Moonshine & Mischief: Moonshine Hollow #4

by Kathleen Brooks

  The room was quiet. Jane took a deep breath to continue, but Slade interrupted her. “Alexander was to rule. Why would Ian think he could?”

  “The marriage contract my father signed with Ian gave him enough of my powers that he’d be stronger than Alexander,” Jane finally admitted, and she was ready for the next question when it came.

  “Who are you?” Grand Mistress Lauren asked. That was the million dollar question, wasn’t it? In her body ran the power of ancient witches from both her father’s and her mother’s side of the family.

  Jane took a wider stance as if to brace herself. “I am the only child of Emmerich and Deci Farrington.”

  Vilma snorted. Agnes rolled her eyes. Lauren and Linus shared a look. Neferu shook her head.

  “What?” Jane demanded.

  “Your father was a prick,” Vilma said bluntly.

  Jane opened her mouth, but Agnes stopped her. “Don’t get us wrong. We never heard of him abusing your mother, but he was paranoid. He thought he was so superior to everyone else because of his family line, so being around we mere originals was beneath him.”

  Neferu nodded. “I knew your mother before they married and she was the nicest woman. I see that in you. I see her in you. But they’re right, your father was a narcissistic ass. It doesn’t surprise me one bit that he agreed to give some of your powers to Ian to build a dynasty.”

  Jane stood in shock. She didn’t know what to say. She didn’t know what to feel. She’d been mad at her father for his isolating and demanding ways, but she still loved him.

  Grand Mistress Lauren reached out and touched her hand. “I understand this hurts. It’s never easy for a daughter to hear that her father wasn’t perfect.”

  “I was so mad that he arranged my marriage. I never understood why, but I did love him,” Jane admitted.

  “Of course you did, dear,” Vilma said, joining Jane and giving her a hug. “Now everything makes sense. Dear, you have family. The Langleys are your mother’s people. And through some marriages, you’re part of my family.”

  “And mine,” Agnes told her, joining them too and pulling her into another hug.

  “Your ancient lines make you family to most of us originals,” Linus explained.

  “Not mine.”

  Jane laughed even as tears started. “Thanks, Neferu.”

  The ancient witch shrugged, but Jane saw the small twitch of her lips.

  “I’m really not alone, am I?” Jane asked.

  “No, and my whole family will be here soon to welcome you.” Fern pushed aside the older witches and flung herself into Jane’s arms.

  “This all makes sense now,” Slade said as he clenched his jaws. “He thinks the marriage contract is still binding.”

  “I don’t understand,” Zoey said, and as such a new witch, she wouldn’t.

  “Back in the middle ages contract marriages were all the rage,” Neferu began to explain. “The humans were doing it and we thought we should too. It was a way to ensure powerful lines. Heads of the most powerful families made contracts between their children. Sometimes money was exchanged as a dowry for the bride, sometimes land, and sometimes powers. That was the worst. It was cruel and diminished the role of Claritase everywhere. For instance, Jane’s mother was way more powerful than her husband and I think he resented it. That’s why I’m not surprised he used Jane’s powers as a dowry.”

  “Surely a contract over four hundred years old isn’t valid anymore.” Jane could see Zoey’s mind running through all the possibilities.

  “This isn’t the human legal system,” Niles told Zoey. “Our lives are long and so are our contracts.”

  “For how long?” Zoey asked.

  “Five hundred years,” Niles explained. “It’s no wonder Jane has been running. Ian can still enforce the contract. The only way he can’t is if he can’t find her for the next century or so.”

  “We must protect you,” Linus said with urgency.

  “I don’t know what to do. I was going to run and do that, but Zoey’s vision—” Jane was so confused. Her life had been so simple up until now. Hide from Ian. That was it. Now there was a vision and one didn’t ignore an actual vision sent from the Goddess of creation herself.

  “Samuel is a strong warrior. He can move in with you until Ian is captured.”

  Jane heard someone suck in air and suddenly saw Polly standing ramrod straight as she bit her lower lip.

  “No,” Zoey said firmly.

  Agnes narrowed her eyes and stared at Jane. “You have another secret.”

  “No, I don’t. I’ve told you everything about my past.”

  “Your past, but not your present,” Agnes said cryptically.

  “I don’t understand,” Jane said slowly. She’d been truthful with everyone.

  The knock on the door had a roomful of witches whipping their hands up and enough electricity from the powers surging forward to make Jane’s hair float up a little.

  “It’s okay,” Jane told them. “It’s Galen . . . I mean Dr. Sinclair.”

  “And there it is,” Agnes said with a smile as she lowered her hands.

  “What is?” Jane really felt as if she were missing something.

  “How did you know it was Dr. Sinclair?” Grand Mistress Lauren asked curiously as there was another knock on the door. “Tell him to hold on.”

  “I’ll be right there!” Jane called out and the knocking stopped. “How did I know it was him?” She had no idea. She just knew. “I don’t know. I just knew it was him. Why?” Everyone looked at each other with disbelief and Jane once again felt as if she were missing something. “Spit it out!” she snapped.

  Slade shifted on his feet and suddenly looked uncomfortable when everyone turned to look at him and Zoey to explain. “Um, you see, when a man and a woman—”

  Jane rolled her eyes. “I didn’t have sex with him.”

  “You don’t need to have sex to fall in love,” Slade said, looking considerably more awkward as he cleared his throat.

  Jane’s mouth dropped open. Love? Who said anything about love?

  “Well now, this is very interesting,” Mistress Lauren said with a surprised look. “Get the door, dear.”

  Galen was wired. His whole body seemed to be on edge as he banged on Jane’s door. It was a feeling unlike anything he’d experienced before. He needed to get to her right now. He needed to see with his own eyes that she was safe. The door opened and Jane was finally there.

  “What’s happened?” Galen asked as he saw the look on her face. She looked overwhelmed and bewildered with a hint of stubbornness on her face.

  “Nothing. What’s up?”

  Galen narrowed his eyes at the way she only cracked the door an inch and used her body to block his ability to see inside. Something was making her upset. He knew it. “Just let the guy in,” Galen heard a male voice say from somewhere in the living room.

  Galen placed his hand on the door above Jane’s head and pushed it open. She stepped back, looking guilty. She shouldn’t look or even feel guilty. They weren’t dating. Even if he’d already planned to discharge her as his patient and assign a friend from Knoxville to be her new doctor. Even if he’d already planned on coming over her to ask her to go out on a real date. And even if his heart had already filled with love for her, it didn’t mean they were actually together.

  Galen took a calming breath as he looked around room in surprise. It wasn’t a guy. Well, it was numerous men and women. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had company. Hi, Sheriff, Zoey, Lauren. I’m sorry. I’m new and I don’t know the rest of you. I’m Galen Sinclair.”

  Galen smiled and then winced. The embarrassment of storming into Jane’s house was giving him a stress headache. He put his fingers to the middle of his forehead and pressed. The pain stopped as everyone in the room stared at him.

  “Is something the matter? You all look worried.” Galen took a step closer to Jane to be there if she needed support.

  “We were just talking a
bout the importance of family,” replied Lauren, who worked in the clinic with him. “Galen is the new doctor in town. I don’t think you and I have ever talked about your family while at work.”

  Galen shrugged. “My parents are professors in the Northeast. I was super close to my Nan, but she passed away two years ago.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Jane reached out to him and when she placed her hand on his arm he felt completely at peace.

  “Dr. Sinclair, who are your people?” Neferu demanded.

  Galen saw Jane and Zoey roll their eyes and relaxed a little. This wasn’t a hostile takeover, just a woman who gets right to the point. He didn’t think his family was that interesting.

  “My people?” Galen asked, not fully understanding. Didn’t he just tell them about his family?

  “Where do they come from?” Neferu clarified.

  “Oh, Scotland,” Galen told them. “Family lore says we were once a powerful family in Northern Scotland. My Nan was the last of our branch of the family still on the island of Orkney. Don’t worry. No one knows where it is. It’s about five miles north of the mainland of Scotland.”

  “The Standing Stones of Stenness are there,” Linus told the room. Galen nodded and noticed the other people in the room were whispering to each other.

  “I’m being so rude,” Lauren said with a laugh. “Let me introduce you to our little gathering. You know Zoey, Slade, and Samuel. Magnus here is Zoey’s father. And have you met Agnes and Vilma?”

  Galen smiled at the elderly women. “Oh, yes. They brought me a welcome basket of the local moonshine.”

  “Excellent. Then this is my dear friend, Linus,” Lauren introduced as Galen shook his hand. The man had a long beard and looked like he belonged on the steps of the Parthenon back in ancient Greece. “And this is Neferu, Polly, Fern, Niles, and Raiden.”

  “I’m from England,” Fern said as she shook his hand. “I’ve visited the standing stones on Orkney a very long time ago. There was a woman on the island who was the caretaker of the stones. I believe her last name was Sinclair.”

  Galen was shocked and instantly smiled. “Yes! That was Nan. When were you there?”

  “Oh, ninety—” Fern stopped suddenly and giggled. “Sometime in the late nineties. I can’t remember exactly when. I was just a kid.”

  “We have to go,” Neferu said suddenly as she grabbed Niles by the hand. “We have work to do.” Wow, that was some cougar action right there. Niles looked to be in his mid to late twenties while Neferu appeared to be in her fifties. Well, to each their own.

  “It was nice meeting you.” Galen called out as the couple headed out the front door.

  “What brought you by this morning?” Zoey asked.

  “I wanted to go over Jane’s sleep test results. I can come back since you all are . . . busy?” His statement turned into more of a question as he looked for an idea of what they were up to.

  “Wedding planning,” Zoey’s father said with a chuckle as he slapped Galen on the back. Ugh. Now Galen’s headache was like a jackhammer. But as suddenly as it came on, it left again. “Why don’t you take Jane into her bedroom to discuss the results in private. We can wait.”

  “Thank you,” Galen said slowly, feeling as if maybe he should leave them, but everything in him had him reaching for Jane and telling him to hold on to her and never let her go.

  “Right this way,” Jane said, and Galen’s whole body reacted when he heard that slight breathlessness in her voice. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt such a strong reaction between them.

  12

  “What the hell is going on?” Zoey whispered as everyone came to stand close together. “I can’t read him at all. Like, none of my magic worked.”

  Her father shook his head. “Neither did mine.”

  “Or mine,” Lauren confirmed.

  “I got nothing,” Linus told them as everyone else agreed.

  “Why isn’t our magic working on him?” Zoey asked.

  “I have a theory, but Neferu and Niles can tell us for sure when they get back,” Fern whispered.

  “We still have the issue of Jane needing protection,” Lauren reminded them. “Ian is still out there.”

  “I’ll gather a group to guard the woods.” Zoey didn’t want to think of her love up against Ian, but if anyone could take him on, it was Slade.

  “I’ll help,” Samuel offered to Slade.

  “I’ll help too.” Raiden stepped across the circle to join Slade and Samuel.

  “We will stay with Jane,” Agnes said as she volunteered herself and Vilma for guard duty.

  “As soon as Neferu and Niles have something, we will regroup and decide how best to protect Jane and capture Ian. This threat must end,” Lauren hissed angrily.

  Jane sat on her bed and watched as Galen tried to decide where to sit. It was almost funny as she could tell he wanted to be next to her, but wanted to stay professional at the same time.

  In the end he set his bag on the dresser and pulled out the papers he had inside before leaning back against it. He began with filling her in on her vitals. Jane sat quietly as she didn’t want to burst his bubble by telling him she knew her vitals were perfect. It was one of the perks of being a healing witch.

  “I think your night terrors were triggered by a trauma. I’ve written down everything you said during your sleep. Can you tell me about it?”

  Shoot. What had she said? Jane tried to be casual when she took the paper. Ian. His name was all over it. So was the mention of her arms out stretched as if she were using her powers. What was Ian doing to her in her dreams?

  “Jane, who is Ian?” Galen asked quietly.

  Jane didn’t know what to say. She looked down at what she’d screamed in her sleep. I won’t let you take them. I won’t let you hurt me. I’ll kill you. In her nightmares, she was still strong. She needed to find that strength again. She did run from Ian. She’d beaten him back twice now.

  She felt the magic spark in her fingers. In her dreams she’d defended herself with magic. It was time to remember how to use it. It was time to ask for help. It was time to trust again. “Someone my parents pushed me to marry. I didn’t want to, so I ran away. I’ve been running ever since.”

  Galen was quiet, but Jane saw his knuckles turn white as he clenched the dresser top he was leaning against. “He wants to hurt you?”

  “Yes.” Jane took a deep breath. It was as if a weight was lifted. She wasn’t alone anymore. “And I’m done running. My friends are going to help me.”

  Galen stepped forward and then went down to his knees in front of her. “Let me help too.”

  “I’d like that. How about dinner tonight? I can cook this time.”

  “I’ll be here by six.”

  Jane smiled at Galen and reached for him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and felt magic stir deep within her along with a rush of emotion. “Thank you, Galen.”

  Jane was about to let go when Galen leaned forward and closed his eyes. His lips brushed questioningly against hers and when she leaned into him he deepened the kiss. Sparks flew. Literally. One landed on the hem of her shirt and Jane smelled smoke.

  She slapped her hand down on it and tried to pretend that hadn’t happened.

  “Wow,” Galen said, opening his eyes from the kiss. He looked as dazed as Jane felt. “That was magical. I’m not one to wax poetic, but a single kiss has never felt so right before. Was it just me?”

  “No, it wasn’t just you. There is something, um, magical between us.” In fact, they were so hot together they could start a fire.

  Galen’s eyes suddenly creased as he leaned forward. “Huh. I thought your eyes were green. They remind me of the fields in Scotland.”

  “They are green,” Jane said with a little laugh.

  “They have gold flecks in them. They’re beautiful.”

  Her eyes didn’t have gold flecks in them. As an earth witch, her eyes were solid green representing her powers. “I don’t have gold flecks,” she lau
ghed and then looked closer at his brown eyes. “But you do.”

  Galen laughed and shook his head. “No, I have brownish-amber eyes. But look at us trying to talk about each other’s eyes so romantically and blowing it so badly. Jane,” he said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, “I’m glad you feel it too.”

  “Jane!” Jane smiled as she heard Agnes call out.

  “Be right there!”

  Galen stood and held out his hand for her to take. Jane placed her hand in his and felt powerful. He liked her as much as she liked him and there was something special about that. She could feel their connection grow as they walked to the living room hand in hand.

  “Oh my Goddess,” Lauren gasped as she stared at them.

  Galen chuckled. “I haven’t heard that saying since my Nan. She said it was because women are the healers of the world.”

  Jane froze. Her heart beat so loud she knew all the witches in the room could hear it.

  “Well, time to go. We need to get back to wedding planning,” Vilma said as she grabbed Galen by the arm and practically shoved him out the door.

  Everyone else stood silently in shock.

  “He’s not a witch, though, right?” Jane finally asked into the silence.

  “I don’t know what he is,” Linus muttered as they all stared at the closed door.

  “When he kissed me there was a spark,” Jane confessed. She had decided to embrace her power and there was always power in the truth.

  “That’s nice, dear,” Agnes said absently. “Sexual chemistry is important in a relationship.”

  Jane held up the hem of her shirt to show them where it was clearly burned through. “No, I mean there were literal sparks.”

  Again, everyone was quiet as they stared at her.

  “We need to go help Neferu and Niles,” Fern said, suddenly grabbing Raiden and poof they were gone.

  “I agree completely. We’ll meet back here as soon as we have anything. In the meantime, Vilma and Agnes are going to stay with you,” Lauren told her. It wasn’t a question. It was a command but before Jane could argue, they were gone.