that you're at least getting paid for whatever it is you're helping him with.”
I smirk. “Of course I'm getting paid. What do you take me for?”
Rita grins in return. “That's my girl.”
“Um, there was actually a purpose for my visit,” I say tentatively. Wolf is sitting by my feet, and I think I see his ears perk up at this, like he wants to hear if Rita has an explanation for what happened to me at lunch the other day just as much as I do.
Rita's dark eyes slowly flick to mine. “Well I wouldn't expect anything less. I don't think you've ever come to me without having some kind of problem to be solved.”
“Don't be mean to the girl, Reet,” says Alvie, Rita glares at him but doesn't respond.
“Why are you here Tegan?” Gabriel asks quietly, speaking up for the first time.
I glance between Gabriel and Alvie. “Would you two mind if I spoke to Rita alone for a minute?”
Gabriel looks like he's about to say something when Rita interrupts him. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of these two.” Her arms are folded now, and I wonder why she's suddenly annoyed with me. Perhaps she'd thought I'd come to see her just for the pleasure of her company for once. Now I feel bad.
“Fine,” I reply tightly. “The other day I caused a fork to vibrate and levitate just by lifting up my hand. I thought you might be able to explain why that happened.”
For a split second Rita's mouth gapes open, but she quickly shuts it and replies, “Are you certain you didn't imagine it?”
“Yes I'm sure. Wolf was with me when it happened.” I pat the big dog on the head, and he whines in response, perhaps to inform Rita that I'm telling the truth. I really am getting fond of Finn's pet.
Rita eyes me curiously, then she stands up and walks over to me, pulling me up by the elbow. “Hey, go easy,” I say, as she yanks the living day lights out of my arm.
She positions me directly in front of her. “Oh quit whining and stay still,” she says, placing a hand on either side of my head. She stares deeply into my eyes before closing hers. Nothing happens for a minute, but then an odd sensation comes over me. A fizzing in my brain. It's almost like the time when Ethan had invaded my mind and planted an erotic image of the two of us there, but not quite. This feels less invasive, but an invasion of sorts all the same. I'm just about to pull away when Rita's grip suddenly loosens and her hands slip away from me. Her eyes are wide and interested.
“You've got something in you, something magical,” she breathes.
“Yeah, that's just my mother's concealment spell Rita,” I reply in annoyance.
“No it's not that. I located your mother's spell, but there's something else there, something weird.”
“Weird like what?” Alvie asks, his teacup held up to his mouth.
“I'm not sure. It feels like inherited magic, but it can't be. You're not related to the magical families.”
“Well neither are you, apparently,” I say, though I have my suspicions about who Rita's absent father is. She still reminds me of Theodore every time I look into her eyes.
“Yes but I've spent my life practising, building up my stores of magic. You haven't and yet you feel just like me, like you've been a witch all your life too.”
“That can't be true. The only time I've been around magic was when I've been with you, or when I was a baby with my mum. These last two years I haven't even so much as meditated.” I laugh, but I'm too nervous and it comes out strange and joyless.
“Why are you complaining Tegan?” Rita asks. “You've got a big luxurious store of magic inside of you, something any witch would give her back teeth for, and you're standing there with a face like a smacked arse.”
I scowl at her before shrugging off her comment. “Perhaps it's my blood that you sensed then?”
Rita rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Nope, you don't understand. When I used my
I smirk. “Of course I'm getting paid. What do you take me for?”
Rita grins in return. “That's my girl.”
“Um, there was actually a purpose for my visit,” I say tentatively. Wolf is sitting by my feet, and I think I see his ears perk up at this, like he wants to hear if Rita has an explanation for what happened to me at lunch the other day just as much as I do.
Rita's dark eyes slowly flick to mine. “Well I wouldn't expect anything less. I don't think you've ever come to me without having some kind of problem to be solved.”
“Don't be mean to the girl, Reet,” says Alvie, Rita glares at him but doesn't respond.
“Why are you here Tegan?” Gabriel asks quietly, speaking up for the first time.
I glance between Gabriel and Alvie. “Would you two mind if I spoke to Rita alone for a minute?”
Gabriel looks like he's about to say something when Rita interrupts him. “Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of these two.” Her arms are folded now, and I wonder why she's suddenly annoyed with me. Perhaps she'd thought I'd come to see her just for the pleasure of her company for once. Now I feel bad.
“Fine,” I reply tightly. “The other day I caused a fork to vibrate and levitate just by lifting up my hand. I thought you might be able to explain why that happened.”
For a split second Rita's mouth gapes open, but she quickly shuts it and replies, “Are you certain you didn't imagine it?”
“Yes I'm sure. Wolf was with me when it happened.” I pat the big dog on the head, and he whines in response, perhaps to inform Rita that I'm telling the truth. I really am getting fond of Finn's pet.
Rita eyes me curiously, then she stands up and walks over to me, pulling me up by the elbow. “Hey, go easy,” I say, as she yanks the living day lights out of my arm.
She positions me directly in front of her. “Oh quit whining and stay still,” she says, placing a hand on either side of my head. She stares deeply into my eyes before closing hers. Nothing happens for a minute, but then an odd sensation comes over me. A fizzing in my brain. It's almost like the time when Ethan had invaded my mind and planted an erotic image of the two of us there, but not quite. This feels less invasive, but an invasion of sorts all the same. I'm just about to pull away when Rita's grip suddenly loosens and her hands slip away from me. Her eyes are wide and interested.
“You've got something in you, something magical,” she breathes.
“Yeah, that's just my mother's concealment spell Rita,” I reply in annoyance.
“No it's not that. I located your mother's spell, but there's something else there, something weird.”
“Weird like what?” Alvie asks, his teacup held up to his mouth.
“I'm not sure. It feels like inherited magic, but it can't be. You're not related to the magical families.”
“Well neither are you, apparently,” I say, though I have my suspicions about who Rita's absent father is. She still reminds me of Theodore every time I look into her eyes.
“Yes but I've spent my life practising, building up my stores of magic. You haven't and yet you feel just like me, like you've been a witch all your life too.”
“That can't be true. The only time I've been around magic was when I've been with you, or when I was a baby with my mum. These last two years I haven't even so much as meditated.” I laugh, but I'm too nervous and it comes out strange and joyless.
“Why are you complaining Tegan?” Rita asks. “You've got a big luxurious store of magic inside of you, something any witch would give her back teeth for, and you're standing there with a face like a smacked arse.”
I scowl at her before shrugging off her comment. “Perhaps it's my blood that you sensed then?”
Rita rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Nope, you don't understand. When I used my
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