“Dad,” Leo said simply. The man reached his hand into the swirling vortex that separated our reality from his. “Dad, meet Maggie.”
“Thank you for bringing my son to me,” he said. “I’ll take it from here.”
I stood on tiptoe and gave Leo a hug, feeling the solidness of his shoulders. This was it. “Don’t forget me,” I said.
“Never.” He kissed me on the top of my head. “I’ll miss the smell of your hair the most, I think.”
I smiled.
“Don’t be sad. You gave me the chance to know what it was like to have a real mother. I can’t thank you enough.”
Leo pulled away, then entered the light, his body disappearing into stardust as he slid across the meridian.
“Goodbye, Leo,” I said, closing my eyes. When I opened them again, I was once again alone.
At the far edge of the light, I heard the trickle of water and saw the outline of a silver-blue river. In front of the river stood a majestic willow, with branches that glowed like fireflies.
I didn’t need to worry about Mother or Leo. They were in a place elevated beyond my loveliest dreams.
We buried them both, in the shade of the Willow’s Daughter.
I remembered Leo’s comments about dirt and worms but I knew this time would be different. They weren’t stuck in limbo. They were where they needed to be.
“Maggie Maddock, Guardian of the Underworld,” Jillian smiled, handing me back my wand after the service. “Not many people have the guts to create a wand that lets them travel between the planes of life and death. But, as you’ve seen, when you’ve lived a good life, death is nothing to fear. One question though: Where did you find the wood for it? This type of yew is rare, even in these parts.”
When I couldn’t bring myself to cut a wand from the Willow’s Daughter, Shane took me to the tree where he had carved our initials many years ago.
“Where did I get the wood for my wand?” I repeated, feeling the weight of it in my hand. “Well, Jillian, that’s my little secret.”
“Fair enough. We’re all entitled to a few of those.”
I drove her back to Sister House. We sat in silence until we hit a bump and the radio turned itself on. Living La Vida Loca played. For an instant, Leo sat beside me, dancing in jerky motions as I told him to eat his apples.
“You never get over it, do you?” I asked Jillian, pulling up the drive.
“Over what, hon?”
“Being a parent.”
She stroked my cheek. “No, my dear Maggie. You never really do. You’re going to make one heck of a mama.”
“How do you know?” I asked, still worried.
“Let’s just say I have my ways.”
My sisters, all dressed in black, came out to say goodbye to her. She hugged them all and whispered something into each of their ears. Eve’s face softened at her words and she nodded in understanding. I wanted to know what Jillian had told her, but as had been pointed out to me, we were all entitled to a few secrets.
I loaded the last of Jillian’s bags into the trunk of her rental car then turned to her, giving her one last hug. “Thank you so much for coming for me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Jillian looked at my sisters. “I think you would have been okay, but I’m glad you called.”
I stammered, then asked her the question that was on my mind.
“Jillian, how am I going to raise this baby, if I have the deathtouch like my father?”
Jillian smiled. “You do know there’s only been one documented case of Armand’s deathtouch? And it occurred only when he, was, well…intimate with a woman.”
“Intimate?” I asked, confused. Then it dawned on me and I blushed. “Oh…Who?”
“Larinda. But it seems she survived. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
“But I…I killed Leo with these hands,” I said, holding them up.
“You did that to save someone you loved. It was an accident, not the deathtouch.”
“Okay. Thank you.” I pressed my hand to my stomach and felt the flutter of life inside me.
Jillian took me by the shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye. “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll be back.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. There’s so much more you need to know. Secrets that have been kept from you, but the time is coming to change all of that.”
“Good secrets?” I asked hopefully.
Jillian tilted her head back, her shoulder-length charcoal hair bouncing behind her. “Oh, Maggie, you do make me laugh. Yes, my dear, good secrets. Be strong, okay?”
“Yes.”
She climbed in her car and drove away.
We stood in the dirt driveway, waving until she disappeared.
“Look!” June Bug pointed to a tight cluster of dandelion seeds that spun before us, before floating towards the maple tree on the perimeter of the yard. On the limb of the tree perched two birds: a raven and an owl. They watched us curiously before flying off in opposite directions.
In the air was the scent of roses, crayons, and baby powder.
I smiled and turned towards the house. All was as it was supposed to be.
Thirty-One
CLOSING TIME
I wiped my wand with a polishing cloth and placed it into a sealed box in the back of Mother’s magick shop. The wand would find a good home, once I had one of my own.
The taxes had come due on Harvest Home, and we were no closer to paying them than we were in the beginning. We could solve some of our problems with magick, but not all of them. And I was okay with that. I had seen what happened when you messed with the balance of things too much.
Even witches had to be selective.
For now, I’d have faith. I knew that Mother and even Leo were watching over us now. I’d ride the tide, letting whatever happened, happen.
“We still have Leo’s money,” Eve reminded me as we closed up the shop.
“Uh, Eve…” I wasn't sure how to break this to her. “We don’t have Leo’s money anymore. Except for a few hundred bucks I kept for emergencies.”
“What do you mean?”
“I sent it to his mother.”
“All of it?”
“Well, technically, Leo did, before he left us.”
“She’s a nut job, Maggie! What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking it was the right thing to do. Besides, its bad money, Eve. We both know Leo didn't come by it in the right way. It would have caused us nothing but trouble.” I paused. “And all his mother really wanted from him was his monthly check. This will keep her from asking questions, at least for a while.”
“I can handle trouble,” Eve said. “But I can’t handle being a pauper.”
“If it’s any consolation, I thought we’d keep the car. I had Leo sign over the title.” I had struggled with this as well, but he and I had spent so much time driving around in it, I wanted to keep it for the memory.
“I guess that helps.”
We stepped onto Main Street. Paul was parked right in front of the shop, his Explorer laden with luggage. He was leaving for Seattle today and had come to try, once again, to say goodbye to Eve and to explain why he needed to go.
She waved him away, saying nothing. With a hurt look on his face, he nodded a goodbye to me, then drove slowly on.
“You should at least tell him how you feel,” I said, staring after him.
“He’s leaving me, Maggie. What am I supposed to do? Beg for him to stay? Ask him to choose between his kid and me? It’s easier for him this way.”
“You big softie, Eve! Here I thought you were being your usual, bitchy self.”
“Hey!”
“But you weren't. You don’t want to force him to have to choose! So you’re just letting him go. I’m not sure if I’m impressed or sad.”
“Yeah, well, he’s got enough on his plate.” She crossed her arms as she stared after him. He had stopped to get out and say goodbye to a local man who had be
come a regular of his at Dip Stix.
“You could go with him,” I said, carefully.
“What?”
“You could go to Seattle. Be with him. He’s going for his daughter, not his ex.”
“And leave the shop? And you?”
“I’ve got two more sisters to fill the void.”
“You make me feel so warm and fuzzy.”
“Seriously, though, you could go with him.”
“Maggie, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not cut out to be a mother. I’d probably screw that kid up worse than I’m screwed up.”
I put my arm around her neck. “I don’t think you’re all that screwed up. A little warped maybe, but definitely not screwed up. I’d trust you to babysit my kid.”
“You would?”
“Yes. As long as you didn’t try to braid his hair.”
She paused, looking at me, then Mother’s shop, then at Paul.
“Go to him,” I said.
Paul returned to his car. Eve shouted to him, waving him down as she raced towards him in boots with two-inch heels. They spoke animatedly through the car window.
Ruth Anne emerged from the bookstore next door, carrying a stack of paperbacks, each depicting a bare-chested man on the front cover. “Research,” she said when she caught me gaping. “I think I’m ready to write my next book. This place really is a great muse.”
“That, it is.”
“What do you think she’ll do?” Ruth Anne asked, nodding to Eve who was still talking to Paul.
“I’m not sure.” I felt sad thinking of a Dark Root without Eve. “But wherever she goes, this will always be her home.”
“Very poetic,” Ruth Anne said, the left side of her lips crooking up into a smile. “Maybe you should be a writer.”
“Ha-ha. How about I feed you a good line every once in a while, and you can pay me royalties?”
“Sounds fair.”
We continued to watch Eve, neither of us knowing what she would do.
After a long pause, Ruth Anne said, “So, Maggie Mae. How’s your own story coming?”
I smiled at my oldest sister, lifting my chin to catch the last ray of sunshine. “Let’s just say it’s in progress.”
“Oh?” Ruth Anne rummaged into her back pocket and handed me an envelope. “Aunt Dora asked me to give this to you.” It was postmarked from California.
“Michael,” I said, taking a deep breath as I tore open the letter. “I already told him he could see the baby on holidays, what more does he want?”
Dear Maggie,
Thank you so much, for everything. As I’ve said, I know I haven't always been there for you, but I promise to be there for our child.
I sold Woodhaven. It was a place we had built together, and it’s only fair that half of the proceeds belong to you. You shouldn't have many problems financially for a while.
With Love,
Michael
With trembling fingers, I dug at the bottom of the envelope. Sure enough, Michael had sent me a check. It was three times the amount we owed for taxes on Harvest Home.
Three fold.
I screamed so loud, people turned in my direction to see if I were okay. I passed Ruth Anne the check. “Look! We can pay the taxes on Harvest House, fix up Sister House, put some money into the shop. Everything’s solved now! Everything!”
Ruth Anne handed it back to me. “An almost perfect ending,” she agreed. “But I wouldn't say everything’s solved. Every story needs a happily ever after.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in those.”
“Maybe I’m coming around.” She nodded to the café across the street.
In the diner window, I saw Shane lighting candles, preparing for the evening crowd.
“It’s time,” she said.
She was right.
I removed the crystal pendant from around my neck that Michael had given me and cupped it in my hands. “Goodbye,” I said, kissing it. I couldn’t keep living in both the past and the present. I squeezed it, then dropped the pendant into the nearest trash bin.
I took a deep breath and stepped bravely into my future.
The doorbell chimed when I walked into Dip Stix.
Shane looked up from his table, clearly surprised to see me.
“You want dinner?” he asked as I approached.
“No.” I raised my lips and pulled his face down to mine.
“Mmm,” he moaned as our lips met, our mouths slightly opened. “I’ve been waiting for that a long, long time.”
“Me too,” I said, smelling the soap on his neck and the mint on his breath.
I drew back, taking his face in my hands. “But before we get too far there are a few things I need to tell you.” I wasn’t sure how he’d react, but as Ruth Anne had once wisely said, if it was meant to be, it would be.
Shane turned the neon sign to Closed and led me to our booth at the rear of the restaurant.
And in that still diner on that cold, January evening, with nothing but the glow of the candles and my faith in the man I had fallen in love with, I confessed everything to Shane Doler. Not just what had recently transpired with Mother, Leo, the pool hustling, and my baby, but everything I had ever done.
When I had finished he wrapped his hands around mine.
“None of that matters. I love you, Maggie Mae, and I’ll love your child.” He kissed the tips of my fingers, every one of them. “And now it’s time for me to tell you my secrets.”
I held my breath, waiting for his confessions. Until a few days ago I had thought I had known everything there was to know about Shane Doler.
But you never really know someone. We all carry our burdens quietly through life.
Whatever he revealed to me, we would deal with it together.
For secrets, once told, lose all their power.
And love, lived in the light, erases all the darkness of the soul.
The End
Want to read another book by April Aasheim? Try THE UNIVERSE IS A VERY BIG PLACE
Or did you miss the first book in the Daughters of Dark Root series? If so, check out it out here: THE WITCHES OF DARK ROOT
If you enjoyed the book please consider leaving a review! A short review is fine and greatly appreciated. Word of mouth is essential for any author to succeed.
THE DAUGHTERS OF DARK ROOT SERIES
Four sisters try their hands at love, life, and magick in this paranormal fantasy series.
Book One: The Witches of Dark Root ~ When Maggie Maddock is called back to her hometown of Dark Root, Oregon, she is expected to take over the family coven. Will Maggie embrace her birthright as Leader of The Council, or will she run from her responsibilities once again?
THE UNIVERSE SERIES
Book One: The Universe is a Very Big Place ~ Spring Ryan wants nothing more than a normal life, but when the whole Universe conspires against you, you have to play the hand you're dealt. A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy about two generations of women striving to give love a second chance.
FOR MORE ABOUT APRIL AASHEIM
VISIT HER WEBSITE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
April Aasheim grew up with three sisters and two brothers. She has been fascinated by witch lore since she was assigned to write a paper on the Salem Witch Trials in the 7th grade.
April is a mother and a wife and the “owner” of her reluctant familiar: Boots the Cat.
When she isn’t writing she enjoys Zumba, belly dancing, Hallmark Original Movies, reading, and board games.
The Magick of Dark Root is her third novel.
If you enjoyed the book please consider leaving a review on the vendor site where you purchased it. A short review is fine and greatly appreciated. Word of mouth is essential for any author to succeed.
Get in touch with April on Facebook or visit her website at: http://aprilaashiem.blogspot.com/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I could never have written this book without the help of many people. Here are a few of them:
<
br /> My husband, who read every word of my book and helped me to make it better.
My editor, for being such a great friend and constantly pushing me to improve.
My writing group, for being the best support system a person could ask for.
Michael and Nick, for being you.
Maddie, for reminding me about magic every single day.
Marilyn, for inspiring me with her courage.
My fans, for reading the first book and letting others know about it.
My mother, the real reason I write anything.
My brothers: Kris and Phil. For all those hours of role-playing games.
My three real life sisters: Dawn, Niki, and Jami. You were my childhood friends and my adult confidants.
Thank you.
DARK ROOT PRESS
2014
THE MAGICK OF DARK ROOT
(Daughters of Dark Root Book 2)
Copyright © 2014 by April Aasheim
Published by Dark Root Press
Cover Art Design 2014 by AnneMarie Buhl and Greg Jensen
Link with me at: http://aprilaashiem.blogspot.com/
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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