She bites down on her bottom lip, still staring at the flame. I know I’ve got her. They’ve been underestimating her, refusing to let her fight because they view her as helpless. It’s a feeling I know all too well—being at the receiving end of that underestimation.
Finally, she nods. “What do you need from me?”
“I want you to come here every day as soon as you’re done with Lauren. You have to let me know what they’re doing when they’re doing it.”
“You want me to spy on them?”
“Yes. Because if you do, then I’ll know where they are and can show up to help. I want to prove to them that I’m capable of controlling this magic.” Closing my palm, I let the flame die out. “See, I’m just like you.” She doesn’t respond, so I continue. “They’ve been underestimating me. Telling me what I’m capable of and what I’m not. And I don’t know about you, but I’m really fucking tired of being made to feel like I’m not as strong as everyone else.”
She clenches her hands together in her lap, her eyes hard, jaw taut. “I am, too. When Drex almost died—” she trails off and shakes her head. “I can’t help but think that if I’d been there, I could have helped.”
“You could have. Just like I could have kept Jack from being killed if I’d been there from the start. Instead, I’d been forced to hide out and was late.”
Magnolia’s bottom lip quivers. Even with the state of mind I’m in now, I feel a twinge of pain at the mention of the hunter who died at Lucy’s hand nearly two months ago. Everything I said is true, though. Had I been there from the beginning, I honestly believe I could have saved him.
“I’ll help you,” she promises. “As long as you teach me.”
“Absolutely. And in turn, you can’t tell anyone where I am or that we’ve talked.”
“I won’t. I promise.”
“Good.”
“Do you want to know what they’re doing tonight?”
My smile is instant. “Absolutely.”