Part 18 (2/2)
”No Of course not,” I said
”But we can go as friends” Lux shts did on the waters of Rat Rock, late, late at night ”Is that a yes?” he said
So boomed within me I nodded
”So it's settled, then Sorry, but I' there
The ht about it, the Marks see at a person's penmanshi+p Sloppy, neat, all over the place, etc Or like their bedroom
Yeah
My own rooantnot too much clutter And it was filled with variouselse
If witches and wizards were like open books, then Lux was a mystery novel I couldn't tell as up with hiether, even if it was just as friends
When I thought about the Oath I put in my diary that it was a lot like the oaths doctors took to do no harht to take power?' A bit of rhetorical nonsense, but theborn with so be a responsibility?
You have it Therefore, shouldn't it be yours to use as you will?
The forty-eight-hour clock began to tick in my head, now that ere out of class Lia was all over the place She and Gaven would obviously be attending together ”But then it's like a State dinner,” she said She didn't know if she would have to shake a lot of hands and co to say to each and every one of them, or whether or not it was more informal than that ”Because if I have to be Mrs Wolfhead, it's a lot different than if I was just going to a kegger in Trastevere,” she said ”You knohat I mean?”
Gaven came by and explained; I think he could feel when she was upset
”So we have to get evening gowns, shoes, a wax job wouldn't hurt, you're right, your hair is terrible,” she said to me Gaven knew better than to stick around
”Lia Relax You're hyperventilating,” I said ”One thing at a ti with I decided to let it be a surprise It was no one's business, after all Lennox was gone
Now I began hyperventilating
”Halsey, what's wrong?”
”Nothing” I said it as resolutely as possible It was just one night ”Let's go shopping Co to smell like BO”
”You should be here e all shi+ft,” she said, and then her frown beca?
”Lia, what's wrong?” I said
She shook her head when I came to her We sat down on the bottom bunk I had my arm around her She had her face in her hands
”I can't anyot here”
”What do you mean you can't? You can't turn into a olf?” I said
She sniffed ”I can't shi+ft,” she said
”Does Gaven know?”
”He says the Magicbeen a olf for too long I asked him to talk to some of the Wiccans, but, you know, hypothetically”
”And?”
”They said there's never been a witch who's both At least not for a while Over a century, they said”
”You mean a witch and a shi+fter, a Witch shi+fter?” I said
Lia nodded and then tried to get a hold of her e ability will come back?” I asked
”They d-didn'tk-k-know” she said, and started to blubber
Soave one of thery look and kicked the door shut, but the sound dribbled out anyway
”Lia, we'll figure this out,” I said, ”do you hear ive up hope”
She wiped away her tears, and then took a gigantic sniff ”I'm okay,” she said I saw her stand up and square her shoulders She threw her head back, and her dark-colored hair cascaded down her back The next thing, she was putting on her riding jacket ”I feel like going for a spin What do you say?” she said
We returned that night with goe purchased fro what it felt like to be back; like I had never left Ro was changing I was changing So was Lia I also got so we needed to do our ot lots of shoes!
Chapter 15 Party
Saturday, the day of the dance, dawned cold and dark We had been at the Gathering now for nearly a week Tonight I would be attending ht of it filled h the Werewolf side of things, over ould be in attendance What Supernatural lu to know firsthand?
Lia was a bundle of feisty, enius had one of the Wiccan witchesGisela, I think her na, do a bit of voila-action upon the cubbyhole of a desk in our room It was transformed suddenly into a suitable place where we could put on our facescose divaesque hts and another full-length mirror on the inside of the door And a sink I watched the witch perform her spellbut however she did it was beyond et to the bottoed are you, anyway?”
Gisela's nose wrinkled at being addressed She was an arctic blonde
”You're froht?” persisted Lia
”Yes,” said Gisela, as if she thought this et away
”What's the matter, you don't want to talk to us?” said Lia I sat up in h room for all of us to stand up
Gisela said, ”I am not supposed to offer my criticism or support to the Wiccan Initiates”