The Sisters of Salem

by Tish Thawer

  “That sounds … productive.” He winked. “Would you happen to have more of that pain-relieving cream Karina sold my father? I have to admit, after a long ride on these bumpy roads my back and knees could use some relief, too.”

  Kara smiled, her blush deepening as she thought about how much she’d like to be the one offering Lionel relief.

  “I’m sure I can find a batch at home. I’d be happy to bring it by in a few days, if you’ll be available.”

  Lionel grinned, his smirk mischievous and playful. “Oh, I’m available.”

  SCARBOROUGH, MAINE

  Present Day

  Shook from the memory, Caris looked up from her plate and again caught Lionel’s eye.

  “Are you going to talk to him?” Trin asked.

  Lionel rose from his seat, bid goodnight to his dinner guests, and started toward their table.

  “I guess so.” Caris shifted in the booth, smoothing her hands down the legs of her jeans.

  “Good evening, ladies … sir.” He dipped his head in Jason’s direction. “I have to admit. I’m having the oddest sense of déjà vu. You very much remind me of—”

  “Lionel. It’s so good to see you again,” Caris interrupted, saving him the awkward exchange.

  “So, it is you.” His eyes softened as he took in Caris’s appearance; the one that only a true witch could see.

  “It’s good to see you as well.” She gestured for him to pull up a chair. “Please join us.”

  The junior Mr. Epps joined the family, instinctively scooting closer to Caris. They quickly and joyfully shared a trip down memory lane, but at the mention of Trin’s original spell, things turned somber.

  “I had no idea my spell would pull you from your home and life as well,” Trin apologized in a low whisper, as if she owed him—and every other witch from that time—an explanation, even after all these centuries.

  “We all would have done the same in that situation,” he paused, “if any of us had your level of power, that is.” He smiled at Trin.

  “Speaking of power …” Caris began, “we’re in the middle of something that involves the Putnam family. Would you happen to remember if Thomas Putnam or any of his girls had powers back then?” Caris leaned in close, eager for his response.

  “Caris,” Trin interrupted, “I don’t think—”

  “What?” Caris cut her off. “We need to know, and Lionel is part of our past, so maybe he can help.”

  “But—” Trin continued to protest.

  “It’s okay. I don’t mind answering.” Lionel smiled. “No, I don’t believe the Putnams had any true magic. Not that I recall, anyway.” He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table as his thoughtful gaze returned to Caris. “Then again, the Putnams weren’t exactly the family I was interested in.”

  Caris’s cheeks flushed as she stared into his eyes.

  Kennedy cleared her throat and dropped her head, joining Trin and Jason as they all quickly returned to their meals. Small-talk was made between bites, but it was apparent their presence was more of a distraction than a welcome addition to the conversation at this point.

  “Well, this has been a lovely surprise. It was great to see you again, Lionel.” Kennedy scooted from the table, excusing herself with Trin and Jason joining her as they, too, slid from the booth.

  Trin whispered into Caris’s ear as she placed a kiss on her sister’s cheek. “Take your time. We’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

  Caris smiled, grateful for her family’s understanding. They still needed to have whatever conversation she’d been brought here for, but first she needed to get a read on why Lionel had suddenly reappeared in their lives. Not to mention, decipher the feelings his presence had awoken in her after all this time.

  ***

  Caris cringed at the loud bing her keycard made as she tip-toed into her hotel room. Eyeing the digital clock on the nightstand she noted the time as she crawled into bed. 2:45am.

  “Should I consider this your walk of shame?” Kennedy whispered.

  “Haha. Not at all. We spent the entire time talking in the hotel lobby. Now let me get some sleep before you start bombarding me with questions.”

  “Okay, but at breakfast, you’re gonna spill. We’ve still got a lot to talk about, ya know?”

  “Yes. I’m aware,” she deadpanned.

  Chapter Seven

  “Ugh …shut that thing off!” Caris grumbled, pulled from a sound sleep by the ringing of Kennedy’s phone alarm only a few hours later.

  “Sorry.” Kennedy shuffled in her bed, struggling to turn it off.

  Unfortunately, it was too late—Caris was wide awake. “Never mind. I’m up. Let’s get dressed and see if Trin and Jason want to grab some breakfast.”

  Kennedy grunted in response, clearly not wanting to start her day yet either, but threw off the covers and stumbled into the bathroom. A moment later, the shower sputtered to life.

  Caris stretched out in bed, flexing and relaxing her muscles as she contemplated last night’s events. She and Lionel hadn’t really gotten anywhere in their conversation, other than to continue their trip down memory lane. She learned he was here in town on business, his life after the spell having gone smoothly enough. Having made a good living for himself as a craftsman and woodworker in the area, he continued to do so now through his high-end construction business. Choosing to remain in the vicinity of his childhood home, he stayed far enough away to not raise any questions, but also made it a point to change his appearance whenever necessary—aging when required, or starting over completely with a new identity of an extended relative who’d come to takeover. Lionel confessed, dealing with the longevity of a true witch’s lifespan proved to be the most problematic thing about this existence. He’d remained unmarried—a fact which brought a sense of relief to Caris, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud. However, he was happy to admit he was extremely smitten with her back in the day.

  Caris ended their evening with a hug and a light kiss to his cheek. She wasn’t ready to move forward with anything else until the situation with her mother and the Putnams had been dealt with. There were still too many chances for heartbreak, and she had no intention of adding Lionel into that mix.

  Kennedy returned to the room, freshly showered and wrapped in one of the hotel’s complimentary robes. “Did you text Trin yet? Are they ready to head down?”

  “Not yet.” Caris shifted from the bed, pulling on her jeans and readjusting her fresh T-shirt as she walked into the bathroom. “Go ahead and text her while I brush my teeth.”

  After finishing her morning routine, Caris returned to the room and was met with two sets of eyes boring into hers. The door between their shared spaces stood open, but since Jason wasn’t among them, she assumed it was her sisters’ plan to interrogate her alone.

  “So, how was the rest of your evening?” Trin pried.

  “She didn’t get in until almost three a.m.,” Kennedy added.

  “Really?” Caris playfully glared at Kennedy. “What’s with the third degree?”

  “Well, don’t keep us guessing,” Trin said with a sly grin.

  “It was fine. We had a lovely chat and enjoyed catching up.”

  “And …” Trin teased, swaying back and forth.

  “And nothing. That was it.” Caris pushed past them to grab her things off the nightstand.

  Trin stopped mid-sway and placed her hands on her hips. “Now wait a minute. You were head over heels for this guy back in the day, and recently asked me to help you find him. Then, he shows up here, out of the blue, and all you do is have a lovely chat?” Trin teased. “Come on, Car, what gives?”

  Caris huffed. “Do I have to have this conversation, or the other we’re meant to have, on an empty stomach? Can’t we at least get some breakfast first? I’m starving, and honestly, need the energy to deal with the both of you.” She waved a hand in her sisters’ direction.

  “I concur. Let’s go eat.” Jason winked at Caris as he entered the room, hugg
ing Trin from behind.

  “Fine. But as soon as we’re done, we’re coming back here to talk.” Trin shrugged out of Jason’s arms, smiling at her sister. “Deal?”

  “Deal.” Caris turned on her heel and was the first out the door.

  ***

  Breakfast was finished, and dread was building in Caris’s chest with every step she took back toward their room. Once inside, she made her way to the opposite wall of windows and stared out over a foggy Maine morning, letting her mind drift as her sisters and Jason settled in.

  What did she want to share regarding Lionel? That she hoped they could make a go of things after this nightmare was over? Or that she had no idea how they would manage a long-distance relationship based on a few moments spent together centuries ago? Honestly, she didn’t have anything extra to share because she had no idea what she wanted herself. Besides, now was not the time to worry about a relationship. They all needed to stay focused and do what they came here to do.

  “Okay, I’ll make this quick.” She turned to face her family. “I don’t have anything else to say about Lionel at this time. Yes, it was great to see him, and we exchanged numbers, but to even consider whether there’s potential or not is beyond me at the moment. We have far more important things to deal with.” She paused, letting her statement sink in. “Now, if someone will tell me why I’m here, and exactly what it is we need to talk about, I’d like to get on with it.”

  Kennedy looked between Trin and Jason, then addressed the issue at hand. “While returning to our original time will be scary enough, Trin confessed she’s worried she may be tempted to change things even more than planned.” Everyone looked to Trin, who kept her head bowed. “So, I thought it would be a good idea if you told her about … you know what.” Kennedy rushed to finish, “I think she needs to know what would really be lost if our lives were altered. Especially yours.”

  Oh no. Caris spun back to the window. She wasn’t ready to discuss this. She hadn’t thought about it in years—a trained hardship she’d imposed on herself after suffering for so very long. She couldn’t allow herself to swim in the memories or she would drowned. It was another lesson in heartache she’d learned over and over again.

  “Car, I’m sorry. I know this hard, but you have to tell her,” Kennedy whispered.

  Caris turned to face her family again and blew out a quick breath. “I don’t quite know how to start,” she admitted, her lips pursed in a vulnerable quirk, “so I guess I’ll just say it…

  “In 1937, during my soul journey as Camille Howe, I had a daughter. Her name is Ruby.”

  Chapter Eight

  Trin’s eyes grew wide as she grabbed Jason’s hand.

  “It was something we’d known would happen for a long time … since 1703, to be exact. That’s when Kennedy, Jason, and I were trapped in a time loop in the Colorado mountains, and where I had a vision of the future which contained a message meant for a daughter I didn’t yet have.”

  Caris pulled the desk chair in front of the window and took a seat.

  “In 1937, we lived in Lakehurst, New Jersey.” She looked to Trin. “I’m not sure if you were in the vicinity at the time, since we didn’t cross paths back then. But my life there was spent as Camille Howe, married to Robert Howe, an American Legion worker who helped build the Cathedral of the Air,” she said proudly.

  “Lakehurst. Why does that sound so familiar?” Trin asked.

  “It’s where the Hindenburg disaster took place.” Caris lowered her eyes, her emotions welling. “Later that same year, we had a baby girl.” She smiled, embracing the memory. “I should’ve known it was going to happen then; it was the only lifetime I’d ever spent with our given last name, Howe. I was able to spend a few, wonderful years raising her before I was called to my next soul journey, but my daughter never knew the true me. To her, I was simply Mama—Camille, not Kara, and even though I didn’t hide my magic from her, she never knew the true extent of her history … of our history. When I tried to find them again during my next soul journey, she and Robert had moved on. She ended up in Colorado, exactly where she was meant to be, and I knew I couldn’t make contact. It wouldn’t have benefited either of us.” Caris wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “How could I explain that her mother didn’t actually die, but is a witch who continues to be reincarnated to this very day, living one life after another?” Caris’s voice sharpened. “I couldn’t do that to her, it would carry too much pain.”

  Silence hung in the air, thick and heavy. Love, loss, and stretches of time missed—it had all haunted her for so many years. However, despite the stabbing pain in her chest, Caris was happy to have shared it with her sisters now. They needed to know, and she needed to let go.

  Finally raising her head, Caris met her sisters’ tear-filled gazes.

  “Car, I’m so sorry. I knew you were brave, but this … this is the bravest, most heart wrenching thing I’ve ever heard.” Trin leapt from the bed and pulled Caris into a hug. “Thank you for sharing your secret with me.” Moments passed while they held each other tight and simply cried. Stepping away, Trin turned back to Kennedy. “And thank you for asking her to share her story with me. You were right. I needed to know exactly what would be lost, and I swear … I would never risk something as precious as this.” Trin reclaimed her seat on the bed, resting her head on Jason’s shoulder. “What about you two? Did you or Kennedy ever have families during any of your soul journeys?”

  “No,” Kennedy shook her head, replying for them both. “Jason and I were single in every lifetime we lived. Sure, we had relationships here and there, but nothing too serious or as important as what Caris went through.”

  Trin took a deep breath. “Me either. I mean, you know about Richard Hunniwell, but I was never in a relationship that yielded children.”

  Kennedy smiled. “Okay, so now that the air’s been cleared, and we’re all back on the same page … what’s next?”

  “Well, we need to do what we came here to do and check out the Hunniwell house for any residual magic Ann may have left behind.” Trin looked to Caris, unable to hide her sad smile or tearful expression. “But with Lionel now in the mix, do you want to stay here and spend some more time with him while we go back to the house?”

  Caris walked back to the window. “Thank you, but like I said, I can’t really think about that right now. I’m okay. I want to go.”

  Trin wiped away more tears, not wanting them to come across as pity. The level of grief Caris experienced was something she couldn’t relate to, and she was struggling to push down her emotions as she thought about her sister’s loss. “Are you sure you don’t need a little more time?”

  Caris took a deep breath and turned to face them again. “Sister, all we do is revolve within time. I’ve come to terms with my experiences and all I’ve given up, and I need you to do so as well. We all agreed, just because we can change things, doesn’t mean we should.”

  Trin was again overwhelmed by her sister’s bravery. “Okay. Then let’s get packed up and head out. Once we finish at the Hunniwell house, we’ll return home and make our final plan.”

  “Sounds good,” Kennedy agreed.

  Trin and Jason returned to their room, while Caris grabbed her duffle from the corner.

  “You okay?” Kennedy asked once they were alone.

  Pushing the last of her sweatshirts into the bag, Caris shrugged. “You know how hard it is for me to talk about that time in our lives, but I understand the urgency and why it had to be done. I’m okay … really,” she added, trying to convince Kennedy.

  “Well, thank you for doing it. I was truly starting to worry about Trin and how all of this was going to play out.”

  “You think she would have changed things that much?”

  Kennedy lifted a shoulder. “From what she was saying … yeah, I do.”

  They continued to pack in silence, both thinking about their past, present, and what their future had yet to hold.

  ***

  C
hecked out and back on the road, they’d all piled into Caris’s Jeep and retraced their way to the hidden path that took them to the far side of the Hunniwell property. The house remained empty, maintained by the town, and like before, was manned by a lone groundskeeper who mysteriously decided to leave work shortly after their arrival—thanks to a quick spell.

  “God, I love magic.” Kennedy winked as the four of them crouched down by the split rail fence, hiding behind it and the lush chokeberry bush still growing through its slats. With the house now empty and their path clear, they quickly crept to the back door and eased their way inside.

  Floorboards creaked as they tiptoed through the hall and into the living room. The single chair Jason had previously been tied to sat starkly alone in the center of the room. Noticing the slight shiver that ran through him, Trin reached for his hand. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs and get this over with.” Trin guided him away from the room, pushing back the memories of his recent kidnapping …

  “There!” she thought, projecting her words into her sisters’ minds. “He’s in the living room, just up ahead.” Trin pushed past Kennedy, her magic surging through her veins as they rounded the corner, ready to face their enemy.

  “Trin!” Jason exclaimed from the chair he was tied to in the middle of the room.

  “Are you okay?” Trin asked, rushing to undo the ropes.

  Kennedy stood guard, aiming her gun at the main opening to the room. “Where is she? Where’s Ann?”

  “Upstairs. She kept going up and down, muttering to herself about a new destination, but she didn’t hurt me.” Jason shrugged out of the ropes and stood, pulling Trin into his arms. “She’s definitely crazy, though, and I have no idea what’s she’s talking about.”