He doesn’t answer, just steers me to the antique mirror hanging above the mantel. I catch sight of my reflection and freeze.
Myhair...
Myeyes…
Both are the same impossible, electric blue as my magic. Not a streak. Not a tint. They arevibrant, glowing, like I’ve been dunked in starlight and pulled back out humming with power.
I touch my face, watching the girl in the mirror do the same. Her eyes are wide, shocked, but underneath the surprise is something else.
Recognition.
This is what happens to spirit witches when they connect fully with the power of their affinity. I knew it could happen. Mom and Sebastian both have eyes this color… but not thehair.
What does that mean?
“Holy shit,” I whisper.
Asher grins. “You look like a superhero.”
“I look like a cartoon character.”
“Ahotcartoon character,” Asher agrees. “Maybe Sailor Moon’s hot cousin.”
Rowan laughs, smirking. “More like a very ethereal daughter of the Goddess Mother who inspired a next-gen supernatural cabal to kick ass and take names.”
I laugh, but it comes out shaky. My fingers trail through the blue strands and, yeah, it’ll take some getting used to.
But it’s also... kind of incredible.
It’s a rite of passage. Proof that I’ve survived everything thrown at me and come out the other side stronger.
It’s a little overwhelming when I realize how far we’ve come in less than two months. Well, overwhelming for me. Asher is thriving within the chaos.
There is so much coming at us from all sides but he’s rocking our new reality: wrapping up our lives in Wichita, hitting it off with Orion in the best way, being the man of Hallowind House, taking care of the details while I’m swept away and spun around in the eddies of my magical life trying to figure things out.
And there’s still so much to figure out. My sisters are missing. I’m in the infancy of understanding my affinity. I’m blood-bound to a demon lord who is likely free from the confines of the Hell Realm. And where the hell is S’Nark? I thought we’d come to a place where I could count on him if I needed him.
And then there’s Wylder and that kiss…
He said we’d circle back around to talking about it, but since he found out about the contract with Tharuzel, he’s barely been able to look at me.
Whatever.I’m taking things one hurdle at a time and keeping the faith that everything happens for a reason.
“Where’s my mom?” I ask, turning away from the mirror.
Rowan tilts her head toward the hallway. “In her workroom.”
“Do I have time to go check in with her?”
Asher waves the whisk. “You’re good. Sebastian called a Justice League meeting for this afternoon, and the house is making me cook enough food to feed a small army. Take your time. The tea biscuits just went in.”
I can’t help but laugh. “I’ll take ‘Things you never thought your bestie would say, for a thousand, Alex.’”
I shoot him a grateful smile and slip out of the room, the old, worn floorboards warm beneath my bare feet. The gratefulenergy of the house follows me as I make my way to the green door carved with the tree of life.
Inside, the workroom is quiet.
Candles flicker along the shelves, casting soft shadows over rows of jars and bundles of dried herbs. The scent of sage mixed with lavender wraps around me, filling me with strength for the day ahead.
