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

by Patricia Proctor

  “Even me? But, but… I’m not a woman,” Kaiden stutters.

  “Even you, Kaiden,” Peter continues. “As you already know, reincarnation is a cycle, the transfer of one’s soul or spirit to a new life and a new body after a biological death. Reincarnation presents souls with the opportunity to grow and learn during an existence, so eventually your soul can stop the cycle and spend the rest of its days in the Summerland.”

  “What is the Summerland?” Chloe asks.

  Peter smiles at his great granddaughter, who can’t resist asking questions and doesn’t hold back. “The Summerland serves two important purposes. First, it provides a place for your soul to rest before your next reincarnation. Secondly, and most importantly, it is the ultimate destination of the reincarnation cycle. It is believed to be a sort of paradise where your soul will feel nothing but happiness and pleasure.”

  Marcus adds, “After the Summerland, your souls came back “home,” only in new bodies and new forms, so we know that your souls still have some learning to do. There was about a month between when the women died and you reincarnated, which we know was enough time for the process to complete.”

  “But how do you know we are the reincarnation of the old women who lived here?” Kaiden asks.

  Marcus and Peter look at each other, and Marcus takes over the explanation for his dad, “Because Kaiden, the women were witches and we helped them to cast a spell that would ensure that their souls would come back here after the Summerland.”

  “You have to understand that you… er… they, had lived in this house their whole lives. They spent years fixing up the house just the way they wanted it, planting the gardens, and creating a safe haven for themselves. If they hadn’t cast the spell that they did, they could have had a different reincarnation with a much harder life than this and they would not have had our protection.”

  Liam adds, “And the grounds here are sacred — they have a special “magic” to them that give more strength to your craft.”

  “Wait, wait, wait…” Chloe interrupts, “So, our souls are reincarnated in order to grow and learn, but how are we growing and learning if we are back to our “safe” place instead of facing situations that challenge us? Based on what I’ve learned, it is the challenges in life that provide the most opportunities for a person to grow and learn? Could your protection be keeping us from completing our journey and preventing us from staying in the Summerland?” Chloe asks.

  “I’ll take this one,” Peter chimes in. “Excellent question, Chloe. You have to know that our families, The Alexanders and the Scotts, have been intertwined for many generations. Aldo, my father, and your great, great grandfather, was here when the women were born in the house. He helped raise them, just as Liam here is doing for you. We have kept records of your reincarnations prior to now and for this latest reincarnation, as far as we can see, the most significant difference is in how you are living. You see you all are interacting with your community, with other people. The generations before you did not interact with anyone other than with each other, and, well, us. They stayed home, on this land — never leaving the property. They were afraid of being outcasts because of their… unique abilities. Times have changed and in general, people are more accepting of one another nowadays.”

  Marcus jumps in adding, “Psychologically speaking, interaction between human beings brings up a variety of emotions, including love, anger, hate, anxiety, jealousy, need, desire, etcetera, which you have all probably felt at one time or another, or maybe even on a daily basis. When you interact with a wide variety of people, you are exposed to many situations that lead to different experiences. Those experiences will help you to learn and grow.”

  “Experiencing a wide range of emotions and being conscious of your actions, even when in the midst of negative experiences, provides you with opportunities to make the right choices, creating good karma for yourselves. Karma is like a bank that you deposit actions into. With every good action, you are making a donation toward a better existence, now as well as in future incarnations until your soul stops the reincarnation cycle,” Liam adds, hoping that they aren’t throwing too much at them all at once.

  Marcus continues, “The more that you understand about yourselves, the more you will learn to balance the good and the bad and live a happy, healthy, unselfish existence, which will lead to a more complete human experience than your previous incarnations. Your experiences will allow you to learn and grow so that eventually you can stop the reincarnation cycle and spend the rest of your days in the Summerland.”

  Taking this all in, Rowan, Chloe, and Kaiden sit quietly with their thoughts. The sounds of the cicadas create a symphony above their heads. Liam looks at his dad and his grandfather, urging them to continue before night falls.

  Peter nods and continues, “So, do you have any questions before I move on to your… abilities?”

  “Abilities?” Kaiden and Rowan ask in unison. Then they both turn to Chloe who has a look of understanding on her face.

  It all fits now, Chloe thinks. The fertile ground, the fast growing seedlings… “We’re witches, too — just like the old women,” she blurts out excitedly. “So we have a strong connection to the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water and therefore, we have the power to manipulate them.”

  Surprised by how much she already knows, Peter says, “You are definitely on the right track, Chloe. You have a stronger connection to the elements, but you also have other supernatural abilities because of your lineage. You may be able to read people more clearly, have deeper clarity about yourself and your own abilities, see visions of future events, manipulate people’s minds, and even cast spells and create magic to change the world on your whims.”

  Marcus moves toward the altar and picks up the knife. “Each element represents a direction within the circle. As you can see from the altar cloth, each point on the pentagram also represents something: Spirit, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Within this circle, the elements correspond with directions: Earth — North, Air — East, Fire — South, and Water — West.

  Walking toward the top of the circle he says, “Magic manifests itself in many ways. For Chloe, it has happened quickly and obviously it comes in the form of Earth, as we can see it in her exquisite gardens,” he says.

  Chloe smiles, grateful for the recognition of her hard work. At the same time, she is excited that her abilities are already manifesting.

  “The tools that you see here on the altar are only a small part of what you need in order to work in harmony with the elements and create magic,” Marcus explains. “Spells can be spoken; potions can be created from herbs, flowers, and all of the plants that you see growing around the property; and many rocks, stones, and crystals can bring forth greater energy. Everything has a deeper meaning than what you may have thought before and by focusing your energies you can acquire the knowledge necessary to create magic. Eventually, you will learn how to cast spells. In the attic you will find a box of books, some of which are grimoires, that will help you.”

  “What are grimoires?” Kaiden asks, intrigued by everything new he is learning.

  Marcus smiles, glad that Kaiden is showing interest. “Grimoires are kind of like textbooks about magic. They will teach you everything you need to know; including how to connect with the elements, how to cast spells and charms, how to make amulets, and so much more. You will discover more in those books than we could ever tell you, especially the grimoires that have magical powers embedded in them. You will also find books about your family history and lineage to help you know where you came from so that you can better understand who you are and your potential.”

  “Once you open a book, all of the information within may seem ‘familiar’ to you. You will learn quickly, especially from the grimoires. The magical powers in these books will invoke your abilities. While reading, it may seem as if you have already acquired the knowledge, especially that which relates to any elements already manifesting. This land only makes your magical p
owers stronger. It teaches and gives you what you need at the moment you need it,” Liam says.

  “And remember,” Marcus adds, “even if you show an affinity to a specific element now, it does not mean that you will not connect with the other elements as well. Be open and allow the wisdom of past generations to guide you to where your focus needs to be.”

  Rowan feels goose bumps rise on her arms as the words her grandfather is saying resonates deep within her. Kaiden watches the flame of the candle on the altar and the longer he looks at it the more connected he feels to the words his father, grandfather, and great grandfather have spoken.

  “Explore and attune yourselves to all of the elements. You may be surprised at what you discover. The more time you spend experiencing them in various environments, the more powerful your abilities will become. Elements can be conjured in many ways, not just outside. Be creative — use a variety of methods to experience them. Consider exploring them together so that you not only connect to the element, but also build a stronger connection to each other.”

  “Learn from and with each other because the stronger your bond is, the less likely it is that anything or anyone can come in between you. And, the more time you spend together, the stronger you will become,” Liam adds, looking at each of them.

  Chloe realizes that the Silvans have got to be witches and were probably using magic at school today. This would explain why the three of them felt strongest with each other, especially when they were face to face with the Silvans. They were instinctively coming together to ward off whatever spells were being cast against them.

  Marcus raises his eyebrow at Liam before continuing, “You must also be aware of black magic, as it does exist. Although you may have good intentions, you might find yourself casting spells that do harm or are selfish in nature. Always be aware of your intentions when practicing so that you don’t inadvertently cause harm to yourself or others, which will create negative karma, keeping you in the cycle of reincarnation and out of the Summerland.”

  “Are there any other witches in the area?” Chloe asks, glancing quickly at Rowan and Kaiden, wondering if they were thinking the same thing. It can’t be a coincidence that they are learning that they are witches today when they had such strange experiences with the Silvans all day at school. The Silvans’ arrival and the timing of this meeting must have something to do with each other.

  Chloe can’t help but wonder if the strong connection she felt to Cian wasn’t just a spell that he cast to make her feel safe and comfortable with him. She considers whether to say anything but before she can, Kaiden pinches her arm and shakes his head slightly.

  Marcus clears his throat observing his grandchildren’s interaction. “While there haven’t been any other covens in this area in years, we have reason to suspect that the new family who arrived in town this week may have some supernatural abilities. Not having spent any time around them though, we can’t say for certain that they are witches; however, we learned that we, you three specifically, may be targeted because you are not part of a coven nor were you technically aware of your abilities until this moment.”

  “What do you mean by ‘targeted?’” Kaiden asks.

  “You will learn more about the importance of what we have told you when you read the books left for you,” Marcus says, “but for now you just need to understand that something on this property makes your abilities more powerful than anywhere else, which is worth having, is it not? Now imagine someone looking for a place where their own magic could be more powerful — somewhere where the people who lived on the property didn’t even know that the land was sacred. To other witches, discovering that a place like this exists could create a kind of madness and desire to make it their own.”

  “Therefore, the people who live on the land would be targets because if other witches are aware of the power, they would do anything to have it for themselves,” Liam finishes.

  Overhead thunder cracks, like an omen that a storm is coming to the Alexanders’, in both the literal and figurative sense.

  “For now, keep your distance from the Silvans until we know what they are doing here. We will make some calls to see if we can learn anything about them and will let you know what we find out,” Liam says. “No more secrets.”

  “Now that we have told you all of this,” Marcus adds as he begins to gather everything off the altar, “you can ask us anything and we will try our best to answer; but you must not tell anyone, anyone at all, what you’ve learned about yourselves tonight. Although times have changed a lot from the days of the Salem witch trials, there are still a lot of people who would not want witches living amongst them. Understood?”

  They all nod in agreement.

  Peter, Marcus, and Liam walk over to the kids. “We love you as if you are our own and we will protect you with our lives,” Marcus says, and just like the day they found them — they embrace them and vow to keep them safe, always.

  Chapter 12

  As the clouds darken the horizon, Selene can’t help but think that they rolled in to mark her dark mood. She trusted the kids, especially Xavier, to come up with something that she could use against the Alexanders. Instead all she got was attitude from him, all because he was pissed off that she talked to Liam Alexander before it was time. Sometimes she thinks she has given him too much confidence and power. Cian and Brianna acted just as annoyed and wouldn’t say much about their day; those two were as thick as thieves, as usual.

  Instead of making dinner, she decided to make them fend for themselves — just to show them not to cross her. From her room she can hear them talking, but rather than listen in like she usually does, she ignores them and turns the water on in the tub. A nice long soak is just what I need to relax, she thinks. And, they better be working on a plan for tomorrow or I might just have to take matters into my own hands. She sinks deep into the steaming tub, bubbles soaking away her cares until she feels the mask of pleasantness slip off her face. Secrets are so hard to keep, she thinks, and pretending to care about people is even harder.

  Cian and Brianna are quietly talking about Chloe and Kaiden Alexander, but occasionally they say something completely irrelevant a little louder just so their aunt won’t really know what they’re talking about. They know she eavesdrops on their conversations and lately Xavier has been doing the same.

  “He is actually nice and normal,” Brianna whispers, talking about Kaiden Alexander, with a look that Cian has seen before.

  Cian worries about his sister. Brianna has a tendency to fall hard and when she does she usually ends up getting hurt. She doesn’t take the time to get to know someone to see if he is actually worthy of her time; she just dives right in. She has a tough exterior and so people think that she can handle anything, but really she is as insecure as any teenage girl, only made worse by an aunt who demoralizes her at every opportunity. Cian tries to stick up for her whenever their aunt starts in on her, but this usually ends up causing more trouble in the long run.

  “I’m meeting Chloe at the library this weekend,” Cian whispers.

  Brianna raises her eyes in shock. “Does Xavier know?” she asks, even though she knows the answer.

  Cian shakes his head, “And I intend to keep it that way. If I tell him, he’ll tell Aunt Selene and then she’ll tell me what to say to pump her for information and I won’t do it. I actually have a good feeling about the Alexanders and especially Chloe.”

  “If only Xavier would stand up to her,” Brianna says to Cian, “then we wouldn’t be in this mess with the Alexanders.”

  Xavier sits in the kitchen listening to them talk on the other side of the wall. He won’t tell their aunt about Cian meeting Chloe this time, but he is glad he knows. He wishes he could go in and commiserate with them and then they could all laugh and hang out like they used to. But, things have changed since their dad died and as much as he hates to admit, the changes are not for the better.

  Before their dad died, Xavier challenged their aunt at every opportunity.
He questioned her motives, behaviors, and most importantly, her mental health, especially when she took greater risks that would expose their abilities. Their dad always seemed to rein her in, but since he’s been gone, Xavier has had to take on the role of protector of the family. This means that in order to keep the peace he does whatever Aunt Selene wants without challenge, or so he lets her think anyway. Now it falls to Cian to challenge her and he only does it when she pushes too hard, like she is doing with the Alexanders. Luckily though, Xavier has a backup plan for everything, including what to do about the Alexanders.

  Thinking about Rowan Alexander has him wondering what it would be like to get to know her better. He loves a girl with attitude and Rowan has it in spades. Even though she acted like she wasn’t interested or even remotely curious about him, he caught her watching him more than once during the day.

  When she passed him in the hall after lunch, he caught just a glimpse of a grin. He smiled a big old sloppy, puppy smile at her, which made her put her mouth back into that grim line. He looked forward to seeing that grin again tomorrow.

  He sighs and leans back in his chair thinking about how to deal with this whole thing. He knows Cian and Brianna are right. This thing with Aunt Selene and the Alexanders is a mess.

  Chapter 13

  Lying in bed watching the clock pass another hour, Chloe has already decided she won’t be going to school tomorrow. She just has to convince Rowan and Kaiden to stay home so they can go through the box in the attic together.

  Since she learned that she is the reincarnation of a woman who used to live in this house she has been looking at everything with different eyes. She is trying to find something familiar, some sort of clue that will jog her memory from her lifetime before. Even though Dad said the house hasn’t changed much, she can’t find anything that makes her remember. He explained to her that it would be highly unlikely that she would remember anything anyway; but to her, it seems like anything is possible.