Alchemy of Secrets

by Stephanie Garber

“By now, I’m sure many of you have tried to find the devil at a hotel bar, and I probably should have said this before: Be very careful. Hollywood was not built on dreams, it was built on favors from the devil, and the devil does not handle it well when those favors aren’t paid back.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” he asked. “Considering I don’t trust you—a lot of things.” Gabe stepped harder on the gas, pushing the car to go faster. “I’m just trying to keep you alive, sweetheart.”

Hate this line

Do you really want to be that guy? Gabe the Grandma Killer?”

“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked. He shook his head. “Don’t really like pumpkin.” “Then why did you order all this?” He shrugged. “You seemed like someone who likes to celebrate holidays.”

“Hi, yes, the lady would like to buy us some drinks. She’ll have a Shirley Temple with extra cherries.” He looked at Holland and winked. “And I’ll take a sidecar.”

I kind of love this reveal

“He told me I’d die at 11:59 on Halloween night, unless I find the Alchemical Heart.” Adam slowly ran a hand over his jaw and cursed under his breath. “So, let me get this straight. You’re going to die tomorrow and you still don’t want a drink?”

He looked like that old Lana Del Rey song come to life, dressed in blue jeans and a soft white shirt.

Mixed feelings on this line

The future’s course does not become fixed until it turns into the past.

“What did you just do?” Holland asked. He shrugged. “It’s my charm.” She narrowed her eyes. “You’re not that charming.” “Says the girl who just spilled all her secrets to me.”

What is magic, if not something that makes you believe and feel and wonder?

“You watch the show?” “Of course I do.” He smirked. “Isabella is hot.” Holland felt an irrational flare of jealousy.

“If you’re a ghost, why can I see and hear you?” “Because you’ve died.” Holland still couldn’t wrap her mind around this, but she wanted to know more. “How many times?” “If I told you, it would just depress you.”

“I want you to go to the future, to someone who needs you, but doesn’t really want you. Someone kind, who will only use you once for their need and then never use you again.”

A number of things might have changed for Holland St. James tonight, but she still couldn’t quite close the door on a rabbit hole.

“Of all the beaches, in all the world, why did you choose to sit on mine?”