Magic In My Blood

by Kellie Sheridan

  "I'm fine," I said. "But there's something about that woman over there. I think she knows something, but she's not speaking up. Can you get her over here?"

  Ethan probably would have forcibly dragged the woman to me if he'd needed to. But as soon as he approached her, the witch looked up and caught my eye. She'd been waiting for this, or by the look on her face, dreading it.

  Closing my eyes to gather my strength, I let Ethan work his powers of persuasion to get her to talk.

  It didn't take much.

  Her name was Gracie, she was from Texas, she looked a few years older than me, and she had a theory. Which was more than most everyone else had managed.

  "First off, I need you to know that my family had nothing to do with this," she started in. "But my mother was heavily invested in the search for the prophecy child back when I was a kid. She was trying to get pregnant again and had a lot of big ideas about how to ensure this child's power. She and her coven used to spend..." she trailed off, realizing that many of the people around us had quieted to listen to her.

  "Keep going," I prodded, not at all worried that she'd somehow been a part of what had happened to my family. She couldn't have been older than eight when I'd been born.

  "I don't think this is the first time you've been the target of a magickal binding," Gracie explained. "I've heard you have your mother's memories stored inside your mind, yes?"

  "I did. But I stopped getting those when she died."

  "That's because there are no more memories for you to see, not because they're gone. But I don't think it was just your mother's memories that were tied to you. I think someone bound her very essence to you back when everything was happening in America. Maybe even before you were born. Did your mother know what it was she was carrying inside of her?"

  "She guessed. She wanted it." I shivered at the thought. She'd been a kid herself, with no idea about what it was she was asking for.

  "Do you have any memories of her doing spells on herself while she was pregnant or anything like that?"

  I shook my head. "I don't have any memories from when she was pregnant at all. I had this big gap until the day I was born. I'd always thought it was just a weird fluke of whatever had happened to give me her memories. The two of us existing inside the same body or something. But even if I'd had those memories, she couldn't have done anything. She wasn't a witch. She could see magick in people, like I can. Could."

  Gracie's face lit up, and around her others did the same. "That's it then. She bound her essence to you as a way to amplify your power when you were born. Or maybe in an attempt to protect you. I'm not sure. It probably doesn't matter anymore. But before you were born, my guess is that she had someone tie the two of you together. Either fully or in the event of her death, we'll never know. She could have had a witch do it, or maybe someone with a lesser magick had this ability. But I do think that this is what happened."

  Aoife's witch studied me. "So the first binding interfered with the second. Tying her magick up in knots."

  "And if we reverse the first binding, the second might dissipate now that it's no longer being fueled?" Taya said, not sounding entirely sure. But a few others nodded, and I felt my first pinch of hope.

  After that, it still took nearly an hour for the team of witches to work out how to undo a decades old binding spell that had not bound my powers but instead had bound someone else to me. My mother. My entire life, I'd felt like I had this important connection to this woman I'd never known because I'd seen every moment of her life in my mind. But it was so much more than that, she'd been there with me every step of the way.

  And now it was time to let her go.

  While all of this was happening, Mathias, the moderators and a badly injured Tilly were all trying to wrangle everybody else. Several people had left already, wanting to get as far away from this castle and the people inside it as possible. But we'd asked that anyone willing to try to make something of the summit to stay and work together on the thing we'd first been brought together to solve.

  I didn't love that I couldn't be involved anymore, or that I was pulling so many people away from the proceedings.

  But if the unbinding went poorly, or I died that day anyway, at least I'd know that people were still working to find a way forward.

  "Mel?" Taya asked, tapping me on the shoulder.

  "Go time?" I asked, clenching my fists to keep myself coherent.

  "We're ready if you are. But there's something you should know. Doing this, it's going to force everything your mother gave you out of your body. I mean, not her genetics or anything. But her memories." She paused. "And her power. Maybe it was yours all along. But if Gracie is right, she somehow managed to pass her power on to you when she died. So all this time, it's possible that you've been able to see magick because that's something she could do. Not because it's a gift you actually possess."

  Oh.

  "By undoing this spell, you'll be giving that power up. You won't actually have any undefinable magick ability."

  "But my faction-based powers will still be there?" I asked mostly to say something. Coming to terms with what she was telling me was a strange experience.

  "No reason they shouldn't be."

  "Wouldn't I have had that lesser magick ability as part of my genetics, something passed down from my biological family?"

  "Maybe."

  "But you don't think so?"

  "Something like this, there would have had to have been a cost. We think that whoever did this to you used your own inherent magick to fuel the spell. We can try to find another way if..."

  "No," I said right away. It felt so strange to be giving up a part of myself that had literally defined my existence for so long. But everything hurt too much to even fully weigh the implications. I'd have to figure out how I felt about all of this once it was finished. "Let's get this done. I can't stand feeling like this anymore. And besides, we have a summit to get back to."

  Chapter 28

  "How do you feel?" Ethan said, stroking my hair.

  We sat in bed together, both slightly propped up and leaning against the other.

  "Fine. Okay. Weird." I looked over at him, completely unable to see the magick that surrounded him even though his powers had been restored along with most of my own. "Mostly, I don't know yet." It had been a couple of days since the summit had ended, and I was officially still on bed rest, but I was getting there. Mostly, my body was trying to recover from a pretty major assault. But mentally, I was also still trying to cope with somehow feeling like I was less than I had been before. One of my abilities was gone, and so was my mother.

  "And that's absolutely okay.”

  "How does this work?" I asked, nuzzling my head against Ethan's chest until it was tucked in right under his chin. "With me here in Galway, and you in Dublin. Me with my new faction and you with your pack."

  "It works however we needed it to. Ireland's not such a big country. And really, all of this," he gave me a quick squeeze, "happened in a matter of weeks. Who knows where we'll be a few weeks from now. All we can really do is take it one day at a time, stand by each other, and go from there. But you're welcome in Dublin any time, and I've been talking to one of the fae from the city to see if they'd be willing to redirect that rabbit hole at the pub to somewhere in the capital. You know, just in case."

  A thousand-watt smile burst onto my face. A doorway that could take me across the country in seconds would be beneficial in more than a few ways, but getting me to Ethan in minutes instead of hours was a major perks. And it would probably save me from having to harass Simon on a regular basis.

  Besides, we wouldn't need the door to go to Aoife's castle anymore. Now that she was no longer a fugitive from the factions, we'd had no choice but to return her home to her.

  It had taken another full day, but we'd finally come to an agreement, ending the summit and letting everyone go home—and getting them out of my city in the process.

  In the end, our solution to
how to deal with the humans was actually kind of perfect. We'd taken bits and pieces of all our ideas and forged a step-by-step road map on how to approach sharing our secrets with the world.

  We'd be starting by relaxing the rules on secrecy from humans, opening up doors all over the world for people to share their magick with their families. But not long after that, we'd also begin approaching fringe groups who already believed in some form of magick or another. From there, we'd reconvene and assess how things were going, but the hope was to slowly introduce magick to the public consciousness from there.

  The execution likely wouldn't be as elegant as the plan, but I felt a certain pride in even having been a part of getting us that far.

  The question of how to forgive and move on had been a far more challenging battle. Lives had been lost in Aoife's attacks, but far more had been ruined by the way the factions had treated those they saw as beneath them.

  Both sides wanted justice, and neither would have it. Instead, we agreed on a clean slate. All crimes would be forgiven from that day forward, and a new set of laws would be put forth that would govern the entire supernatural community equally.

  Which meant Aoife would still be my neighbor. It didn't mean I had to forgive her for what she'd done.

  I still wasn't entirely sure what my role in things would be. But based on the constant influx of texts and emails Tilly had been intercepting for me since the summit ended, it was safe to say that I still had work to do.

  And I couldn't wait to get started.

  My name is Melanie Sinclair. My magick is still absolutely undefinable. And I'm only getting started.

  The End

  The Lesser Magic’s series has come to an end, but our journey is only just beginning. Be the first to learn about Kellie’s new releases, while also getting exclusive access to discounts and freebies by joining her newsletter.

  Author’s Note: We made it! After two books and three years, you and Melanie have made it to the end of this journey, and I couldn’t be more grateful. These characters and their journey have been such an enormous part of my life for the past two years, and more importantly, they’ve helped to introduce me to so many new readers who I now consider friends.

  I’m returning to urban fantasy with a new series in early 2019, and hope you’ll come along for the ride. Vampire hunters, magic that can only be wielded by women, and so much more, in Into the Night, coming January 2019!

  Other Books by Kellie Sheridan

  Into the Night

  After her sister's murder, Mackenzie Winters learned to fear the night.

  In an attempt to find some closure on the anniversary of the worst night of her life, Mackenzie sets out to retrace her sister's final day. One wrong step opens a door to the truth. Not only about what happened to Evie, but about what else lurks in the shadows, forcing her to redefine the line between truth and myth.

  Vampires are real. They're hungry. And they're only the beginning.

  But Mackenzie is learning from those who have been in this fight far longer than she has.

  Soon, the night will learn to fear her.

  Mortality

  After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

  Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

  Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

  Into The Void

  Her legacy was built on lies, but uncovering the truth will put everyone she cares about in danger.

  Evie was never interested in being part of SolTek Industries, content to enjoy the perks of her family's legacy without any of the responsibility. But when her brother, a party boy with no tech skills whatsoever, starts claiming he's about to reveal the next big thing, an invention of his own design, Evie can no longer deny that something is wrong.

  Everyone in Evie's family has been lying to her, and she intends to find out why. With a pocket full of credits and a set of coordinates she lifted from her brother, Evie sets off in hopes of finding what her family is trying to keep hidden. When those coordinates turn out to lead to deep space, though, she knows she can't get there alone.

  She's going to need a ship.

  Oliver Briggs is high on ambition but short on credits. Having spent his entire life's savings to hire his dream crew, he risks losing them all if they don't start bringing in some real money--fast. When the daughter of a tech magnate shows up looking for an inexplicable ride to the outer reaches of the system, offering a payday too lucrative to resist, he can't help but accept.

  But taking her offer may mean losing his crew after all.

  The secrets uncovered by the crew of the Lexiconis could change the future course humanity's future. The only question is if they'll survive long enough to do anything about it.

  Fans of The Orville and Star Trek will get lost in this space opera adventure that explores the boundaries of universe...and humanity itself.

  Grab your copy today, and join Evie, Oliver, and crew as they travel through the galaxy, where one wrong decision can drop you on the other side of the universe with no resources and no way home.

  Writing As Kellie Bean

  Four Of A Kind

  The odds of giving birth to identical quadruplets: 1 in 13 million.

  The population of Fairview, a town where all anyone talks about is the Fairview Four's return after fourteen years: 47,327.

  The chance of Reagan meeting a guy who sees her as one of a kind: better than she thinks.

  Following in her sisters' footsteps--and, all too often, their shadows--is nothing new to Reagan. But a disastrous first day at Fairview High forces her down a new path, one that could lead to seeing herself as more than just someone else's sister. Things aren't going as smoothly for Reilly, Reece, and Rhiannon though. How can Reagan let herself be happy--or dare to fall in love--when she may be the only one who can bring her family back together?

  Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets Gilmore Girls in the first novel of a heartwarming new series about first loves, family, and finding your way.

  Abdication

  For Hannah, visiting the small country of Eilland on a political trip with her mother was the chance of a lifetime. A chance to see history first hand. A chance to escape her mom's new boss, the President of the United States. And maybe even a chance to find love.

  The last thing Collin expected to find after burying his grandfather, the King of Eilland, was the girl of his dreams. With his country on cusp of a new era, and his family avoiding their responsibilities, and each other, it really wasn't the best time. But some things can't be denied.

  As Collin and Hannah find each other, one word is set to change everything.

  Abdication.

  A Long Walk Home

  It’s going to take more than a little luck and a lost dog to bring two lost souls together.

  When a crooked-eared dog with a big heart and no owner to be found sprinted across Casey’s path, she had no way of knowing just how much her life would change. After agreeing to temporarily foster the lost mutt, she finds a new purpose in working with a local rescue—despite having no idea how to take care of a dog. She can barely take care of herself.

  A lost dog isn't the only chance encounter Casey will have at her local park.

  Charlie may have known a lot more about dogs than Casey, but it was his green eyes and relentless smile that first drew her to him. But, as the two of them connect and
sparks fly, Charlie’s past comes back for him. They will both have to decide whether to face their secrets or let their pasts hold them back from finding happiness together.