Mara
My nerve nearly fails me the moment I step into the library. I stare at the large double doors at the end of the hall, trying to dig up the nerve to do what I came in here for.
My tail sways behind me, betraying the anxiety I’m trying to hide, and then it hits someone with a solid thwack.
“Ah, damn!”
I stiffen and turn, heat rising up my neck. Seth is standing next to me, rubbing his head where my tail caught him, his expression more amused than annoyed.
I grab my tail and pull it behind me, holding the traitorous thing firmly. “Sorry about that.” My ears flatten against my head, another tell I can’t control.
Seth rubs his head, then looks at me. “You haven’t been here in a while. Looking for Aaron? He doesn’t come in here much.”
“No,” I say.
I look back to the doors of the Conjuring Hall. Seth’s nose twitches as he catches my scent, reading my anxiety as clearly as if I’d spoken it aloud.
“Debating if talking to my mom is worth it?”
I pout my lips at him, unable to form a response that isn’t a lie.
He grins. “Don’t show her any weakness. My mom will trample right over you if she sees so much as a sign of it.”
I frown at that, knowing he’s right. But I need answers, and the fear of what Eric might be planning outweighs my fear of Aaron’s mother.
“Why does she have such a hard exterior?” I ask.
He smiles at me, something softening in his expression. “Growing up, I could tell early on how the dynamic was different with me versus Aaron and my sisters.”
“Ohhh.”
“I can tell you, it was different for me. I have my mother and father. My other siblings always felt like there was part of them that was missing.” His voice drops. “It was annoying as hell, that scent lingered in our cabin at House of Zorah so bad I thought it was a permanent stench.”
Seth runs a hand over his face. “Do you want to go inside?”
My ears twitch. “I have no magic,” I murmur. “They won’t be happy with me in there.”
Seth laughs. “Trust me, I get it. I’m a wolf shifter with magic and they can’t fucking stand me whenever I enter. Except my mom and sisters.”
He grabs my arm, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Come on, I’ll take you. Would be nice for them to have something different to snub their noses at.”
I tense. My tail twitches against my grip, trying to break free and betray my feelings. Seth stops, his nose twitching, tracking the movement. My lion is pushing against me, urging me to speak.
“Something is wrong,” Seth says, his voice dropping. “Is everything alright with my brother?”
My tail sways anyway, traitorous. “He’s fine. I want to speak with Tiana.”
“Ohhh, woman stuff.” He smiles, though he doesn’t entirely believe me. “Well, come on.”
As he pulls me toward the doors, anxiety climbs up my throat. What if I’m making a terrible mistake? What if Aaron finds out? What if Tiana refuses to help me?
“You have to be tough with Tiana too,” Seth adds. “She’s mostly like my mom. Kind of a hard exterior, but she lets up when she’s comfortable.”
“That’s comforting,” I say, unable to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.
Seth reaches the double doors, and I look around the library, half-expecting Aaron to appear through a portal and stop me.
“You think they’ll let me in?” I ask, hating how small my voice sounds.
Seth laughs lightly. “You are Aaron Blackwood’s mate. You can go wherever you want.”
The words settle strangely in me. Both comforting and troubling. Is that all I am? Aaron’s mate?
He waves a hand over the doors. Magic spills from his fingertips, blue-gold light that I recognize. The doors open softly, revealing a world I’ve never been allowed to enter. He steps inside and I look around once more, gathering my courage, then follow him.
I jump when the doors magically close behind us. My tail bristles. Every instinct screams that I don’t belong here.
The conjuring room steals my breath. Circular, with a domed ceiling high above us, constellations glow overhead, shifting and realigning as magic moves through the air.
The room hums with energy, a vibration I can feel through my feet.
Witches and warlocks of all ages are gathered in clusters, casting spells that send sparks and light across the space. Beautiful and terrifying all at once.
A group of witches in a corner stops and stares us both down with mean faces. One of them is Priya, one of Aaron’s students. She doesn’t smile when she sees me, just looks me over, cold. I am an intruder here, unwelcome.
Seth takes the stairs. “Follow me.”
I do, climbing the spiral staircase behind him, looking around as I go. Students in the lounge below are conjuring orbs of light, sending them spiraling into the air. I watch one witch flick her wrist and a book flies across the room to her hand.
I’m distracted by the magic I see from the other students, the sheer beauty of it momentarily making me forget my purpose. But I quickly refocus when Seth disappears at the top of the stairs.
When I reach the top, I notice that it’s a level exclusively for Blackwood witches.
A long table sits in the corner covered in open spell books.
Bookshelves line the walls, floor to ceiling.
On the other side is a lounge with sofas, and another area where I already see two of the sisters standing over a hovering blue magic ball, casting some kind of spell.
It’s Kiara and Samara, their faces intent with concentration.
My tail stiffens when I hear Tiana’s voice. She’s sitting on the sofa, though I could have sworn there was no one there a minute ago. The realization that she might have been watching me all along sends a chill through me.
Tiana looks up at me, her gaze sharp and assessing. Her hair is pinned up in a bun like her mother’s. I start to play with my hair, feeling self-conscious.
She’s dressed in a cloak, but it’s open over a fitted blue dress underneath.
It’s short, hugging her curves, stopping just below her thighs.
There’s a confidence in her eyes. In her scent.
The assurance of someone who knows exactly who she is and what she’s capable of. It makes me feel small in comparison.
Tiana shoots Seth a narrow look.
He smiles. “What’s up, sis?”
He walks over to Kiara and Samara, waves his hand, and the ball they were conjuring pops. They start arguing with him immediately.
“Seth!” Kiara snaps. “We’ve been working on that for an hour!”
“Seriously?” Samara adds, glaring at him. “You jerk.”
He chuckles. “Chill, sis. Alright, fine. I’ll help you make another.”
For some reason, when he says that, the frustrated sisters fall quiet.
A smile crosses between them. They start the process of recasting the spell, and I watch in awe as the blue light gathers between their palms again.
Seth joins in, his magic adding to theirs, and whatever they’re casting seems to have an even bigger effect now that his magic is included.
The orb grows larger, brighter, swirling with energy.
Tiana stands up from the sofa. My tail goes alert. My ears stand up.
“Did you come here to watch us like we’re performers at a circus for your entertainment, or did you want something else?” she asks.
I swallow hard, forcing myself to stand taller. “I need to speak with you.”
I look to her sisters, who are clearly distracted by the spell.
“Just me, or did you need the coven?” she asks.
I’m confused. “Coven?”
Tiana groans and rolls her eyes. Then she looks around. “Where’s my brother?”
“I came alone,” I say, lifting my chin slightly.
She laughs lightly at that. “Hmmm. That’s interesting. Not sure if I can say brave or stupid, though.”
I flatten my ears at her.
“May I speak with you alone?”
Tiana doesn’t answer me right away. She looks at her siblings for a brief moment, then seems to come to a decision.
She holds out her palm and runs her other hand over it.
Blue magic comes out, and a mug appears in her hand.
I can smell the coffee, rich and dark. Steam rises from it.
Tiana also smells like coffee beans, the scent so similar to Aaron’s.
She grabs the mug from her palm with her other hand, then sits down on the sofa. She holds up her hand, and more magic comes out. A shield forms around us, shimmering and translucent. The sounds from the rest of the room fade, leaving us in a bubble.
“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 all of 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.