by Patti Larsen
“What happened here today was a great tragedy,” she said. “Two wonderful witches, powerful sisters, have been silenced and we, as a coven, are lesser for it.”
It was a punch to the gut and the ego. It was not her place to speak. That was my mother’s job. What was wrong with Mom? I glared at her, trying to force her to snap out of it with will alone, but she just stood there, beaten.
I was so disappointed in her, ashamed she was my mother, I looked away, disgusted.
So much for the great family Hayle.
Celeste was willing at least to stand up for Mom if she wouldn’t do it for herself.
“You presume a great deal,” she said to Batsheva. “You don’t speak for this coven.”
The rest of the gathering agreed, although an undercurrent in the power still connecting them felt like fear and anger. It didn’t help Mom’s case any.
Batsheva bowed her head to Celeste. “Neither do you.”
Celeste gasped. The air in the room tightened and turned really heavy really fast, to the point where weaker witches checked for the exits with longing. No one wanted to be in the middle of that thing when it blew up.
But Batsheva wasn’t about to let that happen. I could hear her little mind spinning, manipulating the situation to her own advantage. I recognized Batsheva for what she really was—a grown up mean girl looking out for number one.
“Now Celeste, everyone,” she said in her most soothing tone. “You know we are all here for the same reason. For the good of the twins and our coven.”
Celeste backed off.
“Our dear leader seems to be in such a horrible state since the incident,” Batsheva said. “She needs our strength and support right now. Isn’t that right, Miriam, dear?”
My mother gazed at Batsheva for a whole two seconds before bobbing her head slowly.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I only need… a little while…”
“There,” Batsheva said, “you heard her. Now, we need to let Miriam rest. In fact, we all could use some, yes?” The weary witches murmured their agreement.
I was surprised Dominic was so silent all along. That was about to change.
“I want to know what happened,” he blustered to no one in particular. Everyone tensed, the simple plan of going home and getting some sleep banished by his bravado.
Stupid jerk.
Batsheva smiled at her husband, but it wasn’t pleasant. “We’ll investigate more tomorrow, Dominic,” she said with an edge to her voice. “When everyone is fresher.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, little pig eyes full of stubborn anger.
“I want to talk about it now. Because I know what happened. We all do.”
They were clearly confused. Was he crazy? Or maybe he loved the sound of his own voice?
He glared at me. I knew what he was going to say.
“That child,” his index finger pointed right at me, “is a menace that has brought this coven to the brink of ruin because of a doting mother too weak to rein her in.”
No one said a word. Not to agree, but not in my defense either, the cowards.
“Excuse me,” I said. “I’ve managed to save the day a couple of times, thank you very much. So point that thing somewhere else.”
I would never have spoken to an adult who wasn’t my mom that way under normal circumstances but he was severely pissing me off.
He wasn’t about to let it go. “My point exactly,” he said, as though I showed some evil mark proving I did it.
“Could you explain, please?” Celeste said.
“Idiots,” he snapped. “Don’t you see? The child has been stirring up the trouble herself and fixing things to make herself seem innocent. Well, she doesn’t look so innocent to me.” He glared at me with a smug expression.
Where did he get off? He wasn’t even around when it happened. It was like he was deliberately trying to stir the coven against me, blaming me for every single thing that happened. I was getting tired of being his default bad guy.
Thank goodness Meira was at her friend’s for the day. I was glad she didn’t have to listen to this crap. I wasn’t so fortunate. Still, I was the new and improved mouthy Syd who didn’t take talk like that from anyone.
I wound up to lay a good one on him when my mother beat me to it.
“Dominic,” she said, her voice steadier than it had been all day. “Don’t ever accuse my daughter again.”
I felt relief flood through me. Just like that, my mom stood there, not the shell she was a moment before. Something about her changed, as if a switch had been thrown. Batsheva scowled at her husband. I heard a gasp of air and caught a glimpse of Jared sagging against Erica, the pressure of the day too much for him.
Dominic refused to back down.
“I demand she be tried and punished!” His color was high. He took a step toward Mom and, in doing so, me.
Not smart. Not smart at all.
Not only did my mother react, but everyone else there, including me, leapt to her defense, flooding her with a surge of power. It lit her up like a torch. Her back straightened as Dominic stared at her. Miriam Hayle, coven leader, stared back.
“As I told you once before,” she said very softly, a threat in her voice, “if you are unhappy with the way this coven is run, you are welcome to leave. My daughter stays.” I could see the old Mom shining in her eyes.
Now I really needed to get her alone.
Mom pulled free of Batsheva as though she only then noticed the other woman held her. Batsheva backed off, but not without another glare at Dominic.
“We all need rest,” Mom said. “Everyone, please, go home, get some sleep. Ward your homes,” she added, “every window, every doorway. To be safe.”
“Miriam,” Celeste said. “What are we going to do?”
“We are going to get to the bottom of this,” my mother answered. “And we’re not going to stop until we do.”
The family dispersed, not quite healed but less afraid than before Mom’s return to herself. I saw her shake her head as if trying to kick a headache. I went to her as the coven members continued to file out.
“Mom,” I said, worried about raising my voice, “are you okay?”
She reached out for me and pulled me close, hugging me hard. I could feel her heart pounding as she held me in silence. I understood her need to show strength so I stood next to her and gripped her hand. Celeste paused in front of us, her eyes drifting over me. She bowed her head to Mom before disappearing into the darkening day.
Finally, it was me, Mom, Erica, Jared and Batsheva. She had rushed Dominic out already, whispering to him in a fury as she shoved him out the door. She came to us, a sad, weary smile on her face that felt so fake I wanted to slap her.
“Miriam,” Batsheva said, “if there is anything I can do, please, call. I can be here in minutes.”
I felt my mother’s hand tighten in mine but her face didn’t show it. “I’m perfectly fine, Batsheva,” she said, “if upset about all of this. But, I’ll get to the bottom of it, I assure you.”
The two faced off. I watched the cheer fade from Batsheva’s face. She left without another word. The door clicked shut behind her.
“See ya,” I said. “Can you believe that crap?” Mom was still collected, poised. She turned to Erica and the very pale Jared.
“Erica,” she said, “could you do me a favor and run over to the Patrick’s? Meira must be ready to come home by now.”
“Of course,” Erica said. “Miriam, can I…?”
“I’m fine,” my mom repeated, same expression, same words, same treatment. Erica’s face fell.
“I’ll get her now.” She left, Jared leaning on her. He caught my gaze as they walked out the door and I saw regret there.
Weird.
It wasn’t until she was gone that Mom released my hand. I turned to my mother.
“Syd,” she said, her anxiety on the surface where I could see it. “Oh, Syd.”
“Mom?” I said, echoing h
er fear with my newly pounding pulse. I didn’t know if I could take much more, but I told myself I would be there for her and I wanted to know. She was taking me up on my side of the offer. Time for me to suck it up and be strong for her for once.
“Syd,” she choked. “Dad…”
My heart skipped a beat. “Is he… is Dad okay?”
She sank into a chair, tears welling. She shook her head at me.
“I have no idea,” she admitted.
“But, your link,” I sat next to her. “You and Dad are connected. You can feel him whether he’s on this plane or not. Can’t you?”
“That’s just it, Syd,” she said. “I can. Dad made sure of that.”
“So,” I prodded. “Why are you so worried about him? Is he okay or not?”
“I wish I knew,” she whispered. “I can’t feel him anymore.”
***
Chapter Twenty Eight
I held Mom’s hand as she cried for a time before pulling herself together. When my mother looked up at me again, there was more strength there than ever before.
“Syd,” she said to me, as serious as I had ever seen her, “I need you to do something for me.”
“Anything, Mom,” I said, and I meant it.
“I need you to take care of your sister,” she answered. The urgency in her voice did nothing to slow the pounding of my heart. “No matter what happens, no matter what you see or what I do, please make sure you keep Meira safe. Promise me.”
I thought I was afraid before. “Mom,” I started, but she shook her head.
“Promise me, Syd.” Cold blue flames filled her eyes as she called her power. I felt it crawl across me as she cast a spell of intention and protection.
I knew what I was doing. I was allowing her to bind me to my word, a binding that would even survive her death. Potent magic that made me shudder from it while I hoped I’d never need it. “I promise I will do anything to keep Meira safe.”
Gold and blue energy flashed between us, blinding me for a moment. I blinked away the spots floating in my vision.
“I would have done it without the magic, Mom,” I said.
“I know, Syd,” she said. “But I needed to bind her to you and it was the best way.”
“Why?” I demanded as she pulled back, tired and drawn, hugging herself. “Mom, what is going on?”
We heard the crunch of tires in the driveway. Mom leaned toward me, intense.
“Whatever you do,” she said, “in the next few days, keep your sister safe and don’t trust anyone, Syd. Anyone.”
She sat back as Meira ran through the door and into her arms. I wanted to ask more questions but the look she gave me over Meira’s curls told me she said all she was willing to say.
Fine. I was on my own, then.
Mom sent me upstairs with Meira to put her to bed. I didn’t argue. I tucked in my worn out sister and kissed her goodnight, not surprised she was asleep by the time I turned off the light. Spending a day playing can do that to a kid.
Wish I had the same excuse.
I almost went to my room, but I was lured by the sound of voices in the kitchen. I snuck downstairs, stopping in the hallway so I could sort them out. I eavesdropped, knowing it was the only way I was going to get any information from my mother. Not like they left me much of a choice or anything.
I heard Uncle Frank. “Miriam, are you sure?” His voice was quiet, tense. I had to strain to hear.
“Positive,” Mom said. “I know what it feels like to be taken, Frank. The fuzzy wall, the distortion, dizziness, the missing time.”
I frowned hard. Mom thought I was taken by someone? My very being suppressed, taken over by another witch and used for some horrible, hideous purpose? No way! Until I remembered the night Sassy went missing. I felt a cold thrill of fear. Someone took me over, someone who wanted to use me to hurt the family. Mom was totally right not to trust me. I couldn’t even trust me at that point, could I? And after I’d been taken once, it was way easier for the witch who did it to do it again. In fact, I had no way of knowing how many times it happened. Maybe I was responsible for Gram’s escapes after all… I shook my head in the quiet dark of the hallway, wracking my brain for proof that I hadn’t. I came up with nothing.
Oh, crap.
“But if you don’t know who…” Sunny’s voice trailed off. “Can we help?”
“You’re the only ones I can trust right now,” Mom answered with gratitude in her voice. “Thank you, Sunny.”
“Don’t thank me,” the blonde vampire answered. “I owe you so much. It’s the least I can do. Tell us what you need.”
“Not here,” Mom said. “I want the coven left out of this and the house is too connected to them. There could be ears here.”
I shuddered. Mom was talking about a traitor. I assumed whoever attacked us was an outsider, a stranger. The thought it could be a family member terrified me. Someone I knew my whole life rifled around inside me, using me against the people I cared about. There were no secrets here. The traitor knew everything about everyone and could be anyone.
My mind flashed to the Moromonds, but I knew I was being uncharitable. It could have been Erica or Celeste or the Vegas. I thought about Louisa and Martin. They were the first to be attacked. Could it be a set up? A way to make them appear innocent? I shook my head. Stupid Dominic Moromond made me doubt people I’d known since childhood.
“What about Harry?” Frank was saying. I held my breath. I heard Mom’s voice catch and knew she struggled with tears.
“I can’t reach him,” she admitted. “Whatever happens will have to be without him. Hopefully once this is all over we can not only free the twins but reconnect with Harry at the same time.”
And if we couldn’t? The very thought I might never see my dad again made me want to cry right along with her.
I heard the scraping of a chair on the floor and a soft creak as someone sat.
“Frank,” Mom said and I guessed it was her, “the girls…”
“We’ll take care of them,” Frank said. “In fact, if you want them out of this, we have friends who will take them for a little while.”
No way! There was no way I was leaving! I think Mom knew what my reaction would be because she laughed.
“You can be the one to tell Syd she can’t stay,” she said.
Sunny laughed too.
“Then what?” Uncle Frank wanted to know.
“Just… keep an eye on them, please. You two are immune to all this. If something happens maybe you can keep them safe for that very fact.” She sounded so worn out. I knew how tired she must be. “I only wish…”
“Miriam, don’t you dare blame yourself,” Sunny said.
“I’ve let this happen,” Mom answered. Her voice hushed with failure. “I allowed this evil into our coven, invited it in, no less. I am supposed to shield my people from harm. Instead I have welcomed it with open arms. What kind of leader does that, Sunny? What kind of witch fails her family?”
“An honest one,” Sunny said. “Who trusts and loves unconditionally. But no matter what, Miriam, you are the stronger. You’ve gotten this far, figured this much out, more than the evil ones hoped or expected. Don’t judge yourself until it’s all over and they are defeated because you beat them.”
I wanted to hug Sunny so much for saying exactly what I wanted to say to my mother I wrapped my arms around myself and squeezed.
I heard the sound of movement and the brush of cloth and guessed Mom hugged her for me. Perfect.
“We’ll see what we can find out,” Uncle Frank said. “Where do you want to meet?”
“The site,” my mother answered, referring to the formal meeting place set up for ceremonies. “It's been warded already for Samhain so it should be safe.”
“We’ll meet you there. Let’s go, Sunshine.”
I heard the door open and close. I hesitated in the hallway, still hugging myself. I thought about sneaking back upstairs, but Mom had other ideas.
“Plea
se come in, Syd.”
Don’t ever try to sneak up on a witch. I walked into the kitchen and saw her sitting at the table. She held out her hands. I went to her.
“You heard,” she said, knowing I had.
“Most of it,” I answered.
“So you understand why we can’t do this here,” she said.
“Mom…” I trailed off, wanting so much to talk to her, to talk to Dad, to try to make sense of what was happening to our family, wanted to convince her she could trust me even though I knew we had gone way past that. She already understood what I was trying to say, though. She kissed me gently on the cheek.
“I know, honey. We’ll be okay.”
I begged for it to be true, wanting to believe her. She radiated confidence and strength and despite the fact I knew she was as scared as me I believed her as I always believed her. Once again I was grateful she was in charge instead of me.
As we sat there holding hands, a stray thought crossed my mind. I was amazed my whole Sunday was gone yet again, wasted, but this time not because of anything I did, whatever the coven chose to think. I made a face.
“Syd?” She squeezed my hands. “What’s wrong?”
I hung my head, kicking myself but knowing there was nothing at all I could do about it now. “I missed soccer practice,” I said.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she said.
I realized how stupid that was considering the day we had. Screw soccer.
“I’m not,” I answered.
We went to bed and I didn’t argue when Mom offered to tuck me in. She kissed me goodnight and touched my hair before turning off the light and closing the door.
Despite my paranoia I would be taken against my will in my sleep, I was so tired I passed out pretty much right away. I’m not sure what woke me, but the clock said I was out a couple of hours. I tried to turn over, but there was a familiar presence tucked in behind me. I managed to catch a glimpse of my sleeping mother over my shoulder. She held me as she slept, something she hadn’t done since I was very small. Despite the fact I was uncomfortable and wanted to shift around, I stayed still and managed to go back to sleep with the steady presence of Mom to lull me to slumber.
