Read Online School Spirits (Hex Hall Novel, A) by Rachel Hawkins - Free Book Online

her. “But it’s some-
thing. If nothing else, maybe they’ll have information. Either about Mr. Snyder himself, or who could be haunting the school. Save me the hassle of going to the library.”
    Mom looked up, and something very close to a smile flickered on her face. “So you’d actually go to a library instead of plugging everything into the Google?”
    Now I smiled. “Mom, it’s just Google . And yeah, you always said books were the best for research. Even the Internet can’t know everything.”
    “I know I said that; I’m just surprised you listened.”
    “I do that sometimes,” I told her, and she reached out and patted my knee. Then, clearing her throat, she rose to her feet and headed for the door.
    “Well, it’s a start,” she said, her voice slightly gruff. “Probably won’t lead to much, but better than nothing. Now, come on. I don’t like you spending too much time in here.”
    Swallowing my disappointment, I stood up, too. I had always been proud of my mom. So she’d never bake cookies, or sew a Halloween costume, but she could fight monsters . She was tough and smart, and maybe she didn’t read bedtime stories, but she had taught me to defend myself against the things that lurked under beds.
    But in that moment, I didn’t want a smart, tough mother who kicked supernatural ass. I wanted to sit on the couch with her and tell her about my crappy day. And maybe about Dex, leaving out the possible magical powers part.
    I wanted to tell her that I missed Finley, too.
    Instead, I followed her out the door and said, “So, I…
I guess I’ll go do homework now.”
    “Right,” Mom said with a brusque nod. “And I’ll go, uh, clean up the kitchen. See you at six for dinner?”
    “Sure,” I said, turning to jog up the stairs.
    When I was halfway up, Mom called, “Izzy?”
    “Yeah?”
    “I’m…you’re doing good work,” she said haltingly. “Other than the dislocated shoulder.”
    It wasn’t exactly “Oh, Izzy, I am so proud of you, and I was wrong to ever give you such lame job.”
    But I’d take it.

CHAPTER 10

    I sat up, confused. I was moving, and overhead, birds were chirping, and the scent of flowers was so heavy in the air, it made me feel a little light-headed. Sunlight sparkled on dark green water. When I threw up my hand to ward off the glare, I saw that once again, I was wearing a ton of rings that I had never owned.
    Groaning, I sank back against silken pillows. “Why are we on a boat?”
    At the other end of the little rowboat, Torin grinned at me, his long arms pulling the oars. “Thought a change of scenery might be nice.”
    “You know what would be nice? Not having you invade my dreams with these”—I waved my hand—“whatever this is.”
    “It’s an outing, Isolde. And quite a nice one, too.”
    Much as I hated that, I couldn’t argue. The sun felt good on my face, and there was something undeniably pleasant about drifting down a stream flanked with flower bushes and weeping willows. “Where is this?” I asked. “Someplace you knew?”
    Torin abandoned the oars and leaned back, closing his eyes and lifting his face to the sun. “You know the answer.”
    “Set you free and I’ll find out,” I muttered.
    He nodded, replying, “Even so.”
    “Since that’s not going to happen, any other reason you decided we should row our boat merrily down the stream?”
    “You were grinding your teeth as you slept. It was both annoying and concerning, so I thought an outing would do you some good.”
    “First off, don’t watch me sleep, and secondly—”
    “Oh, hush,” Torin said with no real heat. “Can’t you just lie back on your pillows and enjoy this lovely
summer’s day?”
    “It’s February, and I am lying back,” I reminded him.
    “In the outside world,” Torin said. “But in here, it can be whatever we want.”
    That was a dangerous line of thought. Torin was good at this kind of thing; offering dreams and wishes and perfect days. But none