agreeing shyly, “It’s not.”
“Now the second cloaking incantation is a permanent one and it’s for individuals,” Ellen continued. “Jess and I learned about it during our cram-session to learn as many defensive incantations as we could in one night. There’s also a warning notation next to it that was written out by one of my ancestors that the incantation has side-effects; side-effects that I’m not willing to live with, so that’s out.”
“What kind of side-effects?” Everett quickly asked.
“One-fourth of the wizards who had cast that incantation had undergone a severe personality change after the incantation was cast, and I like my personality the way it is, thank you very much,” Ellen informed. “Plus, the attraction that the animals have for me would be lost, and I’m not willing to give that up.”
“That wizard will find you if you don’t cast that incantation,” Andie warned shyly.
“Good,” Ellen retorted. “He’s hurting people, and he needs to be stopped, so it just means that I won’t have to hunt him down.”
Andie glanced at the ghost before saying shyly, “Eleanor says that what you are planning is a mistake.”
“Since I’m the one who has to choose on if I listen to someone’s advice or not, the outcome of the advice solely rests on me and no one else,” Ellen began. “So if it’s a mistake not to cast the incantation, then it’s my mistake. And hey, if this mistake kills me, then it kills me and not a polar likeness of me.”
“Eleanor says that you are a fool,” Andie said shyly.
“Yeah, well, me being accused of being a fool isn’t going to change my mind,” Ellen retorted. “And out of curiosity… Grandma Eleanor. Are you the one to give me those missing pages through Spencer?”
Andie nodded before saying shyly, “She says, ‘yes.’”
“I thought it was my Great-Grandma Gloria,” Ellen said as if to herself. She then saw that Andie was acting as if she was listening to Eleanor. “Is Eleanor saying something else?”
Andie nodded before saying shyly, “Your Great-Grandma Gloria was killed by the Dark Ritual, and nothing of a person survives that ritual.”
“What does that mean?” Ellen questioned in a confused tone.
Andie looked towards Eleanor before saying shyly, “The body and soul are both changed into energy and that energy gets absorbed by the wizard or sorceress performing the ritual.”
“I didn’t know that,” Ellen said sullenly while giving Jessica a remorse look.
Jessica saw the look that Ellen was giving her and replied, “My dad had filled Karla and me in on the terrible things that our grandfather had done. So as far as I’m concern, when we performed that Dark Ritual on my grandfather, we did what we had to do to survive.”
Ellen gave Jessica a sympathetic nod before turning her attention back to the current matter.
“Anyway, Grandma Eleanor,” Ellen began while looking at no one. “Thanks for the warning, but I’ll come up with another defense other than casting that cloaking spell.”
Andie listened to what Eleanor had to say before saying shyly, “She says that before you, she had found ways to help the others who had ownership of her volume; however, not one of them was as difficult as you are being.”
Ellen slightly grinned before saying, “Your solution is unreasonable, Grandma Eleanor. So find another solution… a reasonable solution and I’ll consider it.”
Again Andie listened to what Eleanor had to say before saying shyly, “The wizard in New Orleans practices Immortal Magic, and the only solution for you not to be killed is that cloaking spell.”
“Well, that’s one solution that is definitely out,” Ellen began. “And what in hell is Immortal Magic, Grandma Eleanor?”
A disturbing expression came across Andie’s face before saying shyly, “She will explain it to you personally once the wizard had killed you.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence in me, Grandma,” Ellen uttered sarcastically.
“She’s no longer here,” Andie said shyly. “She left as I was telling you what she had said.”
“Who would’ve thought?” Ellen quipped. “A sulking ghost.”
Before anyone could respond, Ellen and her group were drawn to a seventeen-year-old boy dressed as a knight wielding a sword as he disparagingly uttered, “Andie Jolene Cornell!”
As the teenager was stepping up, Ellen stepped in front of him.
“Hi, I’m Ellen,” she interjected while offering to shake his hand. Ellen’s untouched plate of little smokies was held balanced in the palm and fingers of her left hand. “And you are?”
Without shaking Ellen’s hand, the teenager gave Ellen a ‘have you lost your mind?’ look before grumbling, “I’m Robin.” He then gestured towards Andie. “And I’m here to speak with her.”
“I gathered that when you had shouted out her name as if you were cursing a dragon,” Ellen retorted.
“So why isn’t your sword drawn?” Jessica questioned sardonically. Robin turned and gave Jessica a curious look. “You will need it as you go after her heart.”
Robin gave Jessica an annoyed look before facing Ellen again and strongly requesting, “Will you please move aside so I can talk to my sister?!”
Ellen backed up slightly while ordering, “Talk with her and not down to her.”
Robin gave Ellen an insulted look before turning away from her. As he stepped up to Andie, he ordered, “Come with me to the kitchen. We’ll talk there.”
“Why can’t we talk here?” Andie asked shyly.
Robin glanced towards Ellen’s group before saying, “Certain things shouldn’t be discussed in front of strangers.”
“They’re not strangers,” Andie mumbled incoherently and shyly.
“They’re not what?” Robin demanded.
“They’re not strangers,” Andie repeated slightly more clearly.
“They’re strangers to me, Andie,” Robin retorted as Allen was returning with a plate of assorted food. “Now let’s go to the kitchen.”
“Please,” Ellen added strongly. Robin shot Ellen an annoyed look. “You can say please to me, but you can’t say it to your sister?”
“You’re not much of a knight,” Karla added. “You don’t even follow the knight’s code of chivalry.”
“You should’ve dressed up as the Tin Man,” Jessica told him. “You certainly need to ask the Powerful Oz for a heart.”
“Guys,” Ellen interjected. “Just because Robin isn’t showing us or his sister any respect, it doesn’t mean that we should lower ourselves to his level.”
“If I didn’t have respect for my sister, I would talk to her in front of you six,” Robin retorted.
“Which is what she’s actually requesting,” Simon was the one to point out. “Therefore, you’re not respecting what she wants.”
Robin shook off what Simon had said and faced Andie.
“Please come to the kitchen with me so we can talk privately,” Robin slightly begged.
“Andie, we’re not going anywhere?” Ellen told her. “So you can always return after you and Robin get done talking.”
“Okay,” Andie agreed shyly.
Robin turned towards Ellen and stared at her as if he was debating to