Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted (Ava and Lucas)

Chapter 392 Ava: Storing Magic

Clumps of white powder scatter across the wooden planks of my doorstep as | stomp my booted feet. The others

are headed to the cafeteria for a well-deserved dinner, but I'm too amped up to eat. Magic thrums beneath my

skin like dancing electricity, even as my body's exhausted from the day's events.

"Your capacity has grown." Grimoire materializes besideonce | enter the cabin, in his favored childlike form.

"The Grand Sage's quartz would make excellent storage."

It's pleasantly warm inside, encouragingto throw off the thousand layers I'm wearing. Lucas always makes

sure our place is tended to so | chto a heated home. "Where did | put those stones?"

"Under the bed." Grimoire watches as Selene veers away from us, toward the far corner of the kitchen. "In the

wooden box with the brass clasp."

"Running away already?" | ask her.

The stones reek of after you enchant them. They makesneeze and itch.

"Fair enough." Crouching beside the bed, | pull out the ornate box. Inside, three chunks of milky quartz nestle in

red velvet, each the size of my palm. "How do | do this? Sas the little ones?"

Grimoire nods, floating in mid-air. "Yes. These hold quite a bit more than you would think. They're of better

quality than what we usually use for batteries, so it should be enough to drain you."

| cup the first stone between my palms. The quartz is cool and smooth against my skin, and | swear my magic is

eager to dive into it. Closing my eyes, | imagine my excess power as a glowing river, channeling down my arms

and into the crystal.

It takes little more than a second for the stone to warm against my skin. Energy pulses in steady waves, and my

breath catches at the raw sensation of magic moving through me.

If I let it go too fast, the stone will shatter under its force; it's a lesson | learned the hard way months ago. Now,

it's almost second nature to restrict the pace of magical transfer.

"Good," Grimoire murmurs. "The crystal accepts your power easily."

He's right. Unlike the violent push-pull of purifying taint, this is peaceful. Natural. The quartz drinks in my magic

like a sponge absorbing water.

The first stone, the smallest of the three, reaches capacity after a few minutes. When | open my eyes, it gleams

with an inner light, small sparks dancing in its cloudy depths. Lucas says he can't see it, but it's clear in my view.

"One down," | say, setting it carefully back in the box. "Still feel pretty full, but not like I'm about to burst."

"Take your twith the next one. No need to rush the process."

| pick up the second crystal, larger than the first. This tI let the magic flow even slower, savoring the strange

feeling. It's almost as freeing as shucking off your bra at the end of a long day. The quartz resonates in harmony

with my energy, creating a soft humming sensation that travels up my arms.

From her corner, Selene sneezes. That smell gets worse every time.

"Sorry." | can't detect whatever scent bothers her so much, but her nose twitches with each pulse of magic.

The second stone fills gradually. | watch the light spread through it like dawn breaking.

"Last one." | reach for the final crystal, the largest of the three. "How much can these hold?"

"Quite a bit," Grimoire says. "The Grand Sage chose these specifically for their capacity. Quality quartz can store

remarkable amounts of magical energy. Not as much as, say, jade, but it's easier to cby."

| cradle the stone in my hands and begin the transfer again. This one takes longer, drawing the magic out in

steady streams. My shoulders relax as the pressure of containing so much power finally starts to ease.

"There." | place the third crystal back in its velvet nest. All three stones pulse with captured magic now, like a

cluster of stars in the wooden box. "That feels better."

Selene's tail swishes against the floor. They smell like a lightning strike waiting to happen.

"The stones will hold that power indefinitely," Grimoire says. "You can draw from them later if needed, or use

them to power spells. Useful if you have to do a large-scale ward in the future."

| close the box, watching the brass clasp click shut. The thrumming under my skin has settled to a manageable

level, though I can still feel the magic ready to answer my call. "We're going to need more of these."

Grimoire tilts his head thoughtfully. "We can always ask the Grand Sage tomorrow if he's cacross more

quartz."

"Good idea. With all the magic I'm going to pull from the next purification, I'll need another two of these, at

least." I'm not drained, but I'm still pretty full of magic. Maybe half? It's hard to tell, though Grimoire assures me

I'll get used to it as | fill and drain my magic in more cycles.

Speaking of the Grand Sage, when was the last t| saw him? The gnome's been scarce lately, though |

asshe's still alive and kicking—Lisa would have mentioned otherwise. He has a habit of vanishing into his

cabin for days. Sometimes | think the pack forgets he even exists.

He's got a brilliant mind, though I still don't understand how he can do what he does. Magitech is even stranger

of an existence than magic.

"Magitech is a peculiar invention," Grimoire says, floating in lazy circles near the ceiling. "I've never needed it

myself. Pure magic has always servedwell enough."

| stretch my arms overhead, feeling the satisfying pop of joints realigning. "How does the Grand Sage do it?

Mixing technology and magic seems impossible."

"Magic is infinite in its possibilities. Though | confess, his methods elude my understanding." Grimoire settles

onto the dresser, his childlike form swinging his legs. "How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good." Another stretch and my spine cracks. "My body's ready to collapse, but my magic feels...

balanced? Like I'm not about to explode anymore." | rub my temples. "Though my brain feels like it weighs twice

as much as normal."

"That's to be expected. You pushed yourself hard today. Which is why we're taking tomorrow off from

purification.”

"Didn't we already plan on that?"

"Yes. We should work instead on sbasic control exercises."

I sink onto the edge of the bed with a yawn, pulling off my socks. They're uncomfortably damp from sweat.

Traveling in the deep snow comes with a lot of challenges; | didn't realize sweating through my clothes would be

one of my biggest daily issues. "I thought | had decent control."

"You do, but today showed sconcerning lapses. The taint nearly overwhelmed you. And it's not just magical

control we need to work on. Your assertiveness could use improvement as well."

"What do you mean?"

"You hesitated when confronting that patch of corruption. Doubted yourself. Let the taint's whispers affect your

judgment." He fixeswith a stern look. "Magic responds to confidence, Ava. Uncertainty is dangerous."

He's right, Selene chimes in from her corner. It's always been a problem for you. You second-guess yourself too

much.

Thanks, peanut gallery.

You're welcome.