Page 28 of Spirit Storm

That's the real improvement. The waiting.

"Okay." Tanner stands at the far end of the garden, arms folded, voice unhurried. "Same as before. Don't think about the distance. Think about the place."

"The place." Asher rolls his shoulders. "Got it. The place."

"Specifically."

"Super specifically."

"Asher."

"I'm specifically thinking about the specific place specifically." He taps his temple. "Locked in."

He disappears. And reappears directly in front of Tanner, six inches from his face.

Tanner doesn't flinch.

Asher grins. "Ha. Nailed it."

"You were supposed to land at the flagstone."

"The flagstone is boring. This was more accurate, arguably."

"The flagstone is your target. Land on the flagstone." Tanner steps back without ceremony. "Again."

I take a sip of hot chocolate. Asher catches my eye and points two fingers at his eyes and then at Tanner's back, mouthing watching him with deeply conspiratorial energy. I point at the flagstone.

He makes a face, but moves back to his mark, and this time reappears on the flagstone. Dead center.

I smile into my mug. That’s my bestie. Right there.

Things in our crime-fighting life have been… not good, exactly, but better than they were. Wylder's theory about Mica needing a partner to imbue the weapons is solid.

She sent me a message last night that one of the blades we worked on is still holding. Not perfectly, and not with any amount of magic that would impact Tharuzel, but holding.

Lily sent me home with the drawing she was working on when we found her in the garden alcove. It’s graphite pencil, strange and beautiful.

Violet is practically running the Arcana practice block by sheer force of personality, and when I cornered her for the real truth on how she’s doing, she confessed that she’s okay, not fine, but okay.

I appreciate the difference.

The house still feels like we’re not quite whole, but we’re getting there. Rowan will be home from her parents’ place soon, Wylder is spending more and more time here, and Orion stays over most nights with Asher.

That’s enough.

Now, if only Garrison would call me and give me an update on Ireland. He told me to be ready, and that was almost twenty-four hours ago.

Asher vanishes again and reappears at the back fence, thirty feet from the flagstone. He looks back at Tanner. “My bad. I did not mean to do that."

Tanner walks toward him. “I know. You drifted. What were you thinking about?"

"The flagstone, I swear. And also… a little bit about the tacos at that new Mexican place on Fifth. Not like a lot. Just at the edges."

"There can't be edges."

"The flagstone and only the flagstone. Got it."

I'm watching Asher reset when something shifts.