It’s just you, then, here with your sister?”
I nodded. “I had a cat for a while, but it didn’t work out. She… went to live with my sister instead. At her greenhouse.”
I had almost said she went back to live at home. It was strange, but I did miss having a cat sometimes, and I momentarily wondered if getting a shelter pet might help me mellow out.
“What’s your cat’s name?”
“Martha.”
Tristan smiled, and then he laughed.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head and made a face. “Most people name their cats Whiskers or Shadow. Lucky. That kind of thing. Martha? You’re really letting something named Martha cuddle up next to you?”
A glimpse of Martha in her previous, flirtatious life flashed into my head, and I had to grin. “Oh, she’s definitely cuddly, with the right person.”
Just when I started to think that the concert and the ride had been a ruse to take me out to dinner, Tristan’s cell phone rang. He apologized as he wrapped up the second half of his sandwich and told his friend where he was. We said good night, and I watched him get into a gray sedan that pulled up in the parking lot.
Then I saw Kendra, not even bothering to hide her disdain as she stared at me from just outside the storefront window.
Chapter 7
I wrapped up the remainder of my sandwich and went out to meet her. When she didn’t immediately snap at me, I was a little confused.
“He seems like a nice guy,” she said after a pregnant pause. “Are you going to mind when your jealous ex rips him to pieces?”
My confusion dissipated. “We’re not dating. He’s the teaching assistant in my astronomy lab, and Vince isn’t really the jealous or violent type.”
She laughed low, and then bit her lip, considering. “I’ve dated more than warlocks, Annie, and I’ve known a considerable number of werewolves besides. They’re all the jealous and violent type for at least half the year. Our deal was no boyfriends, and you got to stay in school. Are you breaking the deal?”
“Our deal was no Vince and I got to stay in school,” I nearly growled. “And no, I don’t think consulting with my TA about an assignment after class is breaking any deal I have with you.”
She crossed her arms, exhaling through her nose as she looked away. “You’re lying to me, but it doesn’t matter. I need you back at the greenhouse. Now.”
I told her I was tired, and that I had a lot of homework. Somehow she had found out that I only had two classes on Thursdays, though, so it was hard to justify that I hadn’t had enough time to do my assignments after leaving at eight in the morning. With Lyssa gone and no one to jump to my defense, I didn’t want to push her. We went back to the greenhouse.
When I got there, the first thing I noticed was that all of the exterior displays had been removed from the greenhouse grounds, and under the icy bright moon, the place looked eerily abandoned. Charlie had done something to keep people from wandering in once Kendra returned, but I didn’t see why she would go to the trouble of clearing everything away. The healthiest plants we had always grew outdoors.
Then I saw them.
There were figures moving on the ground in the dark. They crawled along and dug at the dirt and rocks, and at first, I thought the vampires had arrived. Then, one of the rolling lumps sat up, and the streetlight caught her face. It was Gates.
“You have to help her,” Kendra ordered. “We’re planting the grounds with vinca in case Draven sends his necromancers after us, and Gates can’t make it grow the way you can.”
“I can’t make vinca grow,” I said automatically. I didn’t even know why she had assumed such a thing. “And why can’t Gates do it? She’s better at everything else.”
“She’s a fair warlock, but she’ll never be a born witch,” Kendra said, walking over to where I assumed Charlie had been planting for her. “Just get down and start planting. We have to finish before
I nodded. “I had a cat for a while, but it didn’t work out. She… went to live with my sister instead. At her greenhouse.”
I had almost said she went back to live at home. It was strange, but I did miss having a cat sometimes, and I momentarily wondered if getting a shelter pet might help me mellow out.
“What’s your cat’s name?”
“Martha.”
Tristan smiled, and then he laughed.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head and made a face. “Most people name their cats Whiskers or Shadow. Lucky. That kind of thing. Martha? You’re really letting something named Martha cuddle up next to you?”
A glimpse of Martha in her previous, flirtatious life flashed into my head, and I had to grin. “Oh, she’s definitely cuddly, with the right person.”
Just when I started to think that the concert and the ride had been a ruse to take me out to dinner, Tristan’s cell phone rang. He apologized as he wrapped up the second half of his sandwich and told his friend where he was. We said good night, and I watched him get into a gray sedan that pulled up in the parking lot.
Then I saw Kendra, not even bothering to hide her disdain as she stared at me from just outside the storefront window.
Chapter 7
I wrapped up the remainder of my sandwich and went out to meet her. When she didn’t immediately snap at me, I was a little confused.
“He seems like a nice guy,” she said after a pregnant pause. “Are you going to mind when your jealous ex rips him to pieces?”
My confusion dissipated. “We’re not dating. He’s the teaching assistant in my astronomy lab, and Vince isn’t really the jealous or violent type.”
She laughed low, and then bit her lip, considering. “I’ve dated more than warlocks, Annie, and I’ve known a considerable number of werewolves besides. They’re all the jealous and violent type for at least half the year. Our deal was no boyfriends, and you got to stay in school. Are you breaking the deal?”
“Our deal was no Vince and I got to stay in school,” I nearly growled. “And no, I don’t think consulting with my TA about an assignment after class is breaking any deal I have with you.”
She crossed her arms, exhaling through her nose as she looked away. “You’re lying to me, but it doesn’t matter. I need you back at the greenhouse. Now.”
I told her I was tired, and that I had a lot of homework. Somehow she had found out that I only had two classes on Thursdays, though, so it was hard to justify that I hadn’t had enough time to do my assignments after leaving at eight in the morning. With Lyssa gone and no one to jump to my defense, I didn’t want to push her. We went back to the greenhouse.
When I got there, the first thing I noticed was that all of the exterior displays had been removed from the greenhouse grounds, and under the icy bright moon, the place looked eerily abandoned. Charlie had done something to keep people from wandering in once Kendra returned, but I didn’t see why she would go to the trouble of clearing everything away. The healthiest plants we had always grew outdoors.
Then I saw them.
There were figures moving on the ground in the dark. They crawled along and dug at the dirt and rocks, and at first, I thought the vampires had arrived. Then, one of the rolling lumps sat up, and the streetlight caught her face. It was Gates.
“You have to help her,” Kendra ordered. “We’re planting the grounds with vinca in case Draven sends his necromancers after us, and Gates can’t make it grow the way you can.”
“I can’t make vinca grow,” I said automatically. I didn’t even know why she had assumed such a thing. “And why can’t Gates do it? She’s better at everything else.”
“She’s a fair warlock, but she’ll never be a born witch,” Kendra said, walking over to where I assumed Charlie had been planting for her. “Just get down and start planting. We have to finish before
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