Upstairs, Thea made some herb tea in the tiny kitchenette. And then, when Gran was in bed with the tea, she gathered her courage.
"Gran, when the elders call up the spirits on Samhain-how do they send them back?"
"Why should you want to know?" Gran said crossly. But when Thea just looked at her, she went on. "There are certain spells that are used for summoning-and don't you ask me what they are-and you say those backwards to send them back. The witch who calls a spirit has to be the one to dismiss it."
So only I can do it. "And that's all?" Thea asked.
"Oh, of course not. It's a long process of kindling the fire and strewing the herbs-but if you do it all right, you can draw the spirit down from between the standing stones and send it back where it came from." Grandma went on muttering, but Thea had snagged on a earlier phrase.
"From between-the standing stones... ?" she got out.
"The standing stones that encircle the spirits. Well, think, Thea! If you didn't have a circle of some kind to hold them in, they'd just-voom." Gran made a gesture. "They'd zip out and how would you ever find them again? That's why I went to Thierry today/' she added, taking a noisy sip of tea. "We need a place where the sandstone forms a natural circle... and naturally it's up to me to arrange everything...." She went on grumbling softly.
Thea felt faint.
"You have to be-physically close to them-to send them back?"
"Of course. You have to be within spitting distance, And don't think I don't know why you're asking."
Thea stopped breathing.
"You're planning something for Samhain- and it's probably all Blaise's idea. You two are like Maya and Hellewise. But you can forget about it right now- those spells are for the elders, not for girls." She stopped to cough. "I don't understand why you want to be crones before you're done being maidens. You ought to enjoy your youth while you have it...."
Thea left her still grumbling.
She hadn't cast any kind of a circle before calling the spirit. She hadn't realized she was supposed to.
And now... how could she ever get close enough to the spirit to send it back?
Well-it'll just have to stay out in the world, she told herself bravely. Too bad... but it's not as if there aren't other spirits floating around out there. Maybe if it doesn't like roaming around, it'll come back.
But she was sick with guilt and disheartened. Not to mention worried-if only a little-about Gran's fainting spell.
Blaise didn't come to bed. She stayed downstairs and worked on her necklace long into the night.
On Monday, everyone at school was talking about Randy Marik and the ruined dance. The girls were annoyed about it and furious with Blaise; the boys were annoyed and furious with Randy.
"Are you okay?" Dani asked Thea after world lit class. "You look kind of pale."
Thea smiled wanly. "It was a busy weekend."
"Really? Did you do something with Eric?" The way she said "do something" alerted Thea. Dani's heart-shaped face looked as sweet and concerned as ever... but Thea couldn't trust even her. She was a Night Person, a witch, a human-hater.
It didn't matter. Thea was so edgy that the words just seemed to burst out. "Do something like what? Smash his car? Turn him into a toad?"
Dani looked shocked, her velvet-dark eyes wide.
Thea turned and walked quickly away.
Stupid, stupid, she told herself. That was so dumb of you. You may not have to pretend to be playing with Eric in front of Blaise anymore-but in front of the other witches you've got to keep acting.
She headed almost blindly for Eric's locker, ignoring the people she passed.
I've only been here a week. How can everything in my life have become so awful? I'm at war with Blaise; I've worked a forbidden spell; I don't dare talk to Gran-and I've broken Night World law.
"Thea! I was looking for you."
It was Eric's voice. Warm, eager-everything that
Thea wasn't. She turned to see green eyes flecked with dancing gray and an astonishing smile. A smile that drew her in, changing the world.
Maybe everything was going to be all right, after all.
"I called you yesterday, but I just kept getting the machine."
Thea hadn't even looked at the answering machine. "I'm sorry-there was a lot going on." Eric looked so kind that she groped for something that had been going on that she could tell him about. "My grandmother's been sick." He sobered at once. "That's terrible." "Yes." Thea fished in her backpack for the small herb pillow she'd put there this morning. Then she hesitated. "Eric... is there somewhere we could go to talk alone? Just for a few minutes? I want to give you something."
He blinked, then waggled his eyebrows. "Nothing I'd like better. And I know just the place. Come on." He led her across campus to a large building that stood apart from the rest of the complex. It had a shabby look and the paint on the double doors was blistered. A banner announced in orange and black letters: don't miss the .ultimate Halloween party. "What is this?"
Eric, who was opening the door, put a finger to his lips. He glanced inside, then beckoned to her.
"It's the old gym. They're supposed to be renovating it as a student center, but there isn't enough money." He snorted. "Probably because they're
spending too much on renovating downtown. Now- what was it you wanted to give me?"
"It..." Thea stopped dead as she took in her surroundings. All thoughts of the herb pillow vanished. "Eric-..." She stared around her, feeling a slow wave of sickness roil through her stomach. "Is this... for the Halloween party?".