Jackie cried a lot, and Raven asked the earth spirits to help him. Mama might have said she couldn’t do that in a church, because the followers of the Christian spirits were in opposition to the earth spirits. But Raven chose to believe that powerful beings were compassionate no matter who believed in them.

Jackie and Huck were two of six pallbearers. Raven’s heart about stopped at the beauty of them in their dark suits and white gloves, carrying the casket.

The minister said more words at the grave site. Mr. Danner, he said, was going to heaven. Raven wondered if people went to whatever afterlife they believed in. She and Mama would become earth spirits when they died. If Jackie went to heaven, would she see him again after they died? Did the spirits of heaven commune with those of Earth?

Raven brought a wild bouquet to put on the grave. It was mostly evergreens and dried herbs and grasses because the weather was still cold. After the ceremony, Jackie came to her and said, “Thank you for the flowers. And for being here.”

He looked different. His face was pale and purplish beneath the eyes. She keenly felt his pain, and she knew why. She had asked the earth spirits to give him part of her own spirit to help him heal. His heavy spirit was crushing her own, his grief too strong for the piece she had given him. She had to give more.

She pressed her hand on his heart. “I give you more strength of my spirit,” she whispered.

“What?” he said.

“I love you, Jackie,” she said.

When she stepped back, she felt a rush of darkness, like a storm that comes on suddenly. The teenagers who heard what she’d said to Jackie were frowning at her. Even Reece looked upset. Worst of all, Jackie was looking at her as if he didn’t know her.

Should she not have mentioned spirits in front of Christians? But she had only said she was giving him the strength of her spirit. She’d said nothing directly of earth spirits.

Sadie took Jackie’s hand, keeping her hard stare on Raven. Chris looked at Raven with similar outrage. Suddenly Raven understood. They were angry because she had said “I love you.” The words had come as naturally as breathing. She refused to feel guilty. She had spoken with all her heart and soul. It had been an unusual kind of Asking, and Askings were pure, above the pettiness of human teenagers.

Jackie’s mother saw Raven’s trouble. She took Raven’s hand and said, “How are you, sweetheart? I haven’t seen you for so long. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too,” Raven said, letting Ms. Danner guide her away from the grave. “I’m sorry about Mr. Danner.”

“Thank you,” she said, patting Raven’s hand.

When they arrived at the parked cars, Chris said, “Let’s go,” in a gruff voice.

Chris brooded in silence as he drove out of the cemetery.

“What was that?” he finally said.

“What?”

“The hand on the heart. The I love you.”

She refused to explain herself.

“Tell me the truth,” he said. “Are you in love with him?”

Of course she loved Jackie. She had since she was seven.

Chris looked at her as he drove. “You know Reece says you are. And vice versa. He’s joked about that for years.”

“Reece jokes about everything,” she said.

“I know. That’s what I thought. But I saw the way you were with him. Everyone did.”

“I was trying to help him.”

“It was pretty embarrassing, Raven. We’re going out. Everyone assumes we are.”

“Does that mean I can’t be myself?”

“It means you don’t publicly display affection with other men.”

“He’s heartbroken. He needs help.”

“Oh my god. Seriously? I think you used the funeral as an excuse to go at him.”

She could remember only one time in her life when she had felt as she did in this moment. The day Mama had told her she could never again set foot on Jackie’s land. That day she had cursed the raven spirit that made her.

Now she could curse only Chris and the other teenagers. They were shallow and didn’t understand her spirit world. She wanted nothing more than to be out of his presence.

“Where are we?” she said. “Why aren’t you taking me home?”

“We’re invited to the lunch at the restaurant. I told you that.”

“Take me home.”

“Goddamn it, Raven!”

“Take me home!”

He swerved the car, making the tires squeal. He drove recklessly, frightening her, but she said nothing. She was already opening the car door before he’d fully stopped on her road near her gate.

“Come back here!” he shouted.

“Why? So you can insult me some more? Go away!”

He drove slowly alongside her. “I get it. This is why you can’t get physical with me. It’s because of him. Right? Is that it?”

“I said go!”

He stopped at the gate as she pressed the code. “Are we going to prom?”

“No!” she shouted.

He jumped out of the car and followed her inside the gate. The first alarm was going off inside the house. If Mama was looking at the video screens, she would see that he was on the road to their house. That was absolutely forbidden.