#Chapter 88: Lost to Magic

"Do you remember when we built that fort in the old oak tree behind the pack house?" I asked Raymond during what I hoped would be a private moment three days after whatever spell Giana had cast. We were in his office, and for a brief second, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. He looked at me with complete blankness. His familiar green eyes held no warmth, no recognition. The way he stared at me was like looking at a stranger who'd asked him about events from someone else's life. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said dismissively. He didn't even bother to look up from the papers on his desk. His fingers continued moving across the documents as if I wasn't even there. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. That fort had been our secret hideaway for years during our childhood. We'd spent entire summers there, sharing dreams and fears and promises of forever. We'd carved our initials into the trunk with Raymond's first pocket knife. We'd sworn to be best f