I nodded, angry at myself for asking such a stupid question. Despite his stone-hard expression, I could sense that I'd hurt him. The crucifix had sentimental value to him. Maybe it meant as much to him as my winged necklace did to me--if only I could remember where my own pendant had come from. His crucifix must have been centuries old. If he'd held on to it for so long, it must mean a great deal to him, and so must his mother. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." He tucked the crucifix back into his shirt. "It's nothing, real y. It's stupid."

I stared at him for a few moments. It didn't seem right to me that he was so evasive. The object obviously wasn't nothing to him, but I didn't feel it was my place to probe him about it.

"Training tomorrow evening?" he asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I frowned. "No," I said. "It's my birthday party."

"Oh, yes. I forgot." He sounded not disappointed but neutral, as if simply observing a fact. "Are we stil on for the library at three then?"

"Sure, but there's no way I'm missing my own birthday party."

"I'l stick around close by for that."

"I'd like it if you were there," I said. "As a guest."

"Nonsense. I'l guard on the roof."

"You don't have to be a creeper all the time, you know. Come to my party and have a little fun for once in your life."

"I have fun."

I scoffed. "I'm pretty sure our ideas of fun vary drastical y."

He flashed me a grin. "I'l show you someday."

I smiled back. "Now you've got me al intrigued."

"And you'l have to stay that way until the day I decide to divulge my secrets to you."

I laughed. "So wil you come? Indoors, too, and enjoy the party?"

His smile was sly. "Don't you think Landon wil have a problem with that?"

"How did you--? Oh, right."

"I've seen the way he looks at you," he said. "What shocks me is that you don't."

"Wel , now that it's been pointed out to me, I just may."

He drew his face close to mine. "You don't read people very wel , do you?"

I playful y shoved his shoulder away. "I read people just fine. I just don't have a thousand years of practice like you."

He stepped back and laughed. "Al right, I'l come by, as a guest. I'l al ow you to see me there."

I blinked. "Oh, you allow me to see you, is that it?"

He nodded, failing to stop a smirk from forming. "Oh yes. You have only ever seen me when I wil it. I'm spectacular at hiding."

"You're sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"You have no idea."

I narrowed my eyes. "We'l see about that." I turned away from him and left the warehouse. I climbed into my car, but when I looked for Wil , he was standing at my window instead of getting in the passenger seat. "Aren't you getting in?"

He bent over to look at me through the window. "No."

"You're going to walk al the way back home to Bloomfield Hil s?"

He nodded. "I can travel easily."

"That's a load of bul . Get in."

"Just go," he said. "Don't worry about me."

"I'm not stranding you out in the middle of Pontiac. Get in."

"I can obviously take care of myself. I'm not driving with you."

"Yeah, you are. Don't lie to me and say you're going to walk."

"Good-bye, El ie," he said, walking away from the window.

"Wil !" I cried out, opening my door and jumping out. He was gone.

I spun around, looking for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Wil ?"

The street was dark, and the wind blew leaves and old papers down the sidewalk--the only movement I could see. "I am so sick of you pul ing this Batman shit on me!" Exhausted and angry, I got back in my car and drove home.

9

I WOKE AT NINE, AND AS SOON AS I CLIMBED OUT of bed, I felt the effects of my training with Wil the night before. My back and shoulders ached, and the anti-inflammatory pil s I had taken did pretty much nothing to ease them. After a shower I made myself some coffee to try to wake up. Kate cal ed at ten, confirming she'd be there at eleven to pick me up, but I told her we had to be done by two so I would have time to get to the library. It was already warm enough outside for me to feel comfortable wearing a denim skirt and flip-flops. Despite being sleepy, I felt good. I felt different and I liked it. Taming my wavy hair, I pul ed half of it up and pinned it behind my head. Straightening sounded like too much work today. Back in my room, I pul ed on a favorite knit top and was ready to go.

There was a knock on my door. "Yep?" I cal ed.

The door opened and my mom came through. I didn't like the look on her face. "El ie, is there something you want to tel me about?"

Panicked lists streaked through my head. What had I done? Did I get back too late? "Uh, don't think so," I noted, trying to sound calm as my heart picked up pace.

"About your car, maybe?"

Light bulb. "Oh yeah," I groaned. "Somebody must have hit my car at school and driven off. I couldn't believe it."

She watched me disapprovingly. "I'm surprised you forgot to mention it. You didn't hit a sign or something, did you? Be honest, El ie."