eat too much and you leave hair in the shower . . . but I guess I can stand it." Gran smiled, then frowned. "Just as long as you stay in line until the end of the month."
There it was again. "But what's happening at the end of the month?"
Gran gave her a look. "Samhain, of course! All Hallow's Eve."
"I know that," Thea said. Even the humans celebrated Halloween. She wondered if Gran was having one of her vague spells.
"Samhain-and the
Inner Circle
," Gran said abruptly. "They've picked the desert for their ceremony this year."
"The desert-you mean here? The
Inner Circle
is coming here? Mother Cybele and Aradia and all of them?"
"All of them," Gran said. Suddenly her wrinkles looked grim. "And by Air and Fire, I'm not having them come here just to see you girls screw up-1 have a reputation, you know."
Thea nodded a little dazedly. "I-welt no wonder you were worried. We won't embarrass you. I promise."
"Good."
As Thea discreetly tucked the mesh bag under her arm and started for the stairs, the old woman added.
"You'd better toss some plantain into that mix to bind it all together."
Thea felt herself blushing furiously. "Uh . . . thanks, Gran," she said, and went to look for plantain.
Above the shop were two tiny bedrooms and a kitchenette. Grandma had one bedroom and Thea and Blaise shared the other. Tobias, Gran's apprentice, had been bumped to the workshop downstairs.
Blaise was lying on her bed, reading a thick book with a red cover. Poetry. Despite her frivolous act, she wasn't stupid.
"Guess what," Thea said, and without waiting for Blaise to guess, told her about the
Inner Circle
coining.
She watched to see if the news would scare Blaise-or at least alarm her into good intentions. But Blaise just yawned and stretched like a well-fed cat.
"Good. Maybe we can watch how they summon the ancestors again." She raised her eyebrows at Thea meaningfully. Two years ago in
Vermont
, while the human world was trick-or-treating, they'd hidden behind maple trees and spied on the Samhain summoning. They'd seen the elders use the magic of Hecate, the most ancient witch of all, the goddess of moon and night and sorcery, to bring spirits across the veil. For Thea it had been scary but exciting, for Blaise just exciting.
Thea gave up on trying to alarm Blaise.
Thea looked at the three star-shaped blue flowers lying on her palm. Then, one by one, she ate them.
"Now say 'Ego borago guadia semper ago,' " Selene instructed . " It means, 'I, borage, always bring courage.' Old Roman spell ."
Thea muttered the words. For the second day in a row, she was on the patio looking at a sandy head across the room.
"Go get 'im, tiger," Blaise said. Vivienne and Dani nodded encouragingly. Thea squared her shoulders and started across the room.
As soon as Eric saw her coming he went down the side path.
You idiot, Thea thought. You don't know what's good for you. Maybe I should just let Blaise have you.
But she followed him. He was standing just beyond the buildings, staring into the distance. She could only see his profile, which was nice-clean and somehow lonely.
Thea swallowed, tasting a lingering sweetness from the borage flowers. What to say? She wasn't used to talking to humans-especially human boys.
I'll just say "What's up?" and be casual she thought. But when she opened her mouth, what came out was, "I'm sorry."
He turned immediately. He looked startled. "You're sorry?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I was so mean. What do you think I was following you for?"
Eric blinked-and Thea thought his cheeks colored under his tan. "I thought you were mad because I kept staring at you. I was trying not to get you madder."
"You were staring at me?" Thea felt a little flushed herself . As if the herbs from her bath were steaming fragrantly out of her skin.
"Well-I kept trying not to. I think I've got it down to one look every thirty seconds now." He said it seriously.
Thea wanted to laugh. "It's okay. I don't mind," she said. Yes, she could
There it was again. "But what's happening at the end of the month?"
Gran gave her a look. "Samhain, of course! All Hallow's Eve."
"I know that," Thea said. Even the humans celebrated Halloween. She wondered if Gran was having one of her vague spells.
"Samhain-and the
Inner Circle
," Gran said abruptly. "They've picked the desert for their ceremony this year."
"The desert-you mean here? The
Inner Circle
is coming here? Mother Cybele and Aradia and all of them?"
"All of them," Gran said. Suddenly her wrinkles looked grim. "And by Air and Fire, I'm not having them come here just to see you girls screw up-1 have a reputation, you know."
Thea nodded a little dazedly. "I-welt no wonder you were worried. We won't embarrass you. I promise."
"Good."
As Thea discreetly tucked the mesh bag under her arm and started for the stairs, the old woman added.
"You'd better toss some plantain into that mix to bind it all together."
Thea felt herself blushing furiously. "Uh . . . thanks, Gran," she said, and went to look for plantain.
Above the shop were two tiny bedrooms and a kitchenette. Grandma had one bedroom and Thea and Blaise shared the other. Tobias, Gran's apprentice, had been bumped to the workshop downstairs.
Blaise was lying on her bed, reading a thick book with a red cover. Poetry. Despite her frivolous act, she wasn't stupid.
"Guess what," Thea said, and without waiting for Blaise to guess, told her about the
Inner Circle
coining.
She watched to see if the news would scare Blaise-or at least alarm her into good intentions. But Blaise just yawned and stretched like a well-fed cat.
"Good. Maybe we can watch how they summon the ancestors again." She raised her eyebrows at Thea meaningfully. Two years ago in
Vermont
, while the human world was trick-or-treating, they'd hidden behind maple trees and spied on the Samhain summoning. They'd seen the elders use the magic of Hecate, the most ancient witch of all, the goddess of moon and night and sorcery, to bring spirits across the veil. For Thea it had been scary but exciting, for Blaise just exciting.
Thea gave up on trying to alarm Blaise.
Thea looked at the three star-shaped blue flowers lying on her palm. Then, one by one, she ate them.
"Now say 'Ego borago guadia semper ago,' " Selene instructed . " It means, 'I, borage, always bring courage.' Old Roman spell ."
Thea muttered the words. For the second day in a row, she was on the patio looking at a sandy head across the room.
"Go get 'im, tiger," Blaise said. Vivienne and Dani nodded encouragingly. Thea squared her shoulders and started across the room.
As soon as Eric saw her coming he went down the side path.
You idiot, Thea thought. You don't know what's good for you. Maybe I should just let Blaise have you.
But she followed him. He was standing just beyond the buildings, staring into the distance. She could only see his profile, which was nice-clean and somehow lonely.
Thea swallowed, tasting a lingering sweetness from the borage flowers. What to say? She wasn't used to talking to humans-especially human boys.
I'll just say "What's up?" and be casual she thought. But when she opened her mouth, what came out was, "I'm sorry."
He turned immediately. He looked startled. "You're sorry?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I was so mean. What do you think I was following you for?"
Eric blinked-and Thea thought his cheeks colored under his tan. "I thought you were mad because I kept staring at you. I was trying not to get you madder."
"You were staring at me?" Thea felt a little flushed herself . As if the herbs from her bath were steaming fragrantly out of her skin.
"Well-I kept trying not to. I think I've got it down to one look every thirty seconds now." He said it seriously.
Thea wanted to laugh. "It's okay. I don't mind," she said. Yes, she could
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