“But we need to talk inside the house,” Scarlett said. She wanted the full force of the Ravens’ protective spells between her sisters and the girl trying to destroy them.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Vivi
Vivi sprinted across campus, ignoring the amused or confused looks from the revelers she left in her wake. She passed groups of giggling girls teetering in heels, boisterous boys wearing too much aftershave, and cozy couples walking hand in hand or sitting under the romantic glow of a gas lamp.
Her shame over kissing Mason, so urgent and intense just moments ago, had been swept away by a supercharged mix of adrenaline and fury. She’d finally made a breakthrough with her talisman research and found a real clue. Except that the clue led directly to her mother and meant that she’d apparently been lying to Vivi her entire life.
As she ran, Vivi pulled out her phone and called her mother for the third time since she’d left the snack bar. This time, Daphne picked up. “Everything all right, sugar snap?” she asked. “I’m in the middle of a crystal ritual but I saw your missed calls and thought I’d better check.”
Vivi slowed to a fast walk. Panting heavily, she asked, “Do you have the Henosis talisman?”
Daphne paused just a fraction of a second too long, then said, “What on earth are you talking about, sweetheart? What talisman?”
“I saw a photo of you wearing it. Why do you keep lying to me? I know you were a Raven and I know you have the talisman.”
“I never lied to you, Vivi. Everything I did was to protect you.”
“Well, you’ve done a pretty shitty job at it, because now some psycho is threatening to kill the Ravens one by one until we hand over the talisman.”
“You have to get out of there,” Daphne said urgently. “Right now. I’ll find somewhere in Savannah you can stay, and then I’ll come get you.”
“What? Are you serious? I’m not abandoning my sisters. I just need the talisman. Do you have it with you? I won’t tell anyone you were the one who stole it, I promise.”
“I didn’t steal anything.” A chill had crept into Daphne’s voice. “The situation is far more complicated than you understand—”
“That’s not an excuse! Keeping information from me doesn’t make me safer. Why can’t you understand that? Where are you now? Let me come get the talisman and you can explain everything to me then.”
There was a long pause. “I can’t do that, Vivi, I’m sorry.”
“Okay . . . then bring it to me. It’s a matter of life and death. My friend Tiffany is going to die if we don’t find the talisman.”
“I’m sorry,” Daphne said again softly. “But it’s not in my power. Please take care of yourself, okay? I love you.”
The line went dead.
Vivi cursed and threw her phone down on the grass, then crouched to pick it up again with a groan. Fine, if Daphne wanted to be cagey, then Vivi would just have to find her.
* * *
Even before she made it up the front path, Vivi could tell that the house was abuzz with activity. She stopped to catch her breath next to Mei, who was standing on the walkway waving a bundle of herbs in front of her face. Across the lawn, Etta was planting a shrub with white flowers. She wore thick gardening gloves and seemed to be taking care not to let the blossoms touch her skin.
“What’s going on?” Vivi asked, still breathing heavily from her sprint across campus.
“It’s Gwen,” Mei said without looking away from her herbs. “Scarlett saw her perform wicked magic to undo the binding spell.”
“So it’s true?” Vivi said, shivering despite the warmth that lingered from her run.
“Yes, she apparently got her powers back somehow. And after what happened with Tiffany, we’re not taking any more chances. Dahlia says we can’t let Gwen get near any of us, so I’m increasing the protective charms while Etta plants hogweed in the lawn—it hides the presence of magic, which will make it more difficult for Gwen, or any intruder, to identify the spells we used.”
“Got it. So where’s Scarlett?” Vivi asked, wiping her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. “I need to talk to her.”
“I think she’s with Dahlia in Dahlia’s office.”
With a hurried thanks, Vivi tore off toward the house, mind already racing through the list of things she needed to do. Tell Scarlett and Dahlia about her mother and the talisman. Then find Daphne.
And tell Scarlett that you just kissed her ex, a voice reminded Vivi. At the moment, the prospect seemed almost more terrifying than facing wicked magic.
She ran up the stairs to the fourth floor, jogged down the long hallway, and skidded to a stop when she heard raised voices spilling out of Dahlia’s office.
“—irresponsible. Working with some outsider over your own sisters.” Dahlia sounded pissed.
“I already told you; he’s been following Gwen. He had useful information.” Scarlett’s voice was softer, almost contrite.
“But he didn’t see anything, did he? You didn’t tell him anything about us.”
Scarlett hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Of course not,” she said in a haughty tone that didn’t quite conceal the note of worry.
To judge by the long pause that followed, Dahlia heard it too. To Vivi’s surprise, though, after a moment, Dahlia just sighed. “Scarlett, you’re not acting very presidential right now. I expect our future leader to put the needs of Kappa before anything else. Especially before her own hormones. And you can stop lurking out there, Vivian,” Dahlia called in a louder voice. “Come in.”
Vivi’s face flushed with embarrassment that only increased when Scarlett opened the door. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?” she asked, surveying Vivi with such genuine concern that her embarrassment quickly gave way to shame. No, I’m not okay, because my mother has been lying to me my whole life but even that’s not as shitty as what I just did to you. “I think I may have a lead,” Vivi said as she stepped into the office, a small but beautifully decorated room with an ornately carved wooden desk, wine-colored wallpaper, and shelves full of books, candles, and animal skeletons.
“Really? Great. What did you find?” Scarlett asked eagerly, her excitement a stark contrast to Dahlia, who was staring at Vivi with an inscrutable expression. “What’s going on?” Scarlett said, turning from Dahlia to Vivi.
“Ask your Little,” Dahlia said coolly. “Though I’m surprised you don’t know already. Her thoughts are so loud, she’s practically screaming.”
“You know I’m not good at mind-reading. Can you please just tell me so we can keep things moving?” Scarlett crossed her arms and glowered.
Dahlia raised an eyebrow at Vivi. “I think it’s better if Vivi explains.”
She can’t know, Vivi thought desperately. There were mind-reading spells but she didn’t think even Dahlia was powerful enough to read Vivi’s thoughts on the spot, without even touching her.
“Fine,” Dahlia snapped. “Vivi is afraid you’ll find out what just happened with Mason.”