by Tish Thawer
Jason pulled his cell phone from his vest and punched Trin on speed-dial. With no answer, he was forced to leave a message. “Hi, honey. Listen, I know we didn’t leave things on great terms, and I’m sorry to do this, but I need to ask you to wait a bit longer. I have to finish my shift today before I can head to meet you this weekend. The chief denied my request, and I’m sorry, but can you please check into the hotel and give me until tomorrow morning to get there? Please, Trin. I can’t lose you again … I love you so much.” He hung up, dreading her reply.
Minutes later, her text came through. Okay. I love you, too.
He couldn’t believe she agreed, and it meant more to him than she’d ever know.
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1690
“Karina, please. Do not deny me any longer. Your sisters are old enough to get along without you. Or, if need be, I will move into your home and provide a father-figure to them both after we’ve married. I love you, Karina,” Jeremiah professed for the thousandth time.
“My sweet, Jeremiah. I love you, too. I always have and I always will. But I fear a terrible time is upon us. I have to remain vigilant and not get caught up in the trappings of love. I’m sorry.”
Jeremiah dropped his eyes and hung his dark head. Karina touched his cheek, lifting his eyes to hers, then placed a sweet kiss upon his lips. “Do not despair, my love. While I cannot commit to becoming your wife, I will never deny you my heart.”
Jeremiah, strong and handsome, gathered Karina into his arms, and in an instant transported them to their special place, a hidden meadow deep within the Berkshires.
“I want you, Karina. Mind, body, and soul.”
Their passion ignited, as did their magic, lighting up the night sky. Witches both, they weren’t bound by mortal rules. Freedom to love and celebrate one’s wild nature had always been the pagan way. Rejoicing in the circle of life, the turning of the wheel was celebrated across the land on this Beltane night, as they, too, had done earlier this same eve. Hidden deep within the woods, they’d circled the maypole, secretly dancing to the drums and partaking in the cakes and ale of the ritual. Smiling coyly at one another, they kept their distance until their passion could no longer be denied.
Now, here under the stars, they made wild love and cast their thanks and wishes up into the night sky.
BLACKBROOK, NEW YORK
Present day
Jason had spent a lifetime longing for a life with Karina. And now, in the present, their futures were being threatened again by those willing to abuse magic, yet here he was … relegated to traffic duty.
Shoving open the precinct door, he exited, gravel crunching beneath his boots as he made his way to his assigned cruiser. Spending the day directing traffic wasn’t what he had in mind, but as he turned the key, backed out of the parking lot, and started toward Main Street, he couldn’t help but appreciate their quaint little town. Large, white blooms hung thick on the dogwood trees; the grass was taking on its usual lime green hue of spring. Rolling down his window, he listened as children’s laughter filled the air, and suddenly, everything snapped into perspective—his assigned duty didn’t seem so bad after all. This, right here, was what Trin was rushing to save … the peace they’d found in this lifetime, finally together and ready to live life to the fullest as a family again.
***
Back on the road and with one less secret between them, Trin and Kennedy filled the rest of the drive with trips down memory lane and fond recollections of times long past. “Are you nervous to go back again?” Kennedy asked as they pulled into the familiar hotel parking lot in Scarborough, Maine.
Trin took a deep breath. “To be honest, yes, but not for the reasons you probably think.”
Spotting her cruiser, Kennedy parked their rental car next to it and turned off the engine. Stretching as they exited, the sisters retrieved their suitcases from the trunk.
After giving her federally-assigned cruiser the once over, Kennedy followed Trin into the lobby of the hotel, choosing to remain silent as they checked in and made their way up to their room. Once inside, Kennedy shut the door, flipped the lock, and turned to face her big sister. “Okay, so tell me now. What exactly has you so worried?”
The bed heaved as Trin tossed her over-packed bag onto the mattress. Following it down, she took a seat and dropped her head into her hands. “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
“Well …” Kennedy slid an arm chair across the floor, pulling it up to the end of the bed, “that’s too bad. We need to talk things through, Trin. The risks, our plans, all of it. We don’t have time for any hidden emotional issues or unreasonable concerns.”
Trin lifted her head, meeting her sister’s determined gaze.
“Just tell me,” Kennedy pleaded.
Trin swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m afraid I’ll be tempted to change everything.”
Kennedy frowned in confusion. “Um, I think that’s the point. We have to save Mama and stop Ann and her family.”
“That’s not what I mean.” Trin pushed to stand, wrapping her arms around her middle. “I know I’ve said I’m grateful for all we’ve experienced on our soul journeys and the gifts the Goddess bestowed upon us, and I mean it. I’ve never had a desire to alter any of our timelines before. But given this chance now, going back to where it all started … I’m afraid I’ll be tempted to change everything and never cast my original spell.”
Kennedy sank back into her chair at Trin’s words. “Trin, you can’t do that. If you did, everything we’ve experienced would disappear. And I mean everything … the future we’ve worked so hard to build would cease to exist in an instant. We’d be forced to start our lives all over again. You said so yourself, we have to protect our future—this future.” Kennedy waved her arms around the hotel room, though her gesture was meant for so much more. Their entire world would shift if Trin followed down this path.
“I know, but you asked what’s wrong, and that’s the truth of it.” Trin turned back to the bed and unzipped her bag, mindlessly lifting out then refolding the contents within. “I know we have to save Mama and stop Ann from changing the past, but if we’re already there, I’m worried I’ll be tempted to put a stop to this entire mess if given the chance.” She rushed on, “Trust me, I know the ramifications. But still, I have this nagging feeling I’m going to end up fighting myself to keep things as they should be.”
Kennedy sat still, unsure of what to say—unsure if telling another person’s secret would be deemed inappropriate in this moment. “Trin. You really need to talk to Caris before you think about this anymore. I know we’re giving Jason a day to get here, so let’s see if she can come with him so you two can have a chance to talk.”
Trin stared at Kennedy, her eyes squinted and piercing. “This is the second time a mysterious unknown involving Caris has been hinted about. What are you guys not telling me?”
“That’s just it, Trin. It’s not our story to tell. You need to talk to Caris.”
Chapter Five
Jason closed down the weather app on his cell phone and shoved it back into his jeans pocket as he grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger near the front door. “Caris, are you ready to go?” he called out.
Heavy footfalls pounded down the stairs. “In a minute,” she snapped.
“Geez, why so worked up?”
Caris dropped her backpack to the floor with a thud. “Oh, I don’t know,” she cocked her head, “maybe the fact we just got home, and now, here we are, rushing back to Maine to fall down this nightmare of a rabbit hole all over again.”
Jason released his grip on the front door. “I know how you feel, Car. But Kennedy said something’s up, and we both need to be there to talk this through.”
“I thought they were going to get Kennedy’s car and come right back so we could make plans. Why is everything always so rushed?” She sighed. “I’m not ready.”
Jason walked across the entry and pulled her into a hug. “I know. A
nd truth be told, I’m not ready either. The idea of what we all went through still hasn’t sunk in.” He shivered; the memory of having to kill a man to keep the timeline straight still haunted his dreams. “But, it’s not like we can control when or where we’ll be headed next. The bad guys don’t exactly take breaks or toss out hints. Trust me, that I do know.” He pulled back and winked, glancing down at his sidearm.
“Well, dammit, they should,” she teased, smiling appreciatively at the slight ease in tension. “I hope that after this little recon mission, we’ll be able to come home and actually regroup and finalize our plans. I have things I need to finish for school, and to be honest, I miss the normalcy of our day-to-day lives.”
Jason laughed. “The fact that you can use the word normal when talking about anything to do with our lives is a true testament to your optimism.”
“I suppose you’re right.” She shrugged. “Even our mundane lives aren’t normal.” Gazing into the mirror that hung by the front door, she studied the face the world viewed as Caris. But when looking back to Jason, aka Jeremiah, they saw each other as their true selves—a little side effect of the spell Trin used to eliminate Henrich. They all wore two faces, and in reality, many more thanks to their soul journeys and the multiple lifetimes they’d lived.
Jason put a hand on her shoulder. “Where’d you go?”
“Just thinking about everything, and how we never seem to get to a place of peace. We’re always left waiting for the next life to begin.”
“We’ll get there,” Jason sighed.
“Thanks for talking me down, J.” Caris grabbed her ball cap off the rack, sliding her auburn ponytail through the adjustable hole in the back. “I’m ready to go, but don’t expect me to drive. I’ve got papers to grade and a serious nap to take.”
Jason barked out a laugh. “Okay. You got it.”
***
Jason’s knees popped as he stood and stretched after their rushed six-hour drive. “I’ll get the bags, you go ahead up to the room,” he told Caris, nodding toward the hotel.
In between side-to-side torso twists, Caris lifted her chin, acknowledging she’d get to it once she was able to properly move again. All of these back-and-forth road trips were taking their toll. “Hey, before I go up, do you know exactly what we’re supposed to be talking about here?” She continued her stretches, reaching over her head then switching to the other side before shaking out both of her arms.
Jason lifted the last bag from the back of the Jeep, pausing to rest it on the bumper as he mulled over her question. “I’m not sure. I assume we’ll discuss our past and how that will affect the future, or maybe the opposite … we’ll talk about our present and future here after we go back and change the past.” He threw his hands in the air. “Honestly, I have no idea, but it all makes my head hurt.”
“You and me both.” Caris snagged her own bag from the ground and walked toward the hotel, dreading whatever this conversation was supposed to entail. “Where are the girls waiting for us?” she asked, stopping mid-step halfway through the lobby as an unseen energy pulled at her from the hotel’s restaurant.
“In their room. They snagged the connecting one as well, so you and Kennedy could have your own space.”
Caris turned back to the restaurant and frowned. There was something there. Something … familiar.
“Come on. Let’s go on up and get settled, then we can come back down to eat.” Jason continued on to the elevator, pushing the up button while Caris remained locked in place.
Through squinted eyes, she stared at the restaurant, sensing out its energy until the elevator bell dinged. Stepping inside, she shook her head in an effort to chase away the chill inching up her spine. She rode up in silence, exiting on the third floor, then followed Jason halfway down the hall before hearing her sister’s voice ring out.
“Good, you made it. Come on in,” Kennedy greeted them both before they even had a chance to knock on the door. “Jason, you’re next door with Trin.” She pointed through the opening to the adjoining room.
Caris crossed to the farthest bed and tossed down her bag. “Okay, so what’s up? Why did I have to come all the way here to have a chat?”
After depositing his bags, Jason and Trin returned from the other room, holding hands. “Can we please save whatever this is until after dinner?” he asked. “I’m starving, and I’d say from Caris’s interest in the restaurant downstairs, she is, too.”
Full of nervous energy, Caris shifted from foot to foot—her level of attention downstairs had nothing to do with food.
“Sure,” Kennedy replied. “I could eat.”
With the decision made, they headed back down the hall. The updated grey-beige flooring absorbed their footfalls and they walked in silence to the elevator. Exiting into the lobby, the sound of the gathering crowd caused Kennedy to pick up her pace, rushing forward to make sure their names were on the waiting list before the dinner rush hit. “It’ll be a few minutes,” she reported back, joining them in one of the lobby’s seating areas.
Trin chatted with Jason, asking about their drive up, while Kennedy was, as usual, people watching—a side effect of her job with the FBI, as well as her protector status within the family. Caris, however, sat still, her eyes glued to the restaurant’s entrance. The energy she felt before was still there, pulling her forward like a fish on a hook.
“Hardy, party of four.”
The group rose and followed the hostess to a large, semi-circle booth in the back. Glasses clanked and pots rattled from the kitchen, but the sound of Caris’s beating heart filled her ears as she stared at the table in front of them and directly at the spitting image of Lionel Epps.
Chapter Six
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE
Present Day
Caris gasped, earning a look from her sisters and Jason.
“Car, what’s wrong?” Kennedy reached for her hand.
Lifting her chin, Caris gestured toward the table only a few feet away.
They all looked up, following her line of sight, and collectively sucked in a shocked breath. Lionel Epps stared back at them through his green-flecked eyes. He’d retained his broad shoulders and dusty brown hair from his youth, making him easily recognizable to the entire family.
“My God, is that really Lionel Epps?” Jason whispered.
“It’s him,” Caris confirmed, her eyes still locked with his. “His energy is unmistakable.”
Trin turned to Caris, thinking back to their recent conversation and what a coincidence that now seemed to be …
“With all this talk about genealogy and family studies, I was wondering if you could help me look up information on Lionel Epps,” Caris asked.
“Of course!” Trin smiled, remembering the spark between her sister and the junior Mr. Epps. The last Beltane celebration they’d all attended had been exactly what Karina envisioned it to be; the magical moment her little sister had met the man who could potentially be the love of her life. “I’d be happy to. I’m sure there’s some records regarding the Castle Hill estate that could help. After that, if we need to do some spell work to locate him, I’m completely okay with that, too.” Trin squeezed her sister’s hand, then dug her phone from her purse to start the search with Siri’s help.
“Thanks, Trin. I know Lillian said some of the witches who’d been pulled through time didn’t retain their memories of the past, but if there’s any chance he remembers me, it would make me really happy.” Caris shrugged, blushing like an embarrassed school girl.
At the time, Trin’s search hadn’t produced much information, but now, seeing him here, she wondered if the Goddess had a hand in things as usual. Perhaps their meeting here today was no coincidence at all.
With their composure regained, they all continued on with dinner, exchanging glances as if trying to gauge each other’s interest and purpose here tonight.
IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1690
Mud slung from the wooden wagon wheel, splattering the
front of Kara’s dress. “Goodness gracious.” She wiped at the sticky mess.
“Whoa, whoa,” a deep voice commanded from above her, bringing the team of horses and the offending carriage to a stop. Heavy leather boots slapped down onto the sloppy road. “Please forgive me.”
Kara looked up from her soiled dress, her brows scrunched tightly as she stared directly into the pleading eyes of Lionel Epps.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Kara. The team has been eager to get home all day, so when we rounded the corner, I gave them their heads a bit, and they took off.”
Kara’s cheeks flushed. “It’s okay, Lionel. It’ll wash out.”
“May I at least offer you a ride home?” He bent at the waist and extended his hand.
Thinking of the trek back from town to her modest country home, Kara smiled and placed her hand in his. “That would be lovely. Thank you.”
Lionel beamed as he helped her up onto the wagon’s bench, climbing onto the seat next to her. After riding a few miles in silence, he cleared his throat. “I haven’t seen you for a bit, Miss Kara … since Beltane. How have you been?”
Kara thought back to the celebration they’d attended at the Epps’ family estate. The moments the two shared under the full moon had been some of the fondest memories of her life. Dancing around the maypole, talking into the wee hours of May Day morning … She’d felt the beginnings of something stirring between them and thought Lionel had felt it, too. But then, with everything happening at home, they hadn’t had a chance to socialize since. “I’ve been good. Working at home to help Mama fulfill her orders.”