Page 13 of Witch's Spark

“What are you still doing here?” she asked weakly.

“You didn’t think we’d abandon you, did you?” He stroked her cheek, before pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Her eyes looked up at him, grateful and in awe.

“You should have done, its not safe to be near me right now. Or ever.” She shuddered and looked away.

“Nothing to see, she just forgot she can’t eat cinnamon. She does it all the time,” Faye told a few more bystanders. She turned towards the two of them. “You think we care you’re a banshee?” she demanded.

“You should.” Her voice cracked, making the tears she was trying to conceal all the more obvious.

Faye sunk to her knees, re

aching out to turn Penny’s face upwards so their gazes locked.

“We don’t. You’re ours. We’re yours. It doesn’t matter what you are. Just like it doesn’t matter that Reese can turn into a raven, or I can make sparks appear. How we’re born doesn’t define who we are. It’s what we do with our lives that counts.” She sat back on her heels, looking pretty pleased with her little speech. Penny didn’t look so sure.

“But I wasn’t born this way,” she whispered hesitantly.

“Banshees aren’t born?” he asked, receiving a shake of her head in return. “No wonder you’re so rare.” He’d almost thought they were a myth himself. Until one had started screaming right in front of him. That was a pretty good reason to start believing.

“No, we’re made.”

“Like vampires?” Faye asked, a frown covering her face. He wouldn’t admit it aloud, but he’d been wondering the same thing.

“No. At least, I don’t think so. I don’t actually know beyond the banshee curse can only be passed to a paranormal child. And that it stops them being who they were. I always thought it would erase their mate too, but...”

“But here we are.” Faye’s frown transformed into a broad grin, lighting up her face. He imagined his own probably mirrored up.

“Yes. But...”

“But?” Faye prompted after a moment’s silence.

“I’m still a harbinger of death,” she pointed out.

“I thought banshees only warned?” he said softly.

“We do...”

“Hardly a harbinger then.” He smiled down at her, and for the first time since she’d collapsed, she returned it

“Are you two really okay with this? I know nothing about how my powers work. I can’t answer your questions. Probably ever.”

“Then we’ll figure it out together,” Faye reassured her. “I might even know someone who can tell us more.”

“You do?” Hope lit up Penny’s voice.

“Possibly. We can agree that you have death magic, not light magic. Right?”

Reese tried not to laugh. Faye only ever used ‘right’ as a question when she already knew she was right.

“I guess so, but I can’t say I’ve ever thought about it.” Penny sat up suddenly, and Reese mourned the loss of contact. At the same time, he knew it was for the best. While they’d been having their conversation quietly, it still wasn’t the place.

“It makes sense,” he admitted, trying to ignore the smug look on his blonde mate’s face.

“I know,” Faye responded. She stood up and held out her hand for Penny, helping the other woman to her feet. Reese followed swiftly, jumping up with a grace only a bird shifter could claim. He cracked his neck. Shifting soon was probably a good idea. It’d been a while, and he was starting to suffer the itch of his inner raven trying to get out.

Maybe he should fly to wherever Faye intended them to go. His sense of direction was unparalleled, and his shifter form was only slightly larger than a normal raven, so it wasn’t like he’d be spotted and raise any suspicions.

He caught Faye’s eye and she nodded once. Years of knowing his shifting patterns, and years of knowing him, meant she didn’t need words.

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