and used it to jot "My house" on the underside of one wing, and "Tonight" on the other. I held it up to my face, staring it down and wondering what else it needed. I went through the house, out the back door to the patio by my mother's garden of wildflowers, then closed my eyes and tried to work up the magic buzz. For a minute or so, I felt stupid and self-conscious, but then the energy started to build and I immersed myself in it, working up a decent flurry into my palms. I cupped the crane in my hands and concentrated on sending the magic into it. Then I released it and, much to my surprise, it flew gracefully out of my hands and flapped around me, its little body working as if an invisible origami-obsessed child was pulling it, the way the design intended.
"Cool." I laughed, full of accomplishment and satisfaction. Maybe my magic wasn't so useless after all. Of course, there was still part two to consider; I'd given it form, but who knew if I'd be able to give it function? I whistled for it to come close and it did.
"Good boy," I said. "Now go find Davina."
It fluttered around my head, bounced into my shoulder, and flapped back up to hover near my head.
"Okay, I should have known it wouldn't be that simple." I reached out and took it by its base. Its wings flapped carefully, not panicked, just moving. I held it in my hand and pooled my magic again, visualizing the thing locating Davina, wherever she was, and delivering the message. Then I opened my eyes and released it. It flapped upward into the calm, sunny day, and I watched as it disappeared around the corner.
"If you want to keep this whole thing secret," Tobias said, as he emerged from the driveway at the side of my house, "then it may be a good idea to shoot off your magical paper airplanes from inside the house."
I glanced at him. "It was a crane."
"Oh. Well, in that case, I take it all back."
I turned to face him, watching him with my arms folded over my stomach as he crossed my backyard to meet me. "Hover much?"
He moved toward me, his eyes locked on mine. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood."
"Spying on me?"
"Making sure you're okay."
"Potato, po-tah-to." I sat down in one of the blue Adirondack chairs. Tobias took the other one. We were quiet for a long time, and then I said, "My mother used to come out here all the time."
He was quiet for a minute, then he said, "It's pretty."
"Yeah. I don't think she ever noticed the garden," I said. "She just stared off into space, mostly."
"Is there some subtext I'm missing here?" He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. I could see the strong muscles of his arms go taut as he did, the only outward sign that he wasn't entirely relaxed.
"She would come out here, stare at the garden, but not look at it. She was missing my father, and my sister. I always thought he didn't love her, or me, and she could never get over it. But it turns out he left because he loved her, and me. That's what she couldn't get over."
Tobias was quiet for a bit, and then he said, "Sometimes leaving is the right thing to do."
"And sometimes loving someone does more damage than not loving them."
He nodded and leaned back. "Ah. Subtext."
I let out a small laugh as a bubble of affection for him overrode my tension. Our eyes caught and held, and his face broke out into a smile. Just the sight of those overlapping front teeth made my heart skip, the arrhythmic beat accentuating the truth that I'd known for a long time.
I was in a lot of trouble with this guy.
"For the record," I said, "I'm still mad at you."
He nodded. "Okay."
"And I don't like you spying on me."
"Duly noted."
"Not that that will stop you."
"No, it won't."
"But you're right," I said. "I need help, and you might be able to help me."
There was no hesitation. "What do you need?"
Looking directly at him hurt a bit, especially when I met his eyes, but there were bigger things at stake here. I needed help, and this was no time to be emotionally skittish.
"First, I need answers to some questions," I said. "Are you a Magical?"
He nodded.
"Day or night?"
"Day."
"What's your power?"
He took a deep