Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard #2)(34)

“When I come close to Scarlett, my abilities vanish, but when I walk away again they return to me, because the power to manipulate magic comes from me. That’s what being a witch means. The saltshaker has no power of its own, so when I walk away again it’s still dead.” She shrugged. “This is just a tiny little spell, but real artifacts take years to build, sometimes using the power of an entire coven. And a null can take that away in one second.”

“You’re saying that I can undo magical objects,” I stated. “Permanently.”

“Yes. It’s happened before. The emerald table in Ireland, Stonehenge.”

“Stonehenge?” Jesse said incredulously. “Nulls neutralized Stonehenge?”

“Yes. It was too big to move or hide, and it was really only a matter of time before a null showed up. It might even have been accidental.”

I realized then that she’d been politely answering Jesse’s questions this whole time. And at the meeting the night before, she had ceased shooting her death-ray glare his way too. Maybe that was just because she was more pissed at Dashiell, but was it my imagination, or was she softening toward Jesse? “That’s why you don’t tell nulls about magical objects?” I asked, trying to keep that line of thought off my face.

“Yes. There are only a handful of artifacts left in the world that have dangerous power. Some witches believe we should expose all of them to nulls, for the safety of the world. Others believe those objects are part of our history and should be preserved.” She shrugged. “Both sides have a point.”

“Now explain the part where this connects to the witch murders,” Jesse prompted.

“In the car,” Kirsten promised him.

“Why can’t I come?” I asked, trying really hard not to sound like a whiny kid sister.

“Because,” Kirsten said gravely, “there was more than one magical object hidden at Beth Israel. I can’t let you get anywhere near the temple without compromising thousands of years of magical history.”

“Oh,” I said. “That.”

“But I’m supposed to be keeping an eye on Scarlett,” Jesse objected. “In case Olivia’s witch pal tries something during the day.”

“Right.” Kirsten frowned. “I’m sorry, I forgot for a moment. Okay, both of you get your things. I’m going to make a couple of calls, and I’ll meet you out front.”

She picked up her coffee and glided back toward the front door before Jesse and I could do more than gape at each other.

Jesse filled Max’s food and water bowls while I jerked a brush through my damp hair and rolled it into a bun. We grabbed our jackets and headed outside, where Kirsten was off the phone and waiting for us. “We’ll drop Scarlett off somewhere safe,” she announced.

“Can’t I just go to Hair of the Dog?” I asked with perhaps a little bit of whining in my voice. I was still angry with Eli, but at least he was a knowable factor, unlike whatever hidey-hole Kirsten was going to stick me in. I could hang out with Caroline or something.

She shook her head. “I did try Eli first. There was a big fight at Will’s bar last night, among the wolves. No one was killed, but I gather there’s quite a bit of blood to clean up. Besides, Hair of the Dog is too obviously a place where you might be found.”

Don’t worry, we’re going someplace very safe.” I saw Jesse open his mouth, and she held up a hand to silence him. “Somewhere Dashiell-approved,” she added, with a twinkle in her eye. I was very suspicious of that twinkle, but she was giving off a definite don’t-ask-questions vibe, so I decided to let it play out. One hidey-hole was pretty much as good as the next, right?

After a moment’s discussion, Kirsten persuaded Jesse to drive us in his car so they could use the flashing light on their way down to San Diego. She told him to go toward the 101, and I slumped back in the low car, trying to balance my coffee and missing the White Whale, which was still parked in the garage next to Molly’s house. I had gotten used to riding upright, and Jesse’s stupid sedan felt like a tilted bed.

Except for Kirsten’s directions, we fell into an uneasy silence as Jesse and I waited for the witch to pull her thoughts together and finish her explanation. Personally, I was feeling kind of weird about leaving Jesse and Kirsten alone together to go on their separate adventure. Even if she was being nicer to him, it just felt odd, like having your college friends and high school friends hang out together without you. Okay, I’d only attended a couple of weeks of college, but you get the idea.

At the same time, though, I understood Kirsten’s stance on keeping me away from the magical objects. The more I thought about it, the more I suspected that she probably wasn’t supposed to tell me about magical objects at all. Would they have to move the items stored at Beth Israel, now that Jesse and I knew about them? I shrugged to myself. Not my problem.

“There is an amulet, on a necklace,” Kirsten began suddenly, and Jesse and I both gave a little start. I turned halfway in my seat, my shoulders against the window so I could look at her. She was tilting her head, frowning to herself. “Wait, let me back up. Rabbi Samuel, the man who was killed last night, was the last protector of the Book of Mirrors. It is now missing.”

“Wait, wait, I know what that is,” I said. “Olivia told me about that. It’s a blank book that works like witches’ scratch paper, right? Don’t all witches have them for notes and stuff?”