“So, we’re leaving,” Breakfast said disbelievingly.
“I am,” Una said, uncertainty creeping into her eyes. “But I can’t force you to come with me.”
“If you’re going, I’m going,” he growled. “I told you—you’re never getting rid of me. Even if I have to follow you to another universe.”
“Good.” She smiled, suddenly shy, and took his hand.
Tristan stood. “I have paper and pens in my car. We should let Scot’s family know where to find him. And we should all leave notes for our families.” He looked at Lily, one corner of his mouth tilted up in a regretful smile. “It isn’t right to just disappear on people.”
They hiked back to Tristan’s car in silence. Lily reached out to Juliet in mindspeak and shared what had happened and how they had come to the decision to worldjump. Juliet fought Lily leaving at first, but she stopped when Lily pointed out that their mother could be next.
I wish I could go with you, Lily.
No! It really is unbelievably dangerous there, Juliet. And anyway, you need to stay with Mom.
Aren’t you at least going to come back and say good-bye, Lily?
I don’t know if I can, Jules.
Lily looked up at the rest of the group. “Do you guys want to go home and say good-bye to your families in person?” she asked.
“We can’t run the risk of being separated. Carrick wants you all to panic and scatter,” Rowan objected gently. “If you split up to go to your homes, I guarantee Carrick will be waiting for one of you. It’s what I’d do.”
“And all of us going to each other’s houses together would take too long,” Una added. She looked down at her blood-soaked clothes. “We’d get caught for sure.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t put it past Simms to come by my house at dawn. Or any one of our houses,” Lily said.
“She likes to drop by and harass suspects,” Tristan said bitterly. “She came to my house every day for a week straight after you disappeared, Lily.”
“It’s probably better if we just leave letters and go now,” Una said, her voice rough. They all stopped and looked at one another, their faces saddened as the enormity of their decision sank in.
“Wow. This is it,” Breakfast said, stunned.
“Yeah,” Una said, nodding and looking blankly at the ground.
Lily reached out to Juliet and let her know of their decision to leave immediately. While the sisters discussed what Juliet should tell Simms, Una and Breakfast helped each other compose farewell letters for their families. Tristan insisted on being the one to write the letter for Scot’s parents. He knew them best.
“What are you going to say to them?” Breakfast asked.
Tristan shrugged, at a loss. “I guess I’ll tell them he died trying to save someone else. Maybe thinking he died a hero will help.”
Breakfast gave Tristan a doubtful look, but he didn’t object. What could any of them really say to their parents besides good-bye and I love you?
“Tristan,” Rowan said, pulling Tristan aside. “Do you have chains or rope in your car?”
“No. I have bungee cords,” he said, opening the trunk. “What do you need them for?”
Lily answered for Rowan. “You’ll have to tie me down so I don’t instinctively jump off the pyre when you burn me.” A heavy pause followed. “There’s no other way to worldjump, you guys,” she said calmly. Something occurred to her, and the words were out of her mouth before she could recall where they’d come from. “I’m a witch. And witches burn.”
They placed their good-bye letters in a neat row on the dashboard and left the car doors unlocked. Dawn was near. They were running out of time.
“The people in the house over there will report an abandoned car when they wake up,” Tristan said, gesturing down the block. “We should go.”
They hiked back through the woods and built Lily’s pyre.
Juliet. I’m leaving now. Take care of Mom.