“You don’t understand.” I ran a hand over my face. “I need to tell you something. Both of you.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait.”

“No, I’ve waited too long already to tell you this.”

“What could possibly be more important than what we’re currently facing?”

“Evanora,” Izzy snapped, giving her sister a pointed look before turning her gaze back to me. “I think it’s time you told us everything.”

“Everything?” Nora asked. “What everything? What is going on?”

My throat suddenly felt dry. I knew Izzy had suspected something was going on when I wouldn’t do the lighter than a feather charm, and then again, when I wouldn’t help her with Nora. I swallowed hard. “It’s time you both knew.” I searched for the words that might make this easier. “Nora, Izzy, I have done a lot of thinking since I lost the ability to see ghosts, and I’ve made a decision.”

My aunts waited breathlessly for me to go on.

“I have decided to stop practicing magic. I am no longer a witch.”

Chapter 13

Nora stared at me a good long moment, then, much to my surprise, she burst out laughing. “That’s just ridiculous. No longer a witch. What nonsense.”

“I’m serious, Nora.” I took a steadying breath. “I am happier without it.”

“That’s absurd,” my aunt said. “You’re not happier without magic. You’re a Warren. Magic is who you are.”

“I don’t expect you to understand my decision, but I do expect you to respect it.”

“Respect it? Never. Absolutely not.”

“You don’t have a choice. I’ve been doing some reading, and while it’s rare, there are witches who have given up their powers. If I stop practicing altogether, eventually my magic will disappear.”

“Ha!” Nora shouted. “You think it’s that easy, do you?”

I pulled my hair from my face and twisted it behind my neck. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear. It’s painful for me too.”

“But it’s a lot less painful than facing the real issue, isn’t it?”

I shot her a warning look.

Nora studied me. I knew she was weighing her options about how far she wanted to take this, but I could tell by the resolved look on her face she wasn’t going to back down. And even though I knew what she was building herself up to, it still felt like a slap when she said, “You can’t even say his name, can you?”

“Don’t.”

“We miss him too.”

“Nora,” Izzy pleaded.

“No, Izzy,” she snapped. “I will not abide by this a moment longer. You are a talented witch, Brynn, and you have been given a rare gift. It’s wrong of you to throw it away.”

“I didn’t throw anything away. My gift was taken from me.”

“Rubbish. Your gift is blocked because you’re blocked. You’ve blocked everything off. You’re terrified to feel anything. You’ve completely shut down. You never talk about him. Stars above us, forget the spells we haven’t tried to regain your powers, what about the most obvious ritual we’ve been ignoring? Adam’s funeral.”