Page 82 of The Tree of Spirits
“No one can know that I’m helping you because you’re a Rebel and hanging out with you will get me into big trouble, ok?” I told him. “No one can know. Not even my brother.”
He brightened. “That’s your brother at the door? Oh, no way you’re keeping me from meeting him.” He made another run for the door.
I cut him off. “Yesway. You aren’t going anywhere near him.” I glared at him to let him know I meant business. “I don’t want him to get in trouble either.”
Conner considered my face, my posture. “Very scary,” he decided with an approving nod. “Look, your hand is even on fire.”
I looked and saw he was right. Unfortunately, I was too worried right now to celebrate my new powers.
“Hey, Savannah!” Dante called out from behind my closed door. “What’s going on in there? Open up!”
“Just a minute. I’m just dealing with…lady issues.”
“Uh…ok.” Dante’s tone told me he wanted absolutely nothing to do with that. “Take your time.”
Meanwhile, Conner was shaking with suppressed laughter.
And my hand wasn’t the only thing on fire. My face was burning.
“Get in the closet, or I will make you get in the closet,” I hissed at Conner.
Little flames danced across my skin. Fire flaked off, hitting him.
He calmly brushed the flames off his shoulders. “Ok, ok.” He waved his hand at the curtains I’d accidentally, kind of set on fire. “No need to get so testy.”
He blew me a kiss and disappeared into the closet, closing the door behind him.
I put out the flames, checked that the sliding door was shut all the way, then walked over to my front door. I opened it to find Dante standing on my doormat, trying to look casual.
“Ok, come in.” I waved him inside. “Shut the door behind you.”
He did as I asked. “So, are you done with…” His gaze locked on to me. “Hey, you little liar!”
I felt my heart thump in panic. He was on to me!
“You aren’t dealing with ‘lady issues’. You’ve been practicing magic!”
I looked down at my inflamed hand. “Oh, sorry.” I shook my fingers, and the flames went out.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you were practicing magic?” Dante looked around the room like he was expecting to find something exciting.
I tried really hard not to look at the closet where Conner was hiding. “Oh, well, I…”
His eyes darted to my curtains’ frayed edges. They were still smoking a little.
“Oh.” He chuckled. “I see.”
“I’ll get better at it eventually.”
“I hope so. It would be a shame if you burnt down the house.”
I knew he was only teasing me, but his words only reminded me of how far I still had to go before I gained any semblance of control over my magic.
He must have sensed my gloom because he quickly added, “Hey, don’t pay any attention to me. You know I’m only messing with you.”
“I know. But you’re right. I need to get better control over my magic before I destroy something…or someone gets hurt,” I sighed.
“This is about what Rhett and his idiot friends said to you after dinner yesterday, isn’t it? You’re not a freak, Savi.”
