Chapter 8

EIGHT

M ari sat at a small table in the Green Thicket Tea House, cradling a steaming mug of Ivy's signature lavender and honey blend between her palms. The warmth seeped into her skin, chasing away some of the chill that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her bones these past few weeks. She couldn't shake the feeling of being watched, of eyes on her back everywhere she went.

Ivy slid into the seat across from her, setting down a plate of freshly baked scones with a sympathetic smile. "You look like you could use a little comfort food, love. These just came out of the oven, fig and goat cheese. I've noticed you always ask for them so I've made a mental note they're your favorite."

Mari mustered up a grateful smile, touched by her friend's thoughtfulness. "Thanks, Ivy. They are. I don't know what I'd do without you and the others looking out for me."

Ivy reached across the table to squeeze her hand, green eyes soft with understanding. "That's what friends are for, Mari. We've all got your back, you know that. Especially with that jerk ex of yours sniffing around."

A shudder rippled through Mari at the mention of Victor, her magic prickling uneasily beneath her skin. "I just...I hate feeling like this. Jumpy. Paranoid. Like he's going to pop out from behind every corner, try to worm his way into my head again." She swallowed hard, staring down into the swirling depths of her tea. "I thought I was done being afraid of him. But it's like he's still got this hold on me, even from a distance."

"Oh, honey," Ivy's face creased with sympathy, "what you went through with him...it's going to take time to heal from that. You're allowed to be scared, to feel vulnerable. It doesn't make you weak."

Blinking back the sudden sting of tears, Mari took a shaky sip of her tea. The delicate floral notes and soothing honey slid down her throat, gentling some of the jagged edges of her anxiety. "I know. I do. I just wish I felt...stronger. More in control. I hate feeling like a victim all the time."

The bell over the tea shop door chimed brightly, announcing a new arrival. Mari glanced up to see Luna sweeping in, the gauzy skirts of her amethyst dress swirling around her ankles. The older witch made a beeline for their table, violet eyes warm as she leaned down to press a kiss to Mari's hair.

"Hello, my dears. I hope I'm not interrupting." Luna's gaze was as sharp and knowing as ever as she glanced between Mari and Ivy.

Ivy waved a dismissive hand. "Not at all, pull up a chair. I was just about to put the kettle on for a fresh pot. Chamomile and lemongrass sound good?"

"Divine, thank you, Ivy." Luna settled into the chair beside Mari, turning to study her closely. "And how are you doing? You look a little pale."

Mari let out a rueful little laugh. "That seems to be the consensus. I'm...coping, I suppose. As best I can."

Luna's hand found hers under the table, long fingers twining with her own in a gesture of comfort and support. "It's that scaly bastard, isn't it? He's still got you tied in knots even from afar."

Swallowing hard, Mari nodded. "I can't seem to shake the feeling that he's nearby, biding his time. It's making me crazy, Luna. I hate feeling this helpless and this hunted in my own life."

Something fierce and protective flashed in Luna's eyes, her magic crackling in the air like a gathering storm. "You're not helpless, Mari. You're a strong witch. A very strong woman."

"But what if it's not enough?" Mari whispered, voicing the fear that had been eating at her for days. "What if he comes at me and I can't stop him? I don't...I don't ever want to be under his control again, Luna. I can't."

Luna's grip tightened on her hand, almost painful in its intensity. "You won't be. I swear it, Mari. I won't let that happen." She paused, seeming to come to a decision. "I think it's time you come for training. I'll teach you some advanced shielding techniques and a few offensive spells to keep in your back pocket in case Victor tries anything."

A slow curl of hope unfurled in Mari's chest, fragile but persistent. "You...you think that would help? Make me feel more...prepared? In control?"

"I know it will." Luna's smile was fierce and sure. "Knowledge is power. And I'm going to make damn sure you have all the tools you need to protect yourself, both magically and psychologically. Victor won't know what kicked his ass the next time he tries to cross you."

Ivy returned then, setting down a fresh pot of tea and a plate of lemon shortbread cookies. Her expression glinted with approval as she caught the tail end of Luna's promise. "Damn straight. And you know you've got all of us in your corner, Mari. We'll ward this town to high heaven if we have to, put up a shield so strong even the High Council's best couldn't crack it."

Tears blurred Mari's vision, overwhelming gratitude and affection welling to choke her. What had she ever done to deserve such fierce, loving friends? Such unwavering support in her darkest hours?

"I... thank you. Both of you. All of you. I don't...I don't know what I'd do without you." Her voice cracked embarrassingly, but neither woman seemed to mind. Luna pulled her into a tight hug as Ivy rested a gentle hand on her knee.

"We're here, come what may. Now…" Luna drew back, giving her a bracing squeeze before reaching for the teapot. "What do you say we drink this lovely tea Ivy's made and have a bit of a chinwag, hmm? And later, you come to my place, and we'll start working on that shield of yours."

Mari nodded, immeasurably lighter with the knowledge that she wasn't alone in this. She had her friends, her beautiful found family here in Whispering Pines, who watched her back and built her up.

She was the heroine of her own story now. And she'd fight like hell to make sure it was a happy one, free of the toxic specter of her past.

Lifting her teacup in a silent toast to her friends and future, Mari let the warmth and chatter wash over her.

Let the battle come. She'd be ready, surrounded by love and armed with magic.

Just let Victor try her now.

Mari stood in the center of Luna's cozy, herb-scented workshop, eyes closed and breathing deep as she sought to center herself. The events of the day still churned inside her, a bitter cocktail of fear and fury that made her magic prickle restlessly beneath her skin. But she couldn't afford to let it master her. Not if she wanted to be ready for Victor's inevitable retribution.

"That's it, love. Ground and center. Feel the earth beneath your feet, the air in your lungs. You are a conduit for the power that flows through all things." Luna's voice was a soothing murmur from where she sat cross-legged on a plump floor cushion, watching Mari with those fathomless violet eyes.

Mari tried to let the tension bleed out of her shoulders, to find that place of calm Luna was always going on about. But flashes of Victor's face kept intruding - the cruel curl of his lip, the icy venom in his gaze as he'd tried to subjugate her. A shudder rippled through her and her eyes snapped open, magic sparking from her fingertips in agitated arcs.

"I can't. Luna, it's not working. I can't focus, I just keep seeing him, feeling him in my head-" To her horror, Mari's voice cracked on a sob, frustration and residual terror clawing at her throat.

But Luna simply rose from her cushion and crossed the space between them, taking Mari's hands in her own warm, calloused grip. Her magic reached out, ancient and verdant, blanketing Mari's agitation with a sense of steadiness, of bedrock surety.

"Shh, easy now. Breathe with me, Mari. What you're feeling is natural. That snake left scars on your psyche and violated your innermost self. It's going to take time to feel fully in control again." Luna raised their joined hands to rest over Mari's rabbiting heart. "But you're not alone in this. I'm here, and I'm going to teach you how to shield your mind, how to fight with everything you have."

Mari exhaled shakily and leaned into Luna, letting the older woman's solid strength and earthy magic soothe her. "I'm sorry, I just… I hate feeling like this. Weak. Afraid. I hate that he still has this much power over me."

Luna clicked her tongue. "You listen to me, Mari Sinclair. You are anything but weak. Never doubt that." She drew back slightly, fixing Mari with a fierce amethyst stare. "You're a survivor. More than that, you're a fighter."

A wobbly smile tugged at Mari's mouth, her heart full to bursting with affection for this strange, wise woman who'd become such an integral part of her new life. "Okay. I trust you, Luna. What do I need to do?"

Luna squeezed her hands once more before releasing them, a glint of approval in her gaze. "First things first - we shore up your mental walls, make them iron-clad and impenetrable. I want you to imagine your power as a shimmering bubble around your mind. Can you see it?"

Mari nodded hesitantly, picturing a gleaming soap-bubble surface encasing her thoughts. "I think so..."

"Good. Now, I want you to feel that shield solidifying, hardening into something no force in heaven or earth can breach without your permission. Reinforce it with your will, your conviction in your own autonomy." Luna circled her slowly, voice low and resonant. "No one has the right to enter your mind uninvited, Mari. Not Victor, not anyone. This space is yours and yours alone."

Biting her lip in concentration, Mari envisioned the flimsy bubble thickening, turning hard as diamond and laced with pulsing golden strands of her magic. She poured all her hard-won defiance into it and her belief in her own worth. The shield flared brighter in her mind's eye, humming with power.

Luna made a noise of approval. "Very good, love. Just like that. Now, let's test it, shall we?" Without warning, a swift bolt of Luna's magic rocketed toward Mari's mental barrier, questing and sharp.

Mari gasped, eyes flying open as she instinctively braced for an intrusion...but none came. Luna's power skated over the surface of her shield, finding no cracks, no way to worm past her ironclad defenses. A startled laugh bubbled out of her, giddy with wonder. She'd done it!

Luna grinned, fierce pride shining in her eyes. "See? I knew you could do it, Mari. That shield is strong enough to turn aside any magical or psychic attack. The only way someone's getting into your head is if you allow it. You're in control."

Mari's cheeks hurt from smiling so wide, triumph and relief a heady rush in her veins. But she sobered quickly, brow furrowing as a thought occurred. "But, Luna...what if they do get in somehow? What if they overpower me, wear me down? Shouldn't I know how to fight back from inside my own mind as well?"

"An excellent point, my clever girl." Luna nodded approvingly. "And that's just what we're going to practice next. I want you to let me in, just a little. Lower a section of your shield, but keep the rest intact."

Mari frowned in concentration, imagining a small window opening in her glittering barrier. She felt the cool brush of Luna's consciousness at the edges of her own, restrained and polite, waiting for permission. Drawing a bracing breath, Mari dropped her guard just enough to let the older woman slip inside her mind.

It was an odd sensation, having someone else inside her head. She could feel Luna's soothing presence like dappled sunlight through leaves. There was no sense of intrusion or force, just a respectful sharing of space that left Mari fully in control.

"All right. I want you to practice pushing me out. Use your magic, your will, to drive my presence from your mind. Remember, even if an opponent breaches your outer defenses, you are still the master of this domain. This is your seat of power."

Narrowing her eyes, Mari gathered up her magic and shoved , directing all her focus to expel the foreign entity from her headspace. To her surprise, Luna's presence dissipated immediately, leaving Mari alone in her own mind once more.

Blinking rapidly, she found Luna watching her with a pleased grin. "Well done! See how easy that was? No matter how strong the invader, your mind is your ultimate stronghold. They can't dislodge you from it if you stand firm."

Mari let out a shuddering breath, feeling a knot of tension she hadn't even realized she'd been carrying unfurl in her chest. "I... thank you, Luna. For showing me this, for helping me take back some semblance of control. I didn't realize how much I needed it until now."

Luna cupped her face with warm, sage-scented hands. "You already had that strength in you, my dear. I just helped you find it, believe in it. You're a force to be reckoned with, Mari Sinclair. Don't let anyone, especially not that miserable excuse for a wizard, ever convince you otherwise."

Swallowing against the sudden lump in her throat, Mari flung her arms around Luna's neck and hugged her tightly, trying to convey her overwhelming gratitude without words. Luna just chuckled and held her close, rubbing soothing circles between her shoulder blades.

"I know, love. I know. And you're more than welcome." Drawing back, Luna fixed her with a look of mingled pride and determination. "What do you say we practice a few offensive spells, hmm? Give Victor a taste of his own medicine if he comes sniffing around again?"

A slow, wicked smile curved Mari's lips, the last of her fear melting away in the face of Luna's stalwart support and her own growing confidence. "I think that sounds like an excellent idea."

She was done being a victim. It was time to be a warrior.