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simmering heat in my core rises.
    “I don’t like the Family any more than you do,” I say carefully, steering us back on topic, “but you’re talking about putting innocent lives at risk. I wouldn’t want any part of your plan even if I had the time to care about the Family. My best friend is missing, and all I care about right now is finding her.”
    “You’re so small-minded,” she spits, flicking her hair over her shoulder. “Think about someone other than yourself for once. This is for the good of our people, not just you.”
    “Oh please,” I retort. “You can act like this is all for the greater good and blah blah blah, but it’s obvious you just want to get back at the Family for bruising your little ego.”
    She stands up, her beautiful features twisted in anger. I kick off the blankets and stand too, though I wish I hadn’t when I only come up to her chin (and I’m not short, not by a long shot).
    “Can I get you a step stool?” she asks, giving a condescending laugh.
    “Get out,” I demand through gritted teeth.
    It takes her a moment to realize I’m serious. I swear I actually see her eyes turn a darker shade of green. “You’re going to regret this,” she says, staring down her nose at me.
    “Not as much as you’re going to regret it if you don’t get the hell out of my room,” I counter.
    She tosses her head and laughs again, and the heat of my magic surges up into my chest.
    “You?” she says, pointing at me. “Are threatening
me
? You forget I’ve been a witch for
a lot
longer than you, honey. Not a smart move.”
    The heat stings my fingertips, growing hotter and hotter until it’s almost unbearable. “Get out,” I repeat.
    “You’re the crazy one,” she says. “Look at you. What are you gonna do, huh? Attack me? I’ve seen your skills before, and trust me, they’re not that impressive.”
    “Get. Out.”
    “Screw you,” she says darkly. “You couldn’t stop thePriory when your own mother’s life was at risk. What makes you think you can stop me if I wanted to hurt you now?”
    I don’t think before I act. All the anger overwhelms me, and I just want to hurt her. I hold out both my hands, and a blast of wind shoots from them, so powerful I can see the air currents. It rocks Jezebel back off her feet and she almost smashes into the window. Almost. She disappears before that can happen.
    Vanishes into thin air.

3

    I sit at the kitchen table, mechanically eating a bowl of Cocoa Puffs even though I’m not remotely hungry. I feel like a bad person eating a bowl of cereal when my best friend is who knows where, suffering who knows what, and all because of me. But I’ve been getting brutal headaches lately, and Bishop says it’s probably from malnourishment. I’d accused him of being dramatic, but truthfully, he’s probably not far off the mark.
    I can’t stop thinking about what I did to Jezebel last night.
Almost
did, I remind myself. I mean, sure, Jezebel’s a bitch and her plan was crazy with a capital
K
, but I reallywanted to hurt her. Who knows what I would have done if she hadn’t made herself disappear?
    “Don’t look so pissy,” Aunt Penny says, pulling out a chair and slumping down across from me. She’s still in her fluffy pink bathrobe, and her blond hair is pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head.
    “Trust me,” she says, noticing the direction of my stare. “I don’t want to be up this early either.”
    I look down into my cereal. If she thinks one little apology is all it takes for me to forgive her, then she’s been watching a few too many Lifetime Originals.
    Aunt Penny turns on the TV on the kitchen counter and flicks through the channels, pausing on the news.
    “…was last seen leaving school on Friday afternoon. Efforts to reach him via phone and social networking sites have been unsuccessful. His parents say this is out of character for Josh, and are asking the public to help search for the missing teen.”
    “Know him?”