by Tish Thawer
“Yes, I do know you, and I understand those feelings are not only due to your training but also to the stringent rules you’ve placed upon yourself as our family’s protector. You’ve become tough and hardened, which is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but you also need to remember it’s not just the two of us anymore. Besides, you know as well as I do that we never had the kind of sight Karina did. I think we need to be more open and understanding of that too.”
Dead air filled the Jeep as Caris waited for her little sister’s response.
“I know you’re right. And it’s not like I’m making light of her nightmares, but there’s more to consider now than before. We are all still getting used to the magic that has reemerged in us, and while I know that Trin has the best sight, I think she may need to focus a little more before deeming something ‘bad’ or ‘evil’, because you know as well as I do that emotions can alter your magic. It’s like when you can control your pendulum just by thinking of the outcome you desire. I don’t want her guilt about Ann manifesting into something that shouldn’t have been a problem to begin with.”
Caris knew why this was such a huge worry for her baby sister. She’d seen it too many times before during their past lives. One thing or another had happened that generated hope of finding Karina, or the opposite, some overwhelming fear that they’d not make it out of a particular lifetime alive. All the while, it was just false visions and misdirection being thrown at them by the demon they’d fought for centuries. “I get it, sis. I’ll talk to her more tonight and see if we can all do some digging together. Maybe if Trin’s able to bring us into one of her dreams, we can witness it for ourselves and get a better idea of what’s really going on.”
“Thanks, Car. You always have my back.”
Caris smiled wide as the line went dead. “And you always have mine, little sister,” she said to herself, tossing the phone into her purse. Her cheerful expression remained as she made her way into school. She liked the idea of dream-walking with Trin and thought perhaps she and Jason could obtain a little more insight before Tuesday when Kennedy returned.
“Good morning, Caris. Don’t you look chipper today,” greeted Principal Lyons.
“Hi, Sylvia. Thank you, I guess I am feeling extra positive this morning.” Caris laughed.
“It’s always nice to see someone excel at their job and with a smile on their face to boot.” Sylvia waved herself off and proceeded down the hall, leaving Caris even more thrilled at receiving such a nice compliment from her boss.
After storing her things in the drawer of her desk, Caris finished sorting papers and was ready to greet her class for the day when her cell phone started to buzz.
“Hello?” Caris answered, not recognizing the number.
“Hello, Ms. Hardy. This is Dr. Weaver, I’m a professor at the University of Maine. As part of our ongoing family study, we have your sister’s results in but haven’t been able to reach her for the last few weeks. She has your number listed as a point of contact, so I was wondering if you knew how we could reach her, or if you’d be willing to offer your own blood sample so we could compare the anomalies we found during our research that I assume the two of you share.”
“Um...excuse me? I think you may have the wrong person. I don’t have any sisters currently in Maine. And my only sister has never participated in any kind of University study.” Caris was careful to reference Kenndy as her only sister, seeing in this day and age, that was what the public records would show.
“Really? That’s odd. This study is something we’ve conducted for years, and your sister has always participated in the interviews as well as the testing and genealogy study that recently opened up.”
Caris rose from her chair and paced to the window, gazing outside at the beautiful fall leaves in an effort to calm her racing heart. “No, I’m sorry. My sister doesn’t live in Maine, so like I said, I think you have the wrong person.”
“I’m so sorry, but I have to insist on a few more questions, just to be sure before I can close this file.”
“Okay, go ahead,” Caris conceded.
“Are you Caris Hardy, a resident of BlackBrook, NY?”
“Yes.”
“Are you a kindergarten teacher at the local private school there?”
“Yes.” Caris took a deep breath.
“Clearly, I have the right phone number, so my last question is this, do you have a sister named Trin Hartwell?”
Caris swallowed hard. “Um. No, I do not.” Caris struggled to mesh together a reasonable explanation, but she was too thrown to get a clear read on the situation. Trin had never mentioned being in Maine or participating in anything like this. But then again, maybe Kennedy was right and they really didn’t know enough about each other in this lifetime yet. What if Trin had done something like this as a way to search for them before finding out the truth? Either way, Caris wasn’t going to divulge any information to a complete stranger. “I’m sorry for your trouble, but clearly this is a mistake. I’d appreciate it if you’d remove my information from your records,” Caris stated bluntly.
“Oh my, this is odd indeed, and I’m so sorry to have bothered you. Do you happen to know the woman claiming to be your sister?”
“No. I’m sorry, I don’t.” Again, Caris lied, knowing if they tracked her records through the regular means, they’d find her words to be true.
“Goodness gracious. I’m so sorry to have bothered you, Ms. Hardy. Please accept my apology.”
“Of course. Thank you, and have a good day.” Caris ended the call just as the morning bell rang.
“So much for feeling chipper,” Caris snapped, tossing her phone back into her purse.
Chapter Four
“Hey, Trin, are you guys home?” Caris called out as soon as she stepped through the front door.
“Hi, Caris, yes, we’re back here.” Trin’s voice rang out from the back porch.
Caris intended to approached this delicately, so she didn’t make Trin feel like she was being attacked in any way, but as her frustration built throughout the day, it made it difficult to keep a level head. “Do we have any more wine?” she asked before even reaching the fridge.
“Yes, I think so. It should be chilled on the top shelf,” Trin replied.
“Great!” Caris grabbed the sweet Moscato and poured herself a healthy glass, then joined Trin and Jason around the fire pit on the back porch.
“Bad day?” Jason asked, familiar with the tick in his cousin’s jaw.
“You could say that.” Caris sat in silence, drinking down half her glass before posing her first question.
“Trin, I received an odd call today and need to ask you some questions.”
“Okay, sure. Shoot.” Trin folded her legs underneath her on the chaise and smiled.
“Someone named Dr. Weaver from the University of Maine had my information on file as a point of contact for you. They said it was regarding an ongoing family study that you’d participated in and had given blood to. Does any of that sound familiar?”
Trin shook her head, confusion knitting her brow. “No. Not at all. I’ve never even been to Maine in this lifetime.”
Whew, Caris thought. “That’s what I figured, so I told her that I didn’t know you, but it was weird. She had my name, occupation, phone number and said that ‘Trin Hartwell’ had listed me as her sister in the study.”
“How strange.” Trin uncrossed her legs and scooted closer to Jason. “Do you think it’s something Kit, I mean Ann, could have done before we stopped her?”
“Oh, possibly. I didn’t even think of that,” Caris admitted. “She definitely would have had access to all that information, and maybe she was using this study as a way to track Kennedy and me without you knowing about it.”
“Maybe, but why? That goes against her mission of keeping you guys apart, doesn’t it?” Jason asked.
“Well, you know what they say...keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Caris lifted her glass into the air,
satisfied they’d figured it out.
“Yeah, I guess that could be it,” Jason conceded as he placed his arm around Trin’s shoulders. “But why would she agree to giving blood to this study? Wouldn’t that just prove that she wasn’t related?”
“Hmm, I would definitely think so. The professor said that the genealogy part of the study had just opened up, though, so maybe that’s why she stopped communicating with them; because she knew her jig was gonna be up soon.” Caris shrugged.
“That, or because we ended her and the demon before she could return and get whatever results she was after,” Jason added.
Trin sat silently, listening to their assumptions while trying to focus her mind on the internal warnings that had started to sound at the mention of Kit’s blood.
“At least it’s over, and I won’t be getting any more calls from them or have to worry about any strange blood trials regarding our family.” Caris lifted her glass to her lips and swallowed the last gulp of wine just as Trin’s eyes rolled back in her head.
“Oh my god! Trin, what’s wrong?” Caris leapt to kneel at her sister’s side.
Jason held Trin in his arms as she began convulsing against him. “Baby, please, what can I do?” he begged.
Caris bolted for the kitchen, returning in seconds with a clove of garlic and some ground valerian root. “Here, hold her while I put this in her mouth. It will help with the seizure.”
Jason held Trin’s head, caressing her cheek while Caris laid the herbs on her tongue. “Come on baby, come back to me,” he whispered.
Trin’s fit slowed immediately, but her eyes remained closed, squeezed tight like the knot in Jason’s throat. He quickly pulled her into his arms and carried her back into the house. Caris, hot on their heels, followed them in from the back porch, tossing flames into the living room hearth then raced to the kitchen to mix up a batch of the healing tea Trin kept in full supply.
Propped up on the couch and covered with a cashmere blanket, Trin slowly stirred awake, coming to just as Caris handed her a cup of tea. “Thank you, I’m okay.” She pushed herself upright, bringing the healing tonic gently to her lips.
“What happened? Are you sure you’re all right?” Jason reached for Trin’s legs, needing the feel of her under his hands to help calm his raging nerves.
“At the mention of Kit’s blood, I got a bad feeling then a vision hit me swift and hard.”
“A vision? What did you see?” Caris asked.
Trin swallowed another sip of her tea. “It was Ann for sure. I saw her surrounded by swirling tendrils of blood and two or three shadowy figures that I couldn’t make out.”
“Figures? Like more demons?” Caris spat.
“I don’t think so. From what I could make out they looked like normal people,” Trin explained.
“So did Heinrich at one point,” Jason reminded them.
“I know, but there was something else odd about it; I couldn’t get a read on the timeline. It seemed as though the other figures were possibly from the 1600s, but Ann looked like she does now, here, in modern times.”
“That is strange.” Caris collapsed onto the opposite couch, shaking her head.
“Do you think this has anything to do with the nightmares and bad vibes you’ve been experiencing?” Jason asked.
“I can’t be sure, but I certainly hope not. Having to deal with anything about Ann or her past would be like opening Pandora’s box. No good would come from it.” Trin set her cup down and took Jason’s hands. “But don’t worry, whatever this is, we’ll figure it out once we’ve completed our ritual.” Trin looked at Caris and rushed to explain. “I was thinking we should perform a ritual between us three sisters to solidify our bond a little more before we start looking for trouble.”
Caris nodded. “After this, I totally agree. We’ll let Kennedy know once she returns on Tuesday.”
“Sounds good.” Trin smiled. “And thank you for the herbs and tea.”
Caris jumped up from the couch then bent down and threw her arms around Trin’s neck. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
“Car, I’m fine. Don’t worry. It takes more than a little vision to keep me down.” Trin tried to sooth her sister’s fears, instinctively knowing they stemmed from seeing their mama’s attack first hand. Kara and Kenna had witnessed the moment that their mother had been spelled and fell sick through their scrying bowl, and Trin knew it was something that still stuck with her to this day.
Caris pulled back and wiped at her eyes, then stood and took Trin’s cup to the kitchen.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Jason leaned close and whispered in her ear.
Trin ran her hands down his strong arms. “I promise, I’m fine. But I’ll put some extra psychic protections in place before we go to bed, though, just in case. We’ll definitely need to keep a close eye on things until Kennedy returns and we complete the ritual.”
The phone rang, interrupting Trin as she laid out her plans.
“Hello,” Caris answered. “What? You’ve got to be kidding me. Kennedy, this is bad. There’s stuff that you should know first before you....DAMMIT!” She slammed the phone back into its cradle. Caris returned to the living room shaking her head and frantically ringing the dishtowel in her hand. “That was Kennedy, and you’ll never guess where her next assignment is taking her.”
“You’re kidding me?” Jason’s shoulder’s dropped.
“Nope. She’s been sent to investigate a case in Maine.”
Chapter Five
Kennedy felt bad about cutting Caris off, but she couldn’t risk a lengthy conversation with her boss staring her in the face.
“All set, Hardy?” Agent Nielson asked.
“Yep, let’s go.”
She’d finished submitting her paperwork from the ‘BlackBrook assignment’ she’d used her magic to fabricate, but just as she’d began to weave a new spell to explain her upcoming absence, Nielson had walked in and demanded she join him. Knowing she didn’t have to be back until Tuesday, she thought it might be prudent to actually do her job while she was here, especially if she’d like to continue receiving her government issued paychecks.
“So, what’s the assignment?” Kennedy asked as she slid into the passenger seat of his sedan.
“Need to know, I’m afraid.” His ornery smile, complimented by his sexy beard and piercing blue eyes, was the only thing that stopped her from probing his thoughts. She actually enjoyed his flirting...probably a little too much.
“Okay, but can you at least tell me where in Maine we’re headed?”
“Orono.” He winked.
“Ah.” Kennedy nodded and settled in for the ride to the airport. She knew immediately they’d be taking the company plane, seeing that the state university was more than a ten-hour drive away.
The hour and thirty-minute flight was pleasant, but not as pleasant as Kennedy hoped. Nielson hadn’t cast his gorgeous eyes in her direction for one second, but was instead preoccupied with phone calls the entire time.
“Anything I need to know before we begin?” she asked, hoping he’d give her at least a sliver of information as to why the FBI was headed into the University of Maine.
“Like I said, need to know. We’ll be questioning some of the researchers who’ve reported an identity problem with one of their patients, and after that, we’ll see where it goes.”
Kennedy reached for her hip, securing her weapon, then pulled her suit jacket tight as they climbed the main stairs. “This is a case of identity theft, really? That’s a little below our pay grade, isn’t it?”
“Yes, well, since the identity involves your sister, I figured you’d want to be involved.” Nielson’s piercing stare and suddenly serious demeanor told her he was telling the truth.
Kennedy swallowed hard then quickly pulled herself together. “My sister? Caris?” she asked around the lump in her throat.
“Yes. And apparently someone named Trin.”
What the hell? Kennedy cussed internally, wis
hing she could go back in time and finish her conversation with Caris. Obviously, they had more information than her as to what was going on here, and being left in the dark was one of her biggest pet peeves.
ISPWICH, MASSACHUSETTS
1690
“Why can’t I go?” Kenna whined, furious about being left behind.
“Because little one, Beltane is for mature witches, not children,” Kara explained a little too enthusiastically now that she was of age and able to attend this year’s celebration.
“Enough.” Karina walked into the kitchen dressed in her ritual dress and robe. “Kara, have you packed everything we’ll need?” she asked.
“Yes, sister. It’s all prepared. Thank you for letting me come to the celebration this year. It’s my first official Beltane as a matured woman.” Kara spun around. “Do you think I’ll find my soul mate at the bonfire, or perhaps at the maypole dance?” Kara beamed.
“Perhaps, sister. Anything is possible when the God and Goddess join under the stars.”
“Do you want to see the wreath I made for my hair? I can make you one too, if you’d like.” Kara excitedly pulled the flower ring from her basket, displaying roses, daisies, and sprigs of baby’s breath.
“It’s lovely, Kara. But we need to be on our way, so gather your cloak and let’s prepare to depart.”
Karina turned to find Kenna staring up at her with a look of complete reverence. “You look beautiful,” she whispered.
“Thank you, sweet girl. And I’m sorry it’s not yet time for you to attend, but I need someone here to watch the house and take care of Pepper while we’re gone.” Karina reached down and ruffled the hair on their mutts head. “Can you do that for me, Kenna?”
“I guess so.” Her lower lip overshadowed her chin as she walked into the sitting room and flopped down on the couch where she was joined seconds later by the bouncing hound.
“Good. Thank you. It will put my mind at ease to know our home is guarded by a powerful witch and her familiar. I’d also greatly appreciate it if you could refill my healing tea and keep the fire stoked beneath it while I’m gone.” Karina leaned down and placed a kiss on Kenna’s bowed head, silently sealing her protection spell in place.