by Cadie Snow
The playful fight slowed but didn’t stop. Andrew got in a last shove, pushing Landon onto the sofa.
“Where are your bags?” Jaime said.
The boys pointed toward the door, where the bags were stashed behind an armchair.
“All right, then,” Jaime said. “Give me a hug. I won’t see you until tomorrow.”
Landon flew into her arms, and she lifted him up. He was getting too heavy for her. Andrew held back but allowed her to give him a hug. The boys were so different from each other.
With their dark hair and blue eyes, they looked very much alike. But Andrew was stronger than his brother. He wasn’t a bully, but Andrew took the lead, and his brother looked up to him. Jaime noticed that her sons’ interests diverged as well. Andrew was hooked on electric trains, made his own toys with batteries and wires. Actually, anything electric got his attention.
But Landon didn’t care that much. He was a more sensitive boy and had frequent dreams that he talked about, trying to figure out if they had any cool meaning. He was good with animals, which reminded Jaime that she should get him a dog. She’d meant to, but there was so much going on.
Elijah wasn’t a good role model for either of her sons, and Jaime worried about that. She wished that he’d play sports with his sons or talk with them about important things—stuff that dads were supposed to tell their sons. Jaime couldn’t be mother and father to her children, despite trying.
Plus, Abigail needed a father to dote on her. What young girl didn’t? It would be good for her self-esteem and to let her know that she was loved by both parents. Yet Jaime couldn’t order Elijah to feel more than he did.
That was the core issue. Jaime didn’t know what Elijah felt. He’d gotten visitation rights, claiming he wanted to see the kids. Yet it wasn’t clear why. And it was somewhat of a mystery what he did with the kids when they were with him.
Jaime had asked repeatedly. Elijah was evasive, probably feeling bad for not making their time with him more enjoyable. And the kids weren’t very talkative. When they got home, they just wanted to go see their friends and resume their normal activities.
Yet on each occasion when Jaime set up the visit with Elijah, her kids moaned. She decided to talk with Elijah again to find out what was up, but didn’t hold out much hope for success. If Elijah was any good at talking about relationship issues, he might have worked at their marriage more.
Abigail lugged the suitcase down the stairs and rolled it toward the front door. The boys were at the front window looking out. A beep signaled their ride had arrived.
“He’s here,” Andrew said, then opened the door.
Elijah appeared in the doorway. He wore a polo shirt, revealing the tattoos all down his right arm. His brown hair was cut so it spiked on top. Jaime had thought he was ruggedly handsome, but now she wondered. He narrowed his dark eyes and frowned.
There was no warm hello to the kids, and the look he gave Jaime was downright intimidating. If he thought he could push her around, he was wrong. During the marriage, he’d tried to control her in subtle and obvious ways.
Those days were over. Elijah had no say in her life, and she wasn’t about to cower to him. She’d made a mistake marrying him, and possibly another mistake by allowing him to visit with the kids. He was pushing his luck, and she just might decide to revoke his privileges.
Abigail gripped the handle of her suitcase then turned away from him. Andrew looked up. “Are we going, Elijah?” Landon stood behind his brother, cautiously peering around him.
“Yeah, we’re going soon,” Elijah said without looking at his son. “I need to talk to your mother.”
“Go put your stuff in the car,” Jaime said to the kids. “It won’t be long.” She could assure them of that, as she didn’t look forward to conversations when Elijah was he was in a mood—which he clearly was.
When they were alone, Jaime said, “You might as well step inside. I’m kind of busy today, though. What is it you want to say?”
Elijah smirked then walked toward her. “I want to know why you’re turning the kids against me.”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend that you don’t know what I mean,” Elijah said. “You and your witchcraft.”
“I told you that I’m not involved in that now.” Jaime wondered if that was the complete truth, considering the events of yesterday. But she had no obligation to share anything private.
“Why is it that I don’t believe you?” Elijah said. His expression was dark, and he balled his hands into fists.
Jaime wondered what this was about. He’d been overly controlling, but never physically abusive. “You’re going to have to be more specific. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Abigail texted that she didn’t want to visit today,” Elijah said. “She’d rather stay home.”
Jaime sighed. “That’s all? She’s a young girl, nearly a teenager. She’s moody, sometimes confused. You certainly don’t help things.”
“You’ve poisoned her, put false ideas in her head,” Elijah said. “Abigail wouldn’t act this way on her own.”
“Oh, no?” Jaime’s laugh had no joy to it. “You don’t know your daughter at all, do you? I’d be shocked if you even talk to her. If she has grown distant, you have only yourself to blame.”
“I have you to blame,” Elijah said. “What did you do? Cast a spell over her? When she wouldn’t listen to your venom, you used your powers, all right.”
Elijah stepped closer, looming over Jaime. “Tell me you didn’t do it, because I don’t believe it.”
“I don’t have to defend myself against you. I’m concerned about sending the kids off with you while you’re like this.”
“That’s exactly what I mean.” Elijah shoved a finger in her face. “You won’t defy me. I won’t allow it.”
“You won’t allow…?”
Landon stuck his head in the door. “How long is it going to be?”
Elijah shifted gears. He moved back and smiled stiffly. “I’m on my way out. We’re almost done here.”
Jaime stared at Elijah. His expression was more of a grimace than a smile. He had wrinkles she hadn’t noticed before, making him appear more craggy than rugged.
“You heard what I said. Stay out of my way.” Elijah turned and walked to the door, as if he hadn’t just threatened her.
Jaime heard the kids’ voices, then the car engine. She went to the window and waved as Elijah backed out. What a mess. She had to do something. The kids were unhappy, and after the exhibition Elijah just put on, she didn’t trust him.
After a few hours of housework, Jaime made more calls. She had bookkeeping to catch up on while she had time to herself. But Iris wasn’t far from her thoughts. Yesterday, Jaime had made some calls but come up dry.
If Iris was visiting, it didn’t seem to be with any of her usual crowd. Each call had been longer than Jaime wished, because every friend wanted to chat about the birthday party. The mention of Iris brought comments about how great she looked, how vibrant she was, and how they hoped to get together again soon.
Jaime wanted that also, the sooner the better. Since friends seemed to be clueless, she contacted a couple of her cousins. They were witches too, so maybe one of them had insight.
Cousin Sophia was in the middle of three things—not unusual for her. “Can I call you back?”
Ava was more accessible, and a better bet anyway. She lived in town, since she taught elementary school. “Jaime, good to hear from you. I was out in the garden, but I got your text. It’s so nice of you to get in touch. Would you like to stop by?”
“Maybe another time,” Jaime said. “It’s Elijah’s weekend, so I’m trying to catch up on work. Anything new?”
“With me? Not really,” Ava said. “I called Iris to get that recipe for the triple chocolate cake from the party. She hasn’t called me back, though.”
“I haven’t spoken with her in a couple of days,” Jaime said. “You don’t happen to know wha
t she is busy with, do you? I dropped by her house, but she wasn’t there.”
“You know your aunt,” Ava said. “She tends to business, and we can all count on her. But she has a full social life, too. If she isn’t hanging around with us, then maybe there is a new man in her life.”
“Did she mention anyone?”
“Oh, now don’t you worry,” Ava said. “Your aunt can handle herself. She’s psychic, after all. I doubt any man could put something past her.”
Jaime laughed to disguise her worry. “I’ll take you up on the invitation to drop by, as soon as things smooth out around here.”
The call ended, but Jaime didn’t feel like talking to anyone else. She seemed to be at an impasse. She needed some air, so she put on a light jacket and headed for the woods. The outdoors would be helpful, allow her to think.
So much was going on, and Jaime had to figure it out. The animosity from Elijah hadn’t done her any good. And the longer Iris was out of touch, the more concerned Jaime was. She headed for the walking path. Getting out among the oak trees would do her a world of good.
She strolled along the dirt path, trying to clear her head. It looked like she was going to need her psychic abilities, and her powers were strongest when she had a clear mind. She breathed in the fresh air as she walked through the trees.
Her thoughts were of Iris, and images of her living life to the fullest came to mind. She wasn’t just a witch; she was a woman who was deeply involved in the community. Last October, at the Sorghum Festival, Iris had especially enjoyed the square dancing, and she’d attended every musical performance.
How could a woman so full of life simply vanish?
Jaime sensed that she wasn’t alone. If she wished to avoid conversations with ghosts, the forest wasn’t the best choice. Ghost stories often took place in a dense, dark forest, which elicited feelings of dread.
Many stories of ghosts were based on fact, although it was difficult to tell sometimes. Jaime had been schooled in the world of ghosts, witches, and other magical beings. Haunted forests were locations for some of the eeriest ghost stories.
Some spooky moments could be chalked up to campfire imaginations running wild. Iris used to drag her sister Adele—along with Jaime, Olivia, and Harper—out for a night around the campfire. She was supposed to be educating the youth about the history of witchcraft.
Yet she seemed to get pleasure from seeing the girls scared when they peered into the dark forest and imagined all sorts of ghostly forms. Witches possess powers, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t be frightened.
Some forests had legitimately terrifying histories, but the forests around Blairsville were fairly harmless. There were no high-pitched screams echoing through the trees, or creepy cemeteries, or tragic sites of death. Some forests weren’t for the faint of heart, but this one wasn’t like that.
“Hey, Dahlia…I sense you there. You can come closer.” Jaime watched the filmy image of a woman in a white cloak drift closer.
“It’s good to see you,” Dahlia said. “It gets lonely out here.”
Legend has it that ghosts hang around because they are tormented, that they can’t leave for some reason. That isn’t always the case. Some ghosts prefer certain locations and tend to stay around because they like it. Dahlia was one of those. She claimed that her happiest times were in the forest and she was in no hurry to leave.
“I imagine it gets quite lonely, unless you’ve learned to talk with the animals.”
“That’s not really my style,” Dahlia said. “I prefer people. But I do like the springtime. It’s lovely out here, don’t you think?”
“I have to agree,” Jaime said. “I couldn’t resist taking a walk. I can see why you like staying out here. It’s fresh and invigorating.”
“I have no plans to leave.” Dahlia drifted closer, as if to feel Jaime’s presence more clearly, then vanished.
Jaime took a break. She found a flat rock to sit on and made herself comfortable. After zipping her jacket, she put her hands in the pockets and took in the view. It was one of her favorite places. The forest held good memories, like occasions with her family.
That was why she came out to the forest to communicate with her mother. She didn’t answer. But it felt good to talk to her. Jaime sensed that somehow her mother knew she was there and listened. She hoped she did, anyway.
“I hate to tell you, Mama, but I’m worried about Iris. Maybe you know what has happened to her. I’m at a loss. I can’t lose both of you. That just wouldn’t be right.”
Jaime closed her eyes and imagined her mother’s face. Adele had wavy blond hair and deep brown eyes, so Jaime looked very much like her. Except her mother had been five feet six and Jaime was only five feet two and petite.
Jaime’s small stature could be a disadvantage, but she didn’t view it that way. Small in stature, big in spirit. That was how Jaime thought of herself. She was going to have to be big in spirit, indeed, if anything happened to her aunt.
Losing her mother had been devastating. She’d passed on too soon. Jaime had been convinced that the challenges of running the coven had sent Adele to an early death. That was another reason Jaime wasn’t anxious to take over that responsibility.
She was glad the duty fell to Iris.
Jaime had learned to be strong at an early age, even though she’d had her mother to count on. When Jaime had been very young, her father had been killed in a supernatural conflict. Her mother hadn’t talked about it much and avoided questions.
“All I want, Mama, is a normal life for my kids,” Jaime said. “Is that too much to ask for?”
Jaime wrapped her arms around her waist, wishing she could hug her mother—just one more time. “I’ll find out what happened to Iris…I promise.”
CHAPTER 4
Sunday morning, the kids came home. The boys burst through the door with their bags in tow and ran toward the stairs. “Hi, Mama,” they said in unison.
“Good to see you too,” Jaime said, then turned to see Abigail rolling her suitcase toward the door.
Elijah was already driving away, which was fine. Another conversation would have been unwelcome. “Did it go okay?” Jaime said, and reached for the handle of the suitcase.
Abigail shrugged. “I guess.”
That was all Jaime was going to get. She wouldn’t push, as it wouldn’t do any good. At the stairs, the boys raced by, carrying a soccer ball.
“We’re going to practice,” Andrew said, and Landon followed behind him.
Jaime had things to do, so she left Abigail in her room. When she closed the door, her daughter was already texting a friend. Given some privacy, she’d recover and be back to her usual self.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Jaime sent a text to Harper to see if there was any news. But the response was negative. Harper had been calling but there was no word about Aunt Iris. Frustrated, Jaime called Olivia.
“Tell me that you’ve found something out,” Jaime said.
“Don’t I wish.” Olivia sighed. “Our aunt seems to have vanished into thin air. Not a peep to anyone.”
“I don’t like it,” Jaime said. “It’s been two days, and that’s longer than Iris has been out of touch before.”
“What do you want to do?”
It was starting already. Jaime was the eldest, so her sisters were going to look to her for answers. “Report Aunt Iris as a missing person. Go to the sheriff’s department and relay what we know.” Jaime rubbed her temple. “We don’t have a choice.”
“It’s not looking good,” Olivia said. “I’ll file the report, then call you back. Maybe the authorities will do better than we have at tracking her down.”
Jaime thought so too, but she was afraid of what they’d find. Panic settled in her belly. She sat at the dining table, feeling bad that she hadn’t been using her psychic powers recently.
What if Iris had tried to reach her but hadn’t been able to get through?
It was time for Jaime to clear the cobwebs out
of her head and use her abilities. She closed her eyes and tried to sense Iris. But it was quiet. Her aunt wasn’t responding. For a while, Jaime sat silently, doing her best to tell what had happened, or what was coming.
Sometimes Jaime could see events before they happened. Dreams had been helpful that way. But she hadn’t had any dreams since that one night. The scary image lingered in her mind but offered no insight. She didn’t know its significance.
After taking several deep breaths, Jaime relaxed and entered a light, self-induced trance. Thoughts came and went, but she tried to focus on her aunt. She opened her mind to whatever she might discover. Jaime must have blocked her powers for too long, because she was ineffective.
After she opened her eyes, Jaime sat very still. Images of Iris drifted through her mind, memories and moments of sharing—then the thoughts cleared. She reoriented to her surroundings. But her kitchen didn’t feel safe anymore; something wasn’t right.
Mentally, Jaime reached out. Aunt Iris…please contact me.
The sheriff’s office had taken the report and stated that they’d try to locate Iris Sanders. Olivia had answered numerous questions about her aunt’s habits and friends. She detailed what she knew and when the family had last seen her. A recent photo had been provided to go with the report.
Monday morning, there was still no word.
Jaime got the kids off to school, acting as if everything was normal. The boys had a soccer practice after class, so she planned to attend. It was fun to watch her sons play, and she wanted to show her support. Until then, she had work to do, including meeting with a client to go over some paperwork.
Lily Hall was an antique dealer in town. She had a shop in a brick building on the main street. Lily’s Antiques had a sign in the window offering Repairs, Refinishing, Custom Work. After parking in a public lot, Jaime strolled along the sidewalk toward her client’s place of business.
Spring was a nice time of year. Tourists were beginning to trickle in, but it wasn’t like the summer, when the town was crowded and busy. Jaime walked down the street, admiring the trees and flowers. All the plants were so green. And the sweet sound of birds brought joy.
