Page 16 of Howling for Cupcakes

She was the heroine of her own story now. And she’d fight like hell to make sure it was a happy one, free of the toxic specter of her past.

Lifting her teacup in a silent toast to her friends and future, Mari let the warmth and chatter wash over her.

Let the battle come. She’d be ready, surrounded by love and armed with magic.

Just let Victor try her now.

Mari stood in the center of Luna’s cozy, herb-scented workshop, eyes closed and breathing deep as she sought to center herself. The events of the day still churned inside her, a bitter cocktail of fear and fury that made her magic prickle restlessly beneath her skin. But she couldn’t afford to let it master her. Not if she wanted to be ready for Victor’s inevitable retribution.

“That’s it, love. Ground and center. Feel the earth beneath your feet, the air in your lungs. You are a conduit for the power that flows through all things.” Luna’s voice was a soothing murmur from where she sat cross-legged on a plump floor cushion, watching Mari with those fathomless violet eyes.

Mari tried to let the tension bleed out of her shoulders, to find that place of calm Luna was always going on about. But flashes of Victor’s face kept intruding - the cruel curl of his lip, the icy venom in his gaze as he’d tried to subjugate her. A shudder rippled through her and her eyes snapped open, magic sparking from her fingertips in agitated arcs.

“I can’t. Luna, it’s not working. I can’t focus, I just keep seeing him, feeling him in my head-” To her horror, Mari’s voice cracked on a sob, frustration and residual terror clawing at her throat.

But Luna simply rose from her cushion and crossed the space between them, taking Mari’s hands in her own warm, calloused grip. Her magic reached out, ancient and verdant, blanketing Mari’s agitation with a sense of steadiness, of bedrock surety.

“Shh, easy now. Breathe with me, Mari. What you’re feeling is natural. That snake left scars on your psyche and violated your innermost self. It’s going to take time to feel fully in control again.” Luna raised their joined hands to rest over Mari’s rabbiting heart. “But you’re not alone in this. I’m here, and I’m going to teach you how to shield your mind, how to fight with everything you have.”

Mari exhaled shakily and leaned into Luna, letting the older woman’s solid strength and earthy magic soothe her. “I’m sorry, I just… I hate feeling like this. Weak. Afraid. I hate that he still has this much power over me.”

Luna clicked her tongue. “You listen to me, Mari Sinclair. You are anything but weak. Never doubt that.” She drew back slightly, fixing Mari with a fierce amethyst stare. “You’re a survivor. More than that, you’re a fighter.”

A wobbly smile tugged at Mari’s mouth, her heart full to bursting with affection for this strange, wise woman who’d become such an integral part of her new life. “Okay. I trust you, Luna. What do I need to do?”

Luna squeezed her hands once more before releasing them, a glint of approval in her gaze. “First things first - we shore up your mental walls, make them iron-clad and impenetrable. I want you to imagine your power as a shimmering bubble around your mind. Can you see it?”

Mari nodded hesitantly, picturing a gleaming soap-bubble surface encasing her thoughts. “I think so...”

“Good. Now, I want you to feel that shield solidifying, hardening into something no force in heaven or earth can breach without your permission. Reinforce it with your will, your conviction in your own autonomy.” Luna circled her slowly, voice low and resonant. “No one has the right to enter your mind uninvited, Mari. Not Victor, not anyone. This space is yours and yours alone.”

Biting her lip in concentration, Mari envisioned the flimsy bubble thickening, turning hard as diamond and laced with pulsing golden strands of her magic. She poured all her hard-won defiance into it and her belief in her own worth. The shield flared brighter in her mind’s eye, humming with power.

Luna made a noise of approval. “Very good, love. Just like that. Now, let’s test it, shall we?” Without warning, a swift bolt of Luna’s magic rocketed toward Mari’s mental barrier, questing and sharp.

Mari gasped, eyes flying open as she instinctively braced for an intrusion...but none came. Luna’s power skated over the surface of her shield, finding no cracks, no way to worm past her ironclad defenses. A startled laugh bubbled out of her, giddy with wonder. She’d done it!

Luna grinned, fierce pride shining in her eyes. “See? I knew you could do it, Mari. That shield is strong enough to turn aside any magical or psychic attack. The only way someone’s getting into your head is if you allow it. You’re in control.”

Mari’s cheeks hurt from smiling so wide, triumph and relief a heady rush in her veins. But she sobered quickly, brow furrowing as a thought occurred. “But, Luna...what if they do get in somehow? What if they overpower me, wear me down? Shouldn’t I know how to fight back from inside my own mind as well?”

“An excellent point, my clever girl.” Luna nodded approvingly. “And that’s just what we’re going to practice next. I want you to let me in, just a little. Lower a section of your shield, but keep the rest intact.”

Mari frowned in concentration, imagining a small window opening in her glittering barrier. She felt the cool brush of Luna’s consciousness at the edges of her own, restrained and polite, waiting for permission. Drawing a bracing breath, Mari dropped her guard just enough to let the older woman slip inside her mind.

It was an odd sensation, having someone else inside her head. She could feel Luna’s soothing presence like dappled sunlight through leaves. There was no sense of intrusion or force, just a respectful sharing of space that left Mari fully in control.

“All right. I want you to practice pushing me out. Use your magic, your will, to drive my presence from your mind. Remember, even if an opponent breaches your outer defenses, you are still the master of this domain. This is your seat of power.”

Narrowing her eyes, Mari gathered up her magic and shoved, directing all her focus to expel the foreign entity from her headspace. To her surprise, Luna’s presence dissipated immediately, leaving Mari alone in her own mind once more.

Blinking rapidly, she found Luna watching her with a pleased grin. “Well done! See how easy that was? No matter how strong the invader, your mind is your ultimate stronghold. They can’t dislodge you from it if you stand firm.”

Mari let out a shuddering breath, feeling a knot of tension she hadn’t even realized she’d been carrying unfurl in her chest. “I... thank you, Luna. For showing me this, for helping me take back some semblance of control. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until now.”

Luna cupped her face with warm, sage-scented hands. “You already had that strength in you, my dear. I just helped you find it, believe in it. You’re a force to be reckoned with, Mari Sinclair. Don’t let anyone, especially not that miserable excuse for a wizard, ever convince you otherwise.”

Swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, Mari flung her arms around Luna’s neck and hugged her tightly, trying to convey her overwhelming gratitude without words. Luna just chuckled and held her close, rubbing soothing circles between her shoulder blades.

---