Page 84 of Winterfall Destiny

She smiles. "Plenty of clashing, yes."

"Where will you go?"

"Back to the place near my family. Spend some time with my sister." She twirls the coffee cup in her hands. "Is that bad? Should we stay around to help?"

"No. I'd rather you didn't." She looks up, eyes wide. "Gabriella's vendetta focuses on us—especially Andrei—and we don't want you dragged in. There's a lot happening, and the five of us have to pull tight." I wrinkle my nose. "More people involved equals more complications."

"'A lot happening' that you're still not upfront about?" She arches a brow.

I chew my lip hard. "I can't say much, but we're also under threat from the First, Amelia. The creature's evil and if it suddenly had you in its sights too—and hurt you—I'd hate myself."

She sits straighter. "The First's threatening you because Andrei has its blood inside him?" she whispers.

"That's part of the situation." I give a tight smile. "Do you understand why I won't explain a lot? Why you'd be unsafe?"

"Yes, but tell me—has the First threatened you directly?" She reaches across and places a hand over mine.

"Winterfall and Blackwood witches trapped her," I say flatly.

"The First is focused on you." Amelia blanches. "Will the guys keep you safe? Can they?"

"Amelia, I'm not the witch you left behind at the academy, you know that. I'm accepting and learning all my power. I don't need 'keeping safe'." She looks at me doubtfully. "Me and the guys—we keep each other safe."

With a nod that doesn't feel like an agreement, Amelia nibbles on her pastry for a moment. "Is Jamie different?" she blurts. "He seems… not himself."

"And would you say any of us are the same as we were?"

"No. I guess. Your bond with Jamie is tighter—I can feel that, but there's an edge to him."

I close my eyes. Do I tell her about plans for the Blackwood magic? She'd freak out after what happened to Matt when he used their spells. "We think Jamie is threatened by something in another vision, that's all."

Amelia gasps so loudly that a couple at a nearby table stare at us. "He dies?"

"No. We don't know." I swallow. "Nobody will die."

"Poor Jamie," she mumbles. "Is that why the darker magic hovers around him again?"

"His bonded witch is half-Blackwood," I remind her.

"I can't get my head around that at all. How Blackwood are you?"

"Fifty percent?"

"Ha ha. I mean, the magic."

"Fifty percent."

Amelia narrows her eyes. "Are you influenced?"

"Everything's complicated."

Huffing, Amelia drops back in her chair and crosses her arms. "I'm annoyed that you keep saying that."

"I'm safe. We're safe."

"I don't see how, but okay." She takes her cup and sips.

"How are things with you and Matt, apart from everything with Alaric?" I ask.

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