The Witches of BlackBrook (10 page)

“Oh my god, Trin. Here. Hold still.” Kit handed Trin a napkin and tossed the remaining cup of tea down the sink.

“Thanks.” Trin sputtered into the tissue, then wiped the spittle from her lips. “Are you still convinced this wasn’t magically induced? Why would ginger make me cough up blood?”

“I’m not sure. But I don’t think we should jump to conclusions. Maybe you should see an actual doctor first. What if you’re having some intestinal issues that can be easily treated?”

Trin pushed back from the table and fetched herself a glass of water. No matter what Trin thought was going on, Kit disagreed. It was infuriating, especially when the damn fog-thingy had just attacked her one night prior. It wasn’t like she was making this shit up.

“Fine. I’ll go to the doctor, but only after you agree to do a spell with me. We need to find out about this shadow thing and see what the connection is with Jason and Caris.”

Kit stood, uncommitted for what felt like an eternity, then finally nodded in agreement. “Okay. Let me finish up with my work here, then we’ll head downstairs and see what we can find out together.”

Trin nodded and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to rest for a while. Come get me when you’re ready to begin.”

Kit smiled and returned to her papers, putting the last touches on her sketches and drafting up her summaries and proposals. She needed to focus on real life and make sure her next showing was as successful as her last. Maybe once she knew the bills would continue to be paid, she could then worry about the impending evil that had come to town. Ironic nothing like this had happened before the Hardy’s arrival. “Ironic, indeed,” Kit spat.

She worked in silence, upset at the thought of Trin hurt in any way. Was it so bad that all she wanted was to remain sheltered and protected with her? They’d spent centuries together, safe and sound, and it was a life she enjoyed. Kit had no need of false covens or Wiccan friends. She had all she needed with Trin, and at times, it hurt that she didn’t feel the same.

“Caris, I’ll be home at six. We’ve got a lot to discuss, so order in some food, okay?”

Caris noted the tension in Jason’s voice even through the voicemail. She texted her reply immediately.

Caris:
“I’ll have dinner ordered and on the table by six. See you soon.”

Jason:
“Thanks.”

Caris called in their pizza order and headed straight to the shed. She was certain Jason would want to work a spell tonight, the tingle of magic along her veins was a tell-tale sign.

In just under thirty minutes she had their altar set up and returned to the house to pay for their meal and welcome her cousin home.

“How was work?” she asked, not quite sure if he’d be ready to dive straight in.

“Work was fine.” Jason grabbed a slice of pepperoni and took a seat at the kitchen island.

“No more attacks from the evil bank of fog?” Caris smiled.

Jason shook his head. “No. Not on me, anyway.”

“What does that mean? Who else has been attacked?” Caris was in his face, demanding to know more.

“That’s the thing...I saw the fog-ling surrounding Trin’s aura, but it wasn’t attacking her. It seemed like it was feeding off her.”

Caris’s hand flew to cover her mouth.

“Yeah. Not great news,” Jason summarized. “We have to find out what this thing is and where it came from. I get that Trin is the most powerful witch around, but if it’s feeding off her, then why would it have attacked me instead of doing the same, if magic is what it wants?”

“I don’t know, none of the other attacks we’ve faced over the centuries compare to this. It’s starting to freak me out.” Caris paused then looked back at her cousin. “And how on earth did you even see this, anyway? I thought you were at work all day.”

“I was. But when I called Trin this morning to confirm our weekend plans, she cancelled and lied to me. I could feel there was something off, so I used my third eye to gaze upon her, and that’s when I saw it. It’s like she doesn’t even know it’s there.”

“Well, finish that damn slice and let’s get to it. I can’t stand sitting here not knowing what’s going on, waiting for the next shoe to drop.”

“I agree.” Jason shoved the last bite of pizza in his mouth and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

They walked towards the shed, ready to connect their magic and search for the root of their problems. Suddenly a howling wind pierced the night sky, blowing around them in a vortex of tornadic proportions. Debris flew into the air, slamming violently all around them.

“What the hell is this?” Caris yelled.

“I think we’re being blocked,” Jason shouted, covering his head to avoid the flying clay planter coming his way.

“Come on! Let’s get back inside.” Caris clapped her hands in front of her, shoving them like an arrow through the deluge of rain.

Jason grinned at her display of water magic as they walked through what felt like the parted Red Sea. They trudged to the back door, slamming the screen once safely inside and continued to watch as wind and hail assaulted their backyard. Within minutes their shed had collapsed and the entire lawn looked like a warzone.

“Looks like you’re right. Whatever is causing all this, certainly doesn’t want us poking around,” Caris said.

“Well, that’s too damn bad,” Jason swore. “This thing has its hooks in Trin, and I refuse to be scared into doing nothing.”

“I have the tooth from Lillian, remember. But we need to use it on the new moon, and that’s not for another week.”

“We’ll bide our time while we restock and set up an altar in here,” Jason confirmed.

“I have a few things in the kitchen already, let’s do a quick protection spell and see if it helps.”

Caris gathered the ingredients from her small stock and cast a quick circle, then grabbed Jason’s hands and chanted her spell. “Goddess of love, goddess of light, protect us with your awesome might. Within this bubble we are safe, protected by your loving grace.”

A churning silver bubble radiated from the two of them, encompassing the entire house and surrounding area. The wind stopped and the hail ceased, immediately returning peace to their space. Caris and Jason ran to the backdoor and watched as a thick gray fog slithered back into the forest.

His breath came in short bursts as he summoned a fire to quickly bring the contents in his cauldron to a boil. He added a dash of his own skin and waited until the mixture turned pure black, then ran his long fingernail through the potion. Smearing his chest with the thick liquid, he chanted, “Forever one, so are we, bound by time, eternally. I will not lose you, our bond is true. Forged by magic, through and through.” His chest sizzled and the black smear disappeared into his flesh.

Trin woke what felt like days later, but with a quick glance at the clock, she realized it had only been three hours. Padding down the stairs in her flannel pj’s and slippers, she wondered why Kit hadn’t come to wake her up before now.

A quick glance at the dining room table brought up another question. Kit’s papers were still scattered all over. Where the heck was she?

“Kit. Are you here?”

Trin knew it shouldn’t have taken her this long to finish her proposals, as she’d seen her do it a dozen times before. Receiving no response, Trin thought perhaps her sister had started the spell without her, not wanting to disturb her sleep. She opened the door to the cellar and called out. “Kit. Are you down there?”

Again...no response.

Panicked and now fully awake, Trin began to scour the house.

There were no signs of a struggle and all the doors and windows were shut and locked. All but the front. It stood slightly ajar, letting in a chilled breeze, one that scattered a light dusting of snow over the threshold. Trin shivered as terror filled her veins.

She slammed the door, locked it, and ran into the cellar. Gathering her scrying mirror, Trin tossed a flame at the candles on the altar and set to finding out what the hell had happened while she’d been sleeping.

The mirror swirled and the vision came quick. Kit was sitting at the table when suddenly, the front door burst open. Kit walked out onto the stoop, peering left and right, then turned back towards the house. Suddenly, the door slammed shut then rebounded slightly. Through the crack of the opening, Trin could see that Kit was nowhere in sight.

“Dammit!”

Trin quickly gathered a map and her pendulum for a locator spell. Pulling deep on her magic she demanded, “Show me my sister.” The crystal point spun wildly, vibrating between multiple spots. Their house, the Hardy’s, the forest, Washington DC, Ipswich and various routes in-between.

“What the hell?” Trin cussed.

Raising the bar, Trin nicked her thumb on the ceremonial knife she’d purchased from Lillian’s shop, and placed a drop of blood on the tip of the pendulum. “Show me my blood sister.”

Trin gasped as the crystal point stilled then shifted between only two spots on the map. The Hardy house, and Washington DC.

“Hey. You started without me?” Kit’s voice came from the bottom of the stairs.

Trin dropped the pendulum and spun around. “What the hell happened to you?”

“What are you talking about? I just ran to the store.” Kit frowned, holding up a bag of candles and a container of salt. “I thought we could use these for the spell and last time I checked, we were running low.”

“But...” Trin looked back at her tools on the altar and took a deep breath. “I came downstairs and all your papers were still scattered across the table and the front door was open. I thought something happened to you.”

“Really? The front door was open?”

“Yes. Really.”

Trin stared at Kit, her anger and suspicion continuing to rise. Why wouldn’t Kit tell her what happened? Trin turned to clear her things without another word, figuring she too could play it close to the vest and perhaps find out exactly what Kit was hiding in the process.

Kit walked to the altar and made quick work of setting up the candles she’d just purchased. She could tell Trin was still upset. “I’m sorry I worried you. The door must have blew open again after I left.”

Trin huffed. “What do you mean again?” she prodded, failing to appear disinterested.

“I was sitting at the table and the door just blew open. I went to check it out, but nothing was there. The wind was blowing like crazy though, so I thought if I was going to run to the store I’d better do it then, instead of later in case the weather continued to worsen. So, I shut the door and ran to the store. I already had my keys in my pocket and my wallet was still in the car.”

Trin stared at her sister as she processed her words. It was a
somewhat
logical explanation, and as Trin thought back she reminded herself that there weren’t any signs of struggle. She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I guess my imagination is getting the best of me these days. I’m glad you’re okay.”

Kit smiled and poured a circle of salt around the altar. “Don’t worry, Trin. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’ve got you watching my back.”

Trin forced a grin onto her face and glanced again at the pendulum she’d placed back on the shelf.
But who is truly watching my back?
she thought to herself.

Focused on their goal, Trin and Kit cast another locator spell to find their lost sister. The result was the same as always, no luck. They had tried scrying, vision work, pendulums, and like every time before, nothing had pinpointed a location or person. It was beyond depressing.

“Dammit!” Trin cussed.

“I’m sorry, Trin. We’ll keep trying. The new moon is only a week away and maybe it’s that energy we need to boost our spell,” Kit offered.

“Possibly. We’ve always centered our magic around the full moon, so maybe you’re right, it might just be that our timing is off.” Trin shrugged a shoulder.

“If we don’t get any results then, we’ll plan a trip to Ipswich and speak to the shopkeeper you told me about. Okay?”

“Okay, Kit. Thanks.”

The girls worked in silence, clearing and cleansing the space. Trin then returned to her room, ready to call it a night. Placing her long auburn hair in a high bun, she washed her face then headed straight for bed. She nestled under the thick duvet only to notice the light flashing on her cell phone. Trin reached to retrieve the message.

“Trin, it’s Caris. We had another attack tonight. I really think it would be in everyone’s best interest if we could combine our power and try to get to the bottom of this. Please call me back as soon as you get this.”

Trin covered her eyes with her forearm and sank into the pillows. She hated the idea of anything bad happening to Caris or Jason and felt the urge to dial her back right away, but something stopped her. Trin couldn’t tell if it was magic or the Goddess’s subtle warnings, but she couldn’t deny the feeling of wanting to keep her distance and honor Kit’s wishes. Trin wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and replaced her phone on the nightstand.

She’d call Caris in the morning.

“Just so you know, I left Trin a message last night. I really think you need to tell her everything you saw,” Caris stated flatly as she handed Jason his cup of coffee.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t agree, but without confirmation I’m not sure she’ll believe a word I have to say.”

“Then we need to figure out a way to give her some confirmation.”

“Easier said than done, cousin. Easier said than done,” Jason said as he headed out the door. “Text me when she calls.”

“Will do.” Caris finished packing her lunch and was climbing into her Jeep when her phone beeped. She looked at the display and grinned. “Morning, Trin. How are you?”

“Honestly, Caris, I’ve been better.” Trin sighed.

“Same here.” Caris huffed. “Did you get my message? Will you be able to come over tonight?”

“Yes, as long as I don’t get sick at work again,” Trin explained.

“Oh no. Are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. I’ll share all the gory details later. I’ll text you once I’m on my way.”

“Okay, great! See you later.”

“See ya.”

Caris hung up the phone and texted Jason before pulling out of the drive.

Caris:
Trin will be over tonight.

Jason:
Good. I’ll try to get out early.

Caris:
Sounds like a plan. Work on that confirmation. lol.

Jason:
Ha ha
.
You too.

Caris headed to work with her heart a little lighter. If they could convince Trin that she was the center of whatever it was that was happening around them, maybe then she would use her true magic and set Caris’s free in the process.

Trin worked a full day with no debilitating illnesses wreaking havoc on her insides and was now heading out to meet Caris and Jason.

Trin:
We still on?

Caris:
Yep. See you soon.

Trin shook her head, still not convinced whether this was a good idea or not. As she rounded the corner onto the 9N, her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, where are you?” Kit asked.

“Oh, sorry, I was completely booked today and forgot to mention that I had plans after work.”

“What kind of plans? Anything I can help with?”

“Nah. I’m just heading over to see Jason and Caris for a bit.” Trin tried to keep it light.

“Oh.” Kit’s tone turned glacial. “I guess I’ll see you when you get home, then.”

Trin sighed. “Do you want me to pick up dinner? I shouldn’t be long.”

“Sure. Whatever you want,” Kit snapped.

Trin rolled her eyes. “See you soon, Kit.”

The line went dead.

Trin was used to her little sister never liking when she found new friends, but after centuries together, her jealousy was getting old. It was always like this; one minute she was promising to do everything in her power to find Kara, and the next, she was acting as if they should be sitting on their hands, not doing a damn thing. And the funny thing was, tonight wasn’t even about Kara, it was about what happened to Jason and Caris, and to Kit as well. They needed to find a way to stop this mutual enemy so Kit was just gonna have to suck it up.

Trin pulled up to the Hardy’s place, again awestruck at their little slice of heaven. She loved this house and felt at peace within its walls.

“Thanks for having me over,” Trin said, “I only wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Me too. We have a lot to tell you, Trin. Hopefully Jason will be here soon.” Caris looked at her watch.

“How about a drink while we wait,” Trin suggested, hoping to ease the increasing tension.

“Yes. Absolutely.” Caris grabbed two on-the-rocks glasses and filled them both with a dash of bourbon.

“How’s work?” Trin asked.

“It’s great. I absolutely love this school and all my students are a real joy. Well, except for Katherine. That child...” Caris cut off, shaking her head.

“There’s always one.” Trin smiled.

“Ain’t that the truth?” Caris laughed, relaxing them both.

The next twenty minutes flew by, filled with girl talk and shopping lists. Finally, Caris took another glance at her watch and picked up her cell to leave a message. “Jason, where are you? Trin is here, and I thought you said you’d try to get off early. Call me.”

“If we need to do this some other time, I can come back,” Trin offered.

“No, no. Jason and I really need to talk to you, and he should have been here by now. I’m sure he’ll be strolling in any minute.”

“Okay.” Trin sipped at her drink and questioned why Caris couldn’t broach the subject herself. She watched as Caris fiddled about the kitchen and realized this was her way of dealing with stress, but when she actually started putting dinner together, Trin decided it was time to cut to the chase. “So, were either of you hurt in the attack?” she asked, setting her glass on the counter.

Caris shoulders dropped as she turned from the stove. “No. Thankfully.”

“Why can’t you tell me what happened?”

“Because, Trin. There’s so much more to it than just the attack last night.”

“Like what? What does this have to do with me?” Trin stood and paced the kitchen.

“Please, let’s just wait for Jason,” Caris pleaded.

“Actually. I can’t. I told Kit I wouldn’t be long, and I still need to pick up dinner. Tell your cousin we’ll have to reschedule.”

Trin gathered her coat and purse and headed for the front door. “Sorry, Caris. Just let me know when it’s convenient for me to come back.”

Caris’s response was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. “Wait, Trin. It’s Jason.” “Hello? Jason. Where are you?”

Trin’s heart sank as all the color faded from Caris’s face.