Get away fast. Get away far.

The last part didn’t work out so well. I’d barely gone twenty miles on the highway before I began shaking again, this time from exhaustion. Then the rain started, a thunderstorm whipping up in the distance.

I stopped at the first motel I found. By the time I left the office with my key, the thunder was crashing, lightning splitting the sky, rain pelting, hard as hail. I trudged along, getting soaked, bone-cold soaked, and not caring.

When the key stuck in the lock, I was too exhausted to make the trek back to the office. I cast an unlock spell. It worked the first time. I went inside. Cast a lock spell on the door. Tested it, not quite trusting that my powers were back. They were—my temper tantrum earlier proved that.

I flicked on the light. It came on, then went off, every light in the parking lot following as the power failed. I cast my light ball.

Thank God for my spells.

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing back the prickle of tears. I still had my spells, but I’d give them up to fix what I’d done. I couldn’t bring my mother back, or my father, or Michael, but if I could fix even one thing and give Kayla back her grandmother, I’d gladly give up my powers.

I stripped off my wet clothing and crawled into bed, the light ball still blazing on the night table beside me. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I slept through the storm. What woke me was a much quieter noise: soft snoring. I opened my eyes. The room was still pitch black, parking lot lights out.

I blinked and lifted my head, following the snoring to a chair beside the bed. In the dim glow of cloudy moonlight, I could make out a familiar figure asleep in the chair.

“You don’t take a hint, do you?” I murmured. I smiled, but tears tickled my eyes, and I blinked them back.

I still felt like shit. Exhausted and achy. But more than that, I felt ashamed of my breakdown. I don’t do pity parties. Never have. Shouldn’t start now. So what if I’d stumbled? I needed to haul myself up by my bootstraps and keep moving. Do what I could for Paula and Kayla, get Lucas’s help.

I had another problem to solve, too: the small matter of a witch-hunter on my tail. I couldn’t let Paige come home to that or she might join me on the hit list.

I sat up and took a deep breath. I should do some work, quietly, letting Adam catch up on his sleep. Now, where had I dumped my laptop?

I cast my light ball, trying to keep the power on low. When nothing happened, I tried again, and didn’t even feel the mental click that told me it worked. I cast again, and again, and again. Then I remembered my last thought before I’d climbed into bed.

If I could fix even one thing, and give Kayla back her grandmother, I’d gladly give up my powers.

Oh, shit.