The Gemini

30. Code Windermere

Jane-Anne Pearce

"Are we there yet?"

Finn rolled his eyes. "I think that stopped being funny the fourth time."

"I'm just excited," I confessed. "I've been to Oregon, and then Washinton, New York, Michigan, and now California. It's like I'm finally getting to see the world."

"You know there's other countries besides the United States, right?" Finn asked me.

"Um... yeah. I'm half Japanese, remember?" I scoffed. "Will this traffic move?"

"It's just going to take some time," said Finn. "We'll get there soon."

I held the envelope in my hands gingerly, reading over the address that I had practically memorized by now.

509 N Los Robles Ave

Pasadena, California(CA), 91101

"Explain it to me again." I requested.

"An agent was called to a small town, Windermere, on a simple mission. But he disappeared. They sent another agent after him, and when he vanished too, they sent a third. The third agent was actually found dead, with a seal carved into his chest. That's where the legend of the Windermere Coven came from. Even today, there are towns that agents will refuse to touch because they think a branch of the coven is there. We call it a Code Windermere. It's mostly small towns, but sometimes big places like New York or Pasadena." Finn recited.

The Tanakas had assured us that they wanted nothing to do with the coven, but they were still receptive to Finn's advice for them as they started their new life somewhere in Canada.   

"Should I call Carter?" I asked. "Maybe he should know what we're doing."

"If you tell Carter something, you're telling Lena something by extension. And Lena..."

"Would freak out." I finished. "Are you sure you're not just avoiding her?"

"I'm not in the mood to talk about my sister right now," Finn admitted.

"Okay, what about your other sister?" I prodded. Finn shot me a warning glance, and I promptly gave up. "So... what do you think the coven is going to be like?" I refocused.

"I don't know," Finn admitted. "We just need to explain what's going on really calmly. I mean, they probably don't like agents, do they?"

I shook my head silently. "But if I'm with you, they have to know that you're fine, right?"

"That, or I took you prisoner," said Finn.

I gasped dramatically. "Help! The agent kidnapped me!" I put my hand against my forehead like I was giving the performance of my life.

"Oh, please." Finn sighed, turning off the highway.

"What? My performance was great." I defended.

"You should have done theater," said Finn.

"I always wanted to... I guess I just forgot."

"How do you forget you want things?" Finn asked.

"It's easier than you think." I sank in my seat, taking in the California sun. Palm trees lined the street, and I found myself staring. I'd never seen one of them in person before, and it made the world feel like a cartoon.

"So, when we go in there, we're not expected, so we need to make sure that we're polite. No sudden movements, no yuki-"

"No yuki-onna, got it," I told Finn. "I'm a little more worried about you, Agent Matthews."