my arms, smoothing down the sudden rise of gooseflesh.
Dad’s reply was a slip of sound from between barely parted lips. “Voice.”
“Male or female?”
“Man.”
The three witches traded glances. David asked another question. “What is he telling you to do?”
Dad’s response wasn’t immediate, which made it more shocking when he lunged to his feet, roaring out the word, “Kill!”
Trixie and Copernicus shot out of the way, but Illy rose on his hind legs, butting Dad in the stomach and knocking him back onto his butt. The husky locked gazes with him and barked once. It sounded like a command. Dad froze.
“Okay, enough. Get it off him.” I followed the demand with a smack to David’s arm. “Now.”
He rubbed his arm and pouted. “There’s no call for violence.”
“Calm down,” Jo said. “Illy has him. We have to move him to the circle.”
They did while I hovered behind Dad as he shambled along, following Illy. The husky walked backward, never lowering his gaze from my dad’s eyes—or running into anything. Illy herded Dad right into the middle of the circle engraved in the polished concrete floor of David’s workroom.
“What’s he doing to him?”
“Nothing that will hurt him.” Damian’s assurance didn’t help much. I chewed on a fingernail and watched Dad’s expressionless face while they moved around, preparing to work the cleansing spell for the fourth time.
Halfway through, my dad blinked. His brow furrowed and he looked around at the three chanting witches, pausing on me when I said, “Don’t break the circle. They’re not done yet.”
Dad nodded, scrubbing both hands through his brown hair. It stuck out in all directions when he finished, as though he’d just woken up from sleeping.
“Are you all right?”
“I think so.”
Jo shushed us in between words. I paced back and forth, glaring at the back of her head. Inside the circle, Dad chuckled and ran a hand over his face.
***
After they’d worked the fifth cleansing spell, I stepped out of the circle, tired, grumpy, and in desperate need. “Be back in a minute.”
After I returned from my speedy trip to one of the upstairs bathrooms, I asked, “So what did you find out?”
“They’re still conferring.” David gestured at the three familiars, clustered together in the reading area. Jo and Damian began clearing away the candles and other things they’d used in the spells. “Why don’t you two go home? One of us will call when we have something to report.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Dad stretched. “Come on, kiddo. I’ll take you home.”
We told the others good-bye and walked out. “That was freaky.”
“I’ll say.” He shivered while unlocking his car. “Remind me not to do that again.”
“I didn’t want you to do it in the first place.” My reminder received a shrug.
“Parents help their kids.”
I winced. “Sorry. Thank you, Dad.”
He laughed. “You’re welcome, Cordi.”
Halfway to my apartment, I remembered something good had come of the day. “Hey, my car’s finished. Wait until you see it.”
“Where is it?”
“At home. I teleported to the school from there. It was weird. My tracking sense blipped on while I was cruising the highway, led me straight to the school.” I checked my pinky nail. I’d chewed it ragged. “But the thread wasn’t a color I’ve seen before.”
“What color was it?”
“Gold.” I remembered something, from the case involving demons and the liar of an elf’s book. “He told me to pay better attention to the colors.”
Dad glanced at me. “Who did?”
“Um,” I hadn’t gotten around to telling him about the event that let me know precognition had joined my stable of psychic abilities. Probably because I’d actually died for a whole four minutes. “He’s either a stress delusion or a spirit guide. Says his name’s Sal.”
Lips pressing tight, Dad lifted a hand from the steering wheel to rub the end of
Dad’s reply was a slip of sound from between barely parted lips. “Voice.”
“Male or female?”
“Man.”
The three witches traded glances. David asked another question. “What is he telling you to do?”
Dad’s response wasn’t immediate, which made it more shocking when he lunged to his feet, roaring out the word, “Kill!”
Trixie and Copernicus shot out of the way, but Illy rose on his hind legs, butting Dad in the stomach and knocking him back onto his butt. The husky locked gazes with him and barked once. It sounded like a command. Dad froze.
“Okay, enough. Get it off him.” I followed the demand with a smack to David’s arm. “Now.”
He rubbed his arm and pouted. “There’s no call for violence.”
“Calm down,” Jo said. “Illy has him. We have to move him to the circle.”
They did while I hovered behind Dad as he shambled along, following Illy. The husky walked backward, never lowering his gaze from my dad’s eyes—or running into anything. Illy herded Dad right into the middle of the circle engraved in the polished concrete floor of David’s workroom.
“What’s he doing to him?”
“Nothing that will hurt him.” Damian’s assurance didn’t help much. I chewed on a fingernail and watched Dad’s expressionless face while they moved around, preparing to work the cleansing spell for the fourth time.
Halfway through, my dad blinked. His brow furrowed and he looked around at the three chanting witches, pausing on me when I said, “Don’t break the circle. They’re not done yet.”
Dad nodded, scrubbing both hands through his brown hair. It stuck out in all directions when he finished, as though he’d just woken up from sleeping.
“Are you all right?”
“I think so.”
Jo shushed us in between words. I paced back and forth, glaring at the back of her head. Inside the circle, Dad chuckled and ran a hand over his face.
***
After they’d worked the fifth cleansing spell, I stepped out of the circle, tired, grumpy, and in desperate need. “Be back in a minute.”
After I returned from my speedy trip to one of the upstairs bathrooms, I asked, “So what did you find out?”
“They’re still conferring.” David gestured at the three familiars, clustered together in the reading area. Jo and Damian began clearing away the candles and other things they’d used in the spells. “Why don’t you two go home? One of us will call when we have something to report.”
“That sounds like a great idea.” Dad stretched. “Come on, kiddo. I’ll take you home.”
We told the others good-bye and walked out. “That was freaky.”
“I’ll say.” He shivered while unlocking his car. “Remind me not to do that again.”
“I didn’t want you to do it in the first place.” My reminder received a shrug.
“Parents help their kids.”
I winced. “Sorry. Thank you, Dad.”
He laughed. “You’re welcome, Cordi.”
Halfway to my apartment, I remembered something good had come of the day. “Hey, my car’s finished. Wait until you see it.”
“Where is it?”
“At home. I teleported to the school from there. It was weird. My tracking sense blipped on while I was cruising the highway, led me straight to the school.” I checked my pinky nail. I’d chewed it ragged. “But the thread wasn’t a color I’ve seen before.”
“What color was it?”
“Gold.” I remembered something, from the case involving demons and the liar of an elf’s book. “He told me to pay better attention to the colors.”
Dad glanced at me. “Who did?”
“Um,” I hadn’t gotten around to telling him about the event that let me know precognition had joined my stable of psychic abilities. Probably because I’d actually died for a whole four minutes. “He’s either a stress delusion or a spirit guide. Says his name’s Sal.”
Lips pressing tight, Dad lifted a hand from the steering wheel to rub the end of
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