7.?Cut into eight 2 × 2-inch squares and, and then cut those into triangles. Transfer to your baking sheet.
8.?Bake 8–12 minutes until cooked through with light golden edges.
9.?Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool or serve warm.
??16??
“GO FIND YOUR BROTHER,” Florence said breathlessly.
Her mom was actually excited. The most animated she’d seen her. And that was what made Sadie hop out of her chair and run into the house, heart beating triple time, her fingers trembling with hope.
Seth was on his computer.
“What’s up, sister?” he said, and when he looked up, Sadie was startled by the hollowness in his eyes. It looked like the vestiges of fear had ravaged his face, and it took him a moment to focus on her, like he was crawling out of a darkness and searching for any kind of light.
“Florence thinks she has an idea for the sacrifice,” Sadie said, trying to mask the worry in her voice.
“Thinks she does or actually does?”
“Shut up,” she answered automatically. “I’m the pedantic one, remember? Let’s go.”
She turned on her heel and heard the laptop shut a moment later. He grabbed her shoulder before she reached the door.
“Sade,” he said, his voice rough, “I’m scared. I can’t sleep at night. And I fucking miss Gigi. The darkness is getting worse. I—I feel like I’m losing it.”
“Me too,” she said, taking his hand. “I’m literally terrified. And I know it’s worse for you because it’s your life in the balance. I’m so sorry.”
“Not worse, just a different kind of bad. If it was your life hanging in the balance, I think I’d—no, I don’t even know what I’d do.” She’d never heard Seth talk like that before, and it made her want to be strong for him.
“Hey,” she said, “we’re in it together. I’m here. And this will work.”
He nodded, schooled his features so that his brow was smoothed out and the tight lines around his mouth weren’t so deep, and silently followed her outside.
Florence was pacing back and forth on the deck when they got there, her eyes wide and her short hair fanning about her in the wind.
“When your heart is split in two, it’s like you’re two people with one heart,” she said. “But you two, you’re like one person with two beating hearts. The life debt demands a sacrifice. But if each of you give half … well, we’ll just have to see if it works.”
“I don’t get it,” Seth said. “Is this like the story from the Bible where two women claim the same baby, and the king suggests they cut the baby in half and each keep a piece?”
“Really?” Sadie said.
“Sacrifices can work in different ways. Representational magic is just as powerful, if not more so sometimes, than traditional magic. If each of you can channel your essence into a totem, it’ll create a whole self. At least, I hope it will.”
“Smart.” Sadie nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.”
“Well, I’m a genius—what can I say?” Her mother smiled. “This might just work. You’d both end up with half your magic, which is a sacrifice in and of itself. But considering the alternative, I’d say it’s worth it.”
“Would there be other consequences?” Sadie asked.
“To be honest, honey, I don’t know.”
“Considering what you almost did, I’d say half your magic is nothing,” Seth said.
“What did she do?” Florence frowned.
“Nothing,” Sadie said quickly. “Tell us what to do.”
“You each need a totem, something important to you that we can channel the magic into. Something that represents who you are or an important moment in your life.”
Seth nodded and went back inside, all business. Sadie was lost in thought. Something that represented her. And then she knew.
When she was young, maybe twelve, right before the tea ceremony, Gigi had given her a crystal perfume bottle that had once belonged to her. She’d taught her how to mix oils to make a scent that would embody who she was. They’d spent hours going over an array of bottles, smelling and learning their uses and meanings, with breaks for whiffs of coffee beans to reset their senses. Finally, she settled on a drop of valor for courage, patchouli for her free spirit, white angelica for peace, and lavender for calm. Sadie had dabbed it on, and it was then she realized that this was what she was made for. Every morning when she sprayed it on, it reminded her that she wasn’t alone, that her magic—and Gigi—were always with her. She hadn’t used it since Gigi died, and when she grabbed the bottle from her bathroom, the crystal throwing light on the counter, she took the lid off and held it to her nose. It was the smell of memories and love, promise and hope.