Margo shuts a drawer in the file cabinet. "Nothing out of the ordinary," she says, giving me an "I told you so" look. "There"s just a lot of boring paperwork and Connor"s old report cards!
You"re not dating the sharpest stake in the box, Jules."
I shake my head. He was smart enough to fool me. "Just keep looking."
Dani flips the pages back toward the beginning. "Anyway, if you look at most of the other years, the coven only averaged five or six hunts a month tops. A lot of months only have one or two."
"Maybe there"s just more nightmares to hunt now," I suggest.
Dani glares at me.
My cheeks flush. "Sorry, let me try that again. Maybe there are more supernaturally afflicted humans to go after."
"Yeah, but it seems like the increased hunts happened once we took over," she says.
"Holy s.h.i.t!" Sascha says. "Look at this."
We gather around a large black notebook she"s opened. "Maybe this has something to do with the increase in hunts!" She points to what looks like a contract of some sort. "We got paid to stake Kelsey!"
"We know that," I say. "The demons pay us every time we stake someone."
"No, look!" Sascha jabs her finger at the paper. "We got paid to stake Kelsey-like a hit- as in someone paid the coven so we would get her specifically."
"No," Margo whispers.
I scan the page rapidly and stop at the signatures at the bottom. Oh, no.
"Margo," Zahara says, "your mother was the coven representative for this-she signed it!"
I point to the other name. "And it looks like Troy Dillon"s parents paid the coven five thousand dollars to dust her."
Dani laughs. "So, not only did our mothers sign away our souls, they went and pimped us out as supernatural hit men!
"Dani!" I say.
"Sorry, hit people?"
"That"s not funny!" I say through clenched teeth, trying to keep my voice quiet.
Dani gives us all an indignant look. "Why does Margo get to be the only one who can let loose with inappropriate jokes?"
I tilt my head at Margo, whose bottom lip is quivering. Dani rolls her eyes.
"Sorry, that was very insensitive of me," she deadpans. "I need to remember that those of you with souls might get upset about the fact that our mothers are running a coven-based mafia."
"Dani!" I say again.
Margo shakes her head. Her face is pale, and I can see her eyes moving across the page reading the contract. She reaches out a hand and runs it along her mother"s signature.
"Sorry," Dani says. She looks at me and mouths, It was just a joke.
I turn the page. "This is the wolf we got-the one who was at that bar by the stream- signed by Helena." I turn another page. "Here"s the man we got in the mall parking lot. The coven got thirty thousand dollars for him; brokered by my mother." I look up at the ceiling and shake my head. "d.a.m.n it!"
I turn to another page. "One thousand for a vamp." I flip to the middle of the notebook and start reading. "Six thousand dollars for one Jenna Maloney" I look farther down the page. "Seems this woman turned a guy into a wolf, and his parents were willing to pay fifteen thousand dollars to have someone-us-shoot her with a silver bullet. I guess they didn"t realize we"d have done it for less."
I rapidly turn the pages and check the signatures. "Looks like all of our moms are in on this."
"What are we going to do?" Margo asks. "We can"t hunt anymore-we just can"t. But if we don"t-that vision."
I put an arm around Margo"s shoulders. "What if we summon the demons-maybe we can work something out."
"Oh, man," Zahara says. "That"s asking for trouble."
"But I don"t understand. Why would they do it?" Margo asks, her face red and tear-streaked.
"We don"t need the money-the freaking demons were taking care of that!"
Sascha puts a finger to her lip and takes a deep breath. "We don"t need the money, but Connor is trying to sell stuff from past hunts, and there"s the new deal with the ghost b.a.l.l.s. I wonder if this is more about greed than need. Or maybe our mothers-and Connor-wanted to feel more empowered, to do something for themselves that isn"t tied into the covenant."
"If someone was really looking to empower themselves," I say, "you"d think they might have come up with something a little more PC, like maybe getting a job helping the elderly instead of turning their daughters into contract killers."
Dani raises her right hand. "Well, I for one am willing to get dragged off to h.e.l.l to stop this.
I"ll sacrifice whatever is left of me to break the covenant and show our moms we"re better and stronger than they are!"
"You don"t know who they"d take!" Margo hisses. "They probably don"t even want you since your soul is already floating around!" Her face crumples. "I"m scared. I know my mother did all this awful stuff, but I don"t want her taken, either."
Zahara nods.
No one says anything.
"Who here thinks it"s not okay to swap demon blood with their toddlers?" Dani asks. "Who thinks our mothers did have a choice, and it was beyond wrong to sign off on their kids" souls?
And who the h.e.l.l thinks this whole coven is way more screwed up than the creatures we"ve been hunting?"
Margo raises her hand. "I do," she says softly.
The rest of us raise our hands.
"And who says anyone has to get taken?" I ask. "We"ve killed more than a few demons before."
Dani nods. "We need to tell the stupid coven the gravy train days are over, we"re done with the hunt, and if they haven"t invested their money wisely, they can get a job bagging groceries or flipping burgers. And if a demon does show up, we kick its a.s.s!"
"We"re talking about a whole realm of demons!" Margo says. "Even if we manage to kill one, what"s to stop them from sending more?"
"Nothing is stopping them," I say. My heart is racing, wondering if we can go through with this and somehow prevent the vision from coming true. "All we can do is try. Let"s go over to the meetinghouse and see if our moms are still there. We can tell them it"s over, and then if some demon pops up, we won"t be taken by surprise."
I glance at Sascha and hope she"s not thinking about her father.
The front door slams and we all jump. "Connor!"
Sascha shuts the notebook and pushes it back where it was.
Footsteps sound on the stairs. We all back away from the desks. "He"ll hear us if we try to sneak out," I whisper.
"So what if he does?" Dani says. "We can just uncloak and tell him his mom"s a b.i.t.c.h, and then we"ll be on our way."
"I-I don"t want to talk to him, okay?" I say as the sick feeling in my stomach returns. I really don"t think I can face him yet. "Let"s just wait and see what he does. Maybe he won"t be in here long."
Sascha, Margo, and Zahara nod.
"Whatever," Dani says.
I hear Connor in the hallway and put my finger up to my lips. "Shh."
When he stands in the doorway, he looks around the room with a puzzled expression on his face. I realize the room should have been disguised again. He purses his lips, and then walks over to the desk. He sits and jiggles the mouse. The screen saver disappears and he clicks on an e-mail.
"Oh, my G.o.d!" he says.
He takes out his cell phone, and punches a couple of b.u.t.tons. He taps his foot on the floor and then sits up straight in the chair. "Mom! I just got an update. You were right-the bidding is going crazy now." He nods. "Well, I know you"re busy, but I thought you"d want to know the ghost b.a.l.l.s are in the five-figure range. And Mom, get this-Dani"s soul is close to a million! With forty-five minutes left for bidding, I wouldn"t be surprised if we get double that. Mom, we"re gonna be rolling in it!"
"Oh, my G.o.d!" I gasp.
Connor drops the phone in his lap, and spins around in the computer chair. I uncloak, and Connor"s face pales as his jaw drops open.
"Hang up," I say quietly as everyone else uncloaks, too.
He fumbles with the phone and puts it on the desk. "Jules, what are you do-" He sees Dani and moans. "No."
I stare at him, blood pulsing in my ears. I narrow my eyes and lunge at him. I push him on the chest, and the computer chair slides back and crashes into the desk. " You b.a.s.t.a.r.d! It"s in the other ghost ball, isn"t it? Dani"s soul is in the other ball and you"re auctioning it off!"
I pick up the ball from the box on the desk and hold it up. Dani reaches out for it, and the second I place it in her hand the white light slows and hovers in the center between the two gla.s.s threads.
Dani turns to Connor and bares her fangs. "Your auction is officially canceled, a.s.shole."
Connor stares at Dani and shakes his head. "I-I can"t. The people running it-"
"Uh," Dani says, "I think it"s safe to say that none of us give a c.r.a.p about the people running it." She slips the ball into her cape pocket. "This belongs to me."
"And you know what?" I pick up one of the ghost b.a.l.l.s. "I always thought capturing ghosts was a screwed-up idea, so I"m canceling this auction, too!"
Connor jumps up, fear flashing in his eyes. "Jules, I"m so sorry, I didn"t want you-"
"We bind you to the earth!" Margo yells. She smacks a binder at his feet and the rug fibers, carpet pad, and carpet tacks form long tendrils that twist and crawl up his legs, holding him in place.
"Let"s see, you didn"t want me to find out you were a lying s.h.i.t? Or you didn"t want me to find out the way the ring really works? Or you didn"t want me to find out you were auctioning off my best friend"s soul?"
Connor stammers and holds his hands out. "L-look, Jules, I only used the ring because there were some things I couldn"t tell you. I wanted to, but when my mom told me about the covenant with the demons I panicked."
"Then why use the stupid ring at all?"
"Because I knew I"d screwed up, and I didn"t want to lose you. I was trying to protect you."
I shake my head. "Even if you"re telling the truth now, selling Dani"s soul-well, there"s nothing more to say, is there?" I toss the ghost ball to Sascha who nearly drops it.
"Jules, let me explain," Connor pleads, his eyes flashing back and forth between the ball in Sascha"s hands and me.
"This should be good!" Dani says.
Sascha scoffs and tosses the ball to Zahara who catches it easily. "Yeah, you just try and explain why you thought it was okay to auction off Dani"s soul."
"No one knew Dani"s soul was gonna get trapped," Connor says, looking around at each of us. "The whole thing was an accident, and it"s not like we can put it back!"
"You don"t know that!" Z yells.
Connors worried eyes follow the ball as Z tosses it to Margo. "Well, its not like breaking the ball would help, it would just release it because she"s-"
"Undead," Dani says. "And the vamp that turned me told me all about the scare-them-straight idea your mother came up with."
"There could be some spell," I say, "but even if it isn"t possible to restore her soul, it is freaking unconscionable that you would even consider selling it!"
"Jules, I didn"t want you to know. I"m so sorry," he says. "I know it was stupid, I just got carried away. I love you. I was doing this so I could be something more for you."
I look into his eyes and think how much has happened since that night I first kissed him- and how now, when I look at him all I feel is empty. I shake my head. "I never needed more," I say quietly. "You really are your mother"s son."
"No, Jules, don"t say that," he says. "I screwed up, but I"m not like her!"
I turn to Margo and point toward the ceiling. She tosses the ghost ball up, and as it arcs up near the ceiling, I raise my hand toward it.
"Jules, don"t!" Connor yells.
"Open!" A white pulse of energy leaves me and smashes the ball. Gla.s.s tumbles down on Connor as the poltergeist circles the room knocking things from the tables before it zips down the hallway.
I hear doors slamming shut and a loud crash from downstairs. "Gee, I think your house may be haunted, Connor."
I pick up the other ghost ball. "I think we should let this one loose in the meetinghouse." I put it in the pocket of my cape, and ignore Connor"s pleas to stay and talk. "You know, we should probably be prepared in case we do run into a demon." I walk over to the table with the swords.
The one in the middle quivers as I approach.
"Connor, what"s the deal with these?" I ask. "Do any of them cut off the heads of the person picking them up or anything like that?"
"I"m not saying anything until you get rid of this binding c.r.a.p and agree to talk to me!"
I turn to him with my hands on my hips and I roll my eyes. "Oh, my G.o.d! After the stunt you pulled with Dani"s soul, you"re lucky you"re still breathing! So unless you want your nuts zapped, start talking!"
Dani giggles. "Oh, let me do it!"
"I"ll help," adds Sascha.