The insult stung, but it wasn't anything Billie hadn't heard from her mother before. She knew the woman feared and despised magic. In a way, the child understood. The unknown and unexplained could be terrifying, and it made sense to try and push it away. She had done the same thing after her first bouts of accidental magic. The only difference was, Billie sought to understand the power inside her. Her mother refused to even try and be open-minded. Anna was supposed to be her mother, supposed to protect her, but she had done the complete opposite. She could never comprehend that.

Gideon's reaction confounded Billie. Nobody, aside from Joseph's feeble attempts, had ever stood up for her. She stared at him slack-jawed, albeit from a sudden distance in case his wrath turned on her, as he gave the woman a piece of his mind.

Anna stood her ground. Apologize? The gall. The little cretin had nearly ruined hers and Joseph's chances at steady employment. She was too much of a risk to have around. Unfeeling eyes locked on Gideon's icy ones. She nervously smiled at him, trying to gain the upper hand once more. She refused to show that the man had won. After all, Billie was his problem now. His terms would be quite easy to meet since she didn't want to see her in the first place.

"Clear as glass," she intoned in a sarcastic manner, starting to move away. "She's your problem now." Anna stormed in Joseph's direction, refusing the apology Gideon had demanded. She would not make amends for something she felt was her right to do. She would not give him the satisfaction.