Blood Witch_ Book Three - Cate Tiernan [36]
I had stayed up too late the night before, reading both Maeve’s Book of Shadows and the book about Woodbanes that Alyce had given to me. It was still very strange for me, knowing Maeve was my birth mother and now knowing she was also Woodbane. Throughout my entire life I had felt just a bit different from my family, and I had wondered why. The odd thing was, now that I knew my origins, I felt more like a Rowlands and less like an Irish witch.
I could tell it was cold and disgusting outside just from looking out the window. And I was snug in my bed, and I had beside me a small kitten who was completely adorable and sound asleep.
So there was no way I was getting up.
“Morgan, you have to hurry!” Mary K. shouted, sounding frantic. A second later she burst into my room and tugged at my comforter. “We have ten minutes to get to school, and it’s snowing and I can’t ride my bike. Come on!”
Damn, I thought, giving in. One day I would really have to act on my desire to skip school.
We made it just as the late bell rang, and I skittered into class just as my name was called for roll.
“Here!” I said unnecessarily, panting and sliding into my seat. As Tamara smirked at me, I pulled out my brush and began untangling my hair. Across the room Bree sat talking to Chip Newton. I thought about Sky and Raven and their coven, about Sky telling them about the dark side. I still didn’t have a clear idea of what the dark side was except for some vague paragraphs in one of my Wicca books. I would have to do more research. I would have to finish reading the book Alyce had given me about the Woodbanes. Cal had said there was no dark side per se, there was only the circle of Wicca. Maybe I should ask Alyce about it.
I glanced over at Bree, as if looking at her would tell me what she was doing or thinking. I used to be able to look in her eyes and know exactly what was going on with her—and also tell her exactly what was going on with me. Not anymore. We spoke different languages now.
It was an odd day.
At school Matt wouldn’t meet my eyes. Jenna seemed nervous. Cal was fine, of course; we both knew we had reached a new level of closeness. We’d made plans for the future. Every time we saw each other, we smiled. He was a ray of light to me. Robbie was his usual comforting self, and it was interesting to see how girls who’d never noticed him before were now going out of their way to talk to him, to walk next to him, to pepper him with questions about homework and chess problems and what kind of music he liked. Ethan and Sharon were still circling each other flirtatiously.
Yet the whole day I felt on edge somehow. I hadn’t gotten enough sleep, and I had too many questions ricocheting around my brain. I couldn’t relax and pay attention in class. In my mind I kept going over what I had read in Maeve’s book. Then my thoughts would flash to Hunter’s bizarre behavior—and then to lying with Cal in front of the fire at his house, feeling so full of love for him. Why couldn’t I focus? I needed to be alone or, better yet, with Cal—to meditate and focus my energy.
After school I waited for Cal by his car. He was talking to Matt, and I wondered what they were saying. Matt looked uncomfortable, but he was nodding. Cal seemed to be making him feel better. That was good. But I also hoped he was letting Matt know that it was very uncool to mess around with Raven behind Jenna’s back.
Finally Cal saw me. He strolled right over and put his arms around me, pinning me to his car. I was aware of Nell Norton walking by, looking envious, and I enjoyed it.
“What are you up to right now?” I asked. “Can you hang out?”
“I wish I could,” he said, holding a handful of hair and kissing my forehead. “Mom has some people in from out of town, and she wants me to