“But you didn’t,” he said. “You used your magic differently when I asked you to. You controlled how you used it, Cece.”
“Because you were with me,” she said. “If you weren’t…”
“But I was,” he said firmly. “And I’ll continue to be with you while you learn to control the magic.”
Feeling sick to her stomach - God, she didn’t want to even suggest this, but Briggs deserved to have a choice - she said, “If we don’t touch anymore, if we… we go our separate ways, my magic won’t -”
“No,” he said. “You’re my mate, and I won’t leave you.”
Her bottom lip trembling, she said, “Honey, are you sure, absolutely sure, that what you feel for me isn’t because of the magic or -”
“Everything I am, Cece,” he said softly. “Always.”
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her forehead, sending a spark of magic into her veins. “I built up the fire before we ate. Go sit on the couch, and I’ll bring you a tea, okay?”
“Okay,” she said.
“Are you warmer, my mate?” Briggs took Cece’s empty tea mug and set it on the side table.
“Yes, thank you.” Cece smiled at him, and he had to suppress his urge to pull her into his arms and warm her in a different way.
Already, he wanted her again, but they needed to talk, and he wanted her clear-headed when they did.
Like the magic doesn’t mess with you, too.
His inner voice wasn’t wrong, but the high he got from Cece’s magic had dissipated by the time they showered and went downstairs to eat. He sat down on the couch beside her, and she smiled again at him.
He gestured to her phone. “Did you find anything?”
“Yes. So, apparently, powerful green witches have heard the trees calling to them, but they say it’s more of an overall connection to Mother Earth. Like, if it were spring or summer, I would hear the flowers and stuff like that, too.”
“Wow,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s something I had no idea was possible, but to be fair, I haven’t been a witch for very long, and because I thought I was an apprentice witch, I didn’t really research a lot into what it was like to be a blood witch, you know?”
“Makes sense,” he said. “So, do they recommend ways to help?”
“I guess you get used to it,” Cece said. “There have been some recorded cases where witches couldn’t resist the call of Mother Earth, and they end up a bit… kooky is the gentle way to put it.”
She studied him. “Will you still love me if I start wearing plants as accessories and living full-time in the forest?”
He laughed. “Yes, but that won’t happen, baby. You’ll learn to ignore it.”
“I hope so,” she said.
“We need to talk about earlier,” he said.
“I’m sorry. I know how damn weird it was for me to start begging you to walk into the forest with me,” Cece said.
“It’s fine, but we do need to work on controlling your magic when it’s stronger.”
He could smell her embarrassment coming off of her in waves. “You don’t need to be embarrassed, Cece.”
“If I can’t control my magic, the WWC will put me on a list or in a magic suppressed cell,” Cece said.
“That isn’t going to happen,” Briggs said. “You’ll learn to control the magic.”
