I don’t waste time scrolling through the options. There’s only one person I can trust who will know what to do.
I throw on the first clothes I stumble across and fly down the stairs and out the front door. Only when I get outside and see that all the lights are off inside Paige’s house do I remember that it was after eleven when Paige left, and that was ages ago. I can’t just knock on the front door, unless I want to explain all of this to Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy. No thank you—straitjackets do nothing for my figure.
I could call, but I’m already outside. Plus, let’s be honest: it’s not like I haven’t done this before. And so, stumbling over the unwound garden hose, I tiptoe around the side of their house until I’m standing beneath Paige’s window.
“Paige!” I stage-whisper. “Paige, it’s Indie.”
I wait only a second before I start feeling around on the ground for a rock to throw at her window.
“Bit of break and enter?”
I shriek and scuttle backward from the dark figure leaning against Paige’s house.
“Bishop?”
“You expecting another ridiculously handsome man to appear right now?”
“Oh, Bishop, thank God it’s you!” I push to my feet and plow into his chest, wrapping my arms around his middle and holding on to him like he might disappear at any moment.
“Uh, okay.” He laughs, then pats my back. “Not exactly what I was expecting, but I’ll take it. Shall we find a bedroom, or is here good for you?”
“They came, Bishop.” I pull back so I can look at him. Aside from serious five-o’clock shadow and a slouchy knit hat he sports despite the heat, he looks just like he did the last time I saw him: all height and leather and tattoos. “They wanted me to break some spell on the Bible,” I continue, “but I couldn’t because I’m not a witch, but they wouldn’t listen to me, so then they kidnapped Mom at knifepoint, and I have to find her, Bishop. I love her so much, even though it might not seem like it at times. But she can be so frustrating, you know? But I do love her—”
“Whoa, what? The Priory was here?”
The window above us cracks open, and Paige pokes her head out. “Indie, is that you?”
“Why are you here?” I ask Bishop. “Did you know about the Priory coming after me?”
“How would I know about that?” he asks defensively. “I only just got released from headquarters.”
“What’s going on down there?” Paige asks. “Is that Bishop with you?”
“Whatever, how do we get her back?” I ask.
“Well, since you asked,” he answers, “here’s what we’ll do. First we’ll drive to the sorcerers’ lair. Then we’ll knock on the front door and we’ll simply ask if they’d be so kind as to give your mother back. I’m sure they’ll be very reasonable.”
I cut him an icy glare.
“Look, I’m sorry if I’m being rude, but I don’t think you’re getting the gravity of this situation. I’m just one person. Who knows how many they’ve got down here.”
“Well, don’t you have any warlock friends? And what about the Family? Why not get them to help us?”
“No, I haven’t got any friends, and you’re forgetting that I just barely escaped headquarters after losing the Bible. The Family isn’t very likely to want to do me favors at the moment. And that’s not to mention the fact that they don’t care about your mom.” I gasp, but he shrugs. “I’m sorry, but they don’t. They’re worried about the lives of thousands of witches and warlocks; they don’t have time to save one human.”
“But the Bible! Won’t they want to get it back? Those guys have it.”
“You mean, won’t they want to run into a group of sorcerers with centuries of pent-up anger ready to explode at any moment? Sorcerers who’ve just discovered the secret means to kill them? Yeah—no. They’re busy building an army, planning defensive tactics, et cetera, et cetera.”
Tears of frustration well in my eyes.
“Hello!” Paige calls down. “Anyone care to tell me what’s going on? Is your mom in trouble or something, Indie?”
“Hold on. So what then, Bishop? You’re saying that it’s useless?” My voice cracks, and I don’t even care that I’m crying again. I don’t think I’ll care about anything until I get Mom back.
“I didn’t say useless,” Bishop corrects. “I said it wouldn’t be easy. And since you’re not getting any help from the Family, you’ve got to master your magic, and fast. Most witches take months to get any good at this stuff, but we obviously haven’t got that much time.”
“I told you: I’m not a witch.”
“And how do you know that? Just because you don’t know how to use your magic doesn’t mean it’s not there.”
“Told you so,” Paige says, leaning out the window.
I let this sink in. “So let me get this straight: you’re suggesting we practice magic before going after my mom?”