“No,” I said, but he wasn’t listening.

“You’re going to lose,” he said firmly. “And when you do, I’m telling you, don’t do anything stupid. Go with it. Go to Alcatraz. Go with Al. I don’t care, but just go with it. It’s not over when that bell rings.”

Trent’s gaze went to the silver bell on the coven’s table, and fear slid through me. I heard what he was saying. Oliver was scum. Trent didn’t see me walking out of here. He had me lost and was planning a comeback. I looked at Ivy, and her eyes dilated at my fear.

“Take your seats, please,” Vivian said loudly from the podium, her words bouncing through the auditorium and silencing 90 percent of the noise.

Pierce was at my elbow, and he pulled me down the empty aisle of seats, putting us right in front of my mother and Ivy. Trent edged in next, and we all sat. On the stage, there were two empty chairs at the coven’s table, one for Vivian, one for Brooke. I could not lose. I couldn’t. I’d be in the ever-after, taking my sun in thieving snatches.

Vivian gestured at the silver bell, and it chimed, making me jump. A wave of force had echoed out of it, having the feeling of a bubble going up. The auditorium was closed for the duration. No one in or out. It had begun.

Twenty-one

I said pipe down!” Vivian said crossly when the room reacted to the doors locking. Trent tried to quiet Lucy with an offered pinkie, and she protested, refusing it. Behind me, my mother piled her stuff on the empty seat next to her and settled in, completely unfazed. Pierce ran a nervous hand over his soft curls, taking his hat off and dropping his hand to finger his stolen badge.

“You will shut up!” Vivian shouted, cheeks coloring when Oliver said something only those on the stage could hear. “As the junior member of the coven, it’s my responsibility to maintain order at these proceedings, and you will be silent or I’ll gag you myself!”

My mother leaned forward, between Pierce and me. “She’s a bit of a hard-ass,” she said, and Jenks buzzed his wings.

“You’ve no idea, Ms. Morgan,” he said. Then he sat on my shoulder, his wings tickling my neck. It was good to have him back.

Vivian put her hands on her hips and waited, frowning. Slowly the witches grew silent as she used a sixth-grade-teacher stare on them. I put a hand on my stomach, feeling sick. Everyone I cared about was around me. Oliver had promised to clear my name if I publicly apologized for using black magic and never went to the press with the fact that witches were stunted demons. I had held up my end of the bargain, even when the coven had tried to off me, but Trent, playing peekaboo with Lucy, believed they’d back out of it, scared I’d go to the press with the ugly truth anyway. If Oliver called my bluff, I didn’t know if I could do it. Not only would it destroy our society, but it would upset the balance of everyone else’s. I’ll hurt him. I’ll friggin’ make Oliver sorry if he screws me over.