Page 36 of Witch's Promise

He turned back, raising an eyebrow in question.

Sean's face was a study in conflicting emotions - hope, fear, determination. "Thank you. For giving me a chance. I know I don't deserve it, but I swear, I'll make it right this time."

Gabe nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Because the truth was, a part of him wanted to believe Sean. Wanted to fall back into the easy rhythm they'd once shared, to pretend the last few years had never happened.

But he couldn't. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

As Gabe walked away, heading towards his car and whatever new crisis awaited him at home, he felt a curious mixture of heaviness and hope. On one hand, seeing Sean again had dredged up all the old hurt, all the anger and confusion he'd thought he'd put behind him.

But on the other there was a chance here. A chance for closure, for answers to questions that had haunted him for years. And maybe, just maybe, a chance to rebuild something from the ashes of what they'd once had.

Gabe shook his head, trying to clear it of such dangerous thoughts. He had more important things to worry about rightnow. Whatever was going on with Jessy Wisteria, whatever new threat was looming on the horizon, that had to be his focus.

As he slid behind the wheel of his car, Gabe took a deep breath, centering himself. He was Gabriel Reed, Shadowguard and protector of the magical world. He had a job to do, people counting on him. He couldn't afford to be distracted by ghosts from his past, no matter how compelling those ghosts might be.

But as he pulled away from the curb, Gabe couldn't help but glance in his rearview mirror. Sean still stood by the river, a solitary figure backlit by the city lights. For a moment, just a moment, Gabe allowed himself to remember. To feel the echo of what they'd once been, what they might have become if things had been different.

The drive homewas a blur of streetlights and half-formed plans. By the time Gabe pulled into the driveway of their family home, his mind was racing with possibilities, each one more dire than the last. He barely remembered to put the car in park before he was out the door, taking the porch steps two at a time.

The house was eerily quiet as Gabe let himself in, the usual warmth and bustle replaced by a tense silence that set his teeth on edge. "Mom?" he called out, shrugging off his jacket. "Dad?"

"In here, honey," his mother’s voice drifted from the kitchen, strained in a way that made Gabe's stomach clench.

He found his mother at the kitchen table, her usually immaculate appearance disheveled, worry lines etched deep around her eyes. The sight of her like this, so far from her normal composed self, sent a fresh wave of anxiety through Gabe.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sliding into the chair across from her. "Your call said something about Jessy?"

His mother nodded, her hands wrapped tightly around a mug of what smelled like her special calming tea blend. "It's... it's not good, Gabe. We've tried everything we can think of, but nothing's working. She's getting worse by the hour, and we don't know what to do."

Gabe felt the familiar weight of responsibility settle onto his shoulders. This was what he did, wasn't it? Solve the unsolvable problems, save the day when no one else could. Even when a part of him just wanted to crawl into bed and pretend the world wasn't falling apart around him.

"Where is she?" he asked, already pushing back from the table.

"Guest room," his mother said, standing to lead the way. "Your father's with her now."

As they climbed the stairs, Gabe's mind whirled with possibilities. What could be affecting Jessy so severely that his parents, both powerful witches in their own right, couldn't handle it? And why bring her here instead of to a hospital or the Shadowguard headquarters?

The answer hit him just as they reached the guest room door. Whatever was wrong with Jessy, it was magical in nature. And given the tensions between the covens lately, his parents had probably thought it safer to keep things in-house.

His father looked up as Gabe entered the room, relief clear on his face. "Thank the stars you're here, son. We're out of our depth with this one."

Gabe's eyes were immediately drawn to the figure on the bed. Jessy Wisteria lay there, pale and still as death, sweat beading on her forehead. Her chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths, and even from across the room, Gabe could feel the wrongness emanating from her.

"Shit," he muttered, moving to the bedside. "How long has she been like this?"

"It started a few hours ago," His dad explained, running a hand through his graying hair. "She was fine one minute, then suddenly she started screaming about shadows and darkness. We managed to calm her down, but she's been getting steadily worse since then."

Gabe nodded, his Shadowguard training kicking in. "Has anyone checked for magical interference? Curses, hexes, that sort of thing?"

His mother shook her head. "We tried, but it's like there's some kind of barrier. We can't get a read on her magic at all."

Well, that wasn't ominous at all. Gabe took a deep breath, centering himself. He could do this. He had to do this.

"Okay," he said, shrugging off his overshirt. "I'm going to try something, but I need you both to step back. If this is what I think it is, it could get messy."

His parents exchanged a worried glance but did as he asked, moving to the far corner of the room. Gabe placed his hand on Jessy's forehead, wincing at the heat radiating from her skin. Then, closing his eyes, he reached out with his magic.

The moment Gabe's power touched Jessy's aura, he knew they were dealing with something far beyond normal magical ailments. It was like plunging his hand into a vat of tar, thick and choking and wrong on a fundamental level.

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