Page 5 of A Touch of Madness

She laughs, a rich, musical sound. “Don’t overthink it, dear. Just a few hours a week, and I’ll make it worth your while. Pay, of course. And mentorship, if you’re interested.”

“Mentorship?”

Ravenna leans against the counter, folding her arms. “You’ve got a spark, my dear. I can feel it. Rebecca and Nicole are the friends who told you about me, yes?”

My eyes widen. “You know them?” I’m forgetting about the fact that the girls told me she’s a witch from the Guild, and she probably knows everything about me without having to ask even one question.

“Of course. I’ve been mentoring those two for years. They’ve mentioned you, as well. Told me things. And I think it’s nothing other than fate that you and Nate stopped in at the same time. I’m well aware of who you are, Sylvie Rosenthal. And I’ve been waiting for you to come in and see me.”

A flicker of curiosity sparks in me. “And who am I?”

Ravenna’s expression softens as she closes the distance between us. “Someone with much more potential than you realize. TheEverdawnlineage, your mother’s ancestry, is no small thing, Sylvie. It’s rooted in some of the most powerful witch and vampire lore in all of existence. We studied your family growing up in the Guild. There’s rich history there, depth. And you... you’re at the center of it.”

Her words send a cold chill down my spine, but it’s not fear—it’s something else entirely. I’ve learned plenty about my lineage in a short amount of time, but hearing people talk about the Everdawns so highly still gives me pause.

I think about Lara, about the dreams, the visions—about everything that’s been happening since I came to Blackthorne. Maybe Ravenna’s right. Maybe I’m meant to be here, to figure this out. And there’s obviously a reason I was meant to meet this kind-hearted woman in front of me. I can’t deny the warmth she radiates, and the peacefulness I’ve felt since stepping into her shop. I have my parents’ trust, of course, but I should probably consider bringing some money in eventually as well. Maybe if this works out, I could pick up more hours.

I swallow hard and look her in the eye, nodding. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll take the job.”

Ravenna smiles, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel like I might be on the right path.

The scent of roasted coffee beans mingles with the faintly sweet tang of parchment and old ink, a comforting blend that has become synonymous with these weekly meetups with the girls who have become my best friends—my only friends, really. Aside from Marisol, a girl I met in one of my classes who I’ve started growing closer to over the past few weeks.

The Raven’s Quill, with its mismatched furniture, shelves lined with well-loved books, and low-hanging lanterns, feels like a haven carved out of time. These stores were few and far between back in Chicago. Every now and then I would find a small, cozy shop tucked into the confines of the stinky city streets, but it wasn’t often—and never one as beautiful and enthralling as this one.

I sit across from Nicole and Rebecca at our usual table that’s nestled tightly among the stacks of books. There’s a circular window to the left of us, the view outside hazy from the fog rolling in. Their drinks—Nicole’s cinnamon chai latte and Rebecca’s peppermint mocha—steam in front of them, but their attention is fixed squarely on me.

I pick up my lavender tea and get prepared for the onslaught of questions surely headed my way now that I told the girls I stopped in at the apothecary. “So, let me get this straight,” Nicole says, her voice tinged with excitement. “You finally met Ravenna? Like,theRavenna?”

“Yes,” I reply, chuckling as I set the mug down on the table between us. “Apparently, she knows you both pretty well. Even more so than you let on…”

Rebecca’s eyes light up, her mocha all but forgotten. “Yeah, we may have undersold our relationship a bit. She’s practically family. She’s mentored us at the Guild since we were in our early teens.”

“Thirteen for me,” Nicole says with a grin. “And she’s beyond brilliant. One of the most respected witches in the entire region. If anyone can help you with the humanity issue, Sylvie, it’s her.”

I blink, taken aback by the fervor in their voices. “She... did seem like she knew what she was doing,” I admit. “But it was more than that. She made me feel... calm. Like I wasn’t completely unraveling for the first time in weeks.” Her presence was like a soothing balm. One I could definitely get used to having in my life.

“That’s part of her gift,” Rebecca says, her tone softening. “She has this way of making everyone feel safe, even when the world is falling apart. It’s why she’s so revered at the Guild. She’s not just powerful—she’s compassionate. But don’t mistake that kindness for weakness. She’s as sharp as they come. One of the most compelling and intelligent witches I’ve ever met.”

Nicole leans forward, her expression serious. “Did you tell her about Lara?”

I nod, the warmth of the coffee in my hands doing little to ease the cold knot in my chest. “I told her everything. The dreams, the visions, what happened with Amara. How I tried to deceive Solstice, but they were one step ahead and had a failsafe in place by erasing Lara’s humanity. She is quite hesitant, like everyone else, but she agrees…we have to help Lara. In some way, at least.”

I think back to spending hours in Petals and Potions, spilling my guts to a woman I’d only just met but that felt like a pivotal person in my life. She took it all in, listened, and offered advice from a brand-new lens.

“That’s huge,” Rebecca says, her voice laced with something incredibly dangerous—hope. “If anyone can figure out a way to bring Lara back—really bring her back—it’s Ravenna. She has access to spells and knowledge most witches can only dream of.” She looks to Nicole. “I honestly don’t know why we didn’t bring her in back at the beginning of everything. It was all just so sudden and fast…”

“It’s okay,” I reassure her. “Everything was up in the air and messed up and none of us knew the best approach.”

Nicole reaches across the table, her hand brushing mine. “I’m so happy about all of this. So, so happy that you will finally have someone else on your side that will be beneficial. But Sylvie, we also need to talk about you. Helping Lara is one thing, but you can’t keep putting yourself in danger for her. If she’s lost her humanity...”

“She hasn’t,”I interrupt, my voice sharper than I intend. I take a deep breath, willing my emotions back under control. “I know she hasn’t. Well, she has, I guess. But she’s still in there. I just... I can feel it.”

Nicole exchanges a glance with Rebecca, but neither presses the point.

“Well,” Rebecca says after a moment, “if Ravenna’s involved, at least you’ll have someone who can help you control your powers, and even learn to better wield them, while you figure this out. You’re not doing this alone anymore.”

“I’m also…” I say, pausing, the words heavier than I expect. “Thinking about cutting down my class load at Blackthorne.”

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