Her door opened slightly, and Dari stuck her head in. "Of course, " she said, "if you'd rather do it yourself, I'll let her off this time. " "Yeah, " Nita said, "thanks. "

Dairine made a face. "Here, " she said, and pitched Nita's jacket in at her, and then right after it the book. Nita managed to field it while holding the icepack in place with her left hand. "You left it in the kitchen, " Dairine said. "Gonna be a magician, hull? Make yourself vanish when they chase you?"

"Sure. Go curl your hair, runt. "

Nita sat back against the headboard of the bed, staring at the book. Why not? Who knows what kinds of spells you could do? Maybe I could turn Joanne into a turkey. As if she isn't one already. Or maybe there's a spell for getting lost pens back.

Though the book made it sound awfully serious, as if the wizardry were for big things. Maybe it's not right to do spells for little stuff like this — and anyway, you can't do the spells until you've taken the Oath, and once you've taken it, that's supposed to be forever.

Oh, come on, it's a joke! What harm can there be in saying the words if it's a joke? And if it's not, then…

Then I'll be a wizard.

Her father knocked on her door, then walked in with a plate loaded with dinner and a glass of cola. Nita grinned up at him, not too widely, for it hurt. "Thanks, Dad. "

"Here, " he said after Nita took the plate and the glass, and handed her a couple of aspirin. "Your mother says to take these. "

"Thanks. " Nita took them with the Coke, while her father sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Nita, " he said, "is there something going on that I should know about?"

"Huh?"

"It's been once a week now, sometimes twice, for quite a while. Do you want me to speak to Joe Virella and ask him to have a word with Joanne?"