by Lia Davis
Walking out of the office, he headed upstairs to his room and stuck the photos onto the large mirror over his dresser. They fit in perfectly with his growing collection. He reached out to his favorite photo. It was of Kalissa and her sister on a shopping trip. Kalissa had been happy that day. She had the most beautiful smile. Stroking her laughing face with his thumb, he vowed, “We will be together again, my love.”
Chapter 21
Lydia stood at her bedroom window watching the pinkish orange sky fade into darkness. Twilight was the death of day and the birth of night. All passing ceremonies were held around this time. The symbolism of death and rebirth, the cycle of life.
Noah, Vanessa, and a few other coven members arrived an hour before sunset to help with preparations for Jacen’s passing ceremony. Lydia wanted it simple, but after meeting the Danielses, she knew their taste for simple was a little more elegant than hers. Khloe advised her to let the Elders handle it and take it easy.
Relaxation had been missing from her life since the day she’d lost her parents. It hadn’t been good enough for the demons to take them away. No, they had to come back and take her husband and now her brother. Although Jacen’s death had been more self-inflicted, leaving a hole in her heart and an emptiness in her soul. She was a little angry with him but understood why he thought he had to do it.
They’d been bonded siblings since they were teens. Their mother had hoped it would quiet the voices of his telepathic ability. It had helped some, and with Lydia’s help, he was able to mute the chatter to a hum. But as they’d gotten older and started their own lives, the bond had weakened, and his control over the noise slipped. If only she could have done more for him.
“We could have found another way, brother.” She sighed, moved to her bed, and removed a family photo along with a single picture of Jacen from one of her albums. She wrapped a black cotton handkerchief around the photos in a protective shroud so they could be placed with his body.
A soft knock on her bedroom door put a rush in her step. She’d taken much too long preparing herself. “Come in.”
The door opened, and Khloe walked inside. Her new friend had released her glamour spell, revealing her natural, dark blond hair that matched Kalissa’s perfectly. The only way to tell them apart now was the fact that Khloe’s hair was shorter, falling about two inches below her shoulders and her eyes were teal, opposed to Kalissa’s violet.
“The only magic inside the circle is that of the Priest and Priestess,” Khloe said with a smile and an eye roll.
Lydia laughed softly. She knew the ritual rules, but Khloe was complaining, politely. One last look in the mirror to check her long, fiery red hair and to smooth her black, floor-length gown over her baby bump, she was as ready as she’d ever be to say goodbye to another loved one.
They were burying Jacen in a tiny cemetery about two hundred yards from the Bradenton home where Kalissa and Khloe’s parents had been laid to rest. Because Connie Bradenton had listed the land and farmhouse as part of the coven with the town’s property appraiser’s office, they could have a legal, private burial ground on the grounds.
In the backyard, four elfin males waited beside Jacen’s casket. They were beautiful in a masculine kind of way, with hair that brushed the tops of their broad shoulders and pointed ears that stuck out slightly through the dark strands. Their skin glowed with otherworldly magic.
Taking her eyes from the elves to look around, Lydia was surprised at the amount of people who had come to pay their respects. Most of the faces were familiar from her visit to the coven that morning. A sense of belonging filled her heart and tears threatened to overspill her lids. She’d always felt like an outsider among Mikal’s people.
Her eyes found Zach talking quietly to Ayden off to the side. As if feeling her stare, his gaze shifted to meet hers. A moment later, he headed her way. His ruffled light brown hair begged for fingers to run through it. The gold in his brown eyes intensified as he stalked toward her. Warmth flushed over her skin, and she knew her cheeks blushed. She looked away. This was wrong on so many levels. Why did she have the urge to drag the deputy off to a private room?
“Hi.” His husky voice brought her eyes back to his. He reached out to take her hand but let his drop before it made contact. Uncertainty marred his features.
Nervously, Lydia took his hand and gave a slight squeeze. “Hello, Zach.”
His smile sent a flare of desire through her. The baby stretched, and she gasped at the sudden discomfort and rubbed circular motions over the protruding section of her swollen belly.
Zach was about to say something, but Noah appeared beside them. “Lydia, we are ready to begin when you are.”
She nodded and stepped away from Zach. “I’m ready.”
In single file—with Noah and Vanessa leading—they followed the casket through the woods to Jacen’s new resting place.
They came to a stop at an open grave inside a gated cemetery. Only two headstones sat in the middle of the area. Jacen’s grave lay to the left of Connie and Troy Bradenton’s.
The elfin men lowered the casket into the hole and stepped back, beyond where the circle would be cast.
Vanessa conjured a small altar table and began placing ritual items on it while Khloe passed out small white candles. The Divinities lit their wicks with the will of minds and then turned to the guests and illuminated their tapers.
“Brothers and sisters, we gather on this night to bid farewell to Jacen Rayners—Divinity, brother, son, and friend.” Noah’s deep, confident voice boomed through the silence of the night. He held his hand out to Lydia. “Would you like to light his candle?”
She nodded, not trusting her voice, and stepped closer. Instead of using magic, she reached out a shaky hand and dipped her candle to the one in the middle of the altar, meshing flame to wick. With a shuddered breath, she stepped back.
Once the candle flared to life, Noah spoke. “Just like the flare, Jacen’s memories will burn in the hearts of those who knew him and loved him.”
Everyone raised their arms with lit candles still in hand and chanted, “May the Divine embrace Jacen, surround him with their love, and give him ease so that he may be free to journey on to a new adventure.”
Arms lowered, and Noah completed the ritual. “Death is not the end, but the transition from this life to the next. We bid Jacen safe passage into the Afterworld and to his next life.”
When the circle was broken, the guests smiled sweetly and offered their condolences as they made their way toward the house for snacks and refreshments. Lydia’s heart swelled at the amount of love and friendship the Maxville Coven offered her.
Spotting Ayden and Kalissa, she pulled them to the side. “I want you to know that you shouldn’t feel guilty about Jacen. He, um…the voices were too much for him. I believe he was looking for a way out.” Sadness wrapped around her as she spoke the words out loud.
A sobbed gasp escaped Kalissa, and she pulled Lydia into a hug, causing the dam holding back the flood of tears to break. “I’m so sorry. We are all here for you. Anything you need.”
Nodding, Lydia allowed the other woman to hug her.
After several moments, she pulled back and wiped the tears from her cheek. “I am grateful for all of you. He just couldn’t…”
Ayden rubbed her arm. “I know. I heard his thoughts, too. I didn’t understand them at first, but now they make sense. He felt you would be safe and happy with us.”
Lydia sniffed and bobbed her head. “I know. Thanks.”
As they made their way back to the house, a calm fell over her. Jacen was free from his torment but hadn’t left her alone. She had a new family and new friends. Her son would be raised in a positive and strong household. And if it were the last thing she did, her mother would be found. And the demons would pay for their crimes.
Chapter 22
Kalissa flung her eyes open, unsure what had startled her awake. The bed dipped beside her, and she smiled. She wasn’t used to waking up
next to a man. And certainly not used to Ayden being that man.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said and leaned over to place a light kiss on her forehead.
She wanted to pull him down and possess his lips and other parts of his anatomy. He was dressed in his police uniform and smelled delicious. Why can’t life just stand still for a couple of decades?
“You want me to fix you coffee?”
He shook his head. “I’ll get some at the station.”
“You’re a very brave man,” she teased.
He laughed, and it made her want him even more. The flash in his eyes told her he’d felt her desire. “I’ll see you tonight.”
Once he was gone, she felt empty and alone. She missed his presence, his smile. The bond between them was strengthening and was much stronger than the one she shared with her twin.
After tossing and turning for about thirty minutes, trying to go back to sleep, she gave up. She rose, stretched, and smiled widely when she caught the scent of Ayden’s lingering aftershave.
Inside the bathroom, she brushed her hair and put on her robe before she headed downstairs.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was assailed by the wonderfully rich smell of coffee. She gravitated to the coffee pot like it was a beacon calling out to her. Khloe stood with her back against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee, dressed in her usual black, baby doll nightgown. Her hair was a ruffled mess on top of her head. Kalissa held in a laugh as she walked by her. At least Khloe had put on a robe, even though it was sheer black and wasn’t tied closed.
“I remember the first time Zach saw you like that.” Kalissa laughed as she poured her coffee.
“He got used to it,” Khloe said with a smirk. Zach hadn’t known whether to laugh at her or run. He’d decided to say nothing and kept his distance. He’d grown up with them, the brother they’d never had. Khloe hadn’t thought about his reaction.
“It was his fault, showing up here and waking me up at four in the morning. He was lucky I didn’t zap him with a lightning bolt.”
“What time is he supposed to be here?” Kalissa asked, taking her seat at the kitchen table. Zach had the day off and was coming over to help with the security system Khloe had designed.
Khloe tilted her head to look at the clock on the stove. “Any minute now.”
A few seconds later, Zach walked through the back door. He looked at Khloe and laughed as he sat down at the table across from Kalissa.
“Hey! You could hang a sign out front that reads, ‘Medusa lives here,’” Zach said with a burst of laughter.
Before Kalissa could stop her sister, Khloe threw a tennis-ball-sized energy bolt at him. Zach reacted with inhuman speed, something Kalissa had never seen him use before, and lifted his hands to throw up some kind of shield. It was like a magical circle, but stronger. The energy ball hit the shield and disappeared.
Khloe smiled. “You’ve been practicing.”
Zach dropped his shield…circle…whatever it was and shrugged. “A little.”
“Someone mind telling me what just happened?” Kalissa asked.
Zach looked at her and then out the window. “I’m a fucked up Divinity.” Kalissa raised her eyebrows at him. “The Divinity gene is strong enough in my DNA to give me powers like you, but not strong enough to make me immortal. Papa believes Cassia is the same way.”
“Apparently, Zach’s Divine gift is a shield. He can throw up a circle in half a microsecond that is stronger than any normal magical circle. He can also absorb the energy directed into himself and return it to its owner,” Khloe said
“How long have you known about this?” Kalissa asked her sister.
She gave a half shrug. “Most of my life.” Kalissa gave her a look. Khloe sighed and continued. “I told you once. But you don’t remember.” There was sadness in her voice.
Kalissa turned to look out the window, bitterness not far from showing itself. The memory spell. It had affected a lot more of her than just her love for Ayden. “What else have you told me that I don’t remember?”
“I’m not sure. We’ll take it slow. Give it time. Everything will come back to you,” Khloe said, turning to refill her coffee cup. “Anyway, little Cassia is the same as Zach. She has all that power inside that little frame. Lynzee is teaching her to use it and suppress it. Also, like Zach, she’s mortal and doesn’t carry the Divinity rose on her arm.”
That made sense and brought to mind something she’d never considered. “Is that why you can teleport?” she asked Zach.
“Yeah,” he answered.
“You’re not fucked up. You’re a rare commodity.” Zach made a face at the choice of words. Kalissa laughed and explained. “You are our secret weapon.”
“Who would ever suspect a mortal witch to have the same powers as a Divinity?” Khloe added.
“I guess.” He looked around. “What’s for breakfast?”
“I was waiting for Lydia and Melaina to get up,” Khloe replied, setting her cup down to go to the pantry.
“How is she doing?”
“Hanging in there. How are you this morning, Zach?” Lydia spoke as she drifted around the island to the kitchen table.
He stood and offered her a seat. Kalissa smiled at the way his eyes lit up when he saw Lydia.
“I’m good. What would you like to drink?” he asked, going to the refrigerator.
Kalissa leaned into the table across from her and whispered, “I think you have a personal servant.”
Lydia smiled weakly, but Kalissa could see the slight blush that rose in her cheeks.
“Here, Zachary. Make us pancakes,” Khloe said, moving to sit at the table. “Might as well take advantage of it, right?”
She has a point, Kalissa thought. At this rate, they could have a personal chef, too.
It was one in the afternoon. Lydia, Melaina, and Kalissa had settled down to watch a movie when Teddy-Bear walked into the living room and curled up on the floor in front of the TV.
Kalissa looked at Lydia and then Mel; both had the same confused look on their faces. Kalissa finally asked, “TB, when were you going to tell us you could change sizes?”
Their heads lifted and tilted to the side in unison. “You didn’t know?” they asked together.
“No, I didn’t know,” Kalissa said. Mel and Lydia agreed that they hadn’t known either.
The hounds lowered their heads back onto their paws and said, “Now you know.”
Kalissa laughed out loud. They were quite a pair. They said what was on their minds and didn’t care how it sounded.
“What else can you do?” Kalissa asked.
“We can separate into two hounds. But we don’t do that too often. It’s our only weakness. If you know what we mean,” Teddy said.
Kalissa nodded. They had been born Siamese twins. Their existence depended on each other. If they were separated for an extended amount of time, they could die. All the demons had to do was catch them apart, capture them, and keep them separated until they died.
The rest of the day was lazy. Kalissa seriously thought about going to the Café to work, but changed her mind when Khloe came in with a bottle of wine for Mel and Kalissa and tea for herself and Lydia. The rest of the afternoon was spent watching old movies.
Tension lay heavily in the air. Everyone was on high alert, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Why are the demons being so quiet?” Kalissa said when the stillness finally got to her.
“Demetrius is a plotter, and very seldom strays from his plan. He wouldn’t leave us wondering for long,” Mel assured everyone.
It was nice to just act normal for one day, but the closer to nightfall it grew, the more uneasy Kalissa became. She didn’t trust the demon. He was cooking something up.
Despite everyone’s worry, they went on with their plans to go to the coven for dinner. Kalissa was sure they were still being watched. She didn’t know how someone could get onto the property without her wards going
off, but an unknown aura would brush against hers every so often. The unshakable dark presence made her skin crawl.
Someone or something was getting around her safeguards.
Chapter 23
The coven was only a ten-minute drive from the Bradenton house, which was now known as the Divinity house. It was becoming hard for Lydia to teleport, so Zach had offered to be their chauffeur and had brought one of the coven vans they used for youth outings. Bethany had said it was better that Lydia didn’t teleport anymore until after the baby was born.
The Maxville Coven was more like a small village and operated like a community. There were about two dozen smaller cottages randomly placed throughout the hundred-acre property. Each cottage was as individual as the family that lived in them. The main house was where the Daniels-Manus family lived.
The coven was the magickins’ safe haven. It was where they could live comfortably without human prejudice. The property was heavily guarded by wards and large, old oak trees. The only difference between the coven’s wards and Kalissa’s was that the Sinew had created these before her mother hid it.
The large main house reminded Kalissa of a ski lodge in the mountains. After the coven attacks a little over three hundred years ago, it had been used as the Divinity home for centuries until they’d decided to split up and have families of their own.
Zach parked the van in the circular drive. They piled out and walked up the porch stairs to the front door and entered into a larger foyer. The natural log cabin feel continued inside the house. Everything from the furniture to the staircase railing and even the hardwood floors was made from the trees that had been cut down to build the house. Each piece was handcrafted with love and magic, which gave the house a spirit. Kalissa felt it when she crossed the threshold. It felt like the walls were alive, but it wasn’t an eerie feeling. It was comforting and welcoming.