Page 44 of Baneful Magick

“What happened the first time?” I asked, unable to hold back my curiosity.

“I just… found it. Went inside and looked around at the plants. There’s an inner office or bedroom of some kind. It looked like it had been used as both. It didn’t have this power associated with it before.”

Wells nodded thoughtfully, carefully studying the greenhouse.

“It’s odd,” I started, clearing my throat when the two witches focused on me. “I couldn’t even see this place until the power took over. Nothing! I didn’t see it the night we came out to look for it either, but Wells could see it.”

“Maybe it was hidden from people who aren’t witches?” Isla thought out loud, then she shook her head almost immediately. “That doesn’t feel right.”

“It could be my power.” Wells sighed, the pinch in his brow showing he was uncomfortable. “I don’t like to talk about it, but that might be why I could see it.”

“What power?” Isla asked.

“I’m a weaver,” Wells said, keeping his voice low as if someone would overhear us. “I don’t have a specialty, per se. I can learn every type of magick and weave them together into something new.”

I swallowed hard, curious about just what he had done with those powers to garner the attention of Greywood. Isla didn’t seem bothered. If anything, she appeared intrigued. Just as she opened her mouth to ask a question, Wells’ expression darkened. A shudder made his entire body shake then stiffen.

“I’d appreciate it if we kept this between the three of us. I don’t like?—”

“Of course,” I agreed with him easily.

Isla didn’t respond. She had a faraway look on her face that said she wasn’t fully here anymore. She was listening to something only she could hear or looking at something only she could see. Suddenly, she jolted, and then she was back with us. A long blink, then she nodded in answer to Wells’ request and looked over her shoulder at the greenhouse.

“I’m going inside,” she announced.

“That’s probably not— never mind.” Wells ran a hand over his face as Isla completely ignored him and waltzed inside like she hadn’t just been overtaken by an unknown power. She had no sense of self-preservation.

Thankfully, no magick took over her body this time around. The two of us shared a mutual look of frustration before I began to move. There was no way I would leave her to this place on her own.

It felt like another world inside the glass building. Plants were all over the place—climbing the walls and trailing along the floor, and the earthy scent was strong but not unpleasant. The warmth immediately made it feel like summer, and I wished I wasn’t wearing jeans.

Power washed over me after a few steps. It assessed, judged, then moved on. I had been approved. But by what? A shiver of cold ran down my spine, and I looked over to find an odd expression on Wells’ face before he caught up to me.

“Did you feel that?” I whispered, feeling like the greenhouse would hear me.Maybe it could.

“It let us enter,” he replied, dodging a low-hanging vine in the path. “Whether that was the place itself or Isla wanting us here, I don’t know.”

“I wonder if we can find out anything about this greenhouse,” Isla said as we located her in the mess of the place.

“Maybe at the library,” Wells guessed absently as his attention was caught by the inner sanctum that Isla had mentioned.

A circular bedroom and office in the middle of this place.

Somewhere along the way, Isla had ditched her bag and shoes. She walked around barefoot, softly humming as she petted the plants. She looked powerful and ethereal, like her power was illuminating her from the inside out.

“This place suits you,” I told her with a small smile.

Her head snapped up at that, and a grin slowly grew on her face, the happiness making her face flush.

“It feels familiar somehow. I’m not sure why but being here feels like coming home.”

“Will it stay here after we leave?”

“I think so,” Isla replied, walking closer to the two of us. “I don’t know if everyone will be able to see it, I guess, but I think I’ll be able to find it.”

“We’ll need to experiment,” Wells proposed. “A personal project.”

“Trying to get your mind off the sex magick one coming up?” I quipped. Wells shot me an annoyed look while Isla snorted.

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