"But of course, that's paltry compared to what came after."Dad flipped through the pages. "You insulted a teacher, which resulted in semester-long cel ar duty with one Archer Cross. According to Mrs. Casnoff's notes on the situation, the two of you became 'close.'"He paused. "Is that an accurate description of your relationship with Mr. Cross?"
"Sure,"I said through clenched teeth.
Dad turned another page. "Wel , apparently you two were...close enough that at some point you were able to see the mark of L'Occhio di Dio on his chest."
I flushed at that, and felt Mom's arm tighten around me. Over the past six months, I'd fil ed her in on a lot of the story with Archer, but not al of it.
Specifical y, not the whole me-making-out-in-the-cel ar-with-him part.
"Now, for most people, nearly being murdered by a warlock working with the Eye would be enough excitement for one semester. But you also became involved with a coven of dark witches led by"-he ran his finger along the page-"ah, Elodie Parris. Miss Parris and her friends, Anna Gilroy and Chaston Burnett, murdered the other member of their coven, Hol y Mitchel , and raised a demon who just happened to be your great-grandmother, Alice Barrow."
My stomach twisted. I'd spent the past six months trying not to think about al that had happened last fal . To have it al read out to me in Dad's emotionless voice...wel , let's just say I was beginning to wish I'd stayed in the pond.
"After Alice attacked Chaston and Anna, she kil ed Elodie, and then you kil ed her."
I saw his eyes drift from the paper and to my right hand. A puckered scar ran across my palm, a souvenir of that night. Demonglass leaves quite a mark.
Clearing his throat, Dad dropped the papers. "So yes, Sophia, I would agree that you did have quite the intense semester. Ironic considering the fact that I sent you here to be safe."
Sixteen years'worth of questions and accusations flooded my brain, and I heard myself snap, "Which I might have been if someone had fil ed me in on the whole my being a demon thing."
Behind Dad, Mrs. Casnoff frowned, and I thought I was about to get a lecture on respecting one's elders, but Dad just watched me with those blue eyes-my eyes-and gave a tiny smile. "Touche."
The smile threw me, and I looked at the floor when I said, "So are you here to take me to London? I've been waiting since November."
"We can discuss that at some point, yes. But first I'd like to hear about the events of last semester from your perspective. I'd like to hear about the Cross boy."
Resentment surged up in me, and I shook my head. "No way. You want those stories, you can read the accounts I wrote up for the Council. Or you can talk to Mrs. Casnoff, or Mom, or any of the other people I've told the story to."
"Sophia, I understand that you're angry-"
"It's Sophie. No one cal s me Sophia."
His lips thinned. "Very wel . Sophie, while your frustration is perfectly valid, it's not helpful at this moment. I'd like to spend time talking with you and your mother"-his eyes flickered to Mom-"as a family before we proceed to the subject of your going through the Removal."
"Too bad,"I retorted, tossing off the blanket and Mom's arm. "You've had sixteen years to talk to us as a family. I didn't ask you to come here because you're my dad and I wanted some kind of tearful reunion. I asked you to come here as head of the Council so I can get my stupid powers removed."
Al of that came out in a rush. I was afraid if I slowed down, I might start crying, and I'd done enough of that over the past few months.
Dad studied me, but his eyes had gone cold, and his voice was stern when he said, "In that case, in my capacity as head of the Council, I reject your request to go through the Removal."
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You can't do that!"
"Actual y, Sophie, he can,"Mrs. Casnoff interjected. "Both as head of the Council and as your father, he's wel within his rights. At least until you're eighteen."
"That's over a year away!"
"Which wil give you enough time to understand the implications of your decision to the ful est,"Dad said.
I whirled on him. "Okay, first of al , no one talks like that. Secondly, I do understand the implications of my decision. Removing my powers wil keep me from potential y kil ing someone."
"Sophie, we've talked about this,"Mom said, speaking for the first time since we'd come into Mrs. Casnoff's office. "It's not a foregone conclusion that you wil kil someone. Or that you'l even try. Your father has never lost control of his powers."She sighed and rubbed her eyes with one hand.
"And it's just so drastic, honey. I don't think you should risk your life for a 'what if?'"
"Your mother is right,"Mrs. Casnoff said. "And bear in mind that you decided to go through the Removal less than twenty-four hours after watching the death of a friend. More time to weigh your options might be a good thing."
I sat back down on the couch. "I get what you guys are saying. I do. But..."I looked at the three of them, settling final y on my dad, the only person I thought might understand what I was about to say. "I saw Alice. I saw what she was, what she did, what she was capable of."I dropped my eyes to the faded cabbage roses on Mrs. Casnoff's carpet, but I was seeing Elodie, pale and streaked with blood. "I don't ever- ever-want to be like that.
I real y would rather die."
Mom made a choked noise, and Mrs. Casnoff suddenly became fascinated by something on her desk.
But Dad nodded. "Al right,"he said. "I'l make you a deal."
"James,"Mom said sharply.
Their eyes met and something passed between them before Dad continued. "Your year here at Hecate Hal is almost over. Come spend the summer with me, and at the end of that time, if you stil want to go through the Removal, I'l al ow it."
My eyebrows shot up. "What, like at your house? In England?"My pulse sped up. There had been three sightings of Archer in England.
Dad paused, and for one awful moment I wondered if he could read minds. But he just said, "England, yes. My house, no. I'l be staying with...
friends for the summer."
"And they won't care if you bring your daughter?"
He smiled at some private joke. "Trust me. They have room."
"What exactly is this supposed to accomplish?"I was trying to sound haughty and disdainful, but I'm afraid it just came off as petulant.
Dad began fishing in his coat for something, but when he pul ed out a thin brown cigarette, Mrs. Casnoff made a disapproving cluck. He sighed and put the cigarette back.
"Sophie,"he said, sounding frustrated, "I want to get to know you, and have you get to know me, before you decide to throw your powers-and possibly your life-away. You don't even ful y comprehend what it means to be a demon yet."
I thought about Dad's offer. On the one hand, I was not exactly his biggest fan right now, and I wasn't sure I wanted to spend time on a whole other continent with him.
But if I didn't, I'd be stuck as a demon for a lot longer.
Also, my mom had given up the house she'd been renting in Vermont, so I'd probably be spending al summer at Hecate with just her and the teachers. Ugh.
And then there was England. Archer.
"Mom?"I asked, wondering if she had some motherly input. She seemed pretty shaken up, which was understandable, what with watching me nearly get kil ed, then having to deal with Dad.
Chapter 2
"I'd miss you like crazy, but your dad makes a good point."Her eyes were bright with tears, but she blinked them back and nodded. "I think you should go."
"Thank you, Grace,"Dad said quietly.
I took a deep breath. "Okay,"I told him. "I'l go. But I want to bring Jenna."
She didn't have anywhere to go this summer either, and I wanted at least one friendly face if I was going to spend a whole summer embracing my demon-ness or whatever.
"Fine,"Dad said, without hesitation.
That took me by surprise, but I tried to seem nonchalant as I said, "Awesome."
"That reminds me,"Dad said to Mrs. Casnoff. "I was wondering if it would be al right for Alexander Cal ahan to come with us as wel ."
"Who the heck is Alexander Cal ahan?"I asked. "Oh, right. Cal."
It was weird to think of him as Alexander. It was such a formal name. Cal suited him a lot better.
"Of course,"Mrs. Casnoff said, al business again. "I'm sure we can manage without him for a few months. Although without his healing powers, we'l certainly have to invest in more bandages."
"Why do you want to bring Cal?"I asked.
Dad's fingers strayed to his suit pocket again. "Council business, mostly. Alexander's powers are unique, so we'd like to interview him, possibly run a few tests."
I didn't like the sound of that, and something told me Cal wouldn't either.
"And it wil give the two of you a chance to get to know one another better,"Dad continued.
A sense of dread slowly began creeping up my spine. "Cal and I know each other wel enough,"I said. "Why would I want to know him better?"
"Because,"Dad said, final y meeting my eyes, "you and he are betrothed."
It took me a good thirty minutes to find Cal. That was actual y a good thing, because it gave me plenty of time to come up with something to say to him that wasn't just a string of four-letter words.
There are a lot of freaky things witches and warlocks do, obviously, but the arranged marriage thing was one of the grossest. When a witch is thirteen, her parents hook her up with an available warlock, based on things like compatible powers and family al iances. The entire thing is so eighteenth century.
As I stomped across school grounds, al I could see was Cal sitting with my dad in some manly room with leather chairs and dead animals on the wal , chomping on cigars as Dad formal y signed me away to him. They probably even high-fived.
Okay, so it's not like either of them are exactly the cigar-and-high-fives type, but stil .
I final y found Cal in the potting shed behind the greenhouse, where our Defense classes were held. His talent for healing extended to plants, and he was running his hands over a browned and drooping azalea when I flung open the door. He squinted as a shaft of late afternoon sunlight flooded in behind me.
"Did you know I'm your fiancee?"I demanded.
Cal muttered something under his breath and turned back to the plant.
"Did you?"I asked again, even though I clearly had my answer.
"Yes,"he replied.
I stood there waiting for him to say something else, but that was apparently al Cal had to say.
"Wel , I'm not going to marry you,"I said. "I think this whole arranged marriage thing is gross and barbaric."
"Okay."
There was a bag of potting soil by the door, and I scooped up a handful to fling at his back. Before it hit, he raised his hand and the dirt froze in midair. It hovered there for a moment before floating slowly back to the bag.
"I just can't believe you knew and didn't tel me,"I said, sitting on an unopened bag.
"I didn't see the point."
"What does that mean?"
He dusted his hands off on his jeans and turned to face me. He was streaked with sweat, and his damp T-shirt was clinging to his chest in ways that would have been interesting if I wasn't so irritated with him. As usual, he looked more like an al -American high school quarterback than a warlock.