Part 46 (1/2)

Meanwhile, I had been studying Wicca, reading ave few specifics Like a cookbook without recipes It showed you pictures of things, just not how toon their own I needed so out e, and dreo columns out Column one, I headed SPELL; column two, EFFECT

Under SPELL, I wrote ”stormr hamrinum;” under EFFECT, ”the fire spell” For so the Hunter had i those words I had clipped the Skarborough article and tucked it insidearticles, it was because Marek, Lennox's older brother, was out on the loose He eventually came to find me I wondered where Marek was now Then, if he really was one of my Four Protectors

The race for Il Gatto had been scheduled In almost Gaven's final act as Head Wolf, he had demanded that the tradition be upheld He said, ”The winner is the best fit for Il Gatto Always” So, I guessed that reed, so I'd heard

Ballard was in a constant state of flux ”Do you realize I could win this race?” he said ”Do you realize I could lose?”

He was in his shop, working night and day, on his motorcycle He had apparently cannibalized some of the other -term fixer-uppers that were in various states of disrepair ”But I had to, didn't I?” he said

”This is a win gaame, Ballard,” I said

”Exactly And I want to win,” he said ”I will be Il Gatto”

Meanwhile, I had a dile a she-wolf, a lupafor prostitute,” she said ”Proof of the prejudice against a fe Il Gatto”), even if it was just honorary, when I realized it was another hoopanother link, so to speak; and that if Lia wouldn't race for Il Gatto, ether She said she wanted to be on the lon Disappear I said do, Lia ”Gaven and I are to be invisible e ht It was important we and Wiccawe Wiccans and olvesbe like this Like Wiccawolves And how better than at least by trying for the Headshi+p? I decided therefore that if they would let me, I would race for Il Gatto A small part of me felt my own insecurity flinch at the fact that maybe if I could do this, then ht to be Mistress of Rookstone

Also, I wanted to see if I could do it Race Co as you don't win,” he said He seemed to think that would be really bad of ed to outlast him

”Then you'll just have to stop hed ”Don't worryI intend to”

Ballard said, ”It gets really hairy in places” He seehts so the race,” he said

”I can deal,” I said I huffed But I asked him: ”Are there lots of issues with the race, like that?” I was hurt that he wasn't taking my chances and nudging Lots of nudging Hey, just stick with me I'll watch out for you!”

I was scared about thishe described tofists and whatnot

If we could road race we could also road rash

It was really scary

I had no intentions of letting Ballard babysitit

At least orking on our bikes together Ballard was showing oes here,” he said, showing a Risky was looking down at us froh everything was going according to some plan or other

I didn't see how After all, until Lia had suggested it, I had never thought of entering the raceeither because it was too dangerous, or I wouldn't be allowed Either way, the pathway had opened before me like a holeshot, and I intended to take it ”I'm ready,” I said

”I hope so,” said Ballard

Chapter 5 The Race

The day of the race daith a curious sensation in the pit of otten myself into? It was a day spent with the Werewolves Everyone would be there, including the Quirinal They were the ones who ruled on things, their power checked only by that of Il Gatto It was the Quirinal that had decided to allow the Gathering It was the Quirinal that had decided to continue purging Roh it annoyed the Lenoir The Quirinal also kept tabs on former olf members Ballard told me

”They know, like, the secret identities of all of us,” he said

I decided not to bring up the Hunterand that the Hunter sounded like a olfand that maybe, just maybe, the Hunter may have been a former member of the Pack?

Vittoria was still in her room, when I headed downstairs My landlady was nowhere to be found, like she was on vacation or so It was the first time she had ever abandoned her post

Part of otten myself in over my head The other part was excited Ballard's nervousness had shi+fted in the night Now he regarded the race as a great opportunity ”How often do you get a second chance at anything?” he said

Apparently, there were no rules It was a free-for-all

”Has anyone ever died?” I asked

”You mean been killed? Just a few times,” said Ballard

There's a load off The prospect of dying didn't seem to phase Ballard I wondered why not, and why he looked so schoolboyish and giddy-like? If his disregard for the consequences of crashi+ng could so nerves ”So, you'll just need to make sure your bike is tip-top,” he said ”And it is And then, just, 'Good luck!'”

I gulped, nervously He was excited I had the pants, the boots, the helmet, the bike Just not the experience Abstinence had deprivedtheetting a was up for it ”So this is the broo Risky's oldto liftthe track, in the days previous, looking for weak spots; and the riders, if there were any weak links There didn't seem to be I felt like I was prepared to the best of ht anything would just happen, Wiccanwise, because I had turned eighteen, it didn't see finished the codex, I had reached a Wiccan dead end Nohat?

Go it alone, I thought

When ere in the sandpit, Vittoria was always the one who could do things best She certainly had come in with the most skill But, then, if I couldn't find infor spells I knew she had How else to describe the ss, which issued forth froht A s spells But instead I was doing this Racing motorbikes Maybe Vittoria just wanted it more Wicca

Did she? Did she want Wicca more than me? To not have been drafted by the Ravenseals! No wonder she was so upset, she had been hurt, rejected I understood how that felt It gave her an edge, like I had gotten coiven to me To just be handed out

But Wicca had been handed out The Mark was there, on ht: Could it be taken away?

By not working hard, the Adept stayed that way forever So Genevieve had said My codex too The Mark stopped advancing Dulled, faded with age, ceased to be Cah she had abandoned Wicca It had left her And Lia's?

I resolved to work harder But firstthis race; and thenthe future

That was a scary word, the future Two scary words Especially as s out into the future Future-seeing

No one knew, for instance, or guessed, that I was crazy, that I had seen things happen, before seeing them happen That I was clairvoyant or whatever

What was this gift?

I had seen s, some of which I didn't entirely understand, but some of theh it could change