But not yet.
Determination filled me as I considered the fight ahead of us. I couldn’t do it alone. None of us could, but the trinity was a different story. Together we could do the impossible. Where others feared to try we would succeed.
“Okay.” I sighed, stepping back. “Let’s go get to know my sisters and plan the ass kicking.”
“That’s my girl.”
“How do you always know what I need?”
“Years of experience.”
He dodged my halfhearted punch and lunged for the door, holding it open for me. We wandered through the house, finally finding everybody in the library. Gloria and Patrick were huddled around some books, but I made a beeline for the two women sitting on the floor in front of a fireplace. There was no fire, but they’d settled on a rug, chatting. Dane stayed back and moved toward Luke and Milo to talk. In fact everyone had given us space.
The room was huge but didn’t feel crowded even with thirteen people spread around the area. Books lined the walls giving the room a cozy feel. Leather and paper combined in a distinctive aroma, one that soothed me as I walked over to Sinclair and Kincaid.
“Hey,” I offered, settling cross legged on the floor between them. Oddly, it didn’t feel awkward joining them. It felt like we’d known each other forever and I wasn’t certain if it was the magic of the trinity or the fact that we were blood. Either way, the feeling was comforting and eased the last of my nerves.
“We were trying to figure out how to get to know each other better. I have vague memories of Sinclair and our mother, but I was four when we were separated. So the past isn’t something I remember well.” Kincaid started off, her fingers plucking the rug we sat on. “I have always known the story of us though.” She mentioned, sparking my curiosity. “You want to hear it?”
I nodded eagerly and Sinclair looked intrigued. It reminded me that even though Sinclair and Kincaid had more history together, they were as still in the dark about each other’s lives as I was.
At our agreement Kincaid began telling the story she said she’d always known, but never remembered hearing. A story that happened to parallel our own lives a little too closely.
“Wait. Do we literally have a piece of her heart?” I interrupted, the visual causing me issues.
“I don’t know. I think it’s more metaphorical.” She said, attempting to sound confident.
“Ok, just with the shit going on lately….” I trailed off, not entirely sure I believed her. She continued the story and as she finished, I said, “You know that story is really creepy.”
“Yeah, I know.” She admitted, leaning back against the book shelves as we contemplated the tale she’d told us. It seemed strange to me that Kincaid would know our story without any memory of being told it, but she was the seer in the group and her power was unique compared to mine and Sinclair’s.
“I don’t have any prophetic stories, but I have memories.” Sinclair offered, breaking our silence.
“Of…our mother?” I asked curiously. She nodded and took a deep breath.
“I want to try something. I don’t know how well it’ll work, but I was thinking maybe I can show you the memories.” Sinclair said in a rush, glancing between us. I narrowed my eyes wondering what she meant, but Kincaid seemed to understand.
“Like an illusion?” She asked and Sinclair nodded.
“I did an illusion of our mother once…to distract Mitchell when he tried to kill me, but maybe I can do an entire memory for you.” Sinclair was hesitant but determined and I found myself curious. I had zero memories of them or our mother, and part of me wondered about that time they had together, the short time we’d had together. What would it have been like raised by another mother?
“This is one of my favorite memories.” Sinclair said with a reminiscent smile.
Moments later, the wall of books behind us had become the backdrop for a memory reel. A beautiful brunette woman laughed as gold coins floated in the air, a young Sinclair focused on them so intently it let me know she had created the illusion. Kincaid was easily recognizable with her golden curls. Both girls had the bright blue eyes we all shared, but it was the baby in the woman’s arms that captured my attention. She was tiny, barely more than a newborn, the fuzz on her head a light copper hinting at the deep red it would one day be, but her eyes watched the gold coins flickering in the air, their bright blue as distinctive as the others.
“Where I got my nickname.” Kincaid breathed, watching the gold coins flicker.
The scene switched suddenly, this time the woman was pregnant, her belly well rounded as Sinclair and Kincaid sat on either side of her. Her belly rolled and the woman laughed, tugging the girls’ hands to it to feel their baby sister. My heart thudded heavily as blue sparks arched between the girls as they felt their baby sister move for the first time. Our mother was oblivious to the magic, but my hands tingled as if I could feel that initial spark once again.
The room around us was silent as everyone watched the movie reel on the wall, our attention captured by Sinclair’s memories. They played as if she had no control, spilling out of her, and a quick glance revealed tears streaking down her cheeks.
The next memory our mother was singing a ditty, teaching Sinclair and Kincaid the words, and as I listened I realized it was part of the prophecy of us.
“Three sisters born, a trinity formed. Illusion, sight, and flight, together will fight. Good and evil battle, when three sisters unite.” She sang, her voice light as she helped her daughters memorize their destiny. “Such a good job, my darling girls!” She clapped her hands, her smile bright despite the tightness around her eyes. “You must remember how special the three of you are. Always fight for one another and know that nothing can ever break the bond you share.”
I swallowed hearing her words, her voice familiar to me because it was almost an exact replica of Sinclair’s.
“You look like her.” I managed to say past the lump in my throat. Kincaid smiled over at me, nodding in agreement. “I told her the same thing.” She said, glancing back at Sinclair who has focused on the memories playing out above us.
I glanced back up to see what memory had her attention only to see trees surrounding a car and I felt a sense of dread. The car stopped suddenly in a clearing, the moon so full and bright it lit the entire area. Our mother was upset, fearful as her fingers fumbled with the buckles on the car seat. Sinclair’s shaky voice asked if everything was okay, but she received no reply. Our mother sat her in the middle of the clearing, lying a sleeping Kincaid next to her and placing me in her arms. Our perspective was from Sinclair’s eyes as she watched our mother who attempted to give us a smile as she made preparations. I recognized the preparations she made from similar ones Gloria had done recently. Our mother was casting a spell.
I wanted to tell her to stop, that I didn’t want to see anymore, but I remained mute much like the child Sinclair, as I watched our mother change the course of our lives to save us. The words of the spell she spoke were lost on me as my chest tightened. I wasn’t sure if I was remembering my own pain from that night or just experiencing Sinclair’s as our magic was locked away. Our mother fell to her knees, tears in her eyes as she stared at her daughters.
“My beautiful blue eyed girls.”
The scene stopped suddenly, cut off as Luke gathered a weeping Sinclair in his arms. We could only sit there in silence as we absorbed what we’d seen. The love and the pain our mother had felt was apparent. Her sacrifice had been impossible and heart wrenching. I wondered if I would have the same strength.
Dane pulled me against his chest and I watched as Milo cupped his hand around Kincaid’s shoulder as she buried her face in Kai’s fur. My eyes roamed the room and I saw Portia lean against Scott, who had been Kincaid’s fiancé before Milo showed up, and remembered my mother’s decision had cost Portia her mother and a normal childhood. Patrick’s head was bowed and Gloria was completely still, her eyes closed, but I saw the tear slip down her cheek.
Garvin stood next to the wall, his eyes focused on Sinclair, a pained look on his face. Vincent came up next to him and slipped his hand in Garvin’s, offering support to the man who’d given so much to Sinclair and the rest of us.
“I’m ready.” The words slipped from me, almost inaudible, but in the silence of the room they could have been as loud as a gunshot.
Dane squeezed my shoulder in support as Sinclair and Kincaid turned to meet my eyes. I recognized the emotion in them, the burning determination to make sure our mother’s sacrifice was not in vain. The fear and uncertainty I’d felt was gone, replaced by a need to unite with my sisters, to finally complete the destiny we were born to.
“As am I.” Kincaid echoed.
“Our time has come.” Sinclair stood, the motion graceful as the tracks of her tears dried. We stood with her, the movements so smooth they appeared coordinated. We filed from the library, Sinclair leading, Kincaid in the center as I brought up the rear. The others followed, staying slightly behind as they watched us. There was no more hesitation as each of us knew instinctively what needed to happen to complete the trinity.
Sinclair led us to a clear expanse of lawn and we removed our shoes, burying our toes in the earth beneath our feet, the sun directly above us, and the only sound the rustling of the leaves in the wind. We sank down to the ground, sitting cross legged within easy reach of one another. With a caw, Edgar landed on my shoulder followed by Serafin as she curled up in Sinclair’s lap. Kai sat behind Kincaid, his muzzle resting on her shoulder, and we rested our hands on our knees. Our audience stayed back to form a circle around our smaller one. Sinclair reached for Kincaid’s hand and as they connected I felt a buzzing deep inside of me, I inhaled deeply as Kincaid held her hand out to me, and slipped my hand in hers. The buzzing grew louder as we were connected, but not completely. I offered my hand to Sinclair and with a smile she accepted it.
It’s not easy to describe what it felt like to be connected to them, because we were connected to everything. Magic flowed around every living thing as the air did, as light touched the earth so did we. Our magic bonded us to every single living thing on earth and only the tight grip of my sister’s hands kept me from losing myself in its wonder.
Moments or hours later, I couldn’t tell you since time was impossible to decipher, we found ourselves in the blue room. This time I could see it wasn’t a blue room but a place formed by glittering strands of magic that glowed the same blue as our eyes.
Sitting there I was able to see my sisters clearly and here our eyes appeared a normal bright blue, no longer tinged with the otherworldly glow that made them so distinctive. Our familiars sat with us, alert but calm, and I realized the horrible vision I’d had of our mother’s heart being torn apart and left with us was instead a blessing. She’d given us guides to help us. Familiars that were so much more than the average. I smiled as my sisters came to the same conclusion.
This place was different, allowing our lives to be shared with one another. Sinclair’s life came first, a rush of memories and thoughts, showing us the essence of who she was. The eldest, her heart was huge, but it was her determination that awed me. She’d never given up on us.
Kincaid came next, her painful childhood, the loss of her adopted parents and her desire for a normal life. She was our balance, the pivot point in our family, since she’d had our family for such a brief time the loss had altered her more than us. She was the fighter, brutally determined and a fierce protector.
My memories came last, a flood of them, and they could see the love I had for Dane, the pain I’d felt at losing him and our child, and the sense of wholeness at being with him again. There was the unexpected joy I felt when I discovered my sisters, and at the end I saw I was their hope.
“My girls.”
Her voice was now familiar to me from the memories Sinclair shared with us and I was unsurprised to see her standing between us.
“I’ve waited for this day.” She told us, kneeling. “It was the single vision I clung to the most when I separated you.” Her eyes lowered and it dawned on me she was actually here with us. “There was nothing more difficult than knowing the struggles you would face and not being there for you. But as difficult as it was to make the choice I did, I knew this day would come if I was strong enough to follow through.” She stared at us, and we stared back, soaking in the details of her. She hadn’t aged, but I hadn’t expected her to. According to the others, our mother had died the night she’d given us up. Taken her life to power the spell that bound us.
“Is the spell broken now?” I asked, almost reverently. Having witnessed Sinclair and Kincaid’s memories and experienced the love they had for the woman in front of me, I felt the same. There was no love quite like the love a child bears for their mother.
“It is, Quinn.” She answered quietly. “At long last, the spell that held you is broken. Now, it’s up to you to decide how you wish to move forward. Magic lives within you and will always follow the path you take.” She paused, her gaze sorrowful. “It’s an immense power the three of you hold, and it should not be taken lightly. Your journey will never be easy or simple. The fate of magic rests inside of you.” She smiled at us, and it was beautiful as her love shined through. “I would not have wished this on you, but I know you will succeed and thrive. You three have always been my greatest gift.” She stroked each of our faces, brushing tears from our cheeks as she did. “I wish I could stay with you and watch you grow into the gifts you were born with.”
“Why can’t you?” Sinclair cried, bowing her head. “We need you.”
“I bound my soul into the spell I wove to protect you. The spell has been broken and with it my soul is now free.” I blinked back the rest of my tears as I understood the magnitude of her sacrifice for us. “You’ve released me and I am so proud and grateful to be your mother.”
We leaned forward, our arms sliding together to lock us in a tight hug with our mother, the only time the three of us would ever get a chance to hug her.
“I love you, girls.”
We sat, huddled together after she was gone, not willing to let go.
“I don’t know how to do this without her.” Kincaid said, rubbing her cheek against her shoulder. Kai’s low rumble attempted to comfort us. Serafin purred against Sinclair and I felt Edgar rub my head.
“She’s still here.” I replied, meeting the intelligent eyes of Kai. He snuffled, ruffling Kincaid’s curls and making her giggle.
“Quinn is right. She made sure we’d never be alone.” Sinclair agreed, her eyes shining. “We will always have her and more than that, we have each other.”
“Are you ready to go back?” I asked, easing back from them until only our hands were still linked.
“Do we know how?” Kincaid questioned, glancing around. “Do we let go or something?”
I shrugged, not having a clue.
“I think we just need to decide to go home.”
“Are we clicking our heels then?” I joked, feeling a little too much like Dorothy for my liking.
“There’s no place like home.” Sinclair replied with a grin and then the blue threads were gone, splintering out in a vast net over the Earth and as it went we watched it flare as it touched witches and warlocks the world over, connecting us with every single one of them.
Chapter Fifteen
I lifted one eye open carefully, wondering what I’d see, and was relieved to realize we were back on the ground at Garvin’s house. I laughed giddily, Sinclair and Kincaid joining me as the others crowded around.
“You saw?” I asked and they nodded. We had a built in GPS for every witch and warlock in the world now. Anyone who could wield magic was connected to us, including our father. The taint of his dark magic was a blot on the canvas of our magic and we needed to stop its infectious spread.
“That was insane.” Kincaid gushed and I nodded emphatically. It had been. A glimpse of my wrist had me bringing it closer to my face. The trinity symbol now had a circle throug
h it, no end and no beginning. My sisters’ marks had also changed, all of them identical to one another.
“What happened?” Gloria asked curiously and everyone waited for our response.
“We saw….everything.” I replied slowly.
“Our mother,” Sinclair began. “We saw her. Her soul was bound in the magic of the spell, and now she’s free.”
“We’re connected to magic and to every magic wielder in the world.” Kincaid added.
“And we know everything about one another now.” I knew it was true. There were no secrets between us and there wouldn’t be. By completing the trinity we’d given up a level of privacy. We were open books to one another now by necessity. There could be no secrets between us, not with the amount of power we had together and individually.
“Amazing.” Patrick whispered in awe. “I never believed it would actually happen, but I can feel it.”
“Magic is stronger than I’ve ever felt.” Portia commented eagerly, her smile wide. “It’s a river where before it was a trickle. Even when you came into your power it didn’t feel like this.”
“It wouldn’t have. There hasn’t been a trinity in many generations. We’ve entered a new era.” Gloria smiled at me, pride reflected in her eyes. “You’ve done well, Quinn. All of you. This has not been an easy road for the three of you and for you to succeed….” She shook her head. “It is a privilege to witness magic’s legacy continue.”
“But it’s not over.” The guy, Scott I thought, brought up the dark cloud hanging over the moment. “Your father, Mitchell, he’s still out there and dangerous to everyone here.” He glanced at all of us, but his eyes lingered on Portia. “Him and his coven, they took Kincaid, tried to take Quinn, and I don’t get the feeling he’ll ever stop.”
“Way to ruin the mood.” Milo growled, the asshole he clearly wanted to say implied, but not stated out of respect for his sister. Scott flushed but held his ground as Portia eased between the two.
The Trinity Sisters Page 49
