She shook her head. "Can't."
"Zez, she's been spending all her time with Torian, and he's not letting her even spend the nights here. I've barely seen Aspen in two weeks! Not even at lunch. I mean, not really. And she keeps having too much magic, because this is the second time, and she's been coming here to leave plants, but never here when I'm home, almost like that prick won't let her see me!"
"Torian doesn't like Rain?" Bracken asked.
"No!" Aspen hurried to say. "It's not that! It's just - " And her mouth hung. Her lips were open, but not a single sound came out.
"Going!" I announced, knowing magic when I saw it.
"Dad!" Jack grumbled. "Dad-Rain." But he followed after me.
As I left, I closed the door between Aspen's room and the bathroom. Then I closed the one on my side as well. What I didn't do was stop - until I reached my bed. There, I fell down face-first with a groan.
My entire body felt like it was vibrating with some kind of panic. My fuckingfingerswere trembling, never mind the way my heart was pounding. I simply wasn't sure if my little freakout was because of how I'd found Aspen, or if the magic was doing something to me.
"Jack, am I ok?" I asked.
He fluttered over to the bed, then nodded. "Morrigan."
"But is this what I'm supposed to be doing as the Morrigan?" I asked. "I mean, is it breaking my magic somehow? Or is it my purpose?"
He shook his head. "Rain."
"What does that mean?" I groaned, rolling onto my back. "Ugh, you need more words."
So the damned crow hopped onto my chest so he could stare down in my face. "Jack. Rain. Dad. Court. Jack-Rain, Morrigan. Morrigan-Court, Rain." Then he twisted his head.
"I was with you until that last part," I admitted. "There's you, me, my dads, and my friends."
He shook his head like I was wrong. "Jack."
"You."
"Rain."
"Me," I huffed, because that was obvious.
"Dad."
"Bracken?" I waited for a nod. "Liam too?" That got another nod.
"Court!"
"Aspen, Torian, Hawke, Wilder, and Keir."
But Jack shook his head. "Court!'
"I don't understand!" I insisted.
Chattering like a grumble, Jack hopped off me so he could pace the length of the bed. Giving in, he flew to my shelves and grabbed a piece of paper. Carefully, checking to make sure I was watching, he tugged on it, pulling it half off the shelf. When he pulled too far, it tipped, so he stood on the shelf side, holding it half on and half off.
"Morrigan!"
"Balance?" I guessed, because the Morrigan was supposed to bring balance to magic or some shit.
Jack nodded. "Morrigan-Court."
"I'm supposed to balance the court?" I guessed.
