Page 102 of Brambles and Bellflowers
This didn’t seem to be the best time to mention that one of us could have had the foresight to pay attention to the stars—to see which direction we’d been traveling. We’d both failed miserably in that regard.
He left me, half-limping, as he fell toward the nearest tree and pressed his hands against the base of the trunk.
“Come on, come on…” he muttered.
But nothing happened—assuming he was attempting to summon more magic mushrooms. A second later, a long line of what were almost assuredly French expletives only reinforced my suspicions.
“How do you know so many French curse words?” I asked, crouching down beside him. “I thought you were a kid when you lived there?”
“I was a teenager!” Miles snapped, and I raised my eyebrow at his tone. “Teenage boys curse a lot.”
“Not all of them…” I muttered, leaning away. Clearly he needed a moment.
“I’m sorry,” Miles said quickly, his shoulders slumping. He turned to me and buried his face between my shoulder and neck. He was shaking, and I tentatively raised my hand, petting his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to yell,” he said. “I just…”
He didn’t seem to be able to put it into words, but I understood.
Being disconnected from your abilities was the worst.
“Is there something blocking you?”
“How are you so calm right now?” he asked, pulling back as he looked into my face.
I shrugged. Little did he know that I was freaking out internally. However, I’d already mentally prepared for the possibility of a long and brutal winter in the wilderness.
“How far do you think we walked yesterday?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” Miles sounded lost. “Maybe three miles?”
I pursed my lips atmaybe.
But before we did anything, something else needed to be established. He hadn’t answered my earlier question—and the reason why could make all the difference.
“Do you know why you can’t do your mushroom thing?”
“No.” He glared at the ground. “I canfeelthe magic, almost like it should be working. So I don’t know why nothing is happening.”
“Could it be the forest?” I pressed, recalling his earlier statement that the roots messed with his powers. However, it wasn’t likely since it hadn’t been an issue before. “If you’re sure it’s not you, it must be something around us.”
My second question seemed to stir something in him, and without saying another word, he slammed his hand over the earth and closed his eyes.
“We’re right in the middle of a witch’s circle!” Miles exclaimed, opening his eyes. Surprise colored his flushed expression. “It’s huge! I can’t believe I didn’t feel it earlier.”
I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”
“There’s an extremely powerful witch nearby.” He held the tree for balance as he stood. His focus moved around us, frown deepening. “One even more powerful than the other Officers—except maybe Jonathon.”
“Is that possible?” I asked. Wasn’t he a Paragon Er Bashou?
“Maybe.” Miles frowned. “But unlikely…”
What was that supposed to mean?
“Anyway,” he continued. “It seems this circle is supposed to block any work by other witches. It’s trying to keep something out.” He glared despondently into the forest. “I can’t pinpoint where they are either.”
“Maybe it’s Bigfoot,” I offered. “And that’s how it’s stayed hidden so long.”
Miles glanced at me, sudden excitement in his gaze. “That’s a brilliant theory.”
