A few nights later, Emelia and I have no trouble getting out of my house; Mama and Pop are watching a movie in the basement family room with Ri-ri, and Roger’s in his room playing an XBox game. We put our jeans and T-shirts on over our bathing suits, and divide the tools between us in our book bags. We walk to the pond by the deserted golf course, waiting for Dax to appear.
We start setting up the area, following the directions in my book. The plan is to cast a ritual circle around the three of us, then Draw Down the Moon to give me Stregheria power, then attempt the protective spell for Emelia. She looks a bit nervous about the whole thing (I have a few butterflies, too), but obviously nothing compared to Dax. I watch him run across the golf course like something is chasing him, then fal
