by Tish Thawer
Jeremiah watched as Karina swooned, stopping in place and running a hand down the front of her dress. Spinning back towards the direction of the house, she smiled a sexy smile that confirmed she knew exactly what was causing her flush. He watched her lips move, then heard her sweet voice whispering on the wind. “I’ll return soon my love, and then I’m all yours.”
Trin woke from the memory as the Jeep bounced over a set of railroad tracks. She adjusted her jacket and smiled to herself as the reminder of her and Jeremiah’s passion lingered in the warmth of her skin. “Do you want me to drive for a bit?” she offered, noticing they’d been on the road for at least three hours.
“No, I’m fine. I love a good road trip,” Caris replied, taking a sip from her water bottle.
“Well, let me know if you change your mind. I’m more than happy to help out.”
“Actually, I could use the help with something else.” Caris cast Trin a sidelong glance, clearly feeling timid about her request.
“Sure, what is it?” Trin asked.
“With all this talk about genealogy and family studies, I was wondering if you could help me look up information on Lionel Epps,” she asked, rubbing her reddening cheek with the back of her hand.
“Of course!” Trin took Caris’s hand, remembering the spark between her sister and the junior Mr. Epps. The last Beltane celebration they’d all attended had been exactly what Karina envisioned it to be; the magical moment her little sister had met the man who could potentially be the love of her life. “I’d be happy to. I’m sure there’s some records regarding the Castle Hill estate that could help. After that, if we need to do some spell work to locate him, I’m completely okay with that too.” Trin squeezed her sister’s hand, then dug out her phone from her purse to start her search with ‘Siri’s’ help.
“Thanks, Trin. I know that Lillian said that some of the witches who’d been pulled through time didn’t retain their memories of the past, but if there’s any chance he remembers me, it would make me really happy.” Caris shrugged like an embarrassed school girl.
“Well, you know as well as I do, that even if he doesn’t remember you, there are ways we can make it happen,” Trin wagged her eyebrows. “A little physical connection was all it took for me and Jeremiah, so maybe it will work the same for you and Lionel.”
“Maybe. And wouldn’t that be fun!” Caris laughed, enjoying their easy, light-hearted conversation.
“Okay, so I have to ask...did you and Lionel...you know, that night?” Trin bit her lower lip.
“Trin! Oh my goodness, I’m not talking about that.” Caris blushed.
“What? We’re all adults here, and it’s not like we haven’t lost our virginity time and time again throughout our various lifetimes.” Trin shook her head. “I suppose it made it easier, knowing what to expect, but damn, I’m not going to lie, I’m happy to not have to do that again.”
Caris and Trin’s laughter filled the Jeep as they continued down the road towards their less than thrilling destination.
“Are you worried about what we’re going to find?” Caris asked.
“You mean, Ann?”
“Well, yeah, but more so, what she’s been up to.”
“I’d be lying if I said no, and I definitely wish Jason was with us, but I’m glad that Kennedy is ready to take me seriously and treat this like the problem it could become,” Trin stated.
“I can understand that, and I’m glad too. But like Kennedy, I’m curious as to what she’s doing in Maine.”
Trin shook her head and looked out the window, contemplating whether she really wanted to open this can of worms right now or not. Oh well, here goes. “Did you and Kennedy ever share a lifetime where you resided in Maine?” Trin asked.
“No. We didn’t. Why did you?” Caris looked across the Jeep at Trin and gasped when she shook her head yes. “What? How is that possible? I thought we always soul traveled to the same times?”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, and honestly, I’m not sure that’s true. Every time I soul travelled to a new lifetime, it became easier and easier to find Kit. Like our bond was getting stronger with each hop. I think the opposite might have been happening to us, which over time weakened our connection and caused our souls to drift apart over time.”
“Wow. I guess that would explain why we’ve been having the issues we have now that we’re back together,” Caris sighed.
“Perhaps.” Trin agreed, still staring out the window.
“Do you want to talk about your time in Maine? Maybe it will shed some light on what Ann’s up to,” Caris suggested.
“I will, but I don’t really feel like reliving it twice. Can we wait until we meet up with Kennedy and possibly get a good night’s rest?” Trin asked, already committing herself to the upcoming conversation.
“Of course.” Caris adjusted her hands on the wheel, not liking the sullen look on her big sister’s face. Turning up the radio, she smiled at Trin, demonstrating her efforts to give her the space she needed.
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE
1703
“Mrs. Hunniwell, I’m sorry to have to inform you, ma’am, but your husband has been killed in a recent raid with the Abenaki.” The British officer crossed his arm over his chest and bowed deeply. “My sincerest condolences.” He handed her a sealed letter, then did an about-face and walked out the front door. Katherine Hunniwell had just lost her husband, and Karina Howe, had just woken up in a nightmare.
Karina stood still, rubbing the stiff piece of parchment under her thumb as information about her new lifetime filtered into her mind. She was in the middle of Queen Ann’s War and her husband, Richard Hunniwell, had built this home for them in a field off Old Country Road after the small community was reoccupied in 1702. Richard had been a veteran of King Philip's War, and one of the signatories to Scarborough's incorporation in 1684. He’d been married before, but his wife and child had been killed in an Indian raid, which led to his implacable hatred of any and all Native Americans. This small community was abandoned in 1690 due to the violent raids, but after the English regained a small foothold, it was reoccupied once more.
Karina walked out the door and into the front yard, if you could call it that. Bleached stalks of tall grass surrounded the one-and-a-half-story Cape-style wood structure. It wasn’t large, more the size of a small cottage, but Karina appreciated the clapboard siding and stone foundation, as it reminded her of her true home from which she was ripped all those years ago. Looking up to the roofline, she was happy to see sash windows and a four-light transom window sitting atop the main door. The house was sturdy and contemporary for the time.
She walked back inside and noticed the central-chimney, the small entry vestibule, and the winding staircase that led up to the attic. The decorations were minimal and suited Karina’s taste just fine.
“Madame, are you unwell?”
Karina spun and came face-to-face with a pair of big brown doe-eyes. A woman with the most exotic caramel features she’d ever seen, including long black hair, braided and bejeweled with shimmering seeds and turquoise stones, was staring back at her from the middle of her very own living room. “Excuse me?” Karina mumbled, unable to think.
“Are you unwell? You look flush and confused, Madame Kate,” the woman’s rawhide dress shifted with her movements, setting alight the small bells and feathers sewn into its seams as she reached her hand out to Karina in a show of real concern.
“I’m fine.” Karina clasped the letter to her chest, unsure of what was happening.
“It wasn’t my intent, Madame, but I overheard the officer’s message. I’m so very sorry for your loss,” the Indian maiden offered in a soft display of polished English.
“Thank you...” Karina’s words trailed off as the rest of the much needed information filled in the blanks within her mind.
Nadie was an educated Algonquin maiden who’d been helping her around the house whenever her husband, Richard, was away. He viciously abhorre
d Indians and would have punished her severely if he’d known she’d been welcoming the women of the tribe into their home as a way to build upon the peace that remained so very precarious in this region. Karina shook her head, I guess that’s no longer a problem I have to worry about, she thought. She felt Katherine’s grief over the loss of her husband and shared her sorrow. Katherine’s life was still her own, but through the magic of soul travel, Karina was now a cognizant contributor to it all.
“Here, Madame, why don’t you sit. I’ll fetch you some tea,” Nadie offered with an outstretched hand.
Karina nodded and slowly took a seat upon the nearest settee. She watched in awe as three other beautiful Native American women appeared from the other rooms and shuffled into the kitchen to help attend to her––their secret benefactor.
Chapter Eight
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
Present Day
“Miranda?” Kennedy inquired, addressing the thirty-something witch behind the counter of Lillian’s shop.
“Yes, may I help you?”
Kennedy took in her kind blue eyes and long platinum hair and wondered if this was what Lillian looked like in her prime? The sisters had only known her in this lifetime, which was, for her, in the crone’s cycle. “Hi. I’m Kennedy Hardy, Caris’s sister.”
“Oh my goodness, it’s so nice to meet you. Mama talked about your family all the time.” Miranda hurried around the counter and pulled Kennedy into a tight hug. “How are Trin and Caris?”
“They’re good.” Kennedy shrugged out of the embrace.
“Why do I get a feeling that’s not exactly true?” Miranda’s upturned smile and the spark in her eye made light of the fact that she’d just called Kennedy a liar.
Kennedy laughed. “Probably because your intuition is on point.”
“Well, I won’t pry, but what can I do to help?” Miranda gestured to the back of the store where they could talk in private.
“I need a few supplies and any information you can provide on Ann Putnam?”
“Ann Putnam? From our true time?” Miranda asked.
“Yes. We recently discovered that she was in cahoots with the demon your mother told Trin about, and was in BlackBrook with us until we stripped her of her powers and banished her to Salem,” Kennedy explained.
“Wow. I’d heard the three of you had reunited and regained your powers, but that’s some serious magic, right there.” Miranda bobbed her head in appreciation.
“Yeah, well, it may have been all for nothing if we don’t find out what she’s been up to.”
“What do you mean? What could she possibly be doing if she no longer has her powers?” Miranda handed Kennedy the bag of nightshade Trin had asked for, even before receiving their list.
“That’s what we need to find out. We got word that she’s been up in Maine and had used Caris and Trin’s personal information as part of some kind of family study. We’re not sure if she was simply using it to track us, or if there’s more to it than that.”
“Interesting. Weird, but interesting.” Miranda handed Kennedy another bag of herbs, also on her shopping list they hadn’t exchanged yet. “The only thing I remember about Ann is that she married some stranger no one had ever met.”
Kennedy knew exactly who she was talking about. Heinrich had shape-shifted into another human guise at the time, probably to keep his little witch on the leash, no doubt. Moments like that had become clear to her and her sisters after they thwarted the demon and the link he had to Ann that day in the cave. Too bad they couldn’t have gotten a read on those situations when they had originally happened, though; that would have saved them all a lot of time and heartache. “Hmmm. Okay. Well, thank you, and if you remember anything else, please give Caris a call.” Kennedy smiled and accepted three candles, a bag of black salt, a vial of lavender oil, and a large chunk of celestite. “Looks like you got it all. How much do I owe you?” Kennedy asked, impressed she’d received everything she needed without ever showing Miranda the list.
“Nothing. You’re good. Call this my contribution to help solve the problem.” She smiled and returned to the front of the store just as the bell rang, signaling another customer’s arrival.
Kennedy took a moment to look around the back room. She hadn’t been here in ages, but nothing had changed in her absence. It still held fond memories of when Lillian would host her and Caris for tea, the three of them reminiscing about their true lives. Lillian talked about her daughter and her loving husband who’d passed just before Trin’s spell, and how nice it was to speak openly about their magic after being forced to hide their true selves behind the borrowed lives they all lived for so very long.
Kennedy wiped an errant tear from her cheek and gave thanks to Lillian, knowing her prayer would be carried to her ears on the back of the Goddess’s wing.
“Hey, I’m sorry, but I think I remember something else about Ann,” Miranda whispered, interrupting Kennedy’s reverent reflection.
“Oh, okay. Great, what is it?” Kennedy quickly composed herself.
“I think she had nine sisters.”
“What?”
ORONO, MAINE
Present Day
“Nine sisters? You’re sure?” Trin asked as Kennedy dumped their supplies onto the hotel bed.
“Yep, that’s what Miranda said.”
“I don’t remember anything about the Putnams, so I’m lost here,” Caris admitted.
“It seems like we’re all lost here,” Trin flopped into the high-back chair, discouraged and tired.
“Well, at least it’s something to go on and possibly an explanation as to why she was trying to participate in a family study. Maybe she wasn’t looking for us, but trying to find her true sisters instead,” Kennedy suggested.
“It makes sense, for sure, but why would she pretend to be Trin then? Why wouldn’t she just state who she really was?” Caris asked.
“You mean say that she was Kit? A person who had no family ties in this century at all?” Trin asked.
“Well, yeah, I just don’t get why she’d involve you or me if she was really trying to find her own true family. It just doesn’t add up.” Caris shrugged.
Kennedy tossed her badge onto the nightstand. “None of this adds up. Ann shouldn’t even be a threat at all right now. If you ask me, she deserved way more than she got. We were too light on her. Clearly.” She glared at Trin. “We stripped her of her powers and honestly, regardless of why the hell she wanted to do a genealogy search, I just don’t see what kind of trouble she could really cause if our spell did its job,” Kennedy snapped, frustrated at the whole situation.
“Well, I guess that’s what we’re here to figure out,” Caris smiled, trying to diffuse the tension in the room. “Now, how about we order some room service and tackle all this first thing in the morning?”
Trin nodded, appreciative of Caris’s attempt to calm their sister down. “Sounds good to me.”
“Same. And hopefully by tomorrow night, we can all head home, stress-free and ready to lead the coven in the upcoming Imbolc celebration,” Kennedy smiled and eased down onto the opposite bed, clearly trying to make peace as well.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step out and call Jason real quick while we wait for the food. If you could just order me the cobb salad, that would be great, thanks.” Trin waved her cell in the air then stepped out into the hallway, turning to walk back to the atrium she saw on their way in.
“Hi, babe. Everything okay?” Jason asked.
“I don’t know. Tensions are running high, and it’s almost like Kennedy blames me that we’re even here.” Trin sighed.
“Oh, honey, I’m sure that’s not true.”
“She said that if our spell to strip Ann of her powers had worked like it should, then she shouldn’t be a threat despite whatever it is she’s up to.” Trin shrugged although no one was there to see it. “That one stung a bit.”
“Yeah, that was definitely out of line. And besides, we all
know for a fact that the spell worked, so I’m not sure why Kennedy would say something like that.” Trin could hear the rising anger in Jason’s voice.
“I’m sure she’s just frustrated, but still, I’ll be happy when we get to the bottom of all this,” Trin confessed.
“Me too. I want you home. I miss you.”
“I miss you too. How was work?”
“Same old, same old. Nothing interesting to report in the mundane world of BlackBrook.” Trin could sense his smile through the phone.
“Well, that’s one good thing then. Get some rest, and I’ll call you in the morning. I love you, Jason.”
“I love you too.”
Trin pressed the end key and took a moment to look out over the wall in garden. The lush ferns and hostas mixed beautifully with the lily-of-the-valley and snowdrops that wound through the dark mulched pathway stories below.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” a husky voice asked from over Trin’s shoulder.
“Yes, it definitely is.” Trin turned and smiled, then quickly moved back down the hallway.
“Before you go, can I ask a favor?” the stranger asked.
Trin looked back but didn’t respond.
“Tell Kennedy her boss would like to talk to her.”
Chapter Nine
Trin gasped as she rounded the corner, smacking straight into Kennedy and Caris.
“What’s wrong? We felt your energy spike,” Caris asked, grabbing her by the arm.
Trin flipped a thumb over her shoulder. “Kennedy, your boss is here and said he wants to talk to you.”
“What?” Kennedy leaned around the corner but saw no one. “Nielson’s here?”
“Yes. He snuck up behind me and then said to tell you he wanted to talk. It was kind of creepy.”
Kennedy took a step in the direction of the elevator, clearly intent on confronting her boss right away but stopped short when Trin pulled on her arm, yanking them all back to their room.
