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some reason, in deference to me he wore a nicely fitting black T-shirt and similarly colored jeans. His feet, however, were bare.
    “Aren’t you cold without boots?”
    “The Mother is birthing. I tread lightly.”
    Did that make sense? I guess it did to a witch, at least metaphorically speaking. The earth was pregnant with new life in spring, so he walked gently. Respect for nature was one thing that vampires and witches had in common; they were both Goddess worshippers. But this was the first time I’d heard real evidence of the vampire side of it.
    “Ostara is my favorite time of year,” I remarked, referencing the Wiccan celebration of spring equinox, which had just passed. My mom would never call herself a Wiccan because her brand of witchcraft was much older, but to blend, we followed a lot of their customs.
    Elias nodded. “Soon everything will be in bloom.”
    We fell into a silence and I tried, in vain, not to glance at the spot on my desk where my phone sat.
    “You seem very agitated, Ana,” Elias said when I returned my attention to him. He sat up straighter, swinging his feet around so that they dangled off the branch. “What did you and the hunter’s apprentice fight about?”
    I tried to shrug it off like it was no big deal, but I found I couldn’t look him in the eye as I said, “Oh, you know, the same old—the honor guard, the fact that I’m a freaky half vampire, and all that.”
    Though he said nothing for a long time, I could feel the heat of his eyes on me. Finally, I looked up. He was staring intently. His eyes had gone all catty again, and his lips pressed into a thin, serious line. “I would hold you if I could.”
    With a graceful leap, he was on the roof. His footfalls were so soft, they sounded no louder than the rattle of a strong wind. I craned my neck, trying to figure out what he was up to.
    All of a sudden, he hung upside down in front of me. I gasped in surprise to see him like that. With a deft movement, the screen snapped off its runners. There was a magical echo, like when a sudden shift in altitude makes your ears pop. I only hoped that my mom didn’t sense the slight breach in her defenses.
    After stashing the screen somewhere above, Elias reappeared with his arms outstretched. “Come,” he said. “I can lift you.”
    I looked down at the ground and the two-story drop. I knew vampires were stronger than your average bear, but he was in an awkward position hanging over the edge of the sloping roof; what if we slid?
    “The stars are out,” Elias said, his fingers wagging impatiently. “Please, Highness, join me on the roof.”
    Steeling myself, I reached out the window and took his hands. His skin was warm against mine, and I felt a slight magical tingle at his nearness. I got up on my knees, with much of me hanging out the window. I felt myself waver, but his grip was strong and firm. He directed me to twist around. Then his hands were under my arms and I was airborne. I felt a momentary dizziness, but it was just a short boost, and he released me to stand beside him on the rooftop.
    I lost my breath in the excitement, and it came back in a rush at the view of the carpet of stars above and my neighborhood spread out below. From this vantage point, I could see the dark ribbon of the Mississippi River in the valley and the cluster of bright downtown lights.
    The air cocooned me in damp coldness, but instead of shivering, I felt exhilarated. “It’s beautiful.”
    Elias said nothing, just held me. He was much taller than me, and my head nestled perfectly under his arm. Tentatively, I slipped my hand around his slender, taut waist. Heat exuded from his body, and I snuggled closer. Bare, silhouetted treetops, dotted with buds, lay like a lattice in front of everything. Across the river, traffic was a line of flashing lights, which we watched in companionable silence.
    “I’m sorry for your pain,” he said quietly, once we’d settled to lie back against the roof tiles