Spell Book & Scandal

Chapter Eleven

Somebody knocks at my bedroom door the next afternoon, and I almost jump out of my skin.

"Come in," I answer, trying not to sound guilty.

Dad pokes his head around the door, and I quickly force a smile. Does he know?

He glances at my desk. "Homework?"

I nod, hoping he doesn't mention the zoo. I'm not sure I could lie to him, no matter what I said to Miah last night. "I've got a lot for only the second week."

He chuckles. "Nothing wrong with a little work. I just wanted to let you know that we're going out to the buffet in half an hour. Will you be ready?"

I don't really want to sit across the table from my parents while they gush about Christina, but at least our conversations don't revolve around magic when we eat out. Mom and Dad are super conscientious of the prejudices most normies seem to have about our kind of people, and they have an unspoken rule that we don't discuss magic in public unless there's an emergency. And the buffet has those awesome dumplings. I nod, relaxing slightly. "I can be ready."

Dad grins and closes my door. I listen for his feet receding down the hallway, and I exhale in relief as I turn back to the computer. Maybe it's better that we're going out to eat; I'm bursting with excitement after last night, and I'm on pins and needles at the same time, wondering if Dad was part of the Caster Force that showed up at the zoo, but I know better than to say anything about anything around Christina. For now, I guess I'll just try to keep my secrets, which means I better come up with something else to say at dinner. I glance back at my open science book on my desk and make a face. I guess I can always complain about school.

***

I didn't need to worry. Dinner is dominated by Mom and Dad swapping stories about their days, punctuated by Christina sighing heavily and reminding us that she really needs to get home to study. Christina doesn't like the buffet, but it's one of my favorite restaurants, and I'm eating as slowly as possible just to piss her off. Thankfully, nobody has said anything about what happened at the zoo, but a part of me wonders if Dad would even bring it up if he had been there; he never goes too much into detail about his work on the Force, and even though it's not exactly a secret what he does, part of me wonders if maybe he isn't supposed to talk about his job. Or maybe he just doesn't want to think about work when he's home for the day.

We're almost done with the meal when Dad clears his throat meaningfully, and I glance up. He and Mom exchange a loaded look, and I swallow a mouthful of rice. My first impulse is to look at Christina, since she used to be my ally when it came to Mom and Dad, but lately, she's made it clear I'm on my own, so I just stare straight ahead. I inhale slowly through my nose, trying not to look nervous. Do they know I snuck out? Or worse, do they know about the spell business I'm about to start?

Mom sets her fork down. "We thought it might be a good time to establish some new house rules."

This time I can't help it; my eyes swing to Christina, and for a flicker of an instant, she looks back at me. But then she faces Mom so fast I wonder if I imagined that brief sense of partnership. "Such as?" Her voice is calm, collected, and mature, and I start. When did my obnoxious sister begin to sound so much like an adult?

Dad looks at a spot on the wall above my shoulder. "For starters," he begins, "no dating."

Mom gives him a look and hurries to add, "We know you're both smart, sensible girls, but right now isn't the time to be worried about impressing boys." She pauses thoughtfully. "Or girls, I suppose."