Noelle lifted her sunglasses, pushing them bac
k into her hair. Cell-phone girl finally snapped her picture, and Noelle shot her a look that could have knocked over a skyscraper.
“I’ll hit the hot dog cart on the way home if it means avoiding this conversation,” she said through her teeth.
“Just hear me out,” Ivy said, raising her dark eyebrows. She pressed her lips together before adding, “Please?”
That must have been a tough word for her to utter to her worst enemy. Noelle seemed moved that Ivy had put in the effort. She rolled her eyes but sat down again, waving off the baffled waiter.
“Okay, fine. I’m always up for a laugh. Why in the name of Prada would I ever want to do this?” Noelle asked.
Ivy took a deep breath and blew it out. “When Reed and I said the incantation, something happened,” she whispered.
“I know, I know. The lights went out and your cell phones rang,” Noelle said, waving a hand. “Spooooky.”
Ivy looked at me and I could tell she was starting to get agitated. I gave her what I hoped was a calming look.
“It wasn’t just that,” I told Noelle quietly, touching the locket. “It wasn’t until after I said it in the basement that night that I started having the dreams about our friends. And Ivy …” I looked at her and hesitated. We hadn’t talked about the things I’d seen her do, and I wasn’t sure if she wanted to.
“I think … no, forget that … I made that painting fall on Gage’s head the other day,” she said quietly. “And when Missy was walking out yesterday … I saw the doors slam a few seconds before they actually did.”
I knew it. I knew it.
“You’re serious,” Noelle said, her chin tucked. “You think you can move things with your mind?”
Behind her, Goran shifted from one foot to the other, and he and Sam exchanged a look. They were probably thinking they’d been hired to protect a bunch of wack jobs.
“I know I can,” Ivy said.
Noelle’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, fine. Move this salt shaker.”
She pushed a silver shaker toward Ivy across the linen tablecloth. Ivy clucked her tongue. “It doesn’t work like that. I have to be angry.”
“Oh, really.” There was a bang and Ivy’s face turned red. She gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath, reaching toward her foot. “Angry now?” Noelle asked, tilting her head with a smile.
“Did you just stomp on her foot?” I demanded.
“Just trying to help,” Noelle said angelically.
“Ivy, I’m so sorry,” I said, appalled.
“It’s fine.” She straightened up again and turned her chair toward me, away from Noelle. “Look, I just think that if we’re all going to go to this party and act as bait, we may as well say the incantation first. If all the girls can do stuff like we can do … maybe they’ll be able to protect themselves if anything happens.”
I saw the logic of what she was saying. I just had zero confidence that we could convince any of them to do it.
“Oh, please. That is so not why you want to do this,” Noelle said, taking a sip of her water. “You just want it to be true. You want to be a real witch. Admit it, Ivy. You spent your entire childhood watching Charmed reruns on TNT and hero-worshipping Rose McGowan, didn’t you?” Then she squinted and tilted her head. “Or no … you’re more of a bitchy Shannen Doherty type….”
Ivy gritted her teeth and looked me in the eye. “Is it okay if I kill her?”
I smirked. “I wouldn’t try. Goran’s packing.” We both glanced warily at the bodyguard and the bulge on his right hip. He sniffed and shifted his jacket to try to camouflage it better. “Besides, without her we won’t have eleven.”
Ivy’s eyes lit up. “Seriously? You’ll do it?”
“Oh, come on,” Noelle said impatiently. “You guys, just because some crazy faction of alums thinks this is real, that doesn’t mean it is.”
I shot her a silencing stare and whipped out my cell phone. “I’ll start with Tiffany.”
“I’ll call Portia,” Ivy said giddily.