Page 62 of Chasing Stripes (Enchanted Falls #3)

SIXTY-TWO

T he sensation burned—not painfully, but insistently, warning against separation. Bartek pushed through it, focusing on the figure across the street.

The moment he stepped onto the sidewalk, the hooded figure noticed him. They turned to flee, dropping something small and dark. Bartek sprinted after them, but a passing delivery truck cut off his pursuit. By the time the vehicle passed, the figure had vanished.

Cursing, Bartek returned to where the object had fallen. Another obsidian disk, similar to the one from the flour sack, lay on the ground. When he picked it up, it began to pulse with malevolent energy that sent uncomfortable waves through his mating mark.

Inside the bakery, the magical chaos suddenly intensified—pastries exploding in colorful bursts, tables levitating, chairs spinning wildly. Through the window, Bartek saw Artemis struggling to contain the magical overflow, her own powers responding unpredictably as golden light flared around her hands.

A young witch celebrating her birthday got caught in an explosion of magical cream and began to levitate uncontrollably toward the ceiling, triggering screams from other patrons. Haavi shifted partially, his features becoming more feline as he used his enhanced reflexes to catch falling display cases.

Artemis channeled her magic, anchoring the floating girl with visible effort. “It’s okay, I’ve got you!”

Bartek pushed through the door, the disk still clutched in his hand. The moment he reentered the bakery with the object, all chaos stopped—as instantly as it had begun. Items dropped, magic dissipated, and an eerie silence fell. The bakery’s interior lay devastated—flour covered every surface, pastries smashed against walls, tables overturned.

“Everyone okay?” Bartek called, scanning the crowd while keeping the disk at arm’s length. His focus immediately went to Artemis, checking for any sign of injury.

The birthday girl, safely back on the ground, giggled with delight. “That was AWESOME! Can we do it again?”

Her mother looked distinctly less impressed. “I think we’ll take our celebration elsewhere.”

As customers filtered out, many thinking it was an elaborate show gone wrong, Artemis approached Bartek. Golden dust sprinkled her hair and smudged her cheek, but she appeared unharmed. Relief flooded through him.

“There’s something inside it,” she said, examining the disk he held. “I can sense it.”

“A message?” Bartek suggested, still checking the departing customers for injuries. His tiger’s protective instincts remained fully engaged, seeking any threat to his territory—which now firmly included this bakery and its proprietor.

When the last customer left, Tilly flipped the sign to “Closed” and locked the door. “I think we deserve an early day after that.”

They placed the disk on the counter between them, unsure what to expect. Like its predecessor, it began to spin of its own accord, emitting eerie violet light.

Before it could fully activate, the bell above the door jingled—someone with a council override key had entered despite the locked door. Bartek spun, ready to defend, only to recognize Selene Moonlace, the fae elder from the council.

The elegant, silver-haired fae carried a battered envelope bearing the Blu family emblem. “I bring bad news,” she said. “Your mother’s personal journal is no longer in the archives. Someone has taken it. But I did find a few articles she wrote.”

Artemis’s hands trembled as she accepted the envelope, recognizing the elegant handwriting on the front. “How did you know to bring this now?”

“The magical disturbance here activated certain wards in the archives,” Selene explained. “This envelope practically flew from its shelf. It seems the time has come for its use.

“She was studying cross-species magical bonds,” Selene continued as Artemis and Bartek huddled together over the journal. “Specifically, connections between fae and shifters.”

Bartek read over Artemis’s shoulder, his heart beating faster as the implications became clear. “Your mother believed the bond could be strengthened intentionally,” Artemis read aloud, “through a ritual performed at magical convergence points.”

“The eclipse,” Bartek realized, his eyes widening. “It’s not just dangerous for separation—it’s an opportunity for strengthening.”

“This is why The Collector chose the eclipse,” Artemis said. “Maximum magical potential.”

As they read further, they discovered that Artemis’s parents had been researching soul-tethers because they suspected one might eventually form for their daughter. This revelation struck Bartek almost as profoundly as it clearly affected Artemis.

“They knew?” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “How could they possibly know?”

“Because history repeats,” Selene said gently. “Your great-grandmother also formed a soul-tether with a tiger shifter. It’s in your blood, child.”

The revelation rocked Artemis—Bartek could feel her shock reverberate through their connection. Her heritage, his lineage, intertwined for generations before they’d ever met. The weight of this knowledge pressed on him, raising questions about fate and choice.

He knelt before her, taking her hands in his. “Does it change how you feel? Knowing this wasn’t entirely chance?”

Her hazel eyes searched his face. “It explains the intensity,” she replied thoughtfully. “But the choice to embrace it was always ours.”

Relief washed through him. He raised her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles where the golden marks spiraled across her skin. The imprints of his lips glowed briefly before fading slowly into her flesh, adding to the patterns.

“And I choose you,” he said firmly. “Destiny or not.”