Page 33 of Enchanted to Meet You

Then the phone went dead in my ear. A second later, the lights went out, andDance Dance Revolutiondied, to the groans of all my friends.

The power was gone. And with it any sympathy I might once have had for Rosalie Hopkins.

Derrick

A true Witch does not seek power through the suffering of others.

Rule Number Three of the Nine Rules

*World Council of Witches*

All the color drained from Jessica’s face. It was as if the voice from behind her front door was coming from the undead.

“Who is it?” Derrick reached out to grasp her by the arm and draw her close so he could whisper in her ear. “Who’s Billy?”

“An ex.”

“Is he possessed?”

“What?” Jessica, for all her charms, seemed to have no idea that evil existed, despite the number of times he’d assured her it did, and was speaking at a normal volume which anyone standing outside the door could hear.

“Has he ever shown symptoms of demonic possession?” Derrick hissed in her ear. “Aversion to sacred things and places? Sudden ability to speak dead languages? Any festering wounds?”

“No!” She pulled her arm from his grasp and looked up at him as if he were the one who was demonic. “Of course not! Do demons actually exist?”

“Yes, of course demons exist! What do you think I’ve been trying to tell you? Angry spirits—also known as demons, or ghosts, or whatever you want to call them—are born when someone has died an unjust or particularly violent death. Your town is under attack by them, and by Thursday’s full moon, with Halloween the next day, they’ll be at full strength. They could manifest themselves in any number of ways—”

“Well, they haven’t manifested in my ex-boyfriend.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I just saw him.” She swallowed, then looked slightly guilty. “He was there today, at the high school, with Rosalie.”

Derrick was so alarmed, he reached out to grab her by the arms again, this time with both hands. “Why didn’t you tell me before? This isexactlywhat I was saying to you the other day about unusual activity in town. How often does he normally come over here?”

“Never, okay? But he used to come over here all the time back in high school, when we went out.” Perhaps noticing his confused expression, she explained, “This is my parents’ house. I bought it from them when they decided to move out to Santa Fe to be closer to my grandparents. I didn’t take advantage of them, though. I paid full market price—”

He couldn’t believe she was talking about her finances at a time like this. “Do I look like an accountant to you?”

“Oh my God!Really?” She twisted, trying to free herself from his grasp. “Look, trust me, Billy Walker isnotin league with the forces of evil.”

“Maybe not the Billy you used to know. But now—”

Another thump struck the door. This time the man’s voice behind it sounded whiny and impatient. “Jessica, I know you’re in there. There’s a car in your driveway, and I can hear you talking.”

“Oh, God.” Jessica’s dark eyes, as she looked up at Derrick, were wide with anxiety. “I have to let him in.”

“You don’t, actually,” he said, forcing himself to remain calm. “Evil spirits cannot enter a home unless invited.”

“You don’t understand.” She’d wiggled free, and was already on her way to the door before he could stop her. “It’sBilly. He’s not evil.I’mthe one who treatedhimhorribly.”

“What?” Derrick wondered if they were in Connecticut or cloud-cuckoo-land. “I thought you said the love spell didn’t work.”

“It didn’t. But it was because he was already in love with me.”

Before this had a chance to sink in, she’d already thrown open the door. He wasn’t sure who he’d been expecting to see, but it certainly wasn’t the tall guy standing there in khaki pants, a sweater Derrick was certain his mom had picked out for him, and the worst fake tan he’d ever seen.

“Billy,” Jessica cried. “What a surprise! Come on in.”