I sigh with a knowing nod. “Whatever Willow faced out there when she ran away must have been terrible. She's hardly opened up to me, and I can't blame her for not trusting me.”
Rissa nods slowly. “It must be why she's so insecure. It'll take her some time to come around.” She turns to me and whispers, “But there's something else, Thane.”
“What is it?” I frown as I keep my eyes on Willow, captivated by the graceful motions of her hands over the crystal as she makes the currents of her magic dance and sway.
“Have you noticed the color of her magic?”
“Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?” I smirk as I watch gold flames dancing over the ball.
“Gold,” Rissa nods thoughtfully. “Ever since we began emerging as witches, I’ve been researching the source of our powers, and what they might mean.”
I turn my frown toward Rissa, watching Willow out of the corner of my eye. “And…?”
“Aurora's magic is purple, like the color of the energetic field where our powers are drawn from. Mine is green, like the color of my eyes and my link to plants. Yvonne's is silver, like the color of her eyes, and the energetic force that gives us power. But Willow's is gold.”
I raise my brows expectantly at Rissa. “I'm not understanding, Riss.”
“Gold is the color of the source of all creation, Thane.” Rissa turns toward Willow and the crystal ball, staring at her, hypnotized. “Gold is the most powerful magic to exist. I believe Willow is the most powerful witch amongst us.”
Turning toward Willow slowly, Rissa's suspicion hangs heavy as I watch her wield her magic with such grace and precision, as if she's no rookie at all.
It's no wonder she was able to blast the demons we encountered the other night into ashes.
No one has ever been able to do that before.
“With that said,” Rissa continues. “Willow can't afford to have any emotional turmoil in her life. The house burning down was nothing compared to what she's capable of.”
I nod slowly again, digesting this information and realizing that I have to do everything in my power to help Willowheal from the past, ensuring that her emotions remain stable throughout it.
That's why, when she's done with her round of practice, I decide to do something nice for a change.
“That was brilliant, Willow!” I cheer, and she lowers her face as she blushes sheepishly, brushing off the compliment with a shrug.
“It was nothing,” she giggles, staring at her hands as her fingers tremble in the aftermath of wielding her powers. “I'm still figuring it out.”
“Be right back,” Rissa says as she walks off to join Aurora at the crystal.
“I still thought that was incredible. Rissa thinks so, too,” I smirk. “Are you done with practice for now?”
Willow shakes her head. “Aurora wants to go another round. I'd like to practice a little more.”
“Well, don't overwork yourself, okay?” I offer with a soft smile, to which Willow nods tentatively.
“I should—” she says as she points over her shoulder when awkward tension rises between us.
I decided to seize the opportunity to make our friendship more stable.
“Well, I should go get our stuff sorted. We'll be staying at my grandfather's place for the time being.”
Willow grimaces. “Elder Charles? Is that really a good idea?”
I click my tongue to dismiss her concerns. “Everything is taken care of. You have nothing to worry about, Willow. All you need to do is ace your training. And another thing…”
“Yeah?”
“You also need to take a break every now and then. Take your mind off training and magic for a while. That's why I'm taking you out for dinner on Friday.”
“Thane,” Willow chides. “We agreed—”
