Page 77 of Haunting the Deep

“They died,” Redd says, and sips her tea.

Alice and I look at each other.

“And where is this guy now?” Alice asks.

“Long dead. He moved away when I was still a girl, and I heard he died shortly after.”

“So if he’s dead, then why wouldn’t you want to help us?” Mary asks. “It’s not like he can hurt you anymore.”

Redd glares at her. “My tea leaves are never wrong. I’ve read them every morning for the past forty years. And I’m telling you that they showed him to me again, the Collector, or someone like him. That is all I know.”

“Do you think this Collector you’re sensing is here in Salem?” Susannah asks.

Redd grunts. “If I knew that, I would tell you and save myself this headache.” She gestures toward us. “My leaves tell me what they choose to and nothing more. You cannot force these things.”

“There is a dress,” Susannah says, “that transported Samantha to the ship the first time. We think there’s a spell on it. If we brought it to you, could you help us break it?”

“Not without knowing who the caster is and what kind of magic they’re using. Now, it really is time for you to go.” Redd stands and we do, too. I can tell by her voice that she’s not going to tell us anything else.

“Thanks,” I say, but she waves away my words.

“That way.” Redd points to one of the chest-high candelabras on my left. “And girls, don’t ever try to break into one of my doors again or I will polka-dot your skin for a year. Do we understand each other?”

“Perfectly,” Mary says in a higher pitch than normal.

Alice shoves their overnight bags into the back of Mary’s Jeep. “Are you absolutely positive that Elijah will wake you up all night?”

I balance on the curb in front of my house, half on, half off. “Yeah.”

“Call us if you need us. We’ll sneak out,” Susannah says.

Susannah gives me a hug goodbye, but her eyes look at something behind me.

I turn in the direction of her gaze. Jaxon and Niki are standing near his truck in his driveway. As I watch, he kisses her. My foot slips off the curb, and I stumble.

Susannah grabs my elbow and pulls me around the Jeep.

Alice slams the tailgate closed. “Now he’s just being an ass. He’s totally flaunting this Niki thing.”

“It’s weird, though. It’s not like Jaxon,” I say as he climbs into his truck and starts the engine.

“He always seemed so nice,” Mary says.

“He was,” I say.

Jaxon’s truck pulls past us, and I watch him drive down our street and away from me. It’s been weird not talking to Jaxon these past few days. My life feels emptier without him in it. “I told Jaxon that Elijah was back.”

Mary tilts her head. “You think that has something to do with this?”

“Potentially. Jaxon was, well…” I can’t believe I’m telling them this. “About to kiss me and I blurted it out.”

“Just because he got jealous doesn’t make it okay,” Alice says. “Trying to hurt someone is trying to hurt someone. Period.”

Susannah’s face scrunches up, like she’s concentrating too hard. “I don’t know. I never got the feeling that Jaxon was intentionally mean.”

Mary leans in. “Okay, I know we’re talking about Jaxon. And I want to hear every detail of that story. Butwhatis Elijah like?”

“We’re in the middle of a crisis and you want to talk about boys? Unbelievable,” Alice says.