I break the cardinal rule of detangling and turn my head to face her. Amber clicks her tongue, but I persist. “I could never hate you, Amber. You’ve hurt me, but that’s because… because you matter. Your opinions matter to me. If I could take you with me down this…whatever it is I’m going through… if you wanted to follow, I would let you.”
Her face falls. “You know I can’t, Minnie. I have responsibilities and loyalties to uphold. ‘Til last week, I thought you wanted to help me with those things.”
“Maybe the real issue is we both want things for each other?”
“Mmmm,isthat the issue? Because I can think of a few other glaring issues.” She shakes her head. “But I’ll say your favorite words, Minnie: you’re right. We don’tneedeach other anymore.”
I purse my lips. “Thosearemy favorite words, but right now they don’t feel so great.”
“Good.” She turns my head so she can get back to work. “Pain means it mattered.”
“You’ll always matter to me.”
Amber hums and snags a knot close to my scalp. I wince, and she giggles. “Means it mattered,” she reminds me.
With my hair combed out, deep conditioner applied, and cap on, we take a tea break, the smell of mint wafting through the air.
“Could I borrow that practice ink?” I ask.
Amber eyes me warily. “I should say no.”
“I want to figure out how to reverse the spell I initially cast.”
Her brows jump, and she sets down her tea. “You’re sending him back?”
“I have to have a spell before I can send him back.” I sigh, melodramatically. “If only I had some of that nifty practice ink to see if my sigils are right…”
“Nifty? What kind ofLittle House on the Prairiesmut are you reading?” Despite her teasing, Amber grabs the paper, ink, and glass pen.
My confidence wavers when the first circle I draw glows red. It might as well make a buzzer sound like on a gameshow. I snatch another piece of paper while the first one burns. Amber watches me, steam curling around her face.
“Maybe if I connect–” As soon as I connect the two sigils, it sets off the spell and the ink glows red once more. “Rude…”
Over and over, I draw and talk to myself–red, red, and more red.
“Your tea is cold,” Amber points out. “And it’s time for the wash.”
“One more.”
I set the pen down, stretching my fingers and taking a deep breath. The sigils are so clear in my head, but piecing them together is where the image fades. It occurs to me to work backwards, quite literally, from my initial spell. I pick up the pen and start with the final sigil needed for the summoning spell.
I have to pause and make adjustments as I go; some things aren’t plugging in the way they did when they were in a different order. Amber’s shoulder rubs against mine. Finally, I have the last sigil written and place my hand over the paper and chant.
It glows bright blue before immolating the paper.
* * *
By the timeI’m back at my apartment, it’s about four hours before the gala starts. Chanel is already at my apartment with a trolly of makeup, chatting about how being late is always in fashion. We’re about to separate, Chanel and I in my apartment while Rosier and Kas go to his, when I grab Rosier’s wrist.
“Donotthrow a fit over the suit,” I order him. “They literally won’t let us in if you’re not wearing every piece of the tux, okay?”
Rosier’s nose crinkles as he snorts. “I won’t throw a fit, as you put it.”
Kas mouths a thank you to me before exiting.
Chanel swatches four different lipsticks before finding one that matches my natural color best. I can’t help but eye the boxes upon boxes of makeup she’s brought. “You’re like a walking Sephora.”
Chanel scoffs. “I’m an Estée Lauder, thank you very much.” She says the brand with such a heavy French accent it could snap the Eiffel Tower in half.