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In a daze, I took my tent and whatnot down and piled it ontoto set up and take down every day, but ht to ht keeping us s For them

The lane was uest of the village was hurrying through the hardening rain Even in a panic to keep froe stain on the side of mental eyes I honestly had no idea what it was from, but it wouldn’t let the rain wash it away, and I never remembered to pick up a new umbrella when I was in the store

Atin (the poles were always a proble out thelot The afternoon sky, dark with clouds, ruht This wasn’t any old rainy day There was a storrab a few things for dinner, I slowed at a barricade blocking off the street Rain pounded my windshield The squeak of my wiper blades competed with the radio

I frowned because this as never closed It was a larger street that didn’t host any street fairs or races--not that it would be a likely day for such a thing

I glanced in n that probably read "Detour"

At least they had signs I’d never strayed from this route, and I’d learned it from MapQuest (flip phones didn’t have GPS) I didn’t trust uidance Streets around these parts indy affairs that messed with my nearly nonexistent directional sense

A car slowed at the detour sign and turned Another followed behind

At least I’d have sorabbed the gear shift, e wavered, just for ato see through the driving rain

My heart quickened

It wasn’t a barrier at all It was a tightly woven band of ic

Chapter Nine

Adrenaline coursed through , because that was clearly my jam, I threw the car into drive and lurched forward

The hood of the car sliced through the artfully crafted spell I stopped on the other side and looked back

The ic was still there, untarnished by my intrusion

I turned back to drive on, but it occurred towas analysis If I wanted to learn hoork spells, I needed to kno other people put the presented with that opportunity right nohich clearly meant I should head outside in a storm Clearly

Why did I have to think so rabbedthe concrete aroundhammered in the shins as I did so They’d be soaked in no tin of a ether, exquisite and exciting I felt the pulse of the spell throbbing in the air before it soaked into er ahead

I felt goodness within the spell Light Good intentions Whatever was happening, this spell had been crafted by soht place

I ran back toanother blast of tuust of wind layered ic