Page 46 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

Jasmine stared at the woman as the truth of her words sank in. She had never stopped to think that her own fears and doubts might be influencing the very tools she relied on for guidance and reassurance.

"I've never thought of it that way, but you might be right. Do you really think that my own mind could have been sabotaging me?"

Edna reached out, her hand coming to rest on Jasmine's arm. "The mind is a powerful thing, and our beliefs, whether positive or negative, have a way of shaping our reality in ways we might not realize."

Max, who had been watching the exchange with a skeptical expression on his infuriatingly handsome face, leaned forward, his elbows coming to rest on his knees. "So, what else?" he asked, his gaze darting between Jasmine and Edna. "If her divinations were just a reflection of her own doubts, does that mean there's nothing to this whole Wicca thing? No real magic or power at all?"

Before Jasmine could jump to the defense of her beliefs once more, Edna spoke up again.

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the validity of Jasmine's beliefs," she said. "Just because her divinations may have been influenced by her own thoughts and emotions doesn't mean that there isn't real power or truth to be found in the Wiccan path. The divine feminine, the connection to nature, the belief in the inherent sacredness of all life, are all powerful ideas with roots that go back thousands of years."

Jasmine felt like hugging the woman, but instead, she glared at Max. "Yeah, what she said."

Edna smiled. "The key is to learn to quiet the mind and trust your intuition and inner strength rather than relying solely on external tools for validation. Your power comes from within, Jasmine. You need to learn to tap into that."

As Edna's words washed over her, Jasmine felt a sudden sense of clarity. All this time, she had been looking outside herself for answers, for guidance, for proof of her own worth and value. But the real magic had been inside of her all along if only she knew how to reach it.

But wasn't that why she had turned to the occult in the first place?

She'd always felt that there was a reservoir of something powerful inside of her, but she didn't know how to tap into it.

Jasmine let out a breath. "That's the trick, isn't it? To learn how to use what's inside. The thing is, I don't even know what I've got inside." She put her hand on her stomach.

Edna reached for her hands and clasped them. "I can help with that. Look into my eyes and let me in. Don't try to fight me, or this will be more difficult than it needs to be."

As Jasmine looked into Edna's strange, wise eyes, she felt the world recede. "Are you going to hypnotize me?"

"Something like that."

34

ARU

The weight of the secret Aru had been keeping from his mate sat heavily on his shoulders.

It was strange how it hadn't bothered him before. He and Aria had been hiding their abilities since the day they realized that their connection was more than the typical twin intuition. They had kept their telepathic communication from their parents, their teachers, and their friends, and if the oracle hadn't discovered them, they would have kept it a secret from everyone still.

Having a truelove mate was a game changer, though.

It wasn't just about the fairy tales claiming that bonded mates could not keep anything from each other. For Aru, it had been a physical strain to keep the secret from Gabi, and in a paradoxical way, he was grateful to Kian for forcing his hand.

Now he had no choice, and it was like a two-ton boulder had been removed from his chest and he could finally take a deep breath.

"What time is the lunch at Annani's?" Gabi asked as she removed a freshly brewed coffee cup from the machine.

"One." Aru sipped on his tea. "Why?"

"Karen was released from the clinic last night, and she is back in her cabin. I want to visit her."

She sat on the stool next to him. "I'm not going to stay long. Just a few minutes to see how she's doing."

"Did she have her test yet?"

Gabi shook her head. "Karen doesn't want one. She says that all she has to do is look in the mirror to know that she's immortal. The fine lines around her eyes are gone."

He chuckled. "Smart woman. Although I have to say, rituals have their place. Maybe she should have the test done anyway just so it's videotaped, and she can show it to her grandkids one day."

Gabi rested her head on his shoulder. "Not everyone is sentimental, and apparently, Karen is not."

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