“Shit, Seth.” I close the space he won’t and pull him into my arms. He lets me, his face dropping into my shoulder. “Here’s what we’re gonna do. Let me get through this and deal with Eric first, and when I come back out, I swear to you I’ll help you carry this any way I can.”
He pulls back and looks me in the face.
“The way to help me, brother, is to take my magic. That’s the only way. I don’t want it.”
I groan and drag a hand down my face. “I should’ve put the work in with you. Years ago. You wouldn’t hate it like this if I’d had more patience, if I’d taught you?—“
“No.” He shakes his head. “That’s not it. I just want to be a wolf. With my dad.”
I level a look at him. “And what about Mom? You think about how this’ll land on her?”
His head drops. He looks at his bare feet in the grass, anywhere but at me. Whatever the answer is, he can’t say it to my face.
The Academy door opens behind me before either of us can say more. Seth’s head lifts toward it over my shoulder, and I turn to follow his gaze.
Mara steps out into the dark.
She’s in a fitted shirt and leggings, dressed for whatever we’re walking into, and Mother Fate help me, she’s a vision. My lioness, ready for war. I have to make myself look away and remember why we’re out here. Her tail sways slow behind her. Her ears are perked and turning, reading the night before her feet even clear the steps.
Seth backs off a pace, scrubbing at his face, and won’t look at either of us.
Mara reaches us, her gaze moving between him and me. “Hi, Seth,” she says, gentle as anything.
He doesn’t meet her eyes. She just smiles at him, warm and patient, and waits. After a moment he gives in and looks up.
“Hi.” Then he turns straight to me. “I’m gonna go tell Ma.”
“What?” I reach for his arm. “Hold on—wait.”
“It’ll get her out of the Market.” He’s already moving back toward the trees. “So you can get into the Glen. Aaron, you can’t just crack the Glen open anywhere in Wintermoon. There’s spell guardrails on it. I heard Tiana saying it to Kiara and Samara. The only door is through the cottage.” He gives me a look.
Mara’s hand comes to rest on my arm, light, and I look down at her. “We don’t have to.”
But I turn back to Seth and groan, low, and I nod. Before he can break into a run I catch his arm and hold it.
“This isn’t over, Seth. When I get back, we’re working this out. You hear me?”
“Whatever, man.” He pulls his arm free and turns for the trees. Right before he goes he throws it over his shoulder. “You owe me for this. Ma’s gonna beat me with that stick she had ready for you.”
I roll my eyes. He breaks into a run and the dark takes him.
He’s gone, and Mara hums low in her throat. “Mmm. So that’s what I scented on him in the clearing.”
I look at her. “What?”
She shrugs and starts walking. I fall in beside her. “He was very happy to find out you can siphon magic. I caught it on him yesterday and couldn’t place it.” She glances up at me. “I understand his trouble.”
“Wait—what?” I keep pace. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“A warlock would never be truly welcomed in my father’s pride. Not all the way.”
“Your mother’s human. The pride took her in fine.”
“A human, Aaron. Not a witch.” She stops walking and turns to face me, the moon catching the gold in her eyes. “It isn’t the same, and somewhere in you, you already know that. The Great War took almost everything from my father’s people, and most of what it took, it took with magic. That kind of fear doesn’t just fade easily. When the pride looks at a warlock, half of them still see the war. Your brother’s lived his whole life in the middle of the recovery from the curse, and it’s wearing him down to nothing.”
“So you agree with him.” I stop too, turning to face her. “Giving it up.”
“I didn’t say that.” She stops me with a look. “I said I understand. Those are two different things. Your brother’sstanding in a war between two worlds, and he can’t find his footing in either one because neither one has healed.”
