As she tossed Verlaine one of the mini candy bars, Nadia said, “So, you need to really listen to this, okay? Think long and hard before you say you want to stay. It’s serious.”

“What’s serious?” Verlaine said around a mouthful of chocolate.

“If you’re here when I cast a prophetic spell—which I’m going to admit right now I’ve never done before—there’s a chance you’ll do more than watch me. There’s a chance the magic will … change you. Change us. It could make you my Steadfast.”

Verlaine scooted closer. “What’s a Steadfast? It sounds important.”

“It is.” Nadia had to go through it all, so there would at least be some chance Verlaine knew what she was getting into. “A Steadfast is a woman who isn’t a witch herself, but who has the ability to enhance a witch’s powers through her presence. A Steadfast doesn’t have magic of her own, but she amplifies everyone else’s magic. By that, I really mean everyone—any witch who’s near the Steadfast, whether they know about her or not—but the effect is infinitely more powerful for the witch she’s bound to.”

“Whoa.” Verlaine’s face lit up, which told Nadia she wasn’t explaining this well enough. “That’s fantastic. Beyond fantastic. Do you have, like, dozens of Steadfasts?”

“What? No. Never. You can only have one, and it’s a serious thing. A sacred thing. A witch and a Steadfast are truly bound together in the most profound way. Lots of times, it’s a witch’s sister who doesn’t have the gift, or a daughter. Someone who’s always going to be there, no matter what.”

This was crazy, taking a chance like this with someone she’d known only a couple of days. Of course, it wasn’t much of a chance. Some witches cast prophetic spells dozens of times with their closest friends, hoping to be bound as Steadfasts, without it ever occurring.

But Mom had always said, You never know. When you open yourself to prophetic magic, you open yourself to the primal forces of the universe. It’s unpredictable, and it’s dangerous, and your soul reaches out, like casting anchor in a stormy harbor—

Nadia didn’t need an anchor, though. She didn’t need Verlaine, didn’t need anyone. Well, Dad and Cole—but really that was more like they needed her.

“What does that mean, enhance your powers?” Verlaine grabbed another couple of chocolate bars.

“It means if I cast a spell when my Steadfast is nearby, that spell will be stronger. More effective. It will last longer. That person’s presence might make it possible for me to cast spells that might otherwise be beyond me at this point. I’d probably advance faster, too, if we spent enough time together.” Nadia took a deep breath. “So for me, it’s all positive. For the Steadfast, it’s not. Steadfasts can see magic in ways I can’t—in ways no one else can. Apparently that can be, well, disturbing.” Nadia sighed. “It’s probably not going to happen with you. Seriously. We just met.”

“You never know. I have really crappy luck, so if this is actually dangerous and bad, I bet I get it on the first try.” Although Verlaine had been joking, Nadia could see her expression shift as she considered the possibilities more seriously. “How long does it last? Being a Steadfast.”