Before I could decide whether to press her for details, the kitchen door swung open to reveal Sky. Her pale skin and fair hair seemed to glow against the midnight blue linen shirt she was wearing. “Morgan, Alisa,” she said, “we’re getting ready to start.”

Stepping into the living room, I saw that Hunter had already drawn a circle on the floor. Alisa and I stepped into it behind Sky. I tried to move toward Hunter but found myself almost directly across the circle from him. Once everyone had settled down, I was surprised to see someone new next to Sky. She looked young and was about five feet tall, with dark red hair and green eyes. Her slim figure made her seem coltish, as if she were about to go through a growth spurt. I wondered who she was.

“Everyone, before we begin, I’d like to introduce our guest,” Sky said. “This is Erin Murphy.”

Erin Murphy. I knew that name. Erin Murphy was the witch who was coming to teach me magickal defenses. But this couldn’t be her! I studied Erin’s face more closely and saw faint creases around her mouth and eyes. Maybe she’s older than she looks, I thought. Automatically I reached out with my senses and felt her power. She was strong. Really strong.

Erin had been looking at Sky, but her eyes suddenly flicked to me. The steady gaze felt like a hand against my forehead, but after a moment the pressure stopped, and she smiled. I resisted the urge to rub my temples.

“Erin is a healer from Scotland,” Sky went on. She didn’t say anything to the rest of the coven about the fact that Erin was a magickal defense expert.

Jenna looked hopeful, and I knew that she was thinking about her asthma. From her place next to me, Alisa shuffled uneasily. “A healer?” she repeated.

“You think I’m not old enough to know what I’m doing? I’m forty-seven,” Erin said abruptly, turning her sharp eyes on Alisa. I guess she was used to people’s confusion about her age. Then her face took on a curious expression as she still looked at Alisa.

Alisa blushed to the roots of her hair. She blinked uncomfortably and brought her hand to her forehead. “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s quite all right,” Erin cut her off in a musical brogue. “If you can believe it, the flight attendant on my flight over asked me if my ma would be meetin’ me at the gate.” Laughter rippled through the circle, and I felt everyone relax. Erin studied Alisa a moment longer, then smiled. I glanced across the circle at Hunter, and he grinned at me.

“You don’t sound Scottish,” Matt Adler said.

“I’m an immigrant,” Erin said, and something about her tone made everyone chuckle again. “I’m Irish, living in Scotland. On vacation in America.” She looked around the circle, and her eyes landed on me. “Any other questions?” she asked. Her tone was playful but seemed to hold a challenge as well. I had a million questions, but I felt too shy to ask them. I could practically feel the power rolling off this woman.

After a moment Sky took out some salt and began to purify the circle. Raven had managed to maneuver herself so that she was between Sky and Matt, whom she’d fooled around with a few times back in the fall. I wondered how Sky would react.

Sky began placing incense for air, sand for earth, a candle for fire, and a small cup of water at various points on the circle. I could see that the line of her jaw was rigid, although she was making an effort to seem unaffected by Raven’s presence. It was actually kind of strange to see the two of them next to each other. Raven had clearly taken more care than usual with her appearance tonight—she was wearing a red velvet peasant blouse that laced up the front and black leather pants. Her dyed black hair cascaded down her back. She looked like a biker-chick version of Lady Guinevere. She was dark and lush, fire to Sky’s ice.

Sky set down the last bowl and returned to her place in the circle. Hunter looked up at me. “There’s a full moon tonight—very auspicious,” he said. “Let’s join hands and walk deasil.” I was standing between Alisa and Robbie, and I was glad for Robbie’s familiar presence as we all began to move clockwise around the room. As the group moved together, I could feel the energy build around me. I remembered the way it used to press in on me when I’d first begun coming to circles, and I was glad that I was now more in control of the magick that surrounded me. Now the power seemed wonderful and exhilarating, without the edge of fear that it used to hold.

“In Wicca we aren’t afraid to ask the Goddess for what we need,” Sky said. “When you feel it, make a wish. During a full moon it may very well be granted.”

Next to me Robbie was the first to speak. “I wish for endurance.”

On the other side of him Bree said, “I wish for peace.”

Ethan went next. “I wish for strength,” he said. He cast a quick look at Sharon, who was standing next to him.

Sharon met his look. “I wish for understanding.”

We went around the circle, and everyone said what they wished for. It was kind of interesting. Everyone wished for intangible things.

Finally it was Alisa’s turn. “I wish things could stay the way they are,” she said quietly. There was a sadness in her voice that tugged at my heart.

I glanced across the circle at Hunter, and my mind flashed back to the kiss we’d shared a few nights ago. That was a moment I’d wanted to preserve perfectly, like a leaf in amber. But things change—that’s their nature. I felt a wave of sympathy for Alisa, for her doomed wish. I squeezed her hand.

Hunter gave me a nod, and I knew it was my turn. I racked my brain for something to say, and I suddenly remembered the first circle I’d ever been to. Everyone had named something they wanted to banish. I’d said I wanted to banish limitations. In the weeks that followed, my life had opened up. I’d found Wicca, I’d discovered the truth about my heritage, and my power had started to reveal itself. But now, finally, my world seemed to be settling down, and I was growing comfortable with who I was.

“I wish to learn my limits,” I said. I felt Alisa turn toward me, but when I faced her, she had already turned away. I wondered at my own choice of words. In order to learn my limits, I would have to test them. How much further would I have to go?

We continued walking deasil for a moment, then we all stopped and threw our hands up. “That was good,” Sky said. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and I knew that she was feeling the same energy I was. “Let’s take it down.” We all sat on the floor.

“I feel a little dizzy,” Alisa whispered as she crossed her legs.

I nodded. We had been moving in the circle for quite a while, building up a lot of energy. I was glad to be sitting, too.

Sky reached out and picked up the cream-colored pillar candle that represented fire. With a gentle breath she extinguished the flame and set the candle in the center of the circle. Smoke curled toward the ceiling as Sky said, “Morgan, please light this.”

I frowned. I could only assume that Sky was hoping to demonstrate my magick to Erin, but reluctance swelled in my chest. Most of my friends in the coven had no idea that I could light fires with my mind, and I wasn’t really keen on their finding out. I loved my power, but I’d seen the gulf it had created between Robbie and me, and, in another way, between Bree and me. I was something different. I didn’t want my friends to fear me.

Hunter looked at me with serious eyes. I could tell that he wanted me to light the candle, too. Erin leaned forward slightly, one eyebrow arched, almost as if she doubted I could do it.

The circle was hushed and still. A feeling of expectancy filled the room.

I faced the candle and quieted my mind. The energy that still curled through the room flowed through me, and in a moment the wick sputtered and burst into flame. A few people gasped. Alisa’s eyes flew wide, and she drew her knees toward her chest and leaned away from the candle, as if it were a snake that might bite her.