Trent’s fingers twitched. “I’m not going to tie him off if you’re just standing there,” he said, voice soft but determined. “Hold the rope while I bridle him.”

“No!” I exclaimed, arms wrapped around my middle, refusing to take the rope.

He clenched his jaw, angry I wouldn’t do as he said. “I told you to hold the rope!”

Trent reached out, grabbing my wrist with his good hand and yanking it from where I’d tucked it behind my other arm. His grip was tight, and I yelped, gasping when a tingling surge of ley-line energy darted between us.

“Hey!” I shouted, jerking away, and his fingers let go.

“I wanted to know how much you could hold,” he said smugly. “My dad says you’re dangerous, but I’ve seen cats that can hold more than you.”

“You little turd! You did that on purpose!” Then my eyes widened. “Holy cow! You are a witch!”

“No I’m not,” he said quickly, as if he’d made a mistake. “I’m better than a crappy little witch like you.”

My mouth dropped open, and I got mad. “What do you mean, crappy little witch! You think you’re so hot? If you’re not a witch, then you’re nothing but a stinking little human!”

He glanced at me, almost in relief. “I’m still better than you,” he said, his cheeks flushed. “Faster.”

“I’m sick, you moron!”

“I bet you can’t even hear that bell ringing from camp,” he added.

My anger hesitated and I listened, wondering if he was just making it up.

“I bet you can’t smell the bread baking either,” Trent said, trusting his horse to stand there beside me as he went to get a bridle. “You are so blind that I bet I could sneak right into your cabin and take the ring off your finger and you’d never know.”

“I don’t wear a ring, Einstein,” I said snottily “And I bet I could take the pick right out of your pocket and you’d never feel it. And I bet I can hold more ever-after than you!” My pulse had gotten fast, and I felt out of breath. “And I’m not holding your stinking horse!” I added, going dizzy. “I wouldn’t ride that nag of yours if he was the last animal on earth!”

My vision wavered, and I quit talking, content to just stand there with my knees unlocked and careful to just breathe for a moment. Crap, I did not want to pass out in front of Trent.

“Yeah?” Trent said, his back to me as he brushed his horse out and put a bareback pad on him. “Well, he wouldn’t let you. He doesn’t like witches.”