Wow. I didn't know what to say to that. "Um, thanks."
"You are more than welcome."
"So, if I wanted to come here and hang out sometimes, it would be okay?"
He glanced past me at the comforter on the linoleum floor. "I cannot see the sleeping accommodations as being all that comfortable since there are no furnishings left. I would prefer you come home in the evenings to sleep. And it would also be safer if you only come here alone."
Meaning no secretly meeting Tristan here or throwing wild, unsupervised parties with my friends. "Sure." Like I would do any of that anyways.
I only wanted to come here to learn magic.
"Well, everything looks fine, so I had better get back to the renovation efforts. I will see you for dinner? Say eight o'clock?"
Raging guilt made me press my lips together and nod, afraid if I opened my mouth I might blurt out what I was really doing here.
Then he walked back around the house to his car and left, and I could breathe again.
I had to do this, I reminded myself. Dylan and the Brat Twins and the whole Clann's hatred toward me and anyone I called a friend had forced me to do whatever I could to protect my friends and myself. Even Nanna's ghost, if it was hanging around Mom, seemed to want me to learn how to do magic.
If I used magic only for protection, how could the Clann or the vamp council complain about that?
Sighing, I grabbed the beginner spell book and went outside to sit in the cool dirt under the old tree at the center of the backyard. "Okay, Nanna. You wanted me to learn how to do this. How about a little help here?"
There had to be something in this book that I was missing. Tristan had told me once that descendants began training as soon as puberty hit, so I was definitely old enough. If a twelve-year-old could do basic magic, surely I could figure it out, too.
I flipped back to the very first lesson on grounding. I didn't need the effects from grounding, but it might be necessary to do every single lesson in order or something. Skipping ahead certainly hadn't worked so far.
Following the first lesson's instructions, I closed my eyes, pressed my palms flat against the grass, and tried to imagine pushing my energy out through my hands.
My palms tickled a little. Because the magic was finally starting to work, or because of the grass against my skin?
I tried again, determined not to leave this yard until I figured it out.
Sharp tingling spread across my palms, spreading to my fingers and making me gasp.
The grass was now darker in the exact shape of two handprints right where my hands had rested.
"It's working!" I squealed, then clapped a hand over my mouth. Nobody was outside in the only neighboring yard, but if I made too much noise and anyone was home, they might come out to investigate.
Okay, settle down, Sav, I told myself. You've got the grounding down. Now let's do the next step.
A flip of the spell book's page revealed the next lesson was to draw energy from the ground. So I just needed to reverse the process, right?
Closing my eyes, I pressed my hands to the ground again and tried to visualize the earth's energy entering my hands.
Nothing. No tingling, no warmth.
I reread the lesson's directions but didn't see anything that I'd missed. Grumbling, my back and head aching probably from sitting hunched over on the ground so long, I lay back on the sun-baked grass and tried again.
Come on, I thought, pressing my hands against the earth. Give me some energy already!
My hands grew warmer and tingled this time, and I sighed with relief. Finally, it was working. But when I tried to sit up, I couldn't move. It was like someone had parked a car on top of me.
Oh crap. What had I done?
I must have accidentally grounded off more energy instead of drawing it into me.
I opened my eyes in panic, opened my mouth to yell for help. But all that came out was a tiny squeak. And my phone was inside the house beyond my reach.
Okay, relax, Sav. You can do this. You figured out how to ground energy. Maybe too well. Now just chill out and do the opposite!
Less warmth in my hands this time, and my thoughts grew fuzzy.
The backyard seemed to grow dark. Was it time for the sun to set already?
I should feel cold, too, but I didn't. I didn't feel much of anything other than the need to sleep. Except a voice in the back of my mind said sleeping was a very bad idea. I should call someone.
I tried to roll toward the patio door. But I couldn't move any part of my body. Even breathing felt like an effort.
The yard was so quiet. I could hear the wind as it wove through the backyard, making the plants rustle and whisper.
If I could just find a way to tap into those plants' energy...
I should start watering everything. Nanna would have wanted that.
That was my last thought as even the tree branches overhead faded from view.
And suddenly I was free. I was floating above my body in the garden, held by only the thinnest of silver cords at my navel.
"Savannah, what on earth are you doing?" Nanna demanded as she walked through the garden toward me, her feet not quite touching the ground.
"Nanna! How-"
"Child, you're in the in-between world. Which means you've gone and done something pretty dumb. They sent me to come and send you back where you belong."
When I frowned in confusion, she added, "You're dying, dear."
CHAPTER 13
TRISTAN
Three-quarters of the way through afternoon practice, I felt like I'd been steamrolled, and it wasn't from the defense or the hot July sun sizzling on my skin. It was like something had drained every bit of energy out of me till I could hardly breathe. Coach Parker pulled me off the field to rest on the bench, thinking I was overheated. But I knew it was something much more serious.
When I caught my breath again, I realized it wasn't my own exhaustion I was sensing. It was Savannah's.
Savannah was in trouble. I didn't know how I knew, maybe it was that connection spell still in effect, but I knew. I could feel her out there somewhere, slipping away.
But I had no idea where she was or what was wrong with her or even how to reach her.
I was forced to wait half an hour till practice ended before I could get back to the field house and grab my phone in my locker to text her.
Sav, I know you don't want to talk to me, but I felt like you were in trouble just now. Are you okay? At least let me know that much.
SAVANNAH