My chest constricts. “How?”
“We were trying to seal a massive rift in the veil between realms to protect the souls of the dead from being taken…” He waves a hand between us. “It’s a very long and involved story. Just know your mother was an exceptional spirit witch, and she was the only one who stepped up to help me. Things went badly, and you lost your family. I will be forever sorry for that. It’s why I sought you out, to try to make amends.”
“How did you find me?”
“On the eve of Samhain, the magical world is at its most powerful. That power allows certain spells to work well beyond their normal reach. I’ve searched for you each year since your coven exiled you.”
“Exiled me? What the hell did I do?”
“Nothing. It’s what they feared you would do. You are a spirit witch, like your mother. Of all the magical affinities, it is one of the rarest. What your mother and I did to safeguard the world was dangerous, as I mentioned, and it was also forbidden.”
My mind trips on that. “And because she broke the rules, they erased me from my life?”
He dips his chin. “Covens can be… opinionated. They blocked your powers and sent you away. Last night, the jolt of energy you felt was me removing the first level of their block. You should start feeling your powers awakening over the next days and weeks. When you’re ready, I’ll remove the next block.”
“Why not just remove it all now?”
His smile is soft, but the question seems to make him uneasy. “Think about your magic like water. For years it has been a delicate mist inside your cells. As children, young witches can do simple parlor tricks—call small objects across the room, light a candle with a breath—but at nineteen, it begins to condense. At first, it’s just a few drops of liquid. Then it’s a trickle building to a burbling stream. That’s where your sister Violet should be.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “Violet? That’s her name?”
He nods. “And the youngest is Lily. She will be sixteen now.”
Something inside me slots that information in place—Violet and Lily. I’ll find them. No matter where they are or what they remember, I’ll find them.
“For a year, that stream builds in strength until we turn twenty. Then, our affinities unlock, and our magic takes hold. That stream becomes a powerful flowing river of energy. Magical potential floods our cells and builds in strength. And all the while, we’re learning how to contain it, control it, and if needed… diffuse it.”
I see where he’s going with this, and it’s stealing the breath from my lungs.
“The block the coven put on you was a dam to that river and needs to be deconstructed in stages. It didn’t stop the magical potential. It only kept it from coming to the foreground of your life. You’ll be twenty-two next month. Your powers have been dammed up for years, and all that magical energy is fighting to break free.”
Frustration builds inside me, and I blink against the sting of tears. “What right did they have to do that to me?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know the witches of the Emberwood Coven well. I went to them for help with the rift in the veil, but they refused to help me. Your mother sought me out later to learn more about what I was facing.”
The idea of my mother going against her coven to choose to help this man speaks volumes. “Was it worth it? Did the dangerous thing you tried work?”
Sebastian sighs. “I thought we’d succeeded despite the backlash of magic, but recently, the problem is returning. I was hoping you might help me with that.”
I cross my arms, suddenly cold despite the warm energy from the stones. “I don’t know anything about magic. I just wanted to learn about my life and how I ended up in Kansas alone and with no memory.”
Sebastian’s expression is unreadable. “When your powers start to resurface, the local coven will sense your presence. They’ll send an envoy to bring you in.”
“Will they try to get rid of me again?”
His jaw flexes. “They may try, but they won’t succeed. The release of your powers I enacted can’t be circumvented. The coven will have no choice but to take you in and train you.”
That pisses me off. This is a problemtheycreated. They threw me away like rotten garbage, and I have to accept their help? Surely there are other covens… other mentors who could step in. “Couldn’t you train me?”
Sebastian’s expression darkens. “No, Poppy. My affinity has taken me to dark places. It’s been decades since my magic was pure enough to take on a young witch. You need to be trained and supported by a coven.”
“The same coven that bound my powers and stole my sisters from me?”
“I’m sorry bringing you back puts you in the middle of all this, Poppy, but having a coven is an incredible boon to a witch. Some members of Emberwood may be flawed, but don’t give up your entire community because of a few righteous or frightened rotten apples. I truly believe your mother would want you to be here, and she would want you to reclaim your family heritage.”
“What about my sisters? Have you found them?”
He shakes his head. “I found you because we share like powers. Your sisters don’t have a spirit affinity. We’ll find them, but for now, focus on training and reclaiming your life. The coven won’t be happy you’re back, and they’ll be even less happy they can’t bind you or control you because of my interference. Be wary, Poppy. Trust no one.”
