“Last year we went to a magic show together. It wasn’t really my thing, but she was super into it. The people were amazing, I have to admit, but I still shrugged it off as nothing out of the ordinary. Why would I think it was real? She didn’t think it was real either, but she was desperate to learn from them. It was all she talked about. Then one day she said she was taking off with them. They wanted her to be an apprentice. I was so happy for her, and she sent me texts for the next couple of weeks, but then they just stopped. She wasn’t that close to her parents, but they haven’t heard from her either. And then a few months ago, I saw that troupe in my town again. I went to the show, and part of me was hoping I’d just see her onstage, doing the quick-change tricks that were her favorite, but I didn’t. I thought maybe she fell in love or something and ran off with someone and just left everything behind, but we were like sisters. I had this sick feeling in my gut that I couldn’t get rid of. So I did exactly what she did—I kept going back and pretended I was interested in the show. I used to listen to her talk for hours about her tricks and techniques, so they bought it. They just thought I was a newbie, and it turned out I did have the magic in me, and I was a really quick learner. But the deeper they let me in, the more I had to wonder what happened to Samantha.”

“Did you ask them?”

“You don’t ask a killer where the body is if you don’t want to end up beside it.”

She’s not wrong. I didn’t ask my troupe about my mom.

“I thought she might be here at the mansion,” Nadine continues. “But she’s not. It doesn’t make any sense. If failed apprentices go home, then where is she? And after what we just saw…” She bites her lip. Her eyes well, but the tears don’t fall. “What if nobody leaves here alive?”

Willow gets up from the bed and grabs Nadine’s hand in hers. Nadine looks shocked, like she’s going to pull away, but I doubt Willow would let go.

I know some people don’t leave alive, but I can’t bring myself to say it and strip away whatever sliver of hope Nadine has. So instead I say, “I don’t know about apprentices, but I know a magician who left.”