The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

Seth and Sadie’s mother, Florence, arrives. Florence is accompanied by a young girl, Sage, whom she introduces as Seth and Sadie’s younger sister. Aunt Anne brings Sage into the kitchen for hot chocolate, leaving Florence and the twins alone. Florence begins to tell the story of her youth: She wanted to see who she was outside of magic and family legacy, and she told herself she was in love with Julian. After the twins were born, she was physically unable to stay close to the family, or natural disasters occurred and people began to die. Any gifts she tried to send “burst into flame, leaving an ash that smelled of self-hatred and regret” (218). She tells the twins she decided she should try for a second chance, and became pregnant with Sage in order to try again as a mother. She expresses deep regret at what Gigi sacrificed for her and that she was unable to see her mother before she died. She tells the twins that she’ll help them figure out what to do about the life debt.

When Florence asks, Seth reveals that his magic is knowing what people want and need, even if they don’t realize it themselves.