Chapter 9
The following day, she and Sebastian spent a lazy Sunday morning eating breakfast in bed and talking about anything that crossed their minds.
She discovered he had a love of old science fiction movies and was one of the youngest in his generation to shift at fifteen instead of the usual sixteen.
She shared how she’d had trouble as a young witch with her dual nature, and when she was in high school and would get emotional, her fire magic would flare, and she would occasionally set things on fire. Like a desk or the chemistry lab.
They had lunch in the dining hall with his cousins and she got to know his cousin-in-law Winterlyn, who was sweet and kind. They were already making plans to have a big Christmas celebration once they were with the pack.
Before they headed to meet with Santa, she reached out to her sister again, but the calls and texts went unanswered and left her feeling hollow.
The call to Mother Nature connected on the third ring.
“Hello, dear,” Mother Nature said. “How are things in the north?”
“Cold.”
She chuckled. “I’m sure. What can I do for you?”
“Well, two things. Is Talia okay? I haven’t been able to connect with her. She’s not answering my calls.”
“As far as I know, she is, but I haven’t spoken to her since yesterday. She’s distraught at losing her magic, so it would stand to reason she’d be distant as she comes to terms with the loss.”
“I know, I’m just worried. It’s been me and her against the world since our mom died and our dad left, and I don’t want her to think I abandoned her too because I’m here in Northernmost instead of with her.”
“When I spoke with her, I didn’t get the impression she had any ill will toward you not being here, but it could be something she’s struggling with. That you not only were able to keep your magic, but you found your truemate, and her whole world is upside down.”
Emberlin grimaced. “What can I do?”
“Nothing until after Christmas, I’m afraid.
You’re stuck in Northernmost for safety purposes, and she’s not going to be able to come see you either since she’s no longer magical and can’t open a portal.
I wouldn’t worry about it because there isn’t anything you can do to help her get through this process.
She has to grieve the loss of her magic, and it takes as long as it takes.
Just let her know through calls and messages that you’re here for her whenever, and when she’s ready she’ll reach out.
In the meantime, I’m going to go see her myself and make sure that she knows she doesn’t have to go anywhere.
She’s part of the coven no matter what.”
“Thanks, Mother Nature.”
“I wanted to apologize.”
“For what?” Emberlin asked.
“Because I was so caught up in the loss of the witches captured by Jack Frost for his evil purposes that I didn’t ensure that my own coven regularly kept their magic replenished.
I’m partly to blame for not being aware that your magic was depleted to such a great degree that it set off a terrible chain of events. ”
Emberlin shook her head. “No, it wasn’t your fault. We’re adults and should be responsible enough to keep on top of that.”
“I can still feel guilty even if it’s not entirely my fault.”
“Fair enough,” Emberlin said, not wanting to argue with the most powerful witch on the planet. “Anyway, the other thing I wanted to check about is that Santa said I would be able to stay in the coven even if I wasn’t living there. Is that true?”
“Yes, of course. And your truemate can join us whenever he’d like.”
“Oh, good. I was wondering about that.”
“Do you think you’ll live in Northernmost?”
“Until we have a family and our kids are old enough to need to be around their peers, and then we’ll most likely move to the wolf pack in Ohio.”
“You can open a portal anytime to visit here and commune with us during the ceremonies and special events, and we’d love to have a Guardian along for extra protection.”
“Thanks.”
“Be well, child, and be safe.”
The call ended, and Emberlin put the phone down, pressing her lips together in thought.
At least Mother Nature would check on Talia, and that was more than Emberlin could do until after Christmas.
And she really hoped her sister would want to come to the wolf pack and hang out for the holidays.
Emberlin would love to open a portal to pick her up and bring her with them to the pack’s territory.
“I’m sure she’s not mad at you,” Sebastian said quietly. “If anything, she’s probably mad at the situation or mad at Frost, which is where her anger should rightly lie. You haven’t lost your sister, she just needs time.”
“I know,” she said, sighing. “I just hate that she’s pulled away from me. It sucks.”
“I wish I could fix it for you.”
She sent one last text to her sister, letting her know she was there for her whenever and however she needed and that she loved her and wanted to talk. Then, she tucked her phone into her pocket and met him in the doorway.
“Let’s go see Santa about my magic. If I can’t heal what’s going on with my sister, at least I can be useful for Northernmost.”
* * *
Talia stood by the edge of the waterfall that she and Emberlin had healed just days earlier. She could feel the magic in the land underneath her boots, but she couldn’t do anything with it. It was hell to feel the magic but not be touched by it.
She’d never felt so empty and powerless.
Cold air slithered around her neck like a bony hand and she shivered.
“Another grieving magical person, like myself,” a voice murmured.
She whipped around with a gasp and saw a man step from behind a tree covered with snowy icicles. He wore a pale blue coat with the collar turned up, and his hair was covered with the falling snow.
“Who are you?”
“A warlock who understands your pain.” He moved close to her and she picked up the scent of pine trees and snow, and something inside her echoed in commiseration with him. “I once held great magic, just like you. But it was taken from me, and I’ve searched for years to find a way to reclaim it.”
Talia’s stomach twisted. “Frost stole your magic?”
He nodded. “Indeed. But Frost is not the enemy, it’s Santa. He allows the Well of Magic to hoard magic, choosing who is worthy and who is not worthy to have it. Like me, you were deemed unworthy, and Santa didn’t even give you a chance to touch the Well and restore what was taken.”
She flinched at his words, because that’s what she’d feared. That she’d been purposely kept from the Well because Santa controlled it. “But Frost took my magic.”
“Frost is powerful,” he said with a sage nod, “but when he took your magic from you, the Well would have been able to return it to you in spades, but since you can’t get into Northernmost without magic, you can’t get your magic back.”
Talia frowned. “I don’t understand.”
The warlock pulled a small, dark crystal from his pocket that gleamed like onyx with pale white swirls on the surface.
“This is a Shadow Crystal. If you place it in the Well, the perimeter around Northernmost will weaken and the flow of magic will be returned to those who’ve lost it unjustly.
Like you. And me. Your power could be back, Talia.
” He put the stone in her hand and she was shocked by how cold it was.
He closed her hand around the stone and she felt the cold seep into her skin and to her bones.
“How do you know my name?”
“Because I’ve been searching for others like me—like us. I know what you lost. I know you wonder what your life will be like without magic. But the Well can return your magic to you. You just have to put the Shadow Crystal in it.”
Everything inside her was screaming that something was off about this whole scenario, but whenever she looked into his eyes, those voices dulled until she couldn’t hear them. Was she being tricked? Or was this the answer to her cries of grief?
“What do I do?”
“Go to Northernmost, drop this in the Well. The magic will do the rest.”
Her heart pounded as she squeezed the cold stone. Was it really that simple?
The warlock patted her fist. “You deserve to have your magic back.”
“How can I get to Northernmost?”
“You’ll figure it out, I’m sure, but hurry before Santa decides to make the perimeter even stronger. You don’t want to lose the chance to get your power back, right?”
She shook her head. He gave her a benevolent smile and waved and then disappeared into the trees.
Now, how to get to Northernmost. She’d have to find someone to take her.
It might be the only way to get her magic back.