by Tish Thawer
“I thought you cast a memory spell on him, so why would he be here?” Trin flipped the lock and started picking at her food, hoping to settle her nervous stomach.
“I did! That’s why this is so odd. I erased his memory of the case at the University, and then cast the necessary spell to justify my extended absence.” She slammed her fist against the door. “Dammit! Why is this happening?”
“Maybe something is wrong with our magic,” Caris said around a bite of her crab cake.
Kennedy forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths. “I don’t like the sound of that, but maybe Caris is right. A thread seems to be unraveling here, and the outcome doesn’t seem to be in our favor. We need to do our ritual and we need to do it now,” Kennedy stated.
Trin nodded. “Let’s finish our dinner so our energy is at its peak, then we’ll get started.”
Hesitantly, Kennedy and Caris joined her around the table, casting Trin’s thoughts back to another time.
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1692
“Kara, place the bread on the saucer, and Kenna, pour the wine into the chalice,” Karina instructed.
“What spell are we doing tonight,” Kenna asked, always ready to hone her magic.
“Tonight we’re going to use the full moon’s energy to call forth our personal power, boost our protections, and increase fertility.” Karina blushed.
“Someone feeling ripe?” Kara teased.
“Hush, now. It’s not just for me and Jeremiah, but for the livestock and crops as well.” Karina glided around the table, setting the tools and candles in their place.
“Well, I’d be really happy if we could welcome a baby into the family,” Kenna beamed.
“Me too,” Kara added.
“We’ll see about that, but first...magic!” Karina held her hands over the table and smiled when the flames burst to life. “Goddess bright, on this night, join us now and hear our vow. Together we thank you for all you do, in and out of the circle true. We humbly ask that our needs be met, no more no less than you see fit.” Karina nodded at Kara and spoke into her mind, “Lift the bay leaves one at a time and read what’s scribed upon them.”
Lifting the first leaf, Kara intoned, “May our personal power grow this night, strengthening our love and might.” She glanced up expectantly at her big sister.
“Good. Now set it to flame and toss it into the cauldron.” Karina mentally instructed.
Kara held the leaf over the candle nearest her, then tossed it into the waiting vessel.
“Kenna, you next.”
“May all we love, protected be, boosted by our powers three.” Kenna lit her leaf then tossed it in, just as her sister had.
Karina lifted the last leaf and placed a kiss upon it. “Grow our bounty in numbers and strength, continue our line to the edge of times brink. Sustained and cared for, all are we, by the Goddess’s grace, so mote it be.”
“So mote it be,” sang the girls in unison.
“Where do you want me to spread the black salt?” Kennedy asked, pulling Trin from yet another trip down memory lane.
“Let’s move the table and chairs and do it here. This should be sufficient,” Trin instructed, clearing their plates and drinks, while Caris and Kennedy moved the hotel room furniture out of the way. Placing the small altar cloth she’d brought from home in the center of the floor, Trin placed the celestite crystal and the three candles in the middle of it and then took a seat as Caris joined her, signaling Kennedy to cast their circle.
“I cast this circle once around, all within by magic bound; protected by the Goddess are we, strengthened by earth, so mote it be.” Kennedy sprinkled the black salt around them in a circle.
“So mote it be,” Trin and Caris repeated.
Kennedy joined them cross-legged on the floor and watched as Trin raised her arms and lifted her eyes to the ceiling.
“My Lord and Lady, we ask that you join us this night for our sacred rite. To reconfirm our bond as sisters so true, for power and love is achieved only through you.” Trin closed her eyes as her words brought the Goddess’s power to life within her. A pulse of pure white energy burst from the crystal, lighting the candles and knocking the girls backwards as it spread outward toward the edge of their circle. All three siblings pulsed with divine energy, and together fell into their astral states. “We are here to follow your lead, guide us Great Goddess, to reclaim our magical seed.” Trin’s words floated through the ether as the three sisters soared toward the heart of the Goddess’s domain.
Stilling at the sight of a large cherry tree, Trin noticed her mother’s pendant hanging from a low branch, and beside it, swinging in the breeze, was the ring Jeremiah had given Karina all those centuries ago, the same one Jason now wore around his neck. Both talismans spun, catching the reflective light of the full-moon as the Goddess’s words flowed into their minds. “Here at the cherry tree, both feminine and masculine, this sacred wood is connected to the heart of the Earth. Use its grounding energy to find your center again; solid and unwavering and imbued with the love and power of those not present, it’s magic will stabilize and focus your intuitive sight and lead you to the path where obstacles melt away. Allow it’s healing and love magic to flow through you, for the cherry tree is a source of detection and unification. So mote it be.”
“So mote it be,” they replied in unison.
The Goddess’s words felt more like a reprimand than a spell; humbled and enlightened, they all floated toward the tree, each placing a hand upon its thick trunk. White hot energy shot into their palms and straight to their hearts, providing each their own private vision.
Trin was flooded with memories of their mother, Jeremiah and her sisters, as well as Kit and all the other incarnations of Ann throughout her multiple lifetimes. Anger, guilt, remorse, and love twisted her stomach into knots as she was forced to open herself and face the truest feelings buried deep inside her. She’d loved Kit, and every other person Ann had been, and felt the guilt of that all the way to her marrow.
Caris’s mind was full of lost love and mediocre lives lived. Nothing special and nothing gained from each new phase of their soul travel. She was weary and tired, and wasn’t sure exactly what she had to offer to the group. She felt herself shrinking as feelings of inadequacy crippled her.
Kennedy’s heart was full of fear, anger, and regret. Images of her terrified, always crouching and fearful of losing the ones she loved spun around her like a tornado. Unable to fulfill her role as protector and angry that she was never taken seriously by her older sisters. She had changed the most out of her siblings, and it became clear that that change had a lot to do with the wedge between them now.
Suddenly the three sisters’ astral bodies floated together in the center of a vortex, swirling just below their feet. Each of their previous visions were now on full display behind them, like movies being projected onto a large, foggy screen. The Goddess’s voice boomed into their minds, “Release your fears and the woes of your heart, and know that after leaving, nothing will tear you apart. Forgive and forget and to yourselves be true, for there is no blame being put upon you.” The girls’ visions spun and melted, swirling down the spiral vortex and along with it, their sorrowful memories. “Go now, my powerful daughters, and find the source of the true issue at hand.”
Opening their eyes, Trin, Caris, and Kennedy woke back in their hotel room with a deep sense of love and focused purpose. Sitting up, Trin concluded their ritual. “Thank you, my lady, for joining us this night. May we strive to honor you and fulfill your wishes now and always. Merry did we meet, merry may we part, and merry shall we meet again.” They linked hands and sat in silence as the magical energy in the air began to dissipate, leaving them energized and at peace with themselves and each other.
“I want to say I’m sorry, but know if you’re both feeling like I am, it’s not necessary, but still; it would make me feel better to say it,” Kennedy squeezed her sisters’ hands.
“I feel
the same way,” Trin smiled kindly.
“Well, now that we’ve been whipped back into shape, how about we get some rest and start tomorrow off with a scrying spell to locate Ann and really get down to business?” Caris insisted.
“Sounds good, but first things first; my initial spell of the morning will be to locate my boss and find out what the hell is going on,” Kennedy fumed.
Chapter Ten
Jason woke to an empty house for the third day in a row. “This sucks,” he confessed out loud. Padding down the stairs, the silence settled in his bones and left him as uneasy as one of Trin’s dreams. The coffee pot sputtered, having been programmed the night before, bringing him to his first stop in his journey towards calm. “Mmmhhh. The best part of wakin’ up...” he let his off-tune jingle die out as he brought the cup to his lips. “Ah! That’s better.” He lived in a house full of women who loved tea, and not that he didn’t, but having a pot of coffee on twenty-four-seven had been about the only highlight of this forced separation.
Reaching for his phone, he dialed Trin and got her voicemail. “Hello, so sorry I missed you. Please leave a message after the beep and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” Jason sighed and waited for the beep. “Babe, it’s me. Call me back when you can. I want to know what’s going on and have to leave for work soon. Okay. Bye. Love you.” Pounding back up the stairs, he debated opening his third eye and peering into the situation first hand, but after the last talk they’d had, he wondered if Kennedy should be the one he took a peek at instead of Trin.
Just as he settled into the chair on the balcony, his phone buzzed in his hand. “Babe, hey. How’s it going? Everything okay?” he asked Trin.
“Yes. We’re fine. Better than fine, actually. We’re getting ready to do a couple scrying spells,”
“A couple?” Jason interrupted.
“Yeah. Kennedy’s boss showed up out of the blue, and she’s feeling a little uneasy about it, then after that’s handled, we’re going to start searching for Ann.”
“Okay, well, please be careful. I’m headed into work here in a few, so I’ll be out of reach for most of the day. If you need me though, you know how to find me.” He closed his eyes and sent surge of his affection through the ether.
“Indeed I do, and I love you too,” Trin whispered.
Jason hung up the phone, feeling relieved yet anxious at the same time. “Damn this shift rotation,” he cussed, wishing more than anything he could be with the ones he loved.
ISPWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1693
Jeremiah felt Karina’s fear spike and then her overwhelming anger. He knew he wouldn’t reach her in time and he was right; by the time he’d arrived at the Howe’s cabin, Kara and Kenna were crying into each other’s arms and relayed the message that Karina had mentally sent to them both. “Do nothing. I will take care of this.”
He attempted to reach her mind, but found she’d put up a block, probably in fear of other true witches in the prison trying to penetrate her mind. He couldn’t stand by and do nothing, though, not when it was his Karina.
Jeremiah raced around the kitchen and the store room, gathering his needed supplies. Muddling the ingredients, he swallowed them in one gulp and cast his spell. “Space and time, bend to my will, transport me now, to my love I appeal. Take me there, body and soul. To save my love, the only goal.” The air shimmered and bent in on itself, and with a pop, he was gone.
Reformed, Jeremiah looked up to find his beloved Karina lying on the cold stone floor of the prison. He reached for the door, sending a jolt of magic to disable the lock then entered her cell.
“Why did you come?” she asked.
“How could I not? I love you, Karina. So be it if I get caught using my magic to reach you. If you’re going to burn, I’ll burn with you.” Jeremiah enveloped her in his arms, holding her close as she sobbed into his chest. “We’ll figure a way out of this, I promise,” he swore. He could feel her slipping away.
“No, we won’t. Nothing I do will keep me from the stake. I’ve accepted it and so should you.”
“I can’t let them hurt you.” Jeremiah kissed her hair, pulling her tight, already knowing she was going to force him to let her go.
“You don’t have a choice. But what I do need is your promise. Swear to me that you’ll always look after my sisters. Protect them when I’m gone,” Karina pleaded.
Everything in him hurt. “I swear it.”
Karina placed a soft kiss upon his lips and pulled herself together. “They’ll be here soon, you must go.”
Heartbroken but resolute, Jeremiah kissed his beloved again, then looked back one last time as he shut the metal door and disappeared.
Jason wiped the tears from his eyes. Remembering the most painful, heart retching moment of his life was never easy. He’d recalled that particular memory so many times over the centuries, searching for something he could have done differently.
“Screw this!” He slammed his hands down on the bathroom counter and pulled out his phone. “Captain Morris, please. It’s Hardy. Thanks.” Jason paced across the tile, hoping he wasn’t making a mistake. “Captain, good morning. I’m sorry to ask, but I’ve had a family emergency and need to request a few more days off. Yes, I understand. Okay, thank you, sir. I’ll put in for the next rotation as soon as I return. Thanks again.”
Hanging up, Jason smiled wide and rushed to the closet to grab his suitcase. “I’m coming baby, and this time, there’s nothing you can do to stop me from helping.”
“Are you sure you want to do it this way?” Caris asked Kennedy.
“Yes. I know it’s easy to use our magic, but honestly, I think the quickest way to find out if he’s here is just to ask.” Kennedy shrugged as she picked up the hotel phone’s receiver. “Hi, yes. This is Ms. Hardy in room 618, do you have any messages for me? No, okay, then could you please tell me what room Mr. Nielson is in? We are supposed to be having a meeting this morning. 412. Got it, thank you.”
“Wow. That’s impressive and a little scary. I didn’t think they were supposed to give out that kind of information,” Trin asked.
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to use magic at all,” Kennedy smirked, tapping her right temple.
Trin laughed. “Ah.”
“So, as you heard, he’s here and in room 412. Guess I’ll go pay him a visit and see what’s going on.”
“Do you want backup?” Caris asked.
“No. I’ll be fine. If I have to erase his memory again, I’ll just do that. Now that our powers are inline, it should be fine.”
“Okay, but if anything is off send us a warning, and we’ll come running,” Trin nodded, suddenly serious.
“Will do, sis.” Kennedy hugged her big sister for the first time in a long time and headed out the door. Walking to the elevator, she pushed the down button and waited.
“I wondered how long it would take you to come looking for me,” Nielson said from over her shoulder.
Kennedy turned around, slow and confident. “Not long, since you basically accosted my sister all cloak-and-dagger-like. What was up with that? Why didn’t you just call me?” She positioned herself with her back towards the open end of the hallway.
“I wanted to be face-to-face when I asked why you lied to me?” Nielson cocked a brow but remained in place, leaning against the wall with his thick arms crossed over his chest.
“What are you talking about?” Kennedy asked, wondering which lie he was referring to.
“I’m talking about the fact that you do know a Trin Hartwell. She’s living in your home for Christ’s sake.”
Kennedy’s eyes grew wide. Her magic had never slipped before, and it left her tongue tied.
“Why did you act like you didn’t know her this entire time? Why lie to me?” Kennedy could feel Nielson’s anger, but it was more than that. He was hurt.
“I didn’t think it was pertinent to the case. Trin, the real Trin, wasn’t the issue here, it was the person who was pretending to be
her...that was our focus.” Kennedy shrugged. “My family’s personal life shouldn’t have had anything to do with it.”
Nielson rubbed his chin as Kennedy began to mold his thoughts to accept her excuse at face value.
“I suppose your right, but at the same time, it feels like you were hiding information that could have been important.”
Kennedy concentrated harder.
“I wasn’t hiding anything from you, as a matter of fact,” she walked forward––needing to seal her spell with a physical touch, “you need to just forget this case and return to Washington. Your expenses here were for nothing more than personal leave.” Kennedy smiled and released Neilson’s arm as his eyes began to dull and his body relax. “Now go back to your room and get some rest, then book the first flight back to DC tomorrow morning.” Kennedy blew a magic-laced breath into his face, then turned and walked away, happy to know her relationship with her boss was still safe after all.
“So what happened?” Caris asked the second Kennedy walked back into their room.
“You were right, our magic must have been diminished somehow, and he remembered something about the case he shouldn’t have. It’s okay, though. We’re good now. I recast the memory spell, and he’ll be on his way back to Washington tomorrow morning none the wiser.” Kennedy grabbed the map from the desk and spread it across the mattress. “Now, let’s find Ann. Are you ready, Trin?”
“Wait a minute. Are you sure you’re okay?” Caris interrupted. “I know you care for him,” she stated flatly.
“Yes. I do care for him, he’s a really good guy. I hate having to use my magic to manipulate him, but we all know it’s for the best.” Kennedy shrugged. “So, come on, let’s get focused and deal with the problem at hand so we can all get back to our lives.” She ground her lips into a tight line as to not betray her desire to share that life with Nielson in a much more personal way than their current superior/employee relationship.
