Page 46 of Alchemy of Secrets

Holland saw the iconic water tower first. Tall and silver, it popped against the blue of the sky, and painted across it in iconic block letters was JME .

Jericho Monroe Entertainment.

The first time Holland had come here, she was five.

She and her sister were with their dad for Kids Day!

All she had wanted was to see Princess Poppy and her pet pony Pistachio.

Holland had even brought a rainbow wand, just like the one Poppy used on the show.

January had wanted to see Sparkles the dog.

She’d brought a box of treats and a leash, planning to use the treats to get the pup on the leash and then take it home.

Everyone had thought the two girls were so precious, with all their hopes and dreams and belief in fictional characters. Even now, all grown up, it was still hard for Holland not to believe, just a little.

The movie studio held a different type of magic than the Regal, but it was magic nonetheless. What is magic, if not something that makes you believe and feel and wonder?

Holland didn’t know if she felt terrified or excited, or if all the buzzing in her head was some other unidentifiable emotion.

Adam stopped the car next to the security booth, and the security guard stepped out. He was dressed like the dad from the JME classic TV show My Neighbor Next Door.

“Happy Halloween,” said Adam. “We’re here to see our friend in the Storytelling Department.”

“Name?” asked the guard.

“Charlotte Davis,” Holland supplied.

“I’m not sure if she got the chance to call it in, but you should be able to reach out to her office to confirm.” Adam spoke with a confident swagger that didn’t leave any room for arguing. Holland wondered if he was using his magic, or if this was just him.

She thought of how easily he’d charmed her when they first met, and how perplexed he’d been when the charm had worn off. Not his magic, she decided.

Still, the security guard made a call without any arguing and then waved them through the gate with a friendly “You can park in the lot to the right. It’s reserved for staff, but it’s not that full today. Miss Davis will come out and meet you there.”

“Thanks, man,” said Adam.

And just like that, they were in.

Holland checked her watch as she stepped out of the car. It was later than she’d realized. 3:33. The sun was shining as if this was its last chance, not holding back any of its rays or heat. She could smell the asphalt melting.

The studio didn’t look as if it had changed in the last few years.

Holland walked toward her father’s old parking spot, which now belonged to director Vic VanVleet.

Vic’s car was parked there now, a shiny mother-of-pearl electric with a vanity license plate that read VX3—the name of her production company.

“So where do we start looking?” asked Adam.

“My father’s old bungalow. Number 17.”

Adam looked skeptical. “You think there could still be a clue there, after all this time?”

“My father hasn’t failed us yet.”

“Hey guys!” Cat stepped into the parking lot, waving a sword with a jeweled heart on the hilt.

She was dressed like Isabella Rose from one of JME’s most popular television shows, Knife and Cross .

Which also happened to be Holland’s favorite vampire show.

And, yes, when Holland got particularly stressed, she sometimes still wrote fan fiction for it.

In the show, Isabella—the human love interest of the world’s deadliest vampire and a vampire hunter, who had accidentally switched bodies—always wore gowns that were never quite appropriate for the time period but were absolutely gorgeous, like the one Cat was wearing now.

It was all elegant black lace straps and layers of pale pink tulle that fell around her to make a gloriously full skirt.

“I love the costume,” Holland said.

“Thank you! I’ve been so excited to wear it and I’m so excited you’re here!” Cat gave Holland a tight hug before turning to Adam. “You must be Holland’s plus one. I’ve heard so much about you!”

Cat thought Adam was Jake, and Holland wasn’t going to correct her. Thankfully, Cat had only known Jake as Clark Kent—Holland never shared the actual names of guys she dated. It felt too much like prematurely saving someone’s number in her phone.

Thankfully, in this case, it allowed Holland to introduce Adam by his real name.

“It’s great to meet you,” Adam said. “Thanks for getting us in here.”

“Anytime,” Cat said. “If you ever want to come back for a tour, I’m your girl. Well, I’m not your girl. Holland is clearly your girl, but I’m Holland’s friend, which makes me your friend now!” Cat sounded flustered, and she was never flustered.

When Adam turned to look at one of the trams zipping by with a collection of tourists, Cat mouthed at Holland, He’s so hot!

Holland tried not to smile, because she knew it would be a real smile. But she and Adam were just pretending. And Adam wasn’t even doing much pretending anymore. Since their kiss at the Beverly Hills Hotel, he actually seemed to be making a conscious effort not to touch her.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you,” Cat added out loud. “Chance is here, too.”

Holland felt a sudden knot in her stomach. She couldn’t run into him now, not after last night. If he saw her and she couldn’t explain things, he really might never forgive her. “What’s he doing here?” she asked.

“He’s meeting with Vic VanVleet.” Cat waved her fake sword in a little circle, because not only was Isabella Rose extraordinarily fashionable, she was also great with weapons. “I think she wants to do another film where he’s the star.”

“That’s wonderful for Chance,” said Holland. And it was wonderful for her, too, because she most likely wouldn’t run into him.

“Don’t tell him I said anything about it,” said Cat. “I’m sure he’ll want to tell you himself at the party tonight.”

“Don’t worry,” Holland said. “I won’t even mention we were here.”

Cat gave her a grateful smile as she started to lead them across the parking lot. “Normally, I’d say we could walk, but this heat is absurd and the costume department is a trek, so I was thinking we could borrow a golf cart.”

“Actually,” said Holland, “I thought Adam and I could go over to the bungalows first. We were hoping to take a look at Ben Tierney’s old bungalow.”

Cat immediately looked uneasy. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“We just want to take a quick picture. I’m a film student,” Adam lied smoothly. “Benjamin Tierney is the reason why, and I really want to see where he worked.”

Cat worried her lip between her teeth.

“Please.” Adam reached out and touched her arm.

Cat looked at him wide-eyed. The touch must have put her over the edge. She looked flustered before, but now she looked dazzled. She shook her head. Some of the dazzle left her eyes, but for a second her expression was a little vacant. “What were we just talking about?”

“You got a call from your boss,” said Adam. “You need to head back to your office, so Holland and I were just saying we’d meet you at the costume department.”

“Yes, right. That’s a good idea.” Cat pointed her sword to the right of the water tower. “See you in a bit,” she said, but it lacked her signature enthusiasm. Her voice had a far-off quality.

And Holland now made the terrifying realization that she knew just how Adam’s magic worked. It wasn’t a magnified version of charm like she had thought. If she was right, Adam Bishop had the power to erase memories and write entirely new ones with merely the touch of his fingers.