"Not at all," Tess assured him. "Pure coincidence. Come on, then, Vi."

"Why?" Vita frowned. "Your mum won't slay me if I'm late."

Tess just stared at her, and then Vita got it.

"Right. I'm late, too." She stood up and pulled on her plaid trench coat. "Later on, Moira. Nice seeing you, Ian."

"You too," he said.

Then they were gone, and Moira and Ian were sharing a table alone for the first time. Moira felt all quivery inside, happy and anxious at once. Her latte was ice-cold, and she quickly circled her hand over it, deasil, and murmured, "Heat within." Ian sipped his mug of tea. Just as Moira was starting to feel alarmed by the lingering silence, Ian said, "I was looking at books downstairs." "Oh?" Yes, that was witty. You go, Moira. "I've always liked the illustrated books-the ones with old-fashioned pictures of witches. Or the really pretty flower ones." Do I really sound this stupid?

Ian didn't seem to think so. He only said, "Yeah. I love the plant ones. I'm still taking private herbology lessons."

"But you got initiated last year, right?"

"Yeah, they usually do it at fourteen in my coven," he replied. "You're not initiated yet?"

"No. I'm aiming for next Beltane. Me and Tess and Vita."

"Well, you've got some time, then."

Moira nodded. "We're all taking classes-spellcraft, herbology, astrology, animal work. The usuals."

"What's your favorite?"

He's interested in me! "I like spellcraft." She couldn't help smiling, remembering her ladybug triumph. "Last weekend I wrote a new spell by myself. I spelled ladybugs to form my initials on my garden wall."

Ian laughed. "Did it work? Or did you just get a bunch of confused, ready-to-hibernate ladybugs? Or maybe bees?"

Grinning, Moira knocked her side against him, then was thrilled at the warm contact. "Yes, it worked." The truth was, she'd been pretty amazed herself-but she didn't want Ian to know that.