Page 64 of Rebel Spell
It sounded intense. At least, she hadn’t mentioned another murder. I passed on the little information I knew, and she said she’d get his address from his registration form.
Not that my hunch seemed to be leading anywhere. When I’d brought up Gianna, he hadn’t admitted to knowing her. There was that glint of something in his eyes, but it had disappeared so quickly, I might have just imagined it out of wanting so badly to find her. In which case, I’d be wasting the Network’s time when they had so much going on.
Her voice lowered in warning, “You really shouldn’t go anywhere alone until we figure out who’s behind this.”
That was what Diego had been trying to do and was the entire reason he suffered through the event last night. Shame rose like steam from a boiling kettle, and my cheeks warmed as I remembered my outburst.
Perhaps I’d overreacted a tad. I didn’t need a shrink to figure out why. The discovery about what my parents had kept from me was still fresh. Diego had unfortunately been in range when I was frustrated, and I’d lashed out at him.
Maybe I should go over and apologize. I’d have to think that through since whatever was going on between us seemed to be more than a simple hookup. Was that even possible since I’d be leaving soon?
Not likely.
What I should be doing was getting my shit together rather than dealing with complicated boy stuff. Ugh, why were relationships always complicated?
At lunchtime, I peered into the living room. No signs of anyone. I made myself a peanut butter and banana sandwich and checked my email. Andre and I had matched. Ding, ding, ding!
Wait, was this good or bad? I didn’t want to date him, yet couldn’t shake the sense that he might know more than he let on. We chatted in short messages. He wrote that he’d like to see me again. We exchanged numbers.
I texted the update and number to Zoe.
Got it, she replied.
When I returned to my apartment, I wasn’t up to dealing with house stuff just yet. Curiosity about my aunt’s magic lured me up to her workspace.
I pulled out the secret book from its hiding space in the wall and sat in the lavender armchair. Over the next several hours, I practiced working with the elements, especially focused on spells for defense and protection—something I hadn’t needed until recently. It was good to have them in my arsenal considering the situation with witches in the area. I learned how to call on the wind to block magical attacks like a shield and how to create a protective bubble around a small area.
When I learned to generate the tiniest ball of flame in my hand, barely larger than the tip of a match, I danced around with glee. I’d created fire and hadn’t set the house ablaze. Progress!
After dousing the flames with a water spell, I moved on. That thrill of success led me to attempt more advanced spells, many of those involving magical combat. Bouncing around like a fencer, I blocked imaginary attacks and countered them both with and without the wand. What seemed to matter was not the words or the objects, but the intention behind them.
Not all of my endeavors were successful. When I attempted one type of block using a combination of earth and wind energy, the force knocked me on my ass. Literally. And then some. The movement was so powerful that my legs went up and over me.
Whoa, I definitely did not mean to do that.
Brushing myself off, I stood up. Fortunately, no one was around to witness my blunder.
The rebellious streak had taken hold, though, making me determined to master it. I continued to practice, and my ass kissed the floor a few more times. Eventually, I nailed it.
Zoe texted me back.He used a fake name and address. We’ll keep digging. Don’t go meet him.
I groaned. I should have known better. My stomach growled. When I glanced outside the window, the sun was setting. I’d completely lost track of time. I ordered takeout from a nearby sub shop and gobbled down a large chicken parm sub. My small successes with magic led me to return to practice instead of packing—one was definitely more satisfying than the other.
Exhausted, I took a small nap on the sofa. The phone woke me some time later. Expending all that energy must have knocked me out. The caller ID displayed Andre’s name. Hmm, I didn’t expect to hear from him so soon.
I pulled myself up to sit. “Hi, Andre. How are you doing?”
“Bring me the book if you want to see your friend again.”
I blinked and then widened my eyes. “What?”
“I know you have a Book of Shadows, and I want it. Gianna is with me. Say hello to Nova.”
“Nova, I’m so sorry,” Gianna said. “He overheard me talking to you and—”
“Enough,” Andre hissed. “Nova, you know I have her, and you know what I want.”
I gasped. “Don’t hurt her!” I stood and paced in an erratic stretch through the living room.
