“Because he’s my father,” Rita answered with a sly smile.
“Your father?” Everleigh was amused. “I thought the mixing of the blood lines happened centuries ago?”
“It did,” Rita’s eyes lit up, and she reached out to hold Matt’s hand. “But it still continues to this day.”
“So you all....” Everleigh’s brows lifted in astonishment.
Matt almost choked on an unexpected laugh. “Not all of us. Not like that. It does happen though.”
“We need to get this back on track. What do you know, Matt? Anything that hasn’t already been discussed?” Meredith asked, irritated by the distraction when there was so much on the line.
“Sadly no, not until they arrive. They’ll want to meet.”
“I figured as much,” Meredith clasped her hands together and rested her chin on her thumbs.
“Are any other covens joining us?” It was Luke asking the same question he had asked many times before, but always hoping for a different answer.
Meredith glared straight ahead to avoid looking at him. “No, Luke. The answer is no just as it was every other time you asked.”
“I was hoping it had changed.”
“If it did, I would tell you,” Meredith growled.
“I was hoping if I bother you enough, you might influence them to come.”
“Me? The Earth outcast?” Meredith’s voice boomed. Worried, she scanned the front room for any sign she had disturbed Lilah then continued quietly. “They will not lift a finger to help me, Luke. Eloise has been trying to convince them.”
“Convince them? Why would they need convincing? It’s their lives at stake too,” Matt was bewildered.
“Most of the covens have gone into hiding taking the youngest generation with them even those who haven’t been called. They’re cloaked in protection spells thinking this is how they save their people.”
“By hiding?” Matt acted like the words were physically painful to say.
“Don’t,” Rita told him.
Matt looked at her with questions in his eyes.
“Don’t judge their actions. They don’t have tribes of wolves and clans of vampires assisting them,” she explained.
“We would defend them too,” Matt grumbled, acting like it was the most obvious statement he could make.
“Yes, but they would have to travel here. It would be a risk.”
“We are all taking a risk,” Luke added. “What choice do we have?”
“There’s always a choice. Besides, I believe it was your kind who led the way in this game of hide and hope you don’t get attacked,” Everleigh challenged, growing angry over the insinuations about her people. It would be senseless to die trying to get to Fairview.
“And shouldn’t your kind,” Luke heavily accented the word, “have learned from our mistakes? Don’t they realize the wolves will track them down?” Luke tried to reason.
“They may eventually be found, but not unless we stop them here.” Meredith grew weary of always defending her people. It was not met with her approval that they were trying to save themselves at the risk of hurting others, but it was their choice to do so.
“Enough,” Rita slapped the table. “Let’s discuss something we can actually do something about.”
Meredith walked to the doorway to check on Lilah worried the repeated outbursts may have waken her. The girl was still out and looked like she hadn’t moved since falling asleep. “It’s late,” she said to everyone when she returned.
They checked the time noting it was still quite early.
“I’m tired. We need our rest for whatever tomorrow may bring,” she continued, wanting to deflect any questions about her departure from the group before they could be asked.
“I thought we were going to prepare for the meeting?” Everleigh spoke up.
“Tomorrow. I will have Todd arrive early, and we will all discuss it then.”
“What about Jackson?” Luke asked.
Meredith crossed her arms then lifted one hand to her mouth and pulled on her lower lip. “Unfortunately, Jackson can’t attend any of our meetings until Lilah does her part.”
There were synchronized groans from the table. “I know how you feel,” Meredith told them. “Everleigh, I need you to work on her about telling him.”
“I’ll do my best,” she said without looking at her aunt.
“I need you to succeed.”
Everleigh closed her eyes wanting to say something, but knowing she shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be easy. Lilah was set on waiting. She would have to convince her that the truth would come out soon anyway.
Meredith stood and told the group she would see them in the morning. She had business to attend to. Privately.
“Am I the only one concerned about what Fire is up to?” Luke asked, raising his hands and glancing around the room.
In the hallway, Jackson tip toed farther away from the kitchen until Meredith had gone. He would stay there out of sight, but well within ear shot until only Everleigh remained.
Chapter Nineteen
“Why do we have to move?” Samuel asked. “You said yourself that they’re not targeting real witches.”
“We do whatever it takes to keep our family safe,” his dad answered, rummaging through a drawer.
Samuel looked at his siblings sitting on the edge of the bed they shared. His youngest sister clutched her doll with tears streaming down her face. They had only moved here two years ago after their mom died, but it was the nicest place they had ever lived. They were adapting well to the community and had made real friends.
The only people being accused are ones who pose a business competition. That didn’t include them. They weren’t connected to any of the prominent families of the town. None of them were even witches. “Father, I don’t understand. We have no reason to think any of us will be accused.”
“We also have no reason to feel confident we won’t be either,” he told him. “Your ancestors have seen this type of hysteria before in Europe.”
“Won’t people be suspicious when we just leave in the middle of the night? It will make us look guilty.”
Gideon stopped his haphazard packing and looked at his four children. “It will look like I’m trying to protect you from the witchcraft and sorcery that people believe is running rampant in Salem.”
He sits on the edge of the bed and pulls his youngest daughter’s head to his chest. He rests his chin on her head. “I know it’s hard, and you don’t understand. I need you to trust that I’m doing what I feel is best for all of you.”
“But we’re not even witches, father!”
Gideon looked at Samuel harshly, and he immediately regretted his outburst.
“They’re not hanging witches are they, son? Not being a witch does not mean we are safe.”
He gets up and walks to the open suitcase on the table and pulls out a grimoire. “Do you see this? This belonged to my mother and will one day belong to one of you.”
He slams the book back into the suitcase. He knows that two of his children are old enough to receive the calling and begin practicing the craft. It’s their generation to produce a witch. Any day now one of them could begin the visions, the dreams, the unexpected magic that always occurs until the new witch learns control. He shook his head thinking what would happen if one of them started to unknowingly affect things around them if front of witnesses. He had already buried his wife. He wasn’t going to bury a child as well.
Gideon closed the case and without turning around, he told his family it was time. He lifted it by the handle and walked out the door. He put the case on their tiny wagon and waited by the horse for his children to load in with the few possessions they were taking with them. His plan was to head southwest into New York City stopping at his Aunt’s house along the way. There was much ground to cover before they got there, and he wanted to get started as soon as possible.
Samuel helped his two brothers and little sister load into the wagon then pulled h
imself up. He sat to one side with his sister next to him. He slapped the side of the wagon to let his dad know they were ready. There was a jerk, and the wagon began to move out. He watched their small home grow even smaller as his dad directed the horses away.
His sister was taking the move the hardest of them all. She was only five, and this is the only home she remembered. She also couldn’t remember their mother at all. “It will be alright, Meredith,” he told her. “You’ll see.”
She clutched her doll a little tighter and tried to stifle a sob. She looked up to him and wanted to believe him. It was just hard to think that anything would be alright ever again.
The wagon rocked and tossed them around making it difficult to find a comfortable position. Eventually all of Samuel’s siblings were fast asleep. Meredith had her head on his leg which meant it would be impossible for him to move without waking her. He had to stay still no matter how much he may want to shift around.
Samuel couldn’t sleep. He watched as they rode farther and farther from the best home he’d ever have. He was tired of having to move. They had moved around many times when he was very little as they struggled to find a place where his dad could work, and the town’s people would be kind to them. The last place they lived before his mother died made it seem like they had finally found somewhere to call home. They only moved away from there because it was too painful for his father to stay.
Salem had seemed like an answer to their prayers. They lived outside the town, so they kept mostly to themselves. When they did interact with the townsfolk, there were never any problems. The people left them alone so long as they weren’t hurting anyone, but didn’t try to include them much. Their father was a good man who worked hard and always dealt a fair deal. Even so, it didn’t help to make them easily accepted in any community.
This one had been a little different. His siblings had started becoming friendly with the children in town as well. He had even gone to work himself. Now they would have to start over again somewhere new not knowing what would happen. This was the hardest part of it all. He could still remember some of the places they had been and how the people didn’t react well to their presence.
There was nothing he could do. It was up to father to make the decisions for the family, and he was already treading water with the comments and questions he had allowed himself to make. If he pushed too hard, he would be punished. He was certain of it. His father needed him to be a dutiful son and support him right now even if he didn’t agree with him. It was hard for him to ignore his own worry to do so, but he made up his mind that he would from this point forward.
It would take them a week to reach his aunt’s house in Waterbury near New York. Their plan had been to travel by day and camp at night hoping to run into as few people as possible along their way. They had brought just enough food to last the trip. Weather was on their side. It was summertime, and the rain seemed to be holding off for them to travel. Boredom and worry of what the future held were their only real concerns.
They arrived at their aunt’s home late in the evening. She rushed outside to greet them. She had been distant for most of their lives sending only the occasional letter. She had never cared for the witch business as she called it. No matter what Samuel’s dad ever tried to convince her that what she’s heard about witches, and what his wife truly was were two different things entirely, she would have nothing to do with her.
She often plagued her brother with her thoughts about the life he was setting his kids up for by marrying that woman. Samuel knew his aunt had not been upset over his mom’s death. She had probably been praying for it for years. He couldn’t help but feel resentment toward her. This was his father’s sister, and they needed a place to stay to rest and gather more supplies for the remainder of their journey. He would be polite and try his hardest to be kind even if it made him feel like he was dishonoring his mother by doing so. He knew his mother would understand, but that wasn’t the point.
Samuel had only met his aunt a couple times, and that was long ago. He was surprised when his dad made the turn down a long dirt path that led to a beautiful two story home. His awe was short lived when his dad went past the house and behind the stables to a smaller home in the back.
“Servants quarters,” he mumbled aloud, not intending for his father to hear him.
“My sister and her husband both work for the estate owner. They live here on the property, but they aren’t servants. They are paid help.”
He knew that many people lived like this even back in Salem. He had never known his aunt did as well. He wondered how they would be received as guests on property that was owned by someone else. His dad must have sensed his concern because he added, “Her employer knows we are coming and will be visiting a couple nights as we travel through. We’ve promised they won’t even know we are here.”
Samuel’s aunt came out to greet them. Her smiled seemed genuine for her brother, and it was obvious she was overjoyed to see him. The smile quickly disappeared when she turned to the children.
“Get on inside now, and no noise. I have promised you will all be as quiet as mice while you are here. I expect to keep my promise. Understand?”
They nodded and went inside. It was a small home. There was one large room for the living and kitchen areas with one bedroom in the back. It wasn’t much different than the homes they were used to living in except a bit more crowded with the extra people.
There was a stew on the stove waiting for them. The children washed their hands then sat down immediately. The children were all sitting on the floor in the living room area while the adults filled the table. They paid no mind as they were famished. They’d had enough to eat on their trip, but nothing like this. Samuel’s siblings dug in without reason to think about anything else. He set about his plate at a slower pace being mindful of the adults who were talking.
It was clear his uncle wanted them here even less than his aunt. He was only accommodating them to support his wife’s sense of family obligation, but if they would leave right now it wouldn’t be soon enough.
His uncle and father spoke about plans and deals that had been set in place before they had left their home. His father had brought along furs and supplies to trade for more food and a little money to help them start out in New York. It sounded to Samuel like his dad was being taken advantage of by them, but they really had no choice. His father was set on this move to keep his family safe, and he would do whatever was necessary to see it through.
They were to leave in two days, but Samuel hoped their visit could be cut shorter. The more he eavesdropped on the adults’ conversation, the more he didn’t want to stay another minute. His aunt despised his mother. She felt no real affection for any of the children either as they were connected to her. Her only reason for helping at all stemmed from the love she had for her brother, and that was obviously not going to account for much itself. His uncle wanted them all gone. It was apparent that he had been quite happy not being a part of their lives up until this point and was quite irritated to have them here now.
After supper, Samuel managed to pull his father aside to talk privately. He wanted to tell him how he felt, but he wasn’t sure how to do it without upsetting him even more. He lost his nerve once he got his dad alone and decided to give it a rest. Two nights here couldn’t be much worse than the one night they would already be forced to spend. Perhaps things would be better the next day.
His father surprised him by bringing it up himself. “This isn’t going the way I had pictured it would.”
Samuel looked up at him thankful his father gave him the opening, “This visit with your sister?”
“Yes,” he said, staring off across the field into the night. “I know she never forgave me for marrying your mother when she learned the truth. I had thought that maybe with your mother gone, she would be a bit kinder toward you children. I should have given more thought to how her husband would treat us.”
“How did she find out about mother
?” Samuel asked.
His father sighed and rubbed his forehead. He was silent for several minutes. Samuel believed he wasn’t going to answer.
“When you were just a babe, we lived near here. Your aunt had gifted your mom with a marvelous sewing kit when we were married. It continued to be one of her most prized possessions even after we fell out of touch over my sister’s feelings regarding your mother. One night, your grandmother was visiting and picked up a needle to set about her embroidery. She connected with your aunt when she touched the loom that had been part of the gift.”
“What did she see?”
“Your aunt was alone in the main house and had fallen down the stairs. She was bleeding and unconscious. Your grandmother sent me to fetch help for her.”
“And you told her how you knew she was in trouble?”
“Eventually, yes. I thought she might be thankful. Your grandmother saved her life, but instead, she grew hateful and afraid of her and your mother. She wanted no more to do with her or any of our children and wanted very little to do with me as long as I was with her.”
“I should like to leave earlier if we can,” Samuel said the words without thinking.
His father looked at him and nodded. I had been thinking the same,” he told him. “I’m sure they won’t mind if we announce an earlier departure. We shall get our business tended to in the morning and leave shortly after we’re through.”
They went back inside and headed to bed. Samuel’s aunt and uncle had made pallets on the floor for all the children while father had decided to spend the night in the wagon outside alone. It was hard for him to drift off. He could hear whisperings coming from the bedroom. He knew his aunt and uncle were discussing them, and he longed to be able to hear what was being said. He couldn’t get close enough to listen without disturbing at least one of the other children. He didn’t want to bring any attention to himself or what he was trying to do as it would defeat the purpose. Instead, he lay there as still as possible trying to concentrate on their hushed voices hoping to discern a word or two.
Earth: The Elementals Book Two Page 21
