9
I clutched the orb against my chest as we entered Zelda's cottage, the scarf doing little to dampen its pulsing energy. Dawn light filtered through bundles of hanging herbs, casting dappled shadows across the cluttered main room. The cottage smelled of cinnamon and something vaguely electrical—like ozone after a lightning strike.
"Zelda?" I called, stepping carefully around a stack of ancient books that definitely hadn't been there yesterday.
"In the workroom!" Her voice carried from the back of the cottage. "Bring whatever's making my wards vibrate before they shatter completely!"
Sam moved ahead of me, his shoulders tense. "How did she know we brought something?"
"The same way she knows everything," I muttered. "Terrifying witch intuition."
We found Zelda bent over a massive tome, her auburn curls wild around her face. She looked up, eyes immediately fixing on my scarf-wrapped bundle.
"Well, don't just stand there looking like you brought home a dead bird. Let's see it."
I unwrapped the orb and placed it on her examination table. The swirling mist inside glowed faintly purple, then crimson, then settled into an uneasy amber.
"Fascinating," Zelda murmured, leaning closer. "It's responding to the magical signatures in the room."
A gray blur leapt onto the table, followed by two more colorful streaks. Fat Bastard, Boba Fett, and Jango Fett circled the orb, tails twitching with suspicion.
"We's not liking this thing," Boba Fett announced, his white and gray fur standing on end. "It smells like bad magic."
"Bad magic and fish," Jango added, his calico pattern rippling as he arched his back.
Before Zelda could respond, Fat Bastard planted his considerable bulk directly atop the orb, covering it completely.
"Mine's now," he declared.
"Get your furry ass off the ancient artifact, you oversized dustmop!" Zelda snapped, hands on hips. "This is a priceless magical relic, not a warming stone for your gluteus maximus!"
Fat Bastard blinked slowly, the perfect picture of feline defiance. "Is warm. Is mine's."
I bit my lip, trying not to laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. Sam looked less amused, his jaw tightening.
"The orb's connected to the thefts," he explained. "We found it beneath the theater in a hidden chamber."
Zelda nodded, still glaring at her familiar. "I suspected as much. The energy signature is unusual—it's not just storing power, it's... resonating."
Boba Fett darted forward, batting at Fat Bastard's tail until the larger cat hissed and shifted—just enough for Boba to swipe at the orb's swirling contents through the crystal.
"Boba!" Zelda scolded.
The orb pulsed brightly in response to the cat's touch, sending a wave of magic across the room that knocked over several bottles on a nearby shelf.
The cottage door burst open as Mac strode in, bringing the scent of forest and morning dew. His imposing frame filled the doorway, but his expression softened when he saw Zelda.
"There's something you all need to see," he said, nodding to Sam and me. "Magical energy spikes all over town—started about an hour ago. The pattern matches..." He trailed off, staring at the orb. "That. Exactly that signature."
Jango Fett chose that moment to leap onto another shelf, sending a small blue potion bottle crashing to the floor. The liquid splashed against the table leg and immediately began to steam.
The orb pulsed violently, its amber glow shifting to brilliant gold.
"It recognized the potion," Zelda whispered, her eyes widening. "That's... that's the same mixture I made when Ivy and Rafe first came to me. A resonance enhancer."
"Resonance?" I asked, remembering the strange connection I'd felt with Sam in the theater.
"Magical pairs," Zelda explained, her gaze flicking between Sam and me. "The energy pattern is identical to what I recorded when Ivy and Rafe's magic first harmonized. But stronger." She frowned. "Much stronger."
