by Tish Thawer
Jason pulled back, peering down into her loving gaze through his dark lashes with a firm set to his jaw. “I know.”
Chapter Two
BLACKBROOK, NEW YORK
Present day
Caris had already prepared and laid out the tea by the time Jason and Trin made their way upstairs. “I figured we could all use something soothing before bed.” Smiling, she placed their mother’s silver tray on the coffee table in front of them—the exact tray Caris had used to seal their initial reunion, and to convince Trin they were her true sisters instead of the pretender Ann had placed herself to be. Trin ran her finger over the filigree handle, remembering how proud her mama was the day she brought it home. Claiming the dainty teacup nearest to her, Trin took a seat on the couch. “Thank you,” she whispered, drawing in the calming scent of her sister’s herbal brew.
Jason flicked a finger toward the hearth, sparking the fire to bring the room up to temperature. “Where did Kennedy go?” he asked, easing onto the soft, white cushions next to Trin.
“She’s upstairs, making a few calls. Her FBI cruiser is still in Maine, and she needed to touch base with her boss to make sure his memory wipe remained intact.” Caris took a cup and sat across from them, tucking her legs beneath her on a matching couch.
“Ah. Yeah, I couldn’t figure out a way to get her car back since I was left towing your Jeep home with my truck.” Jason shrugged.
“It’s probably for the best. I think she needs to go see Nielson before we leave again anyway.” Trin blew across the rim of her cup, swirling the rising steam.
Jason tilted his head, his expression open, curious. “And why is that?”
“Because, she’s falling for him.” Trin sipped her tea as if she hadn’t just spilled the beans.
“Really?” Jason lifted a brow.
“Yeah, she was telling us in Maine what a good man he is, and that she was developing feelings for him.”
“Wow, okay. I didn’t know that.” Jason shifted on the couch. “Good for her.”
“Good for who?” Kennedy asked, entering the room.
“You, actually. How did it go with Nielsen?” Caris eyed her from her seat on the couch.
“Good. My memory wipe held, and I explained my way around the fact that my car was still in Maine. Which, by the way, we have to go pick up tomorrow.” She tipped her head at Trin.
“Sounds good. I’d actually like to take another look at the Hunniwell house while we’re there. Maybe Ann left some clues as to why, and more importantly how she managed to pull this off without any real magic.”
Jason tensed beside her.
“Do you want to come with us?” Trin rushed on, knowing he wouldn’t want any of them returning there alone.
“Of course I do.” Jason looked to Caris. “How about you? Up for another road trip?”
Caris shook her head. “Nope. Sorry. I need to get back to my classroom and finish out the week before we go time-hopping again.”
Kennedy coughed out a weak laugh. “Wow. You make it sound like it’s something fun we do every other weekend.”
“Yes, well, meeting Tawni and Nadie were perks to what happened, but you and I both know, getting stuck outside of our time was no laughing matter.” Caris sobered, drawing on the memory of her, Kennedy, and Jason getting stuck in the Colorado mountains of 1703. They were separated from Trin in that lifetime, trapped by a time loop that had altered their soul journey. The things they learned and witnessed there had stuck with them to this very day.
Kennedy rubbed a hand down her sister’s arm, then headed to her room without another word.
“What was that about?” Trin whispered to Jason.
“I’ll tell you later. Or better yet, you should ask Caris about it when we have some down time. There’s still a lot of history between us that hasn’t been discussed since we’ve all been reunited.”
Trin glanced at Caris. Her younger sister was lost in thought, her eyes holding a far-off gaze. Moments passed until she shook her shoulders, rattling loose whatever memory was haunting her. She looked up and smiled at the two of them, then continued sipping her tea.
“I’m sorry this is happening now,” Trin confessed as if it was somehow her fault.
Caris’s eyes snapped to hers. “No one blames you for this. You know that.”
“Do I?” Trin rose, placed her teacup on the tray, and walked to the fireplace. Dropping her head, she stared into the flames. “I’m the one who ordered Ann’s powers stripped. I’m the one who cast the initial spell that started this entire mess.” She ran her hand over the warm wooden mantle, standing in silence for a few moments before turning to face them with tears in her eyes. “And I’m the reason they kidnapped Mama. So, actually, this is completely my fault.”
“Honey.” In one swift move, Jason pushed from the couch and gathered Trin into his arms. “You can’t blame yourself. We were all there back then, and we’re all in this together now.”
“But I do blame myself, and I don’t think that’ll ever change.”
Jason looked to Caris, who bit her lip and wiped a tear from her cheek. She knew how much responsibility Trin had taken on when their mama passed centuries ago. But apparently, she hadn’t realized how much hurt and blame her big sister still carried after all these years.
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1689
“Here lies Rebecca Howe. Healer, witch, and beloved mother.” Karina bent down, gently spreading sprigs of lavender over the grave she and her sisters had magically prepared on this frigid Yule night. “May your body return to the earth, while your spirit soars with the Goddess.” Karina kissed the smooth stone in her hand and pressed it into the dirt.
“May you find peace and love in your next life, Mama, and know that you’ll never be forgotten.” Running a thumb over its surface, Kara kissed her stone and knelt to the ground, gently placing it next to Karina’s.
Unable to utter a single word, a sob rent the air as Kenna bent down to add her stone to the others, her tears softly falling onto the mound.
Karina reached for her sisters’ hands, gathering them directly above the stones. “That which came from the earth has returned to the earth. That which belonged to the spirit has returned to the Ancient Ones. The wheel turns. As fire burns and water flows, let air carry your spirit as your body returns to the earth.”
The circle of surrounding candles flared, their flames shooting upwards toward the sky as a white light radiated from the girls’ hands. “Merry meet, merry part, and merry shall we meet again. We love you, Mama. And don’t worry, I will always take care of my sisters,” Karina finished.
The three stepped back and gasped. Their grave-marker stones, now fused together, displayed a triskele carved deep upon their surface. “Thank you, my lady,” Karina offered to the Goddess, “may Mama find peace within your embrace.”
The sisters pulled their woolen cloaks tight and remained by the gravesite until their sobs could no longer be heard on the cold Sabbath wind.
Chapter Three
BLACKBROOK, NEW YORK
Present day
Dreams of the past plagued Jason and Trin throughout the night. And waking the next day brought another round of problems neither of them had the patience to deal with.
“Honey, I’m sorry. I have to go into work for a bit and explain why I need additional time off, again,” Jason pleaded as he secured the tactical belt around his uniform and shoved his gun into its holster.
“That’s fine, but Kennedy and I need to leave now. If you want to come, then meet us there once you get things worked out.” Trin shoved a scarf into the black, oversized leather bag she’d been filling for the last five minutes.
“Dammit, Trin, why can’t you just wait? I’ll be maybe an hour or two, tops.”
“Are you really asking me that? Why can’t I just wait?” Trin threw her hand in the air. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because my mother is being held prisoner by someone with the power to erase all of our futu
res.” She slammed another pouch of protective herbs into her bag. “And if we wait any longer to go back and save her, we risk losing everything. The future will literally no longer exist as we know it. If they kill Mama and alter history, you know they won’t hesitate to kill the earlier versions of us, too. Why is this so hard to understand?” she spat, stomping back into the closet.
Jason took a deep breath and moved to intercept Trin’s next pass to the bed, gently placing both hands on her shoulders. “What if this is how she died originally? What if all this is happening exactly as it should?” He immediately regretted his question when he saw the expression on her face.
“No.” Trin ripped out of his embrace. Shaking her head, she returned to the closet. “This isn’t how it happened before. The Putnams never had power back then. Only Ann. And for Christ’s sake, Jason, you know this,” she spun to face him again, tossing more clothes and supplies onto the bed, “you were there.”
“Yes, I was. So please stop acting like I don’t understand the urgency or importance of this. I absolutely do. But even back then, we all had no idea Ann had so many sisters. Maybe their magic was another secret they all kept hidden.”
Trin’s shoulders sagged as she stared at the stacks of shirts and scarves scattered across the duvet. “Perhaps you’re right. Maybe they did have magic before and are the ones responsible for Mama’s original death.” She lifted her eyes to meet his, determination shining within. “But we now have a chance to stop that and reverse the nightmare I started with my spell so long ago.”
Jason held her gaze. “Who would be altering the timeline then?” he challenged as sympathetically as he could.
Trin jerked back. “Are you saying we shouldn’t try to save my mother? And what, do nothing and see how all this plays out?” Trin stormed back to the closet … again. “Ann is there, probably already seeking out Heinrich to warn him of what happens in the future; to warn him that we eventually find each other and stop him. I can’t let that happen.” She returned to the bed, collapsing on top of the mess she’d created. “Even if we don’t save Mama, I can’t let him take away the rest of my family, too.”
Easing down beside her, Jason reached for her hand. “I’m not suggesting we do nothing, or that we don’t try to stop Ann and Heinrich. However, you know as well as I, we cannot alter the timeline as it originally happened. You said so yourself.”
Trin sniffled, letting her head fall onto his shoulder. “I know. But, Jason … it’s Mama. Even a few more days with her could have helped us to prepare for what was to come.”
“How so?”
“You’ve seen the items she left us throughout time—her necklace to help stop Heinrich, the scrying bowl in 1703. If I could find out why or how she knew to leave those specific things for us, maybe we’d have a better chance of beating back the evil that continues to threaten our family.”
“Trin, you know how she did it. Like Caris said, she saw it all through her visions. Rebecca knew Caris would return to her, and she knew what you’d need to protect us and when.” Jason squeezed her hand. “We need to trust her. For all we know, she probably saw all of this, too.”
Trin lifted her head, her eyes snapping to his. “No, I don’t think so. This is all new—Ann being back there, she and her family having powers … I know it’s not the same as before. Which means Mama doesn’t know we’re coming.”
“I don’t know, Trin. Maybe she doesn’t, maybe she does. But again, how do we know this isn’t playing out exactly as it should?”
“Gah!” Trin pulled away, bolting upright and throwing her hands in the air. “This is maddening, and I don’t want to think about it anymore. I just want to go save my mother.”
Footsteps announced Kennedy before she rounded the corner and entered Trin’s room. “I’m ready when you are.” A green canvas duffle hung in her hand.
Trin turned back to Jason. “I love you, but you will have to forgive my impatience. We’re not going to wait. We’re leaving now. I hope things go well at work, and we’ll see you soon.” She bent down and placed a kiss on his lips, pushing slightly to soften his hardened scowl. “I promise, we’ll be okay.”
“Famous last words,” he whispered, as Trin and Kennedy left the room.
***
“He’ll forgive you,” Kennedy said, breaking the silence ten minutes into their drive.
“I hope so.” Trin peered out the window of their rental car, taking in the smear of pastel colors flying by. Spring had sprung in upper New York. The green hills and flowering dogwoods along I-87 outside of Chesterfield usually lifted her spirits, but unfortunately, no amount of flora or fauna would be doing the trick today.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Kennedy prompted.
“Not really.” Trin sighed, but then continued on in a rush. “I mean, I get why he’s being so protective, but I don’t understand why no one seems to grasp the urgency of what has to be done.”
“Trin, we all understand the urgency, but more than that, we understand the risk. And the risk is what requires patience and planning. That’s all.”
“I know you’re right. Jason’s right. But I can’t help the pull I feel, here …” She pressed a fist to her heart as she looked over to her sister. “Regardless, we’ll make sure everything is prepped, planned, and in position before we head back to the portal trees. I promise.”
Kennedy laughed. “That’s a lot of p’s for one sentence.”
“Well, I guess you could say I’m trying to be pragmatic despite my impatience.”
“I like it.”
Trin smiled at her little sister, so proud of the amazing woman she’d become. It was one more reason Trin was feeling overly protective. “Speaking of liking it, how are things on the Nielsen front?”
“Oh no … See, at least I asked if you wanted to talk about it.”
“True, true. You did, but prying is my right as your big sis. So, come on, spill.”
“Honestly, there’s really not much to tell besides what you already know. I think he’s a good man, and yes, I’ve developed feelings for him, but at this point—especially with what’s happening now—there’s really not much I can do about it.” The sad lilt to Kennedy’s voice spoke volumes.
“I’m sorry,” Trin apologized.
Kennedy looked over with a heart-wrenching expression on her face, then quickly refocused on the road. “Trin, none of this is your fault. I know you hold some guilt over the spell that started our soul journeys in the first place, but you are absolutely not to blame. You saved us all, and I have no doubt you’ll do it again.”
“Thank you for saying that, but honestly, I don’t think I will. You are the protector, Kenna. You always have been.” Trin leaned in close and recited Kenna’s secret spell, “Block me from their magic sight, let me be a witness this night. Charged to protect us sisters three, forever the watcher shall I be.”
Brakes squealed and the car swerved as Kennedy pulled onto the shoulder. “You knew?”
Trin smiled at her little sister. “Yes. I’ve always known.”
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1690
Kenna watched her sisters leave for the Beltane celebration she wasn’t yet old enough to attend. After quickly bolting the door, she turned to her pup. “Come on, Pepper, let’s check Karina’s tea.” The scruffy mutt followed her as she moved from cabinet, to sink, to hearth, making her tasks a little more bearable with each loving swipe of his tail. “I don’t know about you, but I think something bad is happening. Karina is constantly brewing this tea as if she’s aware of some impending doom that will soon be set upon us all.” Kenna stirred the ingredients as Karina had showed her, making sure they continued to steep just right. “But every time I ask her about it, she tells me not to worry. It makes me so mad!” Kenna threw the spoon onto the floor, then quickly bent to retrieve it. Full of guilt, she walked to the sink and continued confessing to her pup, “I don’t think it’s fair. Mama said we were all charged with keeping each othe
r safe, and it’s like they don’t think I can do it. As if my magic isn’t strong enough.”
Kenna rinsed and dried the spoon, then spun around and placed it on the table. “I’ll show them.” Pepper laid down in his usual corner once he felt her magic start to rise. A small whimper escaped him as Kenna spread out her hands, casting a thick layer of fog over the kitchen table. “Block me from their magic sight, let me be a witness this night. Charged to protect us sisters three, forever the watcher shall I be.”
OUTSIDE CHESTERFIELD, NEW YORK
Present day
Kennedy blinked, remembering the exact moment her spell had sparked to life and the bone-deep need to always protect her family. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
Trin reached for her sister’s hand, smiling wide. “Because, we all have to find our own way, and that was yours. Our magic is a gift from Goddess, but one that only heightens our natural inclinations: I, the healer; Kara, the teacher; and you, the protector. It was always meant to be.”
Kennedy returned Trin’s smile and thought about all they’d been through. Perhaps she was right, maybe this was all meant to be.
Chapter Four
BLACKBROOK, NEW YORK
Present day
A metal clang filled the room as Jason slammed the door of his locker at the BlackBrook precinct. Donning his bright orange vest, he headed for his car. Not only did the chief deny his request for more vacation time, but had put him on traffic duty for the rest of the day. “Perfect,” Jason mumbled to himself, knowing the Spring Festival was one of the busiest times of the year in their humble little town.
