Page 78 of The Magic We Made

I nod. No one would want to end up like Trina. “Yeah. I don’t get that, either. Trina said she’s sorry.” Trina told me this herself when I went over to drop off her evening’s rations. She sounded sad... and cold. Like me, she’s only dressed in a sweatshirt and leggings.

Unlike me, she’s currently tied to a tree.

Not just any tree, either, but a tree out of sight of the Seat so that when the ceremony starts, Trina won’t be able to see a thing.

Haley says this is a fitting punishment for a traitor.

“She only did it because her dad’s dead,” I say—but not loudly enough for anyone but Bella to hear. “She’s all her mom has.”

“I know.” Bella has dropped the leaves, and now she’s heading off to find more. It’s dark in the woods, but Haley has allowed us torches to see by. The entire Seat is currently lit up by them, almost as if we were having a party. Which I guess we are, in a way. “But there’s always the danger that Gaia could be tracing those calls, and then she’d know where we are, and try to stop us.”

Do you really think the mother of all creation has nothing better to do than sit around and eavesdrop on our phone calls?is what I’m about to say in response to Bella.

But I don’t get the chance, because Haley has climbed on top of the Seat, and is speaking to us in the glow of the torches.

“More firewood!” she commands, the long white robe she’s slipped on swaying dangerously close to the open flames. But Haley doesn’t have to worry. She has the power of Hecate now. She won’t burn. “We’re going to light this place up for the moon goddess! And be sure to work up an appetite—cake and champagne are on their way. Tonight is a celebration!”

I cheer along with the other girls. It’s been forever since we had cake—even vegan cake—and the last time I had alcohol was when we stole winefrom that house across the lake. I still don’t even know why we did that (besides the fact that we were starving, and Haley was off talking to Hecate, or whatever it is she does when she’s alone).

Then I remember Trina, tied up in the dark and cold. She’s not going to get cakeorchampagne.

I know she’s being punished, but this doesn’t seem fair. Trina worked every bit as hard as the rest of us to find the witch’s bone. She should get to celebrate, too.

I don’t know what gives me the courage to walk up to Haley as she’s climbing down from the Seat to say this to her. Maybe it’s that I haven’t eaten anything all day and I’m a little lightheaded.

In any case, I say, “Excuse me, Your Excellency—” because Haley has the witch’s bone, she’s a high priestess now “—but do you think I could bring Trina a little cake and champagne when it’s time? I wouldn’t want her to miss out when she’s worked as hard as the rest of us and only made one little mistake.”

I can hear the other girls gasp behind me. None of them can believe I had the courage to simply walk up and ask.

But Haley isn’t even mad. She throws back her head—causing all her long curls to bounce—and says with a tinkly laugh, “Of course! Everyone should enjoy some refreshment as we watch the sacrifice. Good thinking, Emma. Make it so.”

Then she walks off, and Bella steps quietly up to my side.

“Sacrifice?” she whispers. “What are we sacrificing now? None of us have any hair left!”

I swallow. “I don’t think she’s talking about hair.”

Frankie

“Look,” I say to Ash as he sends the Chevy careening around yet another corner on our way back to the lake. “If a bone could grant anyone the ability to fly, the aviation industry wouldn’t exist.”

He doesn’t look at me as he white-knuckles the steering wheel. “I know.”

“A bone can’t help anyone destroy their enemies, either,” I point out. “If animal bones could do that, the legal system wouldn’t exist, either, let alone the military.”

“I know.”

“And unless that bone is fossilized, it isn’t evenpossiblefor it to be a thousand years old. A bone as small and thin as a cat’s would have decomposed ages ago in such bacteria-rich soil.”

“I know.”

“I can completely understand why anyone mightwantto believe that an ancient talisman has mystical charms and go looking for it. This is the basis for multiple movie franchises. But thatdoesn’t mean those mystical charms were ever real. Youknow that, right?”

“I know that.”

“Then why are you breaking the speed limit to get home?” He’s driving so fast that the normally unbearably loudPUTT PUTT PUTTof the truck sounds more likePUTTPUTTPUTT.I’m gripping the dashboard because even though the Chevy has seat belts, I’m certain it doesn’t have airbags. “You didn’t even stop long enough to take any of the leftovers Mom wanted you to have.”

It had been half heartbreaking, half amusing when my mother realized Ash and I were leaving and came running out of the house after us with the rest of the sausage and grapes in a takeout container. “Don’t forget yoursalsicce all’uva!”