by Jill Cooper
“Mandy?” Jessica didn’t even finish saying her name before the two sisters were in each other’s arms. Jessica didn’t know how she was here and what had brought them together once more. She didn’t really care. To hear the truth of what happened might ruin it all, so Jessica didn’t ask. She just hugged her sister with all her might and kissed her forehead. She’d never let her go again. Jessica didn’t care what the circumstances. She wouldn’t.
“She sacrificed herself for me. I tried to stop her…. Aunt Gwen is gone.” Amanda clung to Jessica tightly, holding onto her arms as if her life depended on it. The sobs in her voice shook them both. “I wanted the underworld to take me, not her.”
Jessica squeezed her eyes tight against the wave of grief. Things had never been right between her and Aunt Gwen. She’d never gotten what she wanted. Never was able to express how much she’d loved her dear aunt. So many things she would’ve done over, but Amanda was alive. That was the greatest gift Aunt Gwen could’ve ever given her.
Still, Jessica was so sorry. She’d always be grateful. She’d be in Gwen’s debt, and, if somehow they ever managed to see each other again…would Aunt Gwen remain the same? Would she remember life, or would the evil of Lourdes corrupt her?
“It’s all gone,” Amanda choked on her words. “The extra power. The euphoria. What I did…can you forgive me? Please.” She pulled away to look Jessica in her eye, her own green eyes desperate. Almost manic. “I didn’t mean to hurt you or anyone. Please, Jessie.”
“I forgive you. It was never you. It was borrowed dark magic.” Jessica gazed past her, at the broken priest.
Mike, could barely stand but clung to the door frame and gazing around, but his eyes were murky. As if he couldn’t see anything at all.
“Mike, I’m sorry.”
“We’ve all lost something. Someone.” His voice was a haunted whisper. “You two lost most of all. It’s about time you get your happy ending. Duncan too.”
Duncan gazed at him. “You’re one of us now, Mike. You’re not alone.”
The priest’s face twitched with a smile. A slight one, but for tonight, Jessica considered it a gift.
“I can feel your feelings again.” Amanda said with tears in her eyes. “I can’t read your thoughts, but I can feel what you feel and it’s…nice to be back. Nice to be loved, Jessie.”
“I’ve always loved you.” Jessica hugged her tight and smelled her hair. It smelled like fire, but she realized it wasn’t Amanda’s hair at all. A sudden fire came to life in the fireplace.
Jessica backed up as the house rocked side to side. Everyone gathered around as a face flickered in the flame.
What now?
But the flames came together. Like a spark, it flew onto the hardwood floor and it grew until the orbs of light took shape of a man. First it was a circle jointed at his elbow joint and then his shoulders until a ghostly face came into view.
A smile. A scruff of a beard.
Jessica about died as she croaked out. “Daddy?” Her voice trembled with awe.
A tear clung to his eye, but he smiled and it was love wrapped in a bow. He opened his arms and that was all it took for both Jessica and Amanda to crash into him so hard that if he wasn’t corporeal, they would have slammed into the wall.
“My girls, my beautiful girls.” Jacob gazed into each of their faces. His own eyes lit with happiness. “You’ve grown so big. You’ve done everything I hoped you would. Everything.” When his eyes fell to Jessica, she thought a piece of her returned that she lost so long ago. She wanted to beg him for acceptance.
Did I do okay? Are you proud of me, Papa?
“There’s so much I want to say,” Jessica said and gripped his jacket in her hand tight. She didn’t want to let him go.
There was deep understanding in his eyes as he stroked her hair. “I don’t have much time. Gwen, the queen of the underworld, freed me from my curse. I get to go now. To heaven, to be with your mom.”
Amanda’s face fell and she crumbled against him. “I don’t want you to go.”
The youngest. The littlest of them, she was allowed to say such things, but Jessica didn’t give herself permission to fall apart. She still needed to be strong, but the tears in her eyes were thick. The hollowness of her heart was replaced with the knowledge that Jacob Blood was okay. He was going to be at peace and he’d be with their mother. One day, they’d all be reunited, but Jessica wasn’t ready for that yet.
She had a life to live.
Jacob stroked Amanda’s back and her hair, but his eyes were on Jessica. “You’ve done good, girl. Wasn’t easy, I know. Gwen showed it all to me. What you’ve done. You’ve made me proud, but now you walk away, you understand? Live a good life. Amanda’s safe. Now it’s time you both go live your lives. Be happy. Do what we never could.”
Jessica didn’t know if such a thing was possible, but she nodded. “Tell Momma we love her.” Jessica gave Dad a parting hug. It was tense and bitter, but also filled with love. She had finally received everything she ever wanted to hear and because of that, Jessica was grateful. So grateful.
Every day she’d do her best to make him proud. Every day.
“It’s not enough time. We don’t want you to go.” Amanda snuggled in and refused to let Jacob go.
Oh, Amanda. Jessica’s heart broke for her sister almost more than it broke for herself.
“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have left you. In a perfect world, I would’ve gotten to watch you grow up, but you did it. The both of you. Love my girls.” Jacob’s smile was both happy and filled with longing as his body turned to light and shot straight up through the ceiling.
Amanda sobbed, chin to her chest, and Jessica placed a hand on her sister’s shoulder as Duncan placed his on hers. Jessica gazed at Duncan, open with all the possibilities now available to them. Time to be happy. Do something fun.
What they had wanted, to save Dad and free his soul, had come to pass. Now whatever happened next was up to them.
Epilogue
Days ticked by. The sun set and the moon rose. Still, everything was too fresh in Jessica’s mind to move on. She had kissed the devil and been pulled from the brink more times than she cared to remember. But now, thanks to Gwen, Jessica and Amanda had somewhere to live. Somewhere to call home.
Jobs, money. Somehow they’d figure it all out. Gwen hadn’t left them much in the way of inheritance, but she’d left them enough to buy food and some basic furnishings. Leaving them with a nest egg big enough so they could take their time figuring out what they wanted to do.
Outside, on the porch swing, Amanda nursed a glass of sweet tea. The kind Mom used to make. Her left hand was cupped, and in that hand was a small ball of growing light. She basked in its happiness as Jessica sat beside her.
Jessica was toying with the idea of trading in her leather pants for good, and this day wore simple blue jeans and a light sweater. The wind was cooler than it had been for weeks. Soon, summer would leave them for fall.
“I was thinking maybe a teacher,” Amanda said. “Or social services. Someone who can help the kids who are invisible. That no one listens to.”
Jessica kicked her legs out so the swing would rock. Her flip flops fell from her feet. “That sounds good to me. For me, well….there’s still the little issue with my rap sheet. The warrants out for my arrest.”
“You’re not the only one who’s wanted.” Amanda’s voice was solemn as they stared at each other. “We’ll figure it out. Fake IDs. New social security number. We could cut our hair. Dye it. No one would think to look for us here.”
To give up their hair that was so much like Mom’s? Unease settled into her stomach. Jessica nodded, but watched Duncan and Mike talking on the grass. Duncan shook Mike’s hand and watched as the priest got into his car. Why he wanted to go, Jessica didn’t have any idea.
“Being around us is hard. He needs to set out his own path. Find a reason to keep going.” Amanda said.
Jessica smirked. “Here I
thought you couldn’t read minds anymore.”
“I can still read your face and tell what you’re thinking,” Amanda smiled. “I’m your sister. I know you.”
Yes, she did. Jessica couldn’t have been happier to have her as a sister. Duncan waved as he approached the porch and Jessica waved back. “If we’re good, maybe we can convince him to bake us a pie with those berries you bought at the store.”
Amanda straightened with excitement and returned the wave.
“Miss me?” Duncan slid onto the swing between them, his arms up around their shoulders.
Amanda suppressed a laugh, but Jessica folded easily up against him. “I always miss you when you go.”
Duncan kissed her angular nose right on its bump, like there was no part of her he didn’t love, and his hand caressed her shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about that happening anymore.”
Jessica smiled because she knew. Her heart finally understood.
“What should we do first?” Amanda asked. “A beach with those little umbrella drinks?”
“I’m a little pale for the beach,” Duncan said, “But if Jessica….”
If he thought she was going to wear a bikini, Duncan had another thing coming. Still, Jessica let him have his fun. Then they lingered into a comfortable silence. Jessica rested against him and stretched out her toes, listening to the hum of the crickets in the distance.
Until they fell silent in favor of the sound of feet quickly crunching against the gravel. It turned out, trouble could find her anywhere.
Jessica tensed as she rose from the seat and wished for a brief moment she had her shotgun in hand. As the woman got closer, it became apparent that she hobbled on torn and bloody feet. Her white skirt was ripped and dirty and her face was streaked with tears.
“Please…” she outstretched her hand to Jessica as she approached.
“She’s in pain,” Amanda said quietly from the porch. She and Duncan trailed Jessica.
“What happened to you?” Jessica demanded. Slipping back into old habits was far too easy.
The woman gulped back her tears. “We were attacked. They…looked like men, but there were stronger. So strong. Please, you have to…they took my daughters! I need help…. There were no other houses. Can you call 911 or help me?” She took Jessica’s hands before she fell down to her knees. “Please!” Her sobs wailed loud and threatened to suffocate her.
This woman wasn’t strong. She couldn’t fight.
Jessica, well, that was her job, but what about her promise to Dad? Get out of the game. Live a normal life? It was okay for him to want that for her, but was it really possible?
“Jess?” Amanda whispered.
She glanced back at her sister and Duncan. She saw the questions in their eyes. Jessica sighed. Hadn’t she fought enough? When exactly would she get her rest?
None of it mattered. It didn’t, but maybe that’s the way it was meant to be.
Jessica crouched down beside the woman and touched the top of her head. She gazed up at Jessica as rivers of tears streaked her sunburned cheeks. “We’ll help you. It’s what we do, but to help your daughters, you need to be strong. You need to do everything we say. Do you think you can do that?”
The woman nodded as she rose to her feet. “Yes, yes! Whatever you say.”
Amanda led the woman away. “Come sit in the shade. I’ll get you something to drink and see what I can do about those bruises.”
With Amanda and the woman moving out of earshot, Duncan slid a toothpick into his mouth. “And they say you don’t care about people.”
“I care,” Jessica said. Maybe too much. Maybe that was the real answer. “As long as I have you and Amanda, I’m home. We’re family. So let’s get this woman her family back. If there’re demons in town….”
“We’ll get rid of them.” Duncan’s eyes twinkled.
There would be more. There were always more. The fight always had to be fought and for the first time, Jessica thought she was okay with that. Maybe even some part of her even needed it.
“But if you tell anyone what a softy I am,” Jessica pointed a finger at him.
Duncan laughed and raised his hands. “Under penalty of death. Ready to help this woman?”
Jessica was ready.
It was time to get to work. There were children that needed to be saved. With Duncan and Amanda at her side, Jessica could tackle anything.
The BLOOD SISTERS WILL BE BACK!
