Chapter 5 #2
“I wouldn’t mind a few strings,” Dani said, fanning herself. “For not being a shifter, the man is seriously hot.”
Muriel felt heat creeping into her cheeks. The tree just outside the window exploded with new leaves.
“I think the question is, what is it you want?” Ana asked, her green eyes bright and focused as if the answer mattered.
Muriel didn’t know how to answer that. She hadn’t really thought about what she wanted, only what she should do.
“Let me ask you this,” Ryssa said. “If you don’t take Brandon up on his offer, what other options do you have?”
“He said he would teach me, with or without the resonance.”
“Well, there you go,” Jessie said, as if that proved he was trustworthy. “But you’ll be safer if you do this resonance thing?”
Muriel nodded and looked over at Tedi. “I don’t suppose you can tell me how this is going to play out?”
“Sorry, it doesn’t work that way,” Tedi said with a patient smile. “I see possible outcomes, but the future is fluid.” She paused, seemed to zone out for a moment, then focused on Muriel, her eyes glowing. “I can tell you, your chances are better with him helping you. He is a powerful mage.”
“It’s scary, trusting someone like that,” Ryssa said. “But sometimes, the greater risk is not taking a chance.”
Ana reached over and squeezed Muriel's hand. “Only you can decide what you want to do, but whatever you choose, we’ll support you.”
Later that night, after everyone had gone home and Jessie had retreated to her bedroom, Muriel sat on the guest bed with the ancient tome in her lap.
Ana's question echoed in her mind. What did she want?
She'd spent so long thinking about what she was afraid of—betrayal, abandonment, becoming like her mother—that she'd never stopped to ask herself what she truly wanted.
Safety? Yes. Control? Absolutely.
But also... She traced the runes on the cover, feeling its ancient warmth. She wanted to understand this legacy her mother had left her. She wanted to stop running. She wanted...
Brandon's face filled her mind. The brilliant blue eyes that crinkled slightly at the corners when he laughed. The slightly messy black hair that framed his perfectly sculpted face. The magic that softly wrapped around her like a fleece blanket on a cold night.
Was it wrong to want him? Or just risky?
Her mother had been brave enough to love a mage, even knowing the risk. Even if it ended badly, she'd had the courage to try.
And Muriel wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
“What do you think?” she whispered. “Should I trust him?”
The book warmed under her touch, and for a moment, she could have sworn she felt approval. Encouragement.
Perhaps Ryssa was right. Perhaps the way to move forward was to take a chance.
Muriel set the book aside and pulled out her phone, staring at Brandon's contact information. Jessie had put it in there earlier with a wink and a “just in case.”
Before she could second-guess herself, she typed out a message.
Muriel: I've thought about your offer. Can I come by The Glas Tann tomorrow morning?
The response came almost immediately.
Brandon: Of course. Come by whenever you're ready. I'll be here.
Simple. No pressure. No manipulation. Just acceptance.
Muriel set down the phone and lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Tomorrow, she'd take the leap.
Tonight, she'd try to get some sleep and do her best not to second-guess herself.
The next morning, Muriel's heart hammered against her ribs as she gathered her courage and stepped into The Glas Tann. Was she really going to do this?
Yes, apparently, she was.
Brandon looked up from behind the counter, his eyes brightening when he saw her.
“You’re here.”
“You seem surprised.”
“Pleased,” he corrected. “You seemed unsure yesterday.”
“I was. I still am, to be honest. But Jessie and her friends think you’re trustworthy enough to give it a shot.
” Letting him know that they’d played a major part in her decision might discourage him from trying anything.
Something told her those women played major roles in Mythic, and upsetting them wouldn’t be wise.
“And you?” Brandon asked. “What do you think?”
“Jury’s still out. But I’m willing to try.”
“Fair enough.” His slow smile eased some of the tension in her shoulders—and incited it in other, more private places. This might be easier if she didn’t find him so darn attractive.
“I have more questions.”
“I thought you might.” He gestured toward the seating area again. “Would you like tea?”
“No, I'm fine.” She’d had several cups already. If she drank any more, she was likely to embarrass herself.
She sat, placing the satchel on the floor beside her chair.
Brandon eased into the chair across from her with natural grace. “Ask.”
“Have you ever done this before? Resonance binding, I mean?”
“Yes. Once.”
She waited for him to say more. He didn’t. Message received: mind your own business. “How invasive is it?”
“Minimally. Once bound, I would be able to sense your magic. I could tell whether you were calm or agitated, or if a surge was building. My magic would harmonize with yours, rising or falling as needed to keep you on an even keel until you can do so yourself.”
“And me? Would I be able to sense your magic?”
“To a lesser extent, yes.”
“Why lesser?”
He smiled gently. “Because mine is more controlled. Its purpose is to guide you, not overwhelm you.”
“Right. Okay. Walk me through it.”
“We’ll start with small exercises. Simple magic worked together. Letting our energies interact gradually until they learn to recognize each other.” His voice was patient, instructive. “We'll build up slowly to avoid overwhelming your magic or mine.”
“What if it doesn't work?”
“I don’t think that’ll be an issue, but we’ll know soon enough.
” He leaned forward slightly, his expression earnest. “Muriel, I won't lie to you—this isn't without risk. Anytime you grant someone access to your magic, you’re making yourself vulnerable. But I give you my word, I will not abuse that access. I won’t use it to hurt you or control you.”
She searched his face, finding nothing but sincerity and something else that made her pulse quicken and her magic stir in response. It was the same pull she'd felt the first time she met him. Undeniable attraction and a sense of rightness that terrified her as much as it intrigued her.
“Will this make you vulnerable too?”
“Yes.”
Knowing she wouldn’t be the only one with skin in the game made her feel slightly less anxious. “Okay,” she heard herself say. “Let’s give it a try.”
“You're sure?”
“No,” she admitted. “But I do think it’s the best option under the circumstances.”
Without taking his eyes from hers, Brandon made an elegant flicking motion with his hand. The sign on the door flipped from Open to Closed, and the sounds of the outside world faded away. “For privacy,” he explained.
“Wait. We’re going to do it now?”
“No time like the present.”
Brandon leaned in closer. “Ready?”
Not even close. Being alone in a locked shop with Brandon felt more intimate than educational. Aloud, she said, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
“Relax,” he said with an easy smile. “This won’t hurt. I promise.”
Muriel took a deep breath and nodded once.
“We’ll start by dampening your signal. The sooner we do that, the safer you'll be.”
That didn’t sound too bad. “What do I need to do?”
“This is a simple grounding exercise to help you center your magic and make it less volatile.
Normally, you'd do this alone. But for our purposes, I'm going to guide you through it while adding my own magic to the process. That way, your power learns to recognize mine as supportive rather than threatening.”
Muriel's heart hammered. This was it—the moment of no return. Once she did this, once she let him in, everything would change. But what choice did she have? The only other option was to go into hiding and hope she learned control before Silas Corvus and his ilk tracked her down again.
“Okay.” Muriel clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. “I'm ready.”
Brandon's smile was encouraging as he placed his hands, palms up, on the table. She slid her hands into his. His fingers closed around hers, firm but gentle. Tiny pulses of energy sparked from the contact, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
“Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Feel your magic as it exists right now. Where it sits in your body. How it moves.”
She did and within seconds, she felt the wild surge of power coiling in her chest, restless and anxious.
“Good. Now I'm going to reach out with my magic. You'll feel it as a presence. Don't fight it, just observe it. Let me know if anything feels wrong.”
A moment later, Muriel gasped.
His magic brushed against hers like sunlight peeking through the clouds.
It hummed with a frequency that resonated in her bones, not invasive but soothing and welcoming, like slipping into a warm bath.
Where hers was chaos, his was structure.
Where hers was raw emotion, his was disciplined intention.
They were opposites.
And perfect complements.
“How does it feel?” Brandon's voice was quiet, careful not to break her concentration.
Like coming home. Aloud, she answered in a breathless whisper, “Good.”
In that moment, surrounded by books and magic and the steady presence of the mage she was trying so hard not to trust, Muriel felt something she hadn't experienced in a very long time.
Hope.