“Jeneane at three o’clock,” Evan warned me.

  I quickly tried to dry my tears before she could see them, but it was too late. “Hey, what’s up?” She hurried over and took me by the shoulders, then shot a reproachful glance at Evan. “If I find out you hurt her, you’re going to have to answer to me, Mr. Hunk,” she told him. Evan raised his hands defensively, hiding a smile.

  I laughed and the tears returned to fill my eyes. “Don’t worry, Jeneane, they’re tears of joy. The baby just kicked for the first time.”

  “Oh my God!” she squealed, holding me tight. “No way! Let me feel . . .” She rested a hand on my belly but nothing happened.

  “Sorry, I can’t control it.”

  “No problem.” She hugged me again. “And here I figured the pregnancy was just an excuse for you to get out of class once in a while!”

  “What?” I gasped, confused.

  “Come on, I’m not the only one! There are even bets being made around school. Tons of people don’t believe you’re really pregnant. You’re in better shape than my mom.”

  “Oh, thanks. You mean that as a compliment?”

  “Hello! My mother’s a knockout. I work up a sweat trying to keep up with her. You eat like an elephant and you’ve only gained, what, five pounds? I gain weight just by looking at food. So yeah, it was totally a compliment.”

  Everything considered, Jeneane was right. In my ample sweatshirt for the games, no one would have imagined I was expecting a baby. “I’ve got a fast metabolism. It’s true, my belly hasn’t grown much, but he’s right here.” I touched my middle. “And today he let us feel his presence for the first time.”

  Just then, Faith, Brandon, and Jake came walking up behind her. “The baby kicked!” Jeneane told them before they could even say hi.

  “Perfect,” I grumbled to Evan. “Pretty soon the whole school’s going to know.”

  “Don’t worry, it’s wonderful.”

  “Okay, but the two of us aren’t through talking about your birthday.” Evan laughed.

  “Dude, cool!” Jake exclaimed, moving closer.

  “Out of my way, I want to feel it too!” Brandon exclaimed. “Can we?” A moment later the two huge jocks were leaning over my belly, listening.

  “Move it, champs. You look like a couple of little girls!” Jeneane teased, pushing them aside.

  “Hey, you two.” Evan stared at them. “I think that’s enough. Keep your hands to yourself.”

  “Okay, okay,” I said, moving away from the little group gathered around me. “That’s enough for now.”

  “But I haven’t felt it yet!” Jeneane protested. She sighed. “I want to have a baby in my belly too.”

  “I can put one there for you if you want,” Brandon said, seizing the moment as he raised an eyebrow.

  “Pervert!” she snapped, hitting him on the head.

  “Ow! You said you wanted one! I was just offering to help. You should be thanking me!” Jeneane hit him again. “Ow! What did I say?!” The whole group laughed as he rubbed his head.

  Jeneane took his hand. “Come on, the dodgeball game starts in half an hour. If we beat our opponents, maybe afterwards I’ll show you my boobs.” A broad smile spread over Brandon’s face and he waggled his eyebrows at us as she dragged him away. “Gemma, bathroom in five minutes,” Jeneane ordered me before disappearing into the crowd.

  “What an asshat!” Jake sneered. “We’d better go keep an eye on them. He would get himself embalmed for that girl.”

  “Coming with us?” Faith asked, her long red ponytail contrasting with her Winter Carnival outfit. Yellow was definitely her color.

  “You guys go on ahead,” I said. “We’ll meet up in the bathroom in five.”

  “Okay—I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world,” Jake said.

  “You’re not invited.”

  “Here you are.” Ginevra turned the corner just then. She was with Camelia, the most eccentric and sensual of the Sisters. In her altered uniform she was stunning. Someone had snitched on them to the principal, who had come charging out of his office to explain to them that it was against the rules. Needless to say, he’d forgotten all about it the second he’d seen them approach.

  “Just in time for the war paint.”

  “Sounds interesting,” Camelia exclaimed. “What are we waiting for?” Anya and Nausyka had stayed to guard the Subterraneans and the Twins, but Camelia had wanted to come with me. She and Nausyka together would have been too much.

  “War paint?” Evan asked, looking amused.

  “That’s what Jeneane calls it. Why do you think she’s waiting for us in the bathroom? Stay here. She’s liable to paint you too,” I warned him, giving him a peck on the lips.

  “I’ll take your advice, then. See you later!”

  “And don’t forget your promise!”

  Evan smiled. “What promise?”

  I headed to the bathroom with Ginevra and Camelia. Everyone turned as we walked by, astounded by the magnetism the two Witches emanated. Of course, their close-fitting outfits and tall boots helped. Even I had a hard time taking my eyes off them. Part of me was secretly electrified about becoming like them, about mastering my sensuality like they did and finally feeling more confident.

  “Look out,” Camelia said to a boy a moment before he ran smack dab into an open locker. She shrugged, a sexy smile on her lips. “I warned him.” I laughed with my Sisters as he touched his forehead, still unable to take his eyes off us.

  My Sisters. It was strange how easily I managed to think of them that way. Though I hadn’t transformed yet, I could already feel the power connecting us. Ginevra said it was because of the Bond—the mystical connection that would be cemented by a bite from my Dakor—and I already sensed its power. Being with them made me feel good, and I could tell the same thing went for Ginevra. She’d been beaming lately, ever since they’d started fighting together to protect me. And I was happy it was because of me. I’d given her back part of her old world.

  “I heard people are getting ready for a war here.” Camelia walked into the girls’ room, drawing the attention of Faith and Jeneane, who was painting yellow lines on her face.

  “Not the kind you’re thinking of,” Ginevra communicated telepathically to rein her in. I stared at her, shocked. I’d heard her!

  “Relax, little Sister. I just want to have some fun.”

  “As long as you remember your place. This isn’t the Hunt, after all.”

  “What do you mean, the hunt?” I thought, and they both turned to look at me.

  “A more exciting kind of competition.” Camelia winked at me, tacitly promising I would soon find out once I was in Hell. “Well? Is it my turn yet?” she asked, this time aloud.

  “Get in line, Miss America. I’m going first,” Jeneane replied, intent on doing up her face in the mirror. The big yellow pencil slipped in her hand, leaving a broad smear across her cheek all the way up to her ear.

  “Now is it my turn?” Camelia asked, a little smile on her lips. Faith laughed but tried to hide it from her friend. Jeneane couldn’t have known it was the Witch who’d made her mess it up, but she shot her a deadly glare all the same.

  “C’mon, hand it over,” I said, stepping forward and taking the pencil out of her hand. I had to be careful around Camelia. Though they all did their best to control themselves, they weren’t accustomed to interacting with mortals, and Jeneane might end up paying a serious price. Wiping off the smear, I made a new mark and colored her lips yellow while Faith drew little flowers on her temples. That morning the two of them, like almost all the girls in school, had dyed one or more locks of their hair yellow to imitate Camelia. With her orange hair streaked with yellow, her head looked like a sunset. I was sure she was proud of how she’d influenced my friends . . . and the rest of the school.

  “I’m used to it.”

  “Huh?” Jeneane asked.

  “Nothing,” I quickly answered for Camelia, casting a reproachful glance at my Sister for responding to my thoughts out loud. She laughed, not caring in the least.

  “Do you have only one pencil?” I asked as I finished touching up Faith’s face.

  “We gave the other one to the guys.”

  I did Ginevra’s face and then started on Camelia. She stared me straight in the eye the whole time and I felt a strange energy filling me. That always happened with them. They looked at me like someone would look at a lover.

  “Your turn,” she murmured, her voice hypnotic. I gave the pencil to Ginevra so she could do me but Camelia snatched it out of her hand. “Leave it to me.”

  I blinked. She was so close I almost felt embarrassed. She drew on my face and then leaned over me.

  “Don’t.” Ginevra’s voice burst into our minds. I shook myself free of Camelia’s spell. She ran her thumb over my lip, staring at me with a slight smile, her eyes gray and sensual.

  “Hey, is your friend a lesbian?” I held my breath at Jeneane’s remark, afraid of how Camelia might react, but she just laughed and moved closer to her.

  “Never say never.” Sliding her hand from Jeneane’s neck to her chest, she whispered against her lips, “Want to try something new, little mortal?” Captivated by Camelia’s lips, Jeneane didn’t reply.

  “Gwen!”

  “That’s enough, Camelia! You can’t bewitch the girls. You can’t do it to anyone. We’ve already talked about this,” Ginevra ordered her in her mind.

  Faith walked out of one of the stalls and stared at them, confused. “Um, what’s going on?”

  Reluctantly, Camelia moved away from Jeneane. “Nothing fun, it seems,” the Witch complained.

  “Where’s Peter?” I asked, to change the subject.

  “Oh, I think I heard he was with a girl,” Faith said.

  “Wow! Peter, with a girl? Anyone I know?” I asked excitedly.

  “She’s a friend of yours. The one who was with you yesterday,” Jeneane said.

  “We aren’t friends. We’re Sisters,” Camelia replied contemptuously. I barely heard her. My happiness had been shattered by Jeneane’s words. I looked at Ginevra, who shrugged.

  “Sorry, I don’t know anything about it. I thought she was guarding the prisoners.”

  “Gwen, you’ve got to tell Nausyka to stay away from him. What does she want from him, anyway?”

  “Calm down. I’ll talk to her.”

  I was able to communicate mentally with Ginevra more regularly now. My powers were growing stronger. Or could it have been my anger that intensified them?

  “Hey, Gemma, what’s wrong?” Faith asked, bringing me back to them. She rested her hand on my shoulder and I realized I was shaking.

  “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” I replied, trying to calm myself.

  “You’re jealous!” Jeneane exclaimed. “What have I always told you, little Joey? Why choose between Dawson and Pacey when you can have them both?”

  “That’s what I always say! I underestimated you,” Camelia chimed in, “even if I don’t know who those people are.”

  “You’re crazy, Jeneane. Evan, Peter, and I have never been a triangle and we never will be. Get that through your head once and for all. I’m expecting Evan’s baby!”

  “So what? What are you going to do? Get married? Live happily ever after? Sooner or later you might want a little diversion.”

  “What the—”

  “Chill, okay? I was only kidding! There’s never been a more lopsided triangle than yours. Nobody could come between you two. Romeo and Juliet! You’re disgustingly inseparable. Still . . . you’re really not jealous about Peter? Not even a little?”

  “Not even a little. I’m just a bit worried about him. We grew up together and I care about him. You don’t know Nausyka. She can be a real witch.”

  “Speaking of witches, who was the redhead at your place last night? She seemed like a total bitch.”

  Camelia stepped in front of her, her expression threatening. “Don’t you dare say that again. Devina is my Sister.”

  “I could’ve guessed that,” Jeneane shot back sardonically. “What’d they feed you when you were babies?” All as pretty as they are bitchy, she thought.

  “Okay, time to go!” I exclaimed before things got ugly.

  “Hey, Gemma, how are you?” Faith asked as we walked out the door. “After your dizzy spell at the Ice Castle, I mean.”

  “Fine. Evan just took me home. Why, did you stop by to see me?” I asked, suddenly remembering that Evan had ordered them to go home.

  “We were on our way home, but Peter was really worried about you. He wanted to make sure you were okay.”

  “He didn’t mention it. He texted me this morning but didn’t say anything about you guys stopping by.”

  “Because that girl wouldn’t let us in. She practically kicked us out.” Faith laughed, but I was thinking of Peter. His brain had obeyed Simon’s order, but his love for me was so deep that he’d stopped by to see me first. He couldn’t get near Nausyka. I had to protect him because there was only one thing that Witch wanted from him: his soul.

  “I can’t believe the baby kicked and I wasn’t there to feel it!” Ginevra whined as we headed toward the gym. We’d stopped off at our lockers so Jeneane could put away the makeup, while I’d picked up my camera and—just in case—the novel about aliens I hadn’t finished yet. “I’m not leaving your side until I’ve felt it too.”

  “Don’t worry. It’ll happen again, Gwen.”

  “Have you chosen a name yet?”

  “Yes, but don’t go rummaging through my brain because I have no intention of letting you find out what it is.”

  “Oh, come on! I didn’t teach you to block your mind so you could use it against me. We’re Sisters. There shouldn’t be secrets between us.”

  I smiled. I’d inadvertently given Ginevra a challenge and I knew she wouldn’t give in until she’d won. “We’re not Sisters with a capital S yet.”

  “Yes we are. You and I always have been.”

  “You’ll find out the name when the time is right.”

  “But—”

  I slipped into the gym before she could try to persuade me. A murmur filled the large room, peppered with the squeal of the players’ sneakers as they warmed up on the court. The dodgeball game was about to begin and the stands were filling up fast, taking on the colors of the various teams. We were about to battle the sophomores.

  “Root for us, Gemma!” Faith exclaimed, to sugarcoat the pill. She knew how much I loved dodgeball and the Winter Carnival in general. I’d always been athletic. Competition exhilarated me and when I went out onto the field, the rest of the world disappeared.

  “I bet you won’t need it.” With Camelia and Ginevra playing, their opponents didn’t have a chance. “Hit them all!”

  “Come on, I can’t wait to try out this new game!” Camelia exclaimed excitedly as she strode onto the court.

  “Don’t worry, Gemma. I’ll keep an eye on her. She’s just here to have fun.”

  “Nausyka was too, but you saw what happened at the game yesterday, didn’t you?”

  “Relax. It won’t happen this time. I’ll keep her under control.”

  “Okay, I trust you.” All my friends were there in the building, people I’d grown up with and cared a lot about. I didn’t want any of their souls to be compromised purely on a whim.

  “I said relax!” Ginevra insisted, following my train of thought. I looked around, searching for Camelia, and spotted Peter. He was already on the court with Brandon and Jake. No sign of Nausyka. Thank Heaven.

  The referee gave them instructions as they got ready. I’d already explained the rules of the game to Ginevra and Camelia, and they’d found them pretty funny. I was sorry I couldn’t play too, but when I thought of the little kick I’d felt earlier, my disappointment disappeared. I stroked my belly and smiled.

  The referee blew his whistle to alert the players and I rushed to the sideline to snap a few shots for the yearbook. Along the central line—the dead zone—a number of balls were lined up. The rival teams were positioned on opposite sides behind the end lines, ready to race to the center and grab as many balls as possible for their own team.

  When the referee blew his whistle again, officially starting the first game, the players charged toward the balls and hurried back to their respective fields. Seconds later, a full-fledged war broke out on the court.

  I took some snapshots: players on the ground, doubled over laughing, others flying through the air with funny looks on their faces as they dodged a ball just about to hit them. I even managed to capture the moment a player was taken out by enemy fire, the ball frozen on his chest and his eyes bulging. The players could defend themselves only by warding off an attack with a ball. Those hit directly by a ball were “killed” and had to leave the court until one of their teammates brought them back in by catching one of their adversaries’ balls. By the end of the games, there would be a few bruises and lots of laughs.

  Ginevra and Camelia were having loads of fun. It was easier for them to catch the balls and at times they even helped out members of our team. Peter hit the last of our remaining adversaries and the referee blew the whistle, announcing the end of the first game.

  The players traded sides and the balls were once again placed mid-court. We had to win seven three-minute games to win the entire match. I zoomed in on Faith in her starting position and focused on her lily-white face, green eyes, and freckled nose. She could have been a Witch, she was so pretty.

  I got ready to steal a few more shots when someone grabbed me by the waist. “Hiding from me?” Evan whispered in my ear, pressing up against me so tightly I couldn’t turn around. A quiver ran down my back.

  “There’s no place on Earth I could hide from you. And I would never want to anyway,” I assured him, smiling.

  “Hey, you two, that’s not a sporting event we practice on my court. Back to the stands,” the gym teacher told us.

  “Come with me.” Evan took my hand and I blushed, seeing that the teacher was watching us.

  “Where? The stands are over there.”

  “We’ll hide together.” The sexy smile I couldn’t say no to appeared on his lips and he winked at me before pulling me toward the boys’ locker rooms.