“Muriel.” He kept his voice gentle but firm. “It’s a gift. Simple as that. No strings, no expectations.”
She stared at him for a long moment, and he could practically see her trying to find an angle. When she finally spoke, her voice was quieter. “Why?”
“Because you're one of the most naturally gifted earth witches I've ever encountered,” he answered honestly. “I can’t think of a better steward.”
A faint flush crept up her neck. “I... thank you.”
He smiled, genuinely pleased. “You’re welcome.”
She picked up her teacup again, and a fragile silence stretched between them while she summoned the courage to broach the real reason for her visit. He didn’t mind. Now that she was here, he could be patient.
“Can I ask you something?” she said finally.
“Anything,” he said.
“What do you know about magical surges? In witches, I mean.”
“It's not uncommon to those magic-born,” he said, keeping his tone conversational. “Especially during transitional periods.”
“Did you experience them?”
“Oh, yes. Embarrassingly so.” His lips quirked with the memories.
“Is it, uh, normal for them to get worse before they get better? Stronger? More frequent?”
“Perfectly normal. It means the witch is approaching a significant threshold of power. Although they can also arise from proximity to a particularly powerful artifact.” He set down his teacup and gave her his full attention. “May I ask—are we talking hypothetically here?”
She glanced guiltily toward the front of the store and the flowering trees and potted plants in lush, full bloom. “No, not hypothetically.”
Brandon nodded slowly. Once again, Jason’s sources had been spot on. “How long has this been happening?”
“A while. It's gotten worse in the last few days.” She hesitated, then added quietly, “I can't seem to control itanymore. When I feel something strongly—fear, anger, even...” She trailed off, color rising in her cheeks again.
Even attraction, Brandon thought with a spark of pleasure. Muriel found him attractive, and that was manifesting. This was Magic 101, something most practitioners learned early on. Had she not been taught even the basics?
What he said was, “Also normal. Our magic is often influenced by our emotions.”
“That makes sense,” she said, the relief in her voice obvious. “It’s just… I've always been able to manage my magic before.”
“Surges tend to manifest during times of great stress, or when we encounter a situation that challenges us and requires us to level up, so to speak. Have you experienced anything like that recently?”
Wariness flickered across her face. She studied him for a long moment, those jeweled green eyes searching his face for... what? Signs of deception? Hidden motives?
“A few nights ago,” she said finally. “I found something. Something my mother had hidden.”
Brandon's pulse quickened, but he kept his expression calm and mildly curious. He definitely didnotglance at the satchel beside her, now quivering with symbiotic energy. It was reacting to her discomfort, which meant it had already formed a bond with her. “What kind of something?”
“A book. An old one.” She set down her teacup, herhands trembling. “When I opened it, it showed me things. Visions. Women who looked like me, being hunted. Tortured.” Her voice caught.
Inside his chest, his heart beat faster. A hidden book, passed from mother to daughter, revealing visions of bloodline persecution.All things that pointed to the re-appearance of theCodex.
It was on the tip of his tongue to ask to see it, but he decided against it—for now. Muriel's fear was already manifesting around them. The potted fern on the nearby shelf had doubled in size, its fronds unfurling with unnatural speed and then promptly shriveling to brown husks. The wooden floor beneath their feet creaked. Even the tea in their cups rippled.
“You’re describing an incredibly powerful artifact,” he said, keeping his voice steady and reassuring. “Do you know what it is?”
“No,” she said, fear and frustration edging her voice. “I was hoping you might have an idea.”
“I might, but I’ll need more to go on than that,” he said honestly.