Part 61 (1/2)
”For one, Lia's grown very fond of you”
”And the second reason?” I asked, snuggling up to hiue,” said Ballard ”He won't be able to visit much”
Would Ballard join my House? Could he, now that he was Head of the cyanthropesof all the cyanthropes, because the Benandanti still owed hiiance The Bennys had essentially hived froht ht: Houses didn't just break from other Houses, not really
”Traduttore, traditore Gaven was right Look at this place,” said Ballard He stared up at the Master House ”I could just peek, you know? If Selwyn's in there”
”Hehih a crowd of shoppers, down the Lane as it forked to the left, until alking along a hedgerow, out of town The Districts of Magic were disappearing behind us
According to the book, Ravenseal House was somewhere down this avenue, we just had to find it I stopped to gethelter-skelter I found the page I was looking for ”R, R,” I whispered to ht I was a ertips Was I about to discover the secret whereabouts of h the Directory despondently
IF YOUR HOUSE IS NOT LISTED, said the book, SEARCH THE BACK OF THE DIRECTORY
Of course The index listed Houses no longer with us
THESE ARE THE HOUSES THAT WERE, BUT ARE NO LONGER, said the book
I flipped to the back Whereas the living Housesthose that had not been eradicatedlisted physical addresses, along with those ere in them, their Heads and so forthwhat I called the dead Houses listed only the House names and dates of obliteration No other infor There were hundreds of thes Houses from the past that had been wiped outmost of them pre-dated the twentieth centurybut no House Rook it was soe, but it was last year's copy Rookmaaker, if it existed, should've been listed ”But it's not!” I said, sla the Directory shut
Ballard seemed antsy”Um, Halls?”
”Yes, Ballard?”
I flipped back to Ravenseal A list of eleven names was presented, with Veruschka's at the top
HOUSE RAVENSEAL
its Members Veruschka Ravenseal
Ru Bonewits Rosamund Rasmussen Tatiana Tower Polixines Derevjanik Pericles Pike Lara Tanner Djonga Hardesty Lux Aeterna
Symbols next to names denote powers not usually associated with Wicca-craft Nanificance
Lux was at the bottoot a kind of icy prickle when I saw the twelfth spot, where I should have been listed No twelfth Missing
”I hate to bother you and all, but you ht,” said Ballard
”What?”
I looked up Titches and a wizard werelate and the clouds were ht on either side of the sun, whichthe it into my backpack, when suddenly Lux appeared Comprehension dawned on his face
”Halsey? What are you doing here?” he said
”hello Professor Lux”
He forers, tridents which helped him to craft Had he been? That would have been unusual He didn't noric
I hoped he didn't inquire as to the further development of my Mark As alhen I was around hie, cut into e a confrontation The sun was not fully down yet I didn't want to get into anything without Lennox present We were still within the purlieus of the Districts of Magic, e not? I hadn't been caught on Ravenseal territory, unawares, had I? If so, I didn't knohat I would do
Lux looked towards Stromovka The cloud of ash had still not dissipated How , like Ravenseal knehat had happened, almost like they had been in on it But what did they know of the Benandanti?
Ballard shi+fted infinitesiht Introductions,” said Lux ”This is Pirapong Bonewits” he said, pointing to a tallow candle of a witch”and Rumor Scroop”
”hello,” I said
”Ladies, allow me to introduce Miss Halsey Rookmaaker!”
”Wait, not the Miss Rookmaaker?” said Bonewits
”As in our twelfth?” said Scroop
”Turned us down, I'm afraid,” said Lux
Ru
”It's not right,” said Bonewits
”No, it's not,” said Scroop ”I think you should co I daresay it's not Housebroken yet”
”No,” said Lux ”Clever pun asidethat was rude”
Ballard let the insult roll off him The only question I had hy Risky andas they were, respectively, a wolf, a wizard, and a witch, when it didn't seeinally coet away fro or not?” said Scroop She made what looked like a C instead of a W, reversed and laid horizontally, and then pointed her two fingers at ,” she said, dramatically She had hair tinted the sa bluein a wave down her left eye; snakebites; and a stud in her upper lip Her eyes were like two black holes sucking upon the irises and on the tips of her eyelashes were decorative white droplets
Why was it the most powerful Wiccans looked this way? I iainst her Hoerful was she, anyway?
I shook ht shone from her eyes ”We are a House The House, in point of fact Council or no, you will serve this House!” said Scroop ”Co! Our Headmistress shall know of this! Better not dally, Lux”
The two of them turned on their heels and left
I looked at Ballard, who continued to mutter under his breath: ”I knohat you can do with those three fingers,” he said