Light Magic

by Ellie Ferguson

  “When are you due?” I asked, leaning back and carefully shifting positions until I found one that didn’t hurt too badly.

  “The doctor says I have another month.” Hearing her frustration, I pressed my lips together to keep from grinning.

  “And he said she needs to cut back on her work schedule. But does she do as he says? Hell no.” Drew drilled his sister with such a stern look, I knew they’d had this discussion more than once.

  “Drew, leave your sister alone. She’ll know when it’s time to step back some,” Miss Serena said firmly. As she did, she sat on the sofa next to me. “How are you?” she asked softly. She looked closely at me and I knew better than to try to hedge.

  “I’m hurting a little but it’s all right.” I gave her hand a squeeze before she could say anything. “And I guess it’s time we talk about the elephant in the room.”

  “Only if you want to, Meg,” Quinn said. “We’re here because we want to help but we won’t push. I promise.” The look she sent Drew was unmistakable. It was her way of telling him he was not to play the cop, at least not tonight.

  This being part of a group of friends, of family, felt so alien. I’d never had anyone but Mom I could rely upon. If this was real, I had friends, or at least the potential of friends and good ones at that. Did I dare turn my back on what they were offering?

  Did I dare trust it not to be a ruse of some sort?

  You have to quit looking for trouble, Meggie.

  How many times had Mom told me that? I could hear it as clearly now as the last time, barely six months ago. Maybe it was time I dropped my armor and let the chip on my shoulder fall. It wouldn’t be easy, but I had a feeling I needed to do it.

  “I appreciate it.” I did. I needed to remember that. “Mom always told me I’m too quick to be suspicious and to hold myself apart. She was right. Part of it, a large part, was because of how the rest of Maxon’s Mill treated us. There weren’t many Others there and those few kept to themselves and didn’t advertise who and what they were. The fact Mom and I didn’t hide what we are didn’t make life easy, especially when I was in school. I guess what I’m saying is it’s hard for me to trust. But Mom asked me to come here and you have each, in your own ways, done your best to make me feel welcome and you didn’t need to. So, yes, I’d like your help. If I ever act like I don’t, hit me up side of the head and remind me this isn’t Maxon’s Mill.”

  “I think we can manage that,” Quinn teased.

  “Thanks.” I grinned and relaxed a little. “I guess that’s my cue to begin.”

  It didn’t take long to give them a little background into what life had been like growing up in Maxon’s Mill. They seemed to understand not only why I’d left town when I went to college but why I’d moved close enough to check on Mom when I got out of the Army. Annie interrupted long enough to tell me to talk with Sam if I needed a sounding board about anything I saw or did while on active duty. But, other than that, they said little until I told them about receiving the call from Mom’s minister.

  “Oh, Meg.” Annie wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a quick hug. “I’m so sorry.”

  I gave a slight shrug. “She thought she was protecting me.” I brushed at a tear before it could fall. “She didn’t want me to remember her in pain and dying.”

  “She loved you,” Miss Serena said.

  “And I loved her.” I hoped Mom knew how much I’d loved her. “You know I’m here because she asked me to come see Miss Serena.”

  They each nodded.

  “I’d never heard of Mossy Creek or Miss Serena before. Mom’s letter to me didn’t explain. She just asked me to come and to trust Miss Serena.” I gave her a smile and twined my fingers with hers. As I did, I felt not only her support but her love for Mom. I could do this. I needed to do this. “I don’t know all the story yet. I might never know it all. But the short version is Mom grew up here. Her parents were normals and, when Mom started showing signs of her gifts becoming active, they didn’t approve. Miss Serena can fill in the details but they tried everything from emotional abuse to physical abuse before they finally threw her out. Miss Serena took her in and Mom lived here until she went to college.”

  Lexie cursed softly as I spoke. When I glanced across to where she sat in an overstuffed leather easy chair, her anger spoke volumes. If I had to guess, I’d put my last paycheck on her thinking about her mother and, after hearing her story, I couldn’t blame her.

  “I don’t know what happened between the time Mom left here to go to A&M and when I was born. I didn’t even know she had changed her name until I got here.” Now I smiled apologetically at Annie. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t really believe it when Judge Caldwell and Miss Peggy said her last name when she lived here hadn’t been Sheridan. I’d never heard the name Luíseach before today. I didn’t have a clue how to spell it until I saw it on some of the paperwork Annie gave me.”

  “Wait!” Lexie sat upright and looked at me in shock. “Luíseach?”

  “Yes.” I didn’t understand why she looked so shocked. “Why?”

  She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at her wine glass and set it on the coffee table to her right. Then she stood. Everyone watched as she crossed the room to the antique butler’s table. The only sound in the room was that of bourbon being poured into a glass and the ticking of the mantel clock over the fireplace. When she turned, anger burned in her eyes.

  “Meg, my mother is a royal pain in my ass with her prejudice against Others. But the Luíseachs make her look like a saint.” She tossed back the bourbon and poured herself another.

  “Miss Serena?” Worried, I hoped she would explain why Lexie looked ready to kill.

  Instead of answering, Miss Serena stood and moved to Lexie’s side. Before the younger woman could pour herself yet another drink, Miss Serena took the glass from her and set it aside. Then she lightly cupped Lexie’s cheek with one hand. For a long moment, she looked at Lexie, her expression concerned. Then her brow furrowed and her lips narrowed. Without a word, she led Lexie back to her chair before returning to the sofa.

  “This is my fault.”

  Miss Serena spoke so softly, I barely heard her. But I’d heard enough. I turned to face her and reached for her hands. I didn’t say anything. I waited, not sure I wanted to know what she meant.

  “I forgot our town’s history, at least part of it.” She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She held it for what seemed an eternity before releasing it. Then she opened her eyes. “Your mother is a distant cousin to Lexie’s mama, child. I’m not even sure your mother realized it. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make the connection.”

  “I still don’t understand.”

  “Meg, Miss Serena can give you the full history lesson later,” Lexie said. “But the Luíseach family was one of the first so-called normal families to settle here. The easiest way to describe them is as Bible-thumpers. Even though the town was well-established by the time they arrived, they did their best to drive the Others away. After their attempt to rally the churches to their side failed, they started bringing in like-minded people to settle. The plan was to simply get a large enough number of true believers to enforce their version of the Word of God. It didn’t work, so they set up their own part of town and did their best to remain apart from the possible contamination of the Others.

  “When the stray Other dared show up in their family tree, they did their best to deal with the problem before anyone knew. What little you’ve said about how your mother was treated is mild compared to some of what I’ve seen in researching the family. Your mother is lucky she got out alive.”

  I swallowed hard and once again said a quick prayer of thanks that Mom had Miss Serena. “And now?” My voice sounded harsh as I tried not to unleash a string of curses that would probably have my mother reaching out from her grave to wash my mouth out with soap.

  “Let’s just say they haven’t gotten any more tolerant with age.”

  I swallow
ed hard. That helped explain why Mom had not only wanted to break all ties with them but why she’d changed her name. It also, unfortunately, left more questions than it answered.

  “Meg, you said your mother’s parents abused her,” Drew said almost gently and I nodded. “I take it you learned that from the paperwork Annie gave you.” I nodded again and waited, knowing what he was going to ask next. “May I have copies? The information in them might help the investigation into the wreck.”

  I glanced at Annie.

  “I’ll make copies and you or Lucas can pick them up tomorrow, Drew.” She paused, chewing her lower lip in a way I recognized. “Drew, no one else sees them. I mean it. And you don’t approach the Luíseach family until you have evidence they might be involved.”

  “Annie,” he protested.

  “I mean it. Right now, we don’t know if they realize who Meg is or that she’s in town. I’d like to keep it that way as long as we can. If you and Lucas can’t agree to that, then you will have to find the information yourselves.” She pinned her twin brother with such a firm look, I knew I’d made the right decision in asking her to handle my legal affairs here.

  “I’ll make sure to talk with Lucas about it, Meg, Annie,” Quinn said before Drew could answer.

  “Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say. “Do you think they could have anything to do with the wreck?”

  “I don’t know, but I promise we will find out,” Drew said, his expression serious. He glanced at his watch. “I need to run. I have early patrol in the morning.”

  I stood and walked with him to the door. As I did, I felt the others watching. But it was more than that. I didn’t feel any expectations from them. They were simply watching a friend leave. In fact, as he opened the door, they called out their farewells. Then he looked down at me and I smiled slightly, hoping he understood I appreciated not only all he’d done so far but what he had offered to do tonight.

  “Drew, thanks.” I lightly rested my hand on his arm and did my best to ignore that telltale electrical tingle. “I’ll make sure you get copies of everything.”

  “You be careful.” He smiled down at me. “Why don’t we meet up tomorrow sometime? I can take you to the impound and let you see your bike.”

  “I’d appreciate that.” I needed to see how bad the damage was. “Why don’t you call me when you’re free.”

  He nodded and I watched as he stepped off the porch and moved down the drive to where he’d parked. As he drove off, I turned back to the others. I had a feeling they had more they wanted to say and it was something they hadn’t wanted to discuss with Drew there.

  “Meg,” Quinn began as I returned to the sofa. She looked at her phone one last time before slipping it back into her pocket. “Many of your mother’s family moved away from over the last twenty-five years or so. But your grandparents are still here as is one of your mother’s brothers and his family. There are also a few who aren’t in the direct line of relation. At least that’s what a quick search showed. Nothing jumps out that would indicate any reason they might want to hurt you. My recommendation is that we not focus on them, at least not solely until we know more.”

  “I agree. It would be too easy to focus on them and miss something,” Annie said.

  “I won’t argue.” When no one spoke, I realized they wanted me to explain. “I guess it’s possible they could be embarrassed someone like me was tainting their family tree. But I can’t imagine that would drive them to try to do something that could have led to my death. The subsequent investigation would reveal the family connection sooner or later and that’s the last thing I think they’d want.”

  “But?” Amy prompted.

  “But, while I tend to think it was probably someone who simply decided they wanted to teach the next person they came across riding a motorcycle a lesson, I’m not willing to bet my life on it. Besides, Mom sent me here for a reason and that means I need to find out all I can about her and her life. So, we will look into the family.” Especially since she’d warned me to be wary of them.

  “Good.” Quinn gave a decisive nod. “Now, where are you going to stay while we figure all this out?”

  I glanced at Miss Serena. She smiled in encouragement. Then her fingers gently squeezed mine. She would let me tell them if I wanted. If I wanted to change my mind, she would accept it. Mom had, for whatever reason, sent me to someone who would accept me for what I am, even when I made mistakes.

  Thank you, Mom.

  “I have a room at a hotel in Dallas. I spent last night there.” I’d needed time off my Harley after the ride from Wichita. “But, to answer your question, I’m staying here with Miss Serena.”

  “Good. That’s good.” Lexie looked at Amy, who nodded in response to some unasked question. “If you’d like, we’ll go pick your things up for you.”

  “You don’t have to.” But it would be nice to have my own clothes and the other few things I’d brought with me.

  “We want to,” Amy assured me. Then she grinned and cocked her head to one side. “Or is this one of those times when we need to hit you up side of the head?”

  I chuckled and shook my head. “Since you put it that way, the key card should be in the inner pocket of my jacket.” God, what if I’d lost it?

  “I’ll get it.” Amy stood and stretched. “And before you start feeling guilty, Lexie and I were going into Dallas tonight anyway to meet a couple of friends.”

  “Friends, huh?” Annie teased. “Would their names be Michael and Jerrod?”

  Seeing how they both blushed slightly before glaring at Annie with narrowed eyes, I knew she was right. But it was the way Miss Serena laughed softly that had me grinning. Apparently, the two thought they had managed to keep their dating life a secret. Considering what I’d seen at the café and what I’d learned since, I doubted there were many in town who didn’t know who they were dating.

  “Maybe.” Lexie stood and nodded for Amy to get the keycard. “What hotel, Meg?”

  I have her the information. Since I was paid up through the next day, I didn’t worry about the bill. Instead, as Lexie waited for Amy to return, I climbed to my feet and crossed to her. I wanted her to understand how much I appreciated not only what she and Amy were about to do but everything they had offered.

  She waved it aside. Then she smiled and, with her head tilted to the right, she studied me. I waited, wondering what she was thinking. At least the anger reflected in her eyes earlier had faded.

  “Meg,” she began, her voice soft. “You aren’t to worry about what we talked about tonight. Your first concern is healing up. Let the rest of us do the initial footwork for you.”

  “We’ll see.” It was the best I could do. “You two have fun and thanks.”

  “Anything we need to make sure is with your things?” Amy asked as she rejoined us, the keycard in one hand.

  “My laptop and tablet. They should be in a backpack in the closet.” If they weren’t, I’d be having a very serious discussion with hotel management first thing in the morning.

  “Will do.” Amy reached out and gave me a quick hug. As she did, she softly told me to get some rest. She could see I was hurting again. “See you tomorrow.” With that, she hurried to kiss her grandmother’s cheek.

  “Don’t worry, Meg,” Miss Serena said as the door closed behind the two. “They both have to be at work in the morning. Amy will make sure your things are here before you wake in the morning.”

  “I wasn’t worried.” At least not too much. For a moment, I considered whether to say anything else. Amy had been right. I was hurting and I suddenly felt as if I hadn’t slept in a week.

  “Miss Serena, why don’t you take Meg up to her room and make sure she’s all right?” Quinn suggested as she stood. “I’ll take care of the dinner dishes while you do.”

  “I can help.” Annie looked like she didn’t know whether to be angry Quinn left her out or whether she should pout like a little girl who was being excluded from playground games.
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  “I planned on it.” Quinn gave her a cheeky grin.

  Miss Serena glanced at me and nodded. Before I knew it, I was bundled upstairs and she was drawing me a bath. Half an hour later, I slid between the sheets and, even as she began checking my injuries, my eyes closed and sleep descended.

  Chapter 9

  Early the next morning, I stared at my dream garage come to life. Over breakfast, I’d mentioned the need to get a rent car. Much as I wanted to find an immediate replacement for my Harley, I knew better. For one, the insurance company hadn’t let me know whether they were going to total it or not. For another, I was still too sore, not to mention too cautious after the wreck, to risk riding a motorcycle. So that meant finding a car.

  Without hesitation, Miss Serena suggested I see if she had a car I wanted to borrow. Before I could protest, she assured me she had more than enough for what she might need and for me. Until I’d slid the double garage doors open, I thought she meant she had a second car. I certainly hadn’t expected this.

  This was a garage larger than my apartment back in Wichita. Filled with more cars than Mom and I had owned put together, all I could do was stare in disbelief. Then I blew out a low whistle and stepped inside. Six cars parked three across sat inside the gleaming garage. Only this couldn’t be a garage. It was too clean, so clean it damn near sparkled. This had to be a dream and, for once, I didn’t want to wake up.

  Parked closest to me was a Toyota Avalon that couldn’t be more than six months old. Seeing the telltale road grime around the undercarriage and tree droppings on the windshield, I guessed it belonged to Amy. Of course, the fact it was the only vehicle with even a speck of dirt made that guess easy, especially since Miss Serena hadn’t left the house since I’d awakened after the crash.

  Nice as the Avalon was, it paled in comparison to the other vehicles. An almost new Range Rover sat next to the Avalon. It’s silver exterior gleamed and I fought the urge to run a hand over the fender. I knew without asking that the SUV cost close to six figures, possibly more since I had a feeling it had all the bells and whistles. Much as I loved my Harley, I had always dreamed of owning a Range Rover and this was probably as close as I’d ever get to one.