"But, look-"
"You breed much faster, have more children-and you kill us whenever you find us. The witches were on the verge of extinction before they got together with the other races and formed the Night World. And that's why Night World law is so strict about keeping our secrets from humans."
"And that's why you tried to hand me over to Pilar," Eric said.
Thea could feel his eyes on her like a physical sensation. She stared at a patch of rock nettle between her feet. "I didn't want you dead. I didn't want me dead, either."
"And they'd really kill us for being in love."
"In a minute."
He touched her shoulder. Thea could feel warmth spread from his hand and she had to work to make sure she didn't tremble. "Then we'll keep it a secret," he said.
"Eric, it's not like that. You don't understand. There's nowhere we could go, no place we could hide. The Night People are everywhere."
"And they all follow these same rules." "Yes. It's what allows them to survive."
He breathed for a moment, then said in a voice that had gone husky, "There's got to be a way."
"That's what I let myself think-for a while." Her own voice sounded shaky. "But we have to face reality. The only chance we have of even living through this is for us to just go our separate ways. And for you to try as hard as you can to forget me and everything I've told you."
She was trembling now, and her eyes had filled. But her hands were balled into fists and she wouldn't look at him.
"Thea-"
The tears spilled. "I won't be your death!"
"And I can't forget you! I can't stop loving you."
"Well, and maybe that was just a spell, too," she said, sniffling. Tears were falling straight off her face and onto the rock. Eric looked around for something to give her, then tried to wipe her wet cheeks with his thumb.
She whacked his hand away. "Listen to me. You did miss something when you were adding up what I did. I also make love spells for me. I put one on you, and that's why you fell in love in the first place."
Eric didn't look impressed. "When?"
"When did I put the spell on you? The day I asked you to the dance."
Eric laughed.
"You-"
"Thea." He shook his head. "Look," he said gently, "I fell in love with you before that. It was when we were out here with that snake. When we just looked at each other and... and... I saw you surrounded by mist and you were the most beautiful thing in the world." He shook his head again. "And maybe that
was magic, but I don't think it was any spell you were putting on me."
Thea wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Okay, so the yemonja had nothing to do with it. Anyway, love spells just seemed to bounce off Eric-even the dolls hadn't worked....
She bent suddenly and picked up her backpack. "And I don't know why this didn't work," she muttered. She took out a quilted makeup bag, unzipped it, and reached inside.
The dolls came out as a bundle. At first glance they looked all right. Then Thea saw it.
The male doll had turned around. Instead of being face-to-face with the female doll, it had its back to her.
The scarlet ribbon was still wound tightly around them. There was no way that it could have slipped, that this could have happened by accident. But the dolls had been inside the case, and the case had been inside her backpack all day.
Eric was watching. "That's Pilar's ring. Hey, is that the spell on me and Pilar? Can I see it?"
"Oh, why not?" Thea whispered. She felt dazed again.
So it couldn't have been an accident, and no human could have done it. And no witch could have done it either.
Maybe...
Maybe there was a magic stronger than spells. Maybe the soulmate principle was responsible, and if two people were meant to be together, nothing could keep them apart.
Eric was gingerly unwinding the scarlet ribbon. "I'll give the ring back to Pilar," he said. He reduced the binding spell to its constituent parts, put them gently back in the makeup bag.
Then he looked at her.
"I've always loved you," he said. "The only question is..." He broke off and looked like the shy Eric she knew again. "Is, do you love me?" he finished at last. His voice was soft, but he was looking at her steadily.
Maybe there are some things you just can't fight....
She made herself look at him. The image wobbled and split.
"I love you," she whispered. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I do."
They fell-slow as a dream, but still falling-into each other's arms.
"There's a problem," Thea said some time later. "Besides all the other problems. I'm going to be doing something next week, and I just need you to give me some time."
"What kind of something?"
"I can't tell you."
"You have to tell me," he said calmly, his breath against her hair. "You have to tell me everything now."
"It's magic stuff and it's dangerous-" A second too late she realized her mistake.
"What do you mean, dangerous?" He straightened up. His voice told her the peaceful interlude was over. "If you think I'm going to let you do something dangerous by yourself..."
He wore her down. He was good at that-even better than his sister-and Thea was no good at refusing him. In the end she told him about Suzanne Blanchet.
"A dead witch," he said.
"A spirit. And a very angry one."
"And you think she's coming back," he said.
"I think she's been here all along. Maybe hanging around the old gym, which hasn't done her any good since nobody's been there assaulting dummies. But if they open it to have the Halloween party..."