Page 61 of Savage Desire

“Where do you want to start?” Bryony asks, heading toward the onyx section to the left, and I follow after her.

Guilt creeps up my spine as regret gets the better of me. Why did I doubt our friendship? It was silly of me. She’s the one here helping me when I’m lost. I need to remember that.

Catching up to her, I grab her arm before she turns down the first row of books, stopping her in her tracks. “Thank you… for this, I mean,” I ramble nervously, and she offers me a tight smile.

“Always. That’s what friends are for, right? Besides, you’re distracting me from my own mess, so I’m being selfish here, too, remember?” she adds with a wink, and I grin. At least she’s honest. “So, where do you want to start?”

I press my lips together, glancing past her to the books. There are a lot.A lot,a lot. How am I supposed to know where to begin?

“My stance on covens hasn’t changed,” I admit, and she nods in understanding.

“I assumed.”

“But Asher said that’s how I’ll become grounded, so I don’t feel whatever I felt when…” My words trail off, but she understands. When everything was going down with Blaze and Declan, I felt… a lot, and in those penultimate moments, when Declan died at the hands of Blaze, so did Lucille, and now Bryony is dealing with the aftermath of that.

I can only assume it was in that moment too, when my body was drunk on the intense emotions, that Bryony realized my magic type too.

“Maybe you should focus on mind witches first, then?” she suggests, and I nod, mumbling my thanks as I follow her down the endless rows.

She doesn’t stop until she reaches the very end, where each shelf is filled with books about mind witches, and the feeling of being overwhelmed hits me again.

I’ve got a lot to learn.

“Start with the lighter stuff,” she murmurs, grabbing two books off the shelf, holding on to one herself while handing me the other.

I offer her a tight smile in thanks as we head to the closest table. It’s surprising how many people are actually in here. I even spy Helena and Danika a few tables over, but if they see me, they don’t acknowledge my presence. That’s no surprise.

Getting comfortable, I run my hand over the front cover, trying to push down the nerves that threaten to have me running for the door. It’s a weird position to be in. I’m new to all of this; the supernatural world, the academy, this entire way of life, and I’m caught in the middle. One part of me wants to learn everything, but the easier option is to turn for the hills and run until I can’t run anymore.

Anything in life that is hard is worth fighting for, Polaris.

I still. The words in my mind are familiar, but the voice is… foreign. I run the words over my tongue, the memory of them at the corner of my mind but drenched in darkness. I relent before I let it consume me, opting to take strength from the motivation the words hold instead of clinging to where I heard them.

Opening the book, I bypass the content page and skip straight to chapter one. ‘So you’re a mind witch’ is etched along the top, and I take a deep breath before diving into the words.

Many things in this world don’t make sense, and the abilities of a mind witch is one of them. The ability, the strength, the magic, it’s indescribable. Firstly, give yourself a pat on the back for being the most elite of witches. Yes, I said it. Feel it, breathe it, embody it. If you want to survive in this world, you can’t slack on confidence now.

As a mind witch, you will find yourself overpowered by your ability, which is why a coven will be your found family. To bear the pain, to contain the powers running through your veins, and to be able to translate it into strength, you must find those around you that will help tether you to the present.

Doing so may take time, which is why we’ve researched and documented helpful skills that will aid you until the time comes. But first, let’s distinguish what it is you are feeling and what kind of mind witch you are because, of course, life isn’t as simple as being a mind witch; there are different strengths under such a powerful umbrella.

I’m already overwhelmed.Maybe I should stop now and digest this. One glance at Bryony across the table tells me it’s a big fat no as she cocks a brow at me, and I dive back into the book.

Mind Witches.

Tarot. Psychic. Illusions.

You can either read the divine cards to understand someone’s future, feel the thoughts and actions of others as or before they happen, or you may be able to transition the world around you into an illusion of your choosing.

The first flash of your magic, likely overwhelming and all-consuming, will allow you to understand.

If you touch an object or item that belongs to another and feel or see a vision relating to that person, then you are a tarot mind witch. If you are overcome with an energy of intense negativity or positivity that may leave you delirious, weak, and breathless, then you are a psychic mind witch. If, however, you are so overcome with emotion that you can’t decipher between what’s real or not, then you are an illusions witch.

Leaning back in my seat,I stare up at the fake night sky, letting the knowledge take root.

“Psychic witch?” Bryony asks, tearing my gaze from the pretty stars to her, and I nod. “I thought so. You looked like you could barely stand and your head was going to explode,” she states with a little chuckle, and I hum along.

“That’s exactly what it felt like,” I admit, and she offers me a reassuring smile.

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