“So you had a power flare. Huh.” He settled onto the floor and pulled the book over. “I didn’t see any of that in the accounts. Maybe this wouldn’t work.”

Then I told him about the man in the alley. “Which sounds like whoever is responsible didn’t drain my powers for kicks. They want me to work harder. Prepare for . . . I don’t know what, but as we know, this exposure threat has everyone on the other side paying attention, too. You said it seems more likely to be a deity than a demon. Presumably, then, they’re just holding my power in check until

I get my act together. Then if I need the power—like I did with Cassandra—they’ll give it back.”

“That’s possible . . .”

“And it’s also possible that it’s a demon playing tricks and convincing me not to try getting my spells back. Believe me, I’ve worked out the possibilities. But right now, I think I should hold off. If I can tap into more power, that’ll help. We can try your ritual later.”

“Which would be my suggestion . . . except there’s an expiry date.”

“Expiry?”

He rose and waved for me to sit beside him on the bed. “Most of the rituals that were successful were done within a week of the power loss. After that, the rate of success drops.”

“Okay.” I settled onto the bed. “But I . . . I think I should wait. See how things go. A few days shouldn’t make much difference.”

“If we were talking rate of return on an investment, I’d say it’s worth the risk, but . . .”

“We’re talking about my powers.” I turned to him. “So you think—”

I stopped myself. That wasn’t fair. If I got advice and things went wrong, he’d feel guilty and maybe I wouldn’t be able to keep myself from blaming him, just a little bit.

After a minute of silence, he said, “For what it’s worth, I think either is a reasonable choice and neither is a sure thing. Just don’t . . .” He leaned over to catch my eye. “Don’t do what you did with Leah. You were willing to sacrifice yourself to kill her. That’s noble, but I don’t want you being noble, Savannah. I want you to do what’s right for you.”

“If I wait, and I do tap into extra power, that’s good for me and everyone else, right?” I took a deep breath. “I’m going to stick to my decision. Hold off and keep working on it, and if I totally freak out, we can still do this, right?”

“Anytime. I’ll keep telling the hotel I don’t need maid service and we’ll leave everything the way it is.”

I nodded and let out a deep shuddering breath. Adam put his arms around me and I leaned against his shoulder and breathed. Just breathed.

When I pulled back, I said, “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“This.” I gestured at the room. “You did an amazing thing for me, and I turned it down.”

“Because you have another solution. One that may turn out better.” He leaned toward my ear. “As much as I wanted to give your powers back, I think you’re making the right call.”

He pulled back and smiled, his face just a few inches from mine, and I thought I could kiss him. Just cross those three inches. A quick kiss on the lips, and if he just wants it to be a thank-you, then he can pretend it was, and we can carry on.

Three inches. Cross it. Kiss him. Find out what happens.

Only it wasn’t three inches anymore. He was already pulling back.

But I could still do it. The moment hadn’t passed. Kiss him while I could pass it off as a thank-you.

Then Adam got to his feet. “If you’re really feeling guilty, though, my Jeep still needs a new top.”

I took a moment to find a smile. “Didn’t I already promise you that? A bribe for not telling anyone you had to rescue me from a drunk guy at a motel?”

“Shit, that’s right. Switzerland, then. You can buy me that trip to Switzerland.”

“Big step up from a new convertible top.”

“I earned it. Days of research, when I could have been out with Clay and Elena, kicking ass. Definitely worth a trip. Maybe two.” He waved me to the door. “We should get back and help Aaron and Cassandra.”

And so the moment passed. Again.

While Adam, Cassandra, and Aaron continued their research, I told Paige and Lucas about Adam’s ritual and the man in the alley. They thought I’d made the right choice.

I helped Adam for the rest of the day, then spent the evening doing spell practice with Paige and Lucas. I managed a weak light spell and an even weaker energy bolt. In other words, I could see well enough to get to the bathroom in the night and could give an attacker the equivalent of a static shock. Considering I’d only been working at it for less than a day, though, it was a good start. Baby steps, Paige said. Most spellcasters needed to do this at the start of their training. I was just going back and repeating the parts I’d skipped.

Adam came by at ten, and announced that he needed a drink. Paige and Lucas were not welcome to join us because they made lousy drinking buddies—their idea of a night at the bar was a couple of beers, and once that hit them, to sneak off to be alone together.

They said they’d be working for a couple of hours yet. If they were still around when we got back, they’d give Adam a lift to his hotel and take me back to their condo.

“Oh, please,” I said as we made our way back to headquarters. “Nobody noticed.”

“You were lighting the candle with your fingertips,” Adam said. “They noticed.”

I stopped on the corner and looked both ways. Lights smeared together in a blur. Skyscrapers swayed. I blinked and started to step off the curb. Adam pulled me back.

“Um, car?” Adam said as one whizzed past.

“It was on the other side of the road.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

“Yes, it was,” I said. “Apparently you’re the one who’s had too much to drink. You were also the one lighting the candle with your fingertips.”

“Only after you started it, and only because people were looking, so I figured if we both did it, it would look like a party trick.”

“What else would it look like? I was lighting a candle, not teleporting across the room.”