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Relief shoots through me, followed by a tidal wave of guilt. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” he asks, tilting his head.
“For doubting you. For thinking even for a second that you might’ve known and kept it from me.”
“I would never lie to you,” he says, his voice deepening.
“I know that,” I say, then throw my hands into the air. “But how do you explain my ability to cast spells? To bring down the barriers cast by the most powerful of witches?”
Before he can respond, there’s a light knock on the door behind him. Turning, he cracks it open and peers through. Heaving a sigh, he throws it wide to reveal Steph and Bernadette.
“Now’s not really the time–”
“Stephanie told me what happened,” Bernadette says, cutting Jesse off. “Is it true? Did you successfully take down a barrier spell and make yourself invisible?”
“Two barrier spells,” I whisper, and both women’s eyes go wide. “Tamelen came to my cell, and I recited the spell to remove her barrier before running at her. The barrier broke, and I slammed her into the wall. She hit her head. She’s…dead.”
The last word comes out as barely a breath. Jesse’s hand presses against my back, offering me the support I so desperately need. I haven’t allowed myself to think about Tamelen since I found out she died. A heavy blanket of guilt settles over me, and I nearly crumble under the weight.
“Shannon was going to kill me. If you didn’t do what you did, I’d be dead right now, Eden,” Steph says softly.
“I know,” I say, but it does little to lessen the guilt.
“Tamelen was a terrible person. A traitor to my kind and his,” Bernadette says, nodding in Jesse’s direction. “I know you need some time to process everything, Eden, but I would like to examine you now.”
“Examine me?” I ask, snapping out of the funk I’d fallen into.
“For magical abilities,” she says, stepping closer. “I’ve never found an ounce of magic in you, and believe me, I’ve looked.”
“You have?” I ask, my confusion mounting.
She nods. “You’ve always been far too intuitive for a human. Your gut feelings are always spot-on, leading me to believe you may have a witch or two in your family tree. But every time I’ve scanned you for any trace of magic, I’ve found nothing. Not a drop. May I?”
Her hands lift toward me, and I nod. Giving me a small, comforting smile, she presses one hand to my forehead and the other to my stomach. Closing her eyes, she hums under her breath. Little sparks of electricity crackle between her palm and my skin, and a comforting warmth flows like lava through my body.
Her eyes suddenly pop open, startling me. Slowly, she pulls her hands away, and the warmth inside me wanes.
“There’s some very powerful magic at work here,” she says, her tone low and ominous.
“What are you talking about?” I ask despite my very real fear of her answer.
“The bindings have loosened, perhaps by your intentional use of the incantations you learned. I can feel it now, and it’s undeniable.”
I look from Bernadette to Jesse, who appears to be just as confused as I am. When I turn to Steph, she’s smiling widely with unshed tears pooling in her eyes.
“What’s undeniable?” I breathe.
“Why, isn’t it obvious? You’re a witch, my dear. And a very powerful one, at that. You shouldn’t have been able to cast even a glimmer of magic through the ties that bind you, but you prevailed.”
“A witch?” I repeat, feeling a little lightheaded.
I know I considered the possibility before, and Steph suggested as much, but hearing it stated so definitively has knocked the wind out of me.
“Can you remove what’s left of her bindings?” Steph asks, her voice filled with undeniable enthusiasm.
She’s obviously thrilled at this revelation. And I can see the appeal. Having witch blood in common will only bring us closer. We can learn to navigate this new life–and our respective powers––together.
But right now, at this moment, I’m too shocked to think about what it all means.
