“That much Aelvesgold would confer a tremendous amount of strength and power!” Liz gave me a curious look but refrained from asking me why it had taken me this long to tell her about the stone. “I’ve heard that undines laid eggs of Aelvesgold with their young but I thought they always were absorbed by the time the young were fingerlings. Now we can have another circle for Brock. Can you bring the Aelvestone tomorrow?”

“Of course,” I said. “I’ll bring it today if you want. Right now. Why should we wait until tomorrow?”

Liz shook her head. “The circle is still recovering from the surge of power they experienced two days ago. Bring the stone tomorrow. That will impress the group. But remember, keep it carefully wrapped. In the long run, using too much Aelvesgold can deplete your power.”

“And what about Lura?” I asked, anxious to deflect the conversation from the use I’d already made of the Aelvestone. “Do you think she’s harboring Lorelei?”

Soheila and Liz looked at each other. “It’s hard to say,” Liz said. “Lorelei never seemed to have much maternal affection for the girl.”

“And Lura would have ample reason to resent Lorelei abandoning her,” Soheila added. “But still, we should check.” The two women looked at each other again. I imagined neither of them relished the idea of approaching surly, inhospitable Lura, but Soheila finally heaved a gusty sigh. “I’ll go,” she said with a rueful smile. “At least I know what it feels like to be neither fish nor fowl.”

Chapter Sixteen

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

I LEFT LIZ’S office feeling relieved that I’d confessed about my membership in the Grove and about the Aelvestone, but more uneasy than ever about the threat the Grove posed to Fairwick and the consequences if they were successful in closing the door. I couldn’t imagine not having Diana living across the street. If Liz chose to leave with her, what would become of the college? I’d just begun to feel at home in Fairwick, but what kind of home would it be if my friends left? As I walked home I thought about ways of keeping the door open even if the Grove tried to close it. I mentally flipped though the spells I’d read in Wheelock yesterday. There had been spells to make someone fall in love or fall out of love, spells to make a baby or to keep from having a baby, spells to find something that had been lost or to hide something so no one would ever find it, spells to make money or cause an enemy misfortune. But nothing about keeping a door open. By the time I got home the energy I had felt before had faded. Instead I felt headachy and tired.