Dylan enrolled in our school, too. We used our collective magic to slightly alter everyone’s memory of the guy who had cornered me in the girls’ bathroom. Everyone thought Dylan was nothing more than another transfer student. And since he was hanging out with Ethan, Shannon, and me, no one thought twice about him at all. In their eyes, Dylan was completely normal.
While Ethan and I could never really replace Rebecca and Ben, we did our best to make up for the parts we’d played in Nora’s sick game. Shannon and Dylan helped me put protective spells on the families of my victims. I was even able to help them find peace. I hoped, some day, it would allow me to find some, too. Finally the universe had thrown me a bone. No more cancer. No more feeding on humans to survive. I was a witch now, and with Dylan and Shannon’s help, I was getting pretty damn good at using magic. The only thing the magic didn’t seem to help with was missing my family, but I needed to let them move on, no matter how much that pained me.
When lunchtime rolled around one day, I suggested we picnic outside on the lawn.
“We aren’t allowed to eat in the quad,” Dylan said, standing in the doorway, looking out on the quad. He still wasn’t over me killing Ben, but I’d expected things to take longer with him. I was just grateful he’d let Ethan and me join the coven.
“Then let’s make sure no one sees us out there,” I said.
Shannon raised an eyebrow. “Look at the new girl wanting to flaunt her magic.” Apparently, she approved.
“Hey, Sam. Hey, Ethan,” Beth said, walking up behind us. “Not thinking of ditching lunch, are you?”
How did she always know everything? I leaned over to Shannon and whispered, “How evil would it be to dull her senses a little so she wasn’t so observant?”
Dylan shook his head at me. “Don’t even think about it.” He’d been keeping a close eye on Ethan and me, making sure we didn’t screw up. I nodded, not wanting to give him any more reasons not to like me.
“We were admiring the beautiful day,” Shannon said.
“Well, if you do decide to ditch, let me know. I don’t want to be cooped up in school on a day like this, either.” Beth waved and walked away.
Too bad it didn’t work that way. We couldn’t get too close to anyone outside our coven. It was too dangerous.
“Okay, what if we point Beth in the direction of a different group of friends? That’s not evil, right?” I looked back and forth between Dylan and Shannon.
Shannon cracked a smile. “Watch.” She waved her hand, and a guy with dirty-blond hair stepped around the corner, bumping right into Beth. They fumbled for a moment and then smiled at each other.
“She’s had a crush on him for years,” Ethan said. “She told me.”
“I know.” Shannon raised one shoulder. “I saw her practically drooling over him yesterday, and believe it or not, he likes her, too.”
“Did you put a love spell on them?” I asked, wondering if that was against the good-witch code of ethics.
“Nah. They already liked each other. I only made them collide in the hallway. They’re doing the rest.”
I laughed. “Who knew all it would take to get Beth to stop being so nosy was a boyfriend?”
We all exchanged a glance and stood facing the doors. We waved our hands in a circle in front of us, then turned around and did it again. Anyone who looked out the doors would see nothing but sunshine on the empty quad. We had total privacy.
We stepped outside, and the sun felt amazing. Not too hot, just warm and inviting. Shannon spread her hand out over the grass, and the blades wove into a blanket.
“Nice.” I sat down, but Ethan reached for my hand.
“Come with me.”
I walked with him while Shannon and Dylan set up our picnic lunch.
“Where are we going?”
“Right over here, out of sight of Dylan and Shannon.” Ethan pulled me over to the statue that stood in the middle of the quad. He leaned his back against it and gently tugged on my hand.
I reached for the back of his head, weaving my fingers through his hair. I pulled him to me and kissed him with all the passion that was welling up inside me. It was so incredibly intense sparks could’ve flown, and thanks to the magic in us they did, in a brilliant display of colors all around us.
Acknowledgements
I can’t start a dedication without first thanking Kate Kaynak and the incredible team at Spencer Hill Press. I can’t tell you how much I love being part of this family. Trisha Wooldridge, as always thank you for your insight and all you do to make my books better. It was music to my ears when you encouraged me to make this book darker. Thank you to my team of editors, Nanette, Owen, Rich Storrs, Keshia Swaim, and Shira Lipkin, for your attention to details, which as we all know really make a book better. To Jennifer Allis Provost and Kayleigh-Marie Gore, thank you for all your marketing expertise. You two are so much fun to work with. Thank you to Lisa Amowitz for designing the perfect cover for this book. It’s pretty and dark, which was exactly what I wanted.
To my daughter, Ayla, who sings “I Feel Like A Monster” better than anyone I know, you are my world. Thank you for letting me talk about my books so much and for continuing to write your own. To my husband, Ryan, thank you for putting up with my crazy hours and stressful days. I appreciate it more than you know. To my mom, Patricia Bradley, I couldn’t ask for a better mother, friend, beta reader, or support system. I love you! To my father, Martin Bradley, and my sister, Heather DeRobertis, thank you for listening and for encouraging me. Thank you to my friends and family for supporting me and understanding why I’m always on my computer.
As always many thanks and cyber hugs to the book bloggers who have supported this book. Keren Hughes, you are superwoman in my eyes. And finally, thank you to everyone who reads this book. I hope you love Sam and Ethan as much as I do.