by Ashley McLeo
“So worked up in fact, I thought I’d like us to get to know each other in a more personal environment. Somewhere where we can be alone—not your apartment or my hotel but neutral ground. I’m not free this weekend, I have to make a trip to the home office, but what do you say we go away next weekend or the weekend after? You and me darlin’, all alone.”
Her sapphire eyes grew wide. “You want to go on a vacation with me?” She’d never gone anywhere with a boyfriend before.
“One tiny weekend away,” Roman took her mouth in his and kissed her breathless. “I didn’t want to book a week and scare you off. And you don’t have to answer me now if you don’t want to. I have a few places in mind I can reserve last minute.”
“Wow. Yes. I mean, I’ll think about it.” She licked her lips, savoring the essence of cloves he left there.
“Wonderful. How’d Vicencia take the news?”
“Pretty well, actually. Especially when I promised her, yet again, that she wouldn’t have to take over your accounts while I’m gone.”
It was the truth. Vicencia hadn’t even blinked when Evelyn told her she was having an affair with the company’s largest client. She’d admitted preferring that her best friend date someone, rather than Evelyn hitting up the club all night long, but Roman didn’t need to know that.
“Well now that we’re out we should celebrate! I took the liberty of making a reservation, if you’re up for it? It’s one of those fancy places you’re always gabbing with your Mom about, not any of those dives I’ve been lucky to get you to step foot in. You’ve been so accommodating I figure I owe you at least a dozen high class dates,” he grinned knowingly.
Her heart leapt. No more dive bars and shabby all night diners! How does he always know what I need to hear? He’s a miracle.
“I’ll grab my coat.”
Uniting
Water streamed into the coffee pot as Lily finished prepping the first of what was sure to be many pots of coffee for the day. She pressed the on button and stretched her arms wide. Vertebra after vertebra popped up her spine, a testament to her sleepless nights that had caused her and everyone else in the house so much frustration. The three weeks since they’d received word that Evelyn would be staying in New York for two months had been some of the hardest Lily had endured at Fern Cottage.
Not only did Lily dislike the posh gold and blue tones of the room she’d confined herself to nearly as much as the person it was custom decorated for, she also couldn’t manage a full night’s sleep in it. Lily knew she would sleep better in her own bed, but she still couldn’t bring herself to be alone with Sara, who would force her to talk out feelings that Lily knew were irrational but could not shrug off.
Every time Lily thought of Evelyn sitting behind her desk working as if nothing in the world had changed, as if Em hadn’t died for their cause, Lily wanted to punch something. And if that wasn’t bad enough, her frustration and anger had become heightened by what she considered Sara’s betrayal: taking Evelyn’s side in the matter, as if it were fine to run out on the responsibilities you committed to when others were dying for you.
The coffee pot beeped and Lily poured the coffee into her mug, adding cream until the black gold transmuted into the perfect paper bag hue. She added a tablespoon of raw sugar to cut the bitterness and took a sip.
Ahh, perfect. The caramel taste of the brew ran over Lily’s tongue. Not so intense that she’d have the jitters, yet strong enough to last until the others woke up, which she knew wouldn’t be for a couple hours. Hours Lily would spend with her current obsession, Seraphina’s tome. Since returning to Ireland, she devoured Hypatia’s recollection of Seraphina’s words at least once a day, looking for a gem of information the others had missed. So far, she hadn’t found anything new but at least the hours spent with the small book were a distraction—a way in which she felt she was doing something useful, and a small step in the direction of avenging Em’s death.
Lily settled herself onto the loveseat. Here she had a view of Brigit’s garden, where a fair number of hearty plants flourished despite the frost that had rampaged the Irish countryside a few days ago. She set her coffee on the side table and pulled a blanket over her knees before extracting Seraphina’s tome from her robe’s oversized pocket.
It was as she’d seen it a dozen times before. No larger than a birthday card, thirty-three pages of papyrus roughly sewn together with a string of leather. Despite its age, it was undoubtedly one of the most immaculate ancient volumes ever found. Mary and Aoife attributed the book’s pristine condition to its being preserved in time and space where temperature, humidity, fire, oils, and even pollutants in the air would not act on it. Most of what little wear showed on its pages had occurred only in the weeks since its discovery. A light differentiation of color on the leather string and pages where the witches bent it open, a faint oil mark from someone’s fingerprints and a page with a tiny tear were the marks of the McKay witches. Lily had learned that even the way Hypatia had bound the volume, as one would a modern book, was remarkable and against the painstaking tradition of rolling papyri into scrolls. Practically everything about this book is remarkable. Too bad it isn’t easier to discover why so many people thought it was important.
Lily opened to the first page, what she’d come to think of as the foreword by Seraphina’s daughter, Esther. She often lingered on this page. She thought it was because she could relate with the daughter, a woman discovering the truth of her family’s lineage. She sympathized with Esther learning that her entire life, the family she’d grown up with, was not what she thought. That Esther’s mother and aunts were sent to change Earth in ways Esther could not possibly imagine. And that Esther had been handed a huge responsibility to pass on the story, selectively and carefully, until the destined three arrived.
The destined three? More like the destined two, Lily thought with a huff, and even those two are not a united front. After a few days of stewing Lily had been inclined to forgive Sara’s gut instinct to defend their sister. Looking back she even thought Sara’s easy forgiveness of Evelyn’s poor choices was kind of noble.
But then she discovered the phone calls.
Phone calls Sara hid from Lily. The ones where Sara comforted Evelyn and rejoiced in her easy life in New York. In Lily’s opinion it was one thing to defend a person and another entirely to allow them to believe their poor choices where acceptable. To make matters worse, Lily had overheard enough of one specific call to know that Evelyn had a boyfriend and they were going on a trip together today.
A trip together! What nerve! While we sit here, broken and sparring our asses off every day. Evelyn has a private jet at her disposal. She could easily come to Ireland for the weekend to practice with us. Instead, she’s choosing to use it for a weekend away with some guy? I mean, what the hell? Why hasn't she thought to come here once or twice? At least then I could get some anger out in person.
Lily sighed and reached for her coffee. It was stone cold. She glanced up at the clock and saw an hour had passed.
Seraphina’s tomb has a way with time, that’s for sure. She flipped to the second page and began to read in earnest. She was halfway done when Brigit appeared in the sitting room, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Care for a cuppa? Or would you fancy more coffee?” she asked before bending down to the hearth and murmuring a few words. A fire sprang up, high and hot, to chase the chill from the room. “Coffee, please. Mine was cold before I got to it.” Lily shut Seraphina’s tome and followed her mother into the kitchen.
“Find anything new?” Brigit asked, gesturing to the book.
“Nope. I always seem to get stuck on the first page and then speed read the rest. Something’s there, I know it is. I’m just not finding it.”
“Hmm. I suppose it will come when it’s supposed to,” Brigit said unhelpfully and poured more coffee into Lily’s mug.
Silence hung in the air. Easy conversation between Lily and those who frequented Fern Cottage had vanished in
the weeks since Evelyn announced her decision. For the most part Lily didn’t mind. It meant she had fewer outbursts to apologize for later, but today was different. Today was special, and might be what she needed to turn her attitude around.
“Sooo, who’s picking up Rena, Annika, and Selma?”
“Aoife volunteered. They should be here a little after eleven.”
Lily’s heart squeezed. Having a small part of her Terramar family here would be the medicine she needed. Even if Sara and Lily would be crammed into Evelyn’s tiny room to accommodate them.
“The turkey’s thawed, right?”
“Aye. Even if I don’t know how to make a Thanksgiving dinner, I know enough to thaw a twenty-pound bird ahead of time. All is in order. I’ve given everyone their grocery lists. Nora’s picking up most of the ingredients for sides. She’s been to the States during the holiday and knows what they ought look like.”
Lily nodded.
“You’ll need to clean up Evelyn’s room before they arrive. Make some space for Sara’s things. It’ll be a full house for the next week, and we need to make it as pleasant as we can for everyone.” Brigit’s voice was even though Lily discerned a tone of anxiety beneath the calm.
“I’ll go do that now,” Lil said hoping to avoid another ‘you should talk to your sister speech’. She sped out of the kitchen and down the hallway, doing her best to ignore the pull of the old room she shared with Sara.
“Holaaaa! Where’s my chica?”
Lily jumped up from the supine position from which she’d been examining the ceiling of Evelyn’s room and ignoring the sound of laughter in the kitchen.
“You’re here!” Lily cried running into the sitting room and throwing her arms around Selma, Rena, and Annika in turn.
“Aye, would have been here sooner, if some ninny of a farmer hadn’t left his cows out to graze on the motorway. Would have been easy to coax them off the road with a spell, but non-magic folk were already there.” Aoife’s ginger and pepper scent preceded her as she walked up the stairs.
By the looks of it, Lily’s Oregon family, probably Selma, had let themselves in. As if to confirm her suspicions Brigit emerged from the kitchen with Sara quick on her heels, wiping her hands on a towel and looking at a loss. Lily held back her laughter as Brigit watched Selma show herself around the sitting room, marveling at the triquetras and intricate blown glass pieces that adorned the stone walls.
“Hey Sel, come here. You still need to be introduced,” Lily said, saving Brigit from having to corral the wild Spanish siren threatening to wander down the hallway.
The introductions were quick as everyone present had already heard of each other, if not met, long ago.
“Where are Gwenn and Mary?” Rena asked, reminding Lily that Rena knew her aunt Gwenn on a very personal level.
I wonder if things will be a bit weird between them?
“They’ll be ’round for dinner. Mary’s tending to a birth and Gwenn had a few business calls today. My cousin Fiona and Nora will be joining us, too,” Brigit said as she guided everyone from the small entryway to the sitting room.
Annika spun around and admired the stone cottage. “This is a lovely place you have Brigit. We don’t have many stone homes in Oregon. It’s a treat to stay here.” Annika gestured to the triquetras on the wall. “I have to say I just love your decorations. So very Irish, and that garden! I can’t wait to practice yoga in it. You’ll have to teach us a few things about tending a garden like that. Em wasn’t an earth witch, but she had a way with plants that we will miss.”
“One of the many things we’ll miss,” Rena added, sitting down on the couch.
“Of course,” Brigit replied with a small smile, “I’d be more than happy to.”
“Please let’s not be so dour. Now’s not the time. We’re in Ireland with our Lil and her family!” Selma beamed and sat in an armchair. “Tell us what you all have been up to! What kind of lessons have you been doing, chica? Sara?”
Sara’s eyes sought Lily’s, as if asking permission to speak and Lily looked away to lock eyes firmly with Selma.
“We’ve been dueling a lot, and we’re both getting pretty good. Or at least improving. I know a few dozen spells by now, all of which should be useful in a fight. Especially once we get to the point where we know what other creatures are susceptible to and can tell them apart by sight. So far all we’ve worked on is vampires since they’re the strongest fighters. Daemons and fae are next but at least I know I can take on vamps and other witches by now. Potions and healing are going well, too. Tell them what you’ve been up to, Sara.” Lily felt her nonchalance undermined by Sara’s eyes growing wide at her inclusion. She’s surprised that I spoke to her. Lily tried her best to ignore the guilt that arose with the thought.
Thanks largely to Selma’s loquacious nature, the conversation flowed easily from that point on.
“Shouldn’t we get dinner started? The bird takes hours right?” Lily asked when Mary and Gwenn arrived an hour later, arms laden with groceries and wine. She shot a glance at Annika, the only one she was sure had ever cooked an entire turkey.
“Well of course it takes hours, look at the size of the thing! No wonder so many Americans are overweight. Though of course you lot all seem to be outliers.” Aoife stood up with gusto and slicked her short red hair into a ponytail. “I’ll help out. I’m not much in the kitchen but I can do prep work.”
Mary volunteered to help, too, rolling up the sleeves of her midnight blue jumpsuit as she led Annika to the kitchen. Gwenn chatted with Rena a few minutes more before joining the cooking crew, which left Brigit, Rena, Selma, Lily, and Sara in the sitting room to enjoy a glass of the French burgundy Aoife had brought over.
Lily’s shoulders tensed as she watched Gwenn disappear into the kitchen. She wondered if Gwenn and Annika working together in the kitchen would be weird. Both had appeared happy to meet each other, and Rena had acted normal when she met her old flame. Lily supposed the years apart had a lot to do with it.
“No need to worry about those two, Lil,” Rena said, correctly interpreting Lily’s body language. “Neither is the jealous type, and Ann can charm anyone. She has so many great stories to tell. On the flight over she was telling me about the yoga retreat she just got back from. Five days in a Costa Rican jungle listening to a bunch of wackos who think their souls have been waiting for them on the moon for centuries. Her roommate was particularly interesting . . .”
Laughter exploded from the kitchen and Rena grinned as if her point had been proven.
Lily’s shoulders fell. Rena’s right, they’ll be fine.
“Thank the Goddess Mary’s in there, too,” Brigit whispered in mock conspiracy to Rena, though the words were loud enough for Sara and Lily to hear. “Aoife, despite her strengths in choosing a perfect red wine, is right laugh in the kitchen.”
Lily giggled as Rena and Selma pinked. Their own culinary skills also left a lot to be desired.
“That reminds me,” Selma said, clearly keen to change the subject. “We come bearing gifts.” She unzipped a large suitcase and pulled out three bottles of what Lily knew to be a pricey pinot noir and two bottles of barbera, a Terramar favorite.
“That’s too kind of you,” Brigit said, accepting the bottles. “What do you say we save them for dinner? I’ll take them into the kitchen. Lily and Sara, could you show Rena and Selma the cottage and put their bags in their bedroom?”
“I’m sure you’ll be dying to get back in here, Lil. Brigit and Sara did an excellent job decorating to your tastes.” Rena noted as Lily showed them to the room she used to share with Sara after touring the rest of the cottage.
“Sara, your side is nice, too,” Selma added putting her suitcase on Sara’s bed. “Red is my favorite color.”
Sara smiled, pleased by Selma’s compliment.
“Once Evelyn arrives that little single room will be tight. Or is one of you moving out onto the couch?” Rena asked opening her bag and pulling out her toiletries.<
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Lily stiffened and went to set Annika’s yoga bag by Sara’s meditation altar. So much had happened in the last three weeks that Lily hadn’t called home more than once, to confirm their trip here. She hadn’t told them about Evelyn’s two-month absence, how she felt about it, and the aftermath of those feelings. And now she had to do it in front of Sara.
“She’s not coming back any time soon,” Lily said, staring deadpan at the altar.
“What Lily means is, Evelyn had family obligations to take care of before she returns. She should be back in about a month,” Sara said.
“If by family obligations you mean going on a trip with her new boyfriend,” Lily snapped before she could stop herself.
The guilt that clouded Sara’s face gave Lily the tiny bit of ammo she needed to speak the words that had been itching to spring out of her all day.
“Yea, I overheard that phone call, Sara. I mean this place is minuscule, how could I not? So while we’re here, working our asses off, Evelyn is laying on a Caribbean beach or wherever the one percent spend their vacations? How are you fine with that? I mean, Em died for this cause, one each of us agreed to, and Evelyn is taking a vacation?”
“Evelyn deserves a break from time to time, too, doesn’t she? We’re taking time off from lessons while your family is here. Why can’t Evelyn?”
“She’s already had a three-week break and doesn’t plan to be back for another month! Who the hell knows what could happen in that amount of time? Em was fine at the beginning of the week and an undead vampire I had to freaking kill by the end of the week! I’m sorry but the way you are defending her is ridiculous. You know she doesn’t deserve it.”
“Well, I’m sorry if I want to see the best in people. If I don’t want history to repeat itself and I want to stay close to both of you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to move some of my stuff into our room.” Sara hefted a pile of clothes and books from atop her dresser and stalked out of the room.