“Not great,” I concede. If the past four nights are any indication, I’ll be up well past two rehearsing my recruitment speech. For the millionth time.
Morgan nudges my shoulder with hers. “I think it’s a good idea. You can practice your arguments on me.” She bats her eyelashes and sticks out her lower lip into a pout, and the resulting puppy dog look is just unfair. “Please?”
I pretend to think about it moment longer, but in the end, there’s no refusing these two. Especially when they both want the same thing. “Fine. I’m in.”
The promise of popcorn, pizza, and some parent-free alone time with Morgan gets me through the rest of the day. The second the final bell rings, I text Mom to let her know where I’m going, meet Gemma and Morgan at my locker, and drive the three of us to Gem’s house. Both her parents are still at work when we get there, and even though we have the house to ourselves, we pile into Gem’s bedroom.
Gemma maneuvers to her desk and sits in the chair. “Can I read your tarot? It could help with your mission tomorrow.”
Even though tarot has always scared me a little—I’ve never let Lauren read for me—I’m determined to have fun tonight. “Bring it on,” I say, and disappear to grab an extra chair from the dining room. When I get back, Morgan is sprawled out on Gemma’s bed with her face buried in a carnation pink novel.
“You read more than anyone I know.” I set the chair next to Gemma. “What’s this one about?”
“International politics.”
“Seriously?”
Morgan glances up, a smile quirking her lips. She looks so cute, I’m worried my heart might combust. Thankfully, her Blood Magic could probably fix that. “It’s also very gay,” she adds, a quality I’ve learned she values in books. “You can read it when I’m done.”
“Come sit,” Gemma says before I can reply. The cards snick-snick-snick together as she shuffles, a piece of amethyst sitting prominently on the desk beside her. I sink into the chair, but I can’t help glancing over at Morgan. She bites her lip as she hastily turns to the next page, and a not-small part of me wants to abandon the tarot cards and curl up next to her.
“Come on, Hannah,” Gemma teases, poking my shoulder. “You have to focus on the cards, not your girlfriend. Otherwise the reading will be about her instead of this Allison.”
“It’s Alice, actually,” I correct after a moment of hesitation. Even after two months, it still feels weird that I can tell Gemma about Clan stuff. Secrecy is a hard habit to break. Hard, but so, so worth it. “I’m sorry, Gem. I can do this, I swear. Can we start over?”
Gemma nods and shuffles again. “Focus on your mission.”
I try to do as she says, but focus is in short supply these days. My mind bounces from the mission to the drugged coven to how much I’d really like to kiss my girlfriend right now, even if that makes me a terrible friend.
After a few more shuffles, Gemma has me cut the deck and then she lays out three cards. A field of deep blue with flecks of gold stars stares up at us.
“Ready?” Her voice is breathless with anticipation, and when I nod, Gemma flips the first card. A figure sits below a tree, their arms crossed while a disembodied hand holds out one of four cups.
“Well, that looks cheerful,” I grumble.
“Yeah . . . I don’t think Alice is going to be easy to convince.” Gemma examines the card more closely, and it’s clear she takes this process seriously, even if it’s also fun for her. “I get the feeling she has a stubborn streak. About everything.”
From the bed, Morgan laughs. “Sounds like someone else I know.”
“Hey! I’m not that stubborn.” I swivel around to look at her. “Have your boys kissed yet?”
“Not yet.” Morgan sighs dramatically and turns to look at me. “I’m dying.”
“And card number two is . . .” Gemma says with an announcer’s flair to draw back my attention. “Huh.”
“What is it?” I examine the card, this one labeled Six of Swords. Two people sit huddled in the boat while a third person rows them down a stream. Except it’s upside down. “What’s with all the swords stabbing the boat? Are we going to get a flat tire on the way or something?”
“I don’t know exactly. Lauren hasn’t gone over reversed cards yet. I didn’t even think I had any flipped around in the deck.” Gem massages her temples the same way she does whenever she gets a headache. “Something about the travel itself feels like it’s going to be dangerous. I don’t think it’s a flat tire though. Any idea what that could be?”
“None.” I stare at the card and try to concentrate, wondering what might be dangerous about traveling to New York. The city isn’t exactly the best place for an Elemental, but that’s not—
Realization crashes over me like a wave, and a shiver trips up my spine. Could the cards really be this accurate? “Elder Keating put up a barrier spell, but it’s only big enough to keep the Hunters out of Salem. When I go to Brooklyn, I’ll be outside its protection.”
Morgan sits up and actually closes her book. “They put up a barrier?” She scowls when I nod. “Of course no one bothered to ask my parents for help.”
When Gemma and I stare blankly at her, Morgan explains. “Remember the runes you found at the Witch Museum over the summer? If the Council let us, we could lock down the town in a matter of hours.”
New hope sparks within me, bright and alive. Maybe Morgan’s parents can protect all the witches who will be in the courthouse. Maybe they can keep the Hunters away. But then my rational mind takes over. If their barrier repelled Hunters, it would still create the same risk of non-witches seeing the magic in effect.
Gemma’s hand stalls over the third card. “Why don’t they let you help?”
“Because we’re Blood Witches. Because they think we’re creepy or monsters or goddess knows what.” Morgan flops back onto the bed and drapes an arm across her face. “I’m so sick of everyone hating us.”
“I don’t hate you,” Gemma and I say at the same time. We share a smile, but Morgan lets out an unintelligible grunt of a response.
“You’ve noticed it, haven’t you?” Morgan peeks at us around her arm. “The way they keep to themselves? Each Clan may have representation on the Council, but they almost never work together. Cal and Archer are both Casters. The Elder who visited is a Caster, too.”
Gemma abandons the final unturned card and swivels in her chair to face the bed. “But they recruited Hannah, and she’s an Elemental.”