“Dane has been around magic his entire life. He’s seen what we do and how we do it. I imagine for him it’s a simple matter of taking something he’s seen and heard his entire life and internalizing it.”
“Holy shit, did you read my thoughts too?” I cried, my eyes wide.
“What? No, you asked. Wait what do you mean too?” Gloria narrowed her eyes, demanding I tell her everything so I did.
“Well, I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting that.” Gloria said, leaning back with a sigh. “The idea of guardians or protectors is mentioned in the prophecy, but it isn’t like there are details. Perhaps mind reading is one of the perks?” I lifted my eyebrow at the word ‘perk.’ I wasn’t sure I would classify it as such since it didn’t seem to be reciprocal. “Yes, well, it could be a gift Dane just possesses. We may discover he can read any of our minds.” She gave that some thought and then hastily said, “But it’s more likely a protector thing.”
“There’s still something I don’t understand, actually several, but this one is important.” I traced my fingers over the wood grain of the table, trying to decide how to word it. “Why did Mitchell want the trinity and why did Patrick want to kill us to keep the trinity from existing?”
Gloria took a deep breath, as if steeling herself before answering the question. For a moment, I thought she wouldn’t answer, but eventually she exhaled and told me.
“The prophecy.” A mirthless chuckle escaped her. “It always comes back to a poorly worded prophecy told five hundred years ago which has been scrutinized and interpreted a dozen different ways. But the majority believe the trinity will bring about a thousand years of light or a thousand years of darkness upon mankind.”
“Are you kidding me?” I burst out, shaking my head as I tried to reconcile the fact that my existence could decide how the next ten centuries would play out.
“I’m afraid not. And if it helps at all, I believe you do hold the answer to our fates.”
“It doesn’t help at all. I think it makes it worse.”
“There are those that believed if the trinity never united the prophecy would never come to be. That was the path Patrick favored. He felt if you and your sisters were dead, your powers never triggered then the prophecy would never be completed, and he was very possibly right.”
“So my death could stop this?” I asked, contemplating what I didn’t know, because it wasn’t like I would kill myself over some ancient ass prophecy I’d had nothing to with.
“Not anymore.” She replied cryptically and I raised my eyebrows, needing more information. “When you were children, before all three of your powers unleashed, then perhaps it would have worked. I don’t believe it would have had the effect they thought though.”
“What do you mean?”
“Magic has slowly slipped away from us. Fewer and fewer children are born able to manipulate magic and of those, less and less have true power. Our ability grows weaker and has been for centuries. I believe the trinity was the trigger to bring magic back to those who could wield it. When your power came to you, the trinity was formed and I felt a surge of power unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. You and your sisters can bring the magic back.” Her words fell heavily on me, adding to the already heavy burden I carried. “If you had been killed as children, I believe the magic would have slowly disappeared from us entirely. I believe we need the trinity.”
“Would that have been such a bad thing?” I asked in a low voice, wondering if my mother shouldn’t have just drowned me as a baby.
“Perhaps not, but I have to think there was a reason your birth was prophesied so long ago. Why against all odds, you stand before me today, part of the trinity.”
My eyes raised to meet hers, the calm confidence in them soothing me.
“But that’s not really the end of it, is it?” I asked, thinking about the fact that our trinity wasn’t complete, physically we hadn’t touched, and knowing that would be the moment of truth.
“No, together you must decide whether light or dark magic will be the future.”
“And if we don’t agree?”
“Chaos.”
Chapter Ten
Dane chose that moment to come back, and I was relieved. The idea me and two women I’d never met would have to agree on the fate of magic was just a little too much when added with everything else the last two days had brought.
“Peter and Vincent are on board and headed over. I also saw Cecily’s car turn off the highway.” He slowed down, realizing he might have interrupted. “Everything okay? Quinn, you alright?” His worried face appeared in front of mine and I forced a smile as I patted his face.
“I’m fine. Gloria was just explaining magic to help me use my own.”
“Uh huh.” He narrowed his eyes at me, not believing that was everything.
“I’ll explain later. Our guests are arriving.” I answered, hearing a car door slam.
“To be continued.” He warned, letting me know he wouldn’t forget.
The next few minutes flew by as I was introduced to Cecily, a forty something hairdresser that had a talent for knowing the exact right hairstyle for her clients. She also had a talent for making things grow, like hair and flowers.
A motorcycle roared down the drive after she showed me her gift for getting flowers to bloom.
“Vincent came? My, my, will wonders never cease.” She commented, watching as he got off the bike and tugged off his helmet. I pegged him as late twenties, his shoulder length black hair a surprise, but it suited him. He had a defined bone structure and the word pirate came to mind as he jogged up the stairs dressed completely in black.
He offered his hand and I took it, feeling a surge of warmth as I did. He gave me a startled look, but pulled himself together quickly. “I’m Vincent.”
“Quinn.” I replied and he nodded at Dane, already familiar with him and Cecily. It was strange, meeting these people Dane knew and I’d had no idea about. People who had been part of his life as long as I had been, maybe longer.
“I only know them in passing.” He leaned down to whisper, reading my thoughts once more. “The coven was never something I was a part of. Just passing acquaintances as I left them to their magic.”
“Are we waiting on someone else?” Vincent asked, his eyes catching sight of a car turning off.
“Peter, a guy I met at college. He’s agreed to help.” Dane answered, tucking me under his arm protectively.
“You think he’ll be accepted into the coven?” Vincent questioned curiously, his glance sliding to me and then to his hand.
“I hope.” Dane replied and I wanted to ask him what Vincent knew, but without Vincent overhearing. It made me wonder if Dane’s ability to read my mind included thoughts I could send him. I focused and like a conversation I would verbally hold, I sent the thought, “Dane?” An impression of curiosity came over me then and I knew it worked. “What does Vincent know?” I pushed the words to him telepathically and felt him jolt behind me. I practically wiggled in excitement, realizing it worked.
“How?” Dane said out loud but broke off when I stepped on his foot.
“Try and think it to me.” I pushed once again telepathically. I knew he was hearing me, but I didn’t know if I could receive a thought.
“What the hell?” I heard it loud and clear and from the blank expressions around us, I was the only one.
“Mind reading. Except you weren’t mind reading, I was projecting my thoughts to you and it looks like you can send them to me too.” Dane’s arms tightened around me as he absorbed what I’d told him. Now, we could communicate telepathically to one another, binding us even closer, and causing my head to spin with the implications. “How did you figure this out?” The words sounded like him, as if his voice projected straight into my head and if I didn’t know better I would have thought he’d asked the question out loud.
“Something Gloria said earlier.” I replied and then wondered if I could push memories to him as well and how far apart
we could be before it stopped working.
“Slow down, darling. You’re going to overwhelm the circuits here. Back to your original question, Vincent doesn’t know a whole lot. He knows my mom is gone, and that we need to protect you, but that’s about it.”
“Okay,” I answered and then Peter was walking up and our mental conversation ended. It wouldn’t be the last one though.
“Hey, man, glad you could come out.” He and Dane exchanged some weird guy handshake as I stood by and watched.
“Anytime. You sounded suitably mysterious on the phone and I’m always game to flex some magic muscle. Been easier lately.” He glanced at the others on the porch and asked generally, “Anybody else notice a change a couple of days ago?”
“Yes.” Vincent flicked a suspicious glance at me. “I do believe that’s why we’re here.”
“Cool. What do you need me to do?” Peter was eager, an obviously friendly guy, and part of me wanted to tell him to get in his car and never come back here. We were asking these people to risk their lives, and for what? To protect me? It seemed so selfish.
“Head on inside, Gloria’s waiting.” Dane told them, holding me back as they went inside the house. He sat down on the porch swing and dragged me in his lap.
“Let’s get something straight.” He pushed his foot off the ground to get us swinging and I braced my arm around his neck. “You are more than enough reason, but we will give them a choice. They can choose to stay and fight or leave once we explain, but they’ll choose to fight. You know how I know that?”
“I’m going to assume that’s a rhetorical question.”
“It is. They’ll fight because its magic itself they’re fighting for. The chance to use it, to stop a really bad dude from destroying everything as we know it. That’s why. It’s the same reason you won’t walk away.”
He saw my stunned expression and smiled.
“I know you and its never once occurred to you to run away. To leave all of this behind and hide out somewhere.”
“No,” I answered slowly as another truth emerged. “But you have.”
“Yep.” He replied candidly. “The thought crossed my mind more than once on the drive back and after our conversation with Grandma I was ready to tie you to the truck seat and go, but I knew you wouldn’t agree. You are an integral part of this, and you’ve already made your decision.” I swallowed, knowing he was right. “So, I’ll do whatever I can to keep you safe as we see this through. Including recruiting friends to risk their lives, even my sister. There is nothing I won’t do.” I leaned my head against his shoulder and felt his head turn toward me. His fingers tangled in my hair as he rested his lips against my forehead. I laid my hand against his neck, feeling his steady heartbeat under my fingers, and prayed we would survive the days ahead.
The screen door slammed a few minutes later and Gloria stood there, fuming.
“Come talk some sense into your sister before I yank her bald headed.”
Dane stood immediately, catching me as me as I found myself unexpectedly standing.
“I explained the situation to the others and they’re onboard, but Tori came down and she has some half-baked plan to go after your mother’s killers and, Dane,” she paused to take a breath and I noticed her hands shaking. “I can’t lose her too.”
“We won’t.” He promised, striding into the house and I reached over to hug Gloria. Her body felt more fragile to me now, her normally stoic expression a little lost, and I could see the toll losing her daughter was taking on her. Her entire family was under attack and we were outmatched and probably outnumbered by a coven that would stop at nothing to kill me, including destroy every single person here.
“I’m sorry I brought this to your family.” Gloria popped my hand, a spark of life coming back to her.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, my dear. You are not the reason, but the catalyst.” She turned to face me. “I’ve been alive for seventy years and if there is one thing I’ve learned, you can’t stop fate. I had hoped to never see the fulfilment of this particular prophecy, but apparently fate had other ideas. Everything that’s happened has lead us to this particular moment. I have to trust that it will all play out as it’s supposed to.” She said the next part so low I almost missed it. “I do wish it had been me instead of Margaret though.” Her look was sympathetic as she said, “Mothers should never have to bury their children.”
The knowledge of what she meant stabbed through me. I’d lost our baby at twelve weeks, and there would be some who wouldn’t consider it a loss, but the pain in my heart said differently. I would never forget that lost child and the hopes and dreams I’d had for it.
Shouting distracted me from my thoughts as I entered the living room.
“Tori, stop and think.” Dane strived for patience, but it was costing him. Tori had no such compunction and shouted back, “No, we have to go after them. You’re just scared of them and what may happen to your precious Quinn. You think she thinks you’re being smart waiting here? Or is she disgusted that you won’t avenge her parents’ death any more than you won’t avenge your own mother?”
“That’s enough!” Gloria’s voice cut like a knife though the room. “Apologize to your brother, Victoria.”
The use of her full name and the expression of horror on my face had her quickly spitting out an apology, but she was still intent on storming out and avenging her mom.
“Tori,” I walked over to her, understanding the pain she was feeling. I’d seen my parents’ dead bodies, the sight seared into my memory to replay every time I closed my eyes. “I know you want to go after them, but we have to think about this. Your mother was no match for them and if you go after them now, they will kill you.”
“At least I’ll have done something.” She argued passionately.
“You’ll have died, leaving your brother and grandmother heartbroken.” I reminded her, my words finally penetrating her thick skull as she glanced over at them. “Trust me I understand your desire to hunt and kill them, but we have to make the right choice here. We won’t get a second chance, do you understand?” She gave me a small nod and I skimmed the room, seeing three strangers who were just as determined as we were to try and go against the most powerful warlock in history. “Look around, everyone here wants the same thing you do. To make those men pay. But we can’t afford to be careless. Sit down and let’s make a plan.”
She dropped on to the couch next to Peter, dark smudges under her red rimmed eyes.
“She died in my arms.” Her look was pleading as she gazed at me and I had a hard time suppressing my own emotions. “Please promise me they’ll die for what they’ve done.”
“I promise.” The words echoed in the silent room, each of us acknowledging the price that came with fighting our foes. Peter wrapped his arm around Tori, offering a comforting shoulder to cry on. Dane leaned on the edge of his grandmother’s armchair and I stood there, half in and half out of their world. Magic was in my blood, my very life at stake, but still there was a sense of unreality surrounding me. I didn’t know how to bridge the divide to fully come into the world I found myself.
Fingers curled around my hand as Dane drew me in. I settled on his knee and Gloria brought everyone to attention.
“Our first order of business is to protect Quinn. Should she fall into their hands, all will be lost.” She paused to see nods around the room. I wanted to protest, but Dane squeezed my hip, keeping me silent. “The second is to find her sisters. Together they form the trinity and only together can they defeat Mitchell.” She gazed at each in turn, stopping on Tori. “Make no mistake, the men and women we are dealing with are powerful dark witches who will stop at nothing to get their way, but it’s the head of the snake that must be destroyed. Mitchell holds them together, without him they will scatter and we can pick them off one by one.” Tori nodded and I released the breath I’d been holding. I hadn’t been sure she still wouldn’t go off on her own at the first opportunity.
“
We will need to create a protective circle, a place Mitchell and his coven can’t get to Quinn. Then, we do a locator spell, using Quinn’s blood to try and find her sisters. The sooner we can unite them the better.” She traded a glance with Dane and turned back to the others. “Dane and Quinn are both witches but unschooled. We can’t rely on them for the control necessary to work these spells. They are going to work on developing Quinn’s ability to teleport herself. If worse comes to worse and Mitchell gets her,” she paused, the thought unbearable to her. “Hopefully she can get herself to safety. It is imperative she survive. Should any one of the trinity die before they complete it… magic itself may destroy us.”
Silence lingered as she finished, the significance of our situation weighing heavily.
“Then we began.” Vincent was the first up, his own blue eyes burning bright as he got everyone moving. “Where do you want the protection circle? If it’s to be impregnatable, we won’t be able to make it very large and we’ll need a source of power for it.”
“Quinn will power it. As soon as she steps into the circle it will trigger and she’ll be able to sustain it until we can rescue her or she can get away.” Gloria answered, the call to action invigorating her. “We should do it outside, within the existing circle we use for coven meetings. The latent magic lingering within it, plus a circle within a circle all will make it stronger.”
“We can start preparing the locator spell.” Tori offered, Peter helping her up.
“I’ve done several with my coven.” He added, his lankiness making him appear younger than Dane even though he’d told me they were the same age. He stood shoulder to shoulder with Tori, and I could see she was taking strength from his presence.
“If they come here, we’ll fight, but none of us here have used killing magic.” Cecily interjected, mentioning the one thing Gloria didn’t have an answer for.
“I’m familiar with it.” Vincent said, his jaw working as he became the center of attention. “I haven’t used it, but I know the spells. They’re not complicated and we can go over some of them. Stun spells will be our best bet. Even with the recent increase in magic, we don’t have the power to deliver a killing spell. Not without potentially killing ourselves.”
The Trinity Sisters Page 42
