Page 63 of The Witch’s Daughter

My magic was back.

And Jaxon… He said… There was no way. He must’ve been confused.

Right?

I think you know the answer.

But I didn’t. Not really. All our memories were a blur, racing through my brain as I tried to pick one out and examine it in the light, but they were all so tangled up in each other.

“That was amazing,” Vincent whistled, reminding me that my drama with Jaxon wasn’t the most important thing right now.

“What was?” I asked, keeping my voice light. Nonthreatening. Like I had nothing to hide, and he could tell me all his dirty dark secrets. Preferably fast so I could get out of here and hurry to fix things with Jaxon.

“Your magic.” Vincent gave me a funny look, keeping my pace as we walked, but he was herding me toward the path that led up out of the valley on the other side. “How long have you been able to draw on Earth’s power?”

“Oh, that.” I chuckled nervously. He didn’t know what my magic truly was, and I got the feeling that the less he knew, the better. “Honestly, my magic hasn’t been the most cooperative lately, but it feels like it’s finally fixed.”

“Perfect timing then.” He winked. Something about the ease in which he held himself—and his softer voice when he wasn’t barking out commands—made him less intimidating.

And my magic flowed through my veins, pumping me full of life and reminding me who I was always meant to be. I felt strong. Whole. Almost giddy and drunk on the power of being myself again.

Vincent wasn’t that scary after all.

True, I could still mess him up as a wolf even without my magic, but the whole powerful warlock warlord thing made him seem older and more threatening than he really was. This close, I could see he wasn’t much older than me. Twenty-five or so I’d put him at.

What secrets are you hiding, pretty boy?

“I guess so.” I kept smiling. “How long have you been able to draw on the power of the sky?”

Tit for tat. Easy flow conversation.

Come on, warlock, give me something I can use to get out of here.

My wolf rolled her eyes. You’re doing great at being a spy. Really, a natural.

Vincent didn’t answer my question, which was totally rude in my book. “When I heard that the infamous Sage Cerberus hadn’t arrived, and another Cerberus witch had taken her place, I’ll admit, I was a tad disappointed.”

“I’m sorry… what?” I stopped walking.

“It was my mistake.” Vincent placed his hand over his heart, giving me a charming smile. “Had I known that Cerberus was home to two powerful witches, I would’ve sent another summons.”

The air left my lungs in a rush. “You sent the summons for Sage?”

Vincent nodded. “I’d hoped she would be sympathetic to our cause given her rumored background. If you don’t mind me asking, who is she to you?”

He was going to find out shortly when my aunt Alpha Kera came charging into this whole thing, so I figured it didn’t hurt to tell him now.

“Sage is my mom.” And I was going to give her a piece of my mind for lying to me like she had.

See? We’re not even supposed to be here. Let’s go find Jaxon.

That hurt more than I wanted to admit.

“The witch’s daughter. More powerful than her mother.” Vincent nodded approvingly. “Destiny is funny that way.”

“Hilarious.” I didn’t bother to correct his assumptions. Mom was definitely the more powerful witch of the two of us. That was why she’d gotten the summons. Not me.

“I assumed she didn’t tell you this.” Vincent watched me from the corner of his eye as he continued walking, motioning for me to follow his steps.