I hadn’t felt this put on the spot since the teacher caught me sneaking out of detention when I was thirteen.
“A water line broke back at the house,” I chimed in, re-using an excuse I’d used with Ethan a few days before when I’d been convinced he was a spy. “The plumbers won’t be over until later today. And we really needed a place to go in the meantime, so…”
“So you broke into the library?” Trudy shook her head, scowling. “Like I’m supposed to believe that. What are you really doing here?”
“I might ask you the same question, lady,” Mee-maw fired back, and I shot her a warning look. Now was not the time for attitude.
“It’s my job to be here!” Trudy replied with a sniff before approaching the white board and giving us all another, searching look. “Sage? Yew? Spring water? Rose quartz?”
“I told you, we were roleplaying!” Zoe insisted.
“You know what?” I said, putting my hands up and edging towards the door. “We’ll just get out of your hair. We can find somewhere else. It’s totally fine. We’ll just pack up our stuff and--”
But my eyes went wide as Trudy made a beeline for the table where Greg’s laptop sat open.
“You’re not packing up anything or going anywhere. If you don’t tell me what you’re doing here, I’ll find out for myself. Then, I’ll call the authorities and let them throw you in the slammer!”
“Hey! You can’t--” Mee-maw began, but it was too late. The librarian was already reading the open page. I winced as I watched her eyes flit back and forth, and the tension mounted as she glanced back over her shoulder at the white board before returning her gaze to the computer screen.
I had given up hope of getting out of this easily, and had all my energy focused on willing Mee-maw to keep her gun “holstered” when Trudy let out a gasp.
“Oh my god.” Her cheeks had gone bone white as she looked from me, to Mee-maw, to Zoe. Her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “You’re…witches?”
“Uh…” Zoe stared at her. “No?”
Trudy shook her head. “No…Yes, you are. You absolutely are.” She grabbed Greg’s laptop and spun it around, displaying the several tabs of Gaia’s Gathering forum posts that Zoe had opened before. “I know this website,” she said in a hushed whisper, but this time it was tinged with…excitement? No, that couldn’t be right. The only emotion Trudy was capable of was barely-disguised disdain. “Gaia’s Gathering!” she exclaimed. “For wiccans! Is that what you were doing? Researching spells?”
I blinked, flabbergasted. This day was just getting weirder and weirder.
“What the heck do you know about Gaia’s Gathering?” Mee-maw demanded, putting her hands on her hips.
Trudy looked over at her, her expression softening. “I happen to be a regular user of these forums and a level ninety-eight poster on Gaia’s Gathering,” she replied coolly. Turning back to the computer, she continued, “Studying wicca is a hobby of mine. Drat—I wish I had brought my crystals with me. Usually, I leave them out on the back porch to charge in the sun during the day. If I had known there were other practitioners here, though…” Seemingly catching herself, she straightened up and cleared her throat. “Is that why you’re here? Wait, don’t tell me…” She frowned, staring me down unnervingly. “It’s because you’re worried about the Freemason Lodge up in Longdale, isn’t it? You don’t want anyone around town to know what you’re doing, I get it. Wow.” She shook her head disbelievingly. “Now it all makes sense. And here I was thinking you were down here planning a bank robbery or something! You know we share a basement wall with American Federal next door…”
Zoe and I could only gape at the librarian, whose demeanor had seemingly changed on a dime. Who the heck was this lady, and what had she done with the stickler who told you off if you returned a book so much as a day late?
Mee-maw, however, seemed to have latched on to the bit about the Lodge. “The Freemasons?” she asked. “I have so many theories about them!” Her eyes narrowing, she took a step forward. “Do you know anything about the…Illuminati?”
“Oh, sure,” Trudy replied gamely, ignoring my and Zoe’s chorus of groans. “Did you know there are allegedly three independent Illuminati agents in this county alone? Although, some sources estimate that number might be closer to five.”
“I’ll be damned,” Mee-maw said, running a hand through her silver hair and looking over to me and Zoe.
Trudy shuffled back around the table, her earlier suspicion having vanished in a heartbeat. Her gaze settled on the typewriter and cauldron on the other side of the room, and I felt a surge of concern as she approached the table to scrutinize our magical items. She stopped in front of the cauldron, placing a hand gently on its metal surface and closing her eyes.
“Sweet. I can feel the magic coming off of this,” she said after a moment, turning back to look at us. “Is this made of pewter, or iron?”
“Uh…” Zoe flushed a little. “I’m not sure. I’m actually kind of new to this, uh…witch stuff. Like, really new. We all are.”
“I guess it’s a good thing I showed up when I did,” Trudy said with a sage nod. “You know, you really shouldn’t get into witchcraft if you haven’t done your full research beforehand. It took me years just to master palmistry, and I’m still not up for practicing it on other people, yet. I just don’t want to mess with fate and all.”
Mee-maw nodded in agreement. “I hear that. You know, Trudy, you might just be the exact person we need. Tell me more about this Freemason Lodge.”
Zoe and I watched in wonder as the two older women began to talk conspiracy theories, peppering each other with questions and speculations as if they had known each other their whole lives. My heart rate was only just beginning to return to normal, and Zoe seemed as taken aback as I was. Speaking of fate, this was one hell of a twist of the stuff, and that wasn’t lost on either of us—what were the odds that the librarian who walked in on us would turn out to be interested in magic?
My mind drifted back to my first meeting with Patrick, a seemingly random encounter that had turned out to be too good to be true. Then again, though, this was Rocky Knoll, and if one thing had become clear to me recently, it was that the town hosted far more occult activities than it appeared to. There was also the issue of the Organization— would they really recruit a practicing wiccan as a way of tracking us down? They didn’t even know we were hiding out here, unless Patrick had told them…which I found myself doubting, for better or worse.
Bringing anyone else into the fold at this point was a huge gamble. But, given what she’d already seen, I was sensing we had little choice. She might know something about magical abilities and how to use them but, more importantly, maybe we could convince her to let us stay hidden down here. Hell, she might even be able to help us keep other prying eyes away from our hiding place.
Zoe and I exchanged a look, and she gave me a small nod; we were on the same page.
“Trudy,” I said slowly. The librarian quieted immediately, meeting my eyes. “I think my grandmother is right. We could use your help.”
“But we’re in a bit of a sticky situation,” Zoe added. “I’m not saying it’s dangerous, per se, but--”
“It’s dangerous,” I interrupted her flatly, crossing my arms.
“Oh?” Trudy asked, her blue eyes filling with excitement. “Spell gone awry? Bad premonition?” Her voice dropped to an ominous whisper as fear filled her voice. “A curse?”
If she was acting, she’d be in line for an Oscar.
“Not exactly,” I replied, letting out a long sigh. It was now or never. “The truth is, we think we are witches. Not just wiccans, but real, honest-to-goodness witches. But we still have no idea how our powers even work. All we know is that there’s a group of witch hunters after us, and it’s no longer safe to stay at our house.”
I’d kept it super vague, but the whole spiel still sounded absurd, even to my ears, and I was half-expecting Trudy to burst out laughing. Instead
, she gave a somber nod.
“Some people say the old witch trials never really ended,” she said in a low voice. “Rocky Knoll has a history of magical practitioners, though…and a history of violence towards them.”
Apparently, convincing a person who wanted something to be true was pretty easy. Who knew?
“So you’ve heard about…the Organization?” Mee-maw asked.
“I’ve heard of plenty of organizations, none of them good,” Trudy replied. “But if there’s one thing my research has told me, it’s that some cowans—non-magical folk—will fight tooth and nail to see witches wiped off the face of the earth.” Her eyes met mine, and there was sympathy in her expression. “I don’t know how much help I can offer you folks, but I’m willing to do what I can for you. We believers need to stick together, right?” There was a pause as she licked her lips. “Besides,” she added, a little bashfully, “I’ve never met real witches before.” There was a touch of reverence in her voice that I never would have expected from someone like Trudy.
At that moment, the door opened, and Patrick strode into the room.
“Sorry,” he said, “I had to walk back to the car and get the bag with the burner phones in it, and--” He broke off in surprise the moment he saw Trudy.
The librarian’s eyes widened. “Patrick? You’re part of this all?” She drew back and gasped. “A warlock! This whole time I’ve been having you hammer nails and fix stucco and you’re a warlock?”
“Uh…” Patrick shot me a baffled look.
“No,” I explained. “He’s helping us, although, it’s a bit of a long story.” I turned to him. “Trudy, here, is an occult enthusiast,” I said carefully. “She’s going to help us, if she can.” I gave him a little shrug and a look that said, What can you do?
“I see,” Patrick replied in a clipped tone. “Well, unfortunately, I only have the four burner phones, but--”
“That’s fine,” Trudy said, flapping her hand at him. “I don’t need one. I’ve got three stashed at home, unopened, just in case. Just give me your burner numbers and I’ll send you mine.”
Mee-maw looked suitably impressed as Patrick doled out the burner phones, allowing us to exchange numbers with Trudy. The whole thing felt a little surreal, although that was about par for the course, at this point.
“So,” Trudy said, “what do you need from me first?”
Zoe gestured at the white board. “I’d like to try brewing some potions in my cauldron. These ingredients were all suggested on the forums, but we have no idea where to find any of them.”
“Leave that to me,” said Trudy with a firm nod. “I know a few psychic shops downtown that should do the trick. I’ll text you my number, you can send me the ingredients, and I’ll pick them up after my shift.” She glanced down at her watch with a start. “Speaking of which, I’d better go. The library opens in thirty minutes and I’ve got to prep. But don’t worry,” she added as she reached the door, “I’ll be back later.”
With that, she swept out of the room like a tornado, leaving us to face a gobsmacked-looking Patrick.
“What in the hell was that?”
I cleared my throat and shrugged defensively. “Look, we didn’t have much of a choice, okay? She caught us talking about witchcraft red-handed. Our options were to let Mee-maw off her with her revolver or let her in on at least the basics. We’re just lucky she seems to be in our corner.”
I hadn’t told Patrick about my last prediction with Maude—Trust only three—but it was buzzing like a nest of hornets in my mind now. Back then, I’d only had to wonder if that meant I should trust Patrick or Ethan. Now, I was really pressing my luck. But Trudy strolling in on us had left us precious few options. She had been about to call the police, which would’ve alerted our enemies to our presence and all but served me and Maude up to them on a platter. Prediction or no, I felt like we needed Trudy on our side, at least in the short-term. I just had to hope that my gut was right on this one.
I watched silently as Patrick paced in circles for a few long moments and then finally let out a sigh.
“All right. Well, there’s nothing to be done about it now. She might end up being useful. Especially now.” He met and held my gaze. “I made a phone call back at the car—to a friend. She’s been sort of distancing herself from the Organization since she had her daughter, saying she needed a longer period of maternity leave, but I had a feeling she’d been having some doubts. On a hunch, I reached out. She was afraid to say much, with a family to protect, but she did tell me she was trying to find a way out from under the Organization’s thumb and did give me one good tidbit.”
“Well?” Mee-maw demanded. “What is it? Don’t keep us in suspense.”
“Apparently, active Organization members from all around the world are currently in New York for some kind of conference,” Patrick replied. “A conference to deal with the crone’s coven that’s emerging in Rocky Knoll. Looks like they’re ready to bring out the big guns after you escaped, Cricket.”
My heart leapt to my throat. “You mean…they’re calling an international meeting just to deal with us?”
Patrick nodded. “That’s how I felt, at first. But then I was thinking it could actually work in our favor.”
“How?” asked Zoe, incredulously.
“The meeting is happening tomorrow in New York City,” Patrick answered. “And it’s an all-hands meeting, which means anyone in the know will be present. It’s likely that the higher-ups are already there and the rest of the operatives are en route. That means only a couple lackeys will be left here to see if we come back to Rocky Knoll. If I had to guess, I’d say they’ll be patrolling Connie’s shop, Mee-maw’s, the bakery, and Zoe’s house…But I think that’s something we can handle. It’s too risky to take direct action tonight because if they spot us, it might give them time to send some of their forces back here, but tomorrow will be a perfect opportunity to get what we need, as far as additional supplies.”
“Well,” I began, “we don’t really need much mo--”
“Cricket,” Patrick cut in smoothly, shooting a glance toward Mee-maw before meeting my gaze again. “We all need to keep our strength up and, to do so, we all need to make sure we’re getting quality sleep. We’ve got to get some futon mats or something in here, not to mention some weapons to defend ourselves in case we’re discovered before you and Zoe work out how to use your magic effectively.”
Zoe let out a groan of relief. “Oh, thank God.” We all turned to stare at her questioningly, and she sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Look, I didn’t want to say anything, at first, because I didn’t think it was worth mentioning,” she explained, breaking eye contact with me. “I don’t know if I can really even explain it. It’s just that I’ve had this…feeling, ever since we got to Greg’s—sort of an itchy feeling, you know? Like there’s stuff I need at the bakery, but I don’t know what.” She shook her head. “That sounds insane, but it’s true.”
I knew the feeling.
“It might not be insane,” I suggested. “Maybe being there with all those ingredients might help you with your potion making.”
She twisted her hands together. And shrugged. “I hate to be that guy, but I feel like it would. That’s where I’m in my element. Plus, I’d have a heat source, too. Oh!” She snapped her fingers and turned to face me. “And remember, I have a daybed in my office there!”
She did, indeed, and we’d both used it many times on those days when she had so many orders, one or both of us had to go in at two AM to pop a tray in and would take a cat nap in between batches.
“Between that and the removable cushions on the benches in the shop, I wonder if we should consider moving there for good,” Zoe continued. “We’ll definitely be more comfortable there. Plus, it’s really close to the police station, which might be a deterrent for people with a hankering to kidnap and murder us.”
All true.
But the bakery was on a main road, and despite the various rooms n
ot visible from the street, it didn’t feel quite as clandestine and hidden as the library basement. Then again, if Zoe needed to be there to manifest her powers, anyway...
I was squarely on the fence. But all it took was a glance at Mee-maw’s weary face and pale skin to tip me over the edge. No matter how much of a spitfire she was, at her age and with her health issues, she needed hot meals and a comfortable place to sleep, at the very least.
It was a no brainer.
“I vote we give it a try. We pack up, go and at least see if being there helps Zoe with her powers. If not, or we feel like we’re too exposed, we reevaluate. ”
Mee-maw nodded. “Yup. If most of the Organization is going to be out of town anyway, then I say we might as well.”
Patrick put his hands in his pockets. “That seals it.”
“We’ll go to the bakery first thing tomorrow morning, then,” I said with a nod.
“And if the place is guarded?” Zoe protested.
“They don’t even know we’re back in Rocky Knoll yet, and they won’t have the manpower to have a guard at every possible location. My guess is they’ll be mostly focused on your grandmother’s house, and Connie’s shop to see if we go there for help.” Patrick’s face became a cryptic mask. “If I’m wrong and there’s a guard, I’ll take care of it.”
I rounded on him. “I don’t want anyone killed if we can help it, Patrick. Not even Organization members. I don’t want blood on my hands, and I’m pretty sure I’m speaking for Zoe and Mee-maw when I say that, too.” I stole a glance at Mee-maw, who was leaning on the table, looking as gung-ho as ever. “Well, I’m pretty sure I’m speaking for Zoe, at least,” I amended.
“We won’t need to resort to violence,” Patrick told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. I didn’t shrug it off. “I’m pretty good at getting what I want.”
At that moment, his phone began to ring. Stealing a glance at it, he gave me an apologetic look before putting it up to his ear and excusing himself.
I stared after him, unsure what to think. Yeah, so maybe he wasn’t a bad guy anymore, but there was more to find out about Patrick Byrne.
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