The Lost Sister

by Megan Kelley Hall

  “Like we ever were,” Cordelia muttered. Realizing that they weren’t going to get anywhere with Sully, Maddie grabbed Cordelia’s arm and convinced her to leave. They would come back when the Boston police were available to take Cordelia’s statement.

  “See you ladies later. Don’t go disappearing on us again,” he mocked.

  Cordelia spun around ready to snap at him, but Maddie just pulled her out of the police station. “Come on, Cordelia,” Maddie said loud enough for Sully to hear. “We’ll come back and talk to a real policeman. Not an overgrown boy with a badge, playing cops and robbers.”

  Sully started to protest and yell at them, but they were already out the door.

  They walked back home, ignoring the Christmas carolers on the street corners and angrily stomping past the tree lot that remained unattended now that Finn was in custody.

  “Looks like we’ll have to go about talking to them a different way,” Cordelia stated.

  “How?” Maddie asked. “You heard Sully? We can’t ask the police again. We—you will get in trouble. We can’t risk that, Cordelia. Not now. Not after everything and all this time.”

  “Whoever said anything about asking them to let us do anything? You’re going to take a catnap and I’m going to astral project into his cell.”

  “Astral what? And how do you know about my dream—my whatever you call it?”

  “I know about a lot of things that I can’t exactly explain. Let’s just say that you and I are coming into our powers, just the way Tess described to me. She didn’t say it in so many words—I mean, she didn’t draw me a detailed diagram of what we would be able to do. But the gist of what she said has come true for me. Hasn’t it for you?”

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, this is crazy, Cordelia,” Maddie said hurriedly. “I don’t think I have enough control to just jump into anyone’s dream whenever I want. How do I even know that he’s sleeping? I can’t control this dream jumping—or whatever you call it—anyway.”

  “You’re right,” Cordelia said.

  “Thank you!” Maddie said, hoping that Cordelia finally understood that she wasn’t as keen on all the magic stuff that Cordelia seemed to be born into.

  “He’s probably not asleep yet. I’ll do my astral projection first and then later tonight, you go and visit him in his dream.”

  “Okay, wait—no!” Maddie shouted. This obviously wasn’t sinking in for Cordelia. “I have no way of even knowing how to get into his dreams.”

  “You got into mine.”

  “How did you…?” Maddie hesitated. She just assumed that it was Rebecca’s dream she was tapping into, but perhaps it was Cordelia’s memories that she had somehow infiltrated. “We’re related. That’s probably why it was so easy for me. And even though I did before, who knows if I can do it again? Maybe it was just a fluke?”

  “It wasn’t,” Cordelia said firmly.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  Cordelia turned. “Because it’s what you were meant to do. Besides, you can’t tell me that was your first time ever jumping into someone’s dream before. Haven’t you ever done it to someone that you weren’t related to?”

  Maddie didn’t want to tell her about the nightmares and her vision of Darcy’s murder, but she knew she couldn’t keep that information to herself for too much longer. Why should she? If there was anyone who could help her control this weird power she seemed to possess, it was Cordelia.

  Or Rebecca. But after she had jumped into Rebecca’s dream—something that she would never tell Cordelia—she feared going into the heads of people she cared about. Sometimes, seeing a person’s innermost thoughts and dreams gave you a whole new perspective. It allowed you to see things that should stay hidden. Things that no one should ever see or know about. Secrets that could change everything.

  The girls bypassed Mariner’s Way and headed to the town library. It was empty because of the holiday celebrations taking place across the town. A murder and a missing girl wouldn’t get in the way of Hawthorne’s annual Winter Festival. “Maybe my power isn’t as strong as yours,” Maddie said quietly. Cordelia was busily flipping through the pages of the book in the Hawthorne historical archives. “And what exactly is—astral projection or whatever you called it?”

  Cordelia looked up at Maddie in exasperation. “I can’t really explain it. I don’t know how to control it right now. It’s not something as easy as jumping in a car and taking off somewhere. It’s a defense mechanism of sorts.” Her voice trailed as her fingers ran across the pages of text in front of her. “It happened out on Misery Island. It’s the only way I survived.”

  Maddie looked down at her hands, silently cursing herself for forcing Cordelia to recall memories of that night. But now that they were opening up, she asked another question. “Did it help you survive what happened with Trevor?”

  Cordelia raised her eyes from the page and stared blankly ahead of her, as if weighing what she was going to say. She didn’t make eye contact with Maddie and then said quietly, “You know about that?”

  Maddie nodded. Words failed her.

  Cordelia inhaled deeply. “So now I guess you know all my secrets, don’t you, Maddie? Who told you? Reed?”

  Maddie nodded again. The pain in Cordelia’s eyes was almost too much to take. But Cordelia quickly shook it off, choosing to busy herself in her research. “Well, it shouldn’t come across as too much of a shock how much of an asshole Trevor Campbell is. Not exactly breaking news, is it?” she said with a slight smile passing across her lips.

  “Trevor Campbell? An asshole? Bite your tongue!” Maddie teased.

  “Now if you could just tap into his dreams and we could get some proof that he’s responsible for Darcy and Bronwyn, then we could really nail him. It’s up to you, Maddie.”

  Maddie felt butterflies in her stomach. It was magical and scary and made her feel completely off-kilter. She knew in her heart that what Cordelia was saying was right. She had a power. They both did.

  But the million-dollar question was: how could she use it to her advantage, and how did she get it in the first place? Had she always had it? When she dropped off to sleep as a toddler and dreamed about playing with her friends, had she really been bouncing around in their dreams the night before? And even worse, the nightmarish dreams of seeing Darcy Willett being killed, was that from the mind of her actual killer? Did Maddie actually “witness Darcy being murdered? And could she actually use it to help find Bronwyn? Did she even want to?

  It would make perfect sense if she had tapped into Trevor’s dreams. He’d have good reasons for both Darcy’s death and Bronwyn’s disappearance. Plus, both she and Cordelia knew what kind of a violent streak ran through Trevor. That, coupled with an overwhelming sense of entitlement and privilege, could turn even the most timid person into a monster.

  Maddie chose not to tell Cordelia about her recent nightmares, although she knew that she’d eventually have to come clean. But what if the dreams were really coming from Reed or Finn? What if her knowledge of the crime (something that would never be allowed in court, thankfully) let her know that one of the two guys she cared most about in this town was actually a killer?

  Cordelia seemed oblivious of all of Maddie’s inner turmoil and was running her fingers nimbly along the ancient texts they’d uncovered.

  “Ha! I knew it!” Cordelia held out the antique book triumphantly. “One of the first families in Salem, the Endicott family, was responsible for making the witch trial laws that sparked the witch-hunts in the si
xteen hundreds. An Endicott!”

  Maddie furrowed her brow. “And that helps us how?”

  Cordelia looked at her half sister in exasperation. “It gives us ammunition. Knowledge is power!”

  Maddie shook her head, still not understanding.

  Cordelia pushed her long, tangled strands of red hair behind her shoulders, tucking stray pieces behind her ears as she began her explanation. “You see, if we can point to Kate Endicott’s family as having unjust reason to tear down Ravenswood, a place where so many wrongly accused women were tortured and buried because of these unjust ‘witchcraft’ laws, then maybe we can use it to sway popular opinion against the Endicotts. I mean, it says right here that Rebecca Nurse, one of the wrongly accused witches, had a property fight with the Endicott family. That was probably the reason she was accused of witchcraft in the first place.”

  “Just because they were related to tyrants doesn’t make them guilty.” Maddie knew once the words were out of her mouth that she sounded ridiculous. The smirk on Cordelia’s face gave it away. “I mean, yes, they are awful people, and yes, Kate and her mother and all the Sisters of Misery have done hideous, terrible things to more people than any other person I know, but still…how does that keep them from getting their way?”

  “Karma,” Cordelia said flatly. “They may have money and powerful people and laws on their side, but we have something even better.”

  Maddie shook her head, waiting for the answer. She watched as Cordelia’s face lit up before she said knowingly, “Magic.” And then added with a wink, “And witchcraft. Real witchcraft.”

  Chapter 21

  ACE OF CUPS

  This is the time to consider how the past is connected to the present. Look for ways in which you can begin to connect with others. This card announces the beginning of great possibility in this area of life. It can mark the start of a new relationship, or a deeper connection to an existing one. While this may be a romantic relationship, it can also signify a friendship.

  “Y ou need to relax.” Cordelia had chosen this spot for its “magical” properties. The two girls looked like any other teenagers enjoying the rare New England sun, walking by the ocean’s shore on an unseasonably warm December day. But the difference between what Cordelia and Maddie were doing and the others who were enjoying this break in the winter chill was worlds apart. They were both wearing quartz crystal necklaces, cleansing them with the sun’s rays as well as soaking in the spectral power from the powerful stones. Cordelia instructed Maddie to wear the necklace whenever she was trying to channel her powers.

  “So, seriously, how did you learn to astral project? Who taught you?”

  “This amazing woman I met on my way up to Maine. She’s actually the one who gave me the car.”

  “She gave you a car?” Maddie asked incredulously. Only Cordelia could win someone over so much that they would give her a car.

  “Well, technically, I borrowed it. I’ll give it back to her as soon as I save up enough for my own.”

  Maddie shook her head, stifling a laugh. In many ways, Cordelia led a charmed life. But then she had a vision of Cordelia being tied up out on Misery Island, and of what she herself had done to her own flesh and blood, and she held back any further comment. She looked at Cordelia and wondered if she felt any lingering anger or resentment for Maddie. Just then Cordelia turned and looked Maddie straight in the eye, as if she could hear her thoughts.

  “We’re sisters, real sisters. Not that stupid club you’re a part of. We will always have each other’s back no matter what.”

  Maddie eyed her suspiciously. Had she been able to read her thoughts? What other powers did Cordelia have? Maddie smiled and hugged Cordelia and then the two girls continued down the beach to their destination.

  The rock was in Swampscott and supposedly had mystical powers—it was captured in a poem by Whittier and its proximity to the land and sea was the perfect bridge between the natural and the supernatural worlds, according to Cordelia. The ocean had properties that were not only healing, but essential to harnessing their powers. This was why Cordelia often swam in the ocean by moonlight—the rays of the moon coupled with the power of the ocean helped her draw upon her spectral visions.

  They would be returning later that night for their astral projection and dream jumping missions, but Cordelia felt it was important to clear their minds and relax their bodies completely before attempting the ritual.

  Maddie had just about perfected her yoga breathing that Cordelia had showed her how to do, when she noticed that the air around her felt different. The energy suddenly changed. It was like a negative charge of electricity disrupted the peaceful setting. Sitting up quickly, she knew the cause of the change.

  Kate Endicott was marching toward them like a woman possessed.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  Cordelia didn’t move a muscle. Maddie wasn’t sure if she was really asleep or if she had relaxed herself into a trance that not even Kate Endicott could rouse her from. Or, more likely, she was ignoring Kate. They had yet to confront each other since that night out on Misery, and Maddie wasn’t sure what would happen.

  “We’re lying out on the beach. It’s the perfect winter day to lie out for a tan,” Maddie said sarcastically. “What are you doing, Kate?”

  “Well, it’s nice to see that you’re back to try and fix things. Is your little drama-fest over? Have you come back to take responsibility for your little running away act?” Kate directed her comments to Cordelia, who continued to ignore her.

  Cordelia kept her eyes closed. Maddie could feel the anger growing inside her and she was sure that Cordelia was feeling the same.

  “Kate, leave her alone,” Maddie instructed.

  “Well, I’m not here to reminisce about old times, that’s for sure. I just came from the police station. Trevor called me and said that the Boston officials are ready to take Cordelia’s statement now. It would be nice to get Trevor’s brother out of jail and finally take the spotlight off of our families.”

  “But I thought you loved the spotlight, Kate?” Cordelia said, sitting up and glaring at Kate. “Isn’t that why you held that big party out on Misery Island? It wasn’t to celebrate the hell that you put me through, was it? If you had let me know about it earlier, I could have cleared my schedule and made an appearance as the guest of honor.”

  Maddie was about to ask Cordelia how she knew about the Winter Gala, but then realized that the news of Darcy’s murder had given the event more publicity than Kate could ever have wished for.

  “No, but perhaps if you were there, Darcy wouldn’t have been the one fished out of the ocean wearing your boyfriend’s jacket. By the way, I thought that you would be interested in knowing that your mother ”—she stretched the word out and wrinkled her nose—“is now the talk of the town. People are coming from all over to see her. News is spreading all over about her. It’s turning this town into a freak show.”

  Maddie was confused. “Why would they want to see my mother?” Maddie knew that people were aware that her mother’s cancer had gone into remission, but why would that pique anyone’s interest?

  “Ugh, not your mother, her mother—the nutcase,” Kate said, visibly annoyed.

  At the mention of Rebecca, Cordelia jumped to her feet. “What about my mother?”

  “Oh, you didn’t know?” Kate s
aid coyly. “Seems she’s a healer now. After Maddie’s mother’s cancer went into remission and she did her little television appearance at the fire, word spread that just being in Rebecca LeClaire’s presence is enough to heal any illness or affliction. People are coming in droves just to see her, like she’s that picture of the crying Virgin Mary or the potato chip that looks like Jesus.”

  Cordelia looked at Maddie with an accusatory glare. “What’s going on? How can this be happening? People don’t honestly believe that Rebecca is a healer, do they?” Maddie looked down, guilt creeping across her face. She knew that she should have told Cordelia about this new development with Rebecca, but it was such a far-fetched notion, she didn’t want to spook Cordelia and send her running off again. Maddie just hadn’t realized how many people were privy to the information.

  “How do you know this?” Cordelia demanded.

  “How do you not? Don’t you watch the news or read a paper? It’s become national news, soon to be international news. And it’s royally fucking up my family’s plans to finish the Endicott Hotel.”

  “How so?” Even if Rebecca had become labeled as a healer, what did that have to do with the fate of Ravenswood? Maddie wondered.

  “Because Rebecca is saying that the site is filled with magic and healing properties. People are starting to treat it like it’s the freakin’ mecca.”

  Cordelia was in Kate’s face in an instance. “How do you know so much about my mother?”

  “Oh,” Kate said in mock innocence. “You didn’t know about your mom’s newfound fame? Pity she’s never asked for you. Guess you’re not her golden girl anymore, Cordelia. That’s what happens when you run away and destroy people’s lives.”

  Maddie grabbed Cordelia as she started to lunge for Kate. Cordelia could withstand the harshest words, but she’d never allow anyone to talk to her about her family that way. If Maddie hadn’t grabbed her arm, she knew that Cordelia would have punched Kate squarely in the face—not that she didn’t deserve it, of course.