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considered that.
    “Well, as your mother, I guess that’s a good thing.” She winked at Leesa. “I won’t have to worry about you two going too far, too fast.”
    Leesa blushed. This was so not a conversation she wanted to have with her mother.
    “Well, you don’t have to worry. We’ve been taking things very slowly.”
    Thankfully, her mom did not press the matter any further. In fact, she had been quite circumspect the entire evening, asking a Rave a few questions about what his magic did to appliances and a few more about vampires, since it was a family interest. Rave answered simply, never giving any real hint of the dangers Leesa had faced in their time together.
    Leesa was pleased with how easy the evening had gone—other than those few questions, her mom hadn’t treated Rave any differently than the times he’d spent with them before she knew his secret. Her mom had even teased him about whether it was safe to turn the television on with him in the room. Rave had assured her it was fine, as long as he didn’t touch it. They had watched half an hour of American Idol and a bit of Vampire Diaries, which had Rave shaking his head at the total unreality of the vampires who populated the show. Rave had joked that he was glad the show didn’t have any volkaanes in it.
    As for Leesa, she didn’t care what the heck they watched—she was happy just to snuggle up on the couch with Rave and to have one less secret to keep from her mom.

 
     
    5. SOMETHING NEW
     
    LEESA GUIDED THE SILVER SUV into the parking lot of Whippoorwill Ridge Park, a few miles across the New York border. She had purchased the vehicle for Dominic two months ago through a private ad online, using some of Dominic’s seemingly endless cash. She registered the car in her name—Dominic was too far off the grid to be able to register a vehicle—but it really belonged to Dominic. After decades of relying on buses and trains, the wizard found the flexibility and mobility of the SUV convenient and freeing. Leesa was pretty sure he even slept in the vehicle—if the half-awake state that passed for most of the wizard’s rest could truly be called sleep.
    Even though the car belonged to Dominic, whenever the two of them traveled together, Leesa did the driving. Dominic did not possess a driver’s license, and besides, Leesa was a much better driver.
    The park looked far different today than the last time Leesa was here. Back then, winter had stripped the trees of their leaves and turned the fields brown. Now, the woods were thick and green, the grass lush. Instead of a nearly empty parking lot bordered by piles of plowed snow, Leesa turned into a lot packed with cars. Last time, she and Dominic had practiced some simple spells right here in the lot. Today, they would need the shelter of the woods to give them privacy.
    At the start of their nearly two hour trip, she had peppered Dominic with questions about why they needed to travel so far from Middletown today to practice, but the wizard had kept his reasons to himself. Realizing she wouldn’t get anything from him, she had dropped the subject. Dominic had spent most of the ride quietly lost in thought, his eyelids half-closed. Leesa hadn’t really minded, but now that they were here her curiosity was growing again.
    She pulled into an empty spot near the back of the lot. She had barely stopped the car when she saw Rave striding toward them. The sight of him made her smile, as usual. He would have been here a few hours already, she knew, having headed here directly after leaving the apartment last night. She quickly climbed out of the car and hurried into his outstretched arms.
    “Good morning,” she said, lifting her chin so she could look up into his face.
    Rave kissed her forehead. “It is now.”
    Dominic came around the car and nodded to Rave. Without saying anything, he turned and headed toward a dirt path that led into the trees. Holding hands, Leesa and Rave fell into step behind