Chapter 139 – “Spirits from the other side…

…hear my words, hear my cry…

Only one of you we do seek…

…a mother of two, whose secrets still sleep…

We ask you to cross the great divide…

…to share the truth you chose to hide.”

 

I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until I felt Asher’s eyes on my face. Still, I couldn’t exhale. There was this part of me that was terrified I’d be disappointed, that the worst would happen, and she wouldn’t come.

Through all the fights I loved the mother I knew, but I wished she were here to tell me this herself.

 

Cordelia repeated her chant a second time, and then a third. The air around us was thick and heavy, like a tangible substance that weighed us down. I watched as Breyona wiped the sweat from her forehead with the sleeve of her hoodie. She pointed at it and grimaced, regret in her eyes. Asher was stoic, his face a mask that revealed nothing. Even Rowena looked a bit flustered and was using her hand to fan her face.

Just when I thought she’d say it a fourth time and s**k the rest of the oxygen from the room, something happened.

They were too light to be shadows. More like whisps of smoke that rolled across the floor, gathering within the ring of candles at the center of our circle. They coalesced, swirling like smoke under glass.

First, the figure of a woman formed.

As the smoke faded, absorbed into the corporeal being standing feet in front of us, I found myself looking into the eyes of my mother.

She looked different than what I remembered, but it had been an entire year since I last saw her. We had fought tirelessly over Tyler, but she hadn’t argued with me when I told her I wanted to live with grandma-she hadn’t said much of anything.

Her hair was longer than I remembered it and curled softly at the ends. Sean had told me what she looked like when he went to identify the body, the wounds that she had. The button -down shirt she wore was spotless and held no evidence of the way she’d been k****d.

and safe. It was the translucence to her body that sent me hurtling through space, crashing towards earth as I remembered she wasn’t here, she wasn’t coming back. I would never get the closure I wanted, the answers

that my mask would be as indestructible as Asher’s, but something inside of

to witness less and less as I aged. There was no anger in her eyes,

able to get the words out. The knot in my

her face served as a reminder that we were on borrowed time. I had to pull myself together long enough to ask the important

my cheeks. Mom’s lips fell and she reached for me, stopping at the barrier of candles that separated us.

myself, Lola…” Her eyes held everything we had missed together. The conversations

off her, that I’d memorize every detail of what she looked like, I couldn’t help it when my head turned towards the sound of Asher’s voice. “Me, Breyona, Mason, Sean, her dad

his fierce protectiveness, one that showed exactly what he felt for me. She could

smile was knowing and

“Likewise.” He nodded stiffly.

this binding spell you had put on me.” I wiped away the tears that fell, blinking past them until I could see clearly

the strongest woman I knew released all the anger I’d been holding inside me. “You were showing signs of magic when you started walking…all you wanted to do was explore, but soon

it to keep me safe, but now it’s putting me in danger. I need to

blood of the witch who bound your magic. The witch is with me on the other side…” My heart dropped, then soared fast enough to leave

strong I

eyes twinkled mischievously, “…she has a son and two grandchildren to

I started to shake my

that never once led her astray. I lost track of the number of birthdays

the woman revive countless rose bushes and saplings that were far beyond repair, only to

telling me Grandma has a sister and that sister is a witch…” I

something softer. “I needed to keep you away from magic, Lola… which also meant keeping you away from

Even though my throat tightened, my voice came out strong and confident. Perhaps it was because I believed what I was saying, or because I wanted my mom to know that she didn’t have to

for her to take and had been all this

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