running his hand through his hair. “What if the map isn’t enough? What if you can’t avoid the spirits of the dead?”
“He has a point,” Emma said. “You are kind of a ghost magnet.”
I let out my own sigh and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. How could I explain how I felt about Nera’s amulet? I wasn’t even sure myself, but I had become increasingly uncomfortable about keeping it. It felt wrong to hold onto something stolen, even if it had been for a good reason, and the idea of Salem witches tracking me down and seeking revenge was…creepy.
“Okay, I’m just a little bit freaked out about keeping the amulet,” I admitted. “I mean, I don’t like the idea of keeping something that doesn’t belong to me, but the fact we stole it from witches makes my skin crawl. Don’t you ever worry what might happen if they find out it was us?”
“You’re right,” Cal said. “I just worry about you. I wish we had more of a plan. There’s no way of knowing if avoiding evil spirit hot spots wil work.”
“Al the more reason to help as many ghosts as possible,” I said, smiling.
“Ooh, I like it,” Emma said grinning. “Didn’t you say that Mr. Greene was one of the happy spirits surrounding you that night?”
“Exactly,” I said nodding.
Cal tilted his head, curious, then his eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re going to have your own army of good spirits to protect you!” Cal said.
“That’s my plan,” I said. “Wel , it’s my backup plan.
Plan A is to put al of this information into a useful map so we can avoid as many Grays as possible.”
“Where do we start?” Emma asked.
“We begin with Dylan Jacobs,” I said. “Surviving Samhain without Nera’s amulet would be fabulous, but first I have to survive high school.”
*****
There was, of course, a flying monkey wrench in my plan. The ful moon was only two nights away. With the ful moon fast approaching, and the pack preparing to get furry, Emma and I would soon be on our own.
“I’m so sorry,” Cal said. “We can stay through tomorrow evening, but by midnight Sunday we should be on the road for Wolf Camp. Normal y I’d leave Simon here with you, but with everything going on with Gabriel…”
“No, take Simon with you,” I said. “We’l be alright.”
“Promise you’l cal Gordy or your parents if the J-team comes anywhere near you?” Cal asked.
“Seriously, I’l dial 9-1-1 if they come near me again,” I said. “I’m not taking any chances.”
Cal reached out and slid his hand into mine, our fingers interwoven like two vines grown together over time. It was difficult to tel where I ended and he began. I made a silent, selfish wish that he didn’t have to leave.
I squeezed Cal’s hand and he pul ed me to his chest.
His eyes darkened as I reached up with my free hand to run my fingers along his tanned neck. Even during the depths of Maine winter he managed to maintain his sun-kissed complexion. Cal let his shaggy hair fal into his face, tilting his head down as a shiver coursed through his body.
“I real y wish that I didn’t have to go,” Cal said.
“I know,” I said.
“I love you,” Cal said. “I would do anything for you.”
“Then kiss me,” I said, pulse racing.
Cal’s lips met mine and our hands parted so he could run his fingers down my back. He left a tingling trail of sensation everywhere he touched. I pressed closer, but Cal pul ed away with a sigh.
“We better slow down,” Cal said.
“Wow, um, yeah,” I said. “Good idea.”
At some point during our kiss I had started panting and Cal looked disheveled. Had I done that to his hair? My traitorous fingers twitched as I restrained myself from running them through his shaggy locks. Yes, that must have been me. Definitely time to cool down.
Emma chose that moment to walk back in from outside. She had exited the cabin to take a cal from her mom before Cal had a chance to tel us about the ful moon. Our crazy
“He has a point,” Emma said. “You are kind of a ghost magnet.”
I let out my own sigh and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. How could I explain how I felt about Nera’s amulet? I wasn’t even sure myself, but I had become increasingly uncomfortable about keeping it. It felt wrong to hold onto something stolen, even if it had been for a good reason, and the idea of Salem witches tracking me down and seeking revenge was…creepy.
“Okay, I’m just a little bit freaked out about keeping the amulet,” I admitted. “I mean, I don’t like the idea of keeping something that doesn’t belong to me, but the fact we stole it from witches makes my skin crawl. Don’t you ever worry what might happen if they find out it was us?”
“You’re right,” Cal said. “I just worry about you. I wish we had more of a plan. There’s no way of knowing if avoiding evil spirit hot spots wil work.”
“Al the more reason to help as many ghosts as possible,” I said, smiling.
“Ooh, I like it,” Emma said grinning. “Didn’t you say that Mr. Greene was one of the happy spirits surrounding you that night?”
“Exactly,” I said nodding.
Cal tilted his head, curious, then his eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re going to have your own army of good spirits to protect you!” Cal said.
“That’s my plan,” I said. “Wel , it’s my backup plan.
Plan A is to put al of this information into a useful map so we can avoid as many Grays as possible.”
“Where do we start?” Emma asked.
“We begin with Dylan Jacobs,” I said. “Surviving Samhain without Nera’s amulet would be fabulous, but first I have to survive high school.”
*****
There was, of course, a flying monkey wrench in my plan. The ful moon was only two nights away. With the ful moon fast approaching, and the pack preparing to get furry, Emma and I would soon be on our own.
“I’m so sorry,” Cal said. “We can stay through tomorrow evening, but by midnight Sunday we should be on the road for Wolf Camp. Normal y I’d leave Simon here with you, but with everything going on with Gabriel…”
“No, take Simon with you,” I said. “We’l be alright.”
“Promise you’l cal Gordy or your parents if the J-team comes anywhere near you?” Cal asked.
“Seriously, I’l dial 9-1-1 if they come near me again,” I said. “I’m not taking any chances.”
Cal reached out and slid his hand into mine, our fingers interwoven like two vines grown together over time. It was difficult to tel where I ended and he began. I made a silent, selfish wish that he didn’t have to leave.
I squeezed Cal’s hand and he pul ed me to his chest.
His eyes darkened as I reached up with my free hand to run my fingers along his tanned neck. Even during the depths of Maine winter he managed to maintain his sun-kissed complexion. Cal let his shaggy hair fal into his face, tilting his head down as a shiver coursed through his body.
“I real y wish that I didn’t have to go,” Cal said.
“I know,” I said.
“I love you,” Cal said. “I would do anything for you.”
“Then kiss me,” I said, pulse racing.
Cal’s lips met mine and our hands parted so he could run his fingers down my back. He left a tingling trail of sensation everywhere he touched. I pressed closer, but Cal pul ed away with a sigh.
“We better slow down,” Cal said.
“Wow, um, yeah,” I said. “Good idea.”
At some point during our kiss I had started panting and Cal looked disheveled. Had I done that to his hair? My traitorous fingers twitched as I restrained myself from running them through his shaggy locks. Yes, that must have been me. Definitely time to cool down.
Emma chose that moment to walk back in from outside. She had exited the cabin to take a cal from her mom before Cal had a chance to tel us about the ful moon. Our crazy
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