Page 28 of Sequel to the Easter Bunny

I change—into the specific pants she suggests—and submit to the breakfast that seems to have miraculously appeared in front of me the moment I’m back in the living area of my tower.

“I’ve pushed everything I can back. People aren’t happy about it, but I’ve got you a little bit of grace from the worst of them.”

“What’s the worst of it?”

“Honestly? There’s nothing bad lined up for today. Nothing you can’t fix with a snap or a flick of your wrist.” She sighs and looks at my hand as I raise the last bite of my food to my lips. “The Power would definitely make life easy for people down there.”

“That’s the goal, right?”

She nods, “And that was how I was able to convince the ones who don’t need you today that they can wait until next week.”

She runs me through a list of approvals as we head down the lift and I sign off on them as she drives into the heart of the city.

One of Jamus’ biggest failings had been in his accounting. But money had miraculously appeared when I’d taken over the rule of the Valley, and I wasn’t going to ask where it came from if it meant I could deal with some of the things that had become recurrent problems.

“Marvellous,” she says as she checks over the list, once she’s pulled into park beside a long row of trees. “I already have the applications for the crew to get the dam at the north end of the Valley back in full working order, and I’ve got someone else handing the tower staffing issue.”

She scrolls through the list one more time and then pops open her door. “Come on, it’s time to perform a miracle.”

The word makes my stomach do a little flip. The Power was never actually explained to me.

I can make things happen… to an extent, but what I’ve heard has mostly been rumour and fear. Previous wielders liked to display the Power it held over people.

More than a few of the recountings have whole crowds forced to their knees by a single word.

It’s why people cower in their doorways as we walk up the small cobbled path to a courtyard that gets a little too much sun at this time of day.

They want to see, not to be seen.

The sickly-looking tree at its centre isn’t doing anyone any good.

But that’s not why we’re here.

Ari grimaces up at the building on the eastern side of the courtyard. Its honey-gold stone and red brick walls are cracked… listing.

“What happened?” I look up at the crumbling structure and I don’t think it would be a stretch to guess that four families live in the blocky building.

“Someone shattered that foundational stone last night.” Ari looks pointedly at the missing chunk at the corner of the building. “A few people saw who it was… they won’t name him, but I pieced together a description that’s undoubtedly Jamus.”

“Why would he do this?” I look at the building, at the faces of those lingering in the edges of the courtyard. None of the people are familiar.

“If he’s causing problems when you’re gone, I imagine his goal is simply to be a nuisance.”

“How would he know when I’m gone?”

Ari winces. “His Power is diluted to the point where it’s basically ineffectual, but it would let him feel the presence of other Power. When you’re in the old gods’ realm, he would feel the absence.”

“So every time I leave, he’s going to pull something like this.”

“Maybe.” Ari takes the broom from a woman who shakily introduced herself as Mrs Darling and sweeps the red debris into a pile. “But if it’s things like this, they’re just annoyances. Eventually, he’ll get himself into trouble with someone else he didn’t realise would be a problem, and then he won’t be yours anymore.”

“Shouldn’t I just deal with him now?” I ask as I flick my hand at the debris, willing the brick to reform, and then wave it back into the foundation.

The whole building shivers back into its previous form. Straight lines, level stones. The cracks fill themselves in, and just for good measure, I let my gaze linger on the dark vines climbing up its side. The leaves unfurl and the flowers bloom.

I only realise I’ve got a little carried away when I hear a hasp from behind me.

The tree in the courtyard is entirely pink with blossoms.

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