exquisite dress and study my sister-in-law. Her voice is so soft, so un-Annalise-like that I can't help but worry.
"What is it?"
She exhales. "When I was about eight years old, Malin selected me from all the other little girls in my house for a visit with her. I was so excited and honored, but the thing is, she was testing me - both as a mate for Callum and for my powers. I see that now."
I stare at my guard. I'm not sure how this has anything to do with Beck and Ryker, the interview, or the Ball.
"Up until that day, I'd always been able to creep into people's minds." Annalise wiggles her fingers to mimic walking. "See what they were thinking, so to speak."
"How is that possible?" I ask, holding up my hands and stopping her. "We witches aren't mind readers, and you were just a child. Not even close to sixteen."
Annalise nods. "That's what Malin wanted everyone to believe - she believed it herself, until she met me."
"So you can read minds?" I ask in disbelief. Immediately, I begin guarding myself mentally. Everything makes so much sense now - the way she knew about Beck and me; the way she always seemed a step ahead of us.
"Not anymore." There's so much sorrow and anger in her words. "Malin stole my power."
" What ? How?"
"After that day with her - when I was eight - I was never able to see into another person's thoughts, but I often suspected she could."
"How would she steal your power, Annalise? That's unheard of."
My sister-in-law's eyes fill with tears. "Why don't you tell me? I've never seen you able to influence people until the interview. That's my power, and there you were, doing it. Without having to touch James. How, Lark? How? And why can I still do it? Why haven't you stripped it from me completely?"
I recoil. "What are you saying? I stole your power?" I squish up my forehead. "Or I stole Mother's powers?"
"No. I'm saying, like at Kyra's binding, you somehow are able to draw on other's powers and make them stronger. I think that's the secret of the Greene family. It's why you're all so strong."
Kyra knocks on the door. "May I return?"
"In a moment," I say, and shoo her away with the back of my hand.
"Annalise, if what your saying is true, then I have no real power, just that of those around me."
She shakes her head. "Oh no, you're strong, Lark. You can do plenty on your own." Her voice hitches. "Before he died, Oliver and I were researching the origins of the Greene family. I know all about Northwoods, or at least what happened there when Malin was a teen, and I have a strong suspicion you're on the same path."
"As my mother? You think I'm going to blow up my home and kill someone?"
As the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous I sound - I've already done these things.
Annalise rests her hand on her stomach and closes her eyes as if trying to steady herself. "Yes. From what Oliver and I could tell, you can tap into other people's power, and it makes your own power stronger. It's why she asked you to blow the roof off the binding hall – Malin wanted to see if you could harvest our powers. And you did."
"And you think I alone have this ability?"
"Yes," her lips press together tightly before she exhales. "More importantly, I believe Malin was grooming you to steal your powers."
I fall heavily into the chair. "She was going to leave me vulnerable? That's why she only wanted me to practice offensive magic?"
"That's the conclusion Oliver and I came to."
I gnaw at my inner cheek, thinking over all the implications. If Annalise is right, I can pull magic from anyone, including Light witches - which would explain how I saved Beck. It would also explain why I can grow crops - I've only ever done so with Henry. And it would explain a lot of my mixed-up behaviors.
"Kyra," I say peeking my head out from the heavy red velvet curtain separating us. "Can you come in for a moment?"
My best friend pops in, clearly annoyed at being sent out in first place. "What do you want?" She has
"What is it?"
She exhales. "When I was about eight years old, Malin selected me from all the other little girls in my house for a visit with her. I was so excited and honored, but the thing is, she was testing me - both as a mate for Callum and for my powers. I see that now."
I stare at my guard. I'm not sure how this has anything to do with Beck and Ryker, the interview, or the Ball.
"Up until that day, I'd always been able to creep into people's minds." Annalise wiggles her fingers to mimic walking. "See what they were thinking, so to speak."
"How is that possible?" I ask, holding up my hands and stopping her. "We witches aren't mind readers, and you were just a child. Not even close to sixteen."
Annalise nods. "That's what Malin wanted everyone to believe - she believed it herself, until she met me."
"So you can read minds?" I ask in disbelief. Immediately, I begin guarding myself mentally. Everything makes so much sense now - the way she knew about Beck and me; the way she always seemed a step ahead of us.
"Not anymore." There's so much sorrow and anger in her words. "Malin stole my power."
" What ? How?"
"After that day with her - when I was eight - I was never able to see into another person's thoughts, but I often suspected she could."
"How would she steal your power, Annalise? That's unheard of."
My sister-in-law's eyes fill with tears. "Why don't you tell me? I've never seen you able to influence people until the interview. That's my power, and there you were, doing it. Without having to touch James. How, Lark? How? And why can I still do it? Why haven't you stripped it from me completely?"
I recoil. "What are you saying? I stole your power?" I squish up my forehead. "Or I stole Mother's powers?"
"No. I'm saying, like at Kyra's binding, you somehow are able to draw on other's powers and make them stronger. I think that's the secret of the Greene family. It's why you're all so strong."
Kyra knocks on the door. "May I return?"
"In a moment," I say, and shoo her away with the back of my hand.
"Annalise, if what your saying is true, then I have no real power, just that of those around me."
She shakes her head. "Oh no, you're strong, Lark. You can do plenty on your own." Her voice hitches. "Before he died, Oliver and I were researching the origins of the Greene family. I know all about Northwoods, or at least what happened there when Malin was a teen, and I have a strong suspicion you're on the same path."
"As my mother? You think I'm going to blow up my home and kill someone?"
As the words leave my mouth, I realize how ridiculous I sound - I've already done these things.
Annalise rests her hand on her stomach and closes her eyes as if trying to steady herself. "Yes. From what Oliver and I could tell, you can tap into other people's power, and it makes your own power stronger. It's why she asked you to blow the roof off the binding hall – Malin wanted to see if you could harvest our powers. And you did."
"And you think I alone have this ability?"
"Yes," her lips press together tightly before she exhales. "More importantly, I believe Malin was grooming you to steal your powers."
I fall heavily into the chair. "She was going to leave me vulnerable? That's why she only wanted me to practice offensive magic?"
"That's the conclusion Oliver and I came to."
I gnaw at my inner cheek, thinking over all the implications. If Annalise is right, I can pull magic from anyone, including Light witches - which would explain how I saved Beck. It would also explain why I can grow crops - I've only ever done so with Henry. And it would explain a lot of my mixed-up behaviors.
"Kyra," I say peeking my head out from the heavy red velvet curtain separating us. "Can you come in for a moment?"
My best friend pops in, clearly annoyed at being sent out in first place. "What do you want?" She has
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