“You only have a few minutes,” Tiana says, sipping her coffee. “My mother can practically sense these quieting spells and will show up to try and find out what we’re talking about. Now, what’s going on? Something wrong with my brother?”
“Not really,” I mumble, though the lie tastes bitter on my tongue.
“Then what’s so important that you need to speak with me privately?”
“The Witching Glen,” I say. “How dangerous is it?”
Tiana seems confused, her brow furrowing. “Why do you care about the Witching Glen?”
I shrug nervously, my tail curling around my leg.
She sighs. “Yes, it’s dangerous. And I haven’t been there since I was a little girl.”
“Ohhh,” I say.
Tiana leans back on the sofa, the mug cradled in her hands. “The Witching Glen is filled with witches and warlocks who fed off dark magic for centuries. When Aya Bailey died, almost allof dark magic was siphoned from the earth. Though some still remains.”
She pauses, watching me.
“When they lost their access to dark magic, they also lost their mortality. That’s the gift of dark magic. You get to live forever. But you lose your soul in the process.”
I nod slowly, taking it in. Eric’s white hair, his thin skin, the old look in his eyes. It all makes terrible sense now.
“That’s why the Glen is sealed,” Tiana continues. “We can’t help those who won’t choose to follow the natural order of life. A witch doesn’t live forever. Some of us may have longer lifespans, but that’s up to Mother Fate. Not us. And those who choose to defy the law of our goddess will suffer.”
“Ohhh,” I say again.
Tiana sets her mug down on the table beside the sofa. “What’s going on, Mara? You better start talking, or I’ll find my brother and get the answers myself.”
My tail stiffens.
“It’s clear my brother doesn’t know you’re here,” she mutters. “So why are you asking about the Glen?”
I take a deep breath. “Eric, your birth father. Is he a good person?”
Tiana starts laughing at that, the sound harsh and brittle. “He disowned us. Would a good man disown his children?”
“No,” I say quietly.
She groans. “So my brother is still talking to him. Right after I told him to be careful.”
“I didn’t say that,” I say quickly.
“Oh, please. Give me a fucking break. You wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t.”
She sips on her mug, then her leg starts tapping on the floor.
“You know what?” I snap, frustration finally breaking through my fear. “Seth is right. You are just like Angie. I’ll figure this out on my own. Lift the quieting spell.”
Tiana laughs and looks to Seth, who’s still performing the spell with Kiara and Samara. “Seth said that? Hmmmm. I’ll take that as a compliment. And no, I’m not lifting the quieting spell. Not yet.”
She leans forward. “Eric hasn’t come to me or my sisters. He’s only targeting Aaron. Why?”
“I do not know,” I say, though suspicions are forming in my mind.
She grins at me, seeing more than I want her to.
I stiffen and turn when a familiar scent catches me. Coffee and sandalwood. When I turn, a portal has suddenly appeared not far from me, blue-gold light crackling at its edges.
