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were with your sister.”
    Yvonne’s brown eyes registered surprise. “How did you know that?”
    “It was an educated guess. Now tell me why you’re being so cagey about your abilities.”
    “It’s complicated.” Yvonne hesitated for several seconds. “Practically everyone in my family are category fives. We have an enchantment that filters our abilities and prevents us from becoming a six. Everyone in the family is given a pendant to wear when we turn twelve and we must leave it on until our powers activate and we’re tested for our magical strength. If we’re a five, we must be careful to always wear the pendant. If it turns out we’re a four or below, we give the pendant back to the family to be used on someone else when the time comes.”
    “What happens if you’re a six?” Josephine asked.
    “The pendant prevents that from happening except in just a few cases.”
    “And what happens then?” Josephine regarded her with trepidation as her intuition warned her this could be bad.
    “We die.” Yvonne’s face reflected stark terror. “No one who becomes a six in our family survives.”
    “What?!” Josephine, Alex, and Jake exclaimed with horrified disbelief.
    “We’re too strong and our abilities eventually kill us. I only have about three weeks to live,” Yvonne said.
    “It’s procedure that new category six wizards are to be assigned an enforcer to mentor them and teach them to control their abilities. I’m going to make sure you learn to master your talent,” Josephine said.
    “It won’t work,” Yvonne said in a defeated voice.
    “I happen to be a six and I’ve helped a lot of my peers come to grips with their power.” Josephine pinned the young woman with a confident look.
    “My family is different.”
    “How so?” Josephine asked.
    Yvonne hesitated as her face contorted with terror. “Can we talk about it later?”
    “Tell me.” Josephine offered a reassuring smile but she tensed with anticipation.
    “I’m related to Brenda Kirkland. She’s a distant cousin.”
    Alex gasped with horror and even Jake looked shaken over this revelation. Brenda Kirkland had been the category six who’d caused the Disaster of 2029 that had killed millions and converted most of the world into wizards. She was the reason the laws had been so stringent on limiting what sixes were allowed to do for so many years. Recently the laws had changed, giving the same liberties to these powerful wizards as the rest of the world. It had never occurred to Josephine that Brenda Kirkland had been a different sort of talent altogether. It made sense when she thought about it.
    “You’re still just a six. I can help you. The first thing you need to do is get some rest. I’m going to stop by your apartment in a few hours after I finish up here and we’ll start our first lesson,” Josephine said.
    “I have to work,” Yvonne protested.
    “You think you’re going to die in less than three weeks which means you should be okay with one less day on your pay check. I’ll call your supervisor so you don’t lose your job.” Josephine fixed a stern gaze on the young woman.
    “I guess you’re right.” Yvonne’s expression was weary. “Thanks.”
    Josephine felt bad for Yvonne. She knew exactly what it felt like to possess a talent that burned bright and out of control. By the time Josephine returned to the police station with Alex and Jake, she was exhausted. The disturbance had been a mess and she had reports to fill out. Alex had a cup of coffee on his desk as he worked. Josephine decided to pour herself a mug as well. She took a sip of the hot brew as she perched on the chair in front of her computer and continued her work.
    “It’s been more than three hours since you promised Yvonne you’d start working with her,” Alex announced.
    Josephine cocked a brow in bemusement. “I was giving her an estimate. I need to wrap this up before I go.”
    “Do you think her talent is really different than a normal