Page 6 of Spirit Storm

He frowns and all the Asher-ness joy drains from his expression. “Do you honestly think I’d offer to portal you if I wasn’t sure I could keep you safe?”

I give myself an inward shake and toss my napkin onto the table. “I know you wouldn’t. Okay. We’ll take the Asher Express back to Emberwood. I just need to claim my jacket at the coat check, and we’ll find a quiet corner so you can do your thing.”

When Asher eases my chair back, I stand, grab my purse, and meet Wylder’s gaze. “Sorry to abandon you. Dinner was amazing. Will you stop by the house so we can continue our date?”

He winks. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes. Take care of whatever is going on, and I’ll see you soon.”

CHAPTER TWO

Hallowind House has become our anchor in life, and especially so for Asher. From the first night he arrived here, he and the house have had a bond that even I don’t fully understand. It goes well beyond the house’s need for an outlet, they share an unshakable love for me and my sisters and would do anything to keep us happy and healthy.

So, it’s not that surprising that his ‘return home’ portal journey is the easiest trip he can make.

And I’d guess the power of the Hallowind standing stones is a clarion call that makes it even easier for him to hit his mark.

Well, however it works… it works.

We materialize in the front foyer, and I marvel while the tingle of his energy signature dissipates. “Wow, that was so cool.”

He smiles and his expression lights up. “Right?”

“And I feel Birdie’s energy signature in your power.”

He chuckles. “Well, yeah. She is the Big Kahuna who gave me my mojo.”

“Your magic mojo, yeah, but you’ve always had mojo.”

He waggles his sandy blond-brows at me. “You know it, babe.”

I give his hand a squeeze, and he leads the way toward the back of the house. Violet and Lily are in the living room, locked in a tense and awkward staring contest with a man I recognize from the Order of the Arcane infirmary.

He might be a healer, but I saw him with Garrison assessing the situation of the recovered witches.

Tall and graying at the temples, he has the steady gaze of a man who’s spent decades delivering difficult news to frightened people. He’s sitting in Asher’s favorite armchair, and my sisters are sitting on the couch opposite him.

Violet is perched at the edge of the cushion, practically vibrating with anxious energy, and Lily has her feet pulled up and her sketchbook closed on her lap like armor.

Yeah, okay, no wonder Asher couldn’t take the pressure of waiting until I got home. He’s not good with awkward pauses.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” I stride straight through the opening between the kitchen and living room and hold out my hand.

The man rises from the chair and accepts my welcome. "Miss Hallowind-Forrester. I'm Caldwell Marsh, senior healer and liaison for the Order of the Arcane Magical Recovery Division."

“And what can I do for you, Mr. Marsh?”

“Yeah, that’s what we’d all like to know,” Violet snaps. “You’d think that since we were the ones recovered, he could talk to us, but no, he had to interrupt your date and hold out for the oldest Hallowind sister.”

Alrighty, then. Asher settles into the space just behind my shoulder as I meet the man’s gaze and wait for him to tell me why we’re all here.

“As you are likely aware, we've been monitoring all forty-seven of the affected young witches since their rescue.”

I nod. “The healers come regularly to check on the well-being of my sisters. Is that what this is? Have they noticed something they’re concerned about?”

“Not with your sisters specifically, no. We’ve been most concerned with maintaining the stability of those taken as their powers rebuild and their affinities come back online. I was told you had to deal with a similar situation yourself.”

“I dealt with sort of the opposite problem. I wasn’t siphoned, my powers were blocked for five years and built up to dangerous levels that needed to be released.”

He glances briefly toward Violet and Lily before returning his attention to me. “And, if you remember, remaining in Emberwood wasn’t possible. For your safety as well as the nocana population, and our need to keep magical issues undetected, you were sent to the Arcana Academy.”