The Girl and the Gargoyle: Book Two of The Girl and the Raven Series by Pauline Gruber Page A

still trying to convince me to move in with him? I thought I made it clear last time I’ll never leave my uncles.
    Jude rises from the table to remove the empty salad plates. He returns with larger plates filled with layers of vegetables, noodles, sauce, and cheese oozing all over the plate. Oh, and buttery, garlic bread.
    “Yours is vegetarian.” He nods at my plate. A moment later, he plunks down plates of meat lasagna for Dylan and himself.
    Jude went to the trouble to make two different meals for us? “Th-thank you. This looks great.”
    We eat in silence.I try to think of something to say, but come up with nothing. Dylan focuses on his plate, ignoring Jude. I stifle a smile when I notice Dylan devouring his food. It’s impossible to hate the meal. Jude’s a great cook.
    Suddenly, a chunk of pasta lodges in my throat. I shouldn’t be enjoying this, as if the three of us are one big happy family. We’re not. Dylan and I are here against our will. My family—Sheldon, Bernard, and Marcus—are over at the three-flat.
    “So…what’s the plan for today?” I ask Jude stiffly. “Are we going up to the roof?”
    Jude takes the cloth napkin from his lap and wipes his mouth. “No. Today we’ll be working out back.”
    My insides tingle. “Doing what?”
    “You and I are going to work on fireballs.”
    “But I already know how to throw them,” I point out. “I want to learn something new.”
    “You’re too emotional. You need control. To engage and respond with confidence. Then I will teach you tactics.” Jude turns his attention to Dylan. “And you will work on your fighting skills.”
    Dylan leans back in his chair. “What? I don’t get to throw fireballs?”
    “Have you accidentally hurled any fireballs? Have you felt uncontrollable heat in your fingers, your hands?”
    “No.”
    “Then mortal fighting skills will have to do for now,” Jude says, smirking.
    Dylan rolls his eyes but follows Jude and me out the back door.
    The term yard doesn’t do it justice. The grassy expanse that runs the length of Jude’s property line is the size of St. Aquinas’s football field. It has fewer trees than the front; although, they’re still the giant, knotted kind, resembling petrified ogres. Chirping birds draw my attention to the treetops. Common sparrows. Common is good.
    An all-too-familiar voice calls out, “You rookie demons ready to get dirty?”
    Aiden. Why is he here? Aiden helped save me, and he’s a good pseudo brother to Marcus, but I don’t trust him.
    The feeling is mutual, and he greets me with an unfriendly smile. “This should be fun.”
    I narrow my eyes at him then call out to Jude, “Please tell me I get to throw fireballs at Aiden.”
    Jude turns to Dylan, ignoring my sarcasm. “Aiden will be your sparring partner.”
    “Lucky you,” I say to Dylan.
    I watch Aiden lead Dylan to the opposite end of the yard. If he hurts Dylan, I’ll turn him to burnt toast.
    “Ow!” I slap my hand to my face to smother the burning spark Jude shot at me. “Hey!”
    “Do I have your attention?” Jude asks.
    I rub at the sting. “You know, a normal father would just yell at me. Not try to burn my face off.”
    “We are not normal. Conjure a fireball.”
    My mouth falls open. I’ve never been asked to create a fireball on command. This is cool!
    Across the yard, I hear bodies slam together. I flinch. The urge to turn and check on Dylan is strong, but Jude’s expression stops me.
    “A fireball, Lucy. Now.”
    I focus my mental energy on Aiden. If anyone can inspire my anger, it’s him. What if he hurts Dylan? My muscles quiver as heat flushes through my body. I hold up my palm. Nothing . Bodies slam behind me. Dylan swears at Aiden.
    Need something more . I close my eyes and focus on a memory. Dylan in a hospital bed barely alive after Jude awakened his powers.
    My fingertips start to tingle. Then my palms. I wiggle my fingers as the sensation runs back and forth, back and forth, growing