“Very awesome,” Cece said. She rested her hand on his leg, and a flicker of her magic sparked in his veins.
He growled to her, and she leaned in and pressed a kiss against his mouth before smiling at Willow. “He’s saved me so much time and money by doing it himself. I’m very grateful for his help.”
“Whatever my mate needs,” Briggs said.
“Oh my God, you two are the cutest.” Willow scooted a little closer to Mal, and he put his arm around her, tucking her up against him.
“I haven’t replaced the furnace yet,” Cece said. “I’m sorry it’s so cold.”
“It’s all good,” Willow said. “Honestly, it feels slightly warmer than last time.”
“I think that might be from moving all the plants downstairs. Covering the walls with their vines is insulating the place a bit,” Cece said.
“Cool.” Willow took another sip of tea as Cece gave Mal a look of expectation.
“I assume this isn’t just a social visit?”
Mal shook his head. “No. The WWC agent in charge of your case contacted me this morning.”
“Thank you for being the point of contact with them,” Cece said. “The night it happened, I was in no condition to comprehend anything they were saying.”
“Happy to help,” Mal said.
“Have they gotten the witch to talk?” Briggs asked.
Mal shook his head. “No. Her madness has grown worse, apparently. They’re still trying to figure out who she is. She won’t tell them her name or any basic information. She’s just basically speaking nonsense right now, and they’re not sure she’ll ever be lucid again.”
“It’s the dark magic,” Cece said softly. “Eventually, it turns a witch or warlock insane.”
“Really?” Willow looked horrified. “Every witch or warlock who uses dark magic goes insane?”
“Not every time,” Cece said. “I think the more powerful the witch, the less likely they are to go insane. But even if they don’t go crazy, the dark magic does other terrible things to them. Physical changes, paranoia, and a tendency to become obsessed with an idea or a person.”
Willow leaned into Mal. “That’s so awful.”
“It is,” Cece said.
“Briggs told me your grandfather contacted you last week. Have you spoken to him since then?” Mal asked.
Cece shook her head. “No. I’ve been more focused on learning to control the magic. And while I don’t believe that he had anything to do with it, I’m not so certain about his wife and son.”
She sighed and rubbed at her forehead. “This whole thing is just so messed up. I feel like I can trust him and I want to have a relationship with him, but I also am confident that even if he isn’t a part of this, his wife and son are.”
“Okay, we’ll continue to keep a security detail on you for now,” Mal said. “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and the WWC will figure out who this woman is. If they identify her, we can then chat to them about the possibility that your family is behind this, and they can search for a connection between your family and this witch. Sound good?”
Cece didn’t reply, and Mal raised an eyebrow at her. “What?”
“I don’t -”
“My mate, Mal’s plan is best,” Briggs said.
She squeezed his hand. “Let me tell him my plan, honey.”
He didn’t want to, not when he so fully objected to her plan, but trying to control his mate was something he would never do.
“I talked with Briggs yesterday about this, but I don’t feel that I need the security detail any longer. My magic is much stronger now, and even after just a week, I feel like I have better control of it. It’s been easier than I thought.” Cece studied the plants that sat on the counter by the window. “I did a protection spell on Briggs and then tried to break it, and it took a lot to break it. Didn’t it, honey?”
“Yes,” he said grudgingly.
