Page 32 of Death Card

Her expression softens. “Try,” she says.

We stare into each other’s eyes, waiting to see who will give in first. Lizzie believes in me, so I can’t let her down now. Besides, Idid shatter the ward at the bookstore all by myself. Maybe I can do this, too.

I grip the seat with both hands and focus my intention on making us as unnoticeable as possible. I imagine a cover of invisibility being tossed over the car.

“Disappear.”

At first, nothing happens. Sweat beads on my forehead as I sink more of my energy into the spell. Malik and Lizzie exchange a glance, which forces me to expend even more effort. The last thing I want to do is disappoint them with my failure.

Beneath us, there’s a slight shudder before the seats grow hazy beneath my fingers. Malik’s and Lizzie’s bodies take on a slight transparency, while outside the windows everything remains crystal clear.

Relief floods my system. I really shielded three people and a whole car, something I’ve never tried to do before. Maybe I’m not as hopeless as I’ve always thought.

“There she is,” I say, spotting Aria.

We watch as she removes a large cardboard box from the back seat of the car. She says something to the man behind the wheel and disappears through the back gate. The SUV reverses down the driveway and takes off toward the end of the street.

I’ve got to get a look inside the house. Maybe I’ll see something of note.

Heavy curtains obscure the windows, so there’s no hope of getting a peek inside the front of the house. I’ll have to try the back.

I hold my hand in front of my face. It’s barely translucentenough to see through to the seat in front of me. I’ve stretched my magic thin, so I’m not sure whether the illusion will be strong enough to keep me shielded if I run into Aria or another witch, but I have to try.

Both Malik and Lizzie glance back as I unbuckle my seat belt. “I’m going to take a closer look.”

“Is that safe?” Malik asks. “Should I come with you?”

“I’ll be fine. Keep the car running in case we need to make a quick getaway.”

The last thing I want to do is put my friends in danger. Getting to the bottom of all this is my responsibility, not theirs.

Lizzie grips my arm. “Are you sure? These people sound dangerous.” Her acrylic nails dig into my skin. “How do we know they don’t sacrifice people, too?”

If the Hightowers really are stealing magic from other witches, then that means they’ve progressed to harming humans already. But I don’t point that out to Lizzie. I don’t want to worry her further.

“If I’m not back in a few minutes, come looking for me.” Neither of them looks convinced. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got to fly on my own sometime, right?”

“Let her go,” Malik murmurs. “She’s right.”

Reluctantly, Lizzie releases her grip, and I slip from the car before she changes her mind.

I sprint across the yard and duck through the shrubbery lining the side of the house, trying to avoid making too much noise. There’s no movement from the window, so hopefully no one saw me.

Please let the shield hold.

Gravel crunches beneath my feet as I creep around the edge of the house toward the fence. Carefully, I unlatch the gate and peek past the vinyl siding. The yard is empty save for a brick firepit filled with ashes and a small herb garden. I creep inside, leaving the gate propped open for a quick escape.

The patio is completely bare. If I were to go by appearance alone, I’d assume no one lives here. There aren’t any lawn chairs or knickknacks. No personality whatsoever. The Hightowers fly beneath the radar in their own home.

I walk over to the sliding glass doors and peer inside. Through the glass, there’s a clear view of what looks to be the dining room. An Oriental rug covers the hardwood, and the majority of the room is taken up by an oblong mahogany dining table. Instead of table settings, a single unlit red candle is placed before each of the eight chairs.

Movement out of the corner of my eye snags my attention. My gaze drifts down to the floor, where the cardboard box that Aria brought into the house rests open on its side. Two calico kittens peer at me, while a third taps its paw against the glass and opens its mouth to cry out.

Cats are incredibly perceptive creatures. Even with my spell, the kittens can see me clear as day. Which also means they’re able to sound the alarm of my arrival.

I duck out of sight right as Aria reenters the room. I’m pressed against the brick wall of the house as the patio door slides open.

“Hello?” her raspy voice calls out.