Page 70 of A Bolt of Magic

“Although I’m sure I’m right,” I tell her. “It’s just a theory. One we’ll need to test properly, to be sure.”

“I think you might be onto something, but first…I need food. I think I could eat a whole cow.”

I grin. “A whole cow, huh?”

She nods a few times. “Or a deer…or whatever you have.”

“Coming right up. I don’t want you moving a muscle. You need rest and pampering for a few days.”

“Sounds good.” She smiles at me as I leave the room, heading for the cabin.

I need to get her back to her coven, back to the safety of her own people. I was never meant to have this magic coursing through my veins. It’s handy, but I’ll be fine without it. I wish there were a way for her to keep the access to her power.

Right now, she needs to get strong again so that I can take her home. That’s the only thing that matters.

21

Kian

Three days later…

I stand alone by the edge of the lake, my shoulders rigid with concentration as I raise my hands, attempting to call forth my magic.

Nothing happens.

Not even the faintest spark…and I’m not at all surprised.

I try again and again, but of course, I fail. The third attempt is no more successful than the first two, and I drop my hands in defeat, my head hanging low. I can feel the power, but I can’t get to it. The frustration burns through me like acid, even though it was expected.

A few moments later, McColl appears from around the corner of the barn, her boots crunching on the dirt as she approaches me. Even before she reaches me, she’s already shaking her head.

“No luck!” she yells, making a face. Then, as she draws closer, she says. “It’s back to how it was before…” She sighs. “I have limited ability when I move far enough away. You?”

We’ve made various attempts to access our magic independently. And there can be no doubt now – my theory is correct. Our powers are bound together somehow, inextricably linked by whatever happened during that eclipse when I broke the amulet around her neck.

I shake my head. “Ideally, you’re very close, or my power wanes. Once you move away, my magic is less and less accessible.”

“Same here.”

“I mean, we’ve tested it. Even if we can see each other but are too far from one another, it’s gone.”

“Just like if we’re close but can’t see each other, it’s still there,” she says.

I nod. “As far as this last attempt is concerned, as soon as you turn that corner, it’s gone. I’m back to having nothing at all. I have no access, as it should be, I guess, since I’m a magicless fae.” I sigh, lifting my hands. “Now that you’re here, I can feel it right there again. I have plenty of power.”

“Me, too.” She looks down at her hands as well. “Together, we can wield magic that rivals any conjurer I’ve ever seen, but apart…” She gives me a half smile. “I liked being powerful…but as you said, I’m used to the way things were, to not having access to great amounts of power. I’ll get used to it again…I guess. It’s just, my mother…she…” McColl chews on her lip. “She would have loved having a daughter she could finally be proud of.”

The longing in her voice, the understanding that she’s spent most of her life feeling incomplete…it makes something twist in my chest.

“I’m sorry,” I say quietly, genuine regret filling my voice. “I wish there was another way.”

McColl straightens her shoulders, putting on a brave face that isn’t quite convincing. “My mother will live. I will, too. It just would have been nice to matter for once.”

“You shouldn’t have to be powerful to matter. You should just have to be you. It should be enough. Itisenough, McColl.”

She gives a humorless laugh. “You haven’t met my mother, then.” McColl’s expression shifts, becoming more guarded. She sits on a rock, wrapping her arms around her knees. “She is the most powerful of all the witches in my coven. She’s the head of The Circle…as it has been in my family for generations. The Circle is our governing body, comprising of seven witches of great power. The Ravencrest clan, my clan, has always had powerful daughters. One of them has always been the head of The Circle once the time comes. I am the first in my family to fail. There will be no more Ravencrests in power once my mother steps down.”

The sadness in her voice makes me want to hug her. To try to make it better. But I don’t.

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