Havenwood Falls High Volume Two

by Cameo Renae

  The man’s eyes moved to my dad, still filled with recognition. “Piers?”

  My father stepped in front of me, pushing me behind him—a defensive move. Then, he went quiet as he took in the man’s face.

  “Garrick?” His expression twisted.

  “It’s been too long,” the man replied.

  The two of them collided in a hug, and I stood there feeling a mixture of surprise and confusion. My dad never hugged anyone like that, with so much emotion and intensity.

  “Where the hell have you been?” my dad asked, grabbing the man’s shoulders. “All this time, I—I thought you were dead.”

  “Dad?” I asked, trying to make sense of what was going on.

  “It’s okay, Eris,” he said, turning toward me. “This is your long-lost uncle Garrick.”

  “Wait. What?” I gasped. “I have an uncle?”

  “Actually, you have two,” Garrick replied. “But I’m the handsome one.” He winked, then laughed, turning his attention back to my father.

  “Dad, why didn’t you tell me?” I never knew I had other living family members.

  My dad shook his head. “I’m sorry, Eris. There is so much I just can’t remember.”

  “Piers, I know this is a huge surprise, and believe me, I understand.” He turned to the woman. “This is Lyra Beaumont. We’re here because—well—it’s a bit complicated.” He looked at the woman and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. He was having trouble explaining their reasons for being here, frustration written all over his face. “We’ve come with bad news of a close family member.”

  “Is it Barney? Is he okay?” My dad’s face went pale.

  I assumed Barney was the “not as handsome” uncle.

  Garrick shook his head. “No. Barney’s fine. We’re here about your son, Piers.”

  My father’s eyes narrowed, then he glanced back at me, his expression unreadable. I shook my head and looked back at the man claiming to be my uncle. I didn’t have a brother. That was the kind of thing someone didn’t forget.

  “Garrick, I don’t have a son,” my dad replied.

  Garrick slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper, then offered it to my dad.

  Tiptoeing, I peeked over his shoulder to see an old photograph that had been folded in half, but I immediately recognized three of the faces. My dad, my mom, and me. But I was much younger. And there was someone standing next to me . . . a boy with his arm over my shoulder. I could see the resemblance. He had the same golden-brown hair and the same shaped eyes as me, only he was a foot taller and looked a few years older.

  “You have a son, Piers, and if you let us in, I’ll explain why you don’t remember him.”

  My father paused, looking at the picture. I could see the tension in his jaw. “How did you get this?” my dad snapped, holding the picture up. “Is this a fake?”

  Garrick held up both hands in front of him. “It’s real. I assure you.”

  “Why, after all this time, would you show up and tell me about a son I don’t have?” A deep guttural growl erupted from my dad’s chest. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Piers, I promise we’ll explain,” Garrick pleaded, turning to Lyra and giving her a nod.

  Lyra quickly waved her hand in front of my dad and whispered a single word. I couldn’t hear the word, but after she spoke it, my dad took a shaky step back. He shook his head, his eyes blinking rapidly several times.

  Then, it was as if a switch had been flipped. His entire demeanor shifted, and his harsh expression was replaced with what I could only describe as understanding.

  Could it have been magic?

  I was no stranger to magic. Ever since we moved into this house, I could do things no normal kids could do. Like move things with my mind. My first real encounter was when Dad and I were sitting at the dining table eating breakfast. I was tired, and he’d asked me to pass the syrup. In my mind, I willed the syrup to move, and to mine and my dad’s surprise, it did. He was not only shocked but immediately concerned and warned me—repetitively—to never, ever use my magic in front of anyone else.

  And that wasn’t all. Once in a while, whenever I felt really sad or frightened, a glimmer would appear—a small, bright ball of light, about three inches around, and when it came close, it radiated warmth. At first, I was afraid of it, but every time it appeared, it made me feel a lot better. Less . . . alone. I also learned that no one else could see it. So it had become my secret. A glimmer of hope and light that would come whenever the world around me felt dark.

  My dad stepped aside, allowing my uncle and the woman into our living room.

  “What’s the news you came with?” Dad questioned, his arms crossing over his chest. I could see the muscles in his biceps tighten. He was ready to defend us, if he had to.

  “I will tell you, but first, Lyra needs to perform a simple ceremony to reverse a memory spell that has been placed on both of you. Once she finishes, it will be much easier to explain.”

  “Memory spell? What the hell is that?” My father’s arms lowered, and a growl rumbled deep in his chest. Garrick stepped back with his hands up in surrender.

  “Piers, you know me. You’ve known me your entire life, and you agreed to this spell when you left Havenwood Falls, knowing full well what the repercussions would be.”

  “Havenwood Falls?” My dad shook his head.

  “Yes. Think about it.” Garrick approached my dad slowly, carefully. “There is a large chunk of your life missing. That chunk were the years you lived in Havenwood Falls with Aurora and your children. When you left, a memory spell—which is automatically placed on everyone who leaves the town—caused you to forget.”

  My dad shook his head. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, but I swear . . . if you do anything that will harm my daughter—”

  “I know,” Garrick said, his hands still raised. “You just have to trust me, Piers. Let Lyra do her thing, and we can talk after.”

  “Please, take a seat,” the woman said, gesturing to our brown leather couch. She wasn’t wasting any time, but I didn’t sense any negative vibe from her. That was one thing I could pick up on in most people—if they had good or bad intentions—and my intuition was usually right. I guess my dad didn’t feel anything negative either, because he gave me a nod and took a seat on the couch.

  Lyra stood in front of us while Garrick paced slowly behind her. “I need you both to relax, close your eyes, and try to clear your mind,” she said.

  Right. Easier said than done with the gazillion unanswered questions they’d just thrown on us. And the fact I’d just learned I had relatives. Living relatives.

  I leaned over to my dad. “Do you trust them?”

  His eyes found mine. “I do. I have a feeling they’re here to help and not harm.”

  I nodded, then leaned back. My dad took my hand, which helped me relax a bit.

  “Wait a minute,” I blurted, my eyes popping back open, finding Lyra. “Is this safe? Our minds won’t be scrambled or altered in any way, right?”

  Lyra grinned. “It’s perfectly safe, dear. I promise there won’t be any scrambled minds. I’m just removing a spell. That’s it.”

  “Okay.” I sighed loudly, wondering what kind of memories were hidden from me for who knows how long. “Let’s do this.”

  As I closed my eyes, the woman began to chant. As she continued, I focused on the words, relaxed into them, and soon felt a gentle buzz in the air. My head felt tingly and light, like a weight was being lifted. Then, after a few moments, she stopped.

  I opened my eyes and found her walking back toward Garrick.

  “Is it done?” he whispered.

  “Yes, the spell has been removed,” she spoke softly. “It might take a while, but they should start to remember things soon.”

  “Thank you,” Garrick replied with a nod.

  “Wait,” I blurted. “The memory spell—what exactly is it used for and why?”

  Garrick sat on the loveseat ac
ross from us, his hands folded in front of him. “When you and your dad left Havenwood Falls, the memories of the place, the people in it, and everything that happened there were suppressed. Think of it as a type of amnesia caused by the spell. For me to explain why I’ve come, we needed to remove that spell. Lyra,” his eyes traveled to the woman, “is a witch from Havenwood Falls, and one of the few trusted to reverse it.” His eyes darted back and forth between my dad and me, watching us with great anticipation. Then, he clapped his hands together loudly. “So . . . is it working?”

  My dad exhaled, pressing his face into his palms.

  I was surprised he wasn’t saying anything. He normally questioned everything. Why was he so quiet?

  He finally sat forward and looked at Garrick. “Right now, all I have is a massive headache.” He stood from the couch and began to walk toward the kitchen.

  “Where are you going?’ I called after him.

  “To take something for this throbbing pain in my head.”

  “Just give the spell some time,” Lyra said after him. “You’ve been gone for quite a while. It might take a bit to unravel all the memories. It’s different for everyone.”

  My father returned a few moments later and plopped down next to me, his elbows pressed against his knees, the picture in his hands. His eyes were narrowed, studying the faces.

  We all watched him in silence.

  “I’ve had this emptiness inside I couldn’t explain. A hole of sadness I could never fill,” he murmured. “Now I understand where it came from. It was the place the memories once were. Memories of them.” His finger traced over my mom and the boy in the picture. Then, he quickly swiped a stray tear that escaped his eye and trickled down his cheek.

  I’d never seen my dad so shaken, so . . . emotional. He was strong, physically and emotionally, and not once had I ever seen him cry.

  “I’m sorry, Piers. What Lyra just did will reverse the spell and return what was hidden these past seven years,” Garrick explained, his brow furrowed.

  My dad nodded, then closed his eyes. His head fell back onto the couch.

  I waited again, for some lightbulb to click on in my mind and all my memories to flood back. But there was nothing. As time ticked on, doubt and frustration set in.

  Just before I was about to say something, my dad’s head snapped forward, and his eyes went wide, blinking away an invisible fog. He stood from the couch and stared at the man standing in front of him. I saw something in his eyes. Something I couldn’t explain.

  “You okay?” Garrick asked.

  My dad nodded. “I remember.”

  Chapter 2

  Garrick stood and hugged my dad. “It’s great to have you back, brother.”

  Brother. As they stood together I could see how strong the resemblance was. They had the same features, the same dark hair and gold specks in their dark eyes.

  But what about my brother?

  “Dad,” I spoke, and they went quiet. “Is it true I have a brother?”

  His eyes met mine, and there was a short pause before he answered. “Yes, Eris. It’s true.”

  My chest constricted and ached to the point of bursting. He’d forgotten about his son. His son. And not only his son . . . my brother. How could he allow himself—allow us—to forget something so important?

  “Why did we forget him?”

  “Eris,” Garrick cut in, but my mind and the room were spinning. “It was necessary—”

  “No!” I yelled, fisting my hands so tightly, my nails cut into my palms. “This is kind of a big deal. Why would anyone want to make me forget that I have a brother? For the past seven years I never knew he existed.” I could barely breathe, my body shaking as I looked at my dad. “Why did we leave him?”

  “Your brother refused to leave Havenwood Falls, and the entire family agreed. We had his best interests at heart,” Garrick answered again.

  “His best interests?” I snapped, my eyes glaring at him. “How old was he when we left?”

  “We recently celebrated his nineteenth birthday.”

  Nineteen? I quickly did the math, my eyes narrowing on my dad. “You left him when he was twelve? You let him make the decision to stay and were okay with it?”

  “You don’t understand, Eris,” Garrick added. “Your brother was troubled at the time, and despite it seeming like an irrational move, we all knew it was the right decision. He’s had a good life. I assure you. It just wasn’t safe for him to leave with you, and you’ll understand why soon.”

  I couldn’t speak, my body shaking. I felt violated. They’d taken something away from me, and I’d had no say in it.

  “What’s his name?” I didn’t want to wait for the damn memories to return to find out.

  “Camden,” my dad answered. “His name is Camden.”

  Hot tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. Camden.

  “Eris,” Lyra spoke softly. “The memory spell is not specific to any individual. Every person, whether a resident or visitor of Havenwood Falls, will not remember the place or anything that happened there once they leave. It’s a safeguard.”

  “A safeguard? For what?”

  “Havenwood Falls and many of its residents are special and need to be protected,” Lyra replied, glancing at Garrick. He nodded in affirmation.

  I sighed, claiming defeat. They weren’t going to tell me anything else.

  “Piers,” Garrick said, placing his hands on my dad’s shoulders. “The reason we came is because Camden is injured.”

  “How? What happened?” My father’s voice was strained.

  “We don’t know. He’s in a coma, and we believe it’s tied to a spell. Some kind of dark magic. The mages are working on it, but as of now, he’s unresponsive.”

  Mages. Dark magic. A memory spell to make us forget the place. Special? Just from those few words alone, I knew Havenwood Falls wasn’t a normal community.

  “Do you have any idea who did it?” my dad asked.

  “No. But the sheriff is investigating. Hopefully we’ll have something or someone soon.”

  I was still in shock and disbelief. I wanted answers—firm answers I could grasp on to—and the only one to give them to me was . . .

  “Dad? What happened in Havenwood Falls that made us leave?”

  My dad walked up and put his arm around me, then sat me back down on the couch. “Havenwood Falls was a place we lived with your mother and brother. It’s the place you were born, Eris. But something horrible happened. Something I couldn’t stop.” Tears welled in his eyes, and I could tell he struggled with telling me everything. Telling me the truth. “Soon, I will be able to explain it all to you, but not right now. All you need to know is there were things that happened in Havenwood Falls that forced me to leave and take you with me. Promises I made to your mother. And of course, things I wanted to forget.” His head lowered. I could tell that most of his memories had returned. But mine still hadn’t. Why?

  My dad had kept one single picture of my mother, which was framed and placed on our living room mantel. It had been the only evidence I possessed that proved she existed. So many nights I stared at that picture, memorizing the lines of her face. She was beautiful and had so much life in her golden-brown eyes. She was laughing, the sun beaming just as bright as her smile, her golden hair shimmering. When I closed my eyes, I could almost see her and often imagined what it would have been like to have her in my life. How different it would have been.

  My dad told me she’d died giving birth to me. He’d handwritten it on the back of the picture.

  Aurora Witheridge-Blaekthorn – Beloved wife

  Died giving birth to daughter.

  But that wasn’t true. In the picture Garrick brought, she was there, and I was about nine or ten.

  I jumped up to grab her picture from the mantel when my dad pulled Garrick to the side. He tried to talk softly, but I could hear him clearly.

  “I’ll need to make arrangements for Eris before I leave.”

  I
turned, aghast. “Arrangements? No, Dad. You are not leaving me here.”

  “Eris,” my dad exhaled. “There are things in Havenwood Falls that can—”

  “Hurt me?” I huffed. “Dad, the world is filled with things that can hurt me. I’m not a child anymore. I’m seventeen. And, besides, you’ve taught me how to defend myself.” He knew that was true. “Dad, please. You can’t leave me here. You can’t keep me from seeing my brother.”

  I turned to Garrick and hoped he would help plead my case. “I think she should come, Piers. She might be able to help.”

  “No. Absolutely not!” my father growled. “I don’t want her involved in any of the family issues.”

  “Piers, you can’t keep her away forever. It’s in her blood.”

  “What’s in my blood? What aren’t you telling me?” I demanded.

  “I said no,” my dad snarled and walked away. “Besides, she has school work.”

  “Dad, it’s winter break and besides . . . I’m homeschooled,” I rebutted.

  He wasn’t going to budge, so I had to come up with something else. If anyone could change his mind, it was me. I knew him best, and I knew what it took to play his heartstrings. If I could get him thinking, then maybe, I’d have a chance.

  I followed him into the kitchen. “Listen, Dad. You have a son in a coma. I agree, you need to go and be with him, but you’ll be leaving me here for days, maybe longer, under the supervision of an old woman. What if something happened? You wouldn’t be here to protect me. Besides that, I just found out I have a brother who is in a coma. I need to be there, too.”

  Garrick joined us, leaning against the kitchen entryway. “She’ll be safe with the family, Piers.”

  I twirled back, and Garrick winked at me. At that moment, I liked him. I had an uncle who was on my side, and it felt good.

  Lyra also stepped in and added, “We can put wards up around your property. She’ll be safe as long as she stays within the boundary. Besides, I agree with Garrick. It’s better for her to be surrounded by family, and I think it’s time—” She stopped.