Twenty-Four

The Team

One thing was certain: Fin could not do this alone.

She had her double, of course. Teafin wasn’t a monster or Fin’s evil twin or even the worst parts of herself. Because while Teafin had been running around, causing all kinds of chaos—it had all been to save Aldermere. And while it was reckless, it had also been brave.

Fin very much wanted to believe that she had that bravery in her.

But right now, she needed more than Teafin. She needed Eddie. And Cedar.

Fin leaped over the broken cracks in the sidewalk and the stray tree roots. She took a sharp left turn and cut through a backyard. The scents of autumn were crisp in her nose, and a chill crept up her bare arms.

Teafin moved alongside her, every step in unison. She didn’t move quite like a person—more like Fin’s shadow. She didn’t seem affected by the run, not even when Fin’s lungs began to burn. There were some advantages to being magical.

Finally the gleaming lights of the inn and that full parking lot came into view. Fin sprinted up the driveway, nearly colliding with a parent who’d slipped out to check a cell phone, unaware they didn’t work in Aldermere. Fin dodged around the adult, slowing as she approached the building. That side door was still propped open. “Stay out here,” said Fin. “I don’t want anyone else to see you.”

Teafin crossed her arms. “I look like you.”

“Exactly,” said Fin. “And if someone sees two of us, there’ll be some awkward questions.” She slipped through the door, her heart hammering against her rib cage.

A timid voice echoed through the speakers. Fin saw a girl she didn’t know at the podium, haltingly explaining her poster on climate change. The parents were watching—some more raptly than others—while most of the kids were fidgeting with their own projects. Eddie stood beside their lizard terrarium, fingers tapping anxiously against his thigh.

Fin pushed through the crowds until she stood beside him. Eddie’s shoulders slumped with relief. “Oh. You’re here. I thought—I thought you’d run off and thrown up in a trash can and decided to stay away and let me do the speech—”

“Come on,” she said, tugging on his sleeve. “We’ve got to go.”

Eddie gaped at her. He gestured vaguely at the podium. “We’re up after two groups!”

“Aldermere is in danger,” she said in a low whisper, trying to infuse every word with urgency. “I need your help.”

Eddie went silent, his mouth still half open. But he nodded.

She turned and started walking, and Eddie followed. She squeezed between two parents and began angling herself sideways, darting between tables until she was nearly at the door.

Then Cedar was there, a line between her brows. She must have been watching. “What’s wrong?” she said.

“No time,” Fin said desperately. “I need—outside.”

Cedar didn’t hesitate; she pushed the door open wider and the three of them spilled out beside the dumpsters. Fin shut the door behind them and the speakers went abruptly quiet.

“What’s going on?” said Eddie. “What’s—whoa!”

Teafin stepped out of the shadows.

Eddie whirled his arms around, like someone trying to catch his balance, and it took Fin a moment to realize that he was trying to do some kind of martial arts.

“Oh, stop that,” said Teafin. “You look like one of those ‘how to spot drowning people’ videos we had to watch in swimming class.”

Eddie dropped his arms. He looked between Fin and Teafin, clearly expecting something to happen.

“It’s a long story,” said Fin, “and I promise to fill everyone in later, but right now—Ben’s after the magical tea. He knows about Talia’s mortar and he’s going to steal it. We have to stop him.”

Eddie blinked a few times. He looked as though Fin had asked him to solve a complicated math problem. “What?”

“Ben’s behind all of it,” said Fin. “He was the one who mugged Mrs. Brackenbury, who broke into Mr. Madeira’s house, who stole from the tea shop. I think he wants to try and sell the tea himself, making it into some kind of touristy thing.”

Cedar looked frightened. “But if the entire world finds out—”

“Aldermere will be flooded with people,” said Fin. “People who won’t care about protecting the magic. We have to stop Ben. If we could get to the mortar first—”

“We should get Mom,” said Eddie. “She ran to the bathroom, but she’ll be back soon. Or . . . I don’t know. Aren’t we supposed to go to police officers or something?”

“The nearest police station is thirty miles away,” said Cedar. “And I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t help much right now.”

“You mean when a twenty-something decides to break all the unwritten laws of the town and sell magical tea to everyone he can because it’ll make him rich, regardless of the consequences to the town and its people?” said Teafin scornfully. “Yeah, that sounds exactly like something the cops would deal with.”

Eddie squinted at her. “I’m sorry, aren’t you evil?”

“I’m just uninhibited,” said Teafin, unabashed.

“And she’s on our side,” said Fin.

Cedar looked in the direction of the tea shop. “We have to get there first.”

Eddie rubbed at his forehead. “But we—Fin, we have to give our presentation in ten minutes. If we run . . .”

Fin’s stomach sank. If they did leave, then they wouldn’t be back in time. They’d miss giving their presentation. And they’d probably end up with a failing grade.

She’d never failed a project or a test. Those times she’d gotten lower grades, she’d worked herself up into a frenzy of extra credit and sleepless nights because the idea of letting people down, of having the adults think she was failing—it had been unbearable.

“There are more important things than grades,” said Teafin.

Fin looked at the other girl. Teafin’s steel-silver eyes were full of understanding, but her mouth was set. She’d made up her mind. Which meant some part of Fin’s mind was made up too. She said, “Cedar—you try to find my mom or Aunt Myrtle and tell them to meet us at the tea shop.”

Cedar nodded. She touched her fingers to Fin’s bare arm, a brief little pressure. “You be careful,” she said, then turned and vanished inside.

Fin turned to face Eddie. His expression was creased with worry and . . . indecision. He clearly wanted to stay, to beat River. But Aldermere was his home too.

“Eddie, please,” she said softly.

Eddie glanced between Fin and Teafin. It felt like an eternity stretched out in those scant moments, and then he nodded. “I’ll help.”

Her shoulders slumped in relief. “Thank you,” she said, meaning it.

Eddie slid another wary look toward Teafin. “You sure she’s on our side?”

“She’s me,” said Fin. “I tried—I guess I tried to push that away, but she’s still part of me.”

Teafin gave Eddie a sharp little grin.

Eddie did not look reassured. “All right then.” He straightened his shoulders, mouth set. Fin knew that look—once he’d made a decision, he’d stick to it. “What can I do?”

Fin took a breath, then another, trying to steady herself. “Get Mrs. Petrichor and tell her that Ben’s about to set the tea shop on fire.” Fin remembered the way Ben had shied away from Mrs. Petrichor; if anyone could frighten him off, maybe it was her.

Eddie blinked. “Is he going to set it on fire?”

“Once he gets the mortar, who knows?” said Fin. “But it’ll get her there fast.”

Eddie nodded. “What are you going to do?”

Fin hesitated for a moment. “Stall Ben, if I can. Get the mortar if he hasn’t already.”

“You can do it,” said Eddie. He reached out and squeezed her arm for a moment. Then he turned, pushed the branch of a redwood aside, and vanished into the forest. He would get to Mrs. Petrichor’s house faster cutting through the backwoods.

Distantly, Fin heard the sound of feedback from the speakers. She winced, her heart lurching in her chest. There was no winning all of the battles, not tonight. She had to choose: her mask of normality or her town.

She picked Aldermere. She would always pick Aldermere.

“Come on,” she said to Teafin.

Teafin grinned.

Together they ran toward the tea shop. They cut around the back of several houses, through the underbrush. Teafin moved like liquid dark, slipping in and out of the shadows, silver eyes focused ahead.

Ben. Ben had been lying to her this whole time—all those friendly smiles, that courteous demeanor. He had been waiting for his opportunity to use the magic to make money, never caring what would happen to the town. Talia had gone to such lengths to protect the tea shop and the magic. And now it was all for nothing.

No, Fin thought fiercely. It wouldn’t be for nothing. Her steps quickened. Branches hit her bare arms, redwood needles brushing as they sprinted through another backyard.

Finally the tea shop came into view. They were coming at it from the back; Fin caught sight of that familiar back door, the overgrown ferns, and the peeling paint.

“Looks empty,” said Teafin. “The raven must have found Ben. Come on, we need to get the mortar to a safe place.”

“Will the back door still be unlocked?” asked Fin.

Teafin shrugged. “I think so. The real question is, what do we do if Ben shows up?”

Fin glanced over, saw the silver gleam of Teafin’s gaze on her. “He wants magic,” said Fin. “Maybe he’d like to meet a tea monster.”

Teafin smiled so wide that Fin thought she could feel the echo of it behind her own teeth.

And together they stepped from the forest.