Page 7 of Thankful for You
That got my attention. I knew how sensitive Iyonna was to magic—she’d always been stronger than the other witches in her coven, more attuned to the natural energy around her. But if the ley lines were affecting her this strongly…
I sat down next to her, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her, but far enough to keep my own instincts in check. “The ley lines have always been unpredictable in this part of the city,” I said, my voice low. “It’s why I left in the first place.”
She looked up at me, her eyes wide. “You can feel them too, can’t you?”
I nodded. “Always have. It’s like a constant hum in the back of my mind. I used to think it was a curse.”
“And now?”
“Now, I think it might be the key to helping you.”
She stared at me for a long moment, her brow furrowed. “How?”
I took a deep breath, considering my options. I hadn’t used my connection to the ley lines in years, not since I’d left Charcoal City behind. But if Iyonna was in danger, if her magic was out of control because of the lines, then maybe—just maybe—I could help her channel that energy. Ground it.
“It’s a long shot,” I admitted. “But I’ve always had a connection to the ley lines. I can feel their shifts, their rhythms. If I can tap into that energy, I might be able to help you stabilize your magic.”
Her eyes widened with hope, and I could see the weight of her fear starting to lift, even just a little. “You really think it’ll work?”
I shrugged, trying to keep the doubt out of my voice. “It’s worth a shot.”
She nodded, biting her lip as she considered it. “I trust you.”
The words hit me harder than I expected. Trust wasn’t something I’d earned in a long time, not since I’d failed my family all those years ago. But hearing it from Iyonna, seeing the belief in her eyes, stirred something deep inside me. Something I wasn’t ready to face.
“Alright,” I said, standing up and holding out a hand. “Let’s go see what we can do about those ley lines.”
She took my hand, and the second our skin touched, I felt that same electric jolt I’d felt in the bakery. Her magic responded to mine, and for the first time in a long time, I felt… connected. Like maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as lost as I thought.
As we left the hotel room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that helping Iyonna wasn’t just about fixing her magic.
It was about finding my way back to something I’d thought I’d lost forever.
Chapter Five
Iyonna
The air crackled around us as Griff knelt by the edge of the ley line, his hands hovering just above the ground. I watched him closely, the tension between us as thick as the magic in the air. Ever since we left the hotel, there’d been this pull between us, an unspoken understanding that we were on the edge of something big—but also dangerous. And the more we tried to fix my magic, the worse that feeling of unease became.
I shifted my weight, trying to shake off the prickling sensation that danced up my spine. My magic, usually warm and steady, had been flickering ever since Griff and I started working together. At first, I thought it was because of him—after all, I couldn’t deny the way my power seemed to respond to his presence. But now, I was starting to wonder if something else was at play.
Griff’s brow furrowed as he concentrated on the ley lines, his body taut with focus. His connection to the town’s energy was undeniable, and as much as I hated to admit it, I needed his help. My magic was a mess—unpredictable, unstable. Without him, I might have set my entire bakery on fire by now.
He glanced up at me, his green eyes sharp and serious. “Iyonna, I’m sensing something… wrong. The lines are off. They’re not just fluctuating—they’re corrupted.”
My heart sank at his words. Corrupted ley lines? That wasn’t just a minor magical hiccup. If the ley lines were tainted, it could explain why my magic was spiraling, but it also meant we were dealing with something far bigger than either of us had anticipated.
“Corrupted?” I echoed, the word heavy in my mouth. “How? What could cause that?”
Griff stood, dusting off his hands, his expression grim. “I’ve seen it happen before—when packs like mine got too close to the natural magic in a place like this. My old pack… we used to run through these woods, back when I was young and reckless. We tapped into the ley lines more than we should have.”
I frowned, a knot forming in my stomach. I’d known Griff had a past, but he’d never told me much about it. And now I was starting to understand why.
“You think your old pack had something to do with this?” I asked, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “The corruption?”
He hesitated, and for a second, I saw something flash in his eyes—guilt, maybe. Regret. “It’s possible,” he admitted. “I didn’t think they’d come back to Charcoal City after everything that happened, but if they’re here… they might be messing with the ley lines again. And if they are, it could explain why your magic is so out of control.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Griff’s old pack—the same pack that had driven him out of town—might be the reason my magic was going haywire. But what was worse was the nagging feeling that something even darker was lurking beneath the surface.