The Seventh Witch (20 page)

Ethan and I parted at the edge of the trees, near the barn. I thought he was going to kiss me again, but by the time we’d reached the Aunts, his mind seemed far away. And to be honest, I felt a little disappointed as I snuck in the back door of the house. I quickly reminded myself that I didn’t have time for romance either. I had to figure out a way to nail Sharon Doran.

Slipping quietly into the bedroom, I changed into my T-shirt and sweats, and slid into bed without disturbing Abby. I hadn’t realized how tense I was until my muscles started to relax. They felt like a rubber band that had finally been released. My body melted into the thick feather bed.

I don’t know how long I slept, but in the corner of my mind came an awareness of knocking. Not willing to surrender my sleep, I rolled over and buried my face in the pillow.

The rapping became louder, more insistent. Reluctantly, I flipped over and sat up, still half asleep. I opened my eyes and saw layers of gray floating in the moonlit room. My eyes began to sting and I took a deep breath. A coughing fit wracked my lungs.

Fire!

I bolted from the bed, shoving my feet into my tennis shoes. Scrambling over to Abby, I yanked her upright.

“Get up!” I choked. “Get the Aunts out of here!”

Bleary-eyed, she stared blankly at me for a second before she grabbed her robe and jumped from the bed. Together we tore down the hallway. Abby made for the Aunts’ bedrooms while I flew to the attic, taking two stairs at a time. I rushed to Tink and pulled her from the bed.

“There’s a fire!” I cried, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her to the stairs.

Once at the bottom, I gave her a shove toward the kitchen door. “Get out of here!”

“But—”

I stabbed a finger toward the door. “Go, wait for us by the barn.”

Spinning around, I ran down toward the Aunts’ bedrooms. “Abby—”

“In here,” I heard her call out from Great-Aunt Mary’s room.

I rushed up to the bed and helped her get Great-Aunt Mary to her feet. “Aunt Dot?”

“She’s already outside. Tink?”

“Same.”

Together, we half carried, half dragged Great-Aunt Mary across the living room and out the kitchen door.

I would’ve breathed a sigh of relief when I spotted Tink and Aunt Dot huddled together by the barn but my lungs felt too tight.

“Our house,” Aunt Dot sobbed.

We couldn’t just stand here and watch the house burn.

“Tink—run to Lydia’s—call 911. Where’s a hose?” I asked, grasping Aunt Dot’s shoulders.

“There’s a water hydrant around back,” she said, waving a shaking hand toward the house.

Without waiting for further instruction, I beat it around the house and found the hydrant with the garden hose coiled next to it. Thank goodness the hose was already connected to the spigot and I didn’t have to waste precious moments attaching it. Yanking the handle up, I grabbed the end of the
hose and pulled it toward the flames creeping up the side of the back porch.

The heat warmed my face as I sprayed the old siding and the black smoke drifted my way, stinging my eyes. The water was stopping the fire’s progress, but I didn’t have enough pressure to extinguish the flames. Sooner or later the fire would get ahead of me and the whole house would go.

I needed help.

A hand on my shoulder almost made me drop the hose. I turned to see Lydia and Mac behind me. Mac took the end from me and continued spraying. Suddenly aware that I was freezing, I stepped back as Lydia wrapped a blanket around my shoulders.

“How did you get here so fast?” I asked through chattering teeth.

“I saw the smoke from my kitchen window and called it in. The fire trucks should be here soon.”

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than I heard the sirens screaming down the road. She guided me to the edge of the yard just as the firemen came rushing around the corner of the house armed with a huge hose. In less than a minute water rushed out and poured over the burning porch. Another man came around the corner, carrying a medical bag and a small tank. When he tried to strap a mask over my face, I waved his hand away.

“Wait, my family?”

“They’re fine. Another paramedic is treating them.” He quickly checked my vitals. Finished, he glanced at Lydia and nodded. “She’s okay—just some smoke inhalation.” He picked up the tank, and together he and Lydia escorted me around the house to Lydia’s SUV.

Looking inside, I saw Aunt Dot and Great-Aunt Mary huddled together in the back, while Abby and Tink sat in front. All of them had the same look of shock on their faces.

In less than a half hour it was over. The fire had been put out and the firemen were checking for any remaining hot spots.

Satisfied that the crisis was over, Lydia turned to me. “Y’all can’t stay here tonight. I’m taking you back to my house.”

“No,” Great-Aunt Mary exclaimed. “I’m not leaving my home. I’ll—”

Aunt Dot silenced her with a look. “No you won’t, Sister,” she commanded sharply. “We’re doing as Lydia says.”

Great-Aunt Mary’s mouth clenched shut.

We all exchanged looks of amazement. I don’t think anyone had ever heard gentle Aunt Dot countermand Great-Aunt Mary.

Once we grabbed some clothes and everyone had been transported back to Lydia’s, Lydia, Mom, and I went about getting the Aunts settled down. When the fire chief stopped by, the rest of us were gathered at the kitchen table. After making introductions, Lydia quickly poured him a cup of coffee.

He smiled his thanks and took a drink. After he put his cup down, we began to pepper him with questions. Okay,
I
began to pepper him with questions.

“How did the fire start? Was it the wiring? Is there much damage?”

He held up one hand to stop me. “Other than a little smoke, there’s not much damage to the main part of the house, but the ladies are going to need a new back porch. Y’all were lucky that you woke up when you did.” He picked up his cup and took another sip of coffee. “In these old houses, it doesn’t take much for a fire to spread.”

“But how did it start?”

He leaned back and scratched his head. “I don’t rightly know, but from the burn patterns, my guess is someone doused the porch with gasoline.”

I exploded. “Yeah, and I know who!” I yelled at the poor man. “I want you to arrest Sharon Doran tonight!”

His eyes shifted nervously to Lydia before looking back at me. “I’m sorry, ma’am…I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” I asked, gritting my teeth.

“Because, ma’am, I’m not the sheriff. And y’all got to have proof.”

“You said you think it was arson.”

“You’re right, I did, and I suspect the arson investigator will agree with me. But that still don’t prove who did it.” He shuffled to his feet, and I could see from the expression on his face that he couldn’t wait to get away from Lydia’s crazy Yankee cousin. Sliding his chair in, he gave me an apprehensive smile. “I’ll be sure and tell the sheriff about your concerns, and maybe he can go on out to the Dorans’ and question Sharon.”

Sitting back, I crossed my arms and frowned. Sharon would laugh in the sheriff’s face.

After the fire chief left, it was only Lydia’s calm presence that kept me from dashing over to the Dorans’, yanking Sharon out of bed, and forcing her to confess what she’d done. Dad had swallowed his own anger and taken Tink away to watch television in Lydia’s rec room. Good thing—I was not setting an appropriate example for my daughter, but I was so angry that I couldn’t contain it.

I fretted and fumed while I paced back and forth across Lydia’s kitchen. Sharon had tried to kill us all—Great-Aunt Mary, Aunt Dot, Tink, Abby, and me. And I was helpless—I really hated that one. Unless Sharon had conveniently left a gas can with the name “Doran” written on it, there was no way anyone could prove she’d been the one to torch the house.

I stopped my pacing and looked at everyone still sitting at the table. “It’s hopeless, and I give up,” I said, tossing my hands in the air. “We’re leaving for home tomorrow. I will not have my daughter’s life put at risk.” I faced Abby. “Get Ben Robinson,” I said, referring to the Weaverville attorney, “to file some sort of an injunction to force the Dorans away from the Seven Sisters.”

“So you’re just going to run away and let Sharon win?” a voice from the doorway croaked.

Great-Aunt Mary shuffled into the room and plopped down on a chair next to Abby. Aunt Dot followed her.

“Look,” I said with a glare, “don’t talk to me about letting the Dorans win. Maybe you could’ve stopped them years ago.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I could’ve, but I didn’t, did I? Maybe I wasn’t a good enough witch to stop her.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked me up and down. “What I want to know…are you?”

“You’re kidding me,” I exclaimed. “You don’t think I’m capable.”

“Maybe I was wrong.”

My mouth opened and shut—twice—I was speechless.

“I thought I was doing the right thing in trying to keep the truce Annie had made with the Dorans.” She lifted a thin shoulder. “It was easier than to challenge them.” Scratching at an invisible spot on Lydia’s table, she dropped her eyes. “Sharon’s caused a bunch of hurt in this valley. Annie never would’ve stood for it…she wouldn’t have looked the other way.

Aunt Dot laid her hand on Great-Aunt Mary’s.

Great-Aunt Mary lifted her eyes and looked directly at Abby. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my century of living,” she said, turning her attention to me. “If you’re smart, you won’t make the same ones.”

Amazed at this sudden turn of events, I sank onto the nearest chair. “What do you suggest we do? We can’t prove a single thing that she’s done,” I said. “You know she’s the one who set the fire?”

“I heard you whooping and hollering.” She jerked her head in Aunt Dot’s direction. “We’ve been talking, and you’re going about this in the wrong way. You’re trying to find evidence…why not use magick?”

“You won’t let me,” I forcefully pointed out.

“Not
against
her, but there’s nothing stopping us from
taking
from her.”

“Like what?”

“And here I was beginning to think you were a smart girl,” she said with a glint in her eye. “What is she fighting so hard to keep?”

“The Seven Sisters, obviously,” I replied. “But we know now that Abby already owns it. Which is why she’s trying to kill us.”

“They may belong to Abby now, but that alone isn’t enough to break Sharon’s hold on this valley,” Great-Aunt Mary said.

I had to acknowledge that remark. “Maybe not,” I answered with hesitation.

“Folks will still be scared of the place—”

“It’s cursed now, remember?” Aunt Dot piped in suddenly.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Abby owns the land, but not the spirit. No one can, but if we free it of the curse…once folks around here learn of it—”

My face brightened and I jumped in. “They’ll believe Sharon’s powers are gone, and she won’t be able to use their fear against them.”

Aunt Dot nudged Great-Aunt Mary. “See, Sister, I’ve been telling you she can figure stuff out.”

Great-Aunt Mary gave a soft snort.

I shifted toward Abby. “How do we do it, Abby?” Removing bad energy was more her bag than mine.

“I’m not sure,” she said with a slight frown.

Elsie’s séance idea popped into my head. “What about creating a circle and using energy to cleanse the clearing?”

“That might work…” She paused, and I knew she was thinking about the ancient spirits and the savageness she’d felt that day.

“Abby,” I said slowly, “I have a confession to make. I went
back to the clearing after our talk. I wanted to understand what once was there.”

Great-Aunt Mary leaned forward. “And?”

I explained the scene that had played out in my mind. “I think the spirits of the people who built the Seven Sisters will welcome us.”

“This vision? What you saw was taking place at sunrise?” Great-Aunt Mary asked.

“Yes.”

Her eyes traveled to the clock ticking above Lydia’s stove. “We’ve three hours to prepare.”

“Today? This morning? I haven’t had any sleep, I don’t know if I can banish—”

“There’s no time like the present,” she said, interrupting me.

I made a move to stand. “Well…okay…but I’m going to need some instructions.”

“I didn’t say ‘you,’” she pointed out, “I said ‘we.’ You’re not going alone, girl. All of us are, even Tink.”

I shook my head vehemently. “Oh no she’s not,” I declared.

“She has to.” Great-Aunt Mary studied me thoughtfully. “She’s the child of your heart and that links her to Annie.” Great-Aunt Mary turned her attention to Lydia. “And you, you’re a healer, you’ve taken the role that Annie once played in this valley.”

I tugged on my bottom lip. I understood what Great-Aunt Mary wanted to do. She wanted everyone who shared a link to Annie to join together to cleanse the clearing. But Tink?

“I still don’t know about dragging Tink into this.”

Great-Aunt Mary lifted a hand to her thin chest and she flattened it over her heart. “I swear on my sister’s grave, I’ll let no harm come to that child.”

“But you won’t be there—” I began, before she cut me off.

“Oh yes I will.”

“How? Can you walk that far?”

“No, and that’s why Maybelle’s boys are going to help Sister and I get there,” she said with a swift nod. “Two big fellows like them won’t have a problem getting us to that clearing.”

Aunt Dot leaned toward Great-Aunt Mary and whispered in her ear. She listened quietly for a moment, then her mouth settled into a hard line.

“No,” she said firmly.

“You just said that you’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Aunt Dot said, a stubborn light flashing in her eyes. “Here’s a chance to fix one of them.”

“She won’t come,” Great-Aunt Mary insisted.

“Yes, she will…if you ask her. She has a link to Annie, too.”

“Humph,” Great-Aunt Mary snorted. “Not as strong as mine. I never—”

Before she could finish, a knock at Lydia’s back door interrupted her. Her eyes widened as Lydia opened the door and admitted the visitor.

“Mary,” Elsie said with a curt nod of her head.

Great-Aunt Mary’s jaw clenched. “Elsie.”

The homey kitchen seemed to vibrate with tension as the two old women stared at each other across the small space. They reminded me of two gunslingers, waiting to see who drew first.

Aunt Dot broke the spell. “Elsie,” she cried, jumping up from her chair and hurrying over to where Elsie still stood at the door. “I haven’t seen you in a dog’s age.”

She gave Aunt Dot a wry look but allowed herself to be guided to the kitchen table. Once seated in her chair, she sniffed and lifted a hand to fluff the faded silk flower pinned at the neck of dress. “Seems you’ve had a spot of trouble, Mary.”

Leaning back in her chair, Great-Aunt Mary crossed her arms. “Always one to state the obvious, aren’t you, Elsie?” Her lips twisted into a bitter grin. “Since Sharon Doran tried
to burn the house down around our ears tonight, I guess you could call it a ‘spot’ of trouble.”

“So are you finally going to put a stop to her?” Elsie asked, leaning forward.

Great-Aunt Mary did the same. “Yes,
I
am.”

Elsie nodded once, sending her scraggly hair floating around her face. “Good,” she exclaimed. “Then I’m here to help.”

“What makes you think I need your help?” Great-Aunt Mary shot back.

“Annie told me—”

Great-Aunt Mary gave a soft gasp. “You saw Annie? You’re not a medium. You can’t—”

Elsie held up a hand, stopping her. “Don’t worry, Mary, I’m not stealing your thunder. Annie came to me in a dream tonight. She wants all this fussing and fighting to end…” She paused as her face took on a faraway look. “Annie never did cotton to holding grudges.” The look fell away and her focus returned to Great-Aunt Mary.

“Annie told you to come here?”

“Yes, and it seems to me if you’re going to clear away over fifty years of evil—” She stopped, and reaching in the pocket of her dress, withdrew a large plastic bag of herbs. Plopping it on the table, she stared at Great-Aunt Mary. “I think you could use my help.”

Great-Aunt Mary turned to Aunt Dot, who bobbed her head in encouragement.

“We’re going to the Seven Sisters. Think you’re spry enough to make the trip?” Great-Aunt Mary challenged.

Elsie let out a low cackle. “As I recall, I’m younger than you, Mary. I’m guessing if you can make it, I can, too.”

With a shake of her head, Great-Aunt Mary held up her gnarled hands and lifted a finger as she counted off each name. “Me, Sister, Lydia, Abby, Elsie, Tink.” She dropped one hand and pointed at me. “And you, you’re the seventh
witch, Ophelia. All you have to do is believe in your gift.” She gave a quick nod of her head. “Seven witches…Seven Sisters.”

Great-Aunt Mary was right about Maybelle’s boys. They were bigger than the two cousins who had helped Dad back from the clearing the day he sprained his foot. And if they thought it strange, getting called out at four in the morning to carry two aged aunts out to the middle of the woods, they never commented on it. Instead, they waited patiently while we made our preparations.

Abby and Lydia set about gathering the supplies we would need once we reached the Seven Sisters—crystals, Elsie’s bag of herbs, and a large sack of coarse salt.

Aunt Dot had referred to what lurked at the Seven Sisters as a curse, and I didn’t know if that was exactly right. From what I’d experienced that night with Ethan at the hunter’s shack, I saw it more as negative energy that hung over the entire place like a bad smell. Sharon had created that energy with her attempts at magick.

I slapped my forehead—Ethan—I’d forgotten my promise to stay close to the house. If he caught us in the clearing, he would be so pissed.

He won’t catch us.
He talked as if it would take time to set up the Doran bust. He’d be busy working on that, not wandering around the woods.

While everyone was busy, Great-Aunt Mary and Aunt Dot were sitting at the table, talking quietly. I joined them. I had a question for Great-Aunt Mary.

“Why did you change your mind about me?” I asked without preamble.

“I didn’t change my mind,” she answered, “I always knew the gift ran deep in you, girl. I just never thought you had the will to use it. But since you’ve been here,” she let out a low cackle, “you’ve been like a terrier going after a mole…you dig and dig until you get your answers.”

I didn’t know if I cared to be compared to a dog, but I let it slide.

Aunt Dot tapped Great-Aunt Mary on her shoulder. “Go ahead, Sister, tell her,” she urged.

“Annie didn’t just visit Elsie. She was with us tonight, too,” she said softly as her eyes dampened. “After all these years, she finally contacted me.”

“How?”

“I was dreaming about her when Abby woke me up. She was trying to tell me something, but I didn’t understand. Now I do.”

“What?”

“That a body needs to let go of the past. It’s what Abby needs to do, too.” Her eyes drifted toward Elsie, standing at the counter with Lydia. “Maybe I do too,” she continued softly. “Annie saved us tonight, you know.”

That was a nice comforting thought, and I hated to argue, but it hadn’t been Annie.

“I wasn’t dreaming of Annie, Great-Aunt Mary. In fact, I wasn’t dreaming at all.” I shook my head. “I heard knocking.”

She and Aunt Dot both nodded wisely.

“Annie? She was trying to get my attention?”

They nodded again.

“Have you told Abby? She’d like to know that her mother’s still looking out for her.”

“She already knows,” Great-Aunt Mary said. “She was dreaming of Annie, too.”

Wow. I wasn’t a medium, but she was. I’d have to take her word about what had happened earlier.

The clock suddenly chimed five, and the Aunts turned to one another.

Time to go.