Watch Me Burn: The December People, Book Two by Sharon Bayliss

driving a car, he probably thought she was older. At least sixteen, and she wanted to perpetuate the illusion as long as possible. “Would you be in trouble if you were caught talking to me?” she asked.
    “Yes. Probably.”
    “Do you think a dark wizard took Julie?” She immediately wished she hadn’t asked the question. She didn’t want the answer.
    His restrained smile faded away again. “I don’t know,” he said.
    She sensed falsehood in his “I don’t know.” Not a lie, but not the whole truth, by a long shot. She didn’t know how to compel him to tell the truth as he could do with her…or as he
thought
he could do with her.
    “You know. Not all dark wizards are bad,” she said. “I mean, just…mostly.”
    “You mean, most of them are bad, or they are all mostly bad?”
    “Yes.”
    He laughed, that brightness breaking through again. He had a nice laugh. Even though sadness weighted his eyes, he laughed with abandon, as though he couldn’t help himself. He tilted his head back and let the sound rumble though every part of his body.
    “Well, summer wizards aren’t all good,” he said.
    “Just, mostly.” Emmy said.
    “I guess so.”
    “My dad thinks someone cast a catalyst spell to get Julie back, and we’re somehow part of it. Did you, or anyone in your family cast a spell like that?”
    “A catalyst spell? Is that like spark magic?”
    “I don’t know what that is. A catalyst spell is when you cast a spell to get something you want, but you can’t decide
how
you get it. Like, you could cast a spell to get a million dollars, and the magic would have your husband get in a car wreck so you get his life insurance settlement.”
    “Yeah, that sounds the same.”
    “But when you do it, it wouldn’t be bad right? Your magic isn’t destructive.”
    “Since when is fire not destructive?”
    “Yeah, but light creates, not destroys. So the spark you lit wouldn’t leave a wake of destruction in its path.” She could hear the desperation in her voice, and didn’t like it. Didn’t he see? He was the light. He was the goodness. And if not, then did goodness exist at all?
    He gave her a look that combined sympathy and confusion. He could tell what he said upset her, but didn’t know why. “Well, it depends. The problem with spark magic is it’s unpredictable, like you described. It’s like trying to set off an explosion from a mile away. You have to light a long fuse, and the more complicated the magic, the longer the fuse. The fuse takes a long time to wind down, and you hope you set it up right, so the explosion goes off in the right place, or that it goes off at all.”
    “What do you mean, an explosion?”
    “Well, not a literal explosion. At least, not usually. Just whatever you’re trying to make happen. Fate doesn’t like to be messed with. If you’re successful at breaking it, it makes a loud crash. You know what I mean?”
    Emmy did not know what he meant, but let it go. She had broken through his shell, and didn’t have the patience to wait any longer for answers. “Where are Leona and Caroline?”
    His face turned pale. Although it might not have actually turned pale, more as if she could sense his light flickering.
    “My sisters?”
    “Yes.”
    “How do you even know about them?”
    “Why? Are people not supposed to know about them?”
    “No…why are you asking?”
    “You’re answering all my questions with another question.”
    “Caroline is overseas doing volunteer work this summer.”
    “And Leona?”
    “It’s none of your business. I shouldn’t be talking to you anyway.” He stood up to leave.
    “Wait.” She grabbed his arm without thinking about it. He shuddered at her touch. She pulled her hand away and wanted to shrink under the table.
    She thought he would leave, but he didn’t. He sat down.
    “Are you okay?” he asked. “I didn’t hurt you when you touched me, did I?”
    “No. I thought I hurt you.”
    “Oh, no. Maybe surprised me a