“Exactly.” Mateo grinned. “In Spanish, la catrina means ‘the rich woman.’ I think the name was originally to kind of make fun of Grandma. But the skeleton of a rich woman with flowers in what ought to be her hair—that’s one of the figures people celebrate on the Day of the Dead. Like all the other ‘happy skeletons.’ They’re reminders that we all die, but even death isn’t the end. Not if people remember you, and remember the love you had while you were still here.”

“I still think it’s kinda morbid,” Verlaine said, but she nibbled on the edge of the sugar skull anyway.

Seize the moment, Nadia reminded herself. Better to have loved and lost. At least you can remember. Even remembering Mom didn’t hurt as much any longer.

And, as she looked across at Mateo—grinning at her over Verlaine’s head—Nadia knew the only way you ended up with any love to remember was by daring to love right now.

She didn’t intend to waste any more time.

Smiling brilliantly, Nadia said, “I think it’s beautiful.”

About the Author

CLAUDIA GRAY is the pseudonym of New Orleans–based writer Amy Vincent, the author of the New York Times bestselling Evernight series. She has worked as a lawyer, a journalist, a disc jockey, and an extremely poor waitress. Her grandparents’ copy of MYSTERIES OF THE UNEXPLAINED is probably the genesis of her fascination with most things mysterious and/or inexplicable. Visit her online at www.claudiagray.com.

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Other Works

Also by Claudia Gray

EVERNIGHT

STARGAZER

HOURGLASS

AFTERLIFE

BALTHAZAR

FATEFUL

Credits

Cover photo © 2013 by Michael Frost

Lettering & cover design by Aurora Parlagreco based on a concept by Angela Navarra

Copyright

HarperTeen is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Spellcaster

Copyright © 2013 by Amy Vincent

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Gray, Claudia.

Spellcaster / Claudia Gray. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: “Descended from witches, high school senior Nadia can tell as soon as her family moves to Captive’s Sound that the town is under a dark and powerful spell. Then she meets Mateo, the teenage local whose cursed dreams predict the future, and they must work together to prevent an impending disaster that threatens the entire town” — Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-0-06-196120-5 (trade) — ISBN 978-0-06-226438-1 (int’l ed.)

EPub Edition © JANUARY 2013 ISBN: 9780062201300

[1. Witches—Fiction. 2. Magic—Fiction. 3. Blessing and cursing—Fiction. 4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction. 6. Family life—Rhode Island—Fiction. 7. Rhode Island—Fiction. 8. Horror stories.] I. Title.