I only popped open my laptop again when I was back in the pastel-colored, slightly sour-smelling motel room. My connection to the Assembly’s network would have broken automatically when I’d gotten out of range, but there should have been enough time—
As I stared at the screen, my spirits sank. I’d only managed to download five files from that extra-secret section. They must have slammed down a new wall after they’d detected the intrusion, right after I’d started to download.
The first file, when I tried to open it, proved to be just a corrupted fragment. So did the second. I winced. I might have come out with nothing after all.
I wasn’t feeling all that hopeful when I clicked on the third file. My heart leapt when it opened without an error. Then my gaze skimmed down the contents, and my body went rigid.
It was a report a lot like the other Justice documents I’d looked at, but with a series of glyphs along the top that meant nothing to me. The report itself concerned a witch who’d been engaging in “relations” with an “unsparked” man. Some widow off in an isolated nook of Ireland. So that kind of relationshiphadhappened before—and not that long ago. The date on the record was from eight years ago.
But that fact wasn’t exactly a positive given the rest of the contents. For “stepping outside the boundaries of witching society” and “to maintain order and consistency among the community,” the Assembly, or at least a small group among them, had intervened. A gas stove in the witch’s house had been meddled with—she’d disappeared with her home in a blaze of fire, no evidence left behind. And the man she’d been seeing had been hit by a car on a lonely road not long after, killed on impact.
At least, that’s what the spells had been adjusted to look like. Just a couple of random, unconnected accidents.
I leaned back on the motel bed, my arms abruptly shaky. Nausea coiled around my stomach.
Sothatwas how Rose’s Assembly dealt with witches who’d done what she had. At least a few of them knew it was possible, and they were determined that no one else should ever know, no matter who they had to hurt along the way.
Chapter Thirteen
Rose
It was almost eight in the evening. Derek had asked me to join him for a game of cards then—in front of my dad, so I’d felt I had to play along to avoid raising Dad’s suspicions—but I didn’t feel ready to budge from my room. Not when my anxious texting hadn’t given me better news.
Sorry,Jin wrote.I haven’t heard anything from Ky since that group message this morning either.
Seth and Damon had already reported radio silence.Ihadn’t been able to get an answer from Kyler despite my several texts throughout the afternoon. All I knew was that early in the morning he’d cheerfully reported he was heading off to “crack some witchy networks” and since then there’d been nothing but silence.
Let me know as soon as any of you do hear anything, okay?I wrote to all of them in our group message. I couldn’t bring the phone with me, since I wasn’t supposed to have it at all, but I’d check it again as soon as I was back in my room. And if we still hadn’t heard from Ky by morning…
I didn’t care what anyone on the estate thought. I’d be making that trip to Seattle myself. I’d drawn Ky into this world, and I had to protect him from it.
Spark help me, I wished there didn’t seem to be so many parts of my world my guysneededprotection from right now.
Of course,Seth said.You know I’ll be watching for any message from him too.
I’m sure Mr. Brainiac can think his way out of whatever tight spot he’s gotten into, Damon put in.Or maybe he’s just too busy hacking away to chat. Let’s hold off the panic until tomorrow.
Before my teeth could even quite set on edge, he sent a message apart from the group conversation, just to me.Don’t worry, angel. If anyone’s messed with one of us, they’re going to regret it. We’ll get him back.
My lips twitched, halfway between a smile and a grimace.
I shoved the prepaid phone back into its hiding spot. If I didn’t get down there, Derek was going to come looking for me. And after the other night, the last place I wanted to meet him was outside my bedroom.
I’d just reached for my doorknob when Dad’s voice filtered through from the hall on the other side. “Derek, do you have a moment? I was hoping we could talk.”
Apparently my supposed fiancé had already gotten impatient enough to come up. “All right,” he said, sounding a little wary.
What exactly were they going to talk about? Had Dad gone through Celestine’s books and found the paper I’d planted there? Maybe he was going to interrogate Derek about how much he knew.
My pulse skittered. I listened for the click of Dad’s door shutting. Then I eased open mine and peeked into the hall.
No sign of our witch estate manager. I could get away with a little magic out here.
I slipped down the hall to Dad’s office. If I could just hear… No, I wanted to see, too. I couldn’t risk any misunderstandings, not with so much on the line.
Dragging in a deep breath, I raised my hands toward the ceiling to summon the energy of my spark high. I stepped forward and back, drew my arms back to my body, and slowly but surely wrapped that magic around me. Let every bit of me look like nothing but air.
A wave of dizziness passed over me. I caught myself against the wall—and stared at it.Icouldn’t even see myself, not my arm nor the fingers braced against the cool plaster.