“Oh no,” I say. “We will definitely not be calling it that.”

I smile and make sure to look Amelia’s way. I take in her familiar sight, her mane of frizzy curls and signature pastel clothes. Really, only Amelia can understand what I’m feeling underneath it all—how special this moment is, despite its baggage. I might still be terrified of what life is going to be like at college without my partners in crime, but that worry washes away as we share this private look.

For now, we have this one last perfect adventure to pull off.

CHAPTER THREE

AMELIA

I KNOW I’LL PROBABLY get sick of it soon, but right now diner comfort food still seems like the best thing on the planet. So tonight I am having banana pancakes with a side of hash browns for dinner and I refuse to feel guilty about it.

Once the waitress finishes stacking our menus, I clear the middle of our table to lay out the purple, moon-patterned reading cloth Chase got me a few birthdays ago. Though right now Chase only has eyes for his journal and his owl-tipped pen, taking furious notes on the Perillian booklet. He’s been at it since we left Maggie’s shop, obsessing over every detail to see if he can decipher any clues that lead to the hidden cards. I’ve always envied Chase’s ability to pour every ounce of himself into an intellectual task, like his brain is a funnel. His dark eyes sharpen as they flicker from line to line and he looks perfectly polished, his brown hair curled left and his button-down pressed straight.

I, on the other hand, probably look like a tornado, wild and wrinkled. Still, I have more important things to focus on. Chase might believe the clues we seek will be embedded in facts and histories, but I think the most important answers are always found by looking within.

“Why are you reading me specifically?” Logan asks. “Shouldn’t we just examine the cards for clues?”

“Detective Chase Rubino over there already has that covered,” I answer, nodding toward a still-focused Chase. “I think we need to try letting the cards guide us a bit.”

“Right, but why focus on me?”

“Because your Major Arcana expression is The Magician, which has the closest connection to the Minor Arcana Wands suit,” I answer. “Since we’re near Joshua Tree and in the middle of the desert, Wands is probably where we start, because they stand for red and fire and east.”

Logan considers this a moment. “And faith meeting action, right?”

“Someone has been spending way too much time around these two,” Cleo says, pulling her phone out of the shoebox nestled beside Logan. “I’m using my next five minutes to do another search on Perilli. The sooner we get some answers, the sooner we can give up this tarot ghost.”