Perilous Waters by Diana Paz Read Free Book Online Page B

den. Bookshelves lined the far wall. A low table surrounded by cushions, a lot like the one Indira had, was set out as usual. Candles were the only light—Angie said this was to help the air retain the most magical properties—and bones lay scattered on a side table. Kaitlyn had a feeling she didn’t want to ask where they came from.
    Angie took a small, ornate box from one of the shelves. “Where are the raven’s claws,” she murmured. Dressed in a white eyelet top that was trimmed in pale pink flowers, Angie looked more like she should be swinging in a flower garden than handling shriveled bird parts like a little witch.
    “That is completely gross,” Julia said, turning from her pixie-like friend in disgust.
    “Agreed,” Kaitlyn said. “So, why did you want us to get together last minute like this?”
    “We think the Fates are going to summon us to a mission,” Angie said, plucking up a curled claw and setting on the table. “Soon.”
    “Angie had a vision at work today,” Julia added.
    Kaitlyn gave them both an indifferent glance, but inside a pinprick stung her heart. The way they said we when they talked always meant the two of them.
    But, why did she even care?
    “We need to figure out as much as we can before we travel back in time,” Angie said.
    Kaitlyn felt a moment’s curiosity. No matter what, having been to Paris when Marie Antoinette was alive had been pretty bad ass. “You already know where we’re going?”
    “Um… partly,” Angie said, holding her pretty blond ponytail to one side with both hands.
    “‘Partly’? That isn’t going to cut it,” Kaitlyn said. “Last time we were ‘partly’ in a war.”
    “That’s why I wanted us all here. I want to use the threads of time to look through the past and see if I can find us in history, somewhere.”
    Kaitlyn released a heavy sigh, but her fingertips tingled with excitement. “Let’s get this over with.”
    “We should freeze time first that way we’re not late to the bonfire party,” Angie said, canting her head to the side as she looked up at Kaitlyn. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with us? You might have fun.”
    Kaitlyn tensed. Was she pitying her because Ashleigh and Becca dropped her? Did she think she had nothing else going on? “I don’t consider hanging out with you fun.”
    Angie’s lips parted noiselessly.
    “Harsh, Kaitlyn,” Julia said, her brows lowering.
    Kaitlyn was still getting used to not saying everything that came into her head around these two. Ashleigh would have laughed if she had said something like this to Becca. It would have been funny to see Becca try to make a comeback and fail, of course. No one was as good at insults as Kaitlyn was.
    But not with these two. Throughout the past few months she hadn’t seen them blast backhanded compliments that were really insults. It was a completely different wave-length, and half the time she ended up not knowing what to say around them. For a moment Kaitlyn remembered back to her friend Dawn. She had trusted Dawn. She had never wanted to hurt her, and had never been mean to her, but in the end Dawn had betrayed her. Kaitlyn exhaled a measured breath, trying to control the images that flooded her mind. Dawn was ancient history, she reminded herself.
    Then why do think about her all the time?
    “You need to stop being such a jerk,” Julia continued, cutting into her thoughts, and for once, Kaitlyn was grateful. Even all these years later, remembering about Dawn hurt, and she was relieved to put her attention elsewhere. “Angie has only ever been nice to you.”
    Kaitlyn wouldn’t have cared about being ‘harsh’ to Angie, or a ‘jerk’ or whatever else Julia thought about her… except Angie… her little face did look hurt. Sometimes when Kaitlyn said things, the way Angie blinked rapidly and sucked in her breath made Kaitlyn feel a sharp prick of pain in her chest. She didn’t like feeling that way.
    Kaitlyn ran her fingers through her