“How did you get in here?” Gramma’s voice was as controlled as Ridley’s, maybe more. She’d been around a long time, and it would take more than my Dark-again cousin to throw her.

“Lena let me in.”

There was a flicker of disappointment in my grandmother’s eyes. “I see you’re wearing your sunglasses again.”

“It was kind of a self-preservation thing.” Ridley bit her lip nervously. “The world’s a dangerous place.”

It was something my grandmother said to us all the time when we were kids—particularly to Ridley. I remembered something else she said, something that might delay the confession of the Abraham story long enough for me to get the Book to Ethan.

“Gramma, do you remember the deal you made with Ridley the first time she went to a party?”

She looked at me blankly. “I’m not sure I do.”

“You told her not to get in a car with anyone who had been drinking.”

“Certainly good advice, but I’m not sure how it relates to this situation.”

“You told Rid that if she called and said her ride was drinking, you would send someone to pick her up, no questions asked.” I saw a hint of recognition pass across her face. “You said she wouldn’t get in trouble, no matter where she was or what she did.”

Ridley leaned against the column awkwardly. “Yeah. It was like a Get Out of Jail Free card. I definitely needed one of those recently.”

“Is this conversation going to explain why you two are in possession of the most dangerous book in the Caster or Mortal world?” Gramma looked skeptically from my cousin to me.

“I’m calling to tell you my ride has been drinking,” I blurted out.

“Pardon me?”

“I need you to trust me and do something without asking any questions. Something for Ethan.”

“Lena, Ethan is—”

I held up my hand. “Don’t say it. We both know people can communicate from the other side. Ethan sent me a message. And I need your help.”

“She’s telling the truth. At least she thinks she is, for what it’s worth.” Reece was standing in the darkened doorway to the dining room. I hadn’t even seen her, but she had obviously seen me. It only took a Sybil one look at your face to read it, and Reece was among the best. Finally, it was working to my advantage.

“Even if you are telling the truth, you are asking for more than just a little faith. And no matter how much I love you, I can’t help you use—”

“We aren’t trying to use The Book of Moons.” I wondered if she would believe me. “We’re trying to send it to Ethan.”

The room was silent, and I waited for her to say something. “What would lead you to believe that’s possible?”

I explained the messages Ethan had been leaving in the crosswords, but I left out the part about how we actually got our hands on The Book of Moons, invoking the “my ride is drunk” clause. I wouldn’t get away with it forever. Eventually, Gramma would insist on an explanation. But I didn’t need forever—just tonight. After we sent the Book to Ethan, Gramma could interrogate me all she wanted.

Besides, Uncle M already had first dibs on the grounding.

She listened carefully, sipping from a black porcelain teacup that appeared in her hand, compliments of Kitchen. She didn’t offer a single word, and she didn’t look away from me as I spoke.

Finally, the cup found its way back into the saucer, and I knew she had made a decision. My grandmother drew a deep breath. “If Ethan needs our assistance, we have no choice but to give it to him. After what he sacrificed for us all, it’s the least we can do.”

“Gramma!” Reece threw up her hands. “Listen to yourself!”

“How can she, when you’re yelling?” Ridley snapped.

Reece ignored her. “You’re really going to send the most powerful book in the Caster universe into the Otherworld, with no way of knowing who’ll be on the other end?”

Rid shrugged. “At least you won’t be there.”

Reece looked like she wanted to stab Ridley with garden shears of her own.

“Ethan will be there,” I argued.

Gramma hesitated, a new thought shaking her resolve. “It’s not as if we are shipping a package, Lena. What if the Book doesn’t end up where we intend?”

Reece looked satisfied. Ridley looked like now she was the one thinking about garden shears.

“Amma’s going to call the Greats.”

Gramma finished her tea, and the cup vanished. “Well, if Amarie is involved, I’m sure she has a plan. I’ll get my coat.”

“Wait.” I looked over at Reece. “We need everyone to come. Amma says we won’t have enough power unless we do this together.”

Reece looked at Uncle Macon, who had sidled into the room at the first sign of the Caster family fighting. “Are you going to let her do this?”

He chose his words carefully. “On the one hand, I think this is a very bad idea.”

“There.” Reece smiled.

“What?” Losing my uncle’s support was the one thing I had been afraid of when Amma sent me for reinforcements.

“Let him finish, girls.” Gramma raised her voice.

“But,” Uncle M continued, “we owe Ethan a debt we will never be able to properly repay. I watched him give his life for us, and I don’t take that lightly.”