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Mattie looked at the picture in the book on Cameron’s kitchen table in front of her. Then she studied Trevor’s hands and compared the two. “No, I don’t think that’s quite it,” she said. “It looks like your pinky should be straight. Right?”
“Like this?” He frowned. “I thought magic was supposed to be intuitive. Like you’re always just making up the words to your spells. Why can’t I make up the gestures for my stitches?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Ask Tom. He’s the one who was teaching you stitching.”
“I did,” he sighed and mimicked Tom’s droll tones. “‘We’re just not as whimsical as the spellers are. If we had to make up a new gesture every time, we’d never get anything done.’”
“So who made them up to begin with?” she asked.
“No idea,” said Trevor. “All I know is that this isn’t working. Ida was right; finding Tillie with a stitch is beyond my capabilities.”
“So much for Plan C,” said Mattie, defeated. “We’re really working our way through the alphabet. What’s Plan D again?”
Trevor’s phone dinged from across the kitchen and he stood up, walking over to the counter to grab it as he answered her. “Calling every mage we know and grilling them for – Oh, my god.”
Mattie looked up. “What is it?”
“Phil just saw Tillie. She’s at the shop.”
Mattie jumped to her feet. “What? Okay, we’ve gotta get down there! What’s our plan for this?”
“F,” said Trevor. “It’s Plan F.”
“Right.” Mattie grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulders, following Trevor out the front door, toward the bicycles Cameron had gotten out of the garage for them to use in case they needed to leave while he was at work. Thankfully, Rebecca had left hers behind when she’d left, so Mattie helmeted up and got on. It was a little bit small, but definitely rideable, while Cameron’s bike was the perfect size for Trevor.
Mattie let out a whoop of pure joy as Trevor led the way down the small hill away from Cameron’s house. The brisk Seattle wind in her face was sublime, and they finally had eyes on Tillie! Maybe things were finally going her way.
“Don’t get too cozy,” Trevor called back to her. “There will be hills to go up too.”
“You ruin everything,” Mattie laughed. “Anyway, I live in Portland. I’m used to biking up hills.”
He shook his head and braked to move alongside her. “Portland doesn’t have hills like Seattle does.”
***
Twenty minutes later, as she struggled to the top of the final hill to the magic shop, she couldn’t help but agree. As she reached the crest, she was out of breath and sweating, despite the chill. She aimed her bike at a rack outside of the coffee shop.
As she and Trevor locked up their bikes and helmets, she had a strange feeling of disconnect. Bizarre as it was, looking for Tillie had become her reality, and it felt surreal to think that Tillie was suddenly so close. They were actually about to find her, and she had no idea what would come next.
She shook out her long hair, running a hand through it to undo any residual helmet hair. She always felt a little bit self-conscious when she was around Tillie. Even though they were identical, somehow Tillie had always been the pretty one.
“Hey!” Phil greeted them from his bench as they approached. “She hasn’t come out of the store. I’ve been here the whole time.”
“She’s really in there,” murmured Mattie.
Trevor grinned. “Let’s go!” He hurried to the door.
Mattie followed, a hopeful smile tugging at her lips. Her smile faded as she glanced into the small space and saw only Fawn Thompson, off to one side, unpacking a box of books and arranging them on a table. Maybe there was a back room.
Trevor pulled open the door and a loud mechanical bell DING-donged.
Fawn looked up at them and frowned. “Oh, it’s you. What do you want?”
“What do we want?” Mattie repeated. “Where’s my sister, you joyless harpy?”
Before Fawn could respond, the doorbell rang again. Mattie spun around, hoping to see Tillie. Instead, she saw the beige man who had taken her phone. “You!” she cried out.
Fawn pushed past Mattie and marched up to the man, making a shoving motion with her suddenly glowing hands. “I thought I told you never to come back here. You’re not welcome in my shop.”
The man stumbled backward slightly, quickly recovering and planting his feet. “And I told you that we’re on the same side, Ms. Thompson.”
Mattie grabbed Fawn’s arm. “You’re with the Auditors? What have you done with my sister?”
Fawn wrenched herself free and stepped backward, hissing. “Unhand me, you idiot. What do you know of Auditors? You know nothing about me or what I’ve been through.”
“I know this man is an Auditor,” Mattie yelled, flinging an arm in the direction of the beige man. She noted out of the corner of her eye that Trevor had quietly put himself between the Auditor and the door and was standing in some kind of martial arts stance.
Fawn narrowed her eyes and advanced on the man. “Is this true? Who are you, really?”
He raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I think we’ve all gotten off on the wrong foot. Maybe it’s time for me to introduce myself. My name is–”
Just then another voice came from the back of the shop – a warm, supremely familiar voice. “Mattie! Trevor! You’re here!”
Mattie whirled around and ran toward her twin. “Tillie! Oh, my god, it’s really you!”
Trevor reached Tillie at the same time Mattie did and the three of them ended up in a joyful, tearful, laughing group hug. “I’m so glad to see you both,” whispered Tillie after a moment.
Mattie leaned back to look at Tillie’s face. With a mischievous grin, she reached up and tousled her twin’s carefully coiffed hair. “Where the hell have you been?”
“Hey!” Tillie batted Mattie’s hand away. “Uncalled for!”
Trevor pulled Tillie out of Mattie’s reach and wrapped her in his own hug. “It was totally called for. We’ve been frantic.”
“I’m sorry, love,” Tillie murmured. “It happened so fast.”
A throat cleared behind them. Mattie turned and glared at Fawn. “Yes?”
Fawn raised an eyebrow. “Does someone want to explain what the hell is going on?”
DING-dong – the shop door opened once more and Mattie froze as the heavy-set speller and the slender stitcher ambled in. “Well, well, well,” said the man. “Isn’t this nice? All the gang’s together.”