says, but he’s interrupted by the GPS reminding him to take the next exit toward I-90. “If Morgan is a safe place to feel those emotions, it makes sense that you’d have more control over your power.”
Mom’s words from last night worm deeper into my head. “You’re not worried that my messed-up magic puts you at risk? Morgan isn’t here, and I—”
“Hannah.” He says my name so solemnly my words dry up, and I turn to look fully at him. “I’m an agent with the Council. I’m here to protect you, not the other way around. We won’t be defenseless if things go sideways.”
I nod, but that doesn’t make me worry any less.
Cal reaches across the console for my hand. “I know this mission is personal for you, but I volunteered for this trip. I don’t want to live in a world where we’ve all lost our magic, either.” He squeezes tight and then slows for the exit. “Speaking of which, you should call David soon and set up the meeting.”
I’m thankful for the subject change, but I still groan at the suggestion. “Can’t I text him? I hate the phone.”
“You heard Elder Keating.” We slow to pick up a ticket for the thruway and merge into traffic. “If David hears your voice, you’ll be harder to brush off. A text is too easy to ignore.”
“Why do you choose now to make sense?” I pull out my phone and scroll through my contacts until I get to the number Keating gave me. The phone rings three times, then cuts to voicemail, the robotic recording asking me to leave my name and number. “Should I leave a message?”
“Yeah, just remember—”
“Not to mention anything that would lead back to the Clans. I know, Cal. This isn’t my first phone call with another—Hi!” I say when the voicemail beeps. “This is, uh, Hannah. Hannah Walsh? You probably don’t know me, but I’m that girl from Salem, the one from the, uh, incident this summer.”
I look to Cal, but he gestures for me to continue. “Anyway, I heard about your research from a . . . mutual acquaintance and thought I might be able to help. I’m going to be in Ithaca tonight to see a friend, but I thought we could meet up. Call me. Or text me. Texting is actually probably better.” I repeat my number and hang up.
If I never have to leave another voicemail, it’ll be too soon.
“Wow. That was—”
“I know. I told you I suck on the phone.” I focus on the road, watching the trees zip by. The hints of orange in the leaves make me miss home. The coven is probably at Lady Ariana’s house right now to celebrate the equinox. For generations, Elementals have ushered in the changing of the leaves. Lady Ariana leads the ceremony, and by the time we’re finished, all the trees in the woods behind her house have leaves like sunset. An ache settles in my chest. That ceremony is another thing Dad will never do again.
Tears prickle at my eyes, and I reach desperately for a new subject. “How are classes going?”
“Actually, I turned in paperwork last week for a leave of absence.” Cal rubs the back of his neck. “I couldn’t justify spending the money on this semester. I’ve missed half my evening classes, and I’m behind in all the others.”
“Shit. I’m sorry, Cal. Did you at least get your money back?”
“Not all of it, but yeah. Some.” He sighs, and it’s like a mask shifts and I can finally see how exhausted he is. Between school, his shifts at the Cauldron, and all the stuff for the Council, no wonder something had to give. He rubs a thumb into his left temple. “So much for my three-year plan.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s not like you’re taking a semester off because you were partying too hard and failed all your classes.”
Cal laughs. “Very true.”
The rest of the way to Ithaca we chat about life and love and a Hunter-less future. Cal and his boyfriend are trying to make things work, but all the secrets Cal has to keep are causing tension. I want to warn him about what happened to Elder Keating’s brother, but I don’t think that’s my story to tell. Maybe Cal’s boyfriend will forgive the secrets. Or maybe Cal will tell him like I told Gemma. Maybe that’s more common than I thought, especially since the Council doesn’t outright forbid dating non-witches. It’s certainly not