Page 66 of Light Magic

Because it would, right?

It had to.

I turned to the back of the room, intent on being with him, when Maggie rushed through the archway. She pointed her finger at us without even looking and said, “Stay there,” and disappeared behind the curtain with the others.

I stared at the plain curtain for a moment. Had the sisters communicated telepathically? Could they do that? Otherwise, how did Maggie know we were here?

A few seconds later, Gwen and Britt were there too, but the two of them didn’t join the others.

“Do you need any help?” Gwen asked, taking the healing paste from me.

“Hm, unless I have a wound on my back, I think I’m good,” I said.

Still, Gwen applied more of the paste to my cuts and bruises, while Britt handed something for Evelyn and Ash to drink. “It’s to help with healing,” Britt said. “And pain.”

Evelyn sniffed it. Right. When I first met her, Evelyn ran an apothecary. “Valerian root, turmeric. What else is in here?”

“Our magic,” Britt said. She handed me my potion.

“And you are?” Ash asked, taking the vial from Evelyn.

“Oh, you don’t know,” I said, realizing Evelyn and Ash hadn’t been here before and didn’t know the sisters. “This is Gwen and Britt, and the other girl is Maggie. They are Abbie’s sisters, and heirs to the Grand Eternity Hall.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s where we are?”

I nodded as I drank the potion. Instantly, I felt the potion tingling and spreading over my body, soothing.

A sudden, loud cry came from the back of the room, and we were all startled.

“It would be better if we went to the sitting room,” Gwen said, ushering us out. “Or maybe the library.”

“That’s a place I would like to see,” Ash said.

We followed Gwen and Britt to the library. On the way, Ash drank a big swallow from the healing potion, then offered it to Evelyn, who took one too.

The library was empty, no sign of Trent and Belinda, or even the animals.

Gwen and Britt pointed out the tree, the newly redone dome, the stained-glass window, and the different collections hidden among the endless shelves.

I stopped at the table where the books about magic absorption and dragons still lay. I reached deep within me and felt my magic stirring in my chest, slowly filling my veins.

I lifted my hand and light magic enveloped it.

Despite everything, I smiled.

“Oh my, you got your magic back!” Gwen said, her eyes wide. She smiled and walked back to me. “That’s amazing!”

Britt nodded. “Impressive.”

I almost rolled my eyes at the teenager. She was probably a handful to her older sisters.

I let that feeling sink in for a second and my chest contracted with pride, relief, and joy. “I’ll be honest, I hoped this day would come, but it was a tiny, tiny sliver of hope.”

Evelyn hugged me. “I’m happy for you.”

Ash put a hand on my shoulder. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” I looked at her and Ash. “Thanks for helping me with this.”

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