When the power finally ebbed, Davina swayed on her feet, blinking as her eyes faded back to normal. She looked exhausted but proud.
Mandy gave a slow, approving nod. “That was… impressive.”
Davina exhaled. “It’s been a while,” she admitted. “But it felt good.”
Mandy smiled faintly. “You’ve just made this place a fortress.” She turned toward Erin. “All right, little one. Your turn.”
Erin grinned, setting her tiny hands on her hips. “Okay!”
She scampered forward, concentrating hard. The grass trembled where she stepped, and a trail of bright flowers burst into bloom behind her — blues, yellows, pinks, all bobbing cheerfully in the breeze.
Mandy couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s a good thing you’re here, Davina,” she said with a grin. “I doubt these flowers would stop anyone from getting in.”
Davina laughed softly, reaching out to smooth Erin’s hair. “Not yet. But it’s a start.”
From the window, Lucy smiled faintly at the sight. “We really need to see what Davina’s capable of,” she said quietly. “I was going to let her settle in, but we can’t wait anymore.”
Byron nodded beside her. “Agreed. We’ll set a time later today. She’s powerful, maybe more than she realises.”
Lucy kept her gaze on the forest below, watching the last flickers of Davina’s magic fade into the trees. “Whatever’s coming, we’re going to need her.”
Outside, the wind rustled through the newly thickened forest whispering through thorns, vines, and bright little flowers that lined the edges like tiny guardians. The manor stood protected, if only for now.
By late morning, the forest around the manor had settled into its new, living rhythm. Lucy and Byron were still in the trainingroom, catching their breath, when the door opened and Mary walked in.
She looked tense, even for her. “We need to talk,” she said flatly.
Byron straightened, wiping a line of sweat from his temple. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Michael,” Mary said. “I don’t trust him. He keeps asking me questions, and not the kind a curious newcomer asks. He wants to know who makes the decisions, how the wards work, where the Doves report from. I don’t like where it’s going.”
Lucy frowned. “Byron, can you listen in on him? See if he’s hiding something?”
Byron hesitated. “Funny you should say that. I’ve been trying since he arrived, but he’s blocking it. Properly blocking. With us, we can tune out other people’s minds when we want to, and he’s been doing that on purpose.”
“So, he knows exactly what he’s doing,” Lucy muttered.
“Exactly. And that’s why I’m suspicious,” Byron said.
Lucy took a breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, a faint shimmer passed behind her pupils the tell-tale sign she was broadcasting.
Her voice went through the house, calm but firm:
Everyone, keep your conversations with Michael to a minimum. Don’t tell him our plans. Nothing. We cannot trust him.
She cut the connection before anyone could answer. It wasn’t a request. It was a command.
Mary folded her arms. “That’s not good enough, Lucy. I’m telling you, there’s something off about him. I can feel it.”
Lucy faced her. “I know. But we can’t lock him up without proof. For now, we keep him close and watch him.”
Mary’s jaw tightened. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe,” Lucy said quietly. “But it’s my mistake to make.”
For a moment it looked like Mary would argue, but she finally exhaled through her nose, muttered something under her breath, and turned for the door. When she was gone, the room felt heavier. Lucy stood still, staring at the floorboards. “She’s right to be worried,” she said softly. “I just can’t afford to show it.”
Byron stepped closer and lifted her chin with two fingers. “Hey. It’s a mess right now, I get it. But look at what you’ve already done. You could’ve gone back to your old life, pretended none of this existed. Instead, you solved your family’s murder, found out who you really are, and built a home for a bunch of supernatural misfits who somehow haven’t killed each other yet. Chaos, sure, but it’sourchaos.”
