“With this,” Verbena said, holding up the scepter.She turned and held it out to Kieran.“You’ll be able to use it to channel the vein’s power as you see fit.”
Kieran’s eyes widened.“You…want me to be the vein’s guardian?”
Verbena nodded.“I told you when we first met that my family has guarded this place for generations.Unfortunately, I nevercared to continue the family line.”She chuckled.“You, however, have proven to be a worthy successor.Of course, I will stay for some time and train you in the art of protecting this place, but I have no doubt you’ll take to it easily—especially with your friends at your side.”
Kieran didn’t even hesitate.“Okay—deal.”
Everyone turned to him, eyes wide in shock.
“Kieran, this is a huge responsibility,” Delilah said.
He shrugged.“All this time, I’ve had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.I’ve never felt that I had a purpose, you know?But if I can help with this”—he gestured to the spring—“then maybe I’ve finally found one.”
“I’ll help,” Briar offered.When Delilah spun on her, wide-eyed, she shrugged.“What?We can manage, can’t we?”
“You could always make a home here,” Verbena said.“In the woods.The forest will take care of you so long as you care for it.”
“I never really liked the city much,” Briar admitted.
“I…suppose that might not be so bad,” Delilah said.She looked at Kieran.“You sure about this?”
Kieran considered it.He’d spent months in Gellingham feeling useless, floating through his life as if he were just another leaf on a river he had no control over.This, though?It was a purpose.A life he could see himself in, standing here with the people he loved, making a future that felt solid and defined.
“Yeah,” he finally said.He turned to Verbena.“I’m sure.We’ll protect this place any way we can.Thank you, Verbena.For everything.”
The old witch nodded.“And thank you for proving to me that perhaps there’s some good in this world after all.”
With that, the old witch passed the Scepter of the Woods to Kieran.Instantly, its magic shot up his arms, and Kieran gasped as he felt it sink into his chest, connecting with his own magic.A faint silver glow surrounded him and the scepter.Seaweed chirped before running up to him and jumping onto his shoulders.With his familiar and his magic surrounding him, Kieran felt a warmth he hadn’t before.
“Well,” he said, turning to look at his friends, “it looks like we have some planning to do.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
On the evening of his eighteenth birthday, Kieran found himself watching Sebastian’s sisters tear him to pieces.
“You look like you’re going to a business meeting,” his sixteen-year-old sister, Mei, said.Her inky-black hair was in a long braid down her back, tied off with a ribbon, and she wore a stylish skirt and a button-down shirt.The outfit was nice, but not overly formal, unlike what her brother had chosen.
“I want to make a good impression,” Sebastian shot back, straightening his tie for the umpteenth time.“And most good impressions start with looking the part.”
“Of what, a tax collector?”eight-year-old Lisha shot back from where she was sitting on the couch beside Kieran.
While Sebastian blushed, Kieran couldn’t hold in his laughter.Now that he’d known Sebastian’s sisters for a few months, it occurred to him that they had a lot in common with Briar—namely, their ability to absolutely eviscerate their brother at the drop of ahat.Mei and Lisha, though, managed to do it even more sharply than Briar most days.They may not have been trained assassins like their brother, but that didn’t mean they weren’t well-versed in cutting deep.
Sebastian sighed.“I’m meeting Kieran’s aunt Adelaide tonight—it’s essentially like meeting the parents.I can’t make a fool of myself.”
Kieran smiled.The four were getting ready to head to the Pinwhistle Forest, where the twins had elected to throw a joint birthday party for Kieran and Briar.People had come out from all over Celdwyn, including Adelaide, both of Delilah’s parents, and Ariel and Santiago.
Their pilot and chef had just returned from Esperona, where Santiago had introduced Ariel to his family.They’d sent piles of postcards detailing their adventures and describing all the finest foods and wines they’d sampled.Kieran, in turn, had written them enchanted letters: When Ariel and Santiago read them, it was as if they were actually witnessing Kieran’s memories along with him.Kieran showed them the springs in the Pinwhistle Forest, Verbena, and even the day when Kieran had brought the Witches’ Council to see the springs.They spent hours examining the waters, taking samples, and discussing what to do.After they determined that Kieran had, in fact, found a panacea, they announced that he had officially passed his Calling.They also agreed to help protect the vein in any way they could.They insisted, though, that Kieran and the others never tell another soul of its properties, lest it be drained of its power, to which the four friends agreed.
And Kieran’s magic, for all its faults, was still flickering proudly in his chest.
“She’s gonna think you’re a weird small businessman,” Lisha shot back at her brother, breaking through Kieran’s thoughts.Seaweed sat in her lap, letting the girl stroke her like a pet cat.
Sebastian put his hands on his hips.“Aweird small businessman?Come, now.”
As much as Kieran was enjoying seeing Sebastian’s slow roast, he stood up from the couch, crossing the floor to reach his boyfriend.
“Hold on,” he said, placing a gentle hand on Sebastian’s arm.“I have an idea of how to fix this.”
