Kaley sat up a little. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m going to get him to believe.”

“Really? Does that mean I’m getting a mentor?”

“It means I’m working on it. But I need you to help me out with your dad.”

“Is this the part where you tell me to behave and do what my dad says?”

“Basically, yes.”

Kaley treated Pandora to yet another bodily sigh. “Yeah, all right. But you’re still going to give me witch lessons?”

“Someone will.”

“Why not you?”

“Because I’m…I have a lot on my plate already.”

Kaley squinted. “This has something to do with your aura being all cracked, doesn’t it?”

Rotten child. “I’m going to talk to my mother about where to start, and then at the next coven meeting, I’ll ask about a mentor.”

Kaley’s mouth fell open. “There’s a coven meeting?”

“Yep. Once a month.”

“You guys are so lucky. Can I get in on that?”

“We’ll see.” Pandora wasn’t sure how Cole would react to that. Actually, she had a pretty good idea.

“Hey, you said your mom’s a witch too, right?”

“She is. And my sisters.”

“Can I meet them? Please? It would be so awesome.”

“Sure. I’ll figure something out. But you have to promise me you’re going to be on your best behavior with your dad.”

“I will.” Kaley grinned. “You do like him, though, don’t you?”

“He has his moments. When he’s not hating on witches.”

“I hear that, sister.”

Pandora gave Kaley a raised brow in response.

Kaley just laughed. Then Pumpkin jumped up into Kaley’s lap, and Kaley let out an “oof” as the breath was pressed out of her. “Your cat really needs to lose weight.”

“Why do you think I don’t want her having beef jerky?”

“Yeah, I get it.” She ruffled Pumpkin’s fur. “You too fat, kitty, but you’re very cute and super soft.” Kaley looked at Pandora. “I wish my dad liked cats. I’d love to get one.”

“Not into cats or witches, huh? He gets better by the second.” Pandora went to take another sip of her wine, but thought better of it and put it on the coffee table instead. “I should drive you home. I’m sure your dad is worried about you.”

“Weren’t you supposed to meet us for dinner at that place?”

“How did you know about that?”

“Dad texted me at school to say he’d apologized to you and that we were going to dinner at Hooters.”

“Howler’s. If you knew he apologized, why did you come over here?”

“Because when I got home, he was grumpy and snapped at me when I told him he should put on a nicer shirt.”

“Yeah, well, I think dinner’s off anyway. I’m sorry he was grumpy, that’s probably my fault too.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I…” Pandora wasn’t sure how to explain, but Kaley was a sister witch. Young, maybe, but Pandora decided to use what had happened as a teaching moment. Isn’t that what they called it? “I sort of zapped your dad with some magic this afternoon. I got mad and I wasn’t thinking. It was wrong, but—”

“Cool!”

“No, not cool. You should never use magic to harm another person. We take an oath about that and everything.”

Kaley’s eyes got big. “Harm? What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t hurt him. I just…sealed his mouth shut so he couldn’t speak.”

Kaley went blank for a split-second, then burst into laughter. Pumpkin ran for it.

“It’s not funny,” Pandora said.

“No wonder he was so mad,” Kaley choked out. “That’s epic.”

“No, it is not.” Pandora stood up and grabbed her wine to take it inside. “Let’s go. I’m driving you home.”

“Aw, c’mon, it is a little funny.” But Kaley got up, hauling her backpack over her shoulder.

“Okay, maybe a little. It wasn’t at the time, though.” Pandora led Kaley and Pumpkin inside, locked the slider behind them and headed for her purse by the door.

“Are you mad at me for coming over?”

Pandora opened the front door and shooed Kaley out, car keys in hand. “No. I’m glad you think of this as a safe place, but you still need to work on cutting your dad some slack.”

“I will.”

“Good.” Pandora probably needed to take some of that advice herself. “Get in the car.”

Cole stood in the attic, staring at the shelves of books and bottles and other random junk. Everything he believed was suddenly in question. It wasn’t just what Pandora had done to him, but the moment of contact between them that had blown his sense of reality to smithereens.

Worse, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Especially about how he wanted to touch her again.

Which was why he was up here. He was going to pick up the mirror again and pray that’s what had caused his weird vision. Not touching her.

Because he’d already convinced himself that the temporary muteness had been nothing more than the worst possible case of a frog in the throat. Not magic.

The mirror was right where he’d left it. There was nothing unusual about it. Just a small brass hand mirror with a few flowers and ornaments engraved on the handle. Ordinary. He flexed his hand. There was nothing to think about. Just pick it up.