third time, Chloe pulls away.
“We can’t do this,” she says. “It’s wrong.”
Peregrine rolls her eyes and tries to grab Chloe’s hand. “Oh come on, goody-two-shoes,” she says. “You don’t have a problem when we’re making boys fall in love with you , but now you don’t want to complete my charm?”
Goose bumps prickle up and down my arms as I try to process what they’re saying.
“This is different,” Chloe says in a small voice. “Especially after Glory . . .”
Peregrine laughs, and the sound cuts through the still night air like a knife. “Glory’s death had nothing to do with this.”
“But don’t you think we should be trying to figure out what happened to her instead of playing?” Chloe asks.
“You don’t think I’m doing that?” Peregrine demands. “I’m exhausted. There’s no harm in creating a teeny, tiny exception to the protection charm so that we can have a little fun as a reward for all our hard work.”
“I just really, really don’t think it’s a good idea,” Chloe replies.
Peregrine’s eyes narrow, and she says, “Well, I didn’t think it was a good idea to cast a charm on Hazel Arceneaux when she tried to hit on Justin, did I? But I did it because it was important to you.”
“That’s different,” Chloe mumbles. “Justin’s my soul mate.”
“You’re being a hypocrite,” Peregrine says calmly. “Now are you in, or am I going to have to throw this party all by myself?”
I wait for Chloe to fight back, but instead she says something under her breath, grabs the hands of Peregrine and Pascal, and says along with them in a low voice, “ Mesi, zanset .”
“There,” Peregrine says, dropping Chloe’s hand. “Was that so bad?”
“I hate you sometimes,” Chloe says, but I can see a small smile on her face, and Peregrine begins to laugh.
Pascal is watching them with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you sure it worked?”
Peregrine glares at him.
“I was really looking forward to the idea of hot sorority girls arriving on our doorstep like pizza delivery,” he says. “But usually we can feel it if a charm works, and I didn’t feel a damned thing this time.”
“Me neither,” Chloe agrees. She hesitates and adds in a small voice. “Maybe we’re running out of power.”
“You two are so tiresome.” Peregrine sighs.
“Don’t you think it’s maybe time we get Eveny involved?” Chloe asks.
What the . . .
“It’s not like we have a choice,” Peregrine mutters.
“So we’ll talk to her tomorrow?” Chloe asks.
“You better hope you’re right about her,” Pascal says, “or everything goes to hell around here.”
Without waiting for a reply, he stomps off into the darkness, away from where I’m standing.
“I don’t think she knows anything yet,” Chloe says stiffly after the sound of his footsteps has faded. “At all.”
Peregrine makes a noise. “Well, her hippie aunt is completely senseless. What do you expect?”
Chloe kicks at the dirt. “I don’t know. In a way, it must have been kind of nice to have a normal life all these years, don’t you think?”
“A normal life?” Peregrine repeats. “I can’t think of anything more pointless. Not when you have powers like ours.”
She grabs her bag from the ground, stomping off before Chloe can respond.
I stand still for a good five minutes to make absolutely sure Peregrine, Chloe, and Pascal are gone. Then I give in to the weakness in my knees and slowly slide down the tomb until I’m sitting in the dirt. I can’t understand why they’d mention Aunt Bea and me.
I knew the Dolls were odd, but is it possible they actually believe they have some sort of magical powers? Though as much as I want to dismiss what I just saw as some sort of sorority ritual, I can’t deny the way the air got deathly still the instant they began their ceremony, or how a breeze picked up as soon as they began to dance.
I struggle to my feet and creep into the clearing,
“We can’t do this,” she says. “It’s wrong.”
Peregrine rolls her eyes and tries to grab Chloe’s hand. “Oh come on, goody-two-shoes,” she says. “You don’t have a problem when we’re making boys fall in love with you , but now you don’t want to complete my charm?”
Goose bumps prickle up and down my arms as I try to process what they’re saying.
“This is different,” Chloe says in a small voice. “Especially after Glory . . .”
Peregrine laughs, and the sound cuts through the still night air like a knife. “Glory’s death had nothing to do with this.”
“But don’t you think we should be trying to figure out what happened to her instead of playing?” Chloe asks.
“You don’t think I’m doing that?” Peregrine demands. “I’m exhausted. There’s no harm in creating a teeny, tiny exception to the protection charm so that we can have a little fun as a reward for all our hard work.”
“I just really, really don’t think it’s a good idea,” Chloe replies.
Peregrine’s eyes narrow, and she says, “Well, I didn’t think it was a good idea to cast a charm on Hazel Arceneaux when she tried to hit on Justin, did I? But I did it because it was important to you.”
“That’s different,” Chloe mumbles. “Justin’s my soul mate.”
“You’re being a hypocrite,” Peregrine says calmly. “Now are you in, or am I going to have to throw this party all by myself?”
I wait for Chloe to fight back, but instead she says something under her breath, grabs the hands of Peregrine and Pascal, and says along with them in a low voice, “ Mesi, zanset .”
“There,” Peregrine says, dropping Chloe’s hand. “Was that so bad?”
“I hate you sometimes,” Chloe says, but I can see a small smile on her face, and Peregrine begins to laugh.
Pascal is watching them with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you sure it worked?”
Peregrine glares at him.
“I was really looking forward to the idea of hot sorority girls arriving on our doorstep like pizza delivery,” he says. “But usually we can feel it if a charm works, and I didn’t feel a damned thing this time.”
“Me neither,” Chloe agrees. She hesitates and adds in a small voice. “Maybe we’re running out of power.”
“You two are so tiresome.” Peregrine sighs.
“Don’t you think it’s maybe time we get Eveny involved?” Chloe asks.
What the . . .
“It’s not like we have a choice,” Peregrine mutters.
“So we’ll talk to her tomorrow?” Chloe asks.
“You better hope you’re right about her,” Pascal says, “or everything goes to hell around here.”
Without waiting for a reply, he stomps off into the darkness, away from where I’m standing.
“I don’t think she knows anything yet,” Chloe says stiffly after the sound of his footsteps has faded. “At all.”
Peregrine makes a noise. “Well, her hippie aunt is completely senseless. What do you expect?”
Chloe kicks at the dirt. “I don’t know. In a way, it must have been kind of nice to have a normal life all these years, don’t you think?”
“A normal life?” Peregrine repeats. “I can’t think of anything more pointless. Not when you have powers like ours.”
She grabs her bag from the ground, stomping off before Chloe can respond.
I stand still for a good five minutes to make absolutely sure Peregrine, Chloe, and Pascal are gone. Then I give in to the weakness in my knees and slowly slide down the tomb until I’m sitting in the dirt. I can’t understand why they’d mention Aunt Bea and me.
I knew the Dolls were odd, but is it possible they actually believe they have some sort of magical powers? Though as much as I want to dismiss what I just saw as some sort of sorority ritual, I can’t deny the way the air got deathly still the instant they began their ceremony, or how a breeze picked up as soon as they began to dance.
I struggle to my feet and creep into the clearing,
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