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“It’s gorgeous,” she said, with more distance in her voice than had been there before. “I’ll have to come back when I’ve got more time to take it in. Today I’ve been away long enough as it is. But thank you for showingme.”
I got a flash of a smile and then she was slipping out the door. As I watched it swinging shut, a strange ache welled up in my chest. As if I’d just lost something I couldn’t livewithout.
That was ridiculous. The only thing Ineededwas my art. Nothing good came from tying your happiness to any person other than yourself. I wanted to enjoy Rose’s company and for her to enjoy mine. I wasn’t looking for more than that—not fromanyone.
But as I headed up to my apartment over the gallery, the uneasy acheremained.
Chapter Eleven
Rose
My goodness,” Philomena said, strolling past the bookcases. “I don’t recall facing an interrogation whenIintended to get married. Which, I’ll remind you, has happened at least half a dozentimes.”
“This isn’t my idea,” I told her silently. To the high witching figures across the library table from me, I gave only my most polite smile. The scrutiny of the pair who’d come to conduct my and Derek’s pre-consorting interviews made my skin itch, but the comforting smell of books all around me eased my nerves alittle.
The woman of the pair tapped the end of her pen against the table. “Rosalind Hallowell, do you confirm your intention to take Derek Conwyn as your consort and husband, bringing him into your family and giving him yourname?”
“Absolutely,” I said, hoping my smile hadn’t just gotten too tight. It wasn’t as if they could tell I’d just been kissing another guy four days ago… or that I’d wanted to kiss a totally different guy yesterday. I could keep all that guilt and all my doubts squashed down. I hadto.
The man nodded with an expression that seemed inappropriately grave. “I see from your father’s records that you’ve received extensive tutoring in the forms and symbols of magical practice. Do you feel prepared to take on the power of your spark? Any concerns you’d like todiscuss?”
“More than ready,” I said. I probably would have felt ready with half the training Dad had insisted on. “I have no concerns at all.” Well, other than the fact that my spark had seemed to react to a guy with no magical heritage at all the otherday.
But the more distance I got from that moment with Kyler, the more sure I was that I’d been wrong. The excitement of my first real kiss had simplyfeltlike what I imagined the lighting of my sparkmight.
It wasn’t as if I could ask these two for their opinion on the subjectanyway.
“And what career path do you see for yourself once you’re fully settled into witching life?” the womanasked.
That was an easier topic. “I’ve already been helping commit to computer and organize the records of the official Archive,” I said. “My supervisor there has said they’d be happy to take me on in a role of more responsibility once I can bring my magic to bear. And I’ve been working on a private project, compiling a history of modernwitching.”
This time, both of my questioners nodded. “There may be work for you along that line to serve the Assembly more directly,” the man said. “It would be a shame to see the power you can expect to wield put only to our history rather than our present andfuture.”
A tingle raced through me at his words.The power you can expect to wield. I knew that was why Dad insisted on the training. The Hallowell blood—which had run from his grandmother and his mother into him, his mother’s only child, before he’d passed it on to me—was strong with the spark. But hearing a member of the Witching Assembly, the governing body over all those of witching descent, made it feel even morecertain.
“I’ll be interested in hearing about the possibilities,” I said. “I think it’s important to have clear records of both our past and what’s happeningnow.”
That answer earned me a couple of muted smiles, which was more than I’d gotten so far. The Assembly witches were always so dour. Maybe I didn’t want to become one of them through my work afterall.
“Another matter we always consider at this stage,” the woman said, shuffling her papers. “Have you given any thought to when you’d begin havingchildren?”
Moldy cinders, that was the last thing I wanted to be thinking about right now. Being tied to Derek not just through ceremony, but bearing his children… I’d set that idea aside until I’d gotten my head and my heart in betterorder.
“I believe we’d give it at least a few years,” I said. “So we have a chance to strengthen our bond and I’ll have adjusted to my spark. What’s therush?”
“Indeed,” the man said. “We do find a waiting period before progressing to the next stage of the relationship is wise. Just remember that when you are ready, you’ll need to register your intent with the Assembly before you perform the magic to engage thequickening.”
“Of course,” I said. Icouldn’tget pregnant unless I brought my spark to the task. One of the little quirks of witch physiology, which Meredith had told me once was for our own protection.Children are the loveliest thing in the world, but a pregnant woman is a vulnerable woman. And there’ve been many times when we witches faced far too much danger to make that decisionlightly.
“Speaking of rushing...” The woman paused, fixing me with a steady look that held what appeared to be genuine concern. “I must remind you that in every case recorded, if a spark isn’t fully kindled by a witch’s twenty-fifth birthday, it won’t kindle at all. I understand you’ve left your consorting rather late. Your plans appear to be on track, but you’ll want to ensure they stay that way. Even if you feel your spark lighting some, if you’ve started to become close to your intended—nothing is set until the consorting iscomplete.”
I gave her a tight smile. “I know,” I said. “Thankyou.”
“Well, it sounds as if everything is in order, then.” The man stood up. “Thank you for your time, MissHallowell.”
That was obviously my cue to leave. “Thank you for seeing us,” I said with a respectful bob of my head, and left while they were gathering theirthings.
I ended up in the breakfast room, nibbling on one of the mini muffins that had been left over from our meal, when Derek came in. My back stiffened automatically. I inhaled deeply, willing myself torelax.
