voice. âVeronicaâs apprentice.â
âThe one who went rogue,â said Inez.
âYes. Sydney defeated her and saved my life.â
Inez studied me in a way that said I might not be a complete waste of time, and I took advantage of it. âPlease, maâam. Please help me. You seem like someone who really appreciates knowledge and learning, and Iâd be so grateful if youâd share just a little of your wisdom.â
âWhy should I help?â she asked. I could tell she was intrigued, though. Flattery really could get you places. âYou donât have any superior knowledge to offer me.â
âBecause Iâm superior in other things. Help me, and Iâll . . . Iâll fix your car out front. Iâll change the tire.â
That threw her off. âYouâre in a skirt.â
âIâm offering you what I can. Manual labor in exchange for wisdom.â
âI donât believe you can do it,â she said after several long moments.
I crossed my arms. âItâs an eyesore.â
âYou have fifteen minutes,â she snapped.
âI only need ten.â
Naturally, Adrian felt the need to âsuperviseâ my work. âAre you going to get mad if I tell you how hot this is?â he asked, kneeling near me, though careful not to get his own clothes dirty.
I had no time for such niceties as I sized up the spare tire, which seemed to be in only slightly better shape than the flat. âI assume you mean the temperature.â I was starting to sweat, which wasnât helping matters.
âYou really think this car is important enough to her that sheâd help? Something tells me that the last time she drove anything, it was a horse-drawn carriage.â
I opened up a toolbox that had been in the back of Ms. Terwilligerâs car, pleased that it was well stocked and compatible. âItâs not really about the car. This is a test to prove Iâm not some âflighty girl.â I think she gets a kick out of seeing others jump through hoops. Thatâll hopefully buy me credit.â
He fell silent and watched me work for another minute or so. âWas that true what she said? About virginity affecting magic?â
âFor some spells,â I said. âFor others, not so much. Some of the witches in the Stelle are married, and Ms. Terwilligerâs still pretty formidable.â
He didnât say anything, and I could guess his thoughts. He was wondering if that would influence my own views about sex. In truth, it was only one of the many factors I was juggling when it came to going to the next level with him. His being a vampire was one of my smaller concerns. But other thingsâvague ones, like simply reaching a milestone, and specific ones, like knowing Jill was watchingâcertainly weighed on me. Magic played into it as well, but to a lesser extent.
One of the biggest influences was just an overwhelming desire to be cautious. Even engaging in our relationship was a reckless thing, and some part of me needed to compensate by holding back on other aspects. That wasnât to say I didnât want to have sex. I did . . . enough that I was carrying a secret that not even Adrian knew about: Iâd actually started taking birth control pills. Was it because I had a definitive sexual plan? No, not yet. But I had that definitive cautious nature of mine that felt it was best to be prepared. I wasnât sure how heâd react if he knew.
He helped me up when I finished in nine minutes and made sure I knew that he thought my dirty, sweaty state was adorable. We went back inside and found Inez and Ms. Terwilliger sitting comfortably in the air-conditioned mauve living room. I hesitated to sit on the couch again and instead settled on the floor in front of Inez.
âTook you long enough,â she said. She looked me over and nodded. âGo ahead, then. Ask your questions.â
I