Tristan

When I strolled along the catwalk toward algebra class an hour and a half later, I knew the descendants would all be feeling the power spikes yet again.

The creeps from lunch had cornered Savannah outside the math building.

The closer I got to the building, the better I could see her face. Any other girl who had three guys flirting with her would probably have been thrilled. But she wasn't. She looked murderous.

Yards away now, I noticed that her face was even paler than usual. Her movements were jerky, her shoulders hunched, her hands fisted around her notebook and backpack straps. Her fans seemed too dazed to notice her emotions, though, their pathetic faces eager as they continued to compete for her attention.

She glanced past them to me for a second. For help? Her cheeks turned red just before she looked past me like I was invisible.

She took a step sideways toward the building door. The creep on that side leaned against the wall, blocking her escape. She said something to him in a voice too low for me to make out. He laughed but didn't move. She tried to take a step between him and the guy in the middle. But all three closed ranks, leaving her no room to get through.

What the...?

Her eyes widened, and I was close enough now to see them turn moss-green. She stomped on the foot of the guy standing between her and the building entrance. He acted as if he were wearing steel-toed boots and couldn't feel a thing.

Time to step in, whether she wanted my help or not.

"Hey, Sav. You got a problem here?" I stopped a few feet away.

Her mouth opened like she was going to answer. But then she shut it and shook her head. Her chin rose a notch, and she looked through me again. Stubborn girl.

"Hiya, Sav, sorry I'm late," Anne called out from behind me as she jogged up to us from the catwalk. Ah, so that's who Savannah had been looking at. "Excuse me, boys." She barreled right through the creeps, grabbed Savannah's arm and kept going toward the building entrance like a bulldozer without brakes. "I got held up in English. Thanks for waiting for me."

The girls made a quick escape into the building, Anne playing bodyguard at Savannah's board-stiff back. Huh. So it was okay for Anne to come to the rescue but not me. Not a surprise, but that actually kinda stung.

I stared at the three guys. They didn't notice me, their eyes blazing now as, like magnets, they shambled after the girls into the building. Whoa, now that was extra creepy. They looked like a bunch of possessed zombies.

What would these guys do if they caught Savannah somewhere more private on campus, like in the girls' restrooms or a locker room or something?

I slammed the building door open, wincing as the metal handle hit the brick exterior. Gotta get it under control, Coleman.

I took a deep breath as I entered the classroom. Mr. Chandler had just started class. Great. I'd have some time to think up a solution and make sure those guys left Savannah alone for good. Or maybe my sister would have some ideas. She was excellent at getting rid of creeps without their ever knowing it. It was one of the first things our dad had taught her once she'd started magic training.

I spent the lecture staring at the shaking strands of Savannah's ponytail and thinking about how best to convince Emily to break the rules and teach me herself. I was so busy planning that it took twenty minutes to notice the difference.

Savannah had done something to her hair.

I'd thought it was just the lighting in the cafeteria earlier. But her hair was definitely different. It used to be more of a fiery orangish-red. Now it was darker, with strands of deep red and brown running through it. And it was shinier, too.

And oh, man, did she smell good.

She still smelled like lavender. But the scent was stronger, warmer. More mysterious. And her skin looked extra good today. Especially right above the collar of her sweater...

I gulped and leaned back in my chair again as I tried to think straight. To remember all the reasons why kissing that curve where her neck and shoulder met would be a bad idea.

I had to pity the three creeps then. There was something about Savannah that went way beyond the normal attraction. I was only surprised that every male in the school hadn't gathered around her outside the building today.

A foot kicked my left leg.

My head shot up and I looked around. The lecture had ended, everyone was working on the assignment...and Anne seemed ready to punch me. What now?

She wrote in big letters across her paper, Quit staring!

I wasn't, I wrote on my own paper big enough so she could read it.

Yes, you are. All you guys are such creeps, she added on her paper.

Confused, I looked at her and mouthed the words all you guys, raising my eyebrows. What was she talking about?

Her head jerked to the right and back before she pretended to return to her work. But I could see she was just doodling on her paper.

I waited a minute then faked a silent yawn and stretch so I could glance behind us at the rest of the class. Sure enough, three pairs of male eyes were all locked in Savannah's direction. Their dark expressions said their thoughts were anything but nice.

The guys had gone well beyond stalker level straight to "lock me up, I'm a serial killer" in just two hours.

Oh, yeah, I was definitely going to have to do something about this. The question was...what? And how much time did I have to work with? I wrote, I am NOT like them. But don't worry about those creeps. I'll take care of it.

Anne's eyebrows shot up, but she didn't write anything else on her paper.

When the bell rang, I took my time gathering up my books. Then I sensed somebody coming toward our group of desks. A quick glance behind me showed it was the Creepy Three. I spun out and around my desk, positioning myself between Savannah and them.

"Hey, Ron, think we've got a shot of making the varsity team next year?" I said to the guy seated in front of Anne at Savannah's left. I wasn't surprised by Abernathy's confused expression as he looked around at me. Though we'd both played offensive JV football this year, Ron's family had just moved to Jacksonville last year, and he hadn't made many friends yet. He seemed like the quiet type, and until today we'd never spoken to each other outside of team time.

Ron must have been raised by parents who believed in being polite, though, because he didn't blow me off. "Maybe. I heard Coach Parker's getting desperate for some solid second-string players on varsity."

I could feel three people hovering at my back, no doubt wishing I would move. Smothering a nasty grin, I spread my feet, crossed my arms over my chest and settled in. "That'd be sweet if we got moved up. Think we'd get any actual field time then?"

Ron shrugged. "Probably. You know how it is. Between grades and injuries, we might stand a good shot."

Someone had the guts to tap my shoulder. I ought to break off those fingers. Instead, I ignored them and kept talking with Ron, discussing who might be most likely to get benched next fall for injuries or failing grades.

Unfortunately, Savannah and Anne appeared to be too deep in their own whispered conversation to notice the prime opportunity I'd given them to escape. Girls. They picked the worst times to turn chatty.

When Ron leaned away to grab his books, I cleared my throat. Anne looked up. I shot her a look that hopefully told her to get her skinny rear in gear. She got the hint, grabbed Savannah, and within half a minute the girls were leaving.

Just as I started to relax, I sensed the Creepy Three shifting as if to follow the girls.

"See you at practice," I said to Ron then headed for the door, lengthening my stride so I would reach it before the creeps. At the doorway, I turned and gave them my ugliest look.

They had the nerve to glare back at me, even though all three of them were a good half a foot shorter than me. Not to mention they couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds combined.

"I know you're not thinking what I think you're thinking," I growled. Behind me, the math-building exit door banged shut.

They stared up at me. Man, they just had no clue what kind of danger they were in. I could beat all three of them into pulp in ten seconds flat and not even work up a sweat.

"Is there a problem, boys?" Mr. Chandler said from his desk.

"Yes, sir," I said, working not to smile. "I could've sworn I just heard these three call you a fat, bald-headed little pig."

Mr. Chandler stood up. "Well. Sounds like maybe you three should stay for a little chat with me."

Confused, they turned to the teacher and started stammering. That ought to hold them for a while, at least long enough for the girls to reach the parking lot and their rides. Satisfied, I headed outside in time to see Savannah get into her grandma's car.

What I wasn't expecting was to see Anne stalking back toward the math building.

Curiosity made me call out to her, "Hey, where are you going?"

The building door opened behind us. I glanced back. The Creepy Three slunk through, giving me pathetic excuses for scary looks before they headed down the catwalk.

Anne's glare was much more impressive as she stared after them. "I'm going toad hunting."

"Uh, I think the situation's under control now."

"They made her shake! And did you see that look they just gave you? Do you really think they're going to leave her alone now?"

Frowning, I watched the toads in question stop at the other end of the catwalk and huddle. No telling what ideas they were coming up with.

"All right, I see your point. But why don't you let me handle them?"

"Why, because you think I'll get hurt?" She sneered.

"No. I'm sure you could take them. But I think a simple man-to-man talk is a better solution." I felt my mood darken with all the things I'd like that talk to include.

Her eyes narrowed. "You really like her, don't you?"

I blinked a few times. "Why would you think that? Just because I want to help someone out..."

"Jeez, all you boys are the same. What, did you grow up on stories about Camelot or something? You know, contrary to popular Southern male opinion, not every female is a damsel in distress just sitting around waiting to be rescued by Lance lot, or whatever. We can take care of ourselves."

"Actually, I've always thought of myself more as a King Arthur type. You know, take charge, lead the troops and all that," I joked.

She snorted. "Oh, of course your ego would be king-size."

"Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done."

"Uh-huh. Okay, Arthur, we'll see how you do with the toads."

"That's King Arthur to you."

"Don't hold your breath for that one." She headed for the parking lot, then stopped after a few yards and turned back. "You really think I could've taken them?"

I laughed. "Oh, yeah. Easily."

"Good answer, Coleman! You might actually be good enough for her someday," she yelled back.

I cringed and glanced around, but thankfully no one seemed to be paying attention.

I checked my watch, cursed and broke into a jog toward the field house, bracing myself for the punishment I'd get for being late. Laps, probably, at least five of them. Maybe more depending on Coach Parker's mood today. Oh, well. It'd be worth it. Along the way, I tried to figure out what I would do about the Creepy Three. Or the toads, as Anne had called them.

I had to focus during weight training. Part of my punishment for my lateness was being paired up with some wimpy kid who needed a spotter to save him from the evil bench press every few seconds. But as soon as practice ended and I finished all ten laps around the outdoor track that ringed the practice field, my brain went right back to the problem at hand.

All joking aside, Anne's claim that she could take care of the boys herself was overconfident. Sure, maybe she and Savannah could handle one boy. Maybe two. But three at a time? No way. And what about when Savannah wasn't with Anne?

I had options, though none of them were great. Beating up the toads would make my fists happy and ensure the jerks got the point. But there was that whole problem with Jacksonville High's no-violence policy again.

I could settle for threatening them instead, but I doubted they'd be smart enough to listen and stay away from Savannah.

That left me with only one solution that couldn't be traced back to me, at least by normal methods, and would take the choice away from the creeps. For that, I'd need my sister's help.

I got to the car before Emily. Kicking back, I propped my feet on the dashboard and waited. I must have drifted off.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Emily tossed her poms onto my face as she got in. "Get those grubby feet off my dash, please." Using her index finger like a wand, she magically lifted my feet in the air for a few seconds. Man, I hated it when she used telekinesis on me! It made me feel like a puppet. Seriously creepy. Not to mention the small pinpricks that raced over my skin whenever she used magic around me. And that was just from a tiny use of power.

Swatting away the annoying piles of plastic, I sat up. The sun was already setting. "What took you so long?"

"Cheerleading practice. Remember? Cheerleaders have to train hard, too."

"Uh-huh." I frowned at the fast-sinking sun then glanced at my watch and swore. I was running out of time, and no way could I risk waiting another day to get rid of Savannah's stalker club. "Listen, sis. I really need your help. And I know what you're going to say, but hear me out first, okay?"

Her eyebrows rose, but she nodded and started the car.

As we drove, I gave her a quick rundown about Savannah's newest fans and how scared she'd looked. I might have played it up a little, but they had acted half crazed over her, and she'd seemed pretty upset at the end of class. "So, I need your help."

"You want me to use my power to make them leave her alone?"

"No. I want to do it." With Savannah's looks, this could become a weekly problem. And I didn't want to have to go to my sister for help every time.

Emily didn't even hesitate. "No."

"You won't teach me?"

"No. You know the rules. Not just Mom and Dad, but all the elders would kill me or worse if I teach you anything I know. You can only learn from an elder, no one else."

I groaned and ran both hands through my hair.

"Oh, calm down, you spoiled brat. You're a Coleman. You know you'll get your way in the end. You're just making this way too hard." Emily pushed a button on the remote clipped to her visor. The wrought-iron gates swung open ahead of us at our driveway's entrance and we pulled through, the gravel crunching like potato chips under the car's tires.

"Oh, so you think I should just beat them up, lose any chance of going to college and break our mother's heart? Okay, but remember, it was your idea."

"Of course not, you idiot. I meant that you need to learn from an elder how to protect her." She pulled into the garage and let me think over her suggestion while the door slid shut behind us.

"Yeah, I guess I could ask Dad. But you know their rules about her. They would kill me just for saying her name, let alone for trying to help her."

"Who says they need to know how the information will be used? You know Dad's been waiting for you to start taking your training seriously. So why not make our dear old dad happy for a change?"

I stared ahead into the gloom of the dim garage, thinking over everything Emily was and wasn't saying.

She was right. Dad did want me to "buckle down and train harder"-harped on it, in fact. And self-defense was the first thing he'd taught Emily after she'd learned to ground her energy. So the odds were pretty good that I could get him to start on the same type of stuff with me. A hint or two from me about being ready to focus and needing help in the self-defense area should do it. But would I learn what I needed to fast enough to help Savannah? The Creepy Three might come to their senses with a little distance, time and sleep tonight. Or they might not. What if they were making plans right now to catch her alone somewhere?

"What time did Dad say he'd be home tonight?"

Emily glanced at her watch with a smile. "In half an hour."

I jumped out of the car, leaving my books on the seat. "I'd better go change."

"Don't you need your books?"

I shook my head and gave her a grim smile. "I'll be too busy. Got a different kind of homework tonight."

"Okay. Just be sure to ask Dad how to do a targeted memory confusion spell. Every time those creeps try to get near Savannah, they'll become confused and go away again. Put it in something small to hide in her backpack, and you're all set."

"Thanks." I shot her a grin then ran inside and up to my room.

Savannah

I thought about telling my family about today's algebra class. But they all seemed stressed about me already. I knew if I told them, Dad would have to tell the vampire council. Both the Clann and the council already thought I was a ticking time bomb. If they knew I was changing already, what would they do? Would they take me out of school? Would they take me away from Nanna and Mom and my friends?

So on the way home from dance class, I decided to give it another day and see what happened. Then if I felt like I really couldn't handle things, I would ask for help.

"Hey, hon, how was your day?" Mom called from her couch office as Nanna and I entered the house. Mom seemed tense, her elbows braced on her knees, her cell phone strangely quiet for once. Had she been waiting for me to come home and report?

"It was fine. But I really need a shower now. Ballet and jazz class were..." Great. Fabulous. Amazing. "Brutal." I made a beeline for the bathroom so neither of them could see my face while I lied. "What's for dinner?"

I should have known avoiding them wouldn't be so easy.

Mom came into the bathroom just as I was pouring on the shampoo. Great, now I was trapped for at least the next few minutes. Knowing my mother, she'd probably timed it that way, too.

"Did you have any...issues today?" she asked, obviously trying and failing to sound casual.

My throat choked up. Part of me was desperate to wimp out and tell her everything.

I slid open the frosted-glass door an inch and peeked at her. Worry lines creased her forehead. I shut the door again and scrubbed my hair faster. "It was fine. Though dancing today was...different. My dancing is a lot better now."

Silence.

Finally, she said, "Define 'a lot.'"

"Um, like I was able to get my splits down to the floor finally. And I learned how to do high kicks and turns and leaps without taking out any of the other students for a change."

She laughed. "Well, that sounds good, then. Anything else?"

Besides the fact that I seemed to have created a scary new fan club and my friends couldn't stand it when I looked them in the eye? "Nope."

"Okay. Well, I'd better go help your grandma get dinner ready. I'm glad you had a good day."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be out in a minute." My stomach, already knotted and rolling with acid, cramped at the idea of eating. Lying could make a really good diet plan for me, if it didn't kill me first.

She left the room, shutting the door behind her, and I found I could suddenly breathe again.

Now all I had to do was pray that tomorrow would prove none of us had anything to worry about in the first place.

Tristan

I took a deep breath at his study door then knocked.

"Come in," Dad's voice boomed out.

Inside, I was surprised to find Emily already there. She gave him a hug.

"Thanks for listening, Daddy," she said as she walked toward me and the door.

"Anytime, Princess," he replied, a big smile barely visible beneath his bushy silver beard.

Huh? I searched Emily's face, trying to figure out why she was here. She never came to Dad's study, preferring to chat with him either at the dinner table or while they played golf together.

She gave me a sneaky two thumbs-up before she passed me and left the room. She was up to something. I'd have to trust that it was helpful somehow.

"Hello, son. Come and have a seat." He sounded stern, his smile gone now.

Trying to act relaxed, I sat in one of the two leather chairs before his massive oak desk.

"Dressed for sports?" He loosened his tie and sat back down in his desk chair.

I glanced down at the hoodie and sweatpants I'd changed into. "Yeah, training practice."

"Hmm. Yes. Well, that reminds me. I'm glad you came in here. I heard you had a bit of trouble today at school?"

My hands nearly clenched up before I could stop them. What had Emily told him? "Yeah, a little."

"She also said you needed her help?"

Emily wouldn't have ratted on me about our conversation in the car. Would she?

"I see." He must have misunderstood my silence for an answer. "So the grounding training hasn't helped?"

Oh. So Emily had told him about my power spikes instead. "Well, sort of. She told me how to ground by using a tree at school. And it helped."

"Mmm-hmm. But it sounds like you still have a lot of excess energy?" He took another sip of his drink, picked up a letter on his desk and began to read it in silence.

I was losing his attention already. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, sir. I've still got a lot of energy sometimes, even with the grounding. And I was thinking today that maybe it keeps building up because I'm not putting it to good use."

His sharp green eyes bored into me. He dropped the letter and set down his drink on his desk blotter, the dull thud loud in the too-quiet room. "Go on."

Had I already messed up? "So I was thinking...maybe it's time for me to really focus on my training. Emily said the powers won't go away by ignoring them. But if I could learn how to use them-"

"Stop right there."

Crap, I'd already screwed up somehow. I held my breath.

He rose from his chair and came around the desk toward me. "You're saying that, after months of refusing to work on your training, now you're ready to buckle down and learn?"

I cleared my throat, waited a beat, then nodded.

A slow smile spread across his face before he clapped a huge paw of a hand on my shoulder. "Well, all right, then, let's get started! You're already dressed for training. That's good. Have you eaten? If you grounded at school today, you're gonna need to fortify the body and fuel the energy, you know."

I grinned with relief and rose to my feet. "Yeah, Dad. I just had a couple of sandwiches and some milk."

"Good, good, good. Then let's head to the backyard and get going. We've got a lot to cover."

I glanced down at the slacks and dress shirt he still wore. "Uh, don't you need to change?"

"Why waste time? I've got a million suits."

As we stepped out the patio door to the backyard barely visible in the dusk, I took another chance. "Hey, Dad, do you think we could start with some self-defense training?"

"Problems at school?"

I forced a laugh. "Oh, you know, nothing a good right hook wouldn't take care of. But you know Mom and how much she wants me to go to college."

He chuckled. "I understand completely. Gotta go the subtle route this time, right?"

"Right."

"Well, sure, we can start with some defensive training. Although if you ever get ready for a real fight..."

"You'll be the first to know, Dad, I promise."

"All right. Have a seat there on the grass while I pull up a chair." He grabbed a wicker chair from the back patio, brought it onto the lawn and sat down, muttering, "Getting too old to sit on the ground."

I sat in front of him, legs crossed kid-style as he'd taught me for grounding training even though it seemed stupid. I felt like a kindergartner getting ready for story time.

"Okay, so here's the basics of casting a spell. Every witch starts off at the beginner level of spellcasting by saying a word and using a small hand gesture. This helps you focus and control when the spell is actually cast, until you learn how to discipline your mind. Someday, when you're ready, I'll teach you how to cast a spell even if you're tied up with your mouth taped shut, just by thinking the word and using your willpower. Eventually you'll learn to cast a spell even without a word at all, just by thinking about the results you want to create. Like you do when you create fire or ground your energy."

As much as I hated magic, I had to admit, throwing a spell with just my mind would be kind of cool.

He continued. "The first thing you need to know is, when someone is coming at you, you've gotta react fast. So we'll start with the word and hand gesture to cast a blocking spell. Just remember, though, no spell's going to work until you really want it to.

"Now, are you feeling confident?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Then stand up."

I obeyed.

"And come at me."

"Sir?"

"Go on. Try to come at me like you're gonna tackle me."

I took two slow steps toward him. And found myself ten yards away, walking in the opposite direction, and a million tiny stabs of pain racing over my neck and arms.

I muttered a curse and shook my head, rubbing the sensation from my skin. Was this how all the descendants felt when a Coleman used magic near them? No wonder the descendants hated it when I had power spikes at school.

"See how it works?" he said as I walked back. "It just moves you away and turns you around. Really good for fighting in hard-to-see situations, because it can confuse your attacker and give you time to get away."

I nodded and paid close attention as he taught me the word and wrist flick. But when I tried it for myself, nothing happened.

"Ah, but you've really got to want it to happen, son. Your will is the key to it all. Now try again. This time, I'll come at you."

He walked toward me. I said the word and performed the hand gesture. And...nothing.

He glared at me. "Tristan Glenn Coleman. You can do better than that. Boy, I'm gonna tan your backside if you don't get it in gear!" He came at me, his long legs eating up the distance between us despite his huge gut. I'd never realized he could move that fast.

Fear rammed through me, making me feel like a little kid about to get a serious butt whipping. I whispered the spell. Then he was at the end of the backyard and facing the opposite direction.

"All right! You did it!" He walked toward me, beaming. "I thought I might have to give you some motivation there."

He was faking it? "Well, it worked." My laugh sounded shaky even to my own ears.

The garden lights kicked on, flooding the yard and reminding me that time was running out fast.

"Okay, what's next?" I said.

"Whoa, slow down, Tristan. Don't you think you ought to practice that one a few more times?"

I reached for the energy within. Closing my eyes, I mentally whispered the word to that energy. When I opened my eyes, I focused on Dad and visualized myself performing the wrist flick at him. He reappeared at the other end of the yard.

He strolled back, shaking his head. His eyes, green copies of mine but wrinkled at the corners, were wide beneath his thick eyebrows. "Wow, son. You didn't even use the word or hand gesture!"

"I did, just in my mind instead."

"Impressive. That's not usually something we teach until the fourth or fifth year of training. Remember, though, you can use the silent casting method, but you've gotta be extra careful if you're only considering casting the spell. You have to keep your will out of it. Otherwise as soon as you think of the spell, you'll end up casting it. That's why we usually start off with the verbal method first. It gives you better control."

"I understand."

He shook his head one more time then grinned at me. "Should've known my son would be more advanced at this stuff than normal."

"Of course. I'm a Coleman, right?"

"Right!"

I smiled back at him, but guilt made it tough to pull off. He looked so proud of me, so happy that I'd decided to focus on my training. But the truth was I still wasn't the slightest bit interested in leading the Clann someday like he wanted me to. I just needed a spell or two so I could help Savannah. Then I could go back to trying to be normal.

"Uh, Dad? Can we..."

"Right, right. Back to work. Okay, so what other defensive spells might be useful?"

I remembered Emily's advice. "How about a memory confusion spell? You know, so I could block someone from messing with something."

"Ah, yes. Emily likes to use that spell to get rid of punks who bug her too much."

"How long would a spell like that last?"

"If your sister cast it, a couple days at best. She's too soft-hearted to will anyone to stay away longer than that. If I made it..." His face darkened. "A few months. Maybe years."

"And if I made one?"

"Thinking of Christmas presents for your sister already?"

I laughed with him. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well, like I said, it would depend on how often the boy tried to go near her. And how much you wanted him to stay away. But for one of Emily's normal punks, I'd say at least a month if you cast it."

The Creepy Three seemed pretty obsessed today. They might wear out a spell quicker than one of Emily's usual fans. Then again...I thought of how much I wanted them to leave Savannah alone. I bet I could make my spells last at least a couple months bare minimum. Maybe by then they would move on to someone else to obsess over.

"Okay, what do I do?"

He grinned at me. "Well, you know your sister. She hates to feel like she can't handle her own problems. So it's best if she doesn't know what you're doing."

"So I'd need to know who the creeps are without asking her, then find objects to charm that she'd carry around with out suspecting?"

"Exactly!"

That last part might be tough. What could I give Savannah that she would keep with her at all times and not suspect? She'd question anything I gave her.

Unless she didn't know about it. Emily said I should put a small charm in Savannah's backpack. Maybe I could manage to sneak something small in there without her noticing.

"Okay, what else do I have to do?"

He taught me what to say and how to tap a finger on the object to load it with the memory confusion spell. "Every time you tap it, you've got to sort of push your will into the object. Every push should equal one memory block."

"Should?"

He shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, I've never been able to ask your sister or mother how many times certain people we know have started to approach them then ended up walking away confused."

Ah. So he had been doing a little secret protection work of his own. Mom and Emily would go nuts if they ever learned what he had been up to. I grinned. "I see your point."

"All right, let's try it. I'll turn my back, and you charm one of the lawn chairs. Then I'll try to approach each one. That way when I get confused, you'll know it really worked."

"Sounds good."

We practiced for a while to make sure I had the spell down. Then he had to call it a night. "Sorry, son, but I'm worn-out and have a board meeting early in the morning."

"No problem, Dad. Mind if I stay out here and keep practicing awhile?" I held my breath, expecting him to say that I couldn't keep casting without his supervision according to Clann rules.

Instead, he nodded and headed for the patio door. Then he hesitated and looked back. "You know, I really am proud of you today. Feels like I'm seeing my little boy becoming a man right in front of me."

My throat suddenly tightened. I managed a nod.

"Let's train again tomorrow night," he suggested with a grin.

Before I could think it through, I found myself nodding in agreement. He was still grinning as he entered the house.

Great. Now he probably thought I'd changed my mind about following in his footsteps for the Clann leadership. If so, I'd have to figure out a way to let him down gently. Later. Right now, I had some serious memory confusion to create.