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“You did it,” I whisper in awe.

This is why I want to lead the coven. To make a difference in the way I can’t with my magic. To help those who can.

Ryan pulls back and gives me a stern look, too serious for someone his age. “We did it. Thank you.”

Chapter 16

Aurora

“I know you can do this.” Sterling looks at me with more certainty than someone who barely knows me should be able to muster.

I can’t remember the last time someone looked at me like that.

He’s right. I should be able to do this. A simple fire spell, so easy a teenager could do it. I used to light my joints with spells like this, and now, I can’t even imagine pulling it off.

I’ll probably need a joint after this, even though I haven’t smoked in years.

We’re in the cottage’s backyard, and it’s been recently spruced up by Sterling. The lawn is mowed, the flowers seem happy, and the leaves are gone. Thankfully, there’s no breeze today.

I shove my chilly hands into my pockets, sinking onto a patio chair. “Why do you sound so confident?”

“Because it’s easy.” He holds up the match. “Just light it.”

He makes it sound so obvious. Gods, I want to roll my eyes at him, even though he’s been nice lately. Suspiciously nice. Maybe he wants me to light the cottage on fire. That would make more sense than him helping from the goodness of his heart, considering how he’s treated me since I arrived.

“Or I could light it the way non-magical people do⁠—”

“Aurora. That would ruin the entire point of this.”

The point of this. Me learning to use my magic—or at this point, any magic—before I have to do a ritual in front of the entire town. I still haven’t managed to get the stars to speak to me, and this? This is a last-ditch effort at something I’ve already given up on.

I’m going to make a fool of myself, lose another mentor, and disappoint even Sterling. All because the stars abandoned me.

“What if I don’t want to do this?” I ask, forcing my voice to remain even.

“Which part?” He sets the match down.

“Any of this. The event. My magic.” I close my eyes, shaking my head.

Sterling’s magic is still a mystery, though he seems like a spellcaster if I’ve ever seen one. He doesn’t get it. I’ve seen him use his magic like it’s nothing, but I always needed help. A mentor. My dad.

I have Sterling and Jewel now, but there’s no replacing what I used to have.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he says quietly, the words barely hitting my ear. “But I only want you to back out if that’s really what you want to do, not because you feel like you have to.”

That’s not what I want either. When it comes to my magic and this coven, I don’t know what my intentions are anymore. At first, I just wanted to annoy him. Now, I actually like this. Hanging out with him. Planning things. My meetings with Jewel.

Starbrook. I like Starbrook. It’s not as if the town will kick me out if I’m not a witch, but gods, I want to be part of this coven—part of something. Even though the stars don’t speak to me, being part of my dad’s old coven may be the last thing connecting me to him.

I still want to make him proud.

I groan and open my hand, looking at him. “Give me the match.”

He places it in the palm of my hand. I hold it up, focusing…

But it doesn’t light.

We try all afternoon.