After the Summerland (The Witches of Spring Hill Book 1)

by Patricia Proctor

  Chapter 9

  Selene watched the jeep pull in behind her and immediately decided it was the perfect time to make Liam’s acquaintance. Although she tried to catch up with him earlier in the day, she was forced to give up when she spotted him with his father and grandfather. She can only pull this off if he is by himself since others would notice her energy, especially Marcus and Peter who are very familiar with witches.

  Liam watches as the tall blonde steps out of her Mercedes and saunters toward him. She is wearing tight black pants and a dark purple sweater — all of which highlight the golden blonde hair, the tanned skin, and bright blue eyes. Ah, this must be the new woman that everyone in town is talking about, he thinks to himself, and acknowledges that every word that has been said is true.

  He can tell by the way she is staring at him like a cougar going after its prey, that she wants to speak to him. Before she gets to his window he steps out and greets her. “Hello, welcome to Spring Hill,” he says, extending his hand.

  “Finally, I get to meet the famous chief of police,” she says with a wicked grin. Stay cool, Selene thinks to herself. Being spontaneous is not one of her strong suits, but she has spent all day looking for him and even got dressed up to pick up the kids on the chance he would be here.

  “Liam Alexander, ma’am, it’s good to meet you.”

  “Selene Silvan, and the pleasure is all mine,” she purrs.

  Her voice has just enough huskiness to sound sexy without sounding like she spent a decade smoking, but even so, something about her is off-putting.

  “I understand you have triplets,” she says as she leans against his jeep.

  “Yes” he replies cautiously. Not only is he very protective of his kids, but the more she talks, the more unnerved he feels by her.

  “I have triplets, too” she says casually laughing. “Well actually, they’re not mine - rather my niece and nephews, but it’s all the same, isn’t it? Anyway, I heard about you and your kids while shopping this afternoon and I was so looking forward to meeting another single, excuse me, another parent of triplets.”

  Liam thinks how unlikely it would be for anyone in town to discuss his family with this stranger. Having lived here his whole life, he knows that nobody gives inside information to outsiders — and this Selene Silvan screams outsider.

  Just as he is about to respond, he sees Rowan, Kaiden, and Chloe walking toward him, together. Liam can’t remember the last time he saw them walking out of school together. Usually, they walk out with their groups of friends and reluctantly separate as if their friends are their true family and their siblings and father are simply filler until they get back to school the next day.

  Liam has tried to teach them that family is the priority, always, and he encourages them to build better relationships with each other so that they can learn how valuable they are to one another. He repeatedly reminds them that friends come and go, but family is forever. It seems he won’t need to add that to the conversation today after all.

  Behind Chloe, Rowan, and Kaiden, he notices a group of three kids, who are obviously related to Selene Silvan. He glances at her and for a moment he sees something — a glimmer of annoyance, maybe manipulation, he’s not sure exactly, but definitely not love.

  Catching him looking, she quickly replaces the look with a big smile and says, “Oh, look! The kids are walking out together. Isn’t it nice that they would bond so quickly?”

  Liam looks back at the kids. Where only a moment ago there was a recognizable gap between them, it now seems that they are indeed walking together. Feeling somewhat “fuzzy,” Liam shakes his head, feels a wave of nausea, and looks at his kids again seeing that the gap is back. Definitely something strange going on, he thinks to himself.

  “What is Dad doing talking to that woman? And why does he have that weird look on his face?” Rowan asks.

  “Does anyone else feel a little — nauseous?” Chloe asks.

  They all look at each other and pick up their pace to get to the car and distance themselves more from the Silvans who are keeping pace behind them.

  “What the hell is Aunt Selene doing?” Xavier asks. “She always rushes these things — look at how fast they are walking now,” he says gesturing to the Alexander triplets. “They can see the spell she’s cast and the reaction their dad is having. Anyone with half a witch sense can.”

  Cian doesn’t say anything, secretly glad that his aunt has the patience of a small child. She would be much more dangerous if she took the time to think through her actions. More time to manipulate, hurt, damage.

  Brianna shivers as she watches her aunt change from wicked witch to doting aunt in a moment.

  “Hello kids — I hope you had a good day at your new school. It looks like you made some new friends,” Selene croons.

  Xavier gives her the “lay off” look and hops into the passenger seat of the car before she can say anything more. Cian and Brianna follow suit, Brianna hesitating slightly as she passes her aunt’s line of vision.

  The Alexander kids observe all of this and watch Selene move in closer to their dad and rub him on the shoulder while saying, “Well, I look forward to seeing you around.” She turns to go back to her car, leaving behind the cloying scent of cloves and vanilla.

  “Well, that was weird,” Liam says as he climbs in the jeep.

  “Dad, something very strange is going on,” Kaiden starts before being interrupted by Liam who says, “I know, son. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

  Rowan, Kaiden, and Chloe look at each other, and then look at their dad, each reflecting internally on the events of the day. They know it will be difficult to come up with just the right words to explain what happened at school today. Liam starts the jeep and heads home to the house on the hill.

  Chapter 10

  When they get home they quickly climb out of the jeep, but before they can even close the door, Liam says, “Just leave your backpacks in the jeep — we’re going back to the clearing to talk.” He watches their individual reactions and finds that Chloe looks as if she is expecting this, Rowan looks extremely nervous, and Kaiden looks excited that something is happening.

  Chloe is not surprised that the conversation is going to take place in the clearing. She has always been aware of an ‘energy’ when she is back there by herself. The strong energy connects her more fully with the earth and herself. Nowhere else is her connection more powerful than in the open space between the rocks at the very back of the yard. Walking through the garden, she waves her hand over the herbs that have grown since the last time she was out here. She looks over at Rowan to see if she notices, but Rowan looks uncomfortable and completely out of her element.

  I hate being outside, Rowan thinks to herself. I would rather be anywhere but back here. Why couldn’t we have the family meeting inside in the family room or around the kitchen table like normal people? Never feeling an affinity for the outdoors, she spends as little time out here as possible. For once she wishes she were more like Chloe, who seems to bloom right in front of her, just like the flowers that Chloe tends so carefully year round. Why all the way to the clearing? she wonders, as she moves through the shadows cast by the tall pines and evergreens.

  Kaiden is excited to be going back to the clearing. We haven’t all been back here in years, he thinks to himself. When they were young Liam would take them back here to play, but since they’ve grown up there never seems to be the time or interest, other than on the part of Chloe who spends time back here alone. He has thought of joining her, but something always seems to get in the way: a game, basketball practice, video games, his friends, or even homework.

  The clearing is through the gardens and past the edge of the yard. Rock outcroppings, boulders, and a variety of trees form a large circle before the yard gives way completely to the dense woods. The temperature is moderate year round since the tall pines, evergreens, and oak trees surrounding the clearing keep the area shaded in the summer and the large boulders keep out the cold win
ds in the winter. At some point, a makeshift fireplace was carved into the stone to add heat to the clearing on the coldest winter days or the cool spring nights.

  The rocks look natural, but are arranged unnaturally, as if someone deliberately moved these giant boulders to create the circular shape of the clearing. The rocks are stacked creating ledges, similar to manmade shelves. A variety of fallen branches, sticks, twigs and pine needles gather in the crevices while moss grows in the shaded areas of the rocks, creating a juxtaposition of hard and soft.

  The ground is made up of flat shale rock, and is covered with fallen leaves, moss, and pine needles. Old fallen logs are situated around the circle creating natural seating. The dense forest surrounding the clearing provides complete privacy for anyone inside and one would have to know exactly where to look in order to find it.

  Very few people know this spot even exists on the property, so deeply surrounded by the tall trees of the dense woods. The trees create a canopy overhead, making it impossible to see the clearing from above but still allow just enough light from the sun and/or moon to penetrate past the thick boughs, branches, and leaves.

  Two large gray boulders overlap one another at the entrance of the circle, so only someone knowing this space exists can find their way into the clearing. Moss and pine needles cover the ground so completely that even with the four of them walking, their steps are soundless. When they finally step into the clearing, their approach is so silent that both Marcus and Peter start upon their arrival. The conversation they were having ends abruptly when the family they were discussing enters the space.

  “Grandpa Marcus! GG Peter! We didn’t know you would be here!” Chloe squeaks, overwhelmed with excitement to have everyone together. She is so surprised to see them that it takes a moment for her to notice that the clearing has been transformed by several objects that are somewhat familiar to her.

  Inside the circle, sitting atop a light purple cloth with a pentagram is a wooden box with two candles burning brightly. The light from the candles illuminates the other objects that would otherwise be difficult to see in the shade on this cloudy day. The objects include a chalice, two crystals, a small gold bowl that looks like a cauldron, a knife, and various herbs and oils.

  Marcus and Peter say nothing as they watch Rowan, Chloe, and Kaiden take everything in. Liam finally speaks up and encourages the kids to walk toward the center of the circle and take a seat next to their elders.

  Just under her breath, Chloe whispers to herself, “I knew it.” She is somewhat relieved to discover that whatever is happening to her is expected, even welcomed. She has been afraid of saying anything to anyone for fear of being made fun of, or worse, being thought of as crazy, but for the past year or more she has experienced what she can only call ‘unusual’ moments.

  Last spring as she transplanted seedlings to the garden, she said a few words to encourage their growth and pictured herself sharing her energy with the plants. Within a day, all of the seedlings had grown at least a ½ inch or more. She began saying those words every time she planted and tended her plants, and her lush gardens were evidence that whatever she was doing was working. She found herself whispering words when she wanted to do well on a test or when she was lost for words among a group. She has felt much more self-aware and self-confident as she’s continued to discover her abilities.

  She spends Saturdays at the library researching witchcraft and spells, hungry for information about what she already suspects about herself. She recently decided that she was going to attempt a spell on her own. Standing here before her family and the altar, she is relieved that she can share what she has been experiencing. As she opens her mouth to speak, her GG Peter makes eye contact with her and shakes his head, pleading with her to stay quiet. At that moment, Chloe realizes that while she has discovered her own abilities, her siblings have not, and may not even be aware of what they are.

  Rowan could not be more confused by what she is seeing. She recoils at the sight of the altar and immediately begins backing away from her family. She looks at Chloe who clearly shows understanding and at Kaiden who looks just as confused, as she imagines herself to look. How could they? she thinks to herself. She can feel the rage building inside of her. No! I will not accept this!! I do not want to be a part of this!! Why me? This is so not fair!! All of these thoughts bombard her as she takes in every aspect of the circle and the altar.

  She looks at the people she trusts most in the world and feels utterly betrayed. She hates everyone and if it weren’t for her dad blocking the entrance, she would run back to the house and hide in her room forever. She is ready to lash out at everyone until she looks at Grandpa Marcus’s calm face.

  He has always been so good to her. She knows she is his favorite grandchild, and he has never held back from telling her so. When she was little, he would frequently bring her small tokens. He would quietly give these to her while Chloe and Kaiden ran out to the car to see if he brought them any gifts or treasures, knowing that he usually did.

  In her room she has a box of stones, shells, dried flowers, pebbles, and crystals that he has given her over the years. He says she reminds him of himself when he was young — all offense and defense, and although she doesn’t really know what he means, she accepts the gifts greedily. She never told her siblings because she knew if she did then the treasures would end.

  She once overheard her dad telling him to stop playing favorites, but Grandpa Marcus said something about her needing a little extra protection. Although she wasn’t sure what he meant by that, she was glad that he never stopped. He cut back on the gifts that he was giving or made sure to bring something for everyone, but she noticed that she always got the best of whatever it was; whether it was the prettier stone, the bigger cookie, or as she got older, the prettier piece of jewelry. Whatever it was, he made sure the best of the bunch was hers.

  For him, she decides to hold back everything she is thinking and waits to hear what he has to say before leaving. In her heart, she knows that he will not do anything to hurt her and whatever this is — he will protect her. She heads into the circle and sits down next to Grandpa Marcus.

  Kaiden looks at the three men that he looks up to the most in the world. He has no idea what is going on, but completely trusts them no matter what they have to say. He looks at his siblings and is somewhat surprised by the relieved look on Chloe’s face. When he looks at Rowan, he can’t help but feel bad for whatever she is going through. Rowan does not adjust well to change and hates to be different — unless it benefits her in some way. He can see and feel the anger and resentment rolling off of her.

  Somehow Kaiden knows that he is looking at the tools of a witch, but doesn’t understand why the men in his family have them. Aren’t only women witches? he thinks to himself. He reflects back on his history class and the discussion of the Salem witch trials in Massachusetts. He doesn’t remember hearing anything about male witches, so maybe whatever is happening is only going to affect Rowan and Chloe and not himself. He is somewhat relieved until he realizes that whatever is going on includes his dad, granddad, and great granddad. Afraid of nothing, he pats his dad on the shoulder and heads into the circle ready for whatever is about to go down. Following them into the circle, Liam sits down across from his kids and nods at Marcus.

  Chapter 11

  Once everyone is standing or sitting within the circle, the energy inside becomes electric. Marcus turns to Peter and asks, “Shall I start, or would you like to do the honors?” Peter looks at Chloe and encouraged by her excitement, he raises himself from the log he is sitting on, feeling his 80 plus years more than ever.

  “Dear one,” he says to Chloe, “I know you already have some idea of what is going on, but I ask you to be still and take in everything we say before asking your questions.” Chloe nods in agreement.

  “Beautiful Rowan, I can tell you are holding back so much anger and confusion and I promise that what we are about to tell you will only enhance your life — not the
opposite, which I am sure you are thinking.”

  “Kaiden, you are so brave. Fearless even. We are so very proud of the young man you have become and your legacy does not change no matter what we say here today.”

  Peter continues, “As you well know, Liam is not your real father. He is your father in every way that matters as he has raised you, guided you, loves you, and has been there for you from the beginning.”

  Liam interrupts, “And that will never change.”

  Peter raises his hand to stop Liam from saying more, “That goes without saying, Liam, and is also true of us,” he says, gesturing to himself and Marcus.

  “I’m not one to beat around the bush, so I’m just going to spit it out — the story we told you about your birth mother is not true.” He pauses to allow that to sink in before continuing. “She was not the niece of the women who lived in the house prior to your family, nor does she even exist. There is no niece, there is no mother — there is only each of you.”

  “That’s impossible,” Rowan says, standing up, ready to bolt. “Everyone has a mother. How else could we be here? Did we hatch?”

  Marcus can’t help but chuckle at her question, “No. You did not hatch, Rowan. Please, sit back down. This will go much quicker if you just listen to what GG Peter has to say.”

  As Rowan sits back down she moves closer to Chloe who is emanating comfort and safety.

  Once Rowan is settled near her sister, Peter continues, “I’m sure at this point in your lives and education you have all heard of reincarnation, yes?” he asks, and smiles when they all nod their heads in agreement.

  “Excellent. I will not go into great detail about the Eastern religions and philosophies or the Western viewpoint on the subject. Instead I will focus on your history.”

  “You are the reincarnation of the three women who lived in this house before,” Peter explains, watching as confusion crosses their faces.