Page 58 of Untraced Magic
Ten minutes later, the doorbell thrummed in our ears, and I rose to my feet.
Tyler moved beside me. “I’ll get it.” He walked to the door, opening it. “Hey, Betty, long time no see,” he greeted, letting her inside and giving her a polite hug.
She beamed. “Tyler, so nice to see you again, young man.” Betty made her way into the living area, dressed smartly in a matching plum pantsuit.
Skye suppressed a cough, and I met her gaze with a mixture of amusement and nerves. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could sink into the many seams sewn into the fake leather on my shoes. Could thisbeany more awkward?
Lines formed on Betty’s forehead. “I hope this isn’t a bad time…”
“Betty, are you a witch?”
My brows practically hit the roof. Hell, Wesley came straight out with it.
Bettys perfectly set hair sat tight on her head, a crease appearing between her eyes. “A witch? What on earth would make you ask a question like that?”
At first glance, I could be mistaken to think the question hadn’t rattled her, until her eyes met mine. In that moment, a flicker deep within her aged orbs told me everything I needed to know.
“Does this locket look familiar to you?” said Skye, holding it in her hand.
Betty didn’t answer, instead looking directly at me, asking a question of her own.
“You mentioned this locket was a family heirloom?”
I paused, holding Betty’s gaze, her blue-gray eyes full of questions.
I considered my words carefully, unsure how much information to share. “My adoptive mother gave it to me on my twenty-first birthday.” It was the truth… just not the entire story. “Why is that?”
“Your adoptive parents,” she repeated, more to herself than the room. “Morgan, how old are you?”
An exasperated breath left me. “What difference does that make?”
“Morgan,” Tyler warned, his voice low, fingers wrapping around my arm.
I didn’t mean for it to sound rude, but patience was never a strength of mine.
I shrugged off Tyler's arm, words spilling from me so fast I could barely gather a breath. “I’m twenty-four. The symbol on this locket matches the symbol in this book. Do you know my parents somehow?Please,just tell us what you know.”
The room turned silent, everyone turning to Betty.
“What makes you think I would know your parents, dear?” she said carefully, her words smooth. Level, as if she kept them carefully measured.
Wesley lifted to his feet, his arms folded across his chest. “Betty, I know it was you who cast the spell on Morgan. I heard your voice chanting it,” he accused.
Her head dipped to the side. “You heard my voice?”
Tyler stepped in, holding his arm in the air. “Betty, can you help us or not?”
Her gaze swept the room before landing on mine.
“Morgan, dear,” she said with caution, her voice lowering further. Her gaze swept the room once more before she sighed. “I think you may be my granddaughter.”
Air sucked from my lungs, my legs wilting beneath me. Warmth circled my waist as Tyler broke my fall, steering me to the couch where I sank into it. The words choked the breath from me, my mind frozen.
Words. They flooded my mind. My mouth moved, but I couldn’t produce a single sound. I looked at Tyler in desperation, and he seemed to read my mind, his hand grasping my knee.
His voice came strong and confident. “Betty, what makes youthink you could be Morgan’s grandmother?”
Her eyes nestled on mine, and I found a comfort in them I hadn’t noticed before. “Morgan, were you left at an orphanage as a baby?” she asked softly.
