The Whispering Night (Luminaries #3)

Chapter 49

CHAPTER 49

Interview with Wednesday (Winnie) Winona Wednesday

[0:00]

Jeremiah: [seated at coffee table in back corner of Joe Squared with Winnie Wednesday. Notepad in front of him.] Interview begins now, at 9:45 A.M. on Thursday, April twenty-fifth. Thank you for meeting with me, Ms. Wednesday. I… appreciate that you didn’t have to, and I hope we can one day work through our history.

[Winnie snorts. Then sips her tea.]

Jeremiah: I have been debriefed by Erica Thursday on your current curse. It still holds, I presume?

[Winnie’s mouth opens twice before she actually speaks.]

[0:20]

Winnie: Human by day and monster by night, these rare daywalkers blend in easily and are unrecognizable from other humans in their daytime form.

Jeremiah: Right. [Jeremiah makes a note.] For the record, I have approved Ms. Thursday’s request for a Contained Spell Casting. Once she finds a way to remove the curse, then she will be allowed to—under supervision—craft a new source and cast the spell.

As for Mr. Friday, I have come to an agreement with the Council, and we will keep the information about him secret. Assuming of course that his mutation does not grow… violent.

Winnie: It won’t. [She glares.] I, however, might, if any Tuesdays ever go near him.

Jeremiah: Ms. Wednesday, I realize you believe you have leverage now—

Winnie: Because I do.

Jeremiah:—but I am still a councilor, still a Tuesday scorpion. If Jay Friday becomes a threat, then he will be eliminated. The same holds true for Erica, for you, and for anyone else in Hemlock Falls. I hope we’re clear on that.

[Jeremiah’s eyebrows rise. He sips from a latte, clearly waiting for Winnie to respond. She does not. Jeremiah sighs.]

[1:22]

Jeremiah: As I was saying, Ms. Wednesday—

Winnie: Winnie. Just call me Winnie.

Jeremiah:—you don’t need to worry. All hunters and scorpions have a no-kill order on werewolves. They are required to leave werewolves encountered inside or outside the forest alone.

Winnie: And what about Erica? You just said you approved her for a Contained Spell Casting. So does that mean she isn’t in trouble either?

Jeremiah: Not at the moment, no. And so long as she continues to cooperate fully with our Lambdas, then she too will be added to our list of known defectors.

Winnie: And the three Dianas you captured? What’s happening to them?

Jeremiah: That is confidential, Ms. Wednesday. But I can share that we’re building a complete picture of what happened with the, um…

[Jeremiah hesitates.]

Winnie: With the Whisperer? With the Pure Heart spell? With all that stuff you didn’t believe was real when you thought my dad and I were Dianas?

Jeremiah: Your father was a Diana.

Winnie: Defected.

[Jeremiah doesn’t respond. His head tips back and he watches Winnie for several seconds, his fingers tapping on the notepad.]

[2:14]

Winnie: What? What does that expression mean? My dad was defected. He’s on your fancy list.

Jeremiah: Yes, when he moved to Hemlock Falls he was on that list. But… here. There was a reason we suspected him four years ago. Now that I know you’re no longer a threat—

Winnie: I was never a threat.

Jeremiah:—then perhaps this might be of interest to you.

[Jeremiah withdraws a manila envelope from his back pocket. It has been curved in half to fit, and now he smooths it out.]

[2:47]

Jeremiah: These are files from the night your father disappeared. Your mother caught him in your house, but she wasn’t able to give us a full picture—yes, yes . I now know there was this circling-words spell on her that jumbled what she said. Still, my Lambdas and I did have another witness that night.

[Winnie yanks the envelope to her and tears out pages. It is a printed interrogation as well as a photograph of Grayson Friday, wet and bruised. Winnie quickly skims the pages.]

[3:27]

Jeremiah: You will see that Grayson Friday and Jenna Thursday had a plan to leave town, but it failed. Grayson didn’t understand the full extent of the plan, only that your father, Bryant, was helping Jenna execute it. He said he saw Bryant that night, during the second trial, and your father was doing magic. A hiding spell that fell away when he reached Grayson.

The Whisperer was also chasing your father at that time, and he and Grayson were able to use a stolen Tuesday Hummer to reach the dam bridge—much as you did on early Wednesday morning. However, Grayson said that while he was able to escape from the Hummer, he didn’t fully understand what was happening with your father. He believed your father was likely dead. We… suspected otherwise.

This is, of course, classified information, Ms. Wednesday. So please do not share.

[Winnie rolls her eyes. Then sets down the pages and photograph so she can study them on the table.]

[4:32]

Winnie: You thought my dad did magic and killed Jenna, right? That’s what Ms. Morgan told me. [She looks at Jeremiah.]

Jeremiah: It was our working theory at the time.

Winnie: Well, your working theory was stupid.

[Jeremiah’s chest expands. He takes another sip of his coffee, visibly trying to control his temper. Then he carefully nods.]

[4:51]

Jeremiah: Yes, Winnie. It was not a good theory. In our defense, we were working with incomplete information—and the network of Dianas were incredibly good at covering their tracks.

They still are. But thanks to your, erm… continued efforts, I suspect we will make great progress in uncovering that network moving forward. The international Luminaries have offered substantial aid, and while our networks have always worked closely together, now that you have thwarted what would have been the worst disaster in all of Luminaries history—

Winnie: Is that a “thank you”?

Jeremiah:—there is an increased effort to fund and coordinate Diana hunting around the globe.

Winnie: [shaking her head] Well, don’t go overboard. We do need the Dianas, remember? That’s sort of the whole point of what I just went through.

Jeremiah: Yes, you’ve said that before. [He flips to an earlier page in his notebook and reads.] I believe you told Mario Monday, quote: It’s all about ecological balance, Mario. We need each other to keep the system in check. End quote. Does that sound accurate?

[Winnie nods.]

Jeremiah: And that will be taken into consideration, Ms. Wednesday. I can assure you Monday scientists like Mario will be heavily focused on researching this new revelation.

[Winnie grunts, a sound that isn’t impressed. Jeremiah’s face tightens in return.]

[5:57]

Jeremiah: As mentioned, I do appreciate you taking the time to speak with me for a quick debrief. Please keep that file private, and if you need me… Well, you know where to find me.

Winnie: Yep.

[She turns her attention back to the interview records while Jeremiah rises and gathers his things.]

[6:20]

Winnie: Wait. [Her attention snaps up.] Right here, it says Grayson saw my dad turn into a crow?

Jeremiah: He did mention that, yes. It’s an ability we know the strongest Dianas possess.

Winnie: Yeah, but it says that my dad transformed right before the Hummer went underwater and Grayson never saw my dad again after that. Does that mean my dad could, like… still be a crow?

Jeremiah: I wouldn’t know.

Winnie: My god, Jeremiah. You should know! [She shoves away from the table, sloshing her tea and Jeremiah’s coffee.] You’re supposed to be a Diana-hunting scorpion, yet somehow you know even less about witches than I do!

I mean, you arrested me, my mom, and Darian four years ago even though we were so obviously innocent. And then you arrested us a second time three days ago! Like, come on, man. If you were even halfway decent at your job you would realize how many answers Grayson gave you right here.

Jeremiah: Ms. Wednesday, that’s enough—

Winnie: No. It really isn’t. If you’d just believed my family when we said we were innocent, you could have used these last four years to pursue real clues and catch the real Dianas.

Jeremiah: Ms. Wednesday, if you are quite finished, I would like to—

Winnie: No. I’m not quite finished. I mean, come on, Jeremiah! A crow—my dad turned into a crow, and you never wondered about that? Or looked into it further?

Jeremiah: No, Ms. Wednesday. We did not. How exactly should we have gone about that?

Winnie: [shrugs] You’re the Lambda, not me.

Jeremiah: Now are you finished?

[Winnie nods curtly.]

Jeremiah: Good. Because I have one more thing to give you before I go. [He crooks down to remove a plastic bag from under the table. It is puffy and large.]

[7:51]

Jeremiah: I believe these clothes belong to you. A hoodie and a leather jacket. We found them in the All-Terrain Race tent, under a table. Would you like them back?

[Winnie frowns at the bag for several seconds before snatching it to her.]

[8:01]

Winnie: Obviously I want them back. [She turns away. But then pauses and glances over her shoulder at Jeremiah.] Actually, there’s one more thing I want to say before I go: Isaac deserves a promotion. Or… maybe just a raise, since you know. He’s Isaac. But still, make it a big one. That guy went through hell for me. [She lifts her chin.] Okay, now I’m done. [She swivels once more and stalks away without saying goodbye.]

Jeremiah: [sighs] Interview concluded at 9:54 A.M.

[End 8:39]

As angry as Dryden Saturday is to have his maze destroyed, it quickly becomes a tourist destination for both visiting Luminaries and the residents of Hemlock Falls too. And although Dryden tries to get Winnie to film a quick interview within the shredded remains of the yew hedges, she tells him she’d rather jump off the waterfall.

Because she would.

The fact is, she hasn’t yet seen the damage the Whisperer left behind in the maze. She hasn’t yet seen where the Tuesdays held the line. A scorpion died in there, and Winnie would prefer to face that particular ghost during her first therapy session next week, and not during a live TV interview, thanks.

“In fact, Dryden,” Winnie tells the councilor, “I’d rather step inside the sleeping spirit again than ever chat with you about anything. So leave me alone. I’m not your Midnight Crown anymore.”

It’s true: L.A. Saturday has fully claimed the Midnight Crown (although no, she did not actually get as many votes as Winnie). And at Winnie’s firm (read: unrelenting) insistence, the rest of the Court has been reinstated as well. Emma Wednesday has won the Golden Crown; Kiki Monday has earned the Silver; and Bronze goes to Eugene Saturday.

They all look quite stunning on Friday morning, when they are brought onto the Saturday clan’s newly erected Nightmare Stage by the river. Emma smiles widest for the group photo. L.A. opts for a broody smirk.

Winnie, meanwhile, is nowhere near the Saturday estate. Or the Friday estate, where the day’s Masquerade festivities are kicking off in earnest. (Lizzy goes all out for the Haunted House each year.) Jay isn’t at his own party either. Because he’s with Winnie.

So is Erica.

So is Mom.

So is Darian.

And so is the crow from the family rooftop.

They are all assembled in the old cabin at the edge of the Thursday estate, and for once, the place does not smell like cut grass or fertilizer. The scent of hamburger overpowers everything. The scent of fries too, since Erica is currently shoveling three into her mouth.

She sits in her chair near the shelf, while Winnie kneels on one side and Jay crouches on the other. They are, each of them, focused very intently on the crow that currently hides in a birdcage borrowed from Animal Control (aka Lauren Wednesday). Winnie holds a burger toward it. Erica holds a fry. And Jay just watches on silently, his pewter eyes filled with a combination of sympathy and pity.

Nearby, Mom paces. In one hand she holds the photograph that was hanging in her office until last night. In the other hand, she holds the now-empty bag of Revenant’s Daughter takeout. Darian, meanwhile, sits on a lawnmower. He is bent over, his hands in his hair. “We need a permit for this,” he says to his loafers for the thirty-seventh time. “We need a permit—”

“Enough.” Winnie glowers at her brother. “I know we need a permit, Darian, but by the time Jeremiah approves another request for a Contained Spell Casting, months will have passed. I don’t want to wait that long for Dad, do you?”

Darian hoists upward, his hair disheveled and face green. “Sure, but what are you gonna do when we get caught, Win? Because we will get caught! People are going to notice when Dad just shows up, walking around town again.”

“It’s called double jeopardy.” Winnie plants a hand on her hip. “Ever heard of it, Darian? We can’t get punished twice for the same crime.”

“That is a non law, Winnie, not a Luminary one.”

“I’m pretty sure, though,” Jay inserts, “that your sister is above the law at this point. At least for right now while the entire town is obsessed with her.”

Winnie makes a gagging sound. “Don’t remind me.”

“But Winnie is not the one doing the magic.” Mom’s voice is very pitchy as she points this out. She waggles the empty paper bag. “It’s Erica, and I would hate for Erica to get in trouble trying to help our family—”

“It’s okay,” Erica cuts in. She bares a weak smile, her mouth half-full of french fry. “Bryant got in a lot of trouble helping Jenna, so trying to turn him human is, like… Well, it’s the bare minimum of what I can do—Oh! Here he comes.”

All attention snaps to the crow, now hopping out of his cage toward the hamburger.

Winnie’s eyes bulge. They are very bloodshot thanks to a combination of recent sleep deprivation and the fact that she is wearing contacts since her glasses got lost in the sleeping spirit’s vortex. It’ll take another day for new lenses to arrive.

Jay keeps saying she looks so different.

Then kissing her to make sure she knows how very much he doesn’t mind if she looks different.

Winnie, in turn, keeps trying to adjust invisible glasses that aren’t there. Or rubbing at her eyes and knocking the stupid contacts out.

The crow hops two more steps toward the hamburger, his beak parting and the little gray feathers across his face fluttering. Winnie drops the burger. He starts chowing down.

And Mom stops pacing for the first time since entering the cabin ten minutes ago. “What if that’s not him? What if that is just some bird ?”

“Or what if it is him,” Winnie counters.

“Stop arguing, everyone.” Erica wiggles to the edge of her folding chair. “He’s out now, so I’m going to try doing this. Which means, um…” Her cheeks redden. “Please go outside?”

Darian hurries out, still muttering. Mom traces behind, and Jay ambles out third.

The last to leave is Winnie. She stares down at Erica, who holds a new source, crafted in a pinch last night from another crystal that Marcia spent too much money on. This one is amethyst and very sparkly in the old cabin’s dim light. It only has a single night’s charge, but Erica thinks that’ll be enough.

“Thanks for doing this, E.”

“Like I said, Winona”—Erica grins in a way that’s almost a grimace—“I owe you. And I really owe your dad. Now let’s just hope this spell actually works.” She slides a white postcard from her jacket. It’s exactly like the birthday cards—except not a birthday card.

Rather, this is Dad’s final clue.

It was hiding in plain sight all these years. He even said as much in the very first card Winnie found:

Happy 1–3-Th birthday, Winnie! I wish I was there to see you. It was only last year that things were normal and right, framed like that picture of us in the living room. Stay safe.

Love, Dad

There was more there than just a coded message that read, I Was Framed. It was an arrow pointing to the old family photo, moved into Mom’s new office on the Wednesday estate. When Winnie opened the back, she found the postcard. And on the card is a spell for transmutation into an animal.

It would seem Dad knew he might have to change into his crow form; he also seemed to know he might be in no position to ever change back out of it. Because without a source, without access to magic…

Well, he has been like this for four years.

Winnie gives Erica’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks,” she murmurs. “And good luck.” Then she turns away to join Mom, Darian, and Jay outside. The nodding wakerobins watch her stalk by. Tsk, tsk, tsk. You sure you should be doing this?

“Shut up,” Winnie tells them.

“Huh?” Jay blinks at her. He leans against the shed, his pose not so different from one he made against her locker a month ago. He looks just as haggard, just as pale. Because no matter what happened two days ago in the sleeping spirit, he remains a nightmare. He remains only half human.

Son of forest, son of pain.

Winnie hasn’t told him about Mario’s theory yet. She will eventually, but now isn’t the right time. Jay has more than enough to process. They both do, in fact, which is why she moves to him and glides her hands over his flannel-covered waist. He is warm. He is solid. He is safe.

Winnie kisses his neck, on a secret spot beneath his ear, then she withdraws.

Jay sighs, but he releases her so she can go to her mom—who puts her arm over Winnie’s shoulder while Darian slots into place on Mom’s other side. Together, the three Wednesdays stare at the lone window above the shed door. Winnie thinks she sees light flickering within. She definitely feels magic plucking at her arm—and the smell like burning plastic now overpowers the smell of delicious cholesterol.

Jay soon joins the trio, taking Winnie’s hand in his. And they all stand there like that, three bears and a sparrow, waiting for a bell to finish bringing a Diana home.

A yelp cracks out from the cabin. Then a thud like an anvil falling in a cartoon. Then a screechy, “OH MY GOD IT WORKED, BUT WINNIE HE HAS NO CLOTHES ON. OH MY GOD. YOUR DAD HAS NO CLOTHES. I DIDN’T SEE ANYTHING. I’VE COVERED MY EYES. BUT PLEASE HELP ME!”

Mom leaps forward, Darian beside her. And Winnie, her heart bursting into her skull and punching light beams out of her ears, can’t do anything but laugh and laugh and laugh. Clap and clap and clap. And wait for Darian to bellow a choked-up, “He’s dressed now! And holy shit, Win, it’s really Dad!”

Then Winnie, with Jay just behind, darts for the shed door. Finally, finally Agent Wednesday solved the case. Finally, finally, she has finished what Dad started four years ago.

Well done, the nodding wakerobins say as she charges past. Now please tell your father we need more fertilizer. The Thursdays haven’t been taking good care of us at all.