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"Are you guys okay?" I asked once I'd reached Ro her hair out of her face "You're the one who just leapt on Beth Tanner like a ninja"

"Yeah," Dex added "That wasif I say hot, does thatthroughAnd once I'd started, Dex joined in, and then Ro ti up while everyone around us looked horrified

But when I turned back to the bus,Beth up fro at the crowd "Back up, back up!" By now, a siren ailing in the distance, and a group was starting to forh the seriousness of what had happened was just starting to sink in "She really could have been hurt"

I watched him carefully None of thison purpose, he was the best actor in the world He looked genuinely freaked out right now

"She could have died," Romy said, and then she closed a hand around my wrist "But you saved her"

I tried to sht, she wouldn't have needed saving at all

CHAPTER 22

"I used enough salt," I told Torin later that evening We'd just watched three episodes of Ivy Springs, but I hadn't concentrated on any of the that had happened that afternoon "I know I did But it didn't lock Mary in"

Torin scratched his chin "That's exceedingly unusual"

I know Mo to Torin for advice, but, well, he was here and she wasn't And this was definitely a day that required advice Lots of it

"It'sontoWhoever had lived here before us had put up a bunch of those plastic stars "Ghosts can't fight the salt thing It's part of why they're so un-fun to hunt"

Torin was quiet for a , "You said both the teacher and the student received littlegifts Warnings of their i and a jacked-up Barbie"

"That's ser It's why older hauntings are so hard to dispose of The longer a spirit can build up and live off of fear, theTorin "I've never heard that before"

Torin crossed his ars you don't It's such a satisfying feeling"

"Well, now I do know it, so thanks for that"

"Hed with a nod "That is the price for sharing h, Torin flopped down ontoat the reflection, it was like ere lying side by side "So the ghost is strong because of fear," I said, dangling hosts are pretty o the extra mile?"

"There's a difference between fear and terror," Torin said "Terror is a y Appearing in her ghostly form to these people would have, to use your vernacular, freaked the them how they'd be attacked? That builds a sort of anticipatory terror Like fuel for a ghost And when you have a ghost that's already terribly strong due to being suic, well You end up with a problem like this on your hands"

I host?"

Torin was uncharacteristically silent, and when I tiltedwith his cuff "Torin?" I prompted

"Spirits are not always summoned on purpose," he said at last "There are ti a particularly advanced spell, for instance, that the ic can have unintended consequences If, for exa to raise the dead-"

"You can't do that It's not possible to bring so prissily, Torin dropped his sleeve "Of course I'e ahexistence and personal experiences"

Torin tended to get extra-flohen his feelings were hurt, and I sat up,a little closer to hisit "It's just Wait, have you raised the dead?"

"I' that," Torin replied, but he didn't quite host who is resistant to salt, you probably have a witch as well, and one atte on ht I'd tried to seal Mary into her grave, and it hadn't worked

"You have that expression on your face that speaks of incipient ht that thesaurus a few years back

"Yeah, I'et super morally dubious Torin Reo in Dex'shis eyes

"And remember how I said I didn't want you to?"

"Indeed"

"I take it back" It ful, I knew that No ic mirror to spy on hi hurt, so I couldn't afford to be a good person right now And so to happen Otherwise, why had I studied his mailbox nuave the address to Torin, tellinga Brannickas right over what our hearts wanted I thought sheabout e to ask

Still, when Torin gave e to call hi, I turned toEverton and Leslie's problems could distract me from my own I was only about five h I knew Torin was long gone, I shot a glance at the , "Coainst the jamb "There was a car accident at your school today," she said without prea to do with you?"