DARJA
“I can’t believe that…that…asshole!”
Sofi said nothing, just stared ahead, her fingers white where they were wrapped around the steering wheel. She hadn’t said a word since we’d gotten in the car, but the growl of the engine as she pressed harder and harder on the gas seemed to echo what she was feeling.
I was nearly vibrating with rage. What would have happened if I hadn’t shown up when I did? If I hadn’t surprised Sofi and snagged his attention away from whatever he was planning to do with the instruments on that tray? I didn’t want to think about it.
“Some father.” I spat the word out as if it tasted bad in my mouth. Which it did. I wouldn’t trade having Sofi as a sister for anything in this world or the otherworld…but I resented the fact that we both had to share DNA with Dr. Evil.
Sofi was still silent, and when I looked closely, I could see that her lower lip was trembling. I couldn’t imagine how hard she was working to keep it together, when all I wanted to do was fall apart.
“I should have blasted him,” I muttered, more to myself than anything, so I was surprised when Sofi responded.
“With what?”
“With magic,” I said. “I should have sent him straight into the next county.”
I saw a grim half-smile quirk the corner of Sofi’s mouth. “You could have done it, too,” she said softly.
“Well, I didn’t need to, because apparently my sister is a badass.”
She laughed at this, but I could hear the edge of desperation in it.
“What are we going to do, Darja?”
“We’re going to go back to the wagon and get Mirtel and Aggie. The Council’s going to be after us now for sure. It isn’t safe for us to stay here. We need to leave.”
“And go where?”
I sighed in frustration. “I don’t know. Somewhere… away from this stupid town and this stupid cult.”
Sofi glanced at me out of the corner of her eye. “So, you want to just run away?”
I shook my head. “No. I’d like to light a match and watch the place burn first. But since I’m probably going to get vetoed on that, I think we should go somewhere safe until we can figure out how to stop the festival.”
“But where?”
“No idea. For now, just drive.”
Sofi tightened her grip on the steering wheel and I heard the engine rev. “That I can do.”
Aggie was outside when we pulled into the drive, wearing her trademark frown. She looked stunning. Grouchy, but stunning.
“Hey,” I greeted her as I flickered over to her side. I raised a hand to brush it against her cheek, and her eyelids fluttered shut. But my fingers met only mist, dissolving into nothingness. She must have ended the spell. But there was no time for hurt feelings just now.
Sofi got out of the car, looking even more wild and unkempt, and Aggie tilted her head, her eyebrows furrowed.
“What happened?” she asked Sofi. “Are you okay?”
Sofi shook her head. “No. None of us are. Is Mirtel inside?”
Aggie nodded. “Yes, but—”
The door swung open then, and Mirtel stepped out onto the wooden stairs, smiling with relief when she saw Sofi.
“Oh, I’m so glad you’re back, dear,” she said, knotting a scarf around her hair. “It’s time for us to be going.”
I was just about to ask her if she could read minds when she bent down to retrieve an ancient-looking carpet bag from inside the doorway, and I caught a glimpse of a figure behind her, lanky and hunched awkwardly, as if trying to make himself less conspicuous.
“Stephen?” Sofi said, and her voice was a mix of betrayal and relief.
“I called him,” Mirtel said, her tone placating. “Sofi, we need him. He can help us. I’ve got something to show you, once we’re somewhere safe. But just now, I don’t think it’s wise for us to stay here.”
“You’re not the only one,” I muttered.
Sofi’s jaw was clenched, but I could see her shoulders had gone slack. I didn’t think she had any more fight in her at that moment.
“You’re right,” she said with a sigh. “We were just coming here to tell you the same thing. So, where are we going?”
Stephen straightened up and ducked around Mirtel, taking her bag and carrying it down the front steps.
“My parents’ house,” he said, giving Sofi a sheepish smile.
“And exactly how are you going to explain your entourage of ghost girls and an old lady?” I asked.
Stephen laughed, but I was mostly serious. “They aren’t there,” he said, opening the trunk of his car and putting Mirtel’s bag inside. “It’s their summer house, but they won’t be there for at least a month.”
Sofi and I exchanged a glance. I barely knew Stephen had parents, let alone that they owned a summer house. I shrugged at Sofi—I had to admit, I was curious.
Sofi shook her head, somewhat ruefully. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”
The sun was just beginning to sink into the horizon as we pulled into the long, curving drive. As it turned out, Stephen had been wrong—it wasn’t a summer house…it was a summer mansion. It rose up from behind a dense cover of evergreens, sprawling just beyond an ornate iron gate. Through the trees, I could see a silver shimmer, and I realized the house must be situated right on the edge of a lake.
We’d driven more than an hour outside Vaikesti, and with each mile, I’d felt a little of the tension of the last few days begin to release. Stephen and Sofi had made polite, if slightly strained, conversation in the front, while Mirtel hummed contentedly to herself in the back. Aggie and I had squeezed in too, since we didn’t know where the house was or how to transport ourselves.
But I wouldn’t have wanted to miss experiencing it like this, pulling through the gate and driving slowly through the trees until the full majesty of the house was revealed. I didn’t know what the style would be called, though it made me think of an old English manor, all ivy-covered brick, boxy hedges and climbing roses. I hadn’t ever seen anything like it, which wasn’t surprising, since I hadn’t ever really been outside of Vaikesti.
“Oh, my…” Mirtel breathed as we pulled into a four-car garage, and I concurred. It was overwhelming in every way—a bizarre mix of very old and very modern, designed to blend as seamlessly as possible.
There were no cars in the garage, just what looked to be a workshop set up in the far corner, complete with massive power tools whose names and purposes I didn’t know, and wall-to-wall toolboxes in blindingly shiny chrome.
Stephen parked his car and got out, fumbling with a light switch that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. The lights came up slowly, creating a soft glow that seemed to emanate from all around us, though I couldn’t see any light fixtures anywhere.
At the door, Stephen punched in a lengthy series of numbers on a keypad that lit up beneath his fingers. He seemed to be holding his breath while it beeped at him for a long moment, and then we heard a distinctive “click” from the door as it unlatched.
“Come on in,” Stephen said over his shoulder. He pushed open the door and paused for a split second, seeming to steel himself before stepping inside.
The lights came on automatically as we filed through the doorway, illuminating our way through an entry hall and into a massive, gleaming white kitchen.
“Air on,” Stephen said into the empty room.
“Turning on air conditioning,” said a female voice, and we heard a whoosh as the system kicked on. Sofi and I looked at each other with raised eyebrows. We weren’t total bumpkins. We understood the technology. Just like most other teens, Vaikesti kids (or at least, those not in the koolis) had smartphones and video games. But most of the homes were simpler. More old-fashioned. I’d never seen anything like this before.
Stephen shook his head. “It’s so over-the-top, I know. My parents had it all installed last summer. Apparently, all the neighbors have smart houses, so that means they should, too.”
None of us said anything, until finally Mirtel murmured, “Goodness.”
Stephen seemed embarrassed, but I couldn’t imagine why. His parents had to be filthy rich to afford this kind of place. My only question was why in the hell would he drive a Honda if he was that loaded?
I didn’t get a chance to ask, because my attention was stolen as Stephen said, “Open blinds,” and the woman confirmed, “Blinds opening.” We heard a mechanical whir, and then a flood of light spilled in as the blinds in the adjacent living room began to lift.
The entire wall seemed to be floor-to-ceiling windows, and as the view was slowly revealed, I went completely speechless. The lake extended out almost endlessly from the back of the house, glimmering orange and red in the fiery glow of the setting sun. I could just make out the opposite shore, a solid wall of green without another house in sight. I couldn’t believe Stephen had never told us about this place. It was heavenly.
“We can sit outside,” he said finally, gesturing toward a set of French doors that led out onto a massive, three level deck. Just outside the doors was a kitchen outfitted with stainless steel grills and a full-size fridge. An enormous table stretched most of the length of the deck, and on the other side was a large covered hot tub.
Stephen led us down a set of stairs to the middle deck, which was covered in cushioned chairs and chaise lounges. Below us was the bottom deck, which led out to a small beach and a boat dock.
Sofi took it all in, then turned to Stephen. “Wow. This is…”
Stephen’s face went beet red. “It’s obnoxious. Practically obscene.”
“I think it’s gorgeous,” Sofi said softly, but Stephen only went redder, if that was even possible.
He pulled over a small table and started arranging Adirondack chairs around it.
“Mirtel, do you have it?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” Mirtel said, settling herself into a chair and pulling the binder out of her bag. She placed it on the table and opened it up. “This,” she said, “is the answer to our little problem.”
“Little?” Aggie asked incredulously, and Mirtel gave her a sly grin.
I wasn’t sure if I was annoyed with Mirtel’s sunny attitude, or comforted by it. Sofi didn’t seem to be sure, either. She eyed the pages warily.
“What is all this?”
“A spell,” Mirtel said. “Or, an anti-spell, if you will. These are the instructions to counteract the magic the town is planning to cast at the festival.”
Aggie shook her head. “What does that mean, exactly? What will we have to do?”
“Essentially, we’ll cast the same spell at the same time. If the power of our spell is balanced with theirs, the spells will cancel one another out.”
“Wait,” I said, looking around at the others, who all looked as skeptical as I felt. “Our magic has to be as strong as the magic of the entire town?”
Mirtel’s smile slipped, but it didn’t fade. “Well, that is the rub. But I believe if we work now to hone our skills and harness as much of the magic as possible, we can match their power.”
“And, uh, how long is it until your…uh…festival?” Stephen asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Sofi’s face was grim. “Two weeks,” she said.
“So…two weeks for the four of you to become as strong as…hundreds of other people?”
I sighed, watching the sun sink down into the water. “I guess we’ve got some work to do.”