the telltale bites on Marissa’s throat.
I could tell by the bitterness in Kate’s voice that she wasn’t pleased with me, or how I had endangered her friend’s life. But for now I kept quiet, letting Marissa explain, as Kate had been her friend for years, not mine. I hoped beyond hope Kate would understand. As much as I desired to protect Marissa from everyone and everything, I had to give her some control over her life that I’m sure she felt she’d lost when I stepped into it.
“He had to, or grow weaker. Tonight when she returns for him—”
Kate threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and groaned again. “I can’t believe this.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You can’t plan to keep him at your house again tonight.”
“I can’t allow her to be alone,” I interjected.
“Marissa can come to my house.”
“No,” Marissa said firmly. “I can’t endanger you and your family, too.”
Kate paced back and forth on the walk, pausing when the warning bell rang for the beginning of the next class. She turned to Marissa. “I’m sleeping over with you.”
Kate surprised the heck out of me. Marissa had a true and loyal friend in her and my admiration for Kate rose.
Marissa’s eyes widened. “No,” she whispered. “You can’t, Kate. Lynetta will come after you, too.”
Kate smiled a sort of evil grin. “I already helped you to wipe the mind of one of her hosts. I can do it again. Besides, you’ve helped me get out of some tough binds with guys…” She glanced at me as if I were in that category, then faced Marissa again. “So I owe you.”
“But Lynetta’s evil to the core. I—”
“Either you let me in on this…or I’ll let it slip to my parents that you have a guy staying at your house. They’ll tell your aunt. She’ll tell your parents. You know how that’ll turn out.” Kate slipped her arm through Marissa’s and walked her toward the potions class. “Deal?” She glanced back at me.
“The more the merrier,” I said, figuring we hadn’t any choice. And maybe, just maybe, one more witch could help us.
Wouldn’t Lynetta be surprised?
Marissa shook her head. “I don’t want her involved! It’s not safe for her. Well, for any of us, but we can’t help what we have to do. She still has a choice.”
“Agreed.”
“You do realize,” I said, attempting to dissuade Kate for Marissa’s peace of mind, “we’ll have to destroy Lynetta?”
Kate’s lips turned up. “Yeah, well when a girl tries to steal another’s soul mate, I’d say it’s a fair proposition.”
Marissa stared wordlessly. Then she frowned. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Well, I imagine when drop-dead gorgeous kissed you last night, you didn’t either.” Kate looked back at me and winked.
Women . If I live a thousand years, I will never be able to figure them out. First, she hated my guts, and now, I was drop-dead gorgeous?
When we walked into potions class, a grizzled old male teacher motioned to tables where beakers and jars of ingredients sat. “You’re late,” he said abruptly, bushy white brows knitted in a scowl. Gnarled fingers combed through the white beard extending to his knees. He didn’t even seem to notice I was new to class.
“You’re late,” he repeated, and we hurried to take the only three unoccupied seats at the front of the class.
Marissa turned to me. “He spits when he speaks. Loose dentures. Everyone avoids sitting up front.”
I wrinkled my nose. She stifled a laugh.
The teacher said, “Everyone was to have ingredients for the sleeping potion.”
“Invisibility potion, Mr. Thornton,” Kate reminded him.
He stared at her for a moment, cleared his throat, then nodded. “Yes, right, the invisibility potion. You learned the procedure last week, but now that you have your ingredients, you can put it to practice. The test is open book.”
Marissa looked at me, concern etched in the wrinkle of her brow. “I don’t
I could tell by the bitterness in Kate’s voice that she wasn’t pleased with me, or how I had endangered her friend’s life. But for now I kept quiet, letting Marissa explain, as Kate had been her friend for years, not mine. I hoped beyond hope Kate would understand. As much as I desired to protect Marissa from everyone and everything, I had to give her some control over her life that I’m sure she felt she’d lost when I stepped into it.
“He had to, or grow weaker. Tonight when she returns for him—”
Kate threw her hands up in the air in exasperation and groaned again. “I can’t believe this.” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You can’t plan to keep him at your house again tonight.”
“I can’t allow her to be alone,” I interjected.
“Marissa can come to my house.”
“No,” Marissa said firmly. “I can’t endanger you and your family, too.”
Kate paced back and forth on the walk, pausing when the warning bell rang for the beginning of the next class. She turned to Marissa. “I’m sleeping over with you.”
Kate surprised the heck out of me. Marissa had a true and loyal friend in her and my admiration for Kate rose.
Marissa’s eyes widened. “No,” she whispered. “You can’t, Kate. Lynetta will come after you, too.”
Kate smiled a sort of evil grin. “I already helped you to wipe the mind of one of her hosts. I can do it again. Besides, you’ve helped me get out of some tough binds with guys…” She glanced at me as if I were in that category, then faced Marissa again. “So I owe you.”
“But Lynetta’s evil to the core. I—”
“Either you let me in on this…or I’ll let it slip to my parents that you have a guy staying at your house. They’ll tell your aunt. She’ll tell your parents. You know how that’ll turn out.” Kate slipped her arm through Marissa’s and walked her toward the potions class. “Deal?” She glanced back at me.
“The more the merrier,” I said, figuring we hadn’t any choice. And maybe, just maybe, one more witch could help us.
Wouldn’t Lynetta be surprised?
Marissa shook her head. “I don’t want her involved! It’s not safe for her. Well, for any of us, but we can’t help what we have to do. She still has a choice.”
“Agreed.”
“You do realize,” I said, attempting to dissuade Kate for Marissa’s peace of mind, “we’ll have to destroy Lynetta?”
Kate’s lips turned up. “Yeah, well when a girl tries to steal another’s soul mate, I’d say it’s a fair proposition.”
Marissa stared wordlessly. Then she frowned. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“Well, I imagine when drop-dead gorgeous kissed you last night, you didn’t either.” Kate looked back at me and winked.
Women . If I live a thousand years, I will never be able to figure them out. First, she hated my guts, and now, I was drop-dead gorgeous?
When we walked into potions class, a grizzled old male teacher motioned to tables where beakers and jars of ingredients sat. “You’re late,” he said abruptly, bushy white brows knitted in a scowl. Gnarled fingers combed through the white beard extending to his knees. He didn’t even seem to notice I was new to class.
“You’re late,” he repeated, and we hurried to take the only three unoccupied seats at the front of the class.
Marissa turned to me. “He spits when he speaks. Loose dentures. Everyone avoids sitting up front.”
I wrinkled my nose. She stifled a laugh.
The teacher said, “Everyone was to have ingredients for the sleeping potion.”
“Invisibility potion, Mr. Thornton,” Kate reminded him.
He stared at her for a moment, cleared his throat, then nodded. “Yes, right, the invisibility potion. You learned the procedure last week, but now that you have your ingredients, you can put it to practice. The test is open book.”
Marissa looked at me, concern etched in the wrinkle of her brow. “I don’t
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