Page 72 of Magic's Rise

“Sounds like it’s always leaked then, and your real issue is this.” I lift the drawing of their barrier and stab the pencil through, making a dozen holes. “You have rot in your pipes, and the magic is spraying out everywhere.”

“Rot?” Phoebe frowns, concern etching lines across her forehead. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Definitely not.” I stab the paper a few more times, but really, it’s still not enough to encompass the problem. “It’s going to keep getting worse, too.”

“And you discovered this so quickly?” Dismay fills Elana’s eyes.

“Within minutes of their first investigation.” Levi studies the older woman. “How could you not know?”

She shakes her head. “We can’t see it for ourselves. All we can do is perform the spell our ancestors left us with.”

“I couldn’t see it, either,” Aspen interjects when Levi continues to stare at Elana with doubt. “I can only see Hartford Cove’s barrier when Rowe is drawing on it directly. It’s not meant to be visible to the average witch.”

I push the pencil through the paper. “Sloppy design. You should get a new one.”

Tris thrusts his hand into the air, waving it around. “Can’t we just do that?”

Aspen frowns. “Do what?”

“A new barrier.” His arm settles around my shoulders, and he scoops up my sketch of Hartford Cove. “Rowe and I have done this one before.”

“You renewed it,” Haut corrects, though he nods along. “But Rowe reclaimed it when those council witches re-established it. And she’s modified it since then. It’s a valid option.”

“Only one problem.” Tris reaches across the table to take the Hartford Cove drawing. “Our barrier doesn’t make people forget. So unless they want to turn Silver Hollow into a prison for the non-paranormals who live here, we need another idea.”

“We have a bigger problem than that,” Levi says. “The primary objective of our barrier is to stop my pack from going moon mad. We’ve grown complacent over the generations, and we’ve taken in a lot more werewolves. Which means we don’t have any way to contain our people on the next full moon if the barrier falls.”

With so many murder monsters in one place, it will be a slaughter.

THE PUZZLE BOX

Aspen and Elana huddle together, deep in conversation about the barrier spell options, and I grow bored in under a minute.

If they’re not going to let the rest of us in on the debate, then what’s the point of being here?

I turn to my new bestie, Aris, maker of charms. “So, charm casting runs in your family?”

She blushes with pleasure at my interest. “Yes, passed down from mother to daughter for generations.”

“Must have sucked for the sons,” I mutter.

“What was that?” Aris leans closer. “I didn’t catch what you said.”

“Must have been such an honor.” I fiddle with the tiny potion bottle now dangling from my wand. “Does that mean your ancestors created the moon-madness amulets?”

She nods eagerly, her curls bouncing, and I envy how tame they appear. “Oh, yes, one of our greatest charms.” Then her smile dims. “It’s so unfortunate we could never make more of them.”

“On account of the spell being missing?” I say.

Her gaze drops, and she shrugs.

My foot bounces. “Have you ever studied the pack’s amulets?”

“Plenty of times.” She tucks a perfect ringlet behind her ear. “But I can’t replicate the charm.”

“That must be so aggravating.” I lean toward her, lowering my voice. “The grand achievement of your family, lost to time.”

“It is.” Frustration glints in her green eyes. “It’s like this challenge that’s been passed down through generations, a puzzle box that no one can solve.”

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