ShadowKnight laughed. “You’re hilarious. Okay, so fork over that hack.”
Binx smiled and leaned back and curled her body around the puppy as she continued videochatting with ShadowKnight. This felt right. Her friendship with him, joining Libertas. She was part of a witch revolution now. And after it was over, she, ShadowKnight, Ridley, Greta, Iris, Div, Mira, Aysha, and all the other witches out there were going to be free forever, for real. No hacks necessary.
Binx couldn’t wait.
“I wonder where they are?” Greta said, glancing at her watch.
Iris opened her Batgirl lunch bag and poked through its contents. A peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich on whole wheat bread, a bottle of cranberry juice, and a cranberry-walnut muffin from her grandma’s café. She picked up the muffin and took a tiny nibble from a corner. Major yumminess. “I ran into Ridley after my meeting with Mrs. Feathers. Mrs. Feathers is so nice, she said she refilled her M&M bowl just for me! Anyhoo, she… Ridley, not Mrs. Feathers… said she might be un peu en retard—that means a little late—because of a thingama-whatsit having to do with her SAT prep? I’m not sure about Binx.”
“Okay. Maybe I’ll text them and remind them that we’re having lunch out here and not in the cafeteria.”
“Okeydokey.”
As Greta searched for her phone, Iris leaned back on the cedar bench and gazed up at the branches of the crape myrtle tree. In between the purply clusters of flowers, she could make out puffy clouds drifting lazily across the midday sky.
Her thoughts drifted along with them. Her awesome new familiar, Lolli. Happy thought. Penelope’s funeral. Sad thought. And just this morning, two more students in her homeroom wearing Antima shoulder patches. Scary thought.
At least she was officially a member of Greta’s coven now, and they could face the Antima together, catch Penelope’s killer together. She’d told Greta the good news the day after the funeral. When she’d told Div later—just because she felt like she should—the girl had just looked at her with those scary green eyes of hers and said that she would be there when Iris changed her mind.
Not if. When. But Iris had no plans to change her mind; her place was by Greta’s side. And Binx’s and Ridley’s, too.
“Hi, guys!”
Ridley was walking across the courtyard toward them. Today, she wore a gray Columbia University hoodie, pleated skirt, and loafers. Greta and Iris slid over on the bench to make room for her.
Ridley sat down and set her backpack on the grass. “I thought Binx was eating with us.”
“She is,” Greta confirmed.
“Then why is she having lunch with Div and Mira and Aysha?”
“What?” Greta burst out. “No, she’s not. There she is, she’s coming over.”
Iris swiveled and saw Binx hurrying toward them across the courtyard. Her hair wasn’t pink anymore; it was black with platinum highlights. It suited her, and Iris wondered if she should get platinum highlights, too.
“Hey!”
Binx stopped in front of them, her face flushed with excitement. Her phone, in her hand, had a cute brown Raichu case.
“Hey! Do you want to sit?” Ridley asked, scooting over.
“In a sec. Calumnia. So, I have some news.”
“News?” Greta repeated with a tense smile.
“Do you remember that guy I mentioned to you? ShadowKnight?”
“ShadowKnight. Who is he? Sounds like a Witchworld username,” Iris remarked.
“It’s funny you should say that. Don’t repeat that name to anyone else, though.” Binx turned her attention back to Greta. “Anyway, I’ve decided to join his group. Libertas.”
Greta’s smile disappeared. “You mean… his secret activist group?”
“What secret activist group? Binx, why didn’t you mention it to me before? And why did you lie and tell me ShadowKnight was just some random gamer?” Ridley asked in a hurt voice.
“I’m sorry, Ridley. I promised him, like, total secrecy, and… listen, guys! Libertas is an amazing group; they’re trying to get rid of 6-129. And solve the Antima problem. Anyway, I’ve decided to join them. But I can still do all my coven stuff, too. Like, we have a meeting at my house tonight, right? I’m all set with the snacks, and I even went to Michaels and bought some new—”
“You can’t join them,” Greta declared flatly.
Binx raised her eyebrows. “Excuse me?”
“You can’t join them,” Greta repeated. “It’s too dangerous. For you and for us. For one thing, you might accidentally expose our coven.”
Ridley twisted her hands in her lap. “Oh. True.”
“I am not going to expose our coven!” Binx said hotly.
“We can’t take that chance,” Greta said. “I’m sorry, Binx.”
Binx opened her mouth to speak, then closed it. She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry. Because if this coven isn’t going to support my decision, I know a coven that will.”
Greta stared at her. She rose to her feet. “You can’t be serious—”
“Hells yeah, I am. They don’t want to stifle me. They understand how important it is to fight for witches’ rights… and safety.”
“I understand that, too! I just don’t think you joining some sketchy online group who—who knows?—could be just as dangerous is going to help.”
“Well, you’re wrong. If you’d just listened to me, I don’t know, ever, maybe you’d get that.”
Greta’s cheeks flushed. Iris’s glance bounced between her three new coven-mates. Actually, her two new coven-mates and her about-to-be-ex-coven-mate. Stressful thought.
Binx turned to Ridley. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Libertas before, and that I lied about ShadowKnight. I’ll explain everything soon, and I promise we’ll still hang out. But I just can’t be a part of… a part of this.” She glanced briefly at Greta. “Thanks for letting me be a coven member. I mean it. But I am so ready to grow up and move on.”
With that, Binx lifted her Raichu phone in an abrupt goodbye and started back across the courtyard, toward the school building. Ridley jumped to her feet and ran after her. “Binx! Can we please talk about
