serious, Thea kept thinking as Dani drove her home. She felt as if her skin had been rubbed too thin all over her body.
When they got to the shop, Gran was already gone. Tobias and Vivienne were downstairs. "Is she okay?" Thea asked. "Is it something bad?" "Not too bad," Tobias said. "She just kept getting dizzy today, and then she had a coughing fit and couldn't stop. She finally decided maybe she'd better get somebody to sing it out. So she called Ms. Morrigan."
Oh, great-chanting. Just what Gran loved. But she must have been really sick to ask to have it done. "Can I call her?"
"I wouldn't," Vivienne put in. Her green eyes were kind, her voice reassuring. "I'm sure Mom's working on her by now, and when she does a singing, it takes all night. You shouldn't disturb them. But don't worry, Thea-my mom's really good ."
"Yes-it's not that I'm worried about." Thea looked around distractedly, finally coming back to Vivienne's face. "Did you hear about what happened at school?"
"No." Vivienne looked mildly curious. "What happened?"
Instead of answering, Thea said, "Where's Blaise?"
"Upstairs packing. She's going to stay overnight at ray house. You can come, too-Thea?"
Thea was already racing up the stairs.
She burst into the bedroom she and Blaise shared. Blaise had a small suitcase open on her bed.
Thea didn't waste words. "Did you kill Kevin Imamura?"
Blaise dropped a black silk teddy. "Did I what? What are you talking about?"
"He's dead."
"And you thought I did it? Thanks a lot, but it's not him I want to kill." Blaise narrowed her eyes and Thea felt cold. Then she tilted her head. "So how did he die?"
"He was strangled. Somebody murdered him."
Blaise just raised her eyebrows and murmured, "Hm. I wonder where Randy is? " She held a shirt up, considered it, and added, "Do you want to come stay at Viv's with me? It's better than staying here by yourself ."
"I don't know. Do I have to watch you to make sure Eric doesn't end up like Kevin?"
Blaise gave her a scorching look. "When I go after a boy, I get him first. I don't strangle him before the fun begins."
She slammed her suitcase closed and stalked out.
Thea sat on the bed.
In spite of her sharp words, Thea now knew Blaise hadn't done it. Her cousin had been genuinely surprised.
And Randy? I suppose it could have been, if he somehow got out of wherever they've taken him. He had a reason to hate Kevin. But . . .
The alternate explanation slid into place so quickly that Thea realized it must have been in her mind all along.
The spirit.
She sat there for an endless time, trying to think. It was like trying to find her way through a thick fog.
Gran's gone . . . and if she's sick I can't bother her anyway ... of course, Blaise won't help ... but I need to trust somebody. . . .
Dani gently pushed the door open. "Can I come in?" When Thea nodded, she walked in and sat down on Blaise's bed.
"They left. I told Tobias to go too-he had a girlfriend he wanted to see. I'll stay here tonight, if you want."
Thea took a shaky breath. "Thanks, Dani."
"Look, Thea, I don't want to pry, but . . . are you okay? I mean, you're as pale as a corpse-" Dani bit her lip. "Sorry, bad choice of words. But I am your friend, and if there's anything I can do, I'd like to help."
Another breath. Then Thea made her decision.
"I worked a forbidden spell."
Dani looked shocked, but not appalled. "Which one?"
"Calling back the spirits."
When Dani didn't scream or faint, Thea told the whole story. All about her summoning-everything except why she'd been doing it. "And now I'm scared," she finished. "I let something out yesterday, and today Kevin gets murdered. Blaise didn't kill him. She thinks Randy may be involved, but . . ." Thea shook her head.
"But, Thea, be logical. Why should it have anything to do with your spell?" Dani's rational voice was soothing. "You let someone out, not something. The elders summon the ancestors all the time without anything bad happening. You just
When they got to the shop, Gran was already gone. Tobias and Vivienne were downstairs. "Is she okay?" Thea asked. "Is it something bad?" "Not too bad," Tobias said. "She just kept getting dizzy today, and then she had a coughing fit and couldn't stop. She finally decided maybe she'd better get somebody to sing it out. So she called Ms. Morrigan."
Oh, great-chanting. Just what Gran loved. But she must have been really sick to ask to have it done. "Can I call her?"
"I wouldn't," Vivienne put in. Her green eyes were kind, her voice reassuring. "I'm sure Mom's working on her by now, and when she does a singing, it takes all night. You shouldn't disturb them. But don't worry, Thea-my mom's really good ."
"Yes-it's not that I'm worried about." Thea looked around distractedly, finally coming back to Vivienne's face. "Did you hear about what happened at school?"
"No." Vivienne looked mildly curious. "What happened?"
Instead of answering, Thea said, "Where's Blaise?"
"Upstairs packing. She's going to stay overnight at ray house. You can come, too-Thea?"
Thea was already racing up the stairs.
She burst into the bedroom she and Blaise shared. Blaise had a small suitcase open on her bed.
Thea didn't waste words. "Did you kill Kevin Imamura?"
Blaise dropped a black silk teddy. "Did I what? What are you talking about?"
"He's dead."
"And you thought I did it? Thanks a lot, but it's not him I want to kill." Blaise narrowed her eyes and Thea felt cold. Then she tilted her head. "So how did he die?"
"He was strangled. Somebody murdered him."
Blaise just raised her eyebrows and murmured, "Hm. I wonder where Randy is? " She held a shirt up, considered it, and added, "Do you want to come stay at Viv's with me? It's better than staying here by yourself ."
"I don't know. Do I have to watch you to make sure Eric doesn't end up like Kevin?"
Blaise gave her a scorching look. "When I go after a boy, I get him first. I don't strangle him before the fun begins."
She slammed her suitcase closed and stalked out.
Thea sat on the bed.
In spite of her sharp words, Thea now knew Blaise hadn't done it. Her cousin had been genuinely surprised.
And Randy? I suppose it could have been, if he somehow got out of wherever they've taken him. He had a reason to hate Kevin. But . . .
The alternate explanation slid into place so quickly that Thea realized it must have been in her mind all along.
The spirit.
She sat there for an endless time, trying to think. It was like trying to find her way through a thick fog.
Gran's gone . . . and if she's sick I can't bother her anyway ... of course, Blaise won't help ... but I need to trust somebody. . . .
Dani gently pushed the door open. "Can I come in?" When Thea nodded, she walked in and sat down on Blaise's bed.
"They left. I told Tobias to go too-he had a girlfriend he wanted to see. I'll stay here tonight, if you want."
Thea took a shaky breath. "Thanks, Dani."
"Look, Thea, I don't want to pry, but . . . are you okay? I mean, you're as pale as a corpse-" Dani bit her lip. "Sorry, bad choice of words. But I am your friend, and if there's anything I can do, I'd like to help."
Another breath. Then Thea made her decision.
"I worked a forbidden spell."
Dani looked shocked, but not appalled. "Which one?"
"Calling back the spirits."
When Dani didn't scream or faint, Thea told the whole story. All about her summoning-everything except why she'd been doing it. "And now I'm scared," she finished. "I let something out yesterday, and today Kevin gets murdered. Blaise didn't kill him. She thinks Randy may be involved, but . . ." Thea shook her head.
"But, Thea, be logical. Why should it have anything to do with your spell?" Dani's rational voice was soothing. "You let someone out, not something. The elders summon the ancestors all the time without anything bad happening. You just
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