I stopped listening and wove my way through the cemetery, The Book of Moons pressed against my chest. I felt the heat radiating from it, as if the worn leather cover might burn me, too.
I knelt in front of Ethan’s mother’s grave. This was the spot where I’d left the black stone from my necklace for him. It seemed to work then; I could only hope it would work again. The Book of Moons had to be a whole lot more important than a rock.
My uncle stared at the headstone, transfixed. I wondered how long he would love her. Forever, that was my best guess.
For whatever reason, this place was a doorway I couldn’t find my way through. The important thing was that Ethan could open it somehow.
He had to.
I put the Book on the grave, touching it for what I hoped would be the last time.
I don’t know why you need it, Ethan. But here it is. Please come home.
I waited as if it might disappear right in front of me.
Nothing happened.
“Maybe we should leave it alone,” Link suggested. “Ethan probably needs privacy or somethin’ to do his ghost tricks.”
“He’s not a ghost,” I snapped.
Link held up his hands. “Sorry. His Sheer tricks.”
He didn’t realize that the word didn’t matter. It was the image the word called up in my mind. A pale, lifeless Ethan. Dead. The way I found him the night of my Sixteenth Moon, after Sarafine stabbed him. Panic pressed against my lungs like two hands squeezing the breath out of me. I couldn’t stand to think about it.
“Let’s leave it and see what happens,” John said.
“Absolutely not.” Uncle Macon was done indulging me. “I’m sorry, Lena—”
“What if it was Lila?”
His face clouded over at the mention of her name. The question hung in the air, but we both knew the answer.
If the woman he loved needed him, he would do anything to help—from this side of the grave or any other.
I knew that, too.
He studied me for a long moment. Then he sighed, nodding. “All right. You can try. But if it doesn’t work—”
“Yeah, yeah. We can’t just ditch the most powerful book in the Caster and Mortal worlds on some grave and walk away.” Ridley was still perched on the headstone, smacking her gum. “What if someone finds it?”
“I’m afraid Ridley’s right.” Uncle Macon sighed. “I’ll wait here.”
“I don’t think it will work if you’re here, sir. You’re a scary kinda person, too,” Link said as respectfully as possible. “Sir.”
“We are not leaving The Book of Moons unattended, Mr. Lincoln.”
An idea took hold slowly, stretching out until it was perfectly formed. “Maybe we don’t need someone to stay with the Book, but something.”
“Huh?” Link scratched his head.
I bent down. “Boo, come here, boy.”
Boo Radley stood up and shook his black fur, which was as thick as a wolf’s.
I dug my fingers behind his ears. “That’s my good boy.”
“Not a bad idea.” Rid put two fingers in her mouth and whistled.
“You really think one dog can fight off the Blood Pack if they show up?” Link asked.
Uncle Macon crossed his arms. “Boo Radley is hardly a common dog.”
“Even a Caster dog can use a little help,” Rid said.
A branch cracked, and something leaped from the bushes.
“Holy crap!” Link yanked the garden shears out of his waistband just as Bade’s paws hit the ground.
Leah Ravenwood’s enormous mountain cat growled.
Uncle M smiled. “My sister’s cat. An excellent idea. She does provide a certain level of intimidation that Boo lacks.”
Boo barked, offended.
“Here, kitty kitty.…” Ridley reached out her hand, and Bade stalked over.
Link stared at her. “You’re a total psycho.”
Bade growled at Link again, and Rid laughed. “You’re just mad because Bade doesn’t like you, Hot Stuff.”
John took a step back. “Yeah, well, I’m not petting her either.”
“So we leave the Book for a little while and see what happens.” I hugged Boo. “You stay here.” The Caster dog sat down in front of the grave like a guard dog, and Bade came over and stretched out in front of him lazily.
I stood up, but I was having trouble forcing myself to walk away.
What if something happened to it? The Book might be Ethan’s only chance to get back to me. Could I risk it?
John noticed I wasn’t moving, and pointed to the rise a few yards beyond the grave. “We can hang out on the other side in case they need some backup. Okay?”
Ridley hopped off the headstone, her platforms smacking against the border of the plot. In the South, that had to be the equivalent of something like seven years of bad luck. Maybe more in Gatlin.
She draped her arm over my shoulders and waved a lollipop in front of me. “Come on. I’ll tell you all about my adventures in shackles.”
Link jogged up next to us. “Did you say shackles? Those are like handcuffs, right?” He seemed a little too excited about hearing the details.
“Mr. Lincoln!” Uncle M looked like he wanted to strangle him.
Link stopped in his tracks. “Uh, sorry, sir. It was just a joke. You know…”
I let Ridley drag me down the other side of the hill while Link tried to talk his way out of trouble with Uncle Macon. John trudged behind us, his boots as heavy as any Mortal’s footsteps.
If I closed my eyes, I could pretend they were Ethan’s.
But it was getting harder and harder to pretend. I was Kelting to him before I even realized it, the same three words over and over.
Please come home.
I wondered if he could hear me. If he was already on his way.
I counted the minutes, wondering how long we should wait before checking on the Book. Even Link and Ridley’s banter couldn’t distract me, which was saying a lot.
“I think all this quarter-Incubus stuff is going to your head,” Ridley said.
Link flexed. “Or maybe it’s taking out the baddest badass around.”
Ridley rolled her eyes. “Please.”
“Do you two ever stop?” John asked.
They both whipped around to look at him. “Stop what?” they asked at the same time.
I was about to tell John not to bother, when I saw a streak of black in the sky.
The crow. The same one that had watched us when we went to meet Abraham. Maybe it was following us.
Maybe it knew something.
It dipped and circled the area above Ethan’s grave.
“It’s the crow.” I took off back up the hill.
John ripped and appeared at my side. “What are you talking about?”
Link and the others caught up to us. “Where’s the fire?”
I pointed at the bird. “I think that crow has been following us.”
Uncle Macon studied the bird. “Interesting.”
Ridley smacked her gum. “What?”
“A Seer like Amarie would tell you that many believe crows can cross between the world of the living and the world of the dead.”
We made it over the rise. Bade and Boo were staring up at the sleek black bird.
“So what? Even if it could fly from world to world, you really think that little bird could carry The Book a Moons?” Link asked.
I didn’t know. But the crow was connected to Ethan somehow. I was sure of it.
“Why is it circling like that?” John asked.
Ridley strolled up behind us. “It’s probably scared of the giant cat.”
For once, she might be right.
“Bade and Boo, go home,” I called. The big cat’s ears perked up at the sound of her name.
Boo hesitated and looked up at Uncle Macon.
He nodded to the dog. “Go on.”
Boo cocked his head. Then he turned and lumbered through the tall grass. Bade yawned, baring her huge white teeth, and followed, her tail swishing like a lion’s from one of the nature shows Link was always watching on the Discovery Channel. He blamed it on his mom, but in the last couple of months, I’d noticed him watching it by himself more than a few times.
The crow circled again and swooped toward us, landing on the headstone. Its beady black eyes seemed to be staring right at me.
“How come it’s checkin’ you out like that?” Link asked.
I stared back at the black bird.
Please. Take the Book or make it disappear. Whatever you have to do to get it to Ethan.
Uncle Macon looked at me from the other side of the headstone.
He can’t hear you, Lena. You can’t Kelt with a bird, I’m afraid.
I glared at my uncle. At this point, I would try anything.
How do you know?
The crow hopped down, its talons touching the thick leather cover for a split second before it squawked and pulled its legs up again quickly.
“I think the Book burned it,” John said. “Poor guy.”
I knew he was right. I felt the tears welling in my eyes. If the crow couldn’t touch the Book, how would we get it to Ethan? I’d left the black stone Ethan had asked for, the one from my charm necklace, right here on the grave. I didn’t know what had happened to it after that.
“Maybe the bird has nothing to do with it, and he’s just a messenger or something,” John offered.
I sniffled, swiping at my face. “Then what’s the message?”
John squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t worry.”
“How are we going to get the Book to Ethan? He needs it, or he can’t—” I couldn’t finish. I couldn’t stand to even think it.
We had risked our lives to track down Abraham Ravenwood, and we had found a way to kill him—at least Link had. The Book of Moons was right here at my feet, and there was no way to get it to Ethan.
“We’ll figure it out, Cuz.” Ridley picked up the Book, the back cover dragging across the stone. “Someone must have the answer.”
John smiled at me. “Someone does. Especially when it comes to that book. Come on—let’s go ask her.”
A flutter of hope filled my chest. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
He nodded. “It is Presidents’ Day, which was still a bank holiday the last time I checked.”
Ridley pulled on the bottom of her miniskirt, which didn’t move an inch. “Who’s thinking what, and where are we going?”
I grabbed her arm, tugging her down the hill. “Your favorite place, Rid. The library.”
“It’s not that bad,” she said, inspecting her purple nail polish. “Except for all those books.”
I didn’t respond.
There was only one book that mattered right now, and my whole world—and Ethan’s future—depended on it.
CHAPTER 26
Quantum Physics
From just inside the hidden grating that led into the Lunae Libri, I could see all the way down to the bottom of the stairs. Marian sat behind the circular reception desk, exactly where I knew she would be. Liv was pacing at the far end of the room, where the stacks began.
As we came down into the Lunae Libri, Liv’s neck snapped up. She bolted across the room the moment she saw John.