Page 100 of The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland
“What?”
“You just figured out what’s special about the way you say the spell. Isawyou realize it, don’t even lie. Tell me. It’s not like I don’t have the spell, not like I’m going to give up trying. This way, I’m doing it right instead of wrong, you know? Doing it wrong could be dangerous, and I know you wouldn’t want that.”
Attempting to think clearly, Beatrice tried to ignore the blatant manipulation attempt. It couldn’t be as easy as visualizing something, could it? Beatrice looked down at her tattoo, glowing with purple heat.
Evie Oxby said,Share what you know, and a deeper knowledge will return back to you.
As if Minna could hear her thinking about Oxby’s advice, she said, “We share what we learn with each other. That’s, like, Holland code.”
Well, shit. “If I tell you, you’ll try it.”
“I won’t.”
“Oh, yeah?”
Minna clasped her hands at her chest. “I promise I’ll try nothing alone, without telling you or Reno or Mom. Come on, Auntie Bea. You’re a Holland at heart, I know that. Share with me? Please?”
The girl was good. “You swear. Youswearthat you’ll tell me or your mom or Reno before you try it?”
“On my father’s grave.” Minna licked the tip of her finger and drew a cross over her heart. “I swear it.”
If I had one month left: I would try to be brave. I would try to be open.
“I imagine a pen going into a lock.”
Minna lifted and dropped her hands. “Why didn’t you justsaythat?”
“Because I didn’t know it was important! You keep forgetting I have no clue what I’m doing!”
“What kind of pen?”
“Fountain pen, long and skinny.”
“Old-school. I like it. What kind of lock?”
“Also old-fashioned. Heavy, dark metal. The kind of lock you’d picture on the gate of an old cemetery. Or hanging off a bridge in France, you know?”
Minna nodded. “Got it. So. Can we try it tonight? At the party?”
“Excuseme?”
“I’m telling you! I promised I would tell you or Mom or Reno!”
Beatrice’s heart sank. “But that whole ‘close one’ thing? Your mom seemed pretty serious about that. And the other night, when I tried it, and that… whatever it was chased us into the house?”
“Tonight is thebesttime. Not to be an asshole about it, but if we’re in some kind of danger, wouldn’t my father be even closer than normal to protect me? And since today’s his deathiversary, I was already going to try to reach him at midnight during the party. I usually try to contact him, but this time, it might work. Thanks to you.”
Something churned low in Beatrice’s gut. She scanned her mental inventory of theMagicspreadsheet—why didn’t she have aProtecting Otherscolumn? What was this dread? What was she missing? “I don’t like this.”
“Come with me, then.”
“Maybe. And your mom, too?”
Minna slammed a package of nitrile gloves onto the workbench. “She doesn’t get me. Only you do.”
Through the dread, Beatrice felt her heart expand a notch. This girl trusted her. “I hear you.”
“So you’ll come?”
