I ignore her and turn to Nora.
"I understand I should ask Liam directly about his relationship or whatever, but... can you tell me more? About Sylviana? I don't have a witch to give me guidance here, and... I feel like she should have been the one to, if we hadn't missed each other."
She seems to hesitate but then, she turns to Selena.
"I'll be right back."
The White Luna nods, and Nora gets up, letting her son down. The little Will is about to follow us, stuck to his mom's skirt, but then, he sees his dad coming from the house and runs to him. Nora exchanges a look from afar with her husband too. He frowns slightly but doesn’t stop us. She probably told him what this was about... Sometimes, I'm a bit jealous of their mind-linking thing. It's like being in a room with strangers who speak another language and you don't understand a thing despite them being right next to you.
"Come on."
Nora guides me away from her family garden, and I realize their house is located in the outskirts of Silver City. Near the forest... and that barrier from before, most likely. When we arrive close to the barrier, I stop.
"I'm sorry, I won't be able to go further..."
"I know. Liam told me. Come, it's close by."
She changes direction, and I realize we are headed toward some... impressive tree. I slow down my pace, completely surprised. That tree is not just a regular tree. I see something sparkling around it, like little lights, but it's not something from this realm. I get the same sensation from when I was using the circle, like I was seeing through some strange, colored glass. I see this extraordinary halo around it, moving like a cold wind and extending around. I couldn't see the barrier before but now, I realize this tree is the source. It's extending like some veil along an invisible line between us and the forest. I gasp, impressed. Is this... magic too?
Nora doesn't seem to see that strange veil like I do. She walks up to the tree and gently puts her hand against it. I'm... surprised. The tree seems to react to her aura, as if it was channeling it.
"That's..."
"This is the barrier Sylviana left to protect us," Nora explains. "When she... died, she used her magic to be reincarnated into this tree, to protect us."
I'm speechless. The previous witch is... within this tree? I do feel as if it is living... I mean, not like a tree, but as if it had a different presence, something more imposing. I glance at the barrier, surprised. So this is what witches can do too. Create barriers like this. I think about that magic circle, could I be able to produce something like this someday too? I bite my thumb, a bit unsure, and continue to observe it.
"It's... breaking."
Nora turns to me, surprised.
"What?"
"The barrier," I whisper, a bit unsure. "It's weaker in some parts, like the tree can't... maintain it. I think it's already been damaged."
Nora gasps and looks at the tree, confused. I know it may sound crazy, coming from the novice witch, but I'm pretty sure about what I'm saying this time. It's like I can perfectly see that bubble, now that I have seen its source. I see the halo that emanates from Sylviana's tree and spreads wide to shelter Silver City, but it's not even. Some parts look like they’re thinner, or the tree can't get to them. I look for one of those weak spots and walk up to it. I take a deep breath and bring my hand to it. Yeah, it's not as painful as last time. If I persist a bit, I could perhaps push through it, with a lot of effort...
"You can see such things?" asks Nora, looking impressed.
I shrug.
"Apparently... This is new for me too. I'm only guessing at all this witchy stuff most of the time. This barrier sent me on my butt just days ago, but now that I have seen... her tree, I think I understand it better. It's like everything else, I'm learning without the right tools for that. However, it is rather obvious to me that this... your barrier isn't in good shape."
Nora frowns, and tries to look at this invisible wall with a worried expression.
"To be honest, I had that feeling too. That's why Liam has been guarding the border... To be honest, I don't think Sylviana's tree was meant to protect us forever. She always said that Silver City needed a witch."
She turns to me, looking very serious.
"I think this is exactly why you are here, Mara. I think Sylviana knew... someone like you was going to come and take over. As Silver City's new witch. She always said she couldn't see the future past her own death, but I don't think she would have... acted the way she did if she wasn't sure someone would be able to come and take her place."
I take this a bit hard. It changes... a lot of things. I always felt like the outsider in Silver City, the strange and unwelcome witch no one wanted. Because there was someone before me, who fit the role of Silver City's witch, and I am not a good replacement. However, this woman, Nora, she makes it sound like it’s the other way around... I shake my head.
"You might be overestimating me," I mutter. "Selena wasn't wrong, earlier. To be honest, I'm barely getting the hang of it, it's a miracle I haven't... burned something else yet."
That's an understatement, actually. Not only can I barely control my fire, but I haven't forgotten those voices. For some reason, they have been strangely quiet for a while, but I know they are still there, lurking. I am in no hurry to hear them mess with my mind again, but I wish I knew what the heck is going on and what I am dealing with.
"I don't think your witch... that Sylviana expected me at all." I sigh. "If she did, why wouldn't she have told you? At least, I would have liked to have some sort of guidance. How to become a good witch in ten lessons or something. I have nothing, I... I don't even know who I am. I don't think anyone smart would entrust a city and its people to a girl who can't even solve her own issues."
