got you back. I’m afraid to chance anything else.”
Gray watched Mom’s fingers close around the keys.
It made sense that she didn’t want to tempt fate, but what could go wrong with a simple unlocking spell? And that was one big kink of a resurrection spell. Still, Gray was alive and she was with her mom. What more could she ask for… other than her own body back? They’d fix this. They had to. She wasn’t ready to think about the alternative.
The impossible part was accomplished: Gray was back from the dead. A body transfer should be a piece of cake in comparison.
Speaking of cake, for now Gray had every intention of doing the pigging out and letting Charlene work it off on her days. There was one positive.
Raj was waiting in the student parking lot early Monday morning. He flipped his Zippo open and closed. Friday night he’d driven by McKinley and spotted Charlene Perez’s lone car in the lot. By Saturday afternoon it was gone.
There was one space left in the front row of the parking lot. Several cars passed it as though it were taken. Five minutes later Charlene pulled into the spot.
Clever witch.
Raj grinned, snapped the Zippo shut, and stuffed it inside his pocket. He walked up to Charlene and pivoted to walk into the building beside her. “Hey,” Raj said casually.
Charlene’s eyes screwed up. She had on her standard miniskirt and tight sweater. “What do you want?”
“I never got a chance to express my condolences for your loss.”
Charlene’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you?”
“Losing your twin must feel two times worse,” Raj said without missing a beat. “Might tempt you to try a resurrection spell.”
Charlene snorted. “Yeah, right, there are only like three witches in the world who might have even the remotest chance of pulling that off.” She batted her long, dark lashes. “Not that I’m without talent.”
“So you’ve got connections?”
“I’ve got all kinds of connections—doesn’t mean I’d use them.”
“Still, must get lonely.”
Charlene stopped walking and turned. “Do I seem lonely to you?” she demanded. Before Raj could answer Charlene’s frown morphed into a wicked grin. “Why are you asking me about my sister, anyway? Do you have like some kind of weird obsession with her, ’cause she never mentioned you before.”
If Charlene was searching Raj’s face for signs of pain she could go on and look all day long. Insults rolled off Raj like water from a duck.
He raised a brow. “And I’m sure the two of you were super close.”
Charlene opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
“Now, now, Charlene. If you can’t say anything nice…” Raj grinned. He wasn’t breaking any promises by performing a muting spell on Charlene. After all, Gray hadn’t asked him not to use magic on her sister.
Charlene’s eyes widened. If he weren’t so aggravated, it might have been funny to watch her try to scream at him. Suddenly she stopped. A look came over her face and she began to lift a finger toward him.
Raj quickly froze it. Whatever kind of whammy she’d been planning, Raj didn’t want to find out.
Rage flashed in Charlene’s eyes.
Raj clucked his tongue. “Careful, Charlene, you’re still in the coven’s good graces. As much as I’d enjoy being the cause of your expulsion, I think your mom’s had enough to deal with this year. Now I’m going to release you, but before I do I want to know why you pretended to be your sister on Friday. The truth, Charlene.”
Raj pulled out his Zippo and pushed the lid open with his thumb. When he snapped it shut again Charlene was free. She nearly stumbled forward. “You motherfucker!”
“Curse me all you want, but I’ll freeze you again if you don’t answer my question. Why were you pretending to be Gray?”
“I was under a spell!” Charlene screamed.
“Who did the spell?”
“No freaking idea! You are so going to pay for using magic on me, McKenna. The coven should
Gray watched Mom’s fingers close around the keys.
It made sense that she didn’t want to tempt fate, but what could go wrong with a simple unlocking spell? And that was one big kink of a resurrection spell. Still, Gray was alive and she was with her mom. What more could she ask for… other than her own body back? They’d fix this. They had to. She wasn’t ready to think about the alternative.
The impossible part was accomplished: Gray was back from the dead. A body transfer should be a piece of cake in comparison.
Speaking of cake, for now Gray had every intention of doing the pigging out and letting Charlene work it off on her days. There was one positive.
Raj was waiting in the student parking lot early Monday morning. He flipped his Zippo open and closed. Friday night he’d driven by McKinley and spotted Charlene Perez’s lone car in the lot. By Saturday afternoon it was gone.
There was one space left in the front row of the parking lot. Several cars passed it as though it were taken. Five minutes later Charlene pulled into the spot.
Clever witch.
Raj grinned, snapped the Zippo shut, and stuffed it inside his pocket. He walked up to Charlene and pivoted to walk into the building beside her. “Hey,” Raj said casually.
Charlene’s eyes screwed up. She had on her standard miniskirt and tight sweater. “What do you want?”
“I never got a chance to express my condolences for your loss.”
Charlene’s eyes narrowed. “What’s it to you?”
“Losing your twin must feel two times worse,” Raj said without missing a beat. “Might tempt you to try a resurrection spell.”
Charlene snorted. “Yeah, right, there are only like three witches in the world who might have even the remotest chance of pulling that off.” She batted her long, dark lashes. “Not that I’m without talent.”
“So you’ve got connections?”
“I’ve got all kinds of connections—doesn’t mean I’d use them.”
“Still, must get lonely.”
Charlene stopped walking and turned. “Do I seem lonely to you?” she demanded. Before Raj could answer Charlene’s frown morphed into a wicked grin. “Why are you asking me about my sister, anyway? Do you have like some kind of weird obsession with her, ’cause she never mentioned you before.”
If Charlene was searching Raj’s face for signs of pain she could go on and look all day long. Insults rolled off Raj like water from a duck.
He raised a brow. “And I’m sure the two of you were super close.”
Charlene opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
“Now, now, Charlene. If you can’t say anything nice…” Raj grinned. He wasn’t breaking any promises by performing a muting spell on Charlene. After all, Gray hadn’t asked him not to use magic on her sister.
Charlene’s eyes widened. If he weren’t so aggravated, it might have been funny to watch her try to scream at him. Suddenly she stopped. A look came over her face and she began to lift a finger toward him.
Raj quickly froze it. Whatever kind of whammy she’d been planning, Raj didn’t want to find out.
Rage flashed in Charlene’s eyes.
Raj clucked his tongue. “Careful, Charlene, you’re still in the coven’s good graces. As much as I’d enjoy being the cause of your expulsion, I think your mom’s had enough to deal with this year. Now I’m going to release you, but before I do I want to know why you pretended to be your sister on Friday. The truth, Charlene.”
Raj pulled out his Zippo and pushed the lid open with his thumb. When he snapped it shut again Charlene was free. She nearly stumbled forward. “You motherfucker!”
“Curse me all you want, but I’ll freeze you again if you don’t answer my question. Why were you pretending to be Gray?”
“I was under a spell!” Charlene screamed.
“Who did the spell?”
“No freaking idea! You are so going to pay for using magic on me, McKenna. The coven should
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