I frowned and pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was indeed powered off. I looked up at her, shaking my head. “How did you know?”
“Because you’re a witch who was learning to use her powers. I was sure it shorted it out for a brief moment. It’ll be fine,” she said quickly as my eyes widened. “You can turn it back on, but we tend to hurt technology when we use our powers in bursts as you did.”
“I don’t understand,” I said softly.
“There’s a lot you don’t understand.”
Annoyance pricked at me. “Then why don’t you tell me? I have to believe all of this. I can’t ignore the facts in my face. But you’re treating me as if you’re an all-knowing vessel who’s lording the fact that I don’t understand over me, and it isn’t helping things.”
“I like that. You pushing back. That way, it’s not me,” Laurel said as she walked in. She put a small bag on the counter. “I brought biscotti. It’s decent and from the Italian place. Your aunt says you can bake better. I can’t wait to start getting some baked goods from your shop. And if you know what’s good for you, honey buns will become your favorite thing. The bears here love honey. If you feed them, they will come.”
“The bakery.” I cursed. “I haven’t even seen the building yet. And it’s right next door. I’ve been so focused on everything else, I’m not paying attention to what I need to. To what I came here to do. I haven’t even been to my cottage, other than to drop things off this morning after staying at my aunt’s. I’m losing my way.”
“Stop being so hard on yourself,” Laurel said softly, surprising me. “You’ve been through a lot in the past day. Of course, you’re not going to get everything right now. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to screw things up, but you’ll pick yourself up because you’re a Prince. And that’s what you do.”
“That’s what my aunt does then, if you’re saying that.”
“That’s what your family line does,” Rowen added as Laurel nodded.
“Explain that to me,” I said. “Please.”
Rowen gave Laurel a look and nodded. “As I mentioned, our three families founded the town,” she said softly. I nodded, knowing she was only getting started. “Over time, the families fought, got along, and then settled more. Some moved away, taking their magic with them, but others stayed, adding to the wards, protecting our people. The bears showed up around the time Ravenwood was founded and settled in their den here. Rome’s ancestors. His father used to be the alpha here before moving to Canada to be the Alpha of the Americas.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Your little honey bear has a lot of power,” Laurel teased, and I frowned.
“He’s not my anything,” I said, wondering why something about that statement pricked at me.
Rowen glared at Laurel, but Laurel held up her hands and shook her head. “My mistake,” she said, but I felt as if she didn’t think it was a mistake at all.
I needed to clear the air. “I’m not ready for anything like what you might be suggesting.” However, I wasn’t sure that was accurate. I’d come here for a fresh start, and dating was a natural part of that. Though I wasn’t sure why I was even thinking about that at the moment. Again.
“I’m sorry,” Laurel said. “I was only teasing,” she said, and though I felt like she was sincere about the apology and the teasing, there was some truth in her words that I didn’t want to focus on. Not right now, anyway. Maybe not ever.
“As I was saying,” Rowen chided, “the bears created their den here and are one of the largest packs in this part of the United States. Their kind is the main shifters here. Others have settled, knowing they can be themselves, and the wards will protect them from revealing their identities to any outsiders. Even if people come in as tourists or are driving through, they won’t see the magic that lies within the town’s walls.”
I frowned. “Then why did I see?” I asked.
“Because you were meant to,” Laurel said. “Because you’re a witch. You’re one of us.”
“I’m a water witch,” I clarified, a little worried how much I needed to believe all of this without reservation.
“Or you can call yourself a witch with an affinity for water,” Laurel corrected. “You can use air and fire and earth and everything else with specific spells, but water comes naturally to you.”
“Spells. Like the words you said on the bridge?” I asked.
Rowen nodded before flicking her wrist. Books rose from the bookshelves behind her. My eyes widened as they danced in the air before settling in a stack in front of me.
“These four are part of the Ravenwood line. They’re beginner spells you should read and memorize, but do not practice independently. You should never do anything on your own until I deem you ready.”
“She might sound like a know-it-all right now,” Laurel added snidely, “but she’s right. Some of these could be dangerous, even if they’re simple.”
“You want me to work on spells?” I sputtered as I looked at the leather-bound books. They smelled of age and warmth, and I wanted to reach out and touch them. But I didn’t. I was afraid of what would happen if I did.
“Yes, you’re a witch. And we need you here. Your aunt has some of the Prince volumes, but you need to promise me not to practice on your own. You could hurt yourself or others if you’re not careful.” Rowen gave me a soft look.
I bit my lip. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t even know if I want to do any of this.”
“You don’t have a choice.” Laurel rubbed her hip and frowned. “Magic is within you. Like it’s within all of us. Sometimes we don’t have a choice in what happens. And you need to deal with that.” She was practically growling now, still rubbing at her hip. Rowen gave her a sad look before schooling her features.
“Laurel, despite how she said it, is right. We need to be careful. You must focus on what you can and learn the basics. I will help you along the way.”
“This is all so much.” I pushed my hair from my face. “You expect me to do this, to learn magic, all while trying to settle here? I thought Ravenwood would be my home, a place for me to start a new life.”
“That’s what you’re doing,” Laurel said.
“No, I came here to be a baker. To open a shop and bake bread and brownies and honey buns,” I said, my voice rising. “I didn’t come here to learn about powers or magic or to change anything.”
“As I said, you might not have a choice,” Laurel reiterated. “None of us do.”
“Because of what happened today?” I asked.
“We’ve always known that a darkness was coming,” Rowen began. “I’m no seer, but sometimes we can scry and see what’s headed our way. A necromancer’s been on the horizon for a long time now, but it wasn’t until today that I realized how close they were. It’s either because of your arrival or we’re where everything was meant to be at this point,” she said.
“It’s my fault?” I asked incredulously.