"Are you buying?" the guy asked. He was really cute with intense dark eyes, a natural tanned skin, and confidence that said he was an older student. But he was no match whatsoever to Torin. Not in looks or cojones.

I nodded at the bartender. "Put it on our tab."

"I'm Sebastian Reyes," Don Juan said and waved to someone behind me. "And these are my cousins, Alejandro and Matias Torres." Twins. Tall, dark, and handsome.

I glanced behind me and grimaced. The entire room was staring at us. Only Torin didn't seem particularly bothered. He smirked and raised his glass. Stinker.

"I'm Raine Cooper," I said and pointed at Cora, "She's Cora Jemison."

"So you are in high school?" Sebastian asked.

"And in a relationship," Cora added. "Both of us."

Sebastian grinned. "I think you protest too much, Cora Jemison. Raine doesn't mind getting to know us. In fact, we're having a private party at our hotel. Would you guys like to join us? You can invite some of your friends." He smiled at some of the girls.

Ok. Maybe I had started something that could backfire badly and fast. Cora must have thought so too because she reached for my hand.

"Excuse us." She practically dragged me away from the bar, past tables, and into the hallway leading to the restrooms. "What the hey?"

"Torin pissed me off," I protested.

"Then smack him or something, not flirt with some loser college boy."

"I hardly flirted. I was just warming up. Besides, they are cute." She pushed me toward the bathroom. "I don't need to go."

"Then stay. I'll be right back."

I studied my reflection. What was I doing? Cora was right. Flirting with other guys was so not me. Torin didn't seem to care. Or he was hiding it well. He even seemed to enjoy my rebellion. The door opened and Cora entered.

"I cannot believe that a-hole Sebastian. He refused to give me your jacket. Go get it."

"Yeah. This whole experiment is over." I marched into the room, my eyes going to Torin. As though he felt my eyes on him, he glanced over his shoulder, eyes following me.

Sebastian had taken my stool and was holding my jacket on his lap. "Can I have that?"

"You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"

"Yes, I am." I reached for my jacket, but he moved it out of the way.

"How about another dance, sweetheart?" he asked. He grabbed my hand.

"Let go, Sebastian," I warned.

"You are a tease, Raine. You led me on and now you want to walk?" His friends crowded me from behind. "Just one dance." He stood, my jacket clenched in his hand.

I'd bet that once we were on the dance floor, he'd do something stupid and bring Torin's wrath on his head. If my debit card wasn't in the pocket, I would have walked.

"Sorry, boys, but I'm done for the night." I reached for my jacket. He hid it behind his back. We were drawing attention. Most of the ball players seemed ready to leap across tables and rip apart these three idiots. The only thing stopping them was Torin.

Our eyes met. He smirked, tapped his watch, and gestured with a finger that I should wrap it up. It amazed me how well he understood me. I swear, he had to be a mind reader. This was a battle and I didn't need him or his boys to come to my rescue.

My attention shifted to Pinhead.

"Listen, Sebastian."

"Call me Bash." Something about his smile was familiar. Cold fingers crept up my spine.

"I was nice, Bash. I bought you a drink, and now you are trying to bully me into doing something I obviously don't want to do. You have ten seconds to give me back my property before someone gets hurt."

The twins chuckled while Bash leaned against the bar and shifted closer. "A sweet little thing like you wouldn't hurt me over a dance."

"Eight... seven... six..."

He smirked.

"Three..."

"Come on, Raine."

"Time's up." I engaged my strength and speed runes, grabbed the jacket and yanked it from his hand with such force his elbow slipped from the bar. He lost his balance, his face a mask of surprise.

I took advantage and nudged him with my foot. It was a gentle nudge. Nothing to make anyone think I was using super powers. He went flying across the floor. People laughed. Those nearby looked down at him.

I turned and faced the twins. "You want to join him?"

They shook their heads and stepped back.

"Good." I slipped on my jacket and waved to Cora who was standing a few feet away with Echo. He must have arrived while I was having my little showdown.

She closed the gap between us and we hugged. "You are so crazy."

"He was being a douche." We both glanced at Sebastian and his friends. They were whispering and glancing at us. "I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow." I ignored the whispers following me. I walked to where Torin sat and offered him my hand.

He got up and slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me to his side. "You're pretty scary when you're pissed, Freckles."

I sank into his side. No more playing games with other guys. Torin and I would knock heads from now on without involving anyone.

"What happened to you carrying me out of the club?" I teased.

"Who said we're leaving." He led me toward the dance floor. "I owe you a dance or two. And you owe me an apology."

"For what?"

"Implying I'm no fun." As though he'd planned it, the DJ started a slow song. He pulled me into his arms.

CHAPTER 12. A SPECIAL BREW.

"I brought the picture," the gray-haired customer from yesterday said. My eyes went to his gothic ring first. It had unique symbols on it. If he noticed my interest, he didn't show it.

I dragged my eyes from his finger and smiled. "Did you see anything in the catalogue you like?"

"Hmm, no. I'm undecided. I was hoping you'd help me." He pulled out a portrait of a woman from a large envelope.

The woman was dressed in a leotard and striking a ballerina-pose, she was graceful, her face striking. "She's beautiful. Who is she?""

"My wife. She passed away five years ago. She was a prima ballerina, the toast of Argentina for over ten years. The ballet world remembers her as a very talented and graceful dancer, but to my boys, she will always be their mother." He pulled out two more copies of the same picture. These ones were smaller-five-by-seven. "I'd like these framed for my boys."

I spent half an hour working with him. When we finished, he'd selected the perfect frames. He was replaced by another customer. It seemed like there was an endless stream of them. Saturday must be a busy day at the shop.

By noon, it'd trickled down to nothing. I was exhausted and my mouth was dry from talking nonstop. "Is it always this busy?"

Jared glanced over from where he stood behind the cashier. "Not like this. I think having you here is the draw."

"What?" What if the customers had all been witches? Most of them had bought something, but every time I'd looked up, I always found eyes on me.

"Pretty girls always draw in more customers."

Ok. So maybe I was being paranoid. "Most of them were old, Jared."

"Even old people like pretty faces."

The back door dinged. "Incoming," I said.

Instead of new customers, Rita and Gina entered the store. I waved to them. Gina whispered something to her sister, then she walked to the counter. Today she was dressed in a black lacey dress top, striped tights and canvas boots. The sister just wore a simple maxi dress.

"Raine, we don't want to bother you, but can we talk?" she asked.

She sounded serious. No, scared. "Yeah. What's going on?"

Gina glanced at Jared and lowered her voice. "Privately?"

The store offered no privacy. "Just a second." I left my throne behind desk, knocked on the office door and peered inside the room. "Can I take a break?"

He scowled. Seriously, didn't he ever smile? "Are you going home?"

"No. Actually, I was thinking of going to Cafe Nikos."

"Oh. That's okay."

That was too easy. "You guys took care of it?"

"Of course. St. James knows you visit it when you're at the shop."

And whatever Torin says goes. "Okay. I'll just pop there for a minute. If you need me, I have my cell."

"I'm sure Jared can take care of things until you return."

Back on the main floor, Gina and Rita were conferencing. "My boss said I can take off for a few minutes. There's a cafe a few doors from here."

The front of the stores all the way to Cafe Nikos were runed. Thank goodness no one could see them otherwise store owners would go ballistic. Nikolaus saw me and hurried over.

"Koreetsi mou!" He kissed my cheek one at a time. It was ber awkward because he was shorter than me and I had to lean down. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, Nikolaus."

"And your father?"

"Still hanging in there," I said.

Nikolaus shook his head. "He's a strong man, your father. Always has been. He'll pull through this. Just wait and see."

I couldn't bring myself to correct him. I pulled out my credit card. "We want some of your yummy baklavas."

"Put that away," he said, waving at my credit card. "Order anything you want for you and your friends." He smiled at the two witches, his eyes lingering on Gina. I could just imagine what he was thinking: Dad was sick, Mom was in mental home, and I was hanging out with a Goth girl. Intervention anyone?

Once we got our drinks and the pastries, we found a corner table. Just vacated too. The place was packed with the lunch crowd, and since it was a Saturday, there was a constant flow of customers. I sipped on my caramel frappe and studied the two girls. Gina stared right back, her drink untouched. Rita played with her straw, her head down. She talked a lot more when her sister wasn't around.

"Your father is sick?"

I nodded. "He has cancer."

"Is he going to be okay?" Rita asked, speaking softly.

I shook my head, pushing down the sudden urge to cry. Every time someone asked about him and showed sympathy, tears rushed to my eyes. "So what's going on?"

They looked at each other and communicated with their eyes. I hated when people did that. It usually meant secrets.

"What is it?" I asked impatiently.

"I feel bad asking you now that I know about your father," Gina said hesitantly. Rita sucked on her drink and refused to meet my eyes.

"Ask me what?"

Rita looked at her sister and shook her head. Okay, this was ridiculous. I didn't know these two girls from Adam, but I got the first clear vision when with them and I wanted to know why. "Is this about a vision?"

Gina nodded. "Rita is ill. The doctors can't find anything wrong with her, yet she grows weaker and weaker every day. She wants..." her voice trailed off and she glared at her drink. I could swear she was fighting tears. Rita reached for her sister's hand and squeezed.

"I want to know when I'm going to die," Rita whispered, glancing at the people in the neighboring tables. "Mom won't let us see the Seeress in our area. It cost too much money." She reached into her purse, pulled out several ten and twenty dollar bills, and placed them on the table between us. "We have one hundred dollars between the two of us."

"It is our lunch money for school, but this is more important," Gina added.

"I know it's not much, but could you?" Rita asked. "Please."