Once we were back in Washington, we stopped by the closest tourist info to get our bearings. We got ourselves a map that marked all the sights in the city and asked the clerk to show us the fastest way to the Washington Monument.

“You goin’ there to see all the buzz?” the clerk said as he marked us a simple route with a red pen.

“What buzz?” I asked. I had a bad feeling.

The clerk pointed towards the TV behind him. It was showing the news; a blonde woman in a pantsuit was reporting live from the monument. Behind her, the perimeter of the obelisk was surrounded by yellow police tape. Dennis’ car was still there, swarmed with people in police uniforms and suits.

“It’s still not clear whether the incident at the Washington Monument three days ago was a horrible accident, or a violent act of terrorism. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the car belongs to a San Fransisco man with a strong alibi. The MPD will not say if he’s being suspected as an accomplice.”

I glanced at Amelia. She was wide-eyed and her mouth gaped open. Had the tourist info attendant not been there, I would’ve told her not to worry because no one had any proof of Dennis being linked to the accident — other than the car, of course. Now that I thought about it, it was pretty worrying.

“I am here with Lenny Norman, who was present during the event and saw everything,” the woman continued. She was joined by a scrawny man wearing a green cap that said Hunt Deer, Respect Women.

“Why, thank you, darlin’, I’m happy to be here,” Lenny said. He had a thick southern accent.

“Tell me, Lenny, what did you see?” the woman asked and passed the mic to Lenny again.

“Well, you see, I didn’t exactly see what was goin’ on over there as I was takin’ photographs of my beautiful wife Maureen,” Lenny said. A few feet behind him, a chubby woman with auburn hair waved ecstatically. “But what I can say is that it was very sudden. We didn’t hear it coming, did we hon?”

“No, we didn’t!” Maureen shouted. The mic barely picked her voice up.

“One moment it weren’t there, and the next, boom! No tire tracks or nothin’,” Lenny said.

“And did you see anything suspicious?” the reporter asked.

“Well, we did see some kids, didn’t we Maureen?” Lenny scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, three of ‘em. I didn’t see if they came out the car, but they sure ran from it. One of them did, anyway, and the other two sorta staggered. Musta been hurt or somethin’.”

“What did the police have to say about this?”

Lenny chortled loudly. “Yeah, well, you know these big city cops, they don’t listen to nothin’ small town folk like us got to say, do they Maureen? No, I told ‘em, they said they’d be in touch, ain’t no way they’ll do anythin’ about it…”

The clerk had lost interest and was focusing on a sudoku puzzle. Charon, Amelia and I looked at each other in shock. We couldn’t go in there looking like ourselves. Luckily there was a stand in the middle of the info with sunglasses, I <3 D.C. shirts, caps that said Washington and other generic souvenir stuff on it. We all bought ones before we headed out.

I had never been to a city like Washington. All the cars were sleek and clean, everyone who wasn’t a tourist wore a crisp suit or an expensive dress, and the buildings were old and imposing. Looking at the tourist map, I wished we could visit all the museums; there were a ton of them around the monument.

The weather was getting worse by the minute. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the rain was so heavy it hurt when it hit my face. The winds were picking up; trees started going horizontal, and the American flags all over the city looked like they were going to get ripped off of their poles.

The park was full of people despite the storm. Tourists hung around the police tape, trying to catch a glimpse of the car. Most of them were snapping so many pictures their camera rolls would have no room for anything else.

There were so many other reporters present I couldn’t even spot the one we’d seen on the TV. Their statements overlapped all around us and turned into a senseless jumble about terrorism, threat and mystery.

“Holy shit. This is bad,” Amelia muttered on my right as we took in the scene.

“This is really bad,” Charon agreed on my left.

“How the hell are we supposed to find anything here?” I asked. I had speak loudly, almost shout, to be heard over the weather.

“How the hell are we supposed to see anything?” Amelia said. She was right; the rain turned everything into a grey blur.

“I don’t think this is a normal storm,” Charon said gravely.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Smells like magic. I thought it could be the remnants of your outburst, but this is different,” Charon explained.

“What kind of a creature can create a storm like this?” Amelia asked.

“Not just one creature. This is a whole army,” Charon said.

“Wait, here? In Washington?” I said.

“No, I think… I think they’re just passing through,” Charon answered.

I looked up to the sky. I couldn’t tell for sure, but I thought I saw black masses flying above us. There was a faint screeching sound over the storm, almost like manic cackling.

“Harpies,” Amelia noted. He turned to Charon and said: “Aren’t they your cousins or something?”

“Ha-ha,” Charon said.

There was a blinding flash, and a loud BOOM echoed throughout the park. I could hear gasps and screams even over the rain and wind. Everyone was pointing towards the obelisk.

I could barely see it, but the Washington Monument was cracked. A clean split that went all the way down to the bottom. It didn’t look like the monument was going to collapse, but everyone — even the police investigating Dennis’ car — took distance.

Amelia asked what everyone else was thinking: “What the fuck?”

“Was that just lightning, or…?” I said.

“I doubt it,” Charon said.

“Should we just wait until the weather is gone and then come back?” Amelia suggested.

“No, the crow wanted to show me the storm. We’re supposed to be here,” I said confidently.

On cue, I saw a black bird fighting its way through the storm. I didn’t have to see clearly to know it was my crow. It struggled to keep its course, but it kept determinedly flying east towards the cluster of museums I had seen on the map.

Once again, me and my friends started running after the crow. This time, it was made more difficult by the violent wind that pushed against us, and the rain that half-blinded us. Still, we managed to follow closely enough that we didn’t lose it.

Stolen novel; please report.

The longer we ran, the less people we saw. Everyone around us was rushing to get indoors. In any other situation we would’ve looked like maniacs, running after a bird in our tourist get-ups, but people probably assumed we were trying to hurry to someplace warm and dry as well.

The crow lead us past the Smithsonian and into a garden. We ran past a bunch of sculptures, weaving through them like obstacles, until we saw the crow land on the edge of a fountain. The water in it rippled hypnotically in the rain.

The crow looked at us expectantly as we caught our breath. I was feeling lightheaded; I wasn’t ready for exercise just yet. Not to mention I was completely soaked and shivering.

“What now?” Charon asked.

I was puzzled as well. I wished the crow could speak in real life, like it had in the first dream. I stepped closer to the fountain. The crow, unlike most birds, didn’t mind me getting closer.

Coins glistened at the bottom of the pool. They looked almost magical. “Oh. Oh,” I muttered. I took my backpack off and rummaged through it until I found Fiona’s box.

“What are you doing?” Amelia asked.

“Making a wish?” I said. I held up the silver coin from the box to the crow. “That’s what I’m supposed to do, right?”

Of course, the crow didn’t answer, but I thought it looked pleased. I got as close to the water as I could, one knee on the edge of the fountain. I brought the coin to my lips — I didn’t know why, it just felt natural — and blew on it.

I want to find my uncle, I thought intently. Then, I tossed the coin.

At first, nothing happened. I felt silly. Of course there was nothing magical about the fountain. Hell, maybe even the crow was a regular crow and we had run after it for nothing.

But then, my vision went black. I didn’t collapse or feel dizzy; just lost my sight.

Images started flashing through my mind. A massive hall with natural light and impressive architecture — a railway station. Scenery dashing by faster than in any car I’d ever been in. So many signs I couldn’t remember all of them; Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo… A lake so big it looked like the sea. The skyscraper I had seen in a dream once, and then a smaller brownstone house. A waning crescent that became smaller and smaller until the moon completely disappeared.

I gasped for air when I could see the real world again. Amelia and Charon looked at me worriedly, and the crow was nowhere to be seen. The first thing I said was: “When’s the next new moon?”

“I think it’s on Monday. Why?” Amelia said. She always kept a moon chart with her, something old Hattie Graves had taught her. It always did a witch good to know the phases of the moon.

“Shit,” I muttered. I quickly put Fiona’s box into my backpack again and slung it on my back. I started walking again, hoping I was going the right direction. The other two followed me as I explained: “That vision I saw last year, Ewart gave someone a deadline. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I know now. It’s Killian he wanted all along. He’ll be in Chicago by Monday. God, I can’t believe I’ve been this dumb…”

“How are we supposed to make it to Chicago by Monday?” Amelia asked in a desperate voice.

“We take the train,” I said. “We’ll be there in time, trust me.”

“How much does a train cost, though?” Charon asked.

“Too much,” Amelia said.

“We’ll figure it out, okay? We’ll— We’ll hide in the bathroom or something when the ticket guy comes. Come on, we have a lead now!” I said. I didn’t understand why they weren’t as excited about it.

“Oscar, please! Just wait for one second,” Amelia said and grabbed my arm. We stopped on our tracks. “Don’t you remember what Charon said about visions? What if someone’s trying to lead you away from Killian?”

“Do you have any other ideas?” I snapped.

“Look,” Charon said calmly with a hand on my shoulder. “If you’re sure you need to go to Chicago, of course we’ll come with you. But it does feel like we’re running in circles a little bit. If the… crow, or whatever, knew Killian is in Chicago then why not lead us there in the first place?”

“I… I don’t know. But that dream about my mom and Sibyl, that was in Chicago as well. I’m sure of it. Everything’s pointing in that direction,” I said.

“Okay,” Amelia said. “Let’s figure out how we’re gonna catch a train to Chicago.”

—

The storm had calmed down significantly by the time we arrived at Washington Union Station, which was also marked in our (now soggy from the rain) tourist map. After asking around, we discovered that there was a train leaving for Chicago that afternoon. We didn’t have long to come up with a plan, and Charon wasn’t very happy with the one we ended up agreeing on, but it was our best option.

“We need tickets for the Capitol Limited,” Amelia said confidently to a bored-looking lady at a ticket desk. Charon was somewhere on the other side of the hall, but I couldn’t see him.

The woman looked at us doubtfully. I didn’t blame her; we were soaked through and through, clearly underage, and looked like we hadn’t slept in weeks. She probably thought we were runaways or something.

“I see,” she said anyway, as politely as she could. “Two tickets?”

“Three,” Amelia said.

“Are you travelling with any parents or guardians?” the woman asked. She looked around like she was trying to catch a glimpse of any adult that could’ve been related to either of us.

“We’re going to Chicago to see our parents, actually,” Amelia said. She feigned a sad voice and expression. “This is my brother. We were staying here with our aunt, but we heard our mom is really sick.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” the woman said. She didn’t look very convinced.

“I’m adopted,” I said helpfully.

“So, can we get the tickets?” Amelia said.

“Is your aunt not buying them?” the woman asked.

“Oh, she’s in the bathroom. She gets nervous travelling. She asked me to buy the tickets,” Amelia explained, and I nodded enthusiastically.

“How old are you, honey?” the woman asked.

“I’m 18. Do you need to see my ID?” Amelia said and started digging around her bag.

“Uh… sure.”

Amelia handed her driver’s license over. As soon as the woman’s fingers touched it, Amelia whispered under her breath: “Somnia.”

“What was that, hon?” the woman asked.

“Nothing, just a cough,” Amelia lied with a smile.

“I see,” the woman said. She inspected the driver’s license, but didn’t seem to find anything wrong with it. “Three tickets, you said?”

“Yes, please. Two adults, one youth,” Amelia said. She pretended to look for her wallet.

The woman began to print the tickets. “That’ll be— What the hell?”

The hall was filled with music and screams of delight. People were sprinting towards a homeless man we had talked to earlier. We had convinced him that if Charon could play his guitar for a while, he could have the tips. And now, Charon was playing and singing a Bowie song that echoed throughout the entire hall.

I had never heard him sing, so I hadn’t known what to expect from the plan, but I understood now. His voice was incredible. Even though Amelia and I were usually unaffected by Charon’s charm, I found myself wanting to throw myself at him. The only thing that kept me grounded was Amelia’s fingers gripping my wrist increasingly more painfully.

The only human around who wasn’t completely enchanted by Charon was our homeless friend, who was too taken aback by the vast amounts of money people were throwing into his guitar case.

“I’ve never heard anything so beautiful,” the ticket lady said in a dreamy voice. Her eyes were hazy and she was swaying slowly to the music. I began to realise how dangerous a siren’s song could be.

“We know him, actually,” Amelia said. She had to repeat it louder twice until the woman remembered we were there at all.

“Do you, really? Is he a celebrity or something? Can I have his number? Or just an autograph, I don’t really mind either way, I’ll have anything,” the woman rambled.

“Yeah, we can get you an autograph. Can we have our tickets first, though?” Amelia asked. My heart beat fast. This was it, our only chance to get the tickets.

“Yes! Yes, take them,” the woman said. She ripped the tickets out of the printer and violently handed them to Amelia.

“Okay, thank you. We’ll come back once the crowd has calmed down, alright?” Amelia said.

“No, thank you! Thank you, thank you,” the woman exclaimed. She held Amelia’s hand tightly and gave it a big kiss.

We made sure the tickets were good and started jogging towards our platform. We had agreed that Charon would meet us there, but I was a bit worried he wasn’t going to get out of the swarm of new fans he had gained.

“I feel a little bad for her,” I said. We had no plans to actually get an autograph to the ticket lady.

“She probably won’t even remember it,” Amelia said and waved a hand dismissively.

“Yeah. I guess so,” I said.

We reached the platform half an hour before the train was to leave. We sat on a bench and put down our bags, completely out of breath. Neither of us were in shape for so much running around just yet.

“Do you think Charon will make it here in time?” I asked.

“I’m sure he will,” Amelia said. She took out one of the sparkling water bottles we had taken from Elias and uncapped it with a spell. Once she’d had her fill, she offered it to me.

“Why do you think the crow wanted us to come to Washington first?” I asked after I drank. It was one of the questions that had been bugging my mind ever since my friends pointed it out.

“I’m guessing it had something to do with the fountain,” Amelia said thoughtfully. “It must’ve been a wishing fountain. There aren’t many left in the world because you have to maintain the spell — the Trevi fountain in Rome is the most famous one. I didn’t think there were any in America.”

“But why couldn’t it show those things to me before? Why wait until the fountain?” I asked.

“Dreams are easily penetrated. That’s why most visions happen in them. Maybe the crow wanted to make sure no one sees you coming,” Amelia mused.

“I guess that makes sense,” I said.

Charon finally showed up about ten minutes before the train left. His hair was sticking in every possible direction, his face was sweaty, his clothes rumpled and there was a rip in his shirt. He was breathing so heavily any outsider would’ve thought he had run a marathon.

“You look like shit,” Amelia commented.

“Thanks,” Charon said. He slumped on the bench next to me, and I offered him the rest of our water.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“Uh… Gerald was happy to have the tips. He said he’s probably gonna be able to get a place to stay now, so that’s good,” Charon told us. “Getting away from the crowd was a bit difficult. I had to take a few detours, but I think I’m safe now.”

“Well, thanks for your help. That was really impressive,” Amelia said. She smiled, just a little. Charon’s eyes widened. His face was red to begin with, but I was sure it got a shade deeper.