Smoke on the Water (23 page)

“I should probably get back to the facility.” The place had to be in chaos.

“Not tonight,” Willow said. “You should rest.”

Because he was tired, and a coward—how would he explain disappearing from the facility with a patient?—he agreed. But he didn't go to the bedroom. He wanted to hear what they said. He'd go in a minute, then he'd examine his wound too. Right now his head was too heavy to do anything but sit on the couch and watch Owen light a fire.

Bobby poured wine for the girls, grabbed a few beers for the boys—Sebastian declined, he was dizzy enough—while Becca and Raye made sandwiches. Eventually everyone had a drink, some food, and a seat. Raye started the story; Becca chimed in. Every so often, Bobby and Owen would add a line or two. Sebastian felt as if he were listening to a fairy tale, but they all believed it was true.

Once upon a time in seventeenth-century Scotland, there lived two witches—Henry and Prudence Taggart.

Sebastian eyed Prudence the wolf. She eyed him back. In fact, those eerie, green, not at all wolflike eyes rarely left him—or maybe she was staring at Willow, who didn't leave him either.

Prudence was a healer, a midwife. She was very, very good. Supernaturally good. Unfortunately, some things cannot be healed even with such powers. One of Pru's patients died in childbirth along with her child. That Pru was delivered of three healthy girls soon after created suspicion. That the dead woman and child belonged to the chief witch hunter of King James led to a great big pyre.

Her husband, Henry, a powerful witch in his own right, had seen this coming and prepared. He knew that running was not an option with three infants. Pru's powers were significantly drained by the births. So he did the only thing he could do.

Blood magic.

“It's the most powerful kind.” Becca, Raye, and Willow said the words as one. Which was almost as creepy as the story and the way the girls told it—like they were detailing personal history and not fiction.

As the flames took their lives, Henry cast a spell to transport their daughters to a time where no one believed in witches anymore. The triplets disappeared, never to be found again.

“Until now,” Raye said.

“I saw that.” Willow licked her lips. “The pyre. The babies. The black-clad zealots. One of them—I couldn't see his face—branded the man and the woman with his ring.”

“The brand remains after death.” Becca ruffled her fingers through the wolf's black fur, revealing a circle of white at the neck. “Henry's got it too, even in ghost form.”

“The guy who did that…” Willow pointed at Pru's neck. “Was the same guy who did that.” She pointed at Sebastian's side.

“You know that's impossible,” Sebastian said.

“That I saw it? That it happened? That he's here? Now?”

“Yes.”

“That's it.” She yanked up his shirt. “How do you think this happened?”

He lowered his gaze. His skin was stained with dried blood. A lot of it, but not enough to obscure his wound.

Where was his wound?

“The guy stabbed me.” He looked at Willow. “Didn't he?”

“He did,” Willow agreed. “Then Becca healed you.”

Sebastian laughed. No one else did.

“Obviously, he just scratched me.” He found a thin, red line. “Here. See?”

“A scratch doesn't make you bleed that much.”

She was right, but still …

“That's crazy.”

“That's magic,” Becca said. “All my life those around me have healed faster. Once Raye and I met, my power increased even more.”

“Power,” Sebastian echoed. He felt light-headed and dopey. Probably from blood loss, except he shouldn't have had any blood loss when he'd only been scratched.

“We seem to have inherited the abilities of our parents,” Raye continued. “Witches born to the craft are magic.”

Sebastian refrained from snorting. Barely. From the expressions of everyone in the room, even the wolf, they believed this. He should probably remain silent so he could discover the extent of this shared delusion.

“Witches born are elementals—air, fire, water, and earth,” Raye said. “Henry and Pru were very powerful, rare witches who possessed dual elements. I inherited Henry's telekinesis and his affinity for ghosts. I'm an air witch.”

“I received Pru's affinity for animals, particularly wolves, and the healing.” Becca wiggled her fingers. “I'm a fire witch. Since Willow has visions, she's a water witch.”

“Did I get that from Henry or Pru?” Willow asked.

The wolf yipped.

“Pru,” Raye said. “The touch of a water witch can cleanse. Around them, people feel better—less stressed, less tired, less crazy.”

“Mary,” Willow murmured. “She was always better when she was with me.”

She had been but that didn't mean Willow had made her that way. Right now, Sebastian was feeling a lot
more
tired, stressed, and crazy.

Raye stared at the shadowy corner of the dining area. “Henry says Pru had visions, but it wasn't one of her strengths. Not like you, Willow.”

“Henry's here?” Willow's voice was full of awe.

“His affinity for ghosts has made him one.”

“That's ridiculous,” Sebastian snapped. Willow was so desperate to find a family she believed every insane thing these women said. “There's no such thing as ghosts.”

A book flipped off the end table, slapping against the floor with a sharp crack.

“Knock that off, Henry,” Raye said.

Sebastian rolled his eyes.

“Who is she?” Raye asked.

Sebastian thought she was talking to invisible Henry and didn't answer at first. When he noticed everyone, including Raye, was staring at him, he spread his hands. “She who?”

“You have a ghost, Dr. Frasier. She's been at your side since I met you. She won't speak to me.”

“'Cause she isn't there.”

“You've never felt haunted?”

He'd been haunted since the day his sister died, but not the way she meant.

“No,” he said shortly.

“She's in her early twenties. Long, dark hair. Too thin. Big blue eyes. Same earrings.” Raye's gaze flicked to Sebastian's ear. “Earring.”

She'd just described Emma. How could she?

“I don't know anyone like that,” he managed.

“Now you've made her cry.”

“Stop it!” The words were too loud, a bit panicked.

Willow took his hand. “Just breathe.”

He took her advice. Couldn't hurt. And if he was concentrating on breathing, he wasn't thinking about his dead little sister.

“I was like you,” Bobby said. “I thought Raye was playing me when she talked about my ghosts. Figured she'd do a séance, tell me what I wanted to hear, then take me for everything I had.”

“But you believe her now?”

“I've seen enough to believe. I think you have, too, you just don't want to admit it yet.”

“I haven't—” Sebastian began.

“How'd you get here, Doctor?”

“Walked.”

“Not here.” Bobby pointed at the floor. “How'd you end up in the woods, in the night? No road. No car. No parachute. You're dripping like you got caught in that downpour earlier, which came out of nowhere.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“There are a few powers left that neither Raye nor Becca have. One is bringing the storm.”

Sebastian glanced at Willow. “Just because she thinks she can make it rain doesn't mean she can.”

“The other is transportation,” Bobby continued as if Sebastian hadn't spoken at all.

“Plane, train, automobile?”

“Magic. Henry transported the girls from one place and time to another. It was one of his lesser powers as well, which was why he had to boost it with blood magic. But since Willow is a water witch, transportation is one of her gifts. I'd bet my next paycheck that you and Willow started out in one place and in a blink you were somewhere else.”

“That's how Mary got out,” Willow said. “I wanted to tell you but I knew how insane it would sound.”

“How insane it
does
sound,” Sebastian corrected. Problem was … He
had
blinked and been somewhere else.

“He's a ‘have to see it to believe it' kind of guy,” Owen said. “So was I once. My mom's being a lunatic made me a bit skeptical about crazy talk.”

“Your mom,” Sebastian repeated. “You're Owen
McAllister
?”

Owen nodded.

Sebastian shouldn't be surprised, but he was. First of all the guy was supposed to be in Afghanistan. Second of all, there was coincidence and there was … whatever this was.

“You can see why having the woman I love tell me she's a witch freaked me out,” Owen said.

“I can. About your mother—”

Owen stiffened, and Becca scooted closer to him on the floor in front of the fire.

Willow laid her hand on Sebastian's arm. “Leave Mary for later.”

He didn't like the sound of that, but he let it go. For now. He'd need to have Mary in hand, or an answer as to why he didn't before he went back to the facility tomorrow. Dr. Tronsted was going to flay him alive as it was.

“What did you see that turned you into a believer?” Sebastian asked.

Owen considered. “I think when Raye tossed a
Venatores Mali
off a cliff from a hundred yards away.”

“You're sure the creep didn't just fall?”

“He kind of flew up into the air and hung there a second and then…” Owen lifted his hand high and then dropped it down to the ground to illustrate.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“No. I'm sure you're going to have to see it too. Raye?”

The dark-haired Willow clone stood, lifted her arms to the side, and then levitated until her head brushed the ceiling.

 

Chapter 17

“Cool,” I said.

Sebastian leaped to his feet. “How is she doing that?”

Becca spread her hands. “Air witch.”

“Where are the pullies?” Sebastian demanded. “Fishing line?”

“Come on down, baby.” Bobby beckoned, and Raye floated gently to the floor.

Sebastian whooshed his hand above her head, frowned.

“Satisfied?” Bobby returned to his chair and pulled Raye into his lap.

Sebastian swayed. I grabbed his arm, not that I'd be of any use if he decided to pass out.

“You really did transport us, didn't you?”

I nodded.

“I think I need to lie down.”

I led him toward the bedroom Raye had earlier indicated. Halfway across the room the air felt like ice. I stopped, glanced at the windows—closed—the door—also closed.

“What's wrong?” Sebastian asked.

“You feel that chill?”

He shook his head.

“You walked through Henry,” Becca said.

“Did you ever feel him like that?” Raye asked Becca.

“No.”

“Hmm,” Raye said.

I wanted to find out what that meant, but right now I had bigger things to worry about. I tugged Sebastian into the bedroom, shut the door. “Lie down before you fall down.”

He stared at the pristine white bedspread and sheets, then lifted his bloodstained hands. “I should probably shower first.”

“You need help?”

“Not since I was four.” He made an ushering movement toward the door with gory hands. “I'll shout if I fall and can't get up.”

He disappeared into the bathroom, and I waited, but when all I heard was water running, no thud and cry, I returned to the others. If I continued to stand there I'd first begin to imagine him naked beneath the water, and then I might go inside so I could see him naked beneath the water.

Bad idea.

Raye and Becca sat in front of the fire with Pru. Bobby and Owen were gone.

“They thought we needed some girl time.” Raye offered me my glass of red wine, which had been refilled.

I took it and joined them. Pru put her head on my knee.

“She says she loves you.” Raye tapped her glass to mine. “We all do.”

“You don't even know me.”

“Blood is thicker than water. Didn't you feel all your life as though you were part of something you hadn't yet found?”

“I was abandoned, why wouldn't I feel like that?”

“Even Becca, who didn't know she was adopted until I showed up, felt that way.”

I sipped my wine and considered her words. I'd thought the way I felt—alone, part of something larger, which I only needed to find—was just me longing for a family. All system kids felt that way. Some imagined they were the love children of movie stars or princesses. That someday their parents would come for them and it would be amazing.

I'd never imagined I was one of three time-traveling witch triplets. Who would? But I had hoped for something, someone. Anyone.

When the visions of Sebastian had begun, I'd figured he was my answer. If I didn't have a family, I'd make one. With him. Kind of sad, a little pathetic. But I was.

“The instant Becca and I met,” Raye continued, “I felt less alone. As if the part of me that was empty had begun to fill. But that hole couldn't completely go away until we found you.”

“I had parents, brothers and a sister, no knowledge of any of this, but somehow I knew there was more. As soon as Raye arrived…” Becca touched her chest. “That ache began to fade.”

I did feel less alone since they'd walked into that clearing … had it only been a few hours before?

“Now that we've found each other, our powers will get stronger,” Raye said. “When I was alone, I could move things. Once Becca and I were together, I could toss people and levitate. Becca's healing increased to epic levels. Have you noticed any changes recently?”