She tilts her head and looks quizzically at us. "Studying? On such a lovely day?"

Her voices oozes with fake sincerity, and I wonder how it's possible that someone like her could be Connor's mother. We stand there silently and I realize Dani is too scared to help me out.

"Yeah, we try to get stuff done in the day in case we have to go on a hunt in the evenings."

Dani lets out a nervous laugh. "Yeah," she says, looking back and forth between Mrs.

Keyes and me with a crazed look in her eyes. "It's been absolutely nutso lately, but you, urn, you know that because you're in charge and all. Ha."

I have to get Dani out of here fast before she blows this. Luckily, Mom comes in wearing an old pair of overalls.

"Hi, girls. We were just heading out to the shop. Helena is going to help me with the new b.a.l.l.s."

Mrs. Keyes's snaky smile widens-I half expect a forked tongue to come zipping out and smell the fear coming off us. "The girls were just heading off to spend this lovely day in the librar-y," she says slowly.

"Great," Mom says. "I hope this means your grades will be a little better this time."

"Oh, I always get straight As," Dani says.

I swat Dani on the shoulder.

Dani grimaces at me. "Oh, she meant-well, it's not like you flunked anything."

"It's just math I have trouble with, I get A's and B's in everything else!"

Mom puts her hands on her hips.

"Okay, I get an occasional C in some of my other cla.s.ses," I say, embarra.s.sed Mrs. Keyes probably thinks I'm some idiot not worthy of her son. Not that she thinks I'm worthy anyway. I grab my purse that is hanging on one of the kitchen chairs and take the keys off the counter. "Let's just go-I can use the car, right?"

"Sure, sweetie."

Dani and I walk outside, and we both exhale when we get in the car.

"You know, I think I'd rather go another round with the Ouroboros ring than deal with Mrs.

Keyes," I say. "Did you hear the way she was all drippy sweet 'on such a lovely day'?"

"Yeah," Dani says. "Like she thought we were lying or something."

"We were lying."

"No, not really. I'm going to the library to study! I can't help it if Evan will just happen to be there."

"You're right. Let's get your stuff and get you ready for your date!"

"Are you sure I look okay?" Dani asks for the millionth time as we open the library door.

"Yes!"

"Maybe I shouldn't have curled my hair-maybe I should've left it straight. It's usually straight at school and so maybe he won't recognize me or maybe he hates curly hair."

I look at the soft brown curls framing Dani's face and smile. "You look beautiful."

She smiles for a second and then looks down at her pants. "But do these make me look fat?

Maybe I should've worn a skirt. I still can't believe there isn't a spell to get rid of cellulite-and believe me, I've looked for one!"

"Dani, he likes you-period. Relax."

We walk past the circulation desk, and Dani points to a table near the biography section.

"There he is-alone!" She turns to me with determined eyes. "Make yourself scarce!"

I laugh as she rushes over to Evan. I wave to him from where I am, glad Dani's ready to tackle this date without my help. I glance around for Finn, but maybe Evan's given him his marching orders, too. I watch Dani sit down right next to him instead of across the table and give her a silent you go, girl. Evan smiles shyly at her, and immediately opens his textbook, but he also moves his chair closer to her so I know there's hope.

Since I didn't bring any actual work to do-cue Mom's disapproving tsk-I decide to head to the newly remodeled Teen Room. I walk up the ramp to the old part of the library where they stuck it, so the teenagers wouldn't bother the other patrons in the new addition. I squint when I walk under the FRESH BOOKS sign hanging above the entryway, and wonder which librarian thought teens would dig fluorescent green paint on the walls.

Then I wonder if Miss Melissa were still alive if she would've suggested a better color.

At least they have some couches. I roll my eyes as I walk past a popular vamp book sitting on an end cap. I tried to read it once, but couldn't get past the whole romantic, misunderstood vamp shtick. And there's just something totally creepy about a thousand-year-old vamp seducing a high school freshman-talk about extreme jailbait.

I was half tempted to write to the author, but I knew he'd just think I was a nut job for suggesting there was nothing romantic about real vampires. Of course, Dani's read it and its sequels at least six times, and she keeps insisting I give the book another try.

I skim the shelves and pick something a little more teen angsty. After hunting for over four years, normal teen drama is more my kind of escapist literature. I sink in the couch- glad the "lovely day" has guaranteed most kids are outside doing something and I can be alone.

"I know what you are."

I jump as Finn sits down on the overstuffed chair opposite me. His face is expressionless- his green eyes locked on to mine.

"I'm reading?" I say, holding up my book, not sure what he meant. I want to look away, but for some reason I feel like I shouldn't. Like this is some sort of turf thing.

He runs his fingers through his s.h.a.ggy black hair, and curls his lip up like I'm a piece of dirt. "I know what you are, and if you or Dani do anything to hurt Evan you'll have to deal with me."

"Hurt Evan? What are you talking about?" I put my hands up and shrug my shoulders.

"They're studying. Are you worried they may overtax a few synapses?"

Finn sniffs the air and seems to relax a bit. He scans the room and then looks back at me. "I know you're a witch."

I take in a ragged breath as a chill pa.s.ses over me. I think of all the times I've run into Finn while I was cloaked and thought he saw me. The way he stares at Sascha. How does he know?

He leans in toward me and sniffs again. I decide he's got some sort of extrasensory thing going and my mind races trying to figure out what I can say to convince him he's wrong.

"The question is-are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

"Good!" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Finn laughs, and I just sit there staring at him open-mouthed, wondering what the h.e.l.l just happened.

"Yeah, that's what I figured," he says. He puts his black boots up on the coffee table separating us and pulls at the knees of his faded jeans. "Evan thought so, too, but I wanted to be sure. He's not exactly the most socially adept guy. I didn't want you witches messing with him."

"How did you know? How did Evan know?" As soon as the words leave my mouth I could kick myself. I should have denied the whole thing-called him crazy-protected our secret.

"Let's just say I can smell a witch a mile away, but I had to be sure you weren't the kind of witch who goes around sacrificing puppies under a new moon so you can put your mojo on some poor guy."

Now I get mad. "You actually think Dani or I would sacrifice puppies?"

Finn puts his feet down and leans in toward me. "Relax. Margo is the only one I could picture doing that."

"Margo may be a b.i.t.c.h but she wouldn't. . ."

"G.o.d, you're easy to bait! This whole thing took a lot less time than I thought it would. I expected you to at least deny it for a while."

I cover my eyes with my hands and shake my head. I am in such deep s.h.i.t. The coven has only had to move two times since it was formed, and the last thing I want is to be the cause of the next ma.s.s exodus.

"Okay, so you know, what now?" I c.o.c.k my head and look him up and down, trying very hard to channel Helena. "Do I erase your memory? Turn you into a toad? Make a voodoo doll and walk you into the path of an oncoming truck?"

Finn laughs and I'm guessing I wasn't too convincing.

"I'll take option two, but only if you make it a frog- they're much cooler than toads."

"Laugh all you want, but there are some witches I know who wouldn't hesitate going after you if they thought you might talk."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to rat you out-and really, who would believe me if I did? My only purpose here today was to make sure my man, Evan, was going to come out of his first foray into romance unscathed."

I look at him smiling and all relaxed in his chair. We've studied body language to help us know when it's the right time to throw binders, and everything tells me Finn is being sincere.

"Okay, but you have to tell me how you know about us."

"If I told you it would take away my air of mystery that you witches all dig."

"Oh, please."

"I'm just s.h.i.tting you," Finn says. He smiles even wider and takes a pack of gum out of the front pocket of his flannel shirt. He pops a piece in his mouth and then throws one across the table to me. "Maybe if I get to know you better, I'll let you in on my little secret. But right now I'm gonna give Evan the signal that Dani's safe to pillage."

"What!"

"Sorry-guy talk. Safe to date. But I think we can both agree it's safe to leave them alone now. I have to change the oil in my grandmother's car, and you can go home and, uh-boil fairies.

Okay?"

I scoff and shake my head. "You do know that boiling even the smallest of pixies would bring the wrath of the fairy court down on you so fast you'd be wishing I had turned you into a toad, right?"

"Well, I guess I better go out and empty that jelly jar I filled last night, before Tinker Bell and her friends start kicking my b.u.t.t, eh?"

I laugh. "I'd say that would be a good idea."

"Thanks for the tip!" He gets up and takes his car keys out of his pocket.

"Wait, how do I know Evan is safe for Dani to date? Maybe I should be warning her to stay away from him!"

Finn tilts his head down and gives me an "are you totally without clues" look. "The guy would wear pocket protectors if he didn't think he'd get beat up for it. He's got the wild-haired Einstein poster hanging above his headboard, and he's never looked at p.o.r.n.

"And no, before you ask, he's not gay. He's just the byproduct of overprotective, mega-nerd parents. I'd tell Dani if she wants some action she should make the first, and possibly second and third moves." He winks and heads toward the ramp into the main library. "See you around, witchy-poo!"

I watch him swagger down, his boots clomping, and know I should tell my mom about this.

But there'd be too many questions I don't want to answer. That Dani wouldn't want to answer, too.

And who knows, maybe Helena would do something to Evan and Finn. My stomach rolls nervously.

Or me.

What would she do if she found out I'd just been chatting about fairies with a mere mortal?

I chew on my thumbnail and think maybe she'd decide that the idiot who didn't deny being a witch could never be with Connor no matter what changes the coven makes.

I pick up the book lying next to me and gently tap it on my forehead. "I-am-such-an-idiot,"

I whisper between thwonks.

As long as Finn keeps it quiet I should be okay. I think.

I get up and walk toward the stacks. Just concentrate on things changing-and Connors house next week, I tell myself.

Just the thought of us alone-in his room with no chance of interruption-makes me feel warm all over. A happy shiver runs down my spine as I put the book back on the shelf. I lick my lips and wish Connor were with me right now.

I head out to the main part of the library and catch Dani's eye. She beams at me. I point toward the door and wave. She nods and I wonder how she's going to take the news that her would-be boyfriend knows she's a witch.

I smile. Maybe her fantasy wasn't too far off.

9.

"My mom bought this great long underwear for flying. It's really warm, but it's not the ultra-thick bulky kind," Dani yells.

Dani keeps talking, but the wind is whipping around so much it's hard to hear her, and really all I can think about is Sascha filling us in on the supersecret ceremony tonight after her initiation is over.

"Are you listening?" Dani calls out.

"What?" I say.

"I said, at first I was mad-like she thought the bulky stuff would just make me look fatter, but then I figured I was being paranoid and she probably thought I'd just like some newer stuff, you know?"