Page 28 of The Whispering Night
“Erica?” Winnie forces out instead. “What does Erica have to do with anything?”
“You really are bad at lying.” The Crow slopes away, sliding farther into the maze. Her heels somehow do not get eaten by gravel. “I want what Erica wants and whatyouwant, Winnie: to find out where your father’s clues lead.”
The witch’s voice cuts off here—and the muted quality that had ensnared Winnie vanishes. Whatever spell the Crow is using, Winnie is no longer inside it. And though Winniehatesherself for it, she stomps after the woman and her magical dome of silence.
Static brushes over Winnie. Words resume: “He was clever. He got away from us that night four years ago, before we could get answers. And he took Jenna’s source with him.”
More bombshells. More white noise in Winnie’s brain. “I… don’t believe you.”
“Smart. Because, unlike you, I’m an excellent liar.” The signora claps her hands to her cheeks. Her face visibly blanches. “Winnie Wednesday is aDiana like her father! Lock her away. And her brother and mother too. Such disloyal bears!”
This is the largest bombshell of them all. A flash grenade going off in the forest, so that Winnie suddenly understands how nightmares feel. She suddenly understands how you can be abruptly blinded and deafened, scrambling to regain the sensory control you had only moments before.
She feels like she’s twelve years old again, watching as Tuesday scorpions overrun her home. Watching Erica and Jay walk away from her. She’d felt so helpless then—and she feels just as helpless now.
Winnie wets her lips. Then shakes her numb, senseless head.
“Here is what will happen, Winnie: you and Erica and—what is his name? The Friday boy? You will continue exactly as you have been, trying to track your father’s clues. Except now, when you find Jenna’s source, you will bring it to me.”
“No.” It is incredible that any word ejects from Winnie’s lips.
“Then I’ll simply take it from you.”
“And we’ll… simply… turn the Whisperer onto you.”
The Crow laughs, startled. “You do have gumption. I’ll give you that. But this is a fight you can’t win. We areallieshere, Winnie. And we want the same thing—I promise.”
Never.
“So be a good Wednesday and figure out where your father hid that source. Then my witches and I can get thefamesunder control and leave this wretched place.” Her nose curls up. If Winnie didn’t already hate her, she’ddefinitelyhate her for glaring at Dad’s maze like that.
“How many of you are there? How many witches are in Hemlock Falls?”
“Somany, my dear. And we’ll be watching you and your friends and your family.” She reaches out a single arm, almost as if she wants Winnie to kiss her hand. But then she pats Winnie on the head instead. “Now I really must get back.” Her Italian accent has suddenly returned. “Jeremiah will be wondering where I have gone. Oh, and in case you’re wondering: no one can know about our little bargain here.” She makes a gesture that is almost like a parting wave. Words Winnie can’t hear skate from her lips.
There is the static again.
And there is the locket, heating up—cranking so hot, so fast that Winnie gasps and doubles over.
“Ciao ciao!”the Crow calls, and for a full two seconds, a maniacal cackle bounces around Winnie like she’s trapped on cartoon railroad tracks while the villain twirls his mustache. Until at last the Crow departs, her laughter chasing away as she vanishes into the yew hedges.
CHAPTER
13
Anyone could be a Diana.
A Diana could be anyone.
This is what Winnie considers as she slowly straightens. Her locket’s burn has cooled. It’s just a glowing ember now, a faint reminder of what happened, like a puddle after a storm.
She is cold. She is thirsty. The waist on her pantsuit is starting to cut off circulation to her vital organs, but she finds she can’t leave the maze yet. She needs to think without eyes upon her or Luminaries begging to shake her hand.
After all, anyone could be a Diana.
A Diana could be anyone.
This isn’t Winnie’s first time facing such a truth. Four years ago, her dad was caught as a Diana—and she truly believed, for four agonizing years, that he was one. Then ten nights ago, Winnie discovered Erica was also a witch. Then right after that, she fought three Dianas in the forest, leaving two of them burned to crispy pulp.
