Chapter 48: A Persistent Assistant and a Remembered Smile (3/3)

The grandmother shook her head. "It's not natural, this lack of balance…I don't have a single drop of magic in my bones, but I can feel it. Why can't you?"

"Balance..." A sense of unease swept through Rowan as he considered her words. He wished he had a good answer.

"Don't worry about it so much. What do I know anyway?" The grandmother shrugged and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm just an old woman."

Mara approached Rowan and stared at him expectantly.

"You look like you have something to say," Rowan said.

She nodded.

"Are you going to say it?"

Her cheeks puffed out, and she nodded again. "It's all ready Master Caretaker. What else do you need me to do?"

He didn't have the heart to tell her he didn't need her to do anything in the first place. Mara seemed so happy to help, and he wasn't going to be the one to take that away. "Nothing. You've done a fine job. Thank you."