Page 81 of The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland
For one second, Beatrice felt powerful. “You have no right to tell me what to do. None. Are you getting that?”
Silence. Astrid stared at the table.
“Hello? I need you to hear me. You may not order me around, you can’t tell me what—”
Astrid reached forward for the two cards that had leaped from the deck. “The Tower.”
It didn’t look good, people leaping from a burning building.
“And the three of swords. The card of heartbreak.”
Beatrice was pretty damn sure that any of the cards that Astrid pulled out of that deck were going to tell the story thatAstridwanted to tell. No objectivity. Obviously. “Whatever you say. I’m sure it’s all very terrifying. I’m not an idiot, and I can see that something’s going wrong here. But you’re the idiot if you think you can shut me up and shove me off the island. I’ve found my family.” Her throat tightened, and she reached for more courage. “Meanwhile, does someone want to tell me what happened back there? Reno, why did you arrive, like, out of nowhere?”
Two deep furrows creased between Reno’s eyebrows and she leaned forward slowly.
But Minna spoke instead. “Mama, I have to tell you something.”
“Heaven help us, that can’t be good.” Cordelia turned to face her daughter. “Okay, midge, tell me.”
“You’re going to be mad.”
“I’m going to be most concerned about keeping you safe. If mad gets mixed up in there, that’s because I love you. You know that. Tell me.”
“I asked Beatrice to contact Sienna again. You didn’t know it, but before she died, we were dating.”
Cordelia’s mouth dropped open.
So did Beatrice’s.
Astrid wheezed, “Impossible.”
Okay, now was when Beatrice should refute Minna’s words—she knew she should. She was the adult, and Minna the child.
But what if Minna hadn’t told her mother about Sienna because she’d been scared of the same rejection she’d faced when she’d come out as trans? Beatrice hadn’t had a chance to ask Minna about the vibe she’d picked up on when Minna and Olive were together. Maybe Minna was scared that being both transandgay would be a step too far for her mother to accept?
Still, things were getting out of hand. “Minna—”
“Aunt Bea started to hear something from Sienna. We think.” Minna’s voice trembled. “But then Reno busted in.”
Cordelia said softly, “You shouldn’t have…Oh, honey. That wasn’t safe.”
“You always say we can’t reach the close ones, but they’re who we want to talk to. I don’t understand the problem.”
Beatrice finally found her voice. “Minna needs more information. I do, too.”
Cordelia held up her hand. “We’re trying to protect you both, and you don’t know enough about this yet, sister. Respectfully.”
Respectfully? That was rich. “No one here has earned that from me yet.” She corrected herself quickly. “Except you, Minna. You’re good.”
Astrid, apparently tiring of this line of chat, turned to Reno. “What did you feel?”
Reno kept her eyes on the table. “A darkness. An enormous energetic shadow.”
“How big?”
“Bigger than I’ve ever felt. It was like a whole terrible continent of blackness.”
Beatrice hadn’t known it was possible to feel more lost, but apparently it was.
