“And that’s why we’re not going to rush into this—at least not right away.”
“But Jill—” Eddie began.
Jackie shook her head. “We don’t yet know the extent of Jill’s involvement in this. What we do know is that Alicia is baiting Sydney and wants her to come to Palm Springs, where there’s probably a very neatly laid trap. Alicia’s also following her old pattern of wearing out an enemy first. This ‘scavenger hunt’ wasn’t just for her amusement. It was to weaken Sydney magically. If you run off to Palm Springs now, after the magic you’ve wielded these last few days, you might very well succumb to whatever she has in store. Then we lose you and never find out what’s become of Jill.”
I felt conflicted and tightened my hold on Sydney’s hand. I could understand why Jackie wanted to keep Sydney away from danger. I wanted that too. But I also felt the increasing pressure that everyone else did. Each passing day put Jill at greater risk. How could we not take action when we had a lead?
“But,” continued Jackie, as though reading my mind, “that’s not to say I have any intention of just abandoning Jill. I want to conduct a search in Palm Springs—specifically the Salton Sea area—but I plan on doing it with appropriate backup.”
Eddie and I were both confused, but Sydney, as usual, caught on fastest. “The Stelle,” she said, referring to the coven of witches she’d joined.
Jackie nodded. “Them and others. Alicia isn’t just your problem—she represents a problem for the entire magical community. And so the entire community will deal with her. I’ll get them together, and we’ll conduct a search, using magical and conventional means. You, meanwhile, will stay somewhere safe—somewhere far away.”
“And I’ll stay with you,” I said, feeling a little bit better knowing that Jill wasn’t being abandoned. It was tough, almost like I had to choose between Sydney and Jill, but it sounded like Jackie wouldn’t be sitting around idly.
“I’ll go with you,” Eddie told Jackie. Then he turned to Sydney and me. “That is . . .” The conflict on his face mirrored what I felt inside.
“Go,” I said. “We’ll be okay. No one knows we’re gone yet. We’ll disappear somewhere and be fine.”
Eddie hesitated again. He hated to have his loyalties torn, but at last he nodded. “As long as you think you’ll be okay. How did you get away without anyone knowing?”
“I’ll tell you some other time,” I said.
I could tell from Sydney’s expression she was interested in that story too. She looked at Jackie instead. “But I want you to call me as soon as you and the other witches have things secure. As soon as you think it’s safe, I want to be a part of the hunt for Jill.”
“Unless we find her first and defeat Alicia,” insisted Eddie.
Sydney gave him a small smile that suggested she didn’t think it’d be that easy. “I would love that.”
The four of us hashed out a few more details before finally parting ways. I could tell it still bothered Eddie to be leaving us, and he was full of advice on how we should lie low and not attract any attention. He also wanted to send for Neil to guard us, but Sydney dismissed that idea, saying it’d be easier for us to just slip away now. We all agreed Neil might be handy in Palm Springs when we closed in on Alicia, so Eddie promised to make that happen.
“Don’t worry,” I assured Eddie, clapping him on the back after a few more of his well-intentioned pieces of caution. “I have no intention of doing anything that’s going to let Alchemists or Moroi know we’ve left Court. You go do your thing, we’ll do ours, and then you can let us know when it’s safe to join you.”
Jackie and Eddie both agreed they didn’t want to know where Sydney and I were going. The less they knew, the less they could accidentally reveal to others. They were both filled with advice on the kinds of places we should go, however, and I finally had to send them both on their way and tell them we’d be fine.
That left Sydney and me in our rental car, suddenly faced with infinite possibilities. It was also the first time we’d truly been alone in a very long time.
“It’s a little overwhelming,” she admitted to me as we sat in the restaurant’s parking lot. “It’s like we could suddenly live out any of our escape plans.”
“Well, not any,” I remarked. “We’re in the middle of the United States and need to be safely lodged somewhere in five hours so that I can, um, meet up with Nina in a dream.”
Sydney’s eyes widened. “What?”
I sighed and started the car. “Let me explain.”
I’d known it would all have to come out . . . I just hadn’t expected it to come out this soon. So we got on a highway headed north, and I briefed Sydney on what had happened in the days we’d been apart. Nina had made good on her word about covering for me. She’d driven me out of Court in her own car, using compulsion on the gate guard so that he wouldn’t remember seeing me. After she’d dropped me off at a small regional airport, she’d promised to go to our rooms in guest housing and stay with my mom. In the twenty-four hours it had taken me to catch connecting flights and drive to Sydney’s location in the Ozarks, I’d heard updates from both Nina and my mom. No one had come looking for me, and Nina had strolled down to the lobby and had a compulsion-filled conversation that convinced the desk attendant she’d seen me leave and come back for a feeding.
“And now I’ve got to uphold my part of the bargain,” I explained to Sydney, once I’d recapped the backstory.
“By engaging in a bunch of spirit use that’s burning her out?” cried Sydney. “Adrian, you told me you’d back off!”
She doesn’t understand, snarled Aunt Tatiana. You did this for her!
I felt my anger rise in response. “It was the only way I could get away from Court!”
“You didn’t have to get away from Court,” Sydney argued. “We were fine. You just needed to stay safe and cover for us.”
“Fine? I saved you from getting sliced up by those blades!”
Sydney crossed her arms over her chest and stared obstinately out the passenger side window. “We don’t know how bad the damage would’ve been, and Ms. Terwilliger and I might have gotten off a spell at the last second. But this . . . this spirit walking with Nina! We do know the kind of damage it can do! You just said she’s in bad shape.”
“My helping her will prevent her from getting worse,” I retorted. “One time isn’t going to hurt me.”
Sydney turned back to me, incredulous. “No! Not one time. Not any time! You can’t do this! I can’t let you!”
Since when does she control you? demanded Aunt Tatiana, raging. Barely married a month, and she’s already dictating your life! You can’t stand for that. Tell her. Tell her that she can’t control you!
I was as worked up as the phantom in my head, and I opened my mouth, ready to snap something harsh back at Sydney. Then, glancing over, I caught sight of her face in the passing glow of another car’s headlights. The concern and love I saw in her features pierced my heart, and like that, the anger went out of me.
She’s deceiving you, insisted Aunt Tatiana.
No, I replied back. She just cares about me. She wants to help.
To Sydney, I said, “Okay. You’re right. It’s not a good idea. I won’t engage in the dream. I’ll just find . . . some way . . . to explain things to Nina.” I felt guilty going back on my word to Nina, but I had greater vows binding me to Sydney. When I saw the relief those words brought to her, I knew I’d made the right choice.
Nina isn’t going to like this, hissed Aunt Tatiana.
I’m not married to Nina, I retorted.
Sydney moved her hand over mine. “Thank you, Adrian. I know it’s not easy. I know you just want to help.”
“I do,” I admitted, still conflicted by the decision. The instinct to help Nina was so, so strong. “But there’s a cost to it. My sanity’s not worth it.” I squeezed Sydney’s hand back. “Our relationship’s not worth it.”