“By what?”
I turned sheepish. “I didn’t want the sweat to drip in my eye. It stings.”
“So, fear of discomfort had you losing control.”
I hated it when he boiled stuff down to such a basic level. “It was just a log,” I reminded him. “It’s not as if we were dealing with life-or-death stakes. I was levitating a piece of wood. It’s not like they give out awards for that.”
His eyebrows hopped at the statement but otherwise he remained still. “Is that what you want?” he asked finally. “An award, I mean.”
I shook my head. “No. I didn’t say that.”
“You kind of did.”
“No, I didn’t.” I recognized that expecting a reward in exchange for my abilities was something he would frown upon. I also knew — deep down, at least — that I didn’t want to be the sort of person who charged for helping people. There were women in the Quarter who did that. Most of them hung around Jackson Square, lauding themselves as true practitioners of magic even though the only thing they could conjure was trouble. They were grifters of the highest order and could read people well. They did not, however, possess magic.
That didn’t stop them from selling the idea of magic.
“You’re a strong girl, Izzy,” Grandpa offered, his voice softening. “You would have to be to survive what happened to you.”
My heart rolled at the words. He was referring to my parents, who had been killed in Detroit when a creature crossed the death gate they were supposed to be monitoring and ripped them apart. Somehow I’d survived. How? I couldn’t say. All I knew was that I’d been plucked from the rubble of my house and secreted into my grandfather’s custody. Anything associated with that day had been wiped from my mind.
“You’re also still growing into your magic,” he added. “Nobody expects you to be perfect.”
“You do,” I fired back. “All you care about is me being perfect.”
He wagged a chiding finger and leaned forward. “We both know that’s not true. I don’t expect anything more from you than what is possible to give. However, you’re barely putting in any effort today. Would you care to share with me why that is?”
I sensed danger. “Um ... there’s no reason. I’m trying.”
“Not really.” He cocked his head. “You’ve been distracted from the start today. I think I know why, too.”
Uh-oh. He definitely had trouble on his mind. “I’m not distracted. It’s the heat. You know I don’t do great with the heat.”
“Oddly, unlike most people who move here from colder climates, you have never fully acclimated to the humidity,” he agreed. “You wilt under extreme heat.”
“I don’t wilt,” I groused. That sounded like a wimpy word to me. “People don’t wilt. Flowers wilt.”
“And you’re my little flower.” He winked at me. “It’s not the heat getting to you today, though. I saw you on the street before you returned home for the lesson, down at the corner under the shade of the willow.”
My heart skipped a beat. “You ... saw ... me?” I swallowed hard. He was about to give me another lecture.
“I saw you and Jared Graham.” His lips quirked. “You were ... talking.”
“We were talking.”
“You were doing a little more.”
I was horrified at the prospect of him watching us. Jared was one grade ahead of me and considered the catch of the junior high crowd. We’d always been friendly. The past two weeks, that friendliness had turned into a bit more. Thankfully, we hadn’t progressed beyond talking.
“We weren’t doing anything,” I argued, adamant. “We were just hanging out and ... talking. If you think you saw something else, you’re wrong.”
Amusement flashed bright in the depths of his eyes. “I wasn’t suggesting that he stole your virtue.”
It took me a moment to realize what he was saying and I was scandalized. “Grandpa!”
He laughed, one of those warm chuckles straight from the belly. “You’re twelve, Izzy,” he pointed out. “All I meant by that was I didn’t see any lip action.”
That didn’t make it any better. “We need to change the subject. I thought you wanted to talk about magic.”
“We are talking about magic. As I mentioned earlier, your magic is tied to your emotions. Your emotions are out of whack because Jared got your heart rate going underneath the tree. I saw him brush your hair away from your face ... and I saw a good fifty leaves strip from the tree at that exact moment. You did that.”
I was taken aback. “What? I didn’t do that.”
“You did. There can be no other explanation.”
“I ... no. I would’ve realized if that was happening. I’m always aware.”
He hesitated and then held out his hands. “You’re usually aware,” he conceded. “Hormones are an interesting thing, however, and that’s what will rule your emotions for a good few years.”
Even though he smiled, I didn’t take it as a compliment. “I know what people say about teenagers and hormones,” I argued. “I’m not a teenager yet ... and I don’t care about hormones. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Ah, Izzy, you’re my heart. I’m always going to worry about you.”
“You don’t have to.” I meant it. “I can take care of myself. You’ve taught me how to be strong ... and brave ... and giving. I’m not ruled by hormones.”
He chuckled lightly. “Of course not.”
“It’s true.”
“Fine.” He held up his hands in a placating manner. “You’re not ruled by hormones.”
“And I’m strong,” I insisted.
“You’re definitely strong,” he agreed. “That doesn’t mean you’re infallible. Life is going to throw you curveballs at times, Izzy. Things will never come easy for you, not even magic. That’s why you have to practice.”
“I have no problem practicing,” I reassured him. “I’m just ... really hot today.”
“Uh-huh.” His smirk was sly. “You’re growing into a lovely young woman, Izzy. I think you’re going to be a fabulous adult. I also think you’re going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
I preened under the compliment.
“However, you rest on your
