Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Forty-One

"No, I need to do it," I finally said. "I wrote a spell to help, but I need to use the Book of Shadows that he spelled in order to make the connection to him as part of the spell."

"That isn't possible, right, Mom?" Calin asked.

"Why?" I asked. "Devland can obviously sense Maible since he bound her."

"Parents can't sense their child's magic," Islene said and nodded. "It's different, though. A parent still feels the connection that they have to their child. It's more like they have a tether through their essence. It's also why your mom could bind you."

"So, even if Maible was bound, her dad should have realized that he didn't have that with her," I said. That would also explain how I could feel my mom's authority when I was unbound and sometimes, even when I wasn't.

"Perhaps." Islene nodded. "I'm sure that he did once they had other children, but I don't know if he realized what it was. Likely, it was just feeling like something was not right. Not everyone within the magical community knows about sensing signatures or about essences, Nora."

"That's stupid."

Islene nodded. "Agreed."

"So, then Devland bound Maible because he knew her essence was connected to him?"

"I don't know," she said.

"When you unbound Maible, you said she had seventeen binds," Calin said. "What if he simply continued to bind her because he wasn't sure if she was or not?"

"That... makes sense." I nodded. "If Devland couldn't sense Maible, he could have been binding her just to ensure that she was. If they had a connection through their essence, it also explains how Devland seemed to be able to have some sort of control over her."

Nobody said anything for a moment. We looked at each other, solemn. The spell was a formality at this point, but I wanted to know what Devland was responsible for. If I could sense him, I could tell more than just who bound Maible. I would be able to determine if there was anything else around me that he'd done, and I didn't yet know of. At least, in theory.

"Okay." I stood straighter. "I've got what I need ready. Can you bring me the Book of Shadows that Devland spelled?"

"What, exactly, are you planning to do?" Islene asked.

"I am going to cast a spell that allows me to sense my own relations."

"That's not possible," Calin said.

Islene looked at me for a moment and then nodded. "Okay."

"Mom! You can't be serious."

She nodded again. "Yes, I am. If Nora thinks she can do this, I trust that she can."

"But—"

"You've seen her unbind someone and then cloak them, Calin. Do you really think she can't do this?"

"I've seen her do things because she's strong, Mom. This... isn't possible."

"Or it seems impossible because nobody has been strong enough to do it before," Islene smiled and patted my shoulder before heading to the door.

"I—" Calin looked at me and pressed his lips together, stopping whatever he was about to say before he couldn't take the words back.

For once, I felt like I needed a shield in order to bar Calin's emotions from myself, but I knew that I needed it dissolved to complete the spell. It hurt to feel his negativity. I understood it, sure, but Calin had been championing me from the moment we met. Why choose now to stop believing in what I could accomplish?

"I think, if anyone could do this, it would be you," he said as though hearing my thoughts once Islene was gone. "I just don't believe it's possible, and I don't want you to be disappointed."

"Well, if doesn't work, your mom can sense Devland to make the connection since she isn't related to him or Maible," I said. "I need to try, though. Can you support that and stop feeling so... pessimistic? It's making it hard to concentrate."

"Do you need to think right this second?"

"No." I shook my head and smiled as I felt his disapproval begin to fade. I stepped back as he moved forward, and another emotion began to take root.

Calin didn't stop until my back hit the table and he was standing in front of me, his hands resting on my waist. He leaned down slightly so that we were face to face, our noses nearly touching, and I could feel his breath mingle with mine.

"You really think that you can do this?" he asked, his voice a whisper.

I nodded. "Yes. I do."

Calin sighed. "Okay. I will support you."

"Really?"

"Yes."

His hands circled my waist and clasped behind my back, drawing me closer as he leaned down, angling his head. At the same time, I raised my face. When he finally kissed me, I felt a jolt of energy course through my body, making me feel energized. At that moment, I felt as though anything I tried would be possible.