“He ruined human magic,” Adrian said scornfully. “But we’re not just souls waiting around for our chance to go to Heaven. The natural cycles run through humans the same way they do every other animal. That magic might not come in a convenient chewable form like quintessence, but it’s as powerful as life itself for those of us who know how to use it. That’s why witches bind ourselves to the forest. By braiding our lives into the tapestry of the Blackwood, we become part of its magical engine.”
