Beneath An Ivy Moon (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 4) (25 page)

I didn’t hazard a guess at what my family’s reaction would be to my surprise visit... Though actually this wasn’t a
visit
at all. Because I hadn’t told anyone— not even my family— that I was moving back home. Permanently.

Behind me, parked in the long driveway, my car was stuffed full of boxes, books, clothes, and everything that I’d owned for the past two and a half years while away at school. But instead of returning to Kansas City in January, I hoped to live at the manor and drive across town to class... That was my master plan, anyway. I had transferred to William’s Ford University. My schedule was set and there was no going back now.

On an academic level, it could all work out perfectly. That is, if the family took me back in. There was a good chance they wouldn’t even welcome me back.

Not after the way I’d acted.

Not after the way I’d treated them.

Not after everything that I’d done.

I had run. Using the convenient excuse of a partial scholarship to a university clear across state. I had tried to live a mundane life, and swore to put all magick behind me. At the time, escaping William’s Ford had seemed to me like my best option.

But I had gone overboard in my attempts to remove any temptation to practice magick. I’d ruthlessly cut off any and all attempts of contact the family had made. I took extra summer classes, visited my father and step-mother in Iowa, or claimed I was simply too busy working to come home on semester or holiday breaks.

Now I was back, and standing on the front porch of the house I’d grown up in made me realize how badly I had missed them all.

I squared my shoulders, reached out, and knocked briskly on the front door. It seemed like forever until it opened. When it did, I found myself face-to-face with my twin sister, Ivy. She wore a long, loosely knit deep green sweater layered over a black gauzy skirt. Leggings and boots completed her outfit, and it was sort of Forrest Witch meets gothic faery tale.

Her hair appeared to be its natural brown color and was cut in a cute, long bob. The front angled sharply to her collar bones while the back was shorter. Her makeup was still dramatic, but yet more subdued then I’d ever seen it. I blinked in shocked surprise

“Ivy? You look so different,” I said, and then cringed at how that sounded to my own ears.
What did you expect?
My inner monologue chastised.
You haven’t seen her in person for two years.

“Well, well.” Ivy looked me slowly up and down. “If it isn’t Holly Irene Bishop. My twin sister who turned her back on her family, and gave up Witchcraft.”

“Hello, Ivy,” I said, trying a smile.

Ivy leaned against the door jam and stared. “So, how’d that all work out for you?” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and staying within the wards of the house.

“It sucked, actually,” I heard myself say.

Ivy raised an eyebrow at me. “It was your choice to stay away. No one made you abjure the Craft.” Ivy stopped herself and took a shaky breath. She looked down at my suitcases. “Why are you here now, Holly?”

“I wanted to surprise everyone with a visit for the holidays,” I said, bracing myself against the distrust that was written all over her face.

Ivy’s green eyes narrowed at me. She glanced significantly towards my car, and shifted her eyes back to mine. “Your car is awfully full for a holiday
visit
. Isn’t it?”

Before I could answer, I saw movement in the foyer behind Ivy.

“Jeez Ivy.” I could hear my cousin, Autumn. “You’re letting all the cold air in,” she said as she came into view, wearing jeans and a hot pink sweater. She stopped suddenly and stood staring at me open mouthed. “Holly?”

“Autumn—” was all I managed to say before she was leaping out of the front door and grabbing me up in a hug. My heart jerked once, then settled.

“You’re here!” Autumn said, pressing her face along mine. “I had the weirdest dream last night, about seeing a holly shrub and an ivy vine growing up the Yule tree in the foyer.” She squeezed me tight, then pulled back and looked deep in my eyes. “Now it makes sense! You’re home for good. Aren’t you?” she said.

I nodded. “Score another one for the Seer,” I said, hugging her back.

“Oh, we’ve missed you!” Autumn let me go, and grabbed a suitcase. “Come in! Come in.” She beckoned me with one hand while she wheeled one suitcase in with the other.

“I wanted to tell you myself...” I laughed and picked up the second suitcase and crossed the threshold. I glanced up at the ward over the front door. To my relief the house didn’t reject me.

Autumn shut the door behind us and Ivy stepped back. Before I could begin to try and apologize, or even say anything meaningful to my twin, a small red-haired tornado blew through the foyer.

“My Ivy!” Morgan ran straight to Ivy.

Ivy scooped him up and planted a loud kiss on his cheek. As the little boy laughed, Ivy hitched him on her hip.

Now it was my turn to stare. The last time I’d seen my nephew in person he’d only been a baby. “Hi Morgan.”

“Who’s that?” he asked Ivy, pointing at me.

Autumn ran a hand over the toddler’s head. “It’s your Aunt Holly,” she said.

“No.” Morgan shook his head and frowned at me.

It gave me a jolt to see that my pajama-clad nephew had the same color hair and curls that I did. As I watched, he tucked his head on Ivy’s shoulder and I found myself regarded by two very suspicious sets of eyes. One baby blue, the other a sharp green.

While Autumn called for the rest of the family, I watched as my sister and my nephew moved back and farther away from me. Even as Bran, Lexie, and Great Aunt Faye came pouring into the foyer with smiles and welcoming hugs, I willed myself not to cry.

I could feel my sister’s hurt and distrust from where I stood. I had no illusions that our relationship would be mended quickly or easily. I had more apologizing and making amends to do to with my twin— than I did with anyone else.

I was back in William’s Ford. For better or worse I was home and here to stay. I could only hope that with a little luck and maybe even some magick, I could begin to make things right again.

Under The Holly Moon
. Coming December 2016!