The Mistress of Magic ✔

Chapter 20: Locket's Fate

The night was still young, although unlike her kids, Eleanor decided to go to bed early. Melinda and Maddox were sitting with Blair in the living-room with a can of cold beer in all of their hands.

"So, how long have you been a psychic?" asked Melinda curiously.

"I'm not a psychic," said Blair. She spotted Maddox grin over the rim of his can before he took a sip.

"But then how do you explain what you did earlier?" asked Melinda.

Blair took a swig of her own beer. "It's a family trait," she shrugged.

Melinda's eyes widened. "So, your cousin, Anastasia also has powers like you?"

"Yeah," Blair didn't find it necessary to lie to Melinda.

"Wow. That's amazing," she astonished. "Can you do-"

"Stop bothering the woman, Mel," rebuked Maddox.

Melinda pouted and glared at her brother. "Fine," she said as she got off the couch. "I'm heading to bed. See you two tomorrow."

"Sorry about her," said Maddox.

"No, I don't mind," said Blair. "She's a sweet girl with a very curious personality. It's endearing to be honest."

Maddox gazed her way. "Thank you for helping them," he said.

"It was my pleasure," she told him. "You have a beautiful family, Maddox."

"I like to think so too," he admitted.

"Can you bring your mom by the shop tomorrow?" she requested of him.

Maddox tilted his head. "Sure, but all of a sudden?"

"I'd like to give her something," said Blair.

Maddox nodded. "I'll bring her by," he promised without hesitation.

"Oh, I saw Alexander leave this afternoon," she stated.

Maddox finished his can and put it on the table. "It wasn't easy sending him off like that. But, I didn't give him much of a choice," he said. "And I think he hates me now."

"He always hated you and your family," admitted Blair bluntly.

Maddox nodded. "I guess you don't really know people."

"That's true," Blair agreed. "But you can always tell which ones are fake."

"I suppose," he said. "But not all of us have powers like you, that warn you before you meet someone."

Blair shook her head. "My powers didn't teach me how to read people," she said.

"How then?"

"I learned a lot just by watching my parents," she told him. "The way they'd behave around each other, family or even strangers. They had a different face whoever they talked to. But I saw it all underneath those happy, perfect masks. They were a bitter married couple, who found happiness in each other's misery."

Maddox stiffened by her frankness. "You don't like to talk about them, do you?"

Blair laughed. "I got over it."

"You don't need to fake it with me," said Maddox.

Blair's smile fell. She gazed into his earnest amber eyes and drowned under their warmth. She never thought about opening herself up to people. It's not that she didn't like them, she did. But willingly sharing about her feelings had a lot of risks of getting hurt. Although, with Maddox it was different. She wanted more than anything to lay all her cards on the table and expose herself. The hunger to let him know that she had a few skeletons in her closet was overbearing.