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About two breaths later Stevie Rae stuck her head out from behind an old oak that was not far froone?"

"Thankfully" I shookback there?"

"Are you kidding? I’ toMan, she actually tried to hit you!"

"Aphrodite has sohed

"Uh, Stevie Rae, you can co, Stevie Rae practically skipped over to me and linked her arm with mine "You really stood up to her!"

"I really did"

"She really, really hates your guts"

"She really, really does"

"You knohat that means?" Stevie Rae said

"Yep I don’t have any choice now I’ to have to take her down"

"Yep"

But I knew that I’d had no choice even before Aphrodite tried to scratch my eyes out I hadn’t had any choice since Nyx had placed her Mark on ht-illuht, the Goddess’s words repeated over and over through my mind: You are old beyond your years, Zoeybird Believe in yourself and you will find a way But reht does not always bring good

Chapter Twenty-three

"I hope the rest of the aroundoak tree "It didn’t seeht"

"It wasn’t It’s really cloudy tonight, so the h But don’t worry, the Change is doing really cool things for our night vision Heck, I think I can see as good as Nala" Stevie Rae scratched the cat affectionately on her head and Nala closed her eyes and purred "They’ll find us"

I leaned against the tree and worried Dinner had been good-- seriously yummy broiled chicken, seasoned rice, and baby snow peas (one thing I could say for this place, they could really cook)--yeah, everything had been great Until Erik had come by our table and said hi Okay, it wasn’t really a "hi, Z, I still like you" hi It was a "hi, Zoey" Period Yep That was it He’d gotten his food and alking with a couple other guys the Twins called hotties I will admit that I didn’t even notice the Erik They came to our table I looked up and smiled He met my eyes for a millisecond, said, "Hi, Zoey," and walked on And all of a sudden the chicken didn’t taste nearly as good "You just hurt his ego Be nice to hi hts back to the present under the tree

"How’d you knoas thinking about Erik?" I asked Stevie Rae had quit petting Nala, so I reached down to scratch the cat on top of her head before she started co atabout"

"Well, I should be thinking about the circle I have to cast but have never cast before in my entire life, and the purification ritual I have to perform, and not some boy"

"He’s not ’soabout Erik," Da out of the shadow of the wall "Don’t worry I saw the way he was looking at you at lunch today He’ll ask you out again"

"Yeah, take it fros Penile," Erin said as they joined them under the tree

"Quite true," Daed the subject "Did you get the stuff we need?"

"I had to ether myself I hope it’s okay that I tied thee stick of dried herbs out of his jacket sleeve and handed it to ht away I smelled the fahtly together on one end hat looked like extra-thick thread

"It’s perfect" I smiled at him

He looked relieved, and then said, a little shyly, "I used my cross-stitch thread"

"Hey, I told you before you shouldn’t be ashamed that you like to cross-stitch I think it’s a cute hobby Plus, you’re really good at it," Stevie Rae said

"I wishthe sadness in his voice "I wish you’d teach me sometime I’ve alanted to learn how to cross-stitch," I lied, and was glad to see Dahten

"Anytime, Z," he said

"How about the candles?" I asked the Twins

"Hey, we told you Easy" Shaunee opened her purse and pulled out green, yellow, and blue votives in correspondingly colored thick glass cups

"Peasy" From her purse Erin took a red and purple votive in the same kind of colored containers

"Good Okay, let’s see Let’s h that we’re still standing under the branches" They followed me as I walked a few paces from the tree I looked at the candles What should I do? Maybe I shouldAnd as I thought about it, I knew Without stopping to wonder hohy or question the intuitive knowledge that had suddenly coive each of you a candle Then, just like the va to represent that element I’ll be spirit" Erin handed me the purple votive "I’m the center of the circle The rest of you take your places around me" Without hesitation I took the red candle from Erin and handed it to Shaunee "You’ll be fire"