more of it, not when they’re both lying to me. Once we’re in the car, Abby explains the weekend trip to the mall in the next county as well as to other stores requested by students, smiling as she encourages me to go along. I nod, keeping my eyes on the darkness that surrounds us, the unfamiliar houses and trees, stores closed for the night, save for a stray convenience mart and gas station lit up inside. Back at Larkspur, I stumble to my room, with Abby in tow until I'm inside as if I’m a child she doesn’t trust to do as I’m told. My uncle has retired to his office rather than his living quarters, which are somewhere I haven’t seen yet, offering me a curt nod before we parted. “How is he?” Hannah looks up from her textbook, where she holds a purple highlighter over a page that looks as if it’s already covered with the hue. “Awake. We couldn’t stay long because they said he needed to rest.” Sadie gets up from her bed and hugs me, and I’m surprised when tears rush to my eyes. “You like him?” Hannah frowns at me, pursing her lips, and I wonder at her question. Not just that she’s asking, but that I have to think for a moment before answering. How can I like someone who has clearly claimed to be my rival, who has lied to get the better of me in order to get his way, and will most likely do all he can to keep me from doing as my uncle wishes so I can get out of here?

I pat Sadie’s shoulders awkwardly, embarrassed I’m becoming emotional. “He’s been nice to me, but it’s not like that.” I sniffle as I pull away from Sadie. “I’m tired, that’s all. Oh, I talked to Abby about going shopping this weekend, and she’s on board with the idea.” When Sadie squeals excitedly, I feel uplifted by her enthusiasm. She touches her pendant, which dangles against her collarbone on the outside of her pale green sweatshirt, and I suck in a breath. Gavin stole it. Hid it in the woods to attract . . . Something’s attention? How did he know an element of one of Tolkien’s books would respond to this lure? A precious thing, like the ring in the Middle Earth tales. He intentionally encouraged an evil being into reality, solely to bring me here? I allow myself to fall into a conversation about stores we’ll be visiting on our shopping expedition, and a new calculator Hannah says her parents told her she could buy at the electronics shop behind the mall. “Why don’t we go anywhere in our own town? There are a few stores we could go to downtown. Kane and I go there all the time, to get coffee, hang out.” Hannah wrinkles her nose and scratches the end of it with the tip of her highlighter. “If you have him, why do you like Gavin? I mean, most of the school is in love with Gavin, but Kane seems like . . .” She shrugs, and I’m glad for a legitimate distraction from my head full of

questions and worries. “Kane seems like what? We’re friends, that’s all. Never anything more. He’s like a brother to me.” Hannah’s cheeks flush as I refer to Kane as a brother, and I think of their brief interaction when Kane and I walked in on Hannah changing her shirt. Not quite love at first sight, but definite interest. On both their parts. I bite my lip to stop myself from saying this out loud, because I don’t want to come off as teasing. Kane has never had a girlfriend, for the same reason I’ve never had a boyfriend. We spend time with each other and no one else. Now that’s changed, and there’s no reason why Kane couldn’t have a chance at a relationship with Hannah. Kane, who lives mostly in the moment and for time goofing around with me or his mother, who has no problem with his lack of focus on his future. And Hannah, who seems like she’s been on track for Harvard Medical since birth, who always has a textbook in front of her face and her career goals foremost in her thoughts. If I ever needed a distraction, it’s now, and I smile as I consider how I’m going to get the two of them together without them figuring it out.

Chapter Five

“Don’t look at me like that,” Hannah snaps at me. “With so much catching up to do, I don’t know how you can get approved for a shopping trip if the teachers say you’re slacking already.” I know I’ll be spending a good part of the weekend focusing on schoolwork, but I can’t imagine how I’m going to handle that with so much on my mind. When I glance at my closet, fighting the urge to check the two troublemaking books on my shelf, Sadie launches into a diatribe about the lack of consideration for her time in the woods. “They’ve given me this week to get everything done, and seriously, I don’t most of what happened while I was gone. So weird.” She doesn’t sound angry or even curious about why she was missing. Does she it had to do with recovering her pendant? I don’t want to ask, or encourage her to think about it, because the less anyone knows about what’s going on with the secret library and the book elements the better. Less people for me to worry about. Less people who know they’re in danger as long as the books are unstable. I wonder why is this happening now, and not before I came here, and if Gavin’s actions were the catalyst for all this, as he claims. “You should be as absorbed in homework as you are in daydreaming, Mina!” Hannah sounds like a parent onishing her child, and I smile at her concern. “Thanks, Hannah.”

She frowns and blows out a breath. I watch her, thinking again of a match between her and Kane. It's ridiculous to consider this in the midst of everything that is already on my mind, but I smile at the idea of something positive coming from my Larkspur experience. “What do you think of Kane?” I change into a long t-shirt from the bag of clothes Abby gave me and slide into bed, deciding to forgo brushing my teeth and washing my face. It’s been a long day. Hannah looks at Sadie, then points to her own chest. “You’re asking me?” She sounds astonished and a little embarrassed. I sit with the blanket and sheet around me, hugging my knees to my chest. “Sure.” Sadie’s eyes light up and she looks from Hannah to me as we both wait for Hannah to answer. “The boy who came to see you, right?” I nod and allow myself to smile. Without Gavin, Sunny, or Georgia to talk to or to ask questions, there’s little I can do about everything that's fallen into my lap. Everything feels like my responsibility now. I could go to the police, ask to see my father . . . “He just stared at me, as if he had no idea it was rude. I mean, staring is rude in general, but I didn’t have a shirt on.”

Hannah scoffs, but lazily slides her gaze towards Sadie, who has her mouth open. “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?” When Hannah rolls her eyes, she’s so dramatic I can’t help but laugh. It feels good, as if some of the tension I’ve been carrying since I first set foot on Larkspur property has faded into the background, not forgotten but at least not holding me back. For a few moments, here with my new friends, I can just be a teenage girl talking about a boy. Talking about my best friend, who definitely couldn’t keep his eyes off Hannah. I suspect he would have been equally dumbfounded if she hadn’t been standing there in a bra, glaring at him. “He doesn’t have a girlfriend. The other kids in town don’t like us, since we don’t go to school with them, so it’s always been just the two of us.” Hannah pushes her glasses up on her nose and lifts her chin. “And you two never . . . ?” Her words trail off and Sadie s her in looking at me, waiting for an answer as I grimace. “Yuck, no.” Sadie shakes her head slowly. “But he’s concerned about you, showing up here and waiting around. I’ve heard other students talking about it, too. You’re sure he doesn’t like you like that?” The idea of it is so weird I’m not sure how to emphasize how ridiculous it is. Kane and me? “Absolutely certain. We used to play naked in a little plastic pool in his backyard

when we were little, so it’s hard to imagine anything romantic going on between us.” Hannah straightens her shoulders and taps her highlighter on her notebook. “Back to work. As much as I’m glad you’re back safe and sound, Mina, Sadie and I don’t have time for this sort of thing.” Sadie throws her pillow at Hannah, and Hannah gasps before bursting into laughter. After a few moments during which Hannah tells us both off for goofing around, we settle into our beds and I manage to dig out my Ohio history materials from my backpack on the floor. Georgia and I are supposed to work on this project together, but how am I supposed to concentrate knowing what she’s done . . . what she’s capable of doing? I look at my sparse notes about the assignment, and what Georgia said about studying the history of Larkspur property. The woods are significant and mysterious, unexplored and dangerous. “Do either of you know anything about Larkspur, like school history or the area on which it’s built?” My question is barely audible, but both girls stop what they’re doing and look over at me. “You’re the one who lives in this town,” Hannah begins, and Sadie goes on. “Haven’t you heard anything about it?” I shake my head, because little is known about Larkspur in the rest of town. The remote setting, the distance my uncle creates . . . It must be because of the spellbinding. He doesn’t want to pull in the rest of the town, to expose anyone to anything that

might cause harm. Or he wants to hide it away, so no one else can discover this magic. I sigh, because I want to believe my first thought rather than my second, but odds are he’s keeping Larkspur from the rest of the world because he doesn’t want to share. It makes me think that, while Sadie was affected when the first book went blank, my father was by the second. And he’s not here. He never was. Except when he dropped me off. I nearly fall out of bed when I suddenly there’s a character in Fahrenheit 451 who sets her house on fire instead of allowing others to come in and burn her books. “You okay?” Sadie comes over and offers me her hand, and I take it with as much of a smile as I can manage. Because in the book, the woman burns along with her home and books. I’m shaking, and as soon as I realize this, I let go of Sadie, hoping she doesn’t notice. “You should get some sleep, Mina. I promise, things here should settle down. It’s like, nothing happened here since we came in August, and now, all this . . .” She waves her hand in the air, and I slide back under my blanket and sheet, clasping my hands together to stop my shivering. Hannah doesn’t say a word, but I know she’s watching me. “Thanks. I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”

My smile is bigger this time, and I watch them exchange a look before I huddle down and pull the sheet over my head. My father, instead of just setting our house on fire, could have stayed there. He could have burned alive, like the character in the Bradbury book. Whatever I dream eludes me on waking, and I take a deep breath before getting out of bed, noting that Sadie and Hannah are both asleep, which is a good sign. If nothing else today, I can be on time for classes and work out a plan to study, investigate Larkspur, and find answers to my spellbinding questions this weekend. I wonder if Kane could meet us on our shopping trip. I’m glad I have something good to think about, because everything that keeps coming to mind isn’t. Bringing Kane and Hannah together will be fun. I head to the restroom with everything I need for a shower, and find only a few girls there. We exchange greetings, but they seem preoccupied while polite, and I’m grateful they don’t ask me any questions or expect me to be more social. My relief is short lived when I step out of a steaming shower, awake and refreshed, and find Georgia in a short pale blue robe, her hair in messy tufts around her head. “Good morning, Mina.” It’s as if she’s been waiting for me, standing by the wall near the window. And she isn’t smiling. “Hi, Georgia. You know, I was thinking about our Ohio history project last night.” She raises her eyebrows, and I notice she’s holding my robe, a big fluffy white

one Abby must have hung in my closet for me. “Thanks,” I smile as she holds it out to me. “How’s Gavin?” Her question makes the room, now busy with more girls and the noise of hair dryers and conversation, come to a standstill. I glance at everyone, wondering how much of myself I can hide under this robe. “He needs a lot of rest.” It sounds dumb, because it’s so obvious, but in less than the time it takes for me to suck in a breath after I speak, girls flock to me with questions. Was he awake? When will he be back? Is his head really bashed in? Fortunately, no one asks if he can see, and I hope that detail wasn’t shared with anyone. But not as much as I hope he regains his sight. I smile a little, suddenly thinking of Sunny and Gavin’s kiss. A juicy detail these girls would love - or hate - to hear, but I would never tell. I still can’t believe she told me about it. “So he can have visitors?” A girl Gavin was talking to in the hall yesterday blinks at me, her eyes wide and damp. I shake my head. “I don’t think so, but you can always ask Abby.”

As soon as I say this, I’m sorry, because now Abby is going to have Gavin’s fangirls tailing her all day. But I think she can handle it. “Mina, you wanted to talk about our Ohio history assignment?” Georgia clears her throat, her voice small in the midst of the excited chatter but loud enough to dispel the crowd as the girls look at her, some curious but most with disbelief or disdain. I nod, glad she’s latched onto the subject. My mind races through everything I want to ask her, and very little of it has to do with schoolwork. “Can we arrange to go to the library and do our research soon?” I watch her expression shift as if my question has flipped an electrical switch on inside her and I have her full attention. “I’ve been allowed to leave Larkspur to visit a library exactly three times on my own, with a teacher at my side the whole time. In this case, I’m sure we’ll end up with Abby along for the ride, and we’ll have to beg for privacy.” Girls leave the restroom, and I wonder what time it is. Waking early isn’t going to do me any good if I'm late for class anyway. “Why don’t we talk at breakfast?” I’m glad I’ve found a subject to keep Georgia from asking about Gavin. About last night, when I went to visit him. After I ditched Georgia.

Chapter Six

“I thought you drowned.” Sadie frowns at me when I return to our room, where she and Hannah are ready to leave. “Sorry, I was talking to Georgia. She and I are having breakfast together to talk about our Ohio history map.” Hannah nods her approval. “At least that’s something. If you fall further behind, it will be impossible for you to catch up, and then poof, no more Larkspur for you.” She sounds harsh, but her smile is playful as she makes a swishing gesture with her hand. “Besides,” Sadie elaborates. “We’re all excited about Moon Lake. Of course, it’s still school so there’s a lot of work, but a lot of it is ecology and science. So you have to do well and stay.” I dress while they talk, and I’m glad I’m not wearing anything today that belongs to Hannah, because who knows what mess I’ll become and what article of clothing will get damaged or stained. “I’ll see you later.” Once we’ve left the building and made our way across the yard, I wave to them when I notice Georgia sitting at a corner table in the large room in the garden house, a small paper plate with a huge muffin in front of her. She sips at a bottle of orange juice as I sit across from her, but she tilts her head to the empty chair at her side so I get up and move. "The library visit. Your uncle is super protective of you, which is understandable, but I was thinking having me along will ease his mind, and

maybe Abby won’t hover too much.” Her voice is low and now I understand why she wanted me to sit closer to her. She’s right. In spite of her physical appearance, I think she’d be able to help keep me out of trouble. Or danger. “Larkspur, the school, has been on this plot of land for over a hundred and fifty years. At first, it was an all boys school, and became co-educational in the early twentieth century. The only other boarding schools in this part of the state that can claim such a successful history are Western Reserve and Arda.” She narrows her eyes a little, enough for me to notice. “The library in the next county, the one we’ll visit because it has property records for the state as well as the county, is close to Arda, which is a shady area if you ask me.” I’m about to ask her what she means by shady, but Julian and Helena interrupt her. “Good morning, ladies. Has your uncle said anything to you about Gavin, Mina?” The hush that came over the girls in the restroom washes over the tables close to us, and Julian cringes. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have been so loud.” Helena slaps him on the arm and leans in close to me. “See what I have to deal with.” Her smile is sweet and genuine, and I can’t help smiling back. “I haven’t heard anything today, but I’ll let you know if I do. I’m sure we’ll get an update, since he’s so popular.” Julian nods quickly.

“No kidding.” The room starts to grow louder as conversations resume. Georgia has been silent, but now she lifts her chin and addresses Julian. “We were discussing the Ohio history assignment, so we would appreciate your consideration.” She sounds like one of the teachers instead of a student. Julian frowns but nods again. “Sure, sure. Sorry to interrupt.” He smiles at me and wrinkles his nose. “At least it’s more interesting than Jane Eyre.” Helena sticks her finger into her open mouth and mimes gagging, and I laugh again. Once the two of them have moved on, I stare at Georgia. “Do you intend to be rude, or are you just focused on this project?” She sits up primly and picks at her muffin, which I notice has large, juicy blueberries in it. As if reading my mind, Hannah and Sadie walk by and leave a plate with two muffins and a small bottle of orange juice beside me. “You seem busy, so . . .” Sadie shrugs before she follows Hannah as they walk away. “I’m very focused, and not on my academic career alone, as you already know. I’m here to help you, to make you the best, the strongest, spellbinder we’ve ever had. To make sure you become the Spellbinder, and not someone else.” I wonder why it has to be me, but I think that might be a question better suited

for my uncle, although I’m tempted to ask Georgia here and now since she’s brought it up. “So, Gavin, and the book . . .” This room isn’t as large as the school cafeteria, but it’s close. It’s more open, with no places for kids to lurk or listen in without us noticing. But still . . . “Mina?” I realize I’m looking around, as if I’m searching for something, or someone, instead of paying attention to Georgia, even though I was in the middle of asking her an important question. “Sorry, Georgia. I guess I’m a little out of it.” She nods, exuding such a mature air that if it wasn’t for her twin ponytails, a little more even today than the past times I’ve seen her, I’d think she was years older. “There is a lot for you to get used to, to understand.” She smiles and folds her hands in her lap. “Gavin had the book, and I took it from him. That’s all there is to it, and when it comes to doing what is best for you, that’s all I will be doing.” Her tone is so calm, as if she isn’t talking about shoving a boy down a building floor and bashing his head in. I want to ask her if she meant to do that, if it was an accident . . . If they were fighting over the book and he fell. But I’m afraid to ask, because the determined look on her face holds the answer already. “You look upset, but everything will work out in your favor, as Dr. Reed wishes. You’ll adapt. We all do.”

I’m not sure of this claim, not about me, or about anyone else. While Sunny has spent years here, she doesn't seem happy. Has she adapted, as Georgia claims? Has Georgia had a chance to? Does she have a say in her education, or in the way she’s being used here at Larkspur? “I’d advise you, when you go on your shopping trip,” she frowns and rolls her eyes, making me smile a little. “To get some reading glasses. The eye strain with all the reading and studying we do is a real problem.” She’s not the first one to give me this advice, and I nod in acceptance. “On my list, thank you.” I nibble on a muffin as my stomach churns, and not only because it’s empty. “Back to the map project. Who do we talk to first about the library visit?” She taps the top of her orange juice bottle, now empty, against her lips, and shifts her gaze to the side. I follow it and find Abby standing next to us, her approach silent and surprising. Although I should be used to it by now. “I couldn’t help overhearing your conversation, girls.” I wonder how much she’s heard, but before my stomach can knot itself worrying she continues. “For study-related excursions off school property, I’m in charge of arranging transportation, and in light of both of your, shall we say, unique situations,” Abby tilts her head to the side as if she’s listening before continuing. “I will, purely for security purposes, accompany you.” She sounds as if she’s reciting from a script, but she smiles, looking

mischievous. “But it would be fun to get away for a bit, wouldn’t it? There’s an ice cream shop in Castle Heights that has wonderful hot fudge sundaes, so there should be no harm in stopping for a treat.” I wonder what my uncle would say to that, or to allowing me to go at all, but I need to let Abby handle it. “Since you’re here, can I ask about something else?” Abby nods, and Georgia starts to work on her muffin again, as if to indicate she isn’t paying attention to us anymore. But I know she is. “I want to see my father.” It’s not a question, but Abby must know what I mean. I don’t know exactly where he is, if he’s at the police station, or in jail . . . it’s not like I have any experience with our situation. With my dad committing crimes that could get him years and years of a prison sentence. Abby bows her head, and opens her hands in front of her. I know I’m about to get an apology, and sink into my chair. “Dr. Reed wouldn't believe it necessary. Honestly, it would be upsetting and distracting. But rest assured, your uncle is doing what he can to help.” This is news to me. Did Uncle Reed know how the fire started, when I was certain he was behind it? I know for sure it was the Bradbury volume, which is now sealed away, stashed in my closet. But not soon enough to keep it from ruining my life, as well as my father’s.

Something clatters in the distance, and at first, I think someone dropped some dishes until a thunderous crunch follows. “Abby! Abby!” A girl’s voice calls out frantically, and another girl screams. Then another. And another. “Call an ambulance!” Abby rushes out the door along with a crowd of students wondering what is happening. Georgia shakes her head slowly at me, as if to warn me not to go with them. But how can I not? Hannah and Sadie aren’t anywhere inside, and I worry something has happened to one of them. That sound, like shattering glass . . . I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand as I race outside, trying to keep away from the other students so I don’t get caught up in them. If another book has gone blank . . . How long will this continue, and isn’t there anything I can do, alone or with Gavin, that can keep those secret library books from causing trouble? It’s more than trouble I find when I reach the front of the main school building, which is already damaged so much on the inside. An ivory convertible, small and sporty, is wedged on the front steps, barely touching the front door. Touching it enough on impact, though, to break the windows surrounding it, leaving the door warped and a girl, unconscious and bleeding from the side of

her head, on the concrete beside the front wheel of the driver’s side. A girl with strawberry blonde curls and pale skin, all the more so for the bright red smears of blood on her cheeks.

Chapter Seven

Julian is breathing heavily when I reach him, the rest of the students wisely giving him space as he kneels beside Helena. I don’t say a word as I rest my hand on his shoulder lightly, afraid to startle him. "I don’t know if I should touch her. What if I do, and it hurts her more? But what if I don’t, and she doesn’t know I’m here because she can’t hear or see me?” His words are hardly audible as he huffs them out between heaving breaths, and I see his cheeks are damp from tears. “You can probably hold her hand,” I whisper, crouching down beside him. If my uncle insists on that private doctor of his coming instead of getting an ambulance here immediately, he’s going to have to answer to me. As little power as I have here, I won’t let him get away with putting another student’s life in jeopardy. He needs to tell me more about spellbinding, enough for me to prevent this from happening again. Julian reaches out tentatively and rests his fingers over Helena’s, touching her gently. Her hand twitches, and we both jump a little. “Helena?” He leans closer as her lips move, but no sound comes out, and Julian starts to sob as his tears roll from his cheeks to his chin, dripping onto Helena’s arm. “Her leg is at an odd angle. That’s not good.” Abby appears on Julian’s other side, her words full of concern, and while at first

I wonder why she would say something that will upset him more, his attention is drawn away from Helena’s face and to the leg in question. He sniffles loudly. “Yeah, it looks like it’s broken. That’s easy to fix, though, right?” I see what Abby is doing here, and I smile to thank her. But she doesn’t need my thanks, not when she knows all the kids here so much better than I do. And she seems to care about them, as if they were her brothers and sisters rather than parts of her job requirements. I look in the car, wondering where the driver went, when an ambulance rolls up the driveway, without sirens blaring or lights spinning. No attention to the crisis at hand, just another day here at Larkspur. Just another day since I’ve arrived. At least Uncle Reed had an ambulance brought for Helena, I console myself, but the guilt I’m carrying for Gavin’s injuries feels heavier now, as if I’ve hurt Helena with my own hands. “Where is he?” As if summoned by my thoughts, my uncle appears at the bottom step, his gaze casting around until it settles on the license plate on the back of the car. Paramedics pull a gurney to my uncle’s side and speak to him for a brief moment before rushing to examine Helena. Julian wipes his face with the back of his hand as Abby and I help him up, one of us on either side of him. Even if Helena had been aware of his presence earlier, she’s unconscious as the paramedics, two women with serious expressions, speak to each other while they kneel beside her.

My uncle knows who did this, so the culprit won’t be able to hide forever. “I’m sorry, Dr. Reed. How is the girl?” A short, dark haired boy with large eyes walks around the crowd of students, as if he’s been to the garden house and back. He’s wiping his hands with paper towels, and as he approaches the car and Uncle Reed, I see a huge bruise on his cheekbone and dried blood on his lips. Like Georgia, he looks too young to be in high school, but that’s the last thing I care about right now. I leave Julian with Abby and stumble down the steps, nearly tripping over my feet in my hurry. “Did you do this? Are you crazy?” When I reach out, unsure what I’m going to do to him, my uncle slaps at my wrist and shakes his head. “I didn’t realize what a temper you have, Mina. This was an accident, and you need to calm yourself before you make this situation worse.” This kid can’t be old enough to drive, but before I can yell at him again for hurting Helena with his carelessness, he offers his hand to me, as if we’re meeting under normal circumstances. As if anything at Larkspur could ever be normal. “Hello, Mina. I’m Nicholas.” I push his hand away. “Don’t you care about Helena? Can’t you see how badly she’s hurt?” He drops his hand and frowns at me, as if he truly doesn’t understand why I’m upset. Students around us are talking, not bothering to whisper as they wonder out loud about this boy with the fancy car who has brought more havoc to their lives.

I’m glad I’m not shouldering the blame alone, although Nicholas is acting as if he isn’t worried at all. “Yes, I do. Did you not hear me ask Dr. Reed about her?” He stares at me, when he should be looking over my shoulder at the paramedics and how they’re treating Helena. His tone is creepy and robotic, without empathy or emotion. “Helena will be taken to the same hospital as Gavin, Mina, and receive the best care. The way you worry about your new friends is commendable, but you need to calm yourself and be polite.” I want to shove my uncle as he talks to me like I’m a misbehaving child, but I look down instead, trying to gather my thoughts. He’s right. I can’t help Helena, and Julian is in Abby’s hands. I sense someone watching me, although I know plenty of students are looking at us. Looking at Nicholas. But when I turn my head, I find Georgia, practically hiding behind a group of wide-eyed girls who hold their hands over their mouths. Georgia is glaring in our direction, and when I look back at Nicholas, I see the smallest smile on his lips as he stares back at her. “Excuse us, please.” One of the paramedics speaks behind me, and I step back as quickly as I can as they carry Helena away on the gurney, which I didn’t see them bring up the steps. Once they’re on the flat ground again, they rest the wheels on the concrete and push her away towards the ambulance, with Julian at their heels.

Abby looks over at Uncle Reed expectantly, and he nods to her. “Allow Julian to go with his sister, and I’ll be along shortly.” As Abby comforts Julian, leading him into the back of the ambulance after Helena is tucked away inside, my uncle reaches for me, then drops his hand. “Nicholas, I’d like you to come with me and Mina to my office, where we can speak more privately.” They both walk away, as if they expect me to follow obediently. I don’t want to go anywhere with this kid, not unless it’s to watch him taken away in handcuffs for vehicular assault. “Geez, I can’t believe what happened!” Sadie slams into me from the side, and I’m too shocked to respond at first, but Hannah steps up, shaking her head, and I nod to her. “That car is ridiculous. It’s impractical, and that boy has to be too young to drive, which explains his lack of control. Seriously, how do you drive up steps and into a building by accident?” I hadn’t considered that, only the idea that Nicholas looks like he’s twelve. “Do you know that boy? He acts like he belongs here, and he knows my uncle. They’re like buddies or something.” They both frown at me. “Never seen him before, and it’s not like he doesn’t stand out.” In a school this small, everyone stands out, but like Georgia, this boy is a real attention grabber because of his age. He’s wearing a suit, too, like a miniature Uncle Reed. “It’s creepy,” I mumble, thinking of the lack of emotion in his voice and gaze. How could he hurt a stranger and not care?

“Julian went with Helena, and so did Abby. They’re going to the same hospital where Gavin is staying.” They exchange a glance, and I lean closer. “What?” Hannah shrugs. “It’s a private hospital, and they get some of their funding from the Reed Foundation. It’s just another way for Dr. Reed to keep Larkspur business secret. It’s like he doesn’t want anyone to know we exist.” Sadie nods and presses her lips together. “But a boarding school . . . you would think he’d want people to know about it, so they would want to send their kids here. Students come, though, and it’s more like a word of mouth thing.” I look down the drive leading into town, but the ambulance is long gone, and I wish I could follow it. Not only because I’m worried about Helena, but because I want to see Gavin. I want to ask him if he knows Nicholas, because I get the feeling he might. “Classes are going to go on as usual, I’m sure, so we better get moving.” Hannah grabs my elbow and tugs me along with her and Sadie, and I let her pull me without resistance. Only to find my uncle and Nicholas waiting for me at the side entrance to the school. “I need to borrow Mina for a bit, ladies. Thank you for being such good friends and looking out for her.” My uncle turns on his charm for Hannah and Sadie, and their eyes grow wide as they stand a bit straighter for him, nodding in agreement. Sadie frowns at Nicholas as he smiles at her, but Uncle Reed doesn’t introduce

him. “See you later, Mina. Let us know if you need anything.” Hannah waves as she turns away, her hair falling out of the bun she’s tucked against her head with a chopstick. Kane is supposed to stop by tonight, and I wonder if I can figure a way to get the two of them to talk. Without either of them being embarrassed by how they met. “Come along, Mina. You’ve missed quite enough class time as it is, so I don’t want to keep you unduly.” If my uncle doesn’t want to keep me unduly, as he says, sounding like he’s been reading a thesaurus, he should let me go. I don’t want anything to do with this boy, although I suspect it might be in my, and everyone else’s, best interests if I find out why he’s here. Is there no ability here? I mean, he put Helena in the hospital.” I stand by the window in my uncle’s office, my arms crossed as Nicholas sits in the chair in front of the desk and my uncle hovers inside the door. He pushes it closed gently, as if not to draw attention. “Sometimes, Mina, we have to hold our enemies closer than our friends, and in this situation, that saying is utterly apt, and vitally important.” I wish he would speak plainly, but I understand what he means. Nicholas is our enemy. I like this perspective, but only because he’s done something unforgivable, with no remorse. “I do apologize again about the accident, and for the girl’s injuries. My family, of course, will cover any related expenses.”

Nicholas sits primly in the chair, his hands folded in his lap neatly. If he’s the enemy, why does my uncle insist on treating him politely, welcoming him as if they’re old friends? “Nicholas’ grandfather was a spellbinder, the Spellbinder, of his generation, and he would like to claim the position for himself.” Oh, no. Not another one.

Chapter Eight

I shake my head, unwilling to accept this new complication. “I can’t deal with this, Uncle Reed. You have no idea . . .” My uncle holds up a hand to stop me as he interrupts. “But I do, Mina, and I’m here to help.” He seriously doesn’t have any idea. Not that Sunny revealed we’re sisters, or that my father enacted a scene from a blank book that could have killed him, or that Georgia is willing to kill Gavin to keep him out of my way. No, he knows nothing. I sigh and close my eyes, deciding it won’t do me any good to protest more. “While I initially didn’t think it was a good idea to allow Nicholas to attend Larkspur, after due consideration it became clear keeping him under close watch is the best plan of action, for both of us.” I glance at Nicholas, who is staring wide-eyed at my uncle with a placid smile. While I understand the concept of keeping one’s enemies near, to be aware of what they’re doing, I don’t see why Nicholas, or his parents, would be on board with this. We’re their enemies, I guess, so they’ve basically sent him into the beast's lair. With a car that looks like it came out of the 1940s, nestled like a sleeping lion on our front steps. “You look confused, Mina, but it’s all very simple,” Nicholas starts to speak, and his toneless voice irritates me from the first word. “Larkspur is where it all began, or at least, where we believe it all began. It’s the best environment for my studies, in all respects, and since I plan to attend Princeton, it’s the perfect place

to prepare for my academic future as well.” So he intends to stay here until graduation? I wonder what Gavin is going to make of this kid. “What’s up with that car, anyway? Did you steal it from a historical exhibit?” I don’t intend to sound sarcastic, and while Nicholas doesn’t seem to take it that way, my uncle frowns. “Now, Mina . . .” “It’s fine, Dr. Reed. I’m happy to answer any questions, and I hope you are willing to do the same, Mina. I’ve heard so much about you, and the Reeds are notoriously strong spellbinders.” He hasn’t answered me, in spite of telling my uncle he’s happy to do so. I don’t say anything else as I wait for him to explain the car. And his lousy, or nonexistent, driving skills. How did he make it from where he drove from, only to wreck at the last minute? “The car is one my family has owned for years, used for short drives around our small town in Minnesota, and only in warmer weather, of course.” His smile is childlike and simple. “It was given to me for my sixteenth birthday, and of course, I didn’t want to leave it behind.” He drove it from Minnesota? As if he can read my thoughts, Nicholas nods. “I did drive it quite a distance, and unfortunately, was unsuccessful in reaching my destination without incident.” Maybe he’s talking about another problem he had on the road, but I can’t

imagine anything worse than what he's done to Helena. “I’ll be sure to send flowers to her hospital room. Are you a special friend of hers, Mina? Do you happen to know what flowers she likes?” I stomp my feet, not caring how immature the gesture is because I’m so frustrated. “Why am I here, Uncle Reed? We’ve been introduced, you told me he’s my enemy, and now, I’d like to get to class before I slap him.” Nicholas blinks as if he’s unsure of what he’s seeing and looks at my uncle. “I understand we aren’t getting anywhere, so go ahead, Mina. I’ll update you about Helena and Gavin as soon as I hear anything from Abby, which should be soon.” I’m glad I have regular school stuff to worry about, to keep my mind off whatever just happened, if only to keep my head from exploding. I slam the door behind me, allowing myself another ridiculous physical expression of my annoyance. My inability to do anything to prevent more harm to my friends or possibly my family is more than frustrating. It’s devastating. I cover my face, worried I’ll burst into tears as I stumble down the hall, and realize I don’t have my books or notebooks with me for class. But I don’t care. I guess it’s still first period, so I head for the room where classes are now combined for three subjects, but Abby steps in front of me and I crash into her, sending us both to the floor. “I’m sorry, Mina. Are you injured?” When I don’t respond, she reaches out, and I lean away from her as I push

myself back to my feet. She looks at me, but I don’t offer my hand to help her up. It seems mean, but I don’t want to have any visions, not when I’ve had enough of it all today. And it’s still early. “Mina, please . . .” I leave her behind and head out the side door, unsure where I’m going now. As much as I should immerse myself in the academic part of my life here at Larkspur, as much as it would be a good way to clear my head of spellbinding and all the trouble that comes with it, I don’t know how I can. A few cafeteria workers are cleaning the tables in the large room in the garden house, and they nod at me, glancing at each other as they gather what little food is left and pack it up, sweeping the floor and avoiding eye with me. “Mina Parker?” A woman I haven’t noticed before, wearing a white uniform like the other cafeteria staff, looks at me curiously, and I stop walking to see what she wants. She smiles carefully, as if she’s afraid she’ll scare me away. “You look like your mother. You and Sunny both.” My mouth drops open as I lean closer. She knows Sunny and I are sisters? Or does she mean I look like Natalie, and Sunny looks like Leah? I don’t respond, because I’m not sure how to without knowing for sure. “I’ve been here a long time, Mina. A lot of us have, and we keep our jobs because we know how to keep our mouths shut. Dr. Reed pays us well and takes care of our families, so we have no reason to betray his trust.”

Her smile is heartfelt, and a genuine rush of tears forms at the back of my eyes. One escapes down my cheek, leaving a warm trail I brush away quickly. “We’re all counting on you, and we know you can do this.” She pats my arm tentatively, and I want to hug her. Someone clears their throat loudly, and the woman nods to me before backing away, reaching out to grab a broom leaning against a table. I wonder if this woman could tell me more, if we had time alone together. “Mina!” Sunny is the last person I expect to find at the open door, and her appearance makes the staff shrink back, as if they’d like to disappear into the woodwork. I can’t tell if she’s excited, happy, or angry. She’s so unpredictable, and I step back out of concern for whatever is coming next. “Nicholas.” She folds her arms across her chest with a smile and stares at me, as if I should know what she means by speaking his name in this way. “Come on, Mina. Let’s not talk in front of the help.” When she grabs my arm, I flinch a little, nervous about touching anyone who has anything to do with spellbinding. She flings her hand up in the air but doesn’t try to touch me again, and I follow her outside, where we’ve been having our picnic lunches and dinners since the cafeteria was damaged. When she presses her hands together as if in formal prayer and sighs, her smile satisfied, like a cat ready to take a nap, comfortable and happy, I cringe. Her eyes slide closed and she swings her arms out to the sides like a little kid.

“Nicholas is going to be my husband in a few years, but we hardly ever see each other. I shouldn’t expect you to know about this arrangement, or about him at all, but now you do.” I swallow hard and scrunch my eyes closed, because I must have misheard. It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard today. Possibly. “I’m sorry?” My words and the implied question in them are waved away as Sunny airily dismisses my disbelief. “I know you’re the strongest spellbinder here, and I it I’ve resented that. I mean, I’ve resented it since my dad, I mean, our uncle . . .” She rolls her eyes as she corrects herself, as if this is a fact that isn’t important. But she’s called him her father her whole life, so it would be hard to change now. “Nicholas and his family line are incredibly powerful. Our children will undoubtedly win out over yours, and if I’m not mistaken, Nicholas is here to assert his own desire to be the Spellbinder, no matter what my father tells him.” My head is spinning as she continues to toss out shocking words that make zero sense. An arranged marriage. Children? I cross my arms and hug myself tightly. I just want to get my dad out of jail and find a home for us again. To travel, go to college. And she’s talking about her children competing with mine?

“Sunny, I think you’re thinking too far ahead, and I am getting more confused the more you talk.” The grass crunches behind us, and while I know someone is approaching, I don’t want to turn around and see who it is. Maybe it’s someone who can extract me from this mess, someone like Hannah or Sadie, or even Samantha or Taylor. Sunny’s smile, as bright as her name, along with the tilt of her head and the slight rise of her shoulder, tell me I’m out of luck, however, and when I dare to look over my own shoulder I find a boy shorter than we are. Dark hair, with large gray eyes sparkling in the sunlight. But he isn’t looking back at Sunny, in spite of her obvious affection for him. He’s staring at me, and his smile is cold, reptilian. Otherworldly. I should walk away, but I’ll have to confront him sooner or later. So I do.

Chapter Nine

“Mina. It’s absolutely charming, the identical appearance. Absolutely. Charming.” Nicholas’ gaze flickers to Sunny, and I fight the urge to turn back to look at her expression. I’m guessing he doesn’t know we’re twins, but suspects we’re more closely tied than cousins. “I need to get to class.” I manage to blurt this lame but true response, and he holds the palm of his hand in front of me, but not too close or too high, as if he wants to stop me but isn’t willing to fight over it, even before I finish speaking. I’m not lying, but I’m definitely using class as an excuse to get away, especially if he’s only going to make small talk. Otherwise, I’d be happy to get down to the details and get it over with now. So I know what I’m dealing with. I clench my fists at my sides, waiting for him to say something. But he smiles that ridiculous smile of his, empty and knowing. “It’s good to see you, Nicholas. It’s been what, like two years?” He spares Sunny a brief look, his smile melting into one of condescension. Can’t she see the scorn in his expression? “Likewise, Sunny. I look forward to spending time with you, later, of course. I have some business to discuss with Mina, if you’ll excuse us.”

I can imagine the way she must take this, but then again, maybe not. The way she was gushing about him . . . But she isn’t stupid, and I can’t imagine she would lose her composure over a boy, not without a motive. A good motive. Her children, I suppose. The promise of a future where she would, indirectly, have control over spellbinding. “A nervous habit. I’ve never understood those, having no tics myself.” A tic? What is Nicholas talking about now? I realize I’m biting my lip, and release it, pursing my lips instead. “What do you want, Nicholas? If I’m not wrong, and please correct me if I am, you want to be the Spellbinder. My uncle thinks I should be the Spellbinder. I would rather not have anything to do with it, honestly.” Sunny makes a gagging noise behind me, and I roll my eyes as Nicholas narrows his. “Quite direct, and while I find it rude, it is a bit refreshing to get to the point. Sunny, I believe I asked for privacy?” After a moment of sputtering, my sister grunts, and I hear her feet rustle through the grass. We’re alone now, Nicholas and me, and I think of Helena, her small body still and pale, the blood smeared on her cheek as this self-centered, smug boy chatted with my uncle. Who was more interested in Nicholas than in Helena’s condition. “I don’t like you.” The words come out on a hiss, and he frowns at me as if he doesn’t understand why I’m angry.

I’m not angry, I’m furious. I can’t let him get away with treating anyone here at Larkspur like this, as if the students aren’t people worth consideration. “But we don’t know each other. Of course, we are rivals, but that’s only when it comes to the magic. We can be friends on a social level, I’m sure.” It’s as if he isn’t listening to a word I’m saying, or he doesn’t realize the implication. The reasons behind my hostility. Which makes him more dangerous, because his lack of empathy, his emotionless state, is a threat to us all. “Or more than friends, Mina. You are, of course, more powerful than your cousin, and untrained at that. Fascinating.” My eyes grow wide at his words, and I shake my head to clear it, unsure how to respond to his ridiculous words. “I want nothing to do with you. You put my friend in the hospital, and disrupted the rest of the school. How is anyone supposed to concentrate on classes? It’s not like my uncle will give anyone time to . . .” Nicholas takes a small step closer and I move away, his feral grin disturbing. “Time to what? I find it’s best to work through difficulties, and Dr. Reed is wise not to allow children to be idle. Staying busy during times of trial is not only productive, but it allows one to move forward.” He speaks as if he’s grown, on the same level as Uncle Reed instead of a student like us. His self-assurance is annoying. I hold back the urge to slap him, not for the first time. “Stay away from me, and don’t harass anyone else here at Larkspur. I don’t

know what you’re up to, aside from acting like you own the place, but you need to keep to yourself.” Nicholas’ bark of laughter is unexpected, and I look around to see if anyone is watching us. But we’re alone, and I wonder if I could get away with striking him. To shut him up. To satisfy my urge to avenge Helena. “How long have you been here? Long enough to lay claim to Larkspur yourself?” His implication is spot on, so why does it irritate me? I’m no more a part of Larkspur than he is. Not yet, and the thought, that I want to be, is one I don’t want to deal with right now, not with Nicholas and his ego inches away from me. “Let’s not argue, Mina. I truly don’t want to cause problems here. After all, I plan to inherit Larkspur and all that comes with it in time.” I back out of his reach when he extends a hand, because I not only don’t want him to touch me, but I don’t want any visions. This day has been traumatic enough without any, even if they might help. He closes his hand in a fist when his attempt to connect with me fails, and I see a flicker of annoyance in his gaze. For a moment. His smile returns quickly, however, as if he thinks I didn’t catch the lapse in mood, as if he could convince me this polite nonsense isn't an act to get what he wants. Surely Dr. Reed can see through this.

After all, he acknowledged that Nicholas is a rival, one we need to watch so closely it’s best to have him at our side. I don’t like how I’m thinking, the ours that creep into my references to the school and the Reed family. My family. “I wonder what you’re thinking with such intensity. In time, you’ll see that I want what is best for this place and its future, and I’m sure you want to be a part of it.” As he drops his fist to his side, opening his hand in a conscious effort to relax and show a calm front, my own fingers curl up at my sides, and I wonder how long we’ll play this game. How long we can go back and forth, arguing about a life I don’t want because I don’t intend to stay here. But I can’t let Nicholas get away with hurting Helena, or give him an opportunity to harm anyone else. I can’t imagine my uncle would endanger his students, and now that Nicholas is here, he can keep this boy from doing that. Can I trust him, though, when he puts Larkspur’s magic above all else, his family’s control over it the highest priority in his life? “I have to go to class, but you better watch your step. I don’t want anything to do with you, but don’t think for a minute I won’t be watching, and if you hurt anyone else, I’ll make you sorry. Sorry you ever came here. Sorry you have your future here planned out. Because it’s not going to happen.” Nicholas lunges at me so quickly I don’t realize what he’s doing until his arms are tightly wrapped around me, so tight I struggle to breathe as I push at his chest, shoving my hands between us in a futile attempt to get him off me. There’s a gunshot and I see blood in a body of water as something sinks in the growing darkness.

A body, alone, the cold depth dragging it down as I cough, and I’m not sure if it’s because I’m the one drowning in my vision, or because Nicholas is squeezing me harder. “How dare you?” A high pitched screech pulls me from the watery nightmare as I fall back onto the grass, the force of impact jolting me from the horrific immersion. Georgia stands above me, her arms wide open as Sunny’s was earlier, but her stance is rigid and fierce. I gasp and press my hands to my chest, willing myself to calm down. A swimming pool . . . or was it a lake? I think of the trip to Moon Lake and Gavin’s story about my uncle forcing him into the water in a cruel attempt to make him teach himself how to swim. But the gunshot? “Are you okay?” My little bodyguard, as Sunny has begrudgingly referred to her with disdain, speaks to me while she stares at my aggressor, who smiles smugly. “She’s wonderful. I can’t understand why she wasn’t brought here before.” He shakes his head, but his smile remains, and he watches me as if Georgia isn’t between us, as if she doesn’t exist at all. “Thanks, Georgia.” I scramble to stand up, feeling dizzy as I straighten my knees, and catch sight of black pants with a wide hem swinging around a hedge. “Mina? Georgia?” Abby’s voice is questioning but urgent, and rises in a way that makes me smile, which must mirror Nicholas’ expression.

“Nicholas.” Her dislike of this boy is undisguised in her tone, and while I’m smiling now, I’m also staggering a bit. More than a bit. She rushes over to us, ignoring Nicholas for the moment as she reaches out for me, then re herself as she pulls her hands back to fold them together in front of her waist. I wish she could touch me, wrap her arms around me and reassure me. I wish someone could. “Come back inside, Mina. Georgia, you need to get to class. Mina, you have a phone call in the office, and your uncle thinks it's best you take it.” She clears her throat, continuing to ignore the boy only a few feet away from us. Nicholas’ smile doesn’t falter, and clearly, he has no need for attention. From Abby, at least. “I look forward to spending more time with you, Mina.” I take a step back, although he makes no move towards me. Abby inhales sharply, keeping her back to him until he walks off, and Georgia stamps her foot after him as if she’s chasing off a nasty rodent. “What did you see?” Georgia and Abby look at me with wide eyes, the question posed softly by the younger girl, and I open my mouth. But I can’t describe it. I don’t want to give words to it, to make it real. Because I’m afraid it already is, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

Chapter Ten

“That must have been quite a shock.” Abby leans closer to me, and I try to smile at her. “Can you swim, Abby?” She frowns at me, and Georgia tilts her head as she listens in. “Yes. Dr. Reed taught me himself when I was a little girl. Why do you ask?” I consider this, that my uncle took the time to show Abby how to swim properly while his methodology with Gavin was based on immediate fear. Did he suspect back then, from the time Gavin was eight, that he and his family would be a threat to the Reeds’ claim to the role of the Spellbinder? “Just curious. What was it you said about a phone call?” She nods and taps Georgia on her elbow. “Run along, Georgia. Thank you for your help.” I add my own thanks to Abby’s as Georgia turns away. “Thank you, Georgia. I don’t know how far he would have taken it if you hadn’t separated us.” Abby glares at the last spot we saw Nicholas before he disappeared, and I’m grateful I have both of them here to look out for me. “No problem. It’s why I’m here, after all.” As she walks away, I wonder if she’ll catch up to Nicholas, and if she does, if he stands a chance against her.

I’d like to see that showdown. “A woman on the phone says she’s Grace, and she needs to talk to you. Your uncle has given you leave to do so, but then you must return to your studies.” I have no idea what time it is, or what class I’m supposed to go to at this hour. But it doesn’t matter, because Grace is waiting to talk to me, and after our interaction at the hospital, I wonder what else she can tell me. My father is being accused of burning down our house, but didn’t Grace say he didn’t have to appear before a judge until Monday? I didn’t expect to hear anything else from her, if at all, until then, and it’s Friday. A weekend ahead full of shopping and studying has been tainted by Nicholas’ bloody and brutal intrusion on our lives, along with Gavin’s fall. As much as I thought weekend activities might distract me from my concerns for my father, I’m not sure how effective they might have been. Now, I have Nicholas to thank for holding my attention, because there’s no way I’m letting him run loose at Larkspur without close watch. When Abby and I reach the office, the halls around us quietly reminding me that we are in-between classes, I nod to the office worker, who doesn’t bother to look up from some notes she is taking. I look at the cordless phone on the counter’s edge, but Abby keeps walking until we go into a room with a closed door. She pushes it open to reveal a small desk cleared of anything except a laptop computer and a framed photo. “Please, sit.” She holds out her hand towards an ordinary office chair as I look around the room and find a coat rack with a thin gray cardigan hanging from it, along with a clear, wooden-handled umbrella resting in a corner behind it.

I sit as directed and Abby points to a landline phone, the cord perfectly coiled, the dark green reminiscent of 1970s style decor. The receiver is off the hook, and I pick it up, taking the cord in my free hand thoughtlessly and twisting it around my fingers as I speak. “Hello? Grace?” After a long moment, Grace coughs briefly as if she hasn’t spoken for a long while before answering. “Mina, my poor girl.” I smile at her worried tone, her concern the same, unwavering from the time before Kane and I had a tutor, when we wandered around barefoot in our backyards gnawing at popsicles. “I’m fine, Grace. Do you have news for me?” My tone is as calm as I can manage, as I want to scream while waiting for any word of my father’s situation. “No news, honey, but I do have something. Something your father wants me to give you. He took it before setting the house . . .” Her deep breath is audible over the line, and I press my lips together to keep myself from asking her what she has. What he took before torching our home. “I’d like to come by this afternoon, but I don’t want to interrupt your schoolwork. You’ve always been a good student, and I’m sure your father will be proud of the work you’re doing at such a difficult school.” So far, I’ve done very little and will probably fail all my classes, but I won’t tell Grace this. Like I won’t tell her I won’t be kicked out for flunking, either, because I’m not here for the academics.

I look at Abby, who nods. She must be able to hear Grace’s voice. I smile at her, and when I look away, my gaze drops to the framed photo, the only item on the desk besides this phone and the closed laptop. And I choke, coughing so hard Abby’s eyes grow wide and I shake my head to reassure her as I slap at my collarbone. “Mina? Are you sick?” Grace calls out to me, her voice growing louder until Abby grabs the receiver from my hand. “She’s fine. You are welcome to stop by today at any time after three that is convenient for you, Grace.” Three? Visiting hours, or rather, hour, is at six. I finally calm my breathing and close my eyes, telling myself I’ve imagined the photo that shocked me. But it’s still there in front of me when I open my eyes, and I’m grateful Abby is holding the phone, although I barely the movement when she leans over and replaces the receiver in its cradle. “I apologize, Mina. I should have been considerate of your response to this, and removed it before inviting you in.” Abby’s formal tone is as apologetic as her expression, and she drops her hand on the edge of the dark frame. Before she pulls it away, I reach out and grab it, hoping she won’t think I’m being obnoxious by stopping her. I hold the photo closer to me, so I can stare into the eyes of a woman who looks exactly like my mother, so much I can’t help the tears that rush behind my eyes. But it’s Leah, the woman Sunny was raised to believe was her mother but was

really Uncle Reed’s sister. And our mother Natalie’s twin. Leah holds a baby in her arms, and a little blonde girl who looks no older than five or six looks at the infant as a teenage Carter holds her up so she can see the baby. Abby doesn’t know I’m aware Sunny and I are sisters and not cousins, so why would she think this photo would upset me? I narrow my eyes as I look at her, but she’s moved to the door and she lifts her chin when she sees I’m finished with the photo. “Let’s get you to class. I know you want to go shopping with your new friends this Sunday, and you wish to visit the library with Georgia soon. Losing class time isn’t going to help you catch up.” When I set the photo down carefully, I take another glance at it, at Abby’s sweet smile as she looks at baby Sunny, and I wonder what sort of life I would have had if this baby had been me and not my sister. And why it was her and not me to begin with. “You’re right, Abby. Thanks for letting Grace come, too. I don’t know what she has to give me, but I’m glad I’ll have it.” I have to force myself to smile at Abby, because she’s keeping secrets from me, more, I suspect, than the family relationships that have been withheld from me my whole life. “Hey, Mina!” Samantha waves to me in the hall as I walk into a busy crowd, and Abby hovers behind me, staying out of the fray. I don’t have my books with me, but I figure it’s better for me to show up without them than to miss more class time. Next week, I’ll have my act together.

And much of it will continue to be an act, I expect, unless something significant happens over the weekend. The odds of anything significant happening over the next couple of days is so high I laugh out loud at my thoughts, and Samantha frowns at me as I reach her. “You’re strangely giddy, Mina. Did you get medicated?” I think of Nicholas’ attack, and how a dose of meds would definitely help me deal with what I saw. “No, just a little overwhelmed.” She nods empathetically. “That’s Larkspur for you. But you’ll get the hang of it.” “Yeah, Mina. We’ll help you.” Sadie sidles up to me, her words subdued as we all hear Helena’s name repeated through the hall like a mantra. Everyone’s worried about her, but when I find Taylor leaning inside a doorway by herself with a vacant gaze, I think no one can be more so than her. “I’ll see you later,” I tell Samantha and Sadie, who both note Taylor’s stance and nod in agreement. Students stare at me as they walk by, looking from me to Taylor, who sees nothing but the door frame in front of her. “She’ll be okay. I’m sure my uncle has the best doctors looking after her, and when I went to see Gavin, I could tell what a great facility the hospital is.” I’m not lying, because the private hospital is state of the art, and while I don’t have experience with hospitals in general, it didn’t look like anything I’ve seen on TV or in the movies. Clean and bright, with large private rooms with floor to ceiling windows on one wall.

Quiet and calm, as if to keep the patients in the same condition as they healed. “Thanks, Mina. I’m sure she’s in good hands, if for no other reason than Julian and her family aren’t just rich but have a lot of political influence. Dr. Reed wouldn’t want to upset them in any way.” Her attempt at a smile fails, and her lips twist as she sucks in a breath. “Julian must be devastated, though. I wish I could be with him, but I know it’s not possible.” She sniffles after she speaks, and wipes under her nose with the back of her hand. “We can trust you, right, Mina?” I know what she’s asking, and I nod, although it’s not a secret. Whatever their mothers think of each other, Taylor and Julian are in love, and I can’t imagine anything could separate them.

Chapter Eleven

Taylor manages to make it through English class, where the talk about Helena dies down in a way that makes me glad for the solidarity they show with Julian, who isn’t here because he’s with his sister. I’m sure many of them are also being considerate of Taylor, aware of her relationship with Julian. Once we head to the yard for lunch, however, my little bubble of relief bursts as Nicholas steps into view, and before I can tell him to find Sunny, who would love to see him, Taylor pushes me out of the way and slams her fist into the side of his head. I cover my mouth, but I’m not sure if it’s to hold back a scream or hide my smile. Someone else screams, and a boy steps forward to grab her. But he doesn’t, instead taking the opportunity to throw a punch of his own at Nicholas’ face. “Stop this at once!” Uncle Reed’s voice booms over the cacophony of cheers and claps, the sound dying down now he’s made an appearance. The boy backs up, holding his hands in the air as if my uncle is pointing a gun in his direction. Taylor shoves Nicholas and he nearly trips as he moves away from her. His smile is unbroken, however, and Taylor lifts her hand, only to have it caught by my uncle. “I understand emotions are running high right now, but violence is not tolerated here at Larkspur.”

I scrunch my eyes closed and groan. Who is he kidding? After Nicholas drove his car into the front steps and sent Helena to the emergency room, he has a place here as a new student. If that isn’t tolerating violence, I don’t know what is. Abby comes up behind Taylor and puts an arm around her, guiding her away from everyone, and I fight the urge to follow them, choosing instead to defend her to my uncle while the iron is hot. “Why is he staying here, Uncle Reed? How is it okay for him to hurt one of your students, but you allow him to enroll here? Do you expect any of us will put up with him, with seeing him every day, knowing how he’s hurt Helena?” Uncle Reed’s eyes grow wide, and Nicholas sniffs inelegantly, his nose bleeding a little as he wrinkles it up. So little blood shed, when Helena’s pooled under her head only hours ago. Just like Gavin’s did in the cafeteria. I shake the memories of both off as Uncle Reed pulls a crumpled tissue from one of his pockets and offers it to Nicholas, who takes it wordlessly. As he dabs under his nose, I stare at my uncle, aware I’m pouting. But I don’t care. “There is so much you don’t know, Mina, and I’m sure it’s frustrating for you. I’m granting you a great deal of leeway here, but you must there are factors beyond your understanding at play.” I step forward, unsure what I expect to do when I get closer to him. “If you think you can get expelled for poor behavior, as if you are a normal student here at Larkspur, you are mistaken. Taylor, on the other hand . . .” A knot curls in my belly and I shake my head, frowning.

“No, you wouldn’t. She has a good reason for being upset with this kid, and you still haven’t explained why you want him here after what he’s done.” That’s not true. Nicholas is here because he’s an affinity, and has aims at spellbinding. Just like Gavin. My arguments will be futile, and while I know the entire school would agree with my sentiments, my disgust of Nicholas and his presence here, I wish Gavin was here to stand by me. I fight a smile when I think of how he would react to Nicholas’ attitude. To his actions, his careless disregard for others. “Does Gavin know Helena is hurt? I’m assuming they’re in the same hospital, so will he be told she’s there, too?” Uncle Reed cocks his head to the side and stares at me, as if he’s unsure what I’m asking. “That isn’t relevant to our conversation. Now, Mina, I must be sure there will be no more conflict between the two of you, and that, as a favor to me, you will do your best to prevent others from causing trouble for Nicholas.” As a favor to him? I’m so incredulous I can’t speak for a long moment, and when Nicholas looks up, the small space under his nose smeared with blood, he narrows his eyes at me. My hands fist at my sides, and I want nothing more than to punch him and see more of his blood shed. “Only if you don’t punish Taylor, and if you tell this kid to stay away from her along with Julian.” The side of Nicholas’ mouth twitches, as if he’s trying not to smile.

I didn’t say I wanted him to stay away from me, although I’d love it if he would, but I think asking on behalf of Taylor and Julian is enough for now. “Nicholas? Surely you can understand the emotional ramifications of your actions.” I roll my eyes. Uncle Reed must be in his thirties, but he’s doing his best to come off as a stuffy old professor. All he needs is a pipe and nubby plaid suit jacket. “Certainly. I’m not here to create difficulties.” Nicholas’ smile grows until I feel like an animal in his sights. I suspect I’m not far from the truth. “Now that’s settled, you can both go to lunch and resume regular student life. We’ll talk this weekend about other matters.” With that, my uncle turns away and stalks off, gesturing towards Abby as she waits beside an azalea bush. He doesn’t see the glare she aims at Nicholas, but Nicholas does, and he offers her a tentative smile, as if he's hoping she might come to like him as Uncle Reed does. As I reconsider this thought, I don’t think Uncle Reed does like him. This has more to do with Nicholas’ family and their abilities, and while it will seem to everyone my uncle favors him over the rest of us, that’s not what is going on. But I can’t tell anyone this, not to make them feel better about the situation. Or safer about having Nicholas around. Nicholas bows to me, just enough for me to notice, holding my gaze until he walks away, and Abby shakes her head when he es her by, his smile

unreturned. By now, we have a small audience hovering on the other side of a row of small bushes, but my uncle has directed them to focus on lunch, as if this has been a normal morning at Larkspur. I should know not to use the word normal and Larkspur in the same thought. “What’s going on?” I sigh when Sadie and Hannah rush over to me, and I see Samantha sitting on one of the gray blankets, waving to us to her. The three of us head over to her and sit down, and without looking around, I can sense so many more eyes on me, so much attention focused on me as I clear my throat. There’s no food on the blanket, and I don’t want my explanation to keep any of them from eating. “Taylor hit Nicholas, and a boy hit him, too. They’re probably both in trouble, even though we all know Nicholas deserved it.” It’s about as concise as I can be, and I realize the silence surrounding us is the rest of the students waiting for me to continue. When I don’t, a low hum of conversation rises, and Hannah nods. “I have no idea why that boy is here, especially after what he did this morning. But we should eat, because being hungry for afternoon classes, on a Friday, is a bad idea. Can we get you something, Mina?” I smile at her, grateful she can tell I’d rather sit and take a few moments to calm down instead of dealing with the lunch huddle. “Sure, thanks.” Sadie pats my back and I sigh, closing my eyes as I try to relax. Instead, the memory of the gunshot and water, the strong grip Nicholas had on

me as he must have been aware I was trapped in a vision. But did he know which one? As much as I want to stay away from him, to forget his face and smug little smile for a few minutes, I fight the urge to hunt him down and ask him to explain what I saw and why he wanted me to see it. I rub my hands over my arms against a sudden chill and take a deep breath. Gavin would understand the fear that comes with being underwater. The fear of drowning. Fortunately, I’m able to immerse myself in conversation with my new friends about classes and finals, about the shopping trip on Sunday and a rumor there will be a movie tomorrow night in the rec room. “I wonder when Julian will be back.” Samantha whispers loudly, her comment random in the midst of speculation as to which movie we’ll watch and if Uncle Reed will order pizza for us. We grow silent, and I think Abby will be the one to pick Julian up from the hospital, and I hope I can go along with her. To check on Helena, and talk to Gavin. I hope he’s well enough to answer some questions. The afternoon is a blur, my thoughts at attention in Ohio history only when Georgia taps her pencil on the pages of her notebook to emphasize her points about our project. She wants to go to the library as soon as possible, next week if it can be arranged, and I nod. Who knows what drama will unfold at Larkspur before then? “Everything will definitely be okay, Mina. Once we get rid of Nicholas, of course. So don’t worry.”

Georgia’s grin is frightening, and I lean in closer to her so no one can hear me. “Are you kidding? Haven’t you done enough?” I like the thought of Nicholas at Georgia’s mercy, of which she has none, but there has to be a point when she’ll be held able for her actions. Won't there? Her eyes are wide and innocent, as if she doesn’t understand why I would protest. Before she can answer my rhetorical questions, I shake my head and continue. “So is every affinity your rival? Is that how this works?” I want to continue with the questions, but I don’t want to overwhelm her. And after all, we are in class, so I need to be careful. Students around us are saying Helena and Julian’s names, and Gavin comes up now and again. No one is focused on their projects, and the teacher has to clap her hands several times and remind us to do so. “Not necessarily. Look at Abby. I would never consider her a rival, but she’s a special case, a neutral party.” I have no idea where she gets that from, not when Abby is devoted to my uncle and the Reeds in general. Georgia’s claim makes me wonder about Abby’s background and her biological family. About how she ended up here at Larkspur as an orphan. How she became an older sister to my own sister, while I was an only child growing up within walking distance. “That accident this morning.”

Georgia draws my attention from my straying thoughts as other students turn in their seats to stare at her. I close my eyes, holding onto what little patience I have for this spellbinding stuff left. “Not here.” She shrugs, and when she starts to gather her bags and binders, I realize class is almost over. “Okay, Mina.” Her agreement is quick, her smile is equally so. “Take me to the library, and we’ll talk there, since it has to do with a book. A book that needs sealed.”

Chapter Twelve

I'm dizzy as Georgia speaks, and it takes me a moment to regain my equilibrium. All I can do is nod in agreement, because I’ve missed the obvious. Like I’ve left the school in danger by not racing to the library to begin with, by not searching for the book that must be behind this new tragedy. But I thought it was Nicholas, his attitude and actions that brought this on. Could it really be a new book at work? Maybe it’s a combination of both. A new problem for me to deal with, when Gavin isn’t at hand to help and Sunny is infatuated with our antagonist. Speaking of my sister, I haven’t seen her in the halls, or at lunch, and I wonder what she’s doing. But I don’t have time to hunt for her, not when I have to get through my last classes and . . . Grace is coming here to bring me something, but I don’t know when. What if she comes when I’m in the library with Georgia? “You look lost. It’s not such a big school you shouldn’t have it figured out by now.” Rowan from my chemistry class pats me on the back and flashes a peace sign at me as he walks by, his tone encouraging. He’s gone, his steps sure and fast as he disappears ahead of me into the thinning crowd.

I wonder if I can invite Kane to come to the movie tomorrow night, as my thoughts drift to my comfort zone and my best friend. The movie is a rumor for now, one I should have verified with Abby. “Mina.” As if appearing from my thoughts, Abby steps up to me, and I narrowly miss stumbling into her. “Hey, Abby. Can I invite Kane to come over tomorrow night? Everyone is saying we’re having a movie.” She frowns. “Rumors travel so quickly. It was like that when I was a student here, too.” Her smile is distant, as if she’s lost in her memories now. “I’m sure Kane would be welcome. After all, we know him by now, and you do need some time to relax after this difficult week.” That was too easy, but I’m not going to question her response. “Thanks. So, about Grace . . .” Abby nods thoughtfully and taps her finger on her bottom lip. “She could come at any time after classes are over, as you know, so I think it would be best if you go to your room to study and then back out for dinner with everyone else, and when Grace arrives I’ll find you. I’m sure she wouldn’t want to interrupt your routine.” I snort and Abby flinches before smiling again. My routine? We both know the past few days have done nothing to establish a routine for me. It’s been damage control central at Larkspur, and from what I’ve been told, that didn’t start until I arrived.

Or a few days before. I think of Gavin, and reach out to stop Abby from walking away before I realize what I’m doing and pull my hand away. Her smile is quick and a little sad, and I’m sorry I didn’t think before trying to touch her, as she’s done the same for me. “Will you be going to the hospital to bring Julian back? If you do, can I come with you?” When she shakes her head slowly, I open my mouth to protest and she lifts her hand to hold me off. “Both Gavin and Helena need to rest. Helena will most likely be back in a few days, but Gavin needs more time.” This isn’t a surprise, but Helena’s quick return is. Maybe she wasn’t struck so hard, or maybe she fell when Nicholas hit the front of the school. I want to ask Abby about this, but her expression is firm and I can see she’s finished with me. It’s a closed look that reminds me of my uncle, and I nearly smile at the idea she’s picked up one of his mannerisms. Their relationship is much more than employer and assistant, the image of them together in the photo on her desk in my memory reminding me that they are more like . . . brother and sister? “I know you have a lot more to say, a lot of questions to ask. Now is not the time, not when you still have classes to attend.” She’s right, and when I leave her, I follow her orders, only to spend my time trying to figure out how I can manage to get into the secret library to hunt down the new blank book before it causes any more trouble. That room is full of books, and without any clues as to which one it is . . .

I wish I could find Sunny so I could have someone to talk with about possibilities, since Gavin is out of the question. My notebook page has nothing to do with chemistry when my last class is finally over. Instead, as I fold it closed and hold it close to my chest, smiling at students who wave and nod to me, I think of what I have written. Clues as to which book might be at play here, if one is at all. If Georgia suspects that one is, she is probably right, since she knows more about spellbinding than I do. Maybe if I call the hospital I can talk to Gavin, I tell myself, shaking my head at my selfishness. He’s seriously injured, all because of me, and all I can think about is my own needs. My own wants. I want him to be here to help me. Even though I can’t completely trust him. “You look confused, Mina.” Sadie pats my back in the hallway, and I realize I’m standing close to the wall near the office as students clear out, heading to the North Wing. Where I should be going as well, but I have too much on my mind. “I need to talk to Abby about a few things. Good luck with your organic chemistry.” Hannah and Sadie are married to that class, which I would take next year if I ed my current chemistry class and stayed here at Larkspur longer than this semester. The odds are against either of these happening.

“Okay. I’ll see you in our room when you get there. We can go to dinner together, unless . . .” Her eyebrows rise as she stops speaking, and I shake my head. “Unless?” She shrugs with a small smile. “Maybe you’ll be able to visit Gavin and Helena. We all know you have an edge, so you should use it for some recon and let us know how they’re doing.” I lean in and hug her, because this is a perfect idea, one I’d love to act on. But I’ve already asked to visit the hospital, and I don’t know how successful another request will be. This doesn’t mean I won’t try. “I’m on it. Hopefully you won’t see me again for a few hours, so if that’s the case, you’ll know what I’m doing.” Sadie nods and steps away from me, patting my arm one last time. “Good luck.” The hall is empty now, and I roll my head on my neck, stretching the tight muscles as I mentally list what I need to do next, regardless of how I manage to do them. Visit Gavin and Helena, meet Georgia in the secret library, go to the public library with Georgia to work on our map project . . . As if summoned by my thoughts, a girl steps out of a room at the end of the hall, close to the cafeteria. Where we aren’t supposed to be until the renovations are complete. Renovations that haven’t even started. Georgia walks slowly until she reaches the cafeteria doors and looks inside, as if

checking the scene of her crime. Doesn’t she have a conscience? I take a slow, deep breath to hold back my frustration and anger with her, so when she is close enough for us to talk, I can smile instead of glare at her. She’s never itted she pushed him on purpose, only that she took the book from him. And now there’s another book causing trouble. “Have you given it any thought, Mina?” I frown. “What do you mean?” She points to the ceiling, and while the library is directly above my uncle’s office, I know what she’s referring to. “I have a lot to think about right now, Georgia, and there are thousands of books up there.” Her smile is instantaneous. “I can’t wait. I’ve wanted to see them for so long.” She’s never been in the library before, I realize, and I understand her excitement. Even if I can’t share it, not when every volume on those shelves is a threat, and I’ve caused the room to flood twice because my emotions were out of control. At least that’s what I think happened. If Gavin was here . . . “Let’s go!” I should go to the office and ask if Grace has called to say when she’ll be here, or if she is already.

What if we go to the library and she shows up? Gavin would tell me I need to handle the book as soon as I can, to figure out which one is blank now, and seal it before it can cause more difficulties. More injuries. More suffering. Georgia is halfway up the stairs when I hear Abby’s voice in the office, but she isn’t talking to me. I rush after Georgia, deciding that Grace can wait if it means I can prevent anyone else from a hospital visit. Or time in a jail cell. “It’s about time.” Sunny stands behind the desk in the library as Georgia stares with wide eyes and an open mouth at the shelves surrounding us as soon as we step into the room. My sister doesn’t look happy. “You need to get your priorities in order, Mina.” She shakes her head at me as if I’m a disobedient child, and I settle my hands on my hips as I glare at her. “Are you kidding me? Do you have any idea what I’ve had to deal with today? That fiancé of yours is a real piece of work.” Her lip curls before she wrinkles her nose. “But he’s a genius. You’ll see.” I don’t want to see. I want Nicholas to go away, to take his smug attitude and disregard for others far from Larkspur and the students here. “Why are you here, Sunny?”

She isn’t here to torment me, not when there’s a book in play, and since she knows so much more about all of this than I do, I need to turn my attention to the books instead of immersing myself in my anger over Nicholas and his behavior. “You need to be quicker about this, Mina. As much as I wish we could trade places, that’s not possible, so all I can do is push you harder.” My heartbeat thuds in my ears, and I sense it race, waiting for the familiar dripping to begin. Georgia is gazing at books, her nose so close to the spines she’s almost touching them with the tip. But no water emerges from the floor or the walls, the corners or the ceiling. I narrow my eyes, wondering if I can stay calm enough to prevent another flood. Or if something else is about to happen instead. “A car accident. What stories involve car accidents?” Sunny’s tone is patronizing, as if I’m a little kid who needs to be led step by step. I don’t blame her, not when that’s exactly what I need, but it’s annoying instead of encouraging. Car accidents. I’m sure plenty of books involve car accidents, and my mind races as I try to them. Just one. Georgia hums with satisfaction as she pulls books from the shelves, and I squeeze my eyes shut, thinking hard about stories involving car accidents. I’m drawing a blank, most likely because of the pressure, when Georgia waves a book in the air. “I love this one! My mom says I don’t completely understand it, but when I’m

older . . .” A roar overpowers her excited voice, and her mouth stays open in a tiny O as Sunny screams, racing from behind the desk to push Georgia away from the shelf. The book falls to the floor, but when it tumbles open, I see words, text that fills the pages. Sunny calls my name, but I look into the skylight as the room fills with light, wondering why the sun is so high this time of day. And it bursts above me, the glass raining down on me like a spring shower.

Chapter Thirteen

I manage to cover my eyes before the sharp edges hit my face, but I don’t avoid the sting of them on my cheeks and ears, hands and arms, the bite of it on my skin. “No!” Georgia pats at me as I huddle on the floor, her concern a sharp contrast to her thrilled tone moments earlier. “What book is that?” I swallow hard before I ask, trying to settle myself down. Did I make the skylight shatter, or was that the fault of the book? It can’t be this specific book, which has plenty of type inside. “Are you hurt?” A part of me is relieved Georgia is more concerned about my physical wellbeing than spellbinding, at least for the moment, but I need her to tell me which book fell right before the window exploded, so I shake my head quickly and raise my eyebrows. “The Sun Also Rises. Hemingway.” I know it’s Hemingway, but I don’t speak. Instead, I look past Georgia to find Sunny shaking the book out, and chunks of glass scatter to the floor, ing the rest of the window in pieces there. My sister doesn’t look bothered at all by what just happened, her composure intact and her interest entirely on the book. She shakes her head.

“I can’t if there are any car accidents in this one, just bullfighting and . . .” Sunny glances over at Georgia while she smushes her lips together. “And romantic problems.” I nod, thankful she was able to dodge a rather adult plot point in consideration of Georgia. But there might be a connection between this book and what just happened, unless it was another way for the room to react to my heightened emotions. Gavin, I think. Why can’t you be here with me now? The reason is standing in front of me, her eyes wide as she looks me over. “You’re okay?” I nod firmly, hoping we’re done with reassurances. “Can you show me where you found it?” She points to my face. “You have cuts on your cheeks. Do they hurt?” They sting, but I shake my head, because they can wait. My hands are trembling as I follow Georgia to the shelf, and Sunny watches me carefully, as if she expects me to do something crazy in the short time it takes us to reach the books. “Right here, right beside . . .” Georgia covers her mouth with her hand, and I look closer at where she’s pointing. The Great Gatsby. Oh, no.

There’s all kinds of drama and tragedy in this story, including a car accident. Careless people fill these pages, careless as Nicholas was when he announced himself at Larkspur by wrecking his own fancy car on the front steps. His concern for Helena, like the driver’s concern for her victim in this tale, is nonexistent. He may have said the words, but his apology was as insincere as these characters. This is bad. Very bad. But is it worse than a book that encourages people to set fires, or creates one here at the school? I’m overreacting, I consider, since I haven’t even touched the book yet. I don’t know for sure it’s blank inside, or if it’s involved with Helena’s injuries. If any book is. “I hate to say it, but I wish Gavin was here.” Sunny sighs dramatically and crosses her arms over her chest as Georgia keeps her focus on the book’s spine. “Should I pull it out?” Her tone doesn’t waver, as if she didn’t hear my sister say Gavin’s name, as if she doesn’t even think about him. About what she did, and how she hurt him. Is she any different from the characters in Fitzgerald’s story, or Nicholas? “I’ll do it, Georgia.” She is different, I want to believe this, and so I let it go to give my full attention

to Gatsby. It’s a thin volume, like its Hemingway neighbor, and they were published, if I correctly, around the same time. That must be why they are shelved together. I slide it out and into my hands, touching the pale green and gold lettering on the front cover. Green like the light on the dock Nick, the narrator, finds Gatsby gazing at. Nick. Nicholas. That has to be a coincidence. Gavin says there are no such things as coincidences, and I smile at the memory of him reminding me of this more than once. “Are you going to check it out or not, Mina? If this isn’t the book at fault here, we need to keep looking.” I gasp as a tiny drop of blood drips onto the cover, right in the middle of the G in Gatsby. The red seeps into the fabric and spreads, feathering out the tiniest bit. I bled on a book before, right before everything went dark. My shoes are suddenly heavy, and Sunny groans. “Seriously? Can you not control yourself?” Georgia frowns at me, holding out her arms as she backs away. I look down and realize I’m standing in water up to my ankles. My eyes slide closed of their own accord, and I think of Gavin, how he spoke to me to calm me down so the water would disappear.

Georgia, as much as she means to help me, has done so much more than hurt a fellow student. She’s taken an important tool from me, and while I don’t like to reduce another person to that idea, it fits. He knows so much, and while we are rivals, he’s helped me, even if his endgame is to help himself. “Stop freaking out, Mina. Even Georgia has more composure than you, and she’s a kid.” I press the book against my chest, although I know I’ll end up with blood and dust on my shirt. At least it isn’t Hannah’s, and if I ruin it, there are more. And a weekend until I need another. I think of this weekend, of the shopping trip I’ll spend with my new friends. Of finding a book bag, like any other schoolgirl, of looking at random items to buy with my uncle’s money. Everyday items to focus on, not empty books and hidden stairways, blazing fires and friends recovering in the hospital. I take slow, deep breaths and Gavin’s voice replays in my mind. I came for you, Mina. He hadn’t used a threatening tone, although the words were creepy. I think of the strength of his hand in mine, even while he was dangerously hurt and in so much pain. How he clung to me, and how I wanted to stay with him. “You’re such a mess.” My sister’s voice drags me from my memories, and I open my eyes to find the

room and floor dry. Georgia hovers near the door, her eyes wide. “You knew what she was, kiddo, so don’t act so shocked. This is why you’re here, isn’t it?” When Sunny onishes her, Georgia nods before shaking her head. “I didn’t realize . . .” This from the girl who pushed Gavin down an entire floor onto cold, hard tile. And she’s shocked that I’m capable, although involuntarily, of flooding the library? “It’s Friday, Mina, which means we actually have some free time ahead, if you can bring yourself to open that book and be sure it’s the one.” I know it’s the one, because, as Gavin said, there is no such thing as coincidence. The car accident, Nicholas’ name . . . The vision I saw when he grabbed me. A gunshot, the water. When the title character is shot and falls into his swimming pool at the end of The Great Gatsby . . . Did this volume bring Nicholas to Larkspur? “If you don’t look, I will.” Sunny steps closer to me and I shake my head quickly, lifting a hand to hold her back as she narrows her eyes. I swallow hard and let the book drop open into the palms of my hands, where blank pages flicker by like bright flashing lights. “You can do this without Gavin, can’t you?”

Georgia stares at Sunny before looking at me. “What is she talking about, Mina?” I shake my head at them, then nod at Sunny, confusing myself and them both. “It’s fine, I mean, I can do this. Is there a pen in this desk?” I keep the book close to me as I hurry behind the desk and pull out drawers. Nothing. Not one thing in any of them. “Do either of you have a pen?” Georgia and Sunny glance at each other, frowning. I guess that’s a no. “I’ll need to take it with me anyway, so . . .” While I don’t want to think what could happen from the time we leave the library until I get to my room, where I can write my name inside the front cover of Gatsby after reciting the spell, I know it’s unrealistic to think even a trip that short could end without consequences. A knock on the door makes all three of us jump to attention, and Abby’s voice trails into the silence. “Mina? Grace is here, and she says she needs to leave soon.” I knew she was coming, of course, but this timing is awful. “I’ll be right there, Abby. Thank you.” Abby doesn’t respond, so I’m not surprised when I open the door and find her waiting. She looks behind me, lifting her eyebrows as she returns her gaze to me.

And the book in my arms. Abby’s lips thin and she backs away, as if she’s afraid of it, and I’m tempted to ask her why. No one else seems to be concerned about being close to the problematic books. I how she dropped the Tolkien on my bed, as if it was hot, as if it hurt her to hold it. “Abby?” She smiles with effort, waving Georgia and Sunny forwards, towards the door. “All of you, Now.” Georgia and Sunny look at each other with a shared pout, and their strange relationship makes me smile in spite of the situation. “Have you heard anything about Gavin or Helena?” I ask as we walk down the hall towards the forbidden stairway, which isn’t as off limits with Abby by our side. Georgia doesn’t flinch at all when I bring up Gavin, and her lack of conscience when it comes to her actions worries me. She reminds me of Nicholas. The idea makes me shudder, and Abby must notice as she reaches out, as if she wants to put her arm around me. But she holds back, and I wish she didn’t have to. “I’ll give you some time with Grace, and then we’ll talk about this weekend. Your uncle wants you to have some time to adjust to life here, without any pressure from spellbinding.” Why is he concerned now? Wasn’t I thrown into this right away, like he tossed Gavin into the lake in the

summer every year? Which, as far as I can tell from Gavin’s fear of the water, wasn’t effective. Abby says these words as if I’m not clutching a blank book tightly against my body, as if it might get away and cause more havoc before I can bind it. As if once I do, another one couldn’t take its place immediately. “Is there a timeline, or schedule, for the books to . . .” I’m not sure how to word it. Do they lose their text? Is it stolen by something else? How does it escape? Abby shrugs and offers me an apologetic smile, but before she can answer, Georgia pipes up, and I look over to watch her lift an index finger in the air as if she’s teaching a class. “Traditionally, they are called by events or persons in ways we don’t understand, but after the fact, we can often trace the cause.” While I’m glad she’s shared this information, this doesn’t give me anything to go on to prevent another book from causing car accidents or fires. Or luring harmful people to Larkspur. I frown at my last thought. Gavin lured me here in a roundabout way, using Sadie’s pendant and a book. If I wasn’t here, would any of this be happening? “Mina!” Grace’s voice interrupts my thoughts, and I nearly drop The Great Gatsby when I see what she holds in her hands.

My mother’s wooden jewelry box.

Chapter Fourteen

“Your father wants you to have it. After all, he kept it for you all these years.” Grace holds it out to me, but I’m pressing Gatsby close to my chest and I’m not taking any chances on letting it out of my hands. “Girls, why don’t we give them some privacy?” Georgia nods once at Abby’s rhetorical question, but Sunny lingers, her expression serious and interested. “Your mother would have loved to see you wear some of her jewelry, Mina. You have her coloring, and . . .” The box crashes to the floor and Grace covers her mouth, her eyes wide and suddenly damp. “Sunny?” Her whisper is hoarse and loud, and I see Georgia from the corner of my eye as she stops walking away, turning back to see what’s happening. Abby walks towards her and the two of them leave me with Grace and Sunny at the open office door. “Hey, I think we can go into Abby’s office.” My own voice is hardly above a whisper as I watch Grace and Sunny stare at each other, and then Sunny walks into the office, Grace right behind her. I follow them, after picking up the box, which has a tight clasp so nothing has spilled out. No one else in the office, and I’m grateful for the empty space where Grace can explain the box and her reaction without witnesses.

It occurs to me that Kane’s mother knew about Sunny. She knew Sunny, knew us both when we were babies. Did Grace? “I never thought I would see you again.” Grace’s tears flow freely now we’re in Abby’s small office, the door nearly closed. Sunny stands stoically, her expression blank. But I think of how kind and polite she was to Kane’s mother, and hope she will treat Grace with the same respect. Both women clearly loved the baby she once was, as they loved, and continue, to love me. Sunny must be able to see this. “You must be the housekeeper. Mina talks about you all the time.” She holds out her hand to Grace, who grabs it and pulls Sunny close. Sunny, thankfully, doesn’t push her away, and lifts her own hands to touch Grace’s back tentatively. “Natalie and Leah were so identical we couldn’t tell them apart by sight, and the two of you have grown up the same! Look at you.” When Grace pushes away to stare into Sunny’s eyes, I can sense my sister’s discomfort. I understand it, and am relieved she’s putting Grace’s feelings ahead of her own and allowing Grace to gush over us. “I thought Leah was my mother for a long time.” Sunny’s words are soft and tentative, as if she’s afraid of speaking them, and Grace digs around her jacket pocket for a tissue.

She wipes her cheeks and nods. “Mr. Parker had such a difficult time when we lost Natalie, so when Leah and Carter offered to take one of you, it seemed best.” I narrow my eyes. Carter looks like a teenager in the photo here on Abby's desk. How responsible would he have been for a baby at that time? “The two of you can share Natalie’s jewelry. I’m sure your father would be happy to know you’ll both have some items of hers.” “Have you talked to him since I saw you?” She shakes her head and looks down. “He doesn’t want visitors, and while I know he had his reasons for what he did, I think he’s ashamed of what you will think of him. Of his punishment, which will be made public. He’s worried how it will affect you.” Grace doesn’t know why he set our house on fire, only that he did it for me. Or so he said. So he thinks. “What’s going on?” Sunny taps on the top of the wooden jewelry box to get my attention, and I bite my lip. “I’m still hoping you’ll grow out of that, Mina.” Grace shakes her head at me as I dig my teeth further into my lip in response, and when I realize what I’m doing, I take a deep breath and face Sunny. “My father confessed to burning our house down and is in jail. He’ll be in court Monday morning.”

Sunny’s eyes flutter open and closed a few times as if she’s unsure of what she just heard. “Why would he do that?” I’m not sure if she’s asking why he would destroy our house or why he would confess, but before I can ask, Grace pipes up. “Let’s leave all that to the authorities. I trust your father, and since he’s cooperating with them, I believe everything will work out.” Her watery smile makes it clear she’s lying, but I appreciate her attempt to reassure us. “I have to go, but I’m glad I was able to see you both.” Grace takes us both in her arms, her own wide and grasping as she kisses our cheeks. “I’m staying with my sister in Castle Heights, so I’m close by. I’ll let you know of any news I have about your father.” She pats Abby’s desk and points to the wooden box, which now rests on top of the book in my hands. I don’t want to let either of them go. “Thanks, Grace.” I smile, holding back a rush of tears that burn the backs of my eyes. Sunny blinks, and I see her eyes shining as well. “I’m sure that woman is hovering around outside this door, so she can take me out front. You two . . .” Grace shakes her head slowly. “I never thought I’d see you together again.” Her smile twitches and she wipes at her damp cheeks.

And then she’s gone, pulling the door closed behind her. Sunny clears her throat. “That was dramatic. Is she always like that?” When I laugh, she frowns. “What? You have to it, it was a little overwhelming. So, this box?” She glances at the jewelry box, still in my hands, and I nod to her, dipping my head towards it. “Go ahead.” I clasp the book to my chest, as I’ve done several times now, once my sister has put the box on Abby’s desk and pokes at the closure snap. It springs open and the ornate lid, which has different shades of wood in an inlaid cherry blossom pattern on top, lifts a few inches of its own accord. Sunny hesitates, her fingers hovering over it as if she’s unsure if she should open it. “I’ve never looked inside, but I’ve seen my mother wearing certain pieces in photos my father said were in here. Pieces he kept for me.” For a moment, I wonder if I should have said our and us, but Sunny doesn’t seem to mind, or else she hasn’t noticed. It’s going to take some getting used to, this sister thing. I think the jewelry can wait, especially when I’m holding a blank book in my arms, but Sunny has started to dig around the box and I’m curious as to what she’ll find. Surely there’s more in there than the special items my father explained from the photos. Sunny picks up a hair comb, tarnished gold with delicate pink and white flowers, painted metal that has faded and chipped, attached to it.

“Cherry blossoms, like the lid.” She stares at it as she speaks, as if she’s talking to herself rather than me. I nod, ing this ornament from several photos. A pair of dangling silver earrings, long and thin with tiny stars on the ends. Shooting stars, she called them, according to my father, another item I recall from a photo. “What in the heck?” Sunny touches something in the box but doesn’t pick it up, and I lean closer, curious as to what has caught her attention. “Is that a sun?” A small gold pin, shiny in spite of visible tarnish, catches the overhead light, and Sunny purses her lips before finally lifting it from the box. “I have this.” I stare at her and then at the pin, held carefully between her fingers. I’ve never seen it before, not in a photo, nor has my father ever spoken of it before. But it makes sense. My, our mother, had matching sun pins, one for her and one for her child. The child she named for the sun. Sunny holds it out to me with a nod. “You should take this, so we’ll both have one.” She doesn’t look at me as she offers it, and I watch her blink a few times, wondering if she’s holding back tears.

I can’t think about this too much right now, or I might start crying, both for the mother I’ve lost and the time Sunny and I have been apart, when we could have been growing up together. Kane would have had to keep both of us out of trouble, not just me. I smile at the idea of him wrangling us as I take the pin, then offer it back to her. “Thanks, but why don't you hold onto it for awhile.” When I smile, she mirrors the gesture, and I sigh before blowing out a long breath when she takes it back, nodding as she speaks again. “Do you want to take the box to your room? I can if you don’t, and either way, I definitely want to look through it. We can do it together, but right now . . .” She points to the book. “I read it last year, and if I correctly, someone gets shot. So you better take care of it before Helena has company in the hospital.” Me? Alone? Why isn’t she offering to help me? “You know the spell, and if I’m not mistaken, you know about the signature. If you bind it but don’t sign, someone else, someone like Gavin, could come along and write his name inside the cover.” I wait for her to continue, although I know what she’s going to say next. “Then he can claim it. Can say he caught it, sealed it, the whole deal. When the time comes, it won’t matter who actually spoke the spell the book responded to, because the name is everything.” When the time comes? I want to ask her what she’s talking about, but she takes the box and walks around me, out of the room, where I’m left standing with the deadly volume and the potential for future havoc here at Larkspur.

“Did you have a nice visit? I see that Sunny is in possession of the box now. It’s very generous of you to share.” Abby doesn’t know I know Sunny and I are sisters, so I can’t expect her to understand why I gave the box and its contents to her for the time being. I smile as I think of Sunny, wondering what it must be like for her to have some small part of our mother now, when she hasn't had the benefit of the photos and stories my father and Grace shared with me my whole life. Something glimmers on the tile floor and I bend down to see what the silvery item is, keeping the book close to me with one hand as I pick it up. There are two shimmering earrings with long, thin chains of tiny links and sharpedged moons dripping against them in a small, sparkling heap. They shine as if they haven't been trapped in a wooden box for years, and I shake them a little, hearing the tinkle of the moons as they chime together. I laugh, a sense of pure joy rising inside me, and I imagine my mother tilting her head to the side to shake them in her ears, her own laugh as she watches me enjoy the sight and sound. Such a simple movement, and the clarity of it suddenly makes me wonder if it's a memory resurfacing. I drop the book onto Abby's desk, certain it will behave for a few more moments as I slip the earrings into my ears, the coolness of the silver soothing me as I close my eyes and hope for more hidden reminiscence of my lost parent. Instead, I'm calm, a sense of peace I haven't felt since setting foot here at Larkspur falling over me as the intensity and stress of everything I've been through the past few days fades into the back of my mind. Images from The Great Gatsby come to mind when I tap the cover of the volume, keeping my eyes closed to savor the serenity that envelops me. Why was I so worried about binding this story? There are so many beautiful pictures that fill my mind, of stunning parties, gorgeous people.

An endless, unstoppable love . . . Wait, what am I thinking? I press the palm of my hand on the book hard to keep it in place and shake my head, stopping as soon as I hear the tiny sounds from the moon charms. That love led to horrifying deaths, tragedies caused and forgotten by careless people. People like Nicholas. "Excuse me." I gasp when Nicholas peers around the door, which I thought was closed. "I did knock, Mina. You should pay closer attention to your surroundings." Uninvited, he steps into the small room and I suddenly feel smothered, his smirk and wide eyes so satisfied it frightens me. "There's no text in that book, is there? May I take a look?" Before I can answer him, he rushes at me, pushing me aside to grab Gatsby from underneath my hand. I grasp at empty air when he turns away, but he doesn't leave the room. Instead of running away, stealing the book and leaving me behind, he stands still, his back to me as he flips through the pages, his excitement palpable like a scent in the air. When he finally looks back at me, snapping the book closed with a flick of his wrist, his mouth is open, his eyes dazed. "You weren't wearing those earlier." He points to my ear, and on impulse, I tilt my head as my mother once did, the thin weight of the earrings shifting against my skin. His smile is ferocious and authentic, making me back up the few feet I have

behind me in which to move away from him. The blatant desire on his face is appalling, and I can't fight the intimidation he exudes. If I can't stand up against him alone now, without Sunny, Georgia, or Gavin, I don't think I will ever be able to. And if I'm going to be the Spellbinder, I must.

Chapter Fifteen

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The moons against my neck sing to me, and I frown as I try to concentrate on the boy who stares longingly at them, leering at me as I wait for him to reach out. To grab at the earrings as he did the book. I wonder if I can trade the jewelry for Gatsby, the fleeting thought immediately tramped down in my mind as I consider that while I know little about the earrings except they were my mother's, they feel . . . Powerful. My immediate response to them was strong and alluring, difficult to pull away from to focus on the here and now. The reality that now looks me in the face. "Give me the book, Nicholas." I snap my fingers in front of his eyes and he narrows them, his smile unfaltering. "Mina Parker. It's a shame you've been wasting away all these years, your talents undetermined and unfocused. Please, allow me the honor of helping you hone those skills." I can't imagine why he thinks I would trust him to any extent. "You put one of my friends in the hospital, and you're obsessed with this spellbinding stuff. Why would I give you a single moment of my time, never mind count on you to give me information that doesn't serve you in some way?" His smile dims, and he takes a condescending tone that has become too familiar.

"Do you think no one involved with this spellbinding stuff, as you so disrespectfully refer to this highly revered skill, will be helping you in ways that do not benefit them? Your implication that I am the only one with selfish aims is naive." It's true that I'm unaware of so much, including the motives of those closest to me, and his harsh words are like a slap to my face. "Why do you want the book? I'm going to seal it so it can't cause any more problems.” I try to keep my voice steady and calm, but the words sound shaky, as if I'm on the verge of hysterics. What I’m saying should be obvious to him, and I don’t understand why he wouldn’t want me to prevent trouble. Unless he wants to prove I can’t, and he wants to do it himself to show he and his family should be the ones in charge. Of what? Defending Larkspur from a library of magical and destructive books? That sounds crazy, but as a hum rises behind my ears and the tiny silver crescents sway in the motionless air that surrounds us, I know everything that has happened here since I came is beyond a dream. It’s destiny. My destiny. “I would expect nothing less from such an obedient girl. You couldn’t be more willing to let your family shape you into who they want you to be.” He holds the book behind his back with one hand and waves his hand in the air in front of him with the other. “I, on the other hand, appreciate you as an individual with a mind of your own. With gifts of your own.”

His smile falters. “Gifts I it I envy. However, I would like to do my best to see where my own skills and training have brought me, if it is to a level where I can compete with yours. “ His lips twitch as he fights a frown, his smile brightening falsely. “If I cannot bind successfully, I will offer my assistance to you. I believe we would make a powerful team.” I think of Sunny, her excitement when she learned Nicholas was here at Larkspur. Were they actually engaged, or did she have a bizarre crush on him? “What about Sunny?” I nearly say my sister, thinking of how quiet she was when she left with our mother’s jewelry box not long ago, absorbed in thoughts that the content would give her a glimpse into the woman Natalie was. The mother she never had a chance to know. “Formalities.” He shakes his head slowly as I wait for him to explain. “Her father and mine have an understanding, but it was based on the expectation she would be the next Spellbinder, and we both know how that has turned out.” I press my fingers into the corners of my eyes, closing them as I force myself to think about what he said. If my uncle wants me to be the Spellbinder, and he had offered Sunny to this boy and his family on that basis . . . No wonder Nicholas thinks I should be his partner. “Nicholas, you need to give me that book. Everything else can be discussed later.”

I hold out my hand, palm up, and stand straight, imitating Grace when she firmly insisted Kane or I give up something we weren’t supposed to have, most likely a snack. But the boy isn’t falling for it. “Oh, Mina, your efforts are irable. I promise to return it after I’ve done my best to seal the text myself. I wouldn’t want further harm to come to your friends here at this little school.” He’s so condescending, and I wonder why he thinks he's better than everyone else. Even if he was raised to believe he was superior, he’s old enough to reconsider and change how he treats others. If I can’t convince him to give Gatsby back, I’ll have to take it. Nicholas grins and turns away, bringing the book to his chest so it’s no longer behind him, and I lunge forward. He grunts as I tackle him and shove him to the floor, the small area hardly enough for us to both fit on the tiled space. “What is going on? Mina?” My uncle’s voice rises from the other side of the door, and I look to find him staring at us with wide eyes, his confusion evident. I’m sitting on top of Nicholas with one hand on his neck, the other on his wrist as his arm rests at his side. When I look from my uncle to him, I find a ridiculous grin waiting for me. The book, however, is nowhere to be found. “Mina? Would you like to explain what is going on, after you take your hands off him and get up?” My hair falls forward as I lean over before standing up, and I realize it’s

covering my earrings now, so my uncle can’t see them. When I get up, I make sure to keep my hair in place, although I’m not sure why I want to hide the jewelry from him. “A misunderstanding, Dr. Reed. These things happen, as you know, and I have no hard feelings.” Nicholas sounds like a robot, his sickly sweet tone grating on my nerves as my uncle stares at him. “What sort of misunderstanding? Why are you both in Abby’s office?” Didn’t Abby tell him Grace was coming? I don’t want to get her into trouble, but I don’t want to lie if he already knows. “Personal matters which I will bring to your attention when the time is right.” Nicholas’ non-answer makes me want to roll my eyes, but Uncle Reed only nods his head, accepting this in a way he never would from me. When Nicholas rolls to his side and pushes himself to his feet, I look on the floor for the book. It has to be somewhere. “You both need to head to your rooms to study before dinner. You’ll have time to socialize later, and tomorrow night, considering all the upheaval this week, we’ll have a movie and recreation night downstairs, so you can look forward to getting to know each other better during that time.” I hold back a nasty response, because I want to stay as far away from this sociopathic creep as I can, and my earrings press against my skin behind my ear, the coolness of the metal reassuring. As if my mother herself is urging me to remain calm. I stare at my uncle for a few moments, fighting the urge to bite my lip. He seems to know less about spellbinding than he should as my apparent mentor

or guide to this role he expects me to fulfill on behalf of the Reed family. While Nicholas, Sunny, and Gavin have been filling me in on details I need to do as he wishes. My jaw clenches as I pull my gaze from him to Nicholas, who has composed himself and is smiling genially at Uncle Reed as if I wasn't just straddling him on the floor, as if we were a couple of wrestling puppies. I force myself to smile, too, and lift my chin, emboldened by the idea that I might be more aware of spellbinding rules and practices than my uncle is now. Who is he to tell me what to do? "I'll expect an explanation later. Both of you, move along." Uncle Reed brushes us off as if we're ordinary students, in a school where ordinary means scholarly and devoted. I am neither. Nicholas skirts around my uncle, his smile satisfied as he glances at me from behind my uncle, and I hold back, fighting the urge to lunge at him. "Mina! What has gotten into you?" When Uncle Reed reaches out to me, I pull my arm back and he flinches as if I've hit him. But I won't apologize. He knows better than to touch me. "I'm sure I'll see you later, Dr. Reed. Until then, have a good afternoon." Nicholas skips out the door, and I close my eyes, searching for something in my heart or mind to calm my anger and fear. A tinkle like a tiny bell reminds me of the earrings, of my mother, who feels present now.

As if her spirit champions me. But she was happy and kind, sunny like the daughter who was given away after she died. Why do I feel powerful and wise, stronger than the man before me? "I'm glad you'll have time to relax this weekend, Mina, because it's clear you need it. It's been a difficult week, and I assure you, I didn't expect this much . . . activity upon your arrival." I don't respond as I walk by him, mere inches between us, and he flinches again, making me smile. While I don't have time to celebrate this small emotional victory over him, I give myself a brief moment to savor his discomfort. After all, my life was ruined when I came here, and everything points to Uncle Reed as the one at fault. The hall is empty, as I expect it to be, and I head out the side door to see if anyone is outside. I could go to my room, around back and through the North Wing, but I suspect some students will be enjoying the mild April afternoon. "Mina!" Samantha shouts to me as soon as I step onto the bright green grass, the sun glaringly warm on my skin as I squint to find her. "Julian texted Taylor and said Helena is doing better than she looked when they took her away this morning. She has some scratches and bruises, and a lump on the side of her head, but once they rule out a concussion, she can come back to Larkspur." I press my hand to my cheek, thinking on this as Samantha speaks. But Helena looked deathly pale, tiny and battered beside Nicholas' car.

How can she be so much better now? Samantha shrugs and shakes her head as a small group of girls approach us. "You saw Gavin, right? Is he getting better, too, like Helena?" I don't want to think about Gavin now, not when I feel as if I've accomplished something. As if I've pushed past some line with my uncle, proven myself more than a pawn in his spellbinding game. But like Nicholas said, spellbinding is crucial to keeping Larkspur safe, and as those involved have told me, everyone beyond Larkspur as well. Now that rotten boy has the newest threat in his hands, and my uncle is the last person I can trust to help me get it back from him. I slip my hand from my cheek to my ear, glancing around to be sure I'm not drawing any attention. And find the girls surrounding me, staring at my every move as they wait for my answer. "Oh, I haven't seen him today. Sorry." I offer them a weak smile and they deflate collectively, like a handful of flowers drooping from a bouquet. If Gavin was here, he would help me get Gatsby back from Nicholas. I wonder if my sister will, considering her disgusting infatuation with her fiancé. The word hammers in my head like a headache when I think of him at her side, her excitement unwarranted as he uses her to pursue his own ends. But I can stop that. I can stop him.

Chapter Sixteen

When I slide my fingers into my hair and tap one of the pointy moons, I smile, and Samantha touches my elbow hesitantly. "Are you okay, Mina?" I nod without giving it a second thought, because I am okay. I'm more than okay. I don't need Sunny or Gavin, and if I can keep Georgia from getting herself in over her head, as if she isn't already, all the better. She's been brainwashed into serving me, and the mere thought of it makes my skin crawl. I won't let her commit another crime on my behalf, or put herself in danger to keep me safe. My sudden surge of confidence has perfect timing, as I have a busy weekend ahead in spite of what my uncle wants. Or rather, what he says he wants. There is no way he brought me here in order to hang out with the other students, not when he's hyper-focused on spellbinding. "I'll see you at dinner, okay? If you want to sit with me, that would be great." I blink at Samantha, realizing I'm being rude by allowing my thoughts to distract me from her presence. "I'm sorry, Samantha. Where did those girls go?" She wrinkles her nose.

"Gavin's fangirls? Who cares?" When she flicks her hand dismissively, I laugh a little, and she visibly relaxes. "It's cool we get a movie night tomorrow. I wasn't expecting one until finals were over. We'll have a week between finals and Moon Lake to recover from the school year, or at least, that's what we've been told." She slides her hand into the curve of my elbow and steers me back to the school, towards the side door that will take us into the North Wing. "Do you know why no one was allowed in the North Wing before?" I ask as Samantha tugs me alongside her, staring straight ahead as we push through the unlocked door and into the hall, where a set of stairs leads us to the second floor. She looks around carefully, her lips pressed firmly together, and shakes her head. Her forehead wrinkles as she thinks hard. We're close to my room now, and I wonder if she's going to answer me. I reach out for the doorknob and she covers my hand with her fingers. "Rumor has it someone died in one of these rooms. I don't know the details, or if it's true at all." Her smile trembles in place as she pushes a stray strand of dark hair from her eyes. "Some students think it's exciting and want to find out more, but others of us don't like the idea of sleeping where another kid may have been hurt or ed away. I'm usually not a chicken about supernatural stuff and scary stories, but this feels real." Larkspur is more than a building, more than a school. It's like a living entity, carrying its history through each generation. I fight the urge to touch the earrings again as this thought comes into my mind, unbidden, and I'm not sure how I know my mother's jewelry is responsible for it.

But I do. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak you out about it." Samantha steps back and shakes her head quickly, as if to clear it. "Don't mind me. This has been a crazy week, and I think it's getting to all of us. I'll see you at dinner, right?" Before I can answer, she waves quickly and clears the short distance to her own room. I wonder if she has a roommate now, or if she's alone. Thinking about whoever lived in the North Wing here at Larkspur, whoever it was who came to this school and never left. Whoever might still haunt these halls. Hannah and Sadie are laser focused on homework when I walk into the room, offering me short greetings that encourage me to attempt to make some sense of my own coursework. I'm scanning my math notes to work out problems assigned for the weekend when Sadie taps me on the shoulder. "Time for dinner, Mina. Oh, hey, where did these come from?" She pushes my hair back from my face and holds it away from my head, staring at my ears, and I slap at her hand. "Don't do that." I know I didn't hit her hard, but she holds her hand against her chest and frowns at me. "What's wrong with you?" Hannah slides off her bed, snapping a cap on her highlighter and dropping it behind her on the blanket.

"Sadie?" She steps closer to us and I lean away from Sadie, smiling as I apologize. "Sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you, and I definitely shouldn't have smacked you. These were my mother's, and I guess I'm a little possessive of them." When Hannah peers at me, trying to look at one of the earrings, I push my hair against my cheek and duck my head. "They're pretty, that's all. I didn't mean to upset you." Sadie blinks at me, as if she's unsure what is happening, and Hannah puts her arm around her. Her smile is perfunctory, and I can't blame her for being angry with me when I deserve it. But I'm not upset about it. Should I be? A knock on the door pulls Sadie's attention from us as Hannah repeats they're going to dinner, but it's clear from her flat tone I'm not invited. "Is Mina here?" Sunny's voice trickles through the open door, her tone sweet and questioning in opposition to Hannah's icy notes. Sunny? I frown as Hannah mirrors my expression, and we both look over to find Sadie with her mouth open, staring at my sister. She's not wearing her uniform, and I realize I haven't changed my own clothes, although my roommates did before I came back to our room. But what catches my eye isn't her soft cotton polo shirt, the coral color pretty against her skin tone and hair color.

It's the sun pin, small and shiny, on the collar. "Uh, Mina?" I push my notebook and textbook aside and stand up, and while I'm wary of whatever Sunny is planning, I'm not afraid. Not of her, or of anything or anyone else. "I thought I might find you here. Would you like to go to dinner with me? We can talk about the jewelry box." My sister's smile is alien, her face alight with . . . Happiness? I glance at Hannah and Sadie, who are speechless, both of their mouths open while they stare at Sunny as if she's grown two heads. It's difficult for me not to do the same. "Sure, let me get my shoes on." Sunny nods and waves to the girls beside me. "See you later." I raise my eyebrows as I look at Hannah and Sadie, their trances undone now my sister has stepped into the hall to wait for me. They both shake their heads at the same time and I choke back my laughter, slipping my feet into my shoes quickly before catching their smiles as I glance over once more before leaving the room. I pull the door closed and Sunny and I head down the hall, towards the stairs. "Have you seen everything in that box before, Mina?" The spring in Sunny's step is disconcerting, and I can't imagine what everyone else is going to think if she keeps up this act when we get to the garden house.

"Listen, Sunny, I don't know what you're planning, but this is weird. And no, I haven't seen everything. I've seen the box itself, and the pieces my mother wears in some of the pictures my dad has shown me, but I know there's a lot more." Maybe I should refer to my parents as ours, but Sunny doesn't seem to mind my choice of words. It's better if I keep speaking about them like this, so I won't slip up when we're around anyone else. "She must have loved celestial things, like moons and stars and planets. It's like a theme running through everything." We head down the stairs that will take us to the side door and out onto the lawn, and I nearly stumble. She takes my arm and steadies me, her smile questioning. "Are you okay? Did I say something to upset you?" There's no trace of sarcasm in her tone, no smirk on her face. I wish there was, because I don't know how to deal with a kind Sunny. "Sunny. Obviously Natalie had an affection for the heavens, because she named one of her kids after the sun." She nods, her smile growing brighter as if to reinforce my claim about her name. We step outside and the sunlight washes over us both, her hand in mine as she lifts her face to the sky like she is absorbing its heat. And I wonder who in the world this girl is, and what she's done with my sister.

Chapter Seventeen

"You two look chummy." Taylor scrunches up her face when she catches sight of the two of us, but my attention is on her bloodshot eyes and the paleness of her skin. Weariness exudes from her in waves. "Hey, Taylor. I hope Julian is back soon, and Helena gets better quickly." The gray blankets are like an amorphous blob across the grass, and Taylor jumps up from the one she's sitting on with Samantha as soon as Sunny stops talking. She steps closer to us, and I the fight earlier today, how Taylor faced off with cold, emotionless Nicholas and punched him with no concern for the consequences. Just like she's about to do to my sister now. Samantha and I both reach out to grab Taylor, who shakes her head and runs into the garden house. I nod to Samantha, worried about Taylor but unsure how to manage Sunny when she's acting so strangely. Her words just now were honest and true, sincere in a way I've never heard her speak before. Except to me during the past few minutes. "What are you up to, Sunny?" We watch Samantha catch up to Taylor as they step further into the large room of the garden house, the double doors with their leaded glass windows glinting in the dimming sunlight. Taylor bends forward as if she's putting her face in her hands, and then they're too far into the building for us to see them anymore.

"You've caused a lot of trouble, Mina, but I know you didn't mean to. It's not your fault, really, and I'm sorry I haven't been more helpful." I glare at Sunny, horrified at what she's implying. She's right; this isn't my fault. None of it is, and I won't feel guilty about it. I stand taller, allowing myself to slip a finger by my ear to touch a silver moon. "Apology accepted. Where do we go from here, Sunny?" I don't want to see Taylor upset, but she's in good hands with Samantha and I can focus on my sister now. And her strange transformation. "Why don't you stay with me tonight, Mina? We'll have time to get to know each other better, like we should have in the first place." She lifts her shoulders in a way that implies she doesn't know why this didn't happen to begin with, but we both know what she did to me my first night at Larkspur. It's not a happy memory I'd like to bring up, so I go along with her statement and nod. I don't trust her, but I feel as if I can handle her now, and anything she tries to do to me, even in the privacy of her room where she has an advantage, she won't get away with anything. "Great idea." Georgia nearly knocks me over when she rushes up, but keeps her hands away from me and nearly trips over a lumpy blanket. "Mina. What's going on? Why are you hanging out with her?" She says this as if it's impossible to believe Sunny and I could get along, which is understandable.

But clearly, not impossible. I slide my gaze towards my sister, who smiles blandly at Georgia. "We should be working together to assist Mina, Georgia. I don't know why you feel competitive towards me when we could be a team. Doesn't that sound much more productive?" The younger girl frowns and bares her teeth a little, reminding me of a child vampire from an old movie. One of the few horror films Kane managed to slip by me, one with such a good story I couldn't help being drawn in until it was too late, and the splatters had begun. I smile at the memory. "What's wrong with you?" Georgia captures my attention with her fierce tone, her eyes wide as she studies my face, and then Sunny's. Sunny tilts her head questioningly, her ponytail slipping over her shoulder as she answers. "Not a thing." She squeezes my hand, and I wonder if she's trying to ask me for assistance with my affinity. I wonder why Georgia and Sunny can't be friends, if they're both on my side. Both of my ears itch and I'm distracted by the sensation as I feel something in the back of my mind, something just out of reach but feels important. Something I need to . Or is it someone? "Girls. I hope there's nothing wrong here."

Abby moves smoothly and carefully over the blankets, noticeable only after she speaks to us. Her expression is similar to Georgia's, incredulous, although toned down a bit according to Abby's general tact. I look around and find we've garnered too much attention, then wonder why I care. If other students want to watch what's going on, let them. We won't offer much entertainment while they have their dinner, but I guess they're expecting something interesting from me since I've livened up the school the past few days. I frown at the direction of my thoughts, because I wouldn't use that word to describe Larkspur life this week. And none of it is my fault. It's Gavin's. “Not at all, Abby. Thanks for checking.” Abby stares hard at Sunny, and I can’t imagine she doesn’t see the change in my sister. After all, they’re more sisters than Sunny and I are, growing up here at Larkspur together with Carter and Leah Reed. I smile to Sunny’s claim, because she’s right. There’s no problem here, or at least, nothing I can’t handle. “We figured we should spend some time together, now we won’t have class for a couple of days and can use free time to hang out.” I don’t know where that came from, because if you asked me earlier today, I would never have said I wanted to do anything with this girl. Except ask her a laundry list of questions.

I wonder if her new attitude will make her more agreeable to answering them. “Let me know if you need anything. We should have an update on Gavin later this evening, too.” Gavin. My smile is tight, and it’s clear Abby notices I’m not as concerned about this boy as I may have been before this afternoon. I need to get over whatever sympathy I had for him, and be more grateful to Georgia for retrieving Fahrenheit 451 for me. If she happened to shove him in the process and he was in a dangerous spot, that’s his own fault. Abby turns away, but keeps her gaze on us until she has to swivel her head to talk to other students who approach her. Thinking of the book makes me wonder what Nicholas is doing with Gatsby, and if I should be more worried about what else that story can do here at Larkspur. If Nicholas is unable to bind it. “You look confused, Mina.” Sunny leads me to the tables set up in the garden house, and we pick from a tray with a variety of sandwiches and another with fruit and cupcakes. I glance around, looking for someone, but I’m not sure who. Something feels wrong, as if something should happen as I reach for the small cakes, but I’m not sure what. My sister adds another cupcake to my plate, and we dodge a cluster of girls who stare at us incredulously. Sunny smiles as brightly as her name and nods to them as we walk by, their gasps audible. I hide my own smile at their response and follow her until we reach a secluded

area, uncovered by a gray blanket, and sit on the cool grass. “The jewelry Natalie collected isn’t only beautiful, it’s rare. I’m not an expert, but those aren’t run of the mill items. So intriguing.” I take my sandwich apart, stacking turkey slices, tomato, lettuce and onion on the empty spot in my plate as Sunny takes a big bite of her ham on wheat bread, wondering why my father never shared the jewelry box with me before. He spoke about it, so I knew it existed, but I’m sixteen, so there are several years now when I would have been old enough to appreciate the pieces and enjoy wearing them. I drop my food and lift my fingers to my earrings, squeezing my earlobes to be sure the posts are securely fastened. “Mina?” Sunny leans closer to me, and I see a few crumbs of bread on her lips. As if she can see what I’m looking at, she swipes at them, shaking her head. “You need rest. That’s all. Larkspur is tough, but you’ll get the hang of it.” I’m sure I will, and if I don’t, Uncle Reed will make sure I get through my classes with his influence over the teachers. His purpose for having me here is solely about spellbinding, and once I get Gatsby back from Nicholas, I’ll be able to add it to my closet shelf with the first two books, my name inscribed on the inside of the covers to make them all mine. “What’s the story with you and Nicholas?” Sunny sways back and forth as if she’s a blossom in the breeze as her eyes grow glassy. “I’ve known for a long time I was engaged, because our parents agreed to it when we were children. But once I met him, I knew we were a perfect match.” I wonder if she has paid any attention to Nicholas’ reaction to her, or if she

prefers to live in this romantic fantasy she’s concocted. “He’ll come around once he witnesses my ability. Just because my father wants you to be the Spellbinder doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t be involved.” There’s no biting wit to her words, and I can’t figure out why she’s made such an abrupt shift in her thinking. I was sure she still wanted the role, and as something that would make Nicholas like her more, she has to desire it. When I bite my lip, I think of my own father, how he tells me it’s a bad habit and I should make myself stop. And a memory of a conversation with Kane comes to mind. One about the Bradbury story. Everything we read about Fahrenheit 451 said the title referred to the temperature at which paper burns, but that isn’t true. Kane looked it up, and what it really means is the temperature at which paper self-ignites. I blink as Sunny reaches over and grabs my arm, shaking me hard. “I know it’s been a rough week, but I promise it will get better. Wait until we go to Moon Lake. It’s the best part of the year.” A shiver runs through me, and I wrap my arms over my chest, tightening my fingers on my shoulders. Something about Kane’s discovery lingers in my thoughts, as if this is important. But why? “Does your phone work?” My sister frowns at my question, shrugging as she picks up a chocolate frosted cupcake.

She peels back the paper liner and rolls her eyes. “Off and on. It should be better in the North Wing, though. Why?” I wonder if it will work out here, so I hold out my hand. She sets down the cupcake and slips a phone from her pocket, offering it to me with a small smile.

Chapter Eighteen

I text Kane, explaining that it’s me, and invite him to the movie night tomorrow after reassuring him everything is fine here on my end. He responds immediately with a string of questions I can’t possibly answer over text, and my heart slows down as I realize it was racing. “So this Kane guy. There’s really nothing going on between you two?” I shake my head as I tap out an answer, and offer her the phone back. “Thanks for letting me use it. I told him not to text anymore, since it isn’t my phone, but he’ll be here tomorrow around six so we’ll be able to talk then.” She nods and tucks it back into her pocket. “So he’ll keep our secret, right?” While she doesn’t look worried about Kane telling anyone we’re sisters instead of cousins, she wouldn’t ask if she wasn’t concerned, so I nod my head firmly. “Of course. And his mom hasn’t said anything to anyone for all these years, so she won’t be sharing it, either.” I think of my dad, giving Grace the wooden jewelry box and asking her to bring it to me, while he sits in jail. But I don’t feel like I need to see him, as if now I know where he is and that he’s safe, it’s not such a problem anymore. I’m certain everything will work out, and he’ll be released. There had to be a misunderstanding about the fire. “Whenever you’re ready to settle in for the night, come to my room, and you can stay over. We can talk if you want, but I think you need to get some rest.

Tomorrow might be movie night, but we spend most of our weekends studying, so you’re in for a lot of mental labor.” When she stands up, she offers me her hand, but I shake my head. I want some time alone to think, and to figure out what is pulling at my mind, as if it's just out of reach. “I’ll be around later, Sunny. Thanks.” She takes her empty plate and carton of juice with her, waving before she disappears into the garden house. I think of the resentment she bared to me in the flower arranging room, of how much she despised me only hours ago. Something isn’t quite right, but I don’t know what. I rub my eyes, and I need to get reading glasses as everyone suggests. Maybe I need to make a shopping list so I won’t forget anything on Sunday. I lean back on the grass, pushing my plate, hardly touched, out of the way, and spread my arms out as if I’m making a snow angel. The thought makes me smile, as memories of Kane and me swishing our arms, packed into snowsuits, along the crusty edges of a snowdrift. Just last winter we did it, neither of us thinking we were too old for the fun. Kane might be able to help me make sense of some of this, but that would entail bringing him into the magic aspect, and I wonder if I can be vague enough about it to communicate my problems for him to give me a different perspective on how I’m handling everything. Everyone. I manage to get through the rest of the evening with Hannah and Sadie, doing some of the easier homework while we sit on our beds, and when I explain I’ll be sleeping in Sunny’s room for tonight, they exchange a blank look.

There’s no emotion in it, no sense of incredulity. But they’re suspicious. So am I. The only thing that happens overnight is sleep, as my sister and I crawl into bed within minutes of my arrival and when I open my eyes, the sun is peeking around the edges of her blackout curtains, which aren’t completely closed. I blink, pushing away the pale pink blanket that kept me warm overnight, and look around. Sunny’s breathing is slow and even, so I know she’s asleep, and I get out of bed to wander over to her desk. She has a few small framed photos of herself as a little girl in a variety of poses, and another, larger one, catches my eye. It’s the same photo Abby has on her desk. “That’s Abby and Leah.” I jump a little, stumbling over my feet as I hold onto the frame so I don’t drop it. Sunny points over my shoulder, first to the child and then the baby. I don’t tell her I already know this, choosing to nod instead. “Sorry to scare you. I thought you would have heard me move around.” When I set the photo back down, I turn and watch her slide a green sweatshirt with a frog printed on the front of it over her head, her hair catching on the tag at the collar. She flips it through and turns to me with a knowing smile. “Did you think something bad was going to happen to you here? Did your roommates tell you it was a bad idea for you to stay with me?” I shake my head, because they didn’t, although they didn’t have to, not with the

looks they gave me. “We have breakfast for a longer period of time on the weekends, so we can sleep in if we want. No one ever does, though, because according to Abby, our bodies get used to waking up at a certain time, and so we’ll do it no matter what.” She shrugs, as if she’s not sure she believes this. “But it’s eight, so we did get extra sleep.” I scratch my head, feeling the weight of it slipping out of its braid, and slip my feet into my shoes. “Thanks for having me over, Sunny. We didn’t really get to talk, but maybe we can later.” She must have had a motive for asking me to stay the night with her, but nothing happened, and I’m not afraid of her like I was yesterday morning. Like I was before Grace brought me the jewelry box. My earrings tinkle against my cheek when I rework my braid and walk towards the door, and Sunny smiles, this new expression of hers starting to wear on me. It’s so sincere it doesn’t seem right. Not on her face. “Are you leaving? We could eat together if you want, but it’s okay if you don’t.” Part of me wants to hang out with her longer, since I fell asleep so quickly I didn’t get to ask her anything. Not about her childhood, about Leah. About spellbinding. But all my questions don’t seem so imperative anymore. A knock on the door draws me from my thoughts.

“Come in!” Sunny calls out cheerfully, and I cringe as the door opens a tiny bit. “Mina?” Samantha peers around the corner, her nose wrinkled up. “Hannah and Sadie said you were here, but I didn’t believe it.” Sunny and I stare at her, and I wonder if it’s strange to see us both together like this, identical with the same expressions on our faces. “Anyway,” she continues, not venturing further into Sunny’s room. “Abby says they don’t have to induce Gavin into a coma, and he’s awake for longer periods of time now.” My smile dims, and Samantha pushes the door further open, stomping her foot hard on the wood floor. “What’s going on here? You act like you don’t care, and I know that isn’t right.” I nod to Sunny and grab Samantha’s hand, pulling her out into the hall. “Nothing’s going on, Samantha. Everything is fine. Thanks for letting me know about Gavin. It’s good news.” I sound stilted, like every word I say is a lie. Because it is. She yanks her arm back and pulls away from me, as I see a few girls in the hall have noticed us and are watching. I tuck my hair behind my ear, the light weight of the earrings reminding me they are there, as if my mother herself is standing behind me, encouraging me. “I’ll see you later, Samantha. Thanks again.” She doesn’t move for a few moments, and I turn away, smiling guardedly at our audience. “What is wrong with you?”

I’m headed down the stairs to breakfast, although a part of me feels like I should have gone to my room to check in with Sadie and Hannah. They don’t need to know every detail of my life, so why should I bother? I lift my head when Georgia barrels into me from around the corner as I’m about to turn down the next flight of stairs, and she nearly knocks us both down. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you, pushing me around like that?” Georgia leans in closer to me, peering into my eyes, but I’m against the wall now and can’t shift away from her. “This is really bad, Mina, although I don’t know what it is. We need to talk to Abby, right now.” I shake my head slowly and push her away, the between us slight and momentary. But enough for a vision that leaves me on my knees, coughing fitfully. Georgia pats me on the back hard, and someone appears at the bottom of the stairs. “Do you need any help?” I’m not sure what Georgia says to them, because I’m mired in the dark, desperate vision that still overwhelms me. My mother and Leah in a lake, laughing and splashing at each other. They're around the age when my mother died. I swallow hard while I wait for whatever comes next as my stomach churns, the knowledge that something awful is ahead so certain I can’t deny it. And I can’t stop it. I want to call out to Natalie, to tell her to get out of the water, to get them both to safety.

A bang overwhelms the scene, like a single firework bursting across the sky. But there’s no light, no flash, just the emptiness of the air after the noise cuts through the women’s laughter. A burst of blood gushes from Natalie's chest. Her body falls into the water as Leah screams, reaching out for my mother as Natalie’s head weighs heavily beneath the surface, drifting quickly to the bottom of this shallow part of the lake. “Mina! Why did you do that?” Georgia is smacking me between my shoulder blades so hard I nearly fall further to the floor, barely able to hold myself up on my knees against the force of her blows. I drop down and let myself go, pressing my face into my fists as I cry, the image of Leah’s horror as she watched her twin sister die in front of her so fresh in my mind it’s as if it happened to me. Right now. “Abby!” Georgia screams above me, and I sob against my hands, not caring if anyone sees or hears me. I’ve watched my mother die. Someone shot her in a body of water, just like the title character of The Great Gatsby was murdered.

Chapter Nineteen

Abby is afraid to touch me, and her discomfort is both sad and amusing. I smile at her, focusing on the amusing aspect, until she squints as she leans in closer. “Are those your mother’s earrings?” Instead of answering, I sniffle and cover my face with one hand. I want to see my father, to ask him why he never told me the truth about how Natalie died. While I understand why he kept the horrific details from me, did he think I would never find out? He definitely didn’t know I might discover it in such a shocking, sudden way. Samantha appears on the stairs, holding one of the gray blankets we’ve been using on the lawn during meals. “Thank you, Samantha.” Abby reaches out to take the blanket and wraps it around my shoulders, but I look down, away from Samantha. “Maybe you should rest in your room. Most of the other students will be studying for the morning and afternoon until dinner, so you should have some peace and quiet after such an eventful week.” I nod, sniffling as I wipe the back of my hand underneath my nose. “Thank you, Abby.” Her hand is close to mine as we sit side by side on the steps, and I hear the shuffling of feet on the floor below us, as if students are hovering nearby to

overhear whatever they can. I haven’t agreed to spend the day in my room, and I don’t plan to. But Abby doesn’t need to know this. “I’m sure you heard about Gavin, although I apologize for not delivering the news myself.” Gavin? Oh, yes, the report from the hospital. Why don’t I care? I tap my forehead a few times with my open palm, as if I could stimulate something inside my brain by the impact. “It should get easier, Mina. All of it.” While I may not have believed Abby’s reassurances this time yesterday, I already feel this way, in spite of the effect this new vision has on me. “Mina?” Georgia steps to the bottom of the stairs from the hall and glances up at us, her expression guarded, as if she’s not sure what sort of response she’ll get from me. I smile, but barely enough for her to see from where I sit. “Why don’t you let Georgia bring you something to eat? I’m sure she’d be happy to help.” It isn’t right for me to use Georgia like this, but she’s so willing to do whatever I ask I might as well let her. And Abby is the one suggesting it, so it can’t be wrong. Can it? Georgia nods and rushes off.

I need to dig around Larkspur, ask some questions, search the building . . . Find my uncle’s private quarters. I’m not sure Georgia would be the best sidekick for this venture. I don’t think any sidekick would be good. Nicholas. He’s the one I need to hunt down, to drag answers from, and ensure he doesn’t do anything to hurt anyone here at Larkspur again. I scrunch up my face and shake my head, hard. When he grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go, the vision I had . . . The shot. The body in the water. Why would I see a similar vision to my mother’s death when he held me so tight? I shudder, and Abby tugs on the edges of the blanket that curls over my shoulders. “Go put something warmer on. It might be April, but it feels like February this morning.” Her smile is gentle and motherly, and even with my head full of everything I need to accomplish today, I can’t help smiling back. I wonder if her concern for others, this maternal instinct, is learned from Leah. The way Leah looked at Natalie when they were splashing around, enjoying each other’s company . . . “Who was older, Abby? Was it Leah, or Natalie?” Abby stands up suddenly and brushes the top of her pants, which are spotless as

usual. “Leah.” She looks as if she might say more, but she presses her lips together firmly and sighs. “Take it easy today, Mina. Movie night is a good time to relax and get to know the other students here at Larkspur, but it’s not the same as time alone, quiet time to recharge and think. You need to take care of yourself, Mina. A lot is expected of you, and we’re all counting on you to come through for us.” Her smile is small now, and without waiting for me to speak, she rests her hand on the ornate rail and rushes downstairs, her steps smooth and flowing. But she’s running away from me, and no amount of grace and poise can hide it. I stand and look out the window behind me, one clouded with a frosty coating that keeps me from seeing clearly. Just like my thoughts are today, like they have been since I picked up the moon earrings from the floor of Abby’s office. I should be overwhelmed by the pressure she reminded me has been ever present since I walked through the front door for the first time here, but I don’t. There’s only a weight of sadness, of the flash of pain in Leah’s eyes, the blood in the air like dark confetti marring their sunny day together. I wander back to my room and sit on my bed, letting my head fall back so I’m staring at the ceiling. I’ve stood in my uncle’s office several times with my face towards the ceiling like this, wondering what the secret library holds that I have yet to discover. That has yet to threaten me, and the whole of Larkspur and beyond. Georgia comes in without knocking about ten minutes later, as my mind wanders through the details of the vision, searching for something, anything, that might be helpful.

Although I’m not sure what any of it will help me to do. Or understand. “Tiny boxes of sugary cereal. As if this is some sort of elementary school summer camp.” Georgia sniffs at the air as she deposits a small plate on my desk, and I stare at the slices of toasted and buttered white bread that cover the plate in a neat stack. “I’m not hungry, but thank you for taking the time to get this.” She stares at me, her eyes narrowing, but she stays where she is instead of coming closer. “What upset you so much?” I look away from her, because I don’t want to share this with anyone. Not yet. “I’m going to take a nap, so I’ll talk to you later.” “But you just woke up . . .” Her voice trails off as I glare at her, and she fists her hands on her hips. “I’m not going anywhere. There’s something wrong with you and Sunny, and while I don’t care much about her, I’m here to look after you.” She points at me as if to reinforce her statement and I hold back a sigh. “Fine. You can stay if you want, but I’m going to lie down.” I push the blankets out of my way and roll onto the fitted sheet, my cheek against the pillow, and while I don’t intend to sleep for long, I immediately doze off, and find myself walking on a beach. It isn’t the ocean, the darker sand and rough surroundings more reminiscent of the woods.

A large log cabin sits at the edge of my sight, with a fire pit and a few Adirondack chairs close by. But I’m alone here, the lake in front of me still, the water motionless as I step towards it, my bare feet sinking into the soft, sugary sand. I dip my toes in the cool water, relaxing as I accept the calmness of the setting, although I know this isn’t real. Somehow, I understand I’m dreaming, and rationalize this may be some attempt by my subconscious to calm myself. To help me rest and recharge, as Abby described it. I shuffle along the water’s edge, allowing the water to lap at my ankles, and look over to the horizon, where white clouds drift apart to reveal a tepid sun. It’s warm but not hot, and the brightness of the orb is toned down, so I don’t blink as I stare in its direction. There's a tap at my foot and I look down, wondering if I’ve wandered into a patch of leaves or a fallen tree branch. The tangled mass engulfing my toes isn’t either. It’s my mother’s head, her hair wrapped over my instep as her body bobs back into the water, and she pulls me along. My mouth opens but no sound comes out, and when I try to yank my foot from the strands of her soaked hair, I fall down, splashing into the lake and on top of her chest. I don’t want to look at her, but when the water clears from my vision and I blink drops of it away, I find her face inches from mine, her bright green eyes wide open. “Get Abby!” A girl’s voice calls out, the desperation in it reaching out for me as I struggle to wake up, but my eyes won’t open.

All I see is those shining eyes, mirror images of Leah's, and I hear myself scream. I’m sitting up with arms holding me from both sides, sucking in lungfuls of air as I continue to scream until something warm and firm slaps me across the face and my eyes fly open. “Wake up, Mina!” My sister stands by the bed, her hand still in the air beside me as I hold my breath. Voices in the hall tell me I’ve brought too much attention to myself, but I don’t know what I could have done to prevent it. “Leah, Natalie . . .” I whisper our mother and aunt’s names, and Sunny nods as if she understands. But she can’t. When I press my hand to my chest, I glance to one side and then the other, finding Hannah and Sadie beside me, their arms across my shoulders. “Was it a nightmare?” “Did you dream about a monster?” The second from Sadie, who thinks her traumatic experience in the woods behind Larkspur was a dream about a monster. I don’t want to encourage that thinking, nor do I want her to know the truth. The truth could get her sent home from school, tearing her academic dreams to shreds. “Return to your studies, everyone. The movie will be set up right after dinner, so you don’t have much time.” Someone claps loudly right outside the door, and I smile a little, recognizing Abby’s voice, the onition in her tone so parental it’s hard to she’s

only a few years older than we are. I take a shaky deep breath and force myself to smile at everyone, which includes Hannah, Sadie, Sunny, and Georgia, who is sitting on the spare bed in our room, pouting. “I’m sorry I caused trouble for you. I guess I was making a lot of noise, huh?” Georgia crosses her legs and her arms, but her gaze doesn’t falter as I apologize. She’s so small and yet so fierce, reminding me of a Shakespeare quote I can’t quite recall but like so much today is just at the edge of my thoughts. Sunny leans closer to me, and I see the flicker of gold in the sun pin she’s wearing on the thick rope stitching on the collar of her sweatshirt. When I look up, our eyes meet.

Chapter Twenty

“You seem better now, so let's get dinner. You're probably hungry after sleeping all day, Mina.” Sadie waits for me to agree with her as I consider what she said. How could I have slept all day? I was counting on time to study and catch up on homework, but most importantly, explore Larkspur and drag some answers from key people who are holding back. Primarily, Nicholas. “What movie are we watching tonight?” I’m not sure why I ask since I don’t actually care, but it’s an effective distraction for my roommates, even if Georgia hasn’t changed her expression and Sunny only scratches thoughtfully at her chin. “The guys want a movie with action and car crashes, of course, which is fine with me, but it would be nice to watch a film with an actual plot. “Are you saying the Fast and Furious films don’t have plots?” Samantha responds to Hannah's claim as she peeks into the room, the door left partially open by someone, and I expect Abby let her for a good reason. I think I may have been rude to her earlier, but I can’t exactly what I said or did. “Hey, Samantha. Come on in.” I wave her closer, and she takes a few small steps inside, pushing the door closed as I smile at her.

“Sorry if I was weird earlier. I guess I was tired, but that’s no excuse.” She doesn’t come closer, but she nods. “I guess, since you’ve been in bed all day. Is your friend coming for the movie?” Hannah grabs my shirt from behind, but only for a moment before she slides off the bed and stands up. “You mean Kane?” She sounds incredulous, and I wonder if she isn’t more interested in Kane than she’d like to it. Sunny smiles, and something flickers inside me like a warning. But she’s been so nice to me, and I wonder if I can trust her now. If she’s had a change of heart, and wants us to be friends. More than friends. Sisters. “Yeah, he’ll be here, and we don’t watch a lot of movies so he’s up for anything.” Hannah clasps her hands behind her back and looks at Sadie, who shrugs as if she doesn’t understand what Hannah is trying to tell her. “I hope you’ll be okay to go shopping tomorrow, Mina.” Sadie’s statement sounds like a question, and while I don’t think today’s events will have any bearing on whether or not I’ll be allowed to leave school tomorrow, I’m not sure what Abby will say. “What happened, Mina?” As soon as Abby opens the door, Samantha stands at attention, and Sadie stands up. Georgia does too, although more slowly, as her focus on me drags her down.

My head throbs, the space behind my eyes pounding in time with my rushing heartbeat. I’ll have to ask Abby for something I can take for this headache, and I’m sure after eating dinner I’ll feel better. And once the movie is underway, I can corner Nicholas. Find out what he knows about the vision . . . And make him give me Gatsby. “Everyone out, now.” Abby pulls no punches as she points to the door, and everyone files out as if we’re in the military. Georgia narrows her eyes at me, and I fight the urge to smile back at her. “What’s going on, Mina?” As soon as Georgia pulls the door closed behind her, the knob clicking in the frame loudly in the silence, Abby hovers inches away from me, her folded hands tense against her waist. I shake my head and tuck my own hands between my knees. “Overtired, I guess. Can I have some medicine for a headache?” My attempt to distract her fails immediately, and as if she’s insulted I’ve tried to divert her attention, she growls low in her throat. “You don’t seem to understand how important every single detail is, Mina. Everything you think, or hear, or do. We don’t want you to be influenced in any negative way, or for anyone to lure you into doing something you shouldn’t. Your uncle and I . . .” Before she can finish, I jump up and our noses are nearly touching, her eyes wide and shocked only inches from mine. Like Leah and Natalie in my vision, their closeness a result of their affection for

each other. This, however, is only because of my anger, my frustration at how I’m being manipulated. “What about my uncle? He isn’t luring me, or influencing me? Why don’t you both back off and let me handle the spellbinding from now on, or at least as long as I want to stay here.” Abby is motionless, a statue of disbelief so near I can feel her breath on my cheeks. “If you two think I’m so important and powerful, let me be both. I know he has an agenda, and he’s keeping information from me so I won’t be able to do anything outside of his plan. And you work for him, with no mind of your own. It’s not like you have a stake in this, only a paycheck along with some strange satisfaction you get from being loyal to him.” The words are harsh in my own ears, the tone obnoxious and snotty. I sound more like Sunny than me. Part of me is warning me to stop talking before it gets worse, but I don’t listen. “Both of you can keep away from me, and I’ll let you know if I need help. It’s bad enough he’s sucking up to this new kid who has only brought trouble. How do you think it looks to the rest of the students? How safe do you think they feel with Nicholas on the loose?” Abby takes a step back, and another, before she reaches behind her to take the doorknob in her hands. She turns and opens it, running away without pulling it shut behind her. What in the world did I just do? Unloading on her didn’t do anything but upset her, and while some of what I said was true, I could have worded it differently, rather than being so accusatory and sounding so . . .

Hateful? I don’t want to go to dinner, but I get the feeling if I don’t show up, someone will come looking for me. And it won’t be Abby. I’ll have to apologize later, but right now, I have to get ahold of myself and save my frustration for Nicholas. Since Gavin isn’t here, Nicholas can take the brunt of my anger at him as well. It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it. I blink as I stare around the room, looking for a clock. Nearly five. I’ve wasted the entire day, so no wonder Georgia is angry with me. Not only did I drag her into a dramatic scene on the stairs, but I’m sure she expected us to have time to work together on our Ohio history project. It’s not like she can ask for another partner, not when our research is tied to both of our roles here at Larkspur. Spellbinding roles we didn’t choose for ourselves, but were forced upon us. That’s going to change. I pull on a pair of jeans and a robin's egg blue cotton t-shirt before smoothing my hair into a new braid, rubbing my eyes to get the grit out before I leave the room, making sure the door is locked. Who knows who might try to get in to steal the Bradbury and Tolkien from my closet? As clever as Gavin is, I don’t think Nicholas has a conscience like he does, and he would stop at nothing to get what he wants. “Hey, Mina!”

A girl who looks familiar from one of my classes runs up to me when I reach the lawn outside of the garden house, her long auburn hair reminiscent of Hannah’s. “Oh, hey.” I can’t her name, but she doesn’t seem to mind when I don’t use it. “Are you okay? Some kids said you were screaming in your room. Did you see a ghost?” When I frown at her, she waves her hands in the air excitedly, and a few other students step up closer, their eyes widening as if I’ve already validated her question. “No, no ghost. Only a bad dream.” She deflates, her lips twisting in disappointment. “I’m glad you’re okay, though. Let me know if you see one. We’re all on the lookout.” Her friends gather around her as she walks away, whispering excitedly as they hold hands and lean into each other. “No one has seen her yet, but after this afternoon, they’re all ramped up for a sighting.” Samantha wanders over slowly, keeping her distance as if she’s not sure how I’ll react. I don’t blame her. My earrings are cool in the warm afternoon air, and for a moment, I feel like hissing at her. Like telling her to stay away, to mind her own business. After all, she has nothing to do with spellbinding, so why should I waste my time with her? Instead, I smile and walk over to her, taking her by the elbow and leading her

into the garden house. She feels tense in my grip, so I let her arm go, sorry I’ve pulled her along with me when she must not have wanted to be at my side. To my surprise, she takes my hand. “I know we only met this week, but it's like we’re already friends. If you need to talk to anyone, I’m here. I know you have Hannah and Sadie, and weirdly enough, maybe Sunny now, too. But in case you need to unload or you want a different perspective, I’m available.” I squeeze her fingers in mine and consider I’ve already unloaded on Abby today, and while I can’t exactly what I said to Samantha this morning, it wasn’t kind. And I’m tempted to push her away right now, in some bizarre desire to clear my life of anyone who doesn’t serve my role as the Spellbinder. That’s not right. It’s not all I am. “So what’s on the menu tonight?” She smiles and relaxes against me. If I can just keep my impulses under control for a bit, I’ll be able to sneak off during the movie to stalk Nicholas. We eat companionably, sharing a blanket as other students stop to say hi to us and ask me how I’m doing. I don’t like the attention but I keep smiling as Samantha raises her eyebrows at me sympathetically. Georgia is strangely absent, and I wonder if she and Abby are together, talking about me as if I’m a problem they have to solve. That’s a bit paranoid, I tell myself, forcing my thoughts towards the here and now.

“What’s the news on Helena and Gavin today?” Samantha lights up at the question and starts to share all she knows, some from gossip and the rest from Abby’s updates. “Helena will be back tomorrow for sure, and Gavin will be awhile. Abby says he might not be back until finals.” She blinks at me when she finishes, the silence growing between us as if she expects me to respond in a certain way. But I smile blandly, because I couldn’t care less about Gavin. The longer he’s in the hospital, the longer he is out of my way.

Chapter Twenty One

I manage not to offend anyone until we head down to the rec room, everyone chattering as if they haven’t done anything but study and sleep for months. Apparently, they haven’t. I nearly run into Taylor, who is walking up the basement stairs while everyone else is walking down. “How are you holding up?” Hannah and Sadie are with me, as Samantha has decided to hang out with some girls from her Latin study group for the film, checking with me first to be sure I wouldn’t be offended. Taylor ducks from Hannah’s question, her pout undisguised as she continues to stomp upstairs. “Julian has his hands full, between Helena and Taylor.” Sadie shakes her head, and I Julian is still at the hospital with his sister, and Taylor is probably worried sick about them both. “Why don’t we sit towards the back, so if we need to use the restroom we don’t have far to go.” Hannah, ever practical, offers this advice, and I’m in agreement. But not for the same reason. “Good plan.” I mumble as I sit beside Hannah, and Sadie sits on her other side. Half the kids are now wearing sweatpants or shorts with the same comfy shirts, and the formal Larkspur atmosphere dissolves with the lack of uniforms and stuffy confines of the smaller classroom spaces.

“Are you cold, Mina?” I don’t realize I’m hugging myself, my hands tight on my upper arms as they cross my chest, until a voice I can’t stand pipes up behind my chair. Nicholas’ sneer is so infantile everyone around us stares, intrigued by how I will respond. He couldn’t care less what I think or how I feel, and when I stare at him, my eyes narrowing as I'm shifting in my seat, his smile grows wider, like a murderous character in a horror film. It suits him. “Why don’t you go get yourself some popcorn, new kid?” A familiar face from my chemistry class, Rowan, saunters up and pushes through the growing crowd. “And choke on it.” Samantha chimes in, and a low snicker rises from the group. Nicholas doesn’t look away from me, but his smile falters enough for me to notice, and he presses his lips together as he leans in. “I hear you have bad dreams.” I lunge at him, knocking my chair over as I stumble to grab him. On the floor, I manage to get my hand around his ankle and pull hard, but he’s resistant. Kids are rushing close to us, and I see shoes shuffling back and forth as students shout and someone grabs my arm. I let them pull me up, but as soon as I’m on my feet I swing at Nicholas, who is holding onto a table full of snacks and cans of juice and water. His eyes are wide and stunned, but he’s smiling.

That awful smile of his . . . I want to wipe it from his face forever. Instead of hitting his face, my hand thuds against his head, and I yank on his hair. “Mina!” Several students call my name, and hands snake around my waist, but I fight them, putting all my strength into getting my hands on this terrible boy. “I hate you!” I scream, but before I can speak again, my throat fills with liquid as if I’m choking on water, a lake of dark water that threatens to swallow me whole. Abby shoves me to the floor and I cough, sputtering as Hannah and Sadie, with Samantha standing behind them, squat beside me. The room is bursting with conversation and a rush of excitement, and I cover my face with my hands as I kneel beside the table. “It’s not like he didn’t deserve it.” “Who can blame her, after he hurt Helena like that?” “Why is he allowed to stay here after he hurt a student?” Everyone is on my side when it comes to Nicholas, but I’m the only one who can do anything about it. I’m the only one who can stop him. “Sit down, all of you!” Uncle Reed shouts and the room goes silent immediately. “We’ll start the movie in two minutes exactly, so find your chairs now. Further disruption will result in a cancellation of the evening’s activities.” No one says a word as they walk carefully and quietly to their seats, many of them folding their hands in their laps like Abby does.

Hannah and Sadie back up, and Samantha hovers with them. “Girls, I appreciate your concern for my niece, but I’ll take care of her from here. Thank you for your assistance.” All three mumble to him and duck away, and since I keep my gaze on the floor, I don’t know if they look at me before they go. My uncle stands before me, and I know I have to get up and go with him, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to hear excuses for Nicholas’ actions, or reasons why he should stay here. I want to take my book back from him and send him packing, strap him in that fancy car of his and shove it off a cliff. The viciousness of my thoughts scares me, and I shake my head to clear it. Abby’s shiny black shoes appear beside my uncle’s similar footwear, and I rise, using the table to help me get up to face them. “I’ll go to my room for the night, and I’m sorry to keep everyone waiting for the movie.” I won’t apologize for hitting Nicholas, who is nowhere in sight, but my uncle isn’t accepting my offer. “You’ll stay right here when we can keep an eye on you, and we’ll talk about this tomorrow while everyone else is studying or shopping.” Wait, what? “I’m going on the shopping trip, too, Uncle Reed.” The room is quiet as everyone listens in on our conversation. “Not now you aren’t, Mina. Leaving Larkspur property is a privilege, not a right, and you’ve given that up. We don’t tolerate fighting here.” Kick me out, I want to yell at him, but I know he won’t, and right now, I want to

stay so I can get rid of Nicholas and bind Gatsby. It's a short to-do list, but it’s proving more difficult than it should be. Why did I let him get his hands on it in the first place, I groan inwardly. “You’ll have a chance to go in May. Meanwhile, I can ask Abby to purchase whatever you need. Now go sit with your friends and behave yourself.” His tone is insulting, as if I’m an insolent child, and I want to remind him I’m his chosen Spellbinder, supposed to be here to make the family proud, to take control and keep the role in the family. I feel my expression grow placid, my features relaxing as the silvery moons in my ears grow cool on my skin. This man itted he doesn’t have the power to spellbind, so he’s no more than an assistant. An advisor. Who is he to tell me what to do? As if he can sense what I’m thinking, his gaze falters for a moment, the shift in his focus so slight I barely notice. But I do. I smile and nod, ignoring Abby at his side. Maybe I should at least acknowledge her, but I haven’t spoken to her since our confrontation in my room, and I don’t know what to say. Whatever goes on between us needs to stay private, so this isn’t the place or time for it. I don’t want to hurt her, my desire to return her kindness as strong as my interest in pushing my uncle out of my life. Do I know enough, with Georgia and Sunny’s help, to do this on my own?

I head over to Hannah and Sadie, who stare straight ahead as the lights in the room grow dim, and the wall in front of us lights up, the movie screen nearly the size of ones in theaters. As soon as the movie begins and the sound overpowers any conversation, whispers rise and the chatter becomes the highlight of the evening instead of the film. “Are you hurt?” Sadie grabs my knee and leans close to me, inspecting my face so carefully I laugh. “I think Nicholas got the bad end off that fight, Sadie,” Hannah offers, sounding smug on my behalf. I hold up the palm of my hand and when she slaps it in a high five, the whole room bursts into applause. The kids behind me pat my back, and the ones in front turn to talk to me, asking me questions I don’t know how to answer, ones I can barely hear over the movie soundtrack, but I smile and nod agreeably. This reaction is understandable, and I don’t take it personally. It’s not like I’ve done anything amazing by defending Helena, who everyone adores. “Julian is going to be so hyped over this, if he doesn’t make a beeline for that kid’s throat himself.” A boy in front of Sadie shakes his head as he speaks, but he’s smiling, as if he’s anticipating more action once Julian and Helena return. How can my uncle not see more problems coming if he allows Nicholas to stay? The door opens and light pours into the room, and everyone stops speaking, as if they’re all afraid they’ll be caught being disruptive. But it’s only Kane, who I invited here but forgot about. I blow out a breath, aggravated with myself for being a terrible friend to him as I

stand up and wave to catch his attention. His smile is contagious, his excitement more like a little boy’s than a teenager’s. When I look at Hannah and Sadie, I find them both watching him, as most of the room is, out of curiosity, but Hannah’s head dips low, her gaze upward through her lashes. A little flirty, although she would never it it. But she’s definitely interested. I remind myself that I wanted to get them together, to have them spend time together and see how they get along. How could I forget that? I ask the girl sitting next to me if she can move down a chair, and she nods, allowing me to shift as well so Kane can sit between Hannah and me. Hannah looks at the screen, staring with a blank expression as Kane settles in. “This is so cool, and here I thought this school was an old, stuffy building with nothing fun going on.” “Why would you assume that, when you’ve never been here before?” Kane swivels his head to face Hannah, who pouts indignantly. “I’ve been here, I mean, you know I’ve been here.” Her face flushes bright pink, barely noticeable in the dim room, and Kane sits back in his chair and faces front, his own skin hot with embarrassment. Both of them can’t forget how they met, with Hannah in her bra and Kane unable to tear his gaze away from her. “Forget it, moron.” I fight back a bark of laughter as Hannah mumbles, and Kane looks chastised and a little sad.

When I poke his arm, he leans close to me and we press against each other’s shoulders, but when the moon charm taps lightly against my skin with my movement, I think of how I’ll have to leave him behind when I’m the Spellbinder, when everyone who looks to me to keep the stories under control finally accepts what I am.

Chapter Twenty Two

Kane behaves, as does everyone else, for the rest of the night, and when he leaves Hannah even smiles at him briefly. But Abby is waiting for me at the side door after I walk Kane to his car, and I follow her without a word to my uncle’s office. “Your erratic actions are a problem, Mina. Surely you can see this.” Abby doesn’t look at me as my uncle speaks, his words measured and emotionless. I wonder if Abby told him what I said to her in my room earlier today, and what he thought about my breakdown on the steps. When I take a step back, ing the scene at the lake, he narrows his eyes at me. “What is it?” My hands clench into fists at my hips and I swallow, unsure if I should ask him about my mother. “How did Natalie die?” I want to know what happened to Leah as well, but according to Abby, she was ill, although surely there is more to it than that. Abby walks to the door and leaves the room, and my uncle watches her go, blinking a few times as his expression turns wistful. “An accident at the lake. I suppose your father didn’t tell you because it was so traumatic for him. For all of us.” He taps on his desk with his thumb, and I watch the movement for a few moments before deciding not to push him.

I can’t trust he’ll tell me the truth, and I plan to go visit my father wherever he’s being held, whether he wants me to or not. I’ll ask him then, when he can’t avoid me. He can’t claim to have work to do, or a business trip to pack for. But I know what happened. I need to know why. And who. Who shot her. “I need you to pull yourself together before Helena and Julian return, and of course, before Gavin is well enough to re the school in a few weeks.” He watches me, his thumb going still, and I stare at him. “What happened to your interest in Gavin, Mina? Weren’t you asking to visit him?” I shrug. “Right now, I’m worried about Nicholas. There’s no reason for him to be here when it upsets everyone. How do you think Julian is going to react? Don’t you think Helena deserves to come back without having to see the boy who hurt her?” His sigh is annoyingly patronizing, and I tuck my hands behind my back, twisting them together as I wait for another lame excuse from him. “Nicholas comes from a powerful family that would like nothing better than to edge the Reeds out of spellbinding, for good. They are ruthless and have a daunting magic that has increased in power and complexity over the decades.” When he slaps the palm of his hand on the desk and stands up, I jump back, his reaction unexpected. “You can’t possibly understand what I have to handle here, Mina. The politics

between the magical families is a delicate balance, and if you keep accosting Nicholas, you will be endangering everyone. Everyone at Larkspur, and everyone involved with spellbinding.” The door opens behind me, and I look back to see Abby inside the room, her eyes cast down. I do understand, at least in concept, but I don’t see how any of us are supposed to focus on school with that kid around. “Please go for now, Mina. At this point, I’d like to get us all through the end of the semester, and ideally, the summer trip to Moon Lake will clear our heads and give us a fresh perspective.” My perspective is fine, I tell myself as I reach up and press my finger against the edge of a silver moon, the tiny poke at the edge of my fingertip like a small shock makes me feel awake and alive. “What are you doing?” Abby looks up when my uncle speaks, his eyes narrowing at me as I back away. But he’s cleared the short distance between us and is reaching for my hand, shifting his focus to my shirt sleeve at the last moment. He jerks me forward by the fabric and looks into my hair as I pull away from him, whining. “What are you doing? Let me go!” “Please, Carter.” Abby’s voice s mine in pleading, and I realize she’s used his first name instead of calling him Dr. Reed. Why does she care if he sees my mother’s earrings? “Fine. But stay out of trouble, Mina. Focus on your schoolwork, and Abby and Georgia, as well as Sunny when the occasion calls for it, will explain further aspects of spellbinding to you when necessary. I think the pressure to perform

the duties of a spellbinder so quickly after your arrival here has made you rather sure of yourself.” If anyone is sure of themselves, it’s Nicholas. And Gavin. But I don’t have to deal with Gavin yet, so I can focus my energy on Nicholas and driving him out of the building. For good. I don’t have to do this right away, because there’s no sign of him anywhere the next day. Helena and Julian’s return is full of tears and excitement, although both of them need time to rest in the midst of the hugs and questions about Helena’s injuries. Julian takes me aside and, in a move that makes me wonder if some of the other kids have told him what I've done to Nicholas, asks where he is. We stand in the hall outside of Helena’s room, where girls gather to wait their turn to talk to his bubbly sister. Abby reminds them all to keep their voices down and their time with Helena short, but Helena’s laugh trickles through the door, and Abby smiles as she shakes her head. But she ignores me completely, although I’m sure she’s listening in on my conversation with Julian. “No idea. No one has him for a roommate, and we haven’t seen him since last night.” He nods, his lips curling into a smirk. “You’re the best, Mina. I got all the details and man, do I wish I had been there to see it.” “You should have seen Taylor punch him. She put him in his place before I did.”

Julian looks around, as if he’s worried someone might be listening. Someone besides Abby. “Taylor’s under a lot of stress, and I don’t want to make her life any more difficult. But it sounds like her, for sure. She’s really protective of Helena, as if she’s her own sister.” If Taylor and Julian are a serious couple, it makes sense for Taylor to feel this way. And if I’m not wrong, they are as serious as it gets. I nod, unsure what to say to this revelation. Taylor hasn’t been around, so maybe she’s waiting for all the excitement to die down so she can see Helena in a calmer setting. “Anyone going shopping, it’s time to head out.” Abby weaves through the clusters of students, and some of them head to their rooms while others continue to wait to see Helena. I’m not allowed to go, and I’ve decided not to argue about it. Samantha has a list of everything I need, which isn’t much, and my uncle has given her cash to cover it. I would be grateful if I wasn’t furious with him. If it wasn’t his fault I was trapped here with no money. “Helena wants to tell you something, but only when the two of you can be alone.” I frown at Julian, but before I can ask him what she wants to talk about, he shrugs. “She wouldn’t tell me, but it seems important. Go easy on her, since she’s not supposed to get upset over anything. She still needs to rest.”

He taps my shoulder as he walks by and we exchange nods. I pace the hall for a short while until girls and boys both fade away, some to go shopping, and others, presumably, back to their homework. When I knock on Helena’s door, it tips open a bit and I see her sitting up in bed, her small body covered with a thin blanket although she’s dressed. She looks drained after all that socializing, and I don’t want to keep her from the nap she looks ready to drift into. “Mina.” Her voice is barely audible, and I step closer so she won’t have to speak up. “Julian said you wanted to talk to me, but I’ll be around, so if you want to wait until later . . .” She interrupts me, reaching out for my hand and pulling me onto the bed beside her, where I sit and let her twist my hand around in hers as she struggles to find words. “I have these dreams sometimes . . . it’s as if they’re telling me something. Warnings, I guess.” I fight the urge to ask her to continue when she pauses, and she sighs heavily. “The day before you came, I had a dream where everything was black, but I heard a car’s engine. The night before I was hit, I dreamed it, and was nervous Friday morning, which I thought was silly. We almost never have visitors here, and it’s the last place I would expect any of us to get hurt by a car.” Before I can respond, she goes on, staring at me as my mouth drops open. “That boy needs to stay away from my brother. He’s not worth whatever trouble Julian would get into for beating him up. Besides, I heard you already took care of that.” Helena’s smile is a shadow of the one I’m used to, but at least she’s smiling and not crying, and she’s not afraid to be here with Nicholas around.

I wonder where he’s hiding, and why he thinks I won’t be able to hunt him down. Because I will. “Oh, those are really pretty, Mina. Where did you get them?” Helena lifts her hand and right before she moves to touch my earrings, I bat it away as gently as I can. “Sorry, they’re my mother’s.” She doesn’t seem offended, only confused. “I see. Well, thanks for everything. I think I’m going to sleep for a bit, but if you want to come back later, that would be great.” Her smile is hopeful and tired, so I nod to reassure her. When I stand up and head back to the door, she calls out. “Do you want to know how Gavin is? I saw him last night, and he was awake and talking.” I stop as I rest my hand on the doorknob. “He asked about you.” My eyes slide closed, and I fight against some part of me that cares about what happens to Gavin, at least until I press the pad of my index finger against one of the silver moons attached to my earring. And I leave the room without looking back. The next few weeks without incident as I keep a sharp eye out for Nicholas, who has disappeared. I ask Abby and my uncle about him, but they both insist that he’s around. Somewhere.

Trying not to get his butt kicked again, I imagine, and Sunny, who is living up to her name these days, tries to argue his case to me. I let her speak and refuse to engage in any debate about him, as it would be a waste of both of our time. And as I focus on school and exams, nothing else happens. My father is arraigned, but nothing is decided. I don’t exactly understand the legal aspects of his situation, but he’s still being held, somewhere Grace won’t tell me, and he doesn’t want me to visit. It frustrates me to think about it, so I don’t.

Chapter Twenty Three

Sunny’s sun pin sparkles in the daylight streaming through the window as we stand facing each other, both of us with our hands on our hips, arguing as we rarely have these past few weeks since that first night I slept in her room. “There might be more information there, Sunny. Answers I need that you can’t give me.” She stops me as I head to the hall beneath the North Wing dorms, where the pocket doors are locked and the air that seeps from beneath them is icy cold. Julian says that’s because it’s haunted, and Helena says it’s because it’s too expensive to heat the unused parts of the school. Either way, I’m going in there, and after I dig around this part of the building, I’m going to hunt down my uncle’s private quarters, which have remained hidden no matter how many places I’ve looked. I didn’t want to ask him where they were and make him suspicious, so I’ve been sneaking around to parts of the school that aren’t used regularly, or at least not by students. Sunny isn’t entirely on board with this, but now, with finals out of the way, she can't hassle me too much about my sleuthing. While we were studying together, she never failed to remind me of the expectations we both faced. “You can’t slack off because you’re a Reed. Academic life here will be impossible for you if you don’t keep up, and you’ve been doing so well since . . . Gavin left.” The Sunny I met when I first arrived at Larkspur would have used those words with a dose of venomous sarcasm, but her tone was speculative, as if she was unsure about the change.

I smile at her, wishing she would stop following me around. We've spent the morning getting ready for the graduation ceremony this afternoon, and I need a break from all the fuss to do some investigating. “Listen, Sunny. When I came here last month, you were awful to me, and now, somehow, we’re good. I worked hard so I wouldn't flunk out and cause my dad more problems.” At the mention of my dad, Sunny looks down, as if she doesn’t know what to say. I’m hoping Grace will have good news for me before I have to go to Moon Lake with the rest of the school, but no one else wants to talk about it. No one agrees there’s a chance my dad wasn’t at fault. That he won’t go to prison. “Gavin will be back soon, and just in time to not help you get into trouble for snooping around. I don’t know where my dad sleeps, and I don’t care. There are too many secrets surrounding spellbinding and Larkspur, and I’ve had enough of them.” Her interest in magic has waned, strangely, over the past few weeks, while mine has been reinforced. Or rather, my confidence in my ability to handle the role of Spellbinder has grown. Someone coughs near the top of the stairs, behind a rope that is meant to keep students from coming down here. “Aren’t you worried about the book? It’s been so long . . .” Georgia stares at us, her fingers curling over the railing tightly in spite of the calm in her voice. She’s been hassling me about Gatsby, but I don’t feel the same sense of immediacy with it as I did with The Hobbit and Fahrenheit 451.

And nothing has happened. No accidents, no injuries. Nothing that could be tied to the events and characters in Fitzgerald’s story. As much as I don’t want to consider it, maybe Nicholas found a way to bind it. His name might be written inside the cover now, and he may be far from Larkspur, laughing at the Reeds for failing. Failing to keep the library secure from our adversaries. Failing to keep a blank book from falling into the wrong hands. Failing to maintain the role of Spellbinder in the family. I lift my chin, holding back a snappy response to Georgia’s question, repeated so many times since Nicholas disappeared. “Why don’t you finish getting ready for the ceremony and leave that to me, okay?” Soon we’ll be on our way to the lake, where I can dig around for more information about my mother’s death. Georgia backs away from the railing, but her face is pale, her gaze distant. I appreciate her devotion to me, but sometimes it’s too much. “You’re hard on her, Mina. She’s just a kid, but she’s really powerful, and you don’t want to lose her.” I don’t know how I could lose her, when her family is bound to the Reeds in some way my uncle hasn’t explained clearly, so I’m not worried about that. Sunny shakes her head as she speaks, and I sigh. “I'll see you at the ceremony in a little while, okay?” We had no classes together, but spent plenty of time in her room alone, quietly

going over our separate homework and final exam guides, our shared presence honing our dedication to our schoolwork, and after completing the semester successfully, we are expected to celebrate the achievements of our seniors as we enjoy a break from those studies. If someone would have told me during those first few days here at Larkspur I’d be hanging out with my cousin, who would turn out to be my twin sister, I would have laughed with disbelief. But now, this is my life. I flip the tail of my braid back and free the celestial earrings I’ve worn continuously since the day Grace brought my mother’s jewelry box to me. The cool weight of them against my cheek makes me smile. It’s as if my mother had infused them with courage, which might not be impossible considering the magic in the Reed family. But I would never say it out loud, both because it’s my own secret, whether it is true or not, and the thought of it makes me feel stronger on my own feet and in my own skin. My sister stares at me for a long moment, and I keep my expression as bland as I can manage as I think of my mother, our mother, preparing something magical for her children. Something she somehow knows her daughters might need in the future. When Sunny heads back upstairs, ducking under the rope that does little to keep curious students away from this forbidden space, I let myself smile as I get to work on the pocket doors' lock. It won’t budge, the doors pressed together so tightly there’s no room for me to wiggle them around. But the bottom of them don’t quite meet the floor, and there’s a dim light that flickers from the space as the frigid air escapes. I kneel down and peek under them as a pair of shoes clacks on the hard wood,

and someone approaches from the other side. As I back away awkwardly, my knees banging on the floor in my quick attempt to put some distance between me and whoever is there, one of the doors starts to wobble, and I look around to see if there is anywhere for me to hide. But why should I hide? I haven’t done anything wrong, and I didn’t try to bust the lock. Not yet. There’s a long, heavy curtain hanging from the wall right behind me, but it's such an obvious hiding spot I can’t imagine this person not looking at it and knowing immediately someone was there. Unless they didn’t realize someone was on this side, looking under the door. I stand up slowly and back into the thick folds of fabric, making sure my shoes don’t tap on the floor. After I slip into the curtain, rolling sideways and hoping I don’t make a suspicious bulge from the outside, I hear the slide of the door along the metal rail and hold my breath. The window I face peers out into the back yard, the woods staring back at me as I running through it under the dark sky, the moonless night barely offering enough light for Gavin and me, as well as Sunny and me, to make our way through. The stars guided us, and now I fight the urge to reach up and touch the crescent moons at my ears. I have to keep still, and it occurs to me any of the students upstairs in the dorm area could walk out and stand at the top of the stairs, only to discover the pocket doors open. And whoever has come out, visible to their eyes. The person must not care if they’re caught, and maybe their identity isn’t a big

deal. Maybe it’s a cleaning person, someone who has permission to be in that area to do their job, though no one is using those rooms now. When was the last time someone did use it? Was it before the student died here at Larkspur, when rumors the North Wing was haunted began? If I step out from behind this curtain, will I find a ghost, or a live person, and if it’s Nicholas, hiding in the cold depths of the school like a coward, lurking behind my uncle’s protection, will I be able to control my impulse to punish him further for how he hurt Helena? I let out my held breath slowly, silently counting the seconds in my head as I wait for the person to move, to discern if they’re coming towards me or across the floor down the hall. The other end of the hall is a row of locked rooms, unused for as long as the wing has been closed off, and a door that leads outside. The door isn’t locked, not now when there are students living upstairs and it could be used as an emergency exit. I think of the flock of students rushing to the cafeteria doors to the backyard during the fire, the way Gavin kept himself on the other side of the door to the hall to prevent anyone from staying inside. From keeping themselves in danger. No, I shake my head, and I need to keep still. Every good thought I’ve had about Gavin over the past few weeks, every time anyone has mentioned him and I’ve felt a pang of concern in my chest, I’ve pushed away. I don’t want to forget he declared himself my rival and he stole my books. That he wants to take my role from me.

A small tap on the floor tells me whoever is on the other side of the fabric is moving closer, and I know it must have been my movement that attracted their attention. I tuck my fists against my chest, trying to make myself smaller in what must be a futile effort to conceal myself after I’ve given my hiding spot away. I’m not sure I believe in ghosts, but I didn’t believe in magic until I came to Larkspur, so my thoughts, as limited as they are on supernatural creatures, are jumbled. If it is Nicholas, I suppose I’m afraid of what will happen if I hurt him again. But I shouldn’t be, because there is no way my uncle would expel me. No way he would let me out of his sight and control. I shove the curtain aside, my fist pressing against it in an undeniable affirmation I have nothing to fear, and there is no going back. Not even when I see my mother’s face staring back at me, her eyes shining in the dim light of the hall.

Chapter Twenty Four

I can’t move, because I can’t believe what I’m seeing. It must be a hallucination, a manifestation of my heart’s desire, my lifelong wish to see my mother, who I can’t at all. Because this is impossible. Not only is she legally dead, but I saw it happen in the vision. I watched the shot burst through her and splatter blood all over her sister. There was no way she could have survived. “Mina?” Her voice is as kind and gentle as I’ve imagined it, and I reach out to touch her, to be sure she isn’t real. And she meets my hand with her own, our palms together, fingers laced. Her skin is warm and soft, so she can’t be a ghost. “Are you really my mother?” The question comes out in a whisper, my mind faltering as I try to figure out what is happening. Can I trust whoever this is to tell me the truth? “You’re wearing her earrings. As much as she would love that, you should be careful of what you find in her jewelry box, Mina.” Her? If this is truly my mother, she wouldn’t refer to herself in the third person.

“Why are you here? It’s my understanding that students are forbidden from this part of the school building, not only because I’m here.” I shake my head slowly, unable to process what I’m seeing and hearing. “Mina? You aren’t Sunny, are you? I think I would know my own child, after watching her grow up here, so close to me yet out of my reach.” Leah. “Yes.” It’s all I can manage to say as I realize she's my aunt and not my mother, and she lets go of my hand to touch her fingers to my cheek. “You are identical. It’s absolutely incredible, then again, Natalie and I were barely distinguishable from each other physically, too." “How . . .” My question trails off, as other questions gather behind it in my thoughts. How is she alive, when everyone thought she died of an illness years ago? Abby . . . Does Abby, who adored Leah, know she’s living right here, only feet away from her, close enough to touch every single day since it was said she died when Abby was twelve? “Run along, Mina. Don’t speak a word of this to anyone, or everything will fall apart.” How can I not tell anyone Leah is here, alive at Larkspur? How can I not tell Sunny or Abby? Does Sunny know . . . but how could she if Abby doesn’t? How could Uncle Reed keep a secret like this from either of them?

My head feels cramped and stifled, as if someone is squeezing it on both sides, and my aunt rests her hand on the top of it. “Never mind what you’ve seen today. If it helps, consider me a ghost, a remnant of the past, for that is who, it is what, I am.” She leans closer to me, and our noses nearly meet. “And don’t, under any circumstances, tell Carter we’ve met.” Her voice grows lower than it was at first, and her eyes are wide, her smile sweet and sad. She backs away, and I’m frozen in place, wanting to chase after her but unable to move. She steps over the threshold of the pocket doors and turns back, speaking over her shoulder barely loud enough for me to hear her. “We’ll see each other again. I promise.” The tiny moons on my earrings swing just enough for me to notice in the windless, airless space, the frigid air gone. It’s as if my mother is speaking to me, reacting to Leah’s presence. “Mina?” Hannah calls out to me from above, her tone loud even as I can tell she’s trying to avoid attention. I step slowly towards the stairs and take them one by one as she waits quietly for me to slip under the useless barrier that crosses from one railing edge to the other, and I trip over a carpet runner, not bothering to stop my fall as Hannah rushes forward. “What’s wrong?” I grab at her and she hugs me, patting my back. We’ve become closer over the past few weeks, but there’s something keeping me

from accepting her as the friend she truly is. What is it? Why do I feel distant, as if I should be careful around her? Around everyone . . . except Sunny? “You’ve been knocking yourself out to get through the semester and finals, so it’s no wonder you’re exhausted. Listen, we need to head over to the graduation ceremony, and if we’re late, it will be detentions served once we get to Moon Lake.” Her laugh is stilted as she pushes me away, enough so we can look into each other’s eyes. I think of the movie night, the night I wanted to find a way to bring Hannah and Kane together, to see if they could find a way to make something more out of the flirtation they shared. So what happened, aside from my outburst with Nicholas? Surely I could have turned my attention to them for a while, to put forth some effort towards their happiness as I struggled with my anger. “Mina!” Sunny runs up and pulls me away from Hannah, who is indignant. “Hey!” Suddenly I’m in-between them both, in a tug of war as Hannah holds one arm and Sunny the other. “You don’t understand, Hannah. This is important.” “Yeah, well, she’s overtired and overworked. She needs less stress, which means less of you.” My sister has been unnaturally sweet the past few weeks, and while I’ve attributed it to a change of heart, which is unbelievable considering her history

of treating everyone as if they’re beneath her in every possible way, it has felt sincere. Most students have been wary of her, even as they've accepted her polite and helpful gestures with a measure of insecurity and gratefulness. “Come on, seriously. We'll get our dresses dirty if we fight like this, and we only have one each, so no one would be able to lend one to us.” Hannah’s words are more like grunts, and I wonder if she’s mentioned this before, as it sounds vaguely familiar. “Mina doesn’t have time for this now. You and Sadie and the rest of the suck-ups can cover for her until we get there, I’m sure. Come on, Mina!” Her grasp is hard and firm, my skin twisting in her fingers. I’m not sure how to answer either of them, or what I want to do with both options in front of me. But I’m also afraid to open my mouth, because if I do, I might tell my sister what, or rather who, I saw downstairs. Who emerged from the frozen hall. Frozen in temperature, frozen in time. The woman she believed was her mother for years. I stare at her hard, wondering if she might already know Leah is on the floor below us, unsure if this is the time or place to ask her. She reaches out and grabs my face, forcing Hannah to let go of me. “What the heck, Sunny?” Hannah cries out as Sunny uses her free hand to shove my hair from my face, pushing it back so she can grab the top of my ear so my earring is exposed. I’ve done a fairly decent job of keeping the moons hidden, both because we aren’t supposed to have dangling earrings as part of the dress code, and because .

. . Why? Do I not want to explain them to anyone who asks? That’s not it. What did Leah tell me about them? Be careful what you find in her jewelry box. The memory makes me think of the pin Sunny has been wearing since I let her have the box, and I glance at the neckline of her dress. The pin isn't there. “Be still, Mina!” My sister’s voice rises into hysteria, and I stop moving my head, compelled by the fear in her tone. What is she afraid of? “What’s going on?” Sadie and Samantha run up behind Hannah as Hannah stares at me, her gaze from behind Sunny stunned, her mouth open as if she’s unsure how to react to my sister’s behavior. “Is she hurting you?” Samantha reaches out and I lift my arm slowly so I don’t upset Sunny, and Samantha drops her hand. A pressure releases from my head, and I realizeSunny is taking the back of my earring off. Within moments, the post holding the silver dangle slides out. I close my eyes, suddenly dizzy, although my head feels lighter, like an

enormous weight has been lifted. That’s ridiculous, I tell myself, since the earring is tiny and can’t weigh enough to even measure. But when Sunny moves to my other ear and takes the matching piece out, I grab her arms and shake her hard. Because I realize what we’ve lost over the past few weeks. What my mother’s celestial items have prevented us from doing.

Chapter Twenty Five

“You’re an idiot!” Sunny shoves me hard and I fall back against the railing as Hannah, Sadie, and Samantha gasp. “Hey, Sunny, you’re going too far!” “This doesn’t align with your nice girl act, Sunny. I knew it was fake!” Sadie doesn’t speak but runs after me, standing beside me to be sure I don’t fall on the floor. “This doesn’t concern any of you, so leave us alone.” Sunny’s hiss is so cold and furious that Hannah and Samantha back off, and Sadie clings to my arm. “I’m sorry, but she’s right. We have to work this out between ourselves, although I appreciate the solidarity.” I take a deep breath and fight the urge to burst into tears as I consider the past few weeks, the haze I was living under, my thoughts a blur that always brought me back to my earrings. Letting the feelings and drives the silver moons fed into my mind and heart guide me. But they’re my mother’s . . . why would they do anything to steer me in the wrong direction? “I’ll catch you later at the graduation ceremony, and I’m sorry for anything weird or mean I may have said or done since movie night.” Actually, it would have been the day before, but this isn’t the time for specificity.

Hannah and Samantha look at each other, and Sadie walks back over to them. “You have been acting pretty strange, but we only just met you, so we weren’t sure what was going on, if that was part of your personality.” “Which is fine,” Sadie chirps after Hannah, in the familiar tag-team way they have. “We like you just the way you are, Mina.” Sunny groans. “This is sweet, like one of those happily ever after teen friendship novels, but hello, there’s not going to be a happy ending for any of you if you don’t go away.” I stay in place, backed against the hard wooden stems of the railing where a tumble could take me down a floor, directly in front of the doors Leah stepped out of less than ten minutes ago. “We’ve wasted so much time, Mina.” My sister’s voice is low like a growl, her words quiet enough I don’t think anyone else can understand them. But I do. I drop my head into my hands and hold back a moan. How did this happen? “Are you sure you’re okay, Mina? Why don’t you come with us. We’ll tell you more about Moon Lake.” Samantha smiles at me when I lift my head, and as I think of the firm railing behind me, another smile comes to mind, one I haven’t seen in so long. Gavin. Everything I’ve thought about him since I put on these earrings has been full of disdain, focusing on everything negative about him and his actions. It’s as if I’ve forgotten how he helped me, even if it didn’t serve his goal to

become the Spellbinder. How I need him for answers. How I haven’t visited him. How it’s my fault he was seriously hurt. I look over my shoulder at the floor, the distance comparable to the fall he took at Georgia’s hands. “I’m good, but thanks. Sunny and I have some stuff to talk about, so I’ll catch up to you later.” My stomach gurgles and churns, and I'm hungry for the first time in weeks, the thought of the appetizers the cafeteria staff will serve after the graduation ceremony alluring. Hannah, Sadie, and Samantha exchange looks, before nodding in unison. “If you say so. We’ll be in the garden house or on its lawn when you’re ready, like everyone else. If you’re late, don’t bother to interrupt, because your uncle wouldn’t like the parents upset.” Hannah stares at Sunny, and Sunny pouts, shaking her hair out as if it’s caught on something. “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” It’s such an old school remark I nearly laugh, but there’s so much at stake, and so much I’ve failed to do that I can’t bring myself to smile. When Hannah rolls her eyes, not bothering to respond to my sister’s childish statement, she lifts a hand and waves to me before turning away, and Sadie and Samantha do the same. I wish I could go with them, to just be a kid and enjoy our time off between semesters. Why do I feel as if Moon Lake will be anything but relaxing?

“I guess you didn’t know about the jewelry, Mina.” Sunny keeps her back to me and folds her arms across her chest, so she doesn’t see me shake my head. “All I know, or all I thought, was the box was full of my mother’s favorite pieces. My dad kept them for me, in a wooden box he gave her as a gift. I’ve never looked inside before.” “These last few weeks have been a complete waste! Not only is my reputation ruined, but none of the spellbinding work has been done. No training, no . . .” Her voice trails off as she turns to look at me. “Gatsby?” I shake my head again as my lips pout, while tears pool in the corners of my eyes. “Nicholas.” She presses her lips together firmly, and I can see she’s holding back. Not just anger or disappointment. “What’s wrong with the jewelry, Sunny? Do you know?” She grabs my hand and drags me towards the stairs. “A kind of spell made us lose some aspect of our personalities, but I don’t completely understand it. Why would Natalie do that to her own stuff?” Maybe it wasn’t my mother, I want to say, but I’m too focused on not falling down the steps as Sunny yanks me under the rope and down the slippery wood planks. I glance quickly at the pocket doors, wondering if Leah can hear us. If she wants to come out and see Sunny. But Sunny might already know . . .

My sister squeezes my fingers in hers as she pulls me in the opposite direction, down the hall and out the side door. We come out into a small yard that ends in the vast woods that plagued me my first days here at Larkspur, and I look around to get my bearings. “Nicholas? What does he have to do with the last book you were supposed to bind? Did you ask him to help you? Did you forget the spell?” Her questions tumble out too fast for me to answer, and when I open my mouth to explain that Nicholas stole Gatsby from me, she continues without letting me speak. “You need to stay away from him, Mina. First off, he’s mine. Second, he’s powerful, and he has a bad temper, and you’ve done your best to antagonize him.” I fist my hands on my hips. “But why is it okay for him to get away with hurting Helena? Even you should be able to understand it’s not right to let him do whatever he wants, if it involves physical harm.” “You don’t understand . . .” “I do,” I interrupt her, and she mirrors my stance. “He’s powerful, his family rivals the Reeds, blah blah blah. Not good excuses, for him or for anyone. And where is he, anyway? None of us have seen him since movie night, but I know he’s here.” I point a finger at her chest and she stiffens, standing taller as she glares at me. He’s her fiancé, so she should know where he’s hiding, and why. “I don’t know. My father won’t tell me, and I haven’t seen him, but I’m sure there’s a good reason for that.” Yeah, I want to say. He doesn’t want to get his butt kicked again.

But I’m not going to argue with her about him, not when we have to figure out what to do about the empty book and everything else we may have missed doing because of the jewelry. “If you’re lying . . .” She could be, but I don’t think so, and her tame reaction reinforces my belief. “Think whatever you like, but I don’t know.” When she shrugs, I force myself to think through the fog of the last few weeks. “Have you been in the library recently?” Sunny frowns and scrunches up her nose. “My memory isn’t great, thanks to that stupid sun pin. Geez, I can’t believe I fell for that.” She pushes me forward, towards the front of the school. “Let’s go in through the front door while everyone is hanging out at the garden house. We can head to the library and see if Gatsby is there, or if any other books are out, on the desk or making themselves known in some way.” Part of me doesn’t want to see, because with weeks left unwatched, who knows what books might be waiting for us. Waiting for me. “Mina. Sunny.” My uncle stops us as we step up to the front porch, the evidence of Nicholas’ crime scrubbed clean from the concrete. “Dad,” Sunny nods to him, and I watch her struggle not to put her hands on her hips, as if she doesn’t want to put him on the defensive. “I bet you’re knee deep in Moon Lake plans, huh?” He looks at her, frowning, then turns to me.

“The two of you haven’t been yourselves lately, but I’m pleased you both did well on your exams and course grades for the semester.” Now Sunny rests her hand on her hip and shakes her head slowly. “As if I’ve ever done anything less.” Uncle Reed smiles at her and nods. “True. I can count on you to make the Reeds proud, Sunny. And Mina.” When he shifts his focus to me, Sunny deflates, and I feel bad her achievement doesn’t get more attention from him. Larkspur is difficult, and I can’t imagine I’ve made it through the semester without a lot of help. So why can’t I most of it? “Mina!” Georgia calls out from behind me, and I hold back a sigh. Is anyone else going to stop my sister and me from going to the library, where we could find potential disaster waiting to strike at any moment? I lift my hand to wave at her, but shake my head to discourage her approach. She tilts her own head and frowns, and I wonder if she can tell there’s something different about me. . “You need to the other students. The ceremony is about to start, and afterwards, you'll have time to socialize and relax a bit before we focus on our summer at Moon Lake.” I hold my breath, because I want to ask him about my vision. About my mother, and Leah.

About what happened when my mother was shot, and why Leah is hiding here, when everyone thinks she’s dead. “Moon Lake is a grubby pond with grimy cabins, and we do a lot of nature stuff, which is, by definition, dirty.” Sunny flips her loose curls from her shoulder and puckers her lips at me. “We have some work to do, Dad. I’m sure you’ll give us some time and space for that, right?” My uncle looks from her to me and back again, and while I’m sure he understands she’s talking about spellbinding, he doesn’t quite seem convinced. “Be careful, girls. Don’t poke around where you shouldn’t, because you have enough resting on your shoulders as it is.” His warning is about half an hour too late, and I’m determined to find out why Leah is behind those pocket doors in a frozen corridor. But not before I get my hands on Gatsby. And Nicholas.

Chapter Twenty Six

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When we open the library door, a rush of emotion washes over me, as if I've called down another flood that is bursting over my head and pouring down my skin. But there's no water, just the library as I recall it, empty and full of books that can, at any moment, threaten the residents of Larkspur. So why do I feel so welcome, so called to be here at this moment? I look around at the shelves and volumes, the room bright with sunlight as it glints off the shiny buttons on Sunny's white dress. White dresses for girls is tradition here for the graduation ceremony, not only for seniors but for all female students attending the ceremony, and while I don't think I've ever worn a white dress before, it makes me feel renewed, although part of this might be because I've been sleepwalking in an enchanted state for the past few weeks. And now, I've awakened. "Why didn't you tell me before I asked you today that you didn't have it? That you didn't bind it? Geez, Mina, it's like your head is full of rocks." I allow myself to smile as I listen to my sister's tirade, proof she's back to herself after time spent in the same hazy personality fog I've been slogging under. Another mystery to solve, another set of questions to answer. But who could tell us why our mother spelled the earrings and pin to affect us like that, when she's been gone for most of my life?

Leah. I scratch my neck as a trickle of sweat slides from my hairline, making me wonder why I've grown so warm, and a sudden movement from the space behind the solitary desk catches my attention. "Ladies. How charming to see you after so long." Nicholas. I check the desk but see nothing on it, only the awful boy hovering behind it, as if he's unsure if he should come closer, as he stares at me. He should know the furniture won't keep him safe, not from me, and not from anyone else here at Larkspur who hasn't forgiven him for his carelessness. "Nicholas!" Sunny smiles exuberantly, clearly not one of the multitude of students who would appreciate the chance to punch Nicholas, and he slides his gaze to her with little interest. "Sunny Rose. You look well." She stands a bit taller with his praise, as slight as it is, and he tilts his head, focusing on me again. Rose. It's my middle name, too. "And Mina." I close my eyes, holding back my fury because I need to get Gatsby from him, and I'm not above playing nice for it, as much as I want to cause him harm. "Where have you been keeping yourself? We all thought you'd be taking classes with us, and then, when you weren't in sight for so long, that maybe you'd left." He takes a careful step to the side of the desk, keeping his eyes on mine as if he's maintaining a measurement of my ire.

Of how dangerous I might be to him. "Did you miss me? Somehow, I think no one would have as much as you." "Hey," my sister begins, her voice whiny as Nicholas fixates on me, ignoring her once again. He continues as if she hasn't spoken, and while I want to look at her, to tell her to let him go on without further interruption, I can't pull my gaze from him. "Did you wonder if I was able to bind the text in question? Did you notice nothing else came to harm here at Larkspur while it was in my possession, which should have given you a clue?" One of the desk drawers is open enough for me to see it from where I'm standing, and I wonder if Gatsby is inside as I think on his question. He's right. If Larkspur has been safe since he's held onto the volume, that would indicate it was bound, sealed not only with the spell but with his name inside the cover. And what does this mean for me, as the Spellbinder? His laugh echoes through the room, and my chest heaves, the dress, exactly the same as my sister's, tight across my body so the restriction of the fabric makes my breathing grow heavy. I run to the desk, grateful my white shoes have the slightest of heels, unlike Sunny's, and shove my hand in the drawer as soon as I get behind it. But instead of a thin hardback book with gilded lettering on the cover, my fingers coil around something hard and cold. "Mina." Nicholas' voice reaches me from a distance, as if he's outside the library, down the hall instead of only a few feet away from me. "Mina?"

Sunny's tone is unsure, her question lilting on a frightened air. I raise my sights to Nicholas, my nemesis since he set foot on Larkspur property. My true rival, while over the past few weeks I've been hating on Gavin, who, to be honest, isn't someone I can trust completely either. But he would never hurt anyone. Not like the boy in front of me. I swallow hard against the shame that brings tears to my eyes, the awful memory of the thoughts I've carried in my mind about Gavin, when he's been recovering from deadly injuries caused by someone acting in my name. What in the world does Georgia think of my behavior over the past few weeks? What does Abby and my uncle . . . Everyone must wonder what in the heck is wrong with me. "You're scaring me, Mina." My sister pleads with me as I lift the gun in my hand enough for the weight of it to in my mind. The weight of responsibility, handling such brutal potential. I've never fired a gun, but I think of Helena on the ground, blood seeping into her delicate rose-gold hair and the scrapes on her pale skin. Of Nicholas offering to pay for her hospital bill, as if she was an object to be repaired. Sunny’s face is pale, but I spare her the briefest glance as I lift the gun higher, stretching my arm out to point it at Nicholas. He blinks a few times and frowns, and if he’s unsure of what he sees. “Where did that come from? Mina, put it down before you do something you regret.”

While my sister continues to talk, I lock eyes with Nicholas, who is doing his best to keep his expression neutral. But I see his eyelashes flicker, his hands pressing against his thighs as his lips quiver. “The Rubys are an important spellbinding family. You can’t do anything to deliberately harm him.” Sunny’s tone grows firm now, as if she’s trying different tones to see which one will reach me. She seems far away now, as if there’s a barrier keeping us apart. As if the only two people in the library right now are Nicholas and me. “Nicholas Ruby. Why haven’t I heard your last name before?” He shrugs in an attempt to be nonchalant, and I smile. “Sounds like a snobby character in a book. A snobby character who couldn’t care less about anyone but himself, who might not go out of his way to deliberately harm someone, but doesn’t have any problem doing whatever he wants, even if it hurts another person.” While he doesn’t nod, he doesn’t shake his head to deny this, either. I’m surprised at how steady my arm and hand are, at how well I’m managing to hold the gun in spite of my inexperience. But can I pull the trigger? “Think of your dad, Mina. What would he do if you ended up in jail?” When Sunny calls out again, I fight the urge to turn to look at her, to take my eyes of Nicholas Ruby for one instant. Her words strike a chord in me, though, and my dad would be devastated if I would have to spend my life behind bars. My dad.

I’ve spent zero time thinking about him over the past few weeks, as far as I can , and I need to find out what’s going on with him. I need to find out where he is and visit him. Surely there’s some news about the fire, and they must have let him go by now. They must have realized it was a mistake to arrest him. That his confession was wrong, a bizarre response to an emotional trauma. “I won’t plead for my life, Mina. But if you let me live, I promise I will be your partner, not your rival. If you stop fighting me, if you stop hating me and give us a chance to work together. You can’t begin to understand how powerful you are, the potential that’s inside you . . .” “Shut up!” My finger presses on the trigger enough for him to notice, enough to make him do as I say. His words remind me of Gavin, of how he itted he was my rival, without asking for my cooperation. Without asking to partner with me, only to work on binding the books. He’s lied to me and tried to steal from me, but his aim is to bind the volumes and keep the danger at bay. Not to lord over others, to display his abilities like a god to be worshipped. Like someone to be revered and feared. “Please, Mina.” Is Sunny pleading with me because she’s afraid I’ll end up in jail, as she says, because she’s afraid of what my father, our father will have to go through if that happens? Or is she crying for the boy she wants to marry, so the two of them can produce powerful heirs to oppose me?

I laugh as a ridiculous thought pops into my head. “Sunny Ruby. If you two get married, your name would be Sunny Ruby.” Nicholas’ gaze slides sideways, as if he’s trying to catch a glimpse of Sunny, and she smiles at me with difficulty, as if she would rather yell at me for laughing at her but knows she shouldn’t. Not in this situation. “I’m not sure I understand, Mina. What’s your point?” I roll my eyes and sigh dramatically. When the gun wobbles in my hand as my chest moves, Nicholas steps forward. “Stop, Nicholas. Stay right where you are. I need a moment to process the idea that Sunny will have a name that sounds like a Pokemon game once the two of you tie the knot.” He stands up straighter. “A Pokemon game?” Sunny sputters and starts to cough, as if she’s trying to cover her amusement so I won’t notice she finds the thought funny as well. “What are you talking about?” Nicholas appears confused, and I don’t feel like explaining Pokemon to him if he doesn’t already know what it is. After a few moments, during which I don’t answer him and my sister remains quiet for a change, his hands fist at his sides and he shakes his head. “So what now, Mina? Do we stand here staring at each other indefinitely, or are you going to shoot me?”

Chapter Twenty Seven

As if on cue, my shoes grow heavy, although my feet are lighter in these tiny heels than they are when my uniform shoes are soaked with water. If I could bang my head against the wall, the small portions of it exposed in spite of the nearly wall to wall bookshelves in here, I would, because I don’t need the distraction of a flood right now. But my emotional state must be more of a mess than I think, and while I may be outwardly calm, I’m not sure what to do. The satisfaction of shooting Nicholas, even if I make a point of hurting him in a way that isn’t deadly, if I don’t shoot to kill, must be more important than the effect it will have on my dad. I shouldn’t be worried about Sunny’s claim about the Ruby family, about spellbinder politics, but I can’t deny what I do at this moment will affect all of our futures. “Geez, Mina, I can’t believe you’re making gaming jokes while you’re pointing a gun at someone.” Sunny is starting to sound like her usual cranky self, and I realize I’ve missed her. I’m not sure who she was during the time I was in the midst of my own personality strangeness, but her over-polite consideration had to have put the whole school on edge, and I’ll have to take some time to ask around for the sake of amusement. There’s a tap at the door and my sister snaps her head around to look at it, but I know as long as there’s water in here, no one can come in. “Do you plan to drown us all, Mina, or to harm only me? I can be patient with you, but only for so long.”

Nicholas is surprisingly confident for someone looking at the wrong end of a gun, but his lips quiver a tiny bit, nearly too tiny for me to notice. But I do. These past few weeks were a waste of my time, a waste of whatever potential I have in me to make sure nothing else happens to the Larkspur students. To my father. To get to know my sister. My classmates. My affinities. I take a slow, deep breath and let it out, thinking of how Gavin encouraged me to calm down when we were in here together, when he told me he couldn’t swim. What would he think of me now? A splash pulls me from my distracting thoughts, and I find Sunny moving towards me, as if she can tell I’m not paying attention. Nicholas, at least, fears enough for his own life to stay still, and I kick my foot out towards my sister, spraying water in her direction. “Someone is out in the hall, in case you haven’t heard, and the graduation ceremony is going to start any time now.” I glance down at my dress, the white fabric stopping just above my knees, and know that once the water is gone, our shoes and Nicholas’ gray pants, the suit required for boys and men in attendance today, will be dry. But he’ll this moment; he'll that he isn’t in charge of my life and he can’t control me. That I will fight back. “Where’s Gatsby, Nicholas?”

He sneers, lifting his arms to the side. “Why don’t you come and get it, Mina?” Of course he wouldn’t leave it unattended, so it must be inside his suit jacket. And my mistake was ever leaving any of the books alone before I wrote my name inside the covers. A mistake I won’t make again. “Mina? Sunny?” The knock comes again, louder and more insistent. Abby. “No, Nicholas. You’re going to toss it onto the desk, and then I’ll lower the gun.” Sunny stares at him, but he continues to ignore her. Is this really who she wants to marry, someone who pays so little attention to her? Will it be worth whatever power she thinks she’ll gain through their children? “You’ve come so far, Mina. It’s most impressive, and while I it I’ve been concerned with what I’ve seen and heard over the past few weeks, I’m pleased to see you recover from whatever made you, different, shall we say?” So he doesn’t know about the jewelry. I fight the temptation to look at my sister, focusing entirely on this boy as I Gavin’s voice, the way he talked me out of flooding the room and kept us from drowning. When Nicholas reaches one hand inside his jacket pocket, I lift my hand so the gun is more level with his eyes, and his lips scrunch together in a pout. But he doesn’t speak as he slips a small book I recognize from his pocket.

“I would say you might guess I was able to bind it, to keep any harm from coming to Larkspur while you were in your bizarre condition. Your lack of interest in it during this time gave me space to try many times to seal the words inside, to no avail.” He focuses on the desk behind me. “May I?” When he raises his eyebrows and nods, holding the book out, I lean forward and snatch it from his hands instead of telling him to go ahead and throw it towards the desk. I don’t want to risk it falling into the water, which is receding. He stumbles backwards, surprised at my action. “But this, right now, is proof the story still has influence.” I shake my head, unsure what he means, but before I can come to any conclusion the door bursts open and Abby pushes Nicholas out of her way to face me. “What in the world . . .” When I pull the gun towards me so it’s against my chest, the barrel facing the desk so no one is in danger any longer, she moves closer, but carefully, as if she’s worried I might turn it towards someone again. “Where did you get that, Mina?” Someone shuffles their feet, and she looks around to see who else is here. “No one move.” Her voice is a low growl, but both Sunny and Nicholas listen as Abby stares at me. “Give that to me. We’ll talk about this later, because the graduation ceremony is about to start and while there is never a good time to walk into a room and find someone holding a gun, I have to say this is worse than it would be under regular

school conditions.” I frown as she continues. “We have a yard full of students and their family , and any irregularities will reflect on the school. Anything out of the ordinary will draw attention to Larkspur, and not the kind we want. Help me, Mina, and give me the gun.” Abby holds out her hand, her tone and gesture firm. Without a second thought, I place it into her palm, and it feels as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders as I sigh. Nicholas rushes from behind her, his hand around her small body so fast I can hardly shove the book behind my back, but Abby's reflexes are quicker. She elbows him in the ribs and he grunts. Sunny is quiet, and I wonder why she isn’t protesting against this treatment of her future husband, but her blank expression gives nothing away. “What did you mean, Nicholas? About Gatsby, about how this right now is proof you couldn’t return the words to the pages?” Abby grabs the back of Nicholas’ shirt collar and yanks his head up straight. “I know, so you don’t need any information from this one. We’ll talk later, Mina. Sunny.” She nods to us both, and tilts her head towards the door. “We need to go. Now.” The book is warm against my back through the thin material of my dress, and I glance back at the desk. “A pen.” My sister echoes my thoughts, and without asking, she reaches into Abby's pants pocket and pulls out a black pen.

Black to match her pants, as I notice she isn’t wearing anything special today for graduation. Just the usual white blouse and black pants. Is she ever not in work mode? Is she ever able to relax and be herself? Nicholas coughs, sputtering a few words I can barely understand. “Let . . . me . . . watch.” There’s not much to see, just me writing my name on the inside cover. But as I do, the sense of relief I expect doesn’t come. Instead, as I close the cover and offer the pen back to Abby, I hug the book to my chest and wonder which of these volumes is next, and how will I know except when another disaster strikes? “Your mother . . .” Abby slaps Nicholas hard across the face, interrupting whatever he was planning to say, and he hangs his head. But not before I see the small smile on his face and the glint in his eye. He’s my age, so there’s no way he could my mother. “The vision, when you grabbed me. Where did that come from, Nicholas? Did you see it yourself?” He keeps his focus to the wood floor, now empty of any lingering water, and remains quiet. “He has a photographic memory, from birth,” Sunny offers, her voice soft and unsure, and I wonder if Nicholas, as a baby, was at Moon Lake when my mother was shot. If he saw her die.

“We don’t want your uncle here, Mina, or there will be more trouble than you can imagine. If we don’t get to the garden house quickly, he will investigate.” Abby is nervous, and her lack of composure unnerves me as well. We head down the hall and I consider what to do with the book. I have nowhere on me to hide it, so I can’t keep it with me, but since it’s bound now, I should be able to leave it somewhere for a short while without incident. Should is the operative word here, so I’m uneasy with the idea. But what else can I do? “In here.” Abby points to the open office door after we clear the stairs, and I take a quick glance down the hall to the cafeteria. There have been workers here the past week, repairing the eating area as well as the floor above it. What did they think when they saw Gavin’s blood all over the dusty tiles? I follow Abby’s instruction and go into her office after finding the main one empty, and she points again to her desk. “I’ll lock up, as I always do, and you can get it after the ceremony.” I nod to her and do as she says, glad to have a few moments where I’m not having to make a decision. Where I’m not holding a weapon pointed at my enemy. Outside the door, I can see Sunny whispering to Nicholas in the hall, but he stares through the window at me, his lips pressed together in a smug pout. “It’s an act, Mina. Don’t encourage him by responding.” Incredulous, I turn to Abby to refute her words but she shakes her head, and I bite my lip to keep from saying anything.

I just have to get through the afternoon, and then I can rest Gatsby on the shelf in my room with the Tolkien and the Bradbury. Whatever comes next, I’ll be ready. I’m not ready for the realization that the gun was in the desk drawer in the library because of Gatsby, because of the fate of the title character, and if I had shot Nicholas, I would have been bound to the story forever. Just as a gun is tied to my life already; the gun that cost my mother her life. I need to find out whose gun it was, and why they killed her.

Chapter Twenty Eight

“We’re about to start the ceremony, so it’s timely of you to us.” Uncle Reed gives the four of us a cursory glance and a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes, so I know he’s annoyed. He thanks Abby and explains a concern he has about certain families sitting together, and asks if she can intervene if there are any negative repercussions. I hear his voice but my mind wanders, as Sunny nudges me towards some seats at the back of the arrangement, far from the graduating seniors and the families here to them. When we reach a small gathering of trees beside the last row of chairs, I glance around and find that Nicholas has disappeared. The less I see of him the better, as the short time we were in the library now was plenty even after not seeing him for weeks. What have I missed during that time? I wrestle with the fog in my mind, thinking of Kane and the last time I saw him. Movie night? What about my roommates? Studying for exams? Vague memories of study sessions, of joking around with them as they dared me to try their spicy and strange potato chips, come to me, but they’re unclear, as if a filter is keeping them from reaching me completely. Georgia? I know we went to Castle Heights, and Abby took us to the ice cream shop that

excited her so much. But what kind of ice cream did we eat? “Stop it, Mina. You look constipated.” Sunny hisses at me and bumps her hip against mine. I’m sure I look exactly as she says, since I’m thinking so hard, but I can’t help it. I want to ask her how she figured out how the jewelry was influencing us, but this isn’t the time or place. The important thing is she did figure it out, and we were able to get Gatsby sealed and bound for good. For now. I think of the main character, shot and floating in a pool at the end, accused of a murder he didn’t commit. A murder caused by a car driven carelessly by an incompetent driver. “Seriously? That kid again.” My sister turns her head, and as Abby begins to speak into a microphone on a large wooden stage near the garden house entrance that must be brought out for this occasion each year, I follow her gaze. Kane is between two hedges, where we usually come through from the main building area to arrive for meals. Two teachers are hassling him, and he gestures impatiently as he pleads with them. “If we interrupt this ceremony, my dad is going to be furious.” Sunny doesn’t look at me as she talks, but I can imagine what she means. “I’ll go talk to him.”

She glares at me but doesn’t stop me when I stand up slowly and step carefully through the freshly mown grass, the scent of it bringing a renewed clarity to my thoughts. My father. I need to find out from Kane what is going on with him, although I have a feeling I already know but I can’t . “He’s with me.” I smile blandly at the teachers who are trying to edge Kane out of the yard, and his eyes grow wide as he looks me over, so I hold my finger over my closed lips to stop him from commenting. He’s never seen me dressed like this before, this white, fitted dress and kitten heel shoes, my hair over my shoulders in big curls. And he never will again, because I’ve never been so uncomfortable in my life. “Stay quiet.” One of the teachers reprimands us, although we haven’t said a word, and I roll my eyes as they both turn away. Abby is saying names and detailing honors and awards for each student as they take their turns crossing the platform and accepting their high school diplomas from Uncle Reed, who shakes their hand formally, without a smile. I look over at the ceremony a few times as I lead Kane behind the trees where Sunny and I were sitting, and he glances at her with a frown. But she doesn’t look back at us. “Are you okay? You look . . . different today.” I know what he means, and it’s not just about my appearance. “It’s too complicated to explain, but I haven’t been myself since the day before movie night, so I need to ask you some questions.”

He nods and presses his lips together thoughtfully. “This isn’t a great time and place to do it, but I need answers.” When he scratches his head, I look behind him and find Hannah staring at us from her seat, a few rows up from where Sunny sits, her arms and legs crossed and her forward stare making it clear my sister is bored. Hannah tilts her head at us, and when Kane turns around to see what I’m looking at, he smiles carefully, as if he’s unsure how she’ll respond. She lifts her hand, and as her face flushes pink, she turns around quickly. “What was that about?” I whisper to Kane, but his smile only twitches a bit. “Nothing. How could it be, when I haven’t been here for so long? You never want me to come anymore.” I scrunch my face up as I consider this. Did I actually tell him to stay away? When? “I’m sorry, Kane. Like I said, it’s complicated. But I need to talk to you about my dad, and my mom, too. No, I need to talk to your mom about my mom.” That’s it, I think. Kane’s mom knows the circumstances of my mom’s death, doesn’t she? But she believes Natalie died of an illness. Or so she says. “Mina?” Kane’s loud whisper brings me back to our conversation, and I sigh heavily. “We need to go somewhere and talk, but I don’t think I can sneak away yet. Can

we go to your house?” He nods, smiling immediately. “Sure, of course.” I can’t help smiling back, but when I turn my head to check on graduation progress, I find my uncle staring at us, even though we are partially hidden behind some trees. Hannah could see us, but her angle wasn’t the same as his, so I wonder if I’m imagining his glare. A few teachers gather near the back of the yard, not far from us, but Kane steps in front of me so I can’t see what’s going on, and everyone who is sitting down begins to clap. Now the event is over I can talk to Abby and get her permission to leave Larkspur for an hour or two. No one needs me here right now, and I’ve bound another book, as Uncle Reed wishes. Proving, for the third time, I can fulfill his desire for me to be the Spellbinder. While I’m sure Abby has told him about it already, maybe it would be best for me to mention it if he approaches me, which might not be an issue with all these parents around wanting to talk to him. Sure enough, they huddle together, taking turns shaking his hand as their children did on the wooden stage, and I allow myself to relax a little. A bunch of girls rush to the teachers behind Kane, and while I’m curious as to what they’re doing, I decide to take a chance and ask Kane the most important question there is. “How is my dad? I think you’ve kept me updated, but I can’t .” His mouth immediately opens as his forehead creases, and I wave my hands in front of me, shaking my head.

“No, it’s not like I wanted to forget. I’ll tell you all about it later, when we’re away from here. But please, tell me about my dad.” I notice Sunny rise from her chair and stare at the girls, who have started to squeal, but Kane’s next words end my curiosity. “How could you forget, Mina? Seriously?” His gaze shifts from my face as he steps away, and as I watch him walk around me, I see Nicholas, his obnoxious smirk present as always, hovering a few feet away. “Stop, Kane. Come on, stop!” I grab his shirt sleeve and yank him back, when I would rather follow him and tell Nicholas he has a short memory. Where was that smirk when I was pointing a gun at him earlier? “But he’s the guy you hit in the movie theater, isn’t he? Why is he still hanging around?” I shake my head hard and pull him back to where we were standing before, but I can sense Nicholas moving closer to us, although doesn’t say anything. “My dad?” I keep my voice low to keep Nicholas from hearing, as I watch Sunny frown at us, then at Nicholas. Obviously I can’t see Nicholas’ response, but Kane gasps and Sunny closes her eyes. “Jail. Not just jail, Mina. State prison.” What? “There is no way you told me this. No way I wouldn’t it.” He takes my arms and shakes me hard.

“Exactly. He was in county jail until three days ago. You could have visited him, even though he said he didn’t want to see you. Now, you have to go through this complicated application process, and it’s far away.” How could setting your own house on fire get you sent to state prison? This makes no sense, and I want to scream in frustration. Instead, I swallow hard and cover my mouth so I don’t make a sound as the tears come, and I don’t try to fight them. Through my blurred vision, I watch Nicholas step closer, his smirk gone and concern in his eyes. Sunny is shaking her head as Kane pulls me into his arms, and I hear a voice I haven’t heard in so long. “Ruby.” Gavin is out of sight, somewhere behind Kane, and he says Nicholas’ last name like he can’t stand to feel the word form on his lips. Nicholas’ mouth falls open before curving into a grin. “Elara.” He sounds so polite, the edge in his own tone barely noticeable. But Sunny catches it as I do, and she moves closer to me, as if to protect me from something. “Mina?” Gavin’s mood shifts to concern, and I wonder if he’s just discovered I’m standing here, because he sounds surprised. “What did you do to her, Ruby?” Nicholas is standing so close to me now I can imagine what Gavin is thinking, but of course Nicholas has nothing to do with my emotional distress right now.

This is my own fault, for not recognizing something wasn’t right with me. For not figuring out how or why my thoughts and personality shifted so quickly and so terribly. As if I’m no longer in his sight, Gavin steps around me, and he’s only inches away when he seizes Nicholas by the front of his white shirt. Nicholas laughs as they tumble to the grass, the two of them at each other’s throats as teachers rush forward to separate them .

Chapter Twenty Nine

“Stop!” Uncle Reed sticks his foot between Nicholas and Gavin, and they slap at each other around his shoe for a moment before realizing who's appendage separates them. A few kids snicker and a man outright laughs before someone speaks up. “It’s the most exciting graduation I’ve ever attended.” There’s genuine as well as awkward laughter, and I have a hard time catching a breath as I struggle to catch up to what is happening. Gavin and Nicholas stand up, moving away from each other as soon as they’re on their feet. “Both of you in my office after our guests have left.” My uncle directs them both firmly, his voice low so only those of us close to him can hear, and after they nod in agreement, he lurches away, ignoring me completely. But Abby is standing in the aisle between the chairs, her focus on him as he offers his hand to a parent, and purses her lips as she looks back at me. I shake my head faintly, holding my cheeks in my hands as I suck in breath after breath, but the tears won’t stop. “You can see?” When Gavin rests his hand on my shoulder and I look to find his face so close to mine, it’s the first thing that comes to mind. He left Larkspur without his sight, and when I saw him in the hospital, he was still blind.

Did someone tell us he could see again, and it slipped my memory, like so many important details I’ve lost because of those celestial earrings? When he nods, I mirror the movement, and he and Kane share a glance. I worry the two of them will start arguing, but instead, Kane takes my hand and moves aside, allowing Gavin closer. As I sniffle, making disgusting sounds and smearing tears all over my face, he puts his arms around me and I cry harder, pressing my face into his chest. He’s my self-proclaimed rival, determined to take the role of Spellbinder from me for his family. Like Nicholas. So why is it so easy for me to trust him like this? “I’ll fight you for her, Elara.” Nicholas interrupts us, and the tension in Gavin’s body makes his muscles grow rigid as he holds me close. Gavin Elara. How had I never heard his last name until today? And what is Nicholas talking about? I pull myself from my thoughts on Gavin’s name, wondering what Nicholas is doing now. “I’m not a thing to win, Nicholas.” When I push away from Gavin, I immediately wish I hadn’t, and long for the comfort he offered me. But this isn’t the time or place, and I have to make Nicholas understand he has no chance of being the Spellbinder, not with Gavin and me here already duking it out.

Although it might not look like it at the moment. “On the contrary, Mina. You are quite a prize, and I’m certain now your uncle realizes your full potential, he will amend the contract between our families so it will be you I marry instead of Sunny.” “Hey,” Sunny begins, and Nicholas holds up a hand while keeping his back to her. “It’s not personal, Sunny. I’m sure you understand, as we have always been aligned with our priorities.” He’s right. Sunny is all about power and control, and so is he. She’s told me more than once she planned to have the children she had with Nicholas overpower me one day, and I don’t doubt she would go through with that threat. Even though we’re sisters. “I’ll fight you any day, any time, Ruby. Bring it.” I hold Gavin’s arm tight so he can’t get away as he lunges at Nicholas. “What are you talking about? You’re already in trouble, and you just got back.” Gavin frowns at me, and I wonder if I’ve said something wrong. He hasn’t been here at Larkspur, and I didn’t know or can’t it, has he? “You’re right, but I’m not done with him. Not by a long shot.” Nicholas slides his hands into his pockets, his cool demeanor the exact opposite of Gavin’s. Or at least it appears so. The spectators surrounding us drift away, and Sunny begins a tirade against Nicholas as Kane, Gavin, and I back off, leaving him in her clutches.

“You look awful, Mina. I’m really sorry.” I clear my throat, disgusted with myself for my emotional display. “I’m going to go to the restroom, so don’t get into any fights while I’m gone, okay?” I glance from Kane to Gavin and back again, but when I head into the garden house, I hear footsteps behind me. Gavin and I stand a few feet apart in the empty room, the coolness of the space a welcome relief after the warmth of the late spring afternoon. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Mina.” My hands fist at my sides as I blink, taking in his words. “What are you talking about? You’ve been in the hospital, and I’ve been dealing with the latest book situation . . .” He doesn’t let me finish as he clears the distance between us. “How long did that take? I’ll tell you how long, too long.” He’s so close to me I feel the sweetness of his breath on my face, the cool mint of it as if he’s just brushed his teeth. I’m not sure how to refute his claim, which is undeniably true, but his tone and reprimand put me on edge and I don’t want to let him think he’s right. Although he is. “I fell for something I can’t quite explain, and it set me back.” I put my hands, still tightly scrunched together, on my hips and lift my chin. My face feels dry and itchy, and I want to wash the tears away before I head back out and talk to Kane about my father. His mother must know how to get in touch with the prison and how I can arrange to visit him.

He can’t turn me away, can he? The idea makes my thoughts jolt to a stop, and I gasp at the prospect of not seeing my father for months or even years. Of being on my own, for real. “Mina? I didn’t mean to upset you, but I don’t want you to think this is a game. You need to take this seriously.” I slap at the hand Gavin offers me, but he grabs my elbow anyway and stares into my eyes. “You think I don’t consider my house burning to the ground serious? How about this kid who arrives right after you get hurt and mows Helena down so she ends up in the hospital, too? My dad is in state prison, I have almost no coherent memories of the past few weeks, and you’re accusing me of slacking on the spellbinding front.” “Stop it.” He shakes me just enough to make me quit speaking, and I realize I’ve been babbling. But he needed to hear it, to understand how ridiculous it is that he would suggest I don’t take any part of what’s happening seriously. “We need to sit down somewhere private and talk about all of this rationally. What do you mean about your memories?” I laugh, because I have no idea where to start, and I wish Sunny was nearby so I could ask her to explain. To both of us. “You two.” My sister, as if brought forth by my thoughts, shakes her head as she strolls by, like she’s hanging out and happened to find us together.

As if she didn’t come into the building on purpose to see what was going on. “Hey, I need you.” I catch her hand to pull her beside me, and she glowers at Gavin. “Mina, this is what we call an enemy. Elaras have been our affinities for decades, and now this one declares himself a rival, acting on his family’s behalf.” Gavin shifts a little, as if he doesn’t know what to say, and Sunny continues. “He’s smooth alright, but don’t let that fool you.” She drops my hand before I can ask her to explain Natalie’s jewelry and the effect it had on us, and disappears up the small steps that lead further into the building. I want to follow her and splash my face with water in the little room where she revealed her own rivalry with me, her own wish that I would leave Larkspur. “She told me you kissed her at Moon Lake.” I’m watching her as I speak, only realizing what I’ve said when I turn around and find Gavin with his mouth open in shock. “She what?” I laugh softly at his reaction, and he smiles, visibly relaxing. “Wow, we were kids. I can’t imagine she would have ed that, not when she has the great Nicholas Ruby around.” He makes a disgusted face, as if he’s tasted something terrible. It makes me think of the time in the cafeteria when he ate the lemon from his iced tea, as if it wasn’t sour at all. “Why do you bring it up?” I’m not sure how to answer him, because I spoke without considering my question.

Sunny said Gavin had grown into his good looks when he returned to Moon Lake at 13, so I assume that’s why she kissed him. But why did he kiss her? I shrug. “Not sure. She mentioned it, and yeah, she’s into Nicholas, which is creepy.” But she’s into him for anything but romantic reasons, I want to add, although that would be unnecessary. If anyone would understand, it’s Gavin. A shadow crosses the floor behind him, and I look over his shoulder to find Georgia, her eyes wide as she glares at his back. “Hey, Georgia.” I smile at her tentatively, because I have no idea what I may have said or done around her that could have derailed our Ohio history project and, of course, our research into Larkspur’s past. Another conversation I’ll need to plan for later. Will Moon Lake give us an opportunity for that, or will we be over-scheduled and loaded with homework and projects for the next six weeks? “Mina.” She ignores Gavin as she comes closer, making a wide berth between the two of them as she keeps her eyes on me. “We’re taking inventory of Moon Lake supplies, and Hannah and Sadie said you didn’t have a sleeping bag. I have an extra one if you’d like to have it.” Gavin frowns as he watches her, and I wonder if he knows. If he knows she was the one who pushed him through the hole in the cafeteria ceiling.

After she took Fahrenheit 451 from him to give to me. He stands up straighter and blinks a few times before stretching his arm out to keep her from coming any closer to me. “Gavin?” “She’s dangerous, Mina, and while she may claim to be your affinity, she won’t hesitate to turn on you if it serves her family’s purpose.” Again with the family control. Are there any kids here who aren’t bound by their parent’s expectations and desires, spellbinding or otherwise? “Our purpose is to serve the Reeds, and unlike the Elaras, we won’t turn traitor.” Georgia's smile is feral as she pushes his arm away and steps to my side, and he doesn’t try to stop her. “Don’t think I won’t continue to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, Gavin.”

Chapter Thirty

Gavin and Nicholas spend a long evening in my uncle’s office while the rest of us snack on leftover appetizers and desserts from the graduation ceremony, and some of the students cry and wave as they watch the seniors leave Larkspur forever, their belongings tucked neatly away into shiny SUVs with their parents in the front seat. “That will never be us, Mina.” Sunny whispered the words only loud enough for me to hear before I left her side, but she hovers close to me now as I sit with Hannah and Sadie on the lawn, all of us in shorts and t-shirts, happy to be free of our required dresses in the growing heat. “You would think it would get cooler in the evening, but that’s not the case.” Julian fans himself as Helena flops onto the grass beside him, her shimmering curls damp against her forehead, and Taylor pats her head gently as Helena shoves a bite of lemon cake in her mouth, licking her fingers as soon as it disappears. While I watch Julian stare at Taylor, Samantha pats my shoulder. “So that business with Nicholas and Gavin. Are they honestly fighting over you?” My sister takes a few steps in the grass behind me, so I know she’s listening, and I shake my head firmly. “Absolutely not. Just guys being guys, too much testosterone or something.” Julian snorts and Helena nudges him with her foot, but Taylor smiles and glances over at me. We share a smile, something knowing in it that makes me want to take her aside and ask her what’s wrong, because it feels like there is more going on than just a

problem with her and Julian’s families. “Tell me about Moon Lake.” I ask the group as a whole, even though I know we’ve been talking about it for days. No one here except Sunny has been to the lake, and everything they know on an unofficial basis has been handed down through gossip from the older students. We’ve had plenty of handouts and lectures from teachers about the trip, about the history of the lake and the property surrounding it, and why the summer semester is so important from an academic perspective. But I want to know the real story, what students who have been to this private site have experienced. My friends talk all at once, their wilted state in this heat alleviated by the topic at hand. While they might wonder why I’m asking again, they are happy to share the tidbits they’ve picked up, as we are all excited about this new adventure. At least I’m as excited as I can be when the unexpected can be deadly, especially if there are books around. And maybe if there aren’t. I need to talk to Gavin and see if he thinks there will be problems with books in the secret library while we’re gone, although I hardly think my uncle would allow me to go if there was a chance of a new text going blank. Sunny might know something about it, but since Gavin was the one who set all of this into motion to begin with using the Tolkien volume, I consider he might be able to tell me why they go blank. Or how he knew luring the Middle Earth creature from it’s status as words on a page into Larkspur’s woods was possible. “Campfires, swimming, cabins . . . all the traditional camp stuff goes on, plus all

the traditional Larkspur stuff, like homework and more homework. Projects and more projects. Lectures, seminars, grades.” Someone groans, and we all laugh at Julian's complaint. I watch his hand snake back behind Helena’s small body and touch Taylor’s bare leg as she clearly blinks back tears. But he isn’t watching her, and I wonder if he knows what is wrong, or if he can tell she’s trying not to cry when he can’t see her. “Mina?” Samantha calls my name, and I turn back to see everyone looking at me. “Sorry, what?” She shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “I asked what you’re looking forward to the most. Have you ever been camping before?” I smile and tilt my head from one side to the other. “Just in my backyard. Kane and I used to pitch an old tent his mom had in their basement and we’d stay out there as late as we could until we itted we were afraid. I think the last time we did it, we must have been ten or eleven. But we always had a little fire Grace started for us, and cooked s’mores.” “That,” Helena chimes in, poking her index finger in the air. “Is what I’m going for.” Her affection for chocolate is widely known, and I expect she’ll end up with more than one stomach ache from overindulging over the next month or so. “Grace? Is she the housekeeper you talk about? Did she make snacks for you to have while you were out there?” As if Grace would let us go anywhere without snacks, I want to say, but Sadie doesn’t know that.

Helena sits up and stares at me, waiting for my answer, and I detail a few other treats Kane and I shared under the stars over the years until it seems as if she’s going to start drooling. “So, do all the teachers go? I heard only some of them do, but I didn’t get confirmation this is true.” I turn the focus to other aspects of the trip, and when I’ve cleared my head of the haze I’ve been in, listening to my friends talk and laugh, allowing myself to worry about Taylor and hearing my sister moving around behind me, Sunny's presence offers me some sense of security instead of the annoyance it would have before the jewelry fiasco. “Let’s head back inside, everyone. I think you all need some rest before packing tomorrow.” Abby claps her hands once loudly, catching our attention, and we stand up, groaning and stretching. She nods to everyone as we walk by, not looking at me any longer than anyone else. Is she mad about what happened during the graduation ceremony? Surely my uncle wouldn’t blame her for it. Or would he? Sunny snaps her fingers at me once we’re back inside the North Wing, as if I’m a dog she’s calling to her side, and I sigh loudly. “Moon Lake. Don’t wander off, and don’t let Gavin get cutesy with you. He’s playing you, and you don’t even know it.” A few girls lurk in the hall, although Abby has instructed us to stay in our rooms and rest, and I want to take a shower and wash the sweat out of my hair. They stare at us, and my sister waves them away with a sneer, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder in true Sunny fashion.

Only a few hours ago, both of us had big curls flowing down our backs, courtesy of Sadie and a borrowed curling iron. Our matching ponytails are much more comfortable now, but I’ll be back to my braid tomorrow. Back to myself tomorrow. “You seem to forget he just got out of the hospital, Sunny. I think he can help me with spellbinding, so there’s no harm in letting him do that, is there, if I’m careful?” I sound more hopeful than I feel, because I’m not sure, especially after he chastised me in the garden house earlier. Is he waiting for me to make another mistake, one that would allow him to bind in my place? Is that even possible? The floor squeaks beneath us, and I frown, looking down at my feet. “What do you mean, there’s no harm? Are you kidding me?” Sunny doesn’t seem to care about the floor, which hasn’t made noise before. Or at least, as far as I it hasn’t. Is Leah beneath us right now? “Moon Lake belongs to Larkspur, and to the Reeds. There’s a lot of family history there, and not all of it good.” My head snaps up to stare at her. Does she know about our mother, and how she was shot in front of the woman Sunny believed was her own mother for so long? I stare at her, wondering if she would tell me if she knew. If she would share the rest of her secrets with me, or if it serves her to keep them

to herself. For how long? “Are you paying attention to me, Mina? Geez, you’re as dumb as you look.” That’s funny, coming from her, since we’re identical twins, but I only smile in response because she has to know what she’s saying. “Yeah, sure.” I think of Natalie and Leah, of how they were so close it seemed like a good idea for my dad to give one of his children to Leah when Natalie died. Of the picture of my mom in the swing behind my house, smiling at the camera as Sunny and I lie on a blanket in front of her, our baby selves utterly clueless as to the tragedy ahead. Of the photo both Abby and Sunny have framed in places they see every day, a photo of a smiling family, of a mother and her teenage brother with two daughters who seem adored. “Come with me, Sunny.” I reach out for her and she stares at my hand for a long time before she takes it. We’re alone in the hall now, and I think of how I had to tell Kane I couldn’t go home with him today. How I would find a way to invite him to Moon Lake, so he could us on our adventure for a day or two. So he could explain what that smile was between him and Hannah this afternoon. I smile as I think of it, and my sister pulls on me while I lead her to the stairs. My smile dims as I think of the other reason I need to talk to him, my father and his bizarre incarceration. Arson is a crime, obviously, but no one was hurt, and my father doesn’t have a

prior record, so why is the punishment so harsh? “We’re not supposed to be down here, ?” Sunny doesn’t sound too worried as she warns me, but I’m careful as I keep an eye out for any movement nearby, from the other side of the hall or at the bottom of the steps. No one is around now, and I’m wary of both Gavin and Nicholas popping up out of nowhere, or worse, Abby or my uncle. Neither of them wanted to talk to me about my father, but Kane did discover through the primary state prison website that I am old enough to apply for visitation without my uncle’s permission. Once I’m back from Moon Lake, nothing will stop me from doing just that, and Kane has promised to drive me there as soon as I’m approved. We reach the bottom of the steps and icy air licks at my bare ankles, my borrowed flip flops, courtesy of Hannah’s closet, offering me no warmth as my skin bristles in the cold. I turn to look at the pocket doors to our right, and my sister stops moving, her hold on me tight until she speaks. “I’m not scared of it, but I’d be crazy to want to walk into that freezer.” Sunny takes her hand from mine and hugs herself, turning her back to the pocket doors as she shakes her head. “So? Why are we here, Mina?” She keeps talking when I don’t answer, and I’m not sure how to respond. My sister glances around, up the steps and at the ceiling, before looking at the drapes where I hid earlier today. Right before I met the woman she thought was her mother for so long. I’m thinking of Leah, of her obvious love for her daughters, even though she

didn’t give birth to them. Of her here in the North Wing, in frozen temperatures and if I’m not mistaken, no with the outside world. Has she been here since everyone was told she was dead? Why? If I knock, will she answer? “Can you teach me how to swim, Sunny?” I lift my hand but instead of tapping at the door, I grasp it with my other, twisting them together in front of my chest. “What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you swim already?” She squints at me, as if she’s unsure what she’s seeing. “It’s a life skill, Mina. There are lifeguards there, anyway, and if you’re dumb enough to go in over your head, they’ll rescue you, because I sure won’t.” I’m in over my head already, and she has rescued me, whether she wants to it it or not. I get the feeling she would pull me from Moon Lake if she had to, without a second thought. The idea makes my heartbeat slow enough to realize it’s been galloping along with my racing thoughts, and I hope what I’m about to do is the right thing. Right for Sunny, and right for Leah. I let one hand fall, fisted at the wood beside me, and knock gently as I hold her gaze with my own. “You need to sleep, Mina, because you’re losing it. Not that you’ve got a lot of brain activity going on anyway, but . . .” I’m about to knock again when the doors slide open slowly, the railing on the

floor protesting against the movement with a sharp groan. How few times has it been opened over the years, that it is so resistant to freeing the door now? My sister steps aside, her own flip flop snapping away from the floor in her hurry. The cold swipes out at us like a slap to the face, and I hold back a gasp as my sister sucks in an audible breath. I turn to find her face pale from more than the air. A figure with long, blonde hair and an ethereal form hovers on the other side of the doors’ opening, right in the middle so she’s framed in the wide space in front of us. She closes her eyes after she looks at me, and smiles when she turns to my sister, her expression softening from annoyance to acceptance with one look. Sunny stands still, and I can see the tiny hairs on her arm standing on edge, her eyes wide, as she faces the woman, finally speaking into the silence. “Mama?” THE END

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TO BE CONTINUED IN . . . MIRAGE

LARKSPUR ACADEMY BOOK FOUR AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 30, 2021 The summer semester class trip promises adventure as well as a break from

Larkspur's walls and the secrets they hold . . . but will Moon Lake call down its own kind of havoc on my upended life?

READ ON FOR THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SHADOW OF A DREAM BOOK ONE IN THE CHANGELING COVENANT TRILOGY FREE FROM ALL EBOOK RETAILERS!

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Chapter One I never wanted to see the future, but dreams are impossible to control. Homeroom on the first day of senior year should have been exciting, but it was all I could do not to fall asleep after another long night battling dream-induced confusion and terror, even when Delilah Paxton and Robbie Jacobs got detentions for making out in the hallway and, consequently, being late to class. “Some things never change, do they?” My friend Corrie spoke up behind me, leaning close but not enough to touch the back of my head. She knew better than to make physical with me, even if she didn’t understand why. A flash of dream memory made me blink quickly, as if I could wipe it away, and it took me a moment to respond to her because of it. “True.” As I said it, I forced myself to stare ahead at the chalkboard, where the teacher was scratching out some numbers and letters while most of the students talked. Robbie was giving Delilah a shoulder massage, and Delilah held her head to the side, her long, black hair draping over the back of her desk like a dark waterfall.

What was that like, I wondered, to feel someone’s body heat, the pressure of their hands, the softness of their skin? “Could he wear a little more aftershave already? Seriously, does he even have facial hair?” Corrie continued her tirade against the couple, who I definitely agreed were annoying. Robbie reeked of some cheap cologne, but Delillah didn’t seem to mind. Everyone knew they hooked up in the backseat of his car in the woods behind the school, but as much as their public demonstrations of affection grossed me out, I was still intrigued. Having sex in the backseat of a fifteen year old junker was not my idea of romance, but with seventeen years of my life behind me, I was sorely lacking in experience with other human beings in just about every way. Not that it was my fault. “I would really appreciate it if no one got pregnant in my class this year,” Mr. Coles, our teacher, suddenly turned around and spoke. Several kids laughed, and the boy in front of me, who was swallowing Cheetos practically whole, started to choke. Mr. Coles strode over casually, as if this kid wasn’t spewing bits of processed cheese product all over the desk, and slapped him between his shoulder blades three times. A fragment from last night’s dream suddenly played out before my eyes, quick and shocking. A woman with green-tinged skin and yellow-blonde hair piled high on her head, held by a crooked tree twig, shoved a dark-haired boy hard so he stumbled away from her. I couldn’t see his face, but I felt bad for him, as I could tell he had no control over what was happening. I knew what it felt like, That lack of control. “Miss Lampers. Everything okay?” I looked up to find Mr. Coles staring at me with concern and maybe a little trepidation. He held his hands up by his shoulders, as if to reassure me he wasn’t going to touch me. I nodded and tried to smile a response, but I knew my smile wasn’t as reassuring as I needed it to be to convince him. Who was the boy in my dream, I wondered. The woman couldn’t have been a

real human being, not with creepy-toned skin like a lizard. Maybe she was a metaphor for something in my head I was worried about, like one of my psychologists had explained years ago. None of my parade of doctors had ever explained why my dreams came true in one way or another, and so, instead of continuing to drain my parents’ bank and waste all of their time, I had acted like the dreams were no more, and my sleep was untroubled. It was a lie. As soon as Mr. Coles walked away, the Cheetos boy turned and wiggled his fingers at me. “Still Hopeless, eh?” I narrowed my eyes at him and didn’t respond to the years-old taunt that had followed me from middle school. Hopeless Hope, the girl who couldn’t be touched. The girl who was allergic to everything, caught every illness that went around. The girl who used to scream at invisible figures on the playground, and warn her classmates about evils to come. Corrie had heard the stories, but she had moved to Castle Heights when we were in ninth grade, so she hadn’t seen firsthand what I had been like. No one else had wanted to be friends with me, and Corrie had no problem with the factI didn’t want to be touched. “Shut up, idiot. What’s hopeless is your pathetic life,” Corrie hissed at him from behind me. I looked down at my desk and smiled a little. She didn’t really understand me, but she still ate lunch with me and defended me against morons like Cheeto Face. “Like you two could talk,” he grunted back at her. I was starting to get uncomfortable being in the middle of their insult fest when Mr. Coles dragged a piece of chalk on the board. The screeching was almost unbearable, and I ed several of my classmates in covering my ears. “Ah, I seeI have your attention. Deliliah and Robbie, please keep your tongues in your own mouths while you are on school property. Now, I have something to tell you before I start class, so listen up.”

The giggles and conversations died down a little, but Mr. Coles didn’t wait for the room to be completely silent before he continued. The door to the classroom was open, although usually the teachers closed them once the bell rang, making it difficult for stragglers to sneak in without being called out for tardiness. “We have a new student this year. I’m sure starting a new school at the beginning of senior year isn’t easy, so I ask that you be kind and welcome him,” the teacher had caught everyone’s attention with these words, and the voices that chattered away only seconds before went silent. A new kid? I thought my life sucked, but this poor guy had it rough. Starting his last year of high school in a new place? That would be the worst time ever to transfer. Corrie’s voice rose behind me. “Lousy for him, but honestly, we need some fresh blood. I’ve only been here a few years but I’m so done with the totally random guys we have here.” It wasn’t like Corrie was promiscuous, it wasn’t that at all. Unlike me, though, she had a definite and age-appropriate interest in dating, and the choices we had didn’t range far from Cheeto Face or Robbie Jacobs. I didn’t respond, hoping to reinforce my disinterest in the subject in general, which was, in this case, entirely false. I folded my arms on my desk and leaned my head on them, resting my chin on my forearms. Just as curious as everyone else, though, I did turn my eyes to the door, and the empty space filled with a figure clad in dark, worn jeans and scruffy cream-colored Converse. Something made me focus on those canvas shoes, while a low hum of female voices began to churn around me. Whatever the other girls saw, they liked, and the comments whispered between them were less than varied. “I want one of those!” “Where did he come from? Can they send more?” “Did Keanu Reeves lose his son? I think we found him.”

Clearly he was hot, but I swallowed hard and fought the urge to look up at his face, unsure why I was afraid to do so. Maybe I wasn’t afraid as much as aware, just like I was during a dream,something was going to come of it. Something I didn’t want, something that would disrupt my life . . . something I couldn’t control. “Declan, would you like to introduce yourself?” Mr. Coles’ voice was firm over the soft whispers around me, and as I continued to fight against the urge to look up, I kept my eyes on the boy’s feet as he stepped from the doorway to the front of the classroom. Obviously he was up on what was cool at our school, since anyone who was anyone had a pair of Converse. Except me. “I’m Declan. That’s probably all you need to know.” A shiver trailed up my spine when I heard him speak for the first time, and I took a deep breath to clear my thoughts before letting my eyes drift upward. Black, messy hair with a set of contrasting ice blue eyes were vaguely familiar from the brief glimpse I had in my memory of him. The boy from my dream, the one who was shoved by the lizard woman, was standing only a few feet away, and he was staring right at me.

THE SHADOW OF A DREAM

FREE - AVAILABLE FROM YOUR FAVORITE EBOOK RETAILER NOW! ALSO AVAILABLE ON AUDIO

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MORE BOOKS FROM MOLLY LAVENZA (all available on audio) THE CHANGELING COVENANT TRILOGY: THE SHADOW OF A DREAM (FREE FROM ALL RETAILERS) THE WEIGHT OF DREAMS WHAT DREAMS MAY COME

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ARDA ACADEMY TRILOGY: HEIR OF CHARMS (FREE FROM ALL RETAILERS) CONSORT OF SPELLS DARLING OF PROPHECY

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HEARTLESS KINGDOM

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Molly Lavenza is a sophomore at Kent State University. She loves her home state of Ohio, her cats, younger sister, and her boyfriend, whose dark, curly hair and obsession with Converse sneakers was the inspiration for Declan, the hero in The Changeling Covenant.