Page 7 of Spirit Storm

Violet makes a noise at the back of her throat and presses both hands flat against her knees. “You want to send us away? We just got home.”

“I’m not going,” Lily snaps, her gaze wild as she looks at me. “They can’t make us go, can they, Poppy?”

They can, and they do. I had no choice in the matter, but there’s no way I’ll tell that to my sisters while they’re looking at me like they are. I know what it feels like to have no choice in a life that’s been taken over and decided for you.

I hated every moment of it.

“You’re talking about the rescued witches as a whole. My sisters are more than the sum of the victims. They are individuals and, according to the Order healers, are doing really well.”

Caldwell doesn’t seem moved by my logic. “The fact remains, if your sisters want the blocks placed on them at the time of their rescue to be removed so they can develop their powers and affinities, they will be required to spend time at Arcana until we feel they are ready to return to their lives here.”

Lily gasps. “You’re seriously going to hold our powers hostage if we don’t do what you say? How does that make you any better than Laurel and her energy-sucking assholes? You’re still manipulating us and our magic.”

The man’s expression doesn’t rise to the insult. “I assure you, Miss Hallowind, the intention of what we’re suggesting makes us very different. This will be in your best interest and to keep those around you safe.”

Violet looks stricken. “How long would we have to be gone?”

He lifts a shoulder. “This situation has no precedent—you were stripped of developing magic, siphoned, and held in stasis for years. We can't tell you with certainty how each of you will respond once the magic returns. You may sink into your affinity immediately, or it may take time. But, however long it takes, you’ll be as safe as possible."

“I won’t develop my affinity for years,” Lily says, looking panicked. “You can’t possibly think I’m staying there…”

“Of course not.” Caldwell shakes his head. “In your case, we’ll work to align your powers back to where they should be naturally for your age and hopefully, your affinity will present itself in a few years as it was meant to.”

Hopefully?

“Wow, you really need to work on your pep talks, dude.”

Right? I glance over my shoulder at Asher and smile at my bestie.

Violet exhales sharply. "Okay, so assuming we succumb to your blackmailing tactics—and holding our magic hostage is a dick move, by the way—then when would this move to Arcana Academy happen?”

"Tonight," Caldwell says.

Violet blinks, and she turns to Lily.

Lily looks like she’s either going to take a swing at this guy or burst out crying. “Screw that. And screw you, too, actually.”

And with that, my youngest sister flips Mr. Marsh a middle-fingered salute and stomps to the pantry to return with a box of Vachon Jos Louis.

Violet and I both move to grab one and get a chocolate fix when a knock sounds on the glass doors at the back of the house.

Three sharp raps.

It’s weird that Wylder wouldn’t come in the front, but…

I turn back to the sliding glass doors and squeal…

Racing to open the door, I survey her long, teal and blue hair pulled back in a messy knot… same steel-gray eyes. She’s got more than a couple burn marks on her arms in varying degrees of healing, but other than that, I don’t see any signs of injury or that she’s been suffering in any way and I breathe the first full, deep breath in three weeks.

I yank Mica inside for a hug. “Ohmygod, I was so worried. When we couldn’t get to you… and the whole building disappeared… Are you all right?”

Mica squeezes me and then steps back, chuckling. "Hey, Hallowind. I take it you missed me?"

I escort her inside, and Asher wraps his arms around her and lifts her off her feet. She goes rigid for half a second, then her free arm comes up, and she thumps him twice between the shoulder blades. "Okay, okay. I'm not dead. Try to contain yourself."

"We didn't know where you were." I take her duffel bag and set it on the floor. "I've been—there was no way to contact you. We didn't know if the forge had kidnapped you or… well, we didn’t know what happened."

"Magical forges can be dramatic. This one especially." She glances past my shoulder into the kitchen. "Oh, sorry. You have company."