Fate Changer (The Lost Witch Trilogy #3) (8 page)

Sarah felt like throwing up. She could only imagine what had happened next to the poor, grief stricken young girl. The fact that Teresa had soon after become pregnant with Charlie made it crystal clear what had happened.

Charlie came to sit on the other side of her mother and took her hand in hers. “It’s okay Mom, we’ll get justice for Bryce and your parents. I promise.”

Teresa smiled sadly at Charlie and nodded. “I think only God can promise me that and I’d rather not lose you too Charlie. You’re the one good thing that has come out of this whole mess. I have a beautiful daughter and the rest of my life to live. Let’s not tempt fate and lose everything.”

Charlie’s face crumpled and she started crying softly as she leaned her head against her mom’s shoulder.

Sarah felt her heart break for Teresa and the way Charlie was so affected by the fact that her mother was grateful for her existence. Such a simple thing and yet, Charlie had never had that. It made her miss her own mother all over again.

“Teresa, you are an amazing woman and I’m completely jealous of Charlie because you’re all hers,” Sarah said, being completely honest.

Charlie lifted her head and wiped her eyes before smiling at her. “Well look at that. Sarah, the Princess of all Witches being jealous of
me
. Cool.”

Sarah shook her head and laughed. “A princess witch. That’s a good one.”

Lash grinned at her. “I like it.
Princess.
It fits.”

Zane narrowed his eyes at Lash before coming to stand behind Sarah’s chair, massaging her neck. “Teresa, what would Charles do if he found out that you had your mind back?” Zane asked, moving the conversation away from Sarah.

Teresa winced and shrugged. Charlie’s eyes turned bright with anger and her shoulders squared. “He won’t touch my mom ever again. Besides, he’s obsessed with Sarah now. Why would he want to hurt her? He’s done enough,” she said to the group, trying either to convince them or herself.

Teresa shook her head. “I was his first love. He might still want revenge because I damaged his pride. I wouldn’t put it past him. Anytime you think he’ll have a normal human emotion, forget it. He doesn’t. He’s completely sociopathic. He has no conscience. He has no soul. And he doesn’t care who he hurts or destroys in order to get what he wants.”

Agnes stepped forward and patted Charlie’s shoulder. “The one thing we need to understand from the very beginning is that we are here to protect ourselves from this monster. If we give in to hate and revenge, then we’ll become just like Charles. We can’t let that happen. Anger and hatred will twist a soul faster than anything.”

Charlie pounded her fist on the table, making Sarah jump in surprise. “That’s impossible! How can I not hate the man who did this to my mother and my grandparents?”

Agnes sat down next to Charlie and put her hands on both sides of her face. “My darling girl, that’s what we have to do in this life or we end up miserable. We have to take the bad, accept it, deal with it and then let it go. If we take the evil that comes into our lives and hold on to it and multiply it by anger and hatred and then spew it back out into the world, then we’re just as bad as Charles.
No Charlie
. We must do something Charles isn’t expecting. We must let go and forgive.”

Lash was the one who stood up, upset by Agnes’s words. “
Forgive?
Just forgive all the crap, all the abuse, all the pain that people dump on us? Are you serious?”

Gretchen walked over to Lash and put her arms around the angry young man. “She’s right Lash. Don’t let Charles and Mason win. They win if they can destroy your soul. They’ve taken too much. Don’t let them turn your soul dark and twisted. She’s right. We have to let it go.”

Lash glared at her darkly for a moment before looking away. “I’ll think about it.”

Gretchen patted his cheek and smiled with compassion. “Sometimes it takes a lifetime honey, but as long as you’re working on it, you’re the one who wins.”

Charlie raised her head and looked at Lash first and then back to Agnes. “So we’re just supposed to forgive and let everything go and let these monsters get away with everything? We just lie down and let them take and take and take? That can’t be right.
I refuse to believe that’s right
,” Charlie said, looking torn and upset.

Agnes looked at Sarah and Zane before answering. “No, you’re right. Just laying down and letting evil monsters destroy anything they want to
is
wrong. You can forgive them, but still fight them to the bitter end. We’re standing up for good Charlie. We’re doing everything we can to protect the innocent and save future witches from Charles.
Oh no
. We’re not laying down or giving up or anything like it. We’re all fighters here in this room. My point is, that if you let your anger and hatred overtake you, then you
are
laying down. You
are
giving up and giving in to Charles and Mason. Because deep down, they want everyone to be just like them. Do you understand my girl?”

Charlie looked surprised for a second but then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I do. It all comes down to motive I guess. Lash? What about you? Will you try?” she said, looking at Lash standing back, his hands fisted at his side.

Lash looked up at Charlie and nodded. “I’ll try. That’s all I can promise. In the meantime though, I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and your mom and Sarah.”

Zane grinned at Lash. “What about me? Aren’t you going to protect me too?”

Lash looked surprised at Zane and raised an eyebrow. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Charlie frowned at Lash. “Hey, you don’t want to be like Charles do you? My mom loved Bryce and he wouldn’t accept it. Listen to Agnes. Let it go Lash.
Let Sarah go
. Maybe then you’ll be open to someone else. Don’t you want someone to love you back just as much as you love them?”

Lash looked at Charlie consideringly and then turned away awkwardly. Charlie cleared her throat and started to blush. “Um, I mean,
someday
. Like, if you met someone new, someday kind of thing.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide and she looked between Charlie and Lash a few times, just now catching on to the fact that her cousin had a mighty strong crush on Lash. And by the way Lash was acting, he was maybe catching on to the new development too.

“
Fine
. I’ll protect Zane too.” Lash mumbled and walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Sarah shared a quick grin with Agnes and Gretchen before turning back to Teresa. “Teresa, knowing that Charles could come after you, I think it’s probably a smart idea for you to leave town. Charlie finally has you. I don’t want her to lose you again. No one does.”

Teresa shook her head back and forth jerkily. “She’s all I have. I’m not leaving so don’t ask me again.”

Charlie stared at her mom with so much love and awe, that it was hard to look at and Sarah had to look away. “Okay then. I won’t ask you to go again. You should be safe here anyways. Zane and I put protective lines around this house and parts of town too. But what now? What’s the plan? Any ideas on our next step?” she asked, looking around the room at all the faces that had become so dear and precious to her.

Gretchen shrugged, looking clueless and Agnes, looked down guiltily. But Lash and Charlie were staring at each other in a very strange, direct way. Almost as if they were reading each other’s mind.

Lash stepped up to the counter separating the kitchen from the dining area and cleared his throat. “Charlie and I were talking about it this afternoon while Teresa was trying on clothes. Everything we’ve done is protective.
Defensive.
I think we need to be a little more proactive with this situation. Charlie agrees with me. Mason has to be somewhere close by. Charles will probably be back tomorrow so I think tonight I should go
hunting
.”

Zane stepped around Sarah’s chair and walked over to Lash. “Dude, are you serious? That’s incredibly dangerous. And he’s your father. You’d be willing to go hunting for Mason? What exactly would you do if you found him?” he asked quietly.

Lash stared back at Zane and without blinking said, “I’d take him out. He’s the one Charles is using to cross lines. He’s the one who killed Francis. He’s too unpredictable. Charles needs him to do his dirty work. If he no longer has Mason, then that gives Sarah a fighting chance.”

Agnes stood up and walked to stand next to Zane. “But dear, do you understand what you’re saying? Do you honestly think you can kill your own father?”

Lash nodded his head as he looked back and forth between Zane and Agnes. “Is Sarah the only one allowed to get her hands dirty? Does she have to have the responsibility of saving all of us all on her shoulders? I understand him the best. It’s up to me to do this. Besides, we can’t forget he’s on a blood high. What chance would any of you have against him if he walked through that door right now?”

Agnes turned pale and wrung her hands in front of her. “I know it’s the right answer, but I hate the idea of you having your father’s blood on your hands.”

Lash shook his head. “Race called it,
crazy as he is
. He said it would be like putting down a rabid animal. If I don’t, then I’m just allowing him to move on to his next victim. I’d rather have his blood on my hands then the blood of all the innocent victims that he’ll slaughter now and throughout the years. And one of his next victims could be you. Or Gretchen.
Or Sarah
.”

Agnes held up her hand. “I get it. Please, Lash. That’s enough. And I apologize. You’re right. And you have my gratitude for being willing to do this.”

Lash nodded his head with dignity. Zane tilted his head and stared at Lash as if he were reading his thoughts. “When do you want to go?” he asked.

Lash smiled in relief. “In a couple hours. I want to catch him off guard if possible. I have few ideas of where he might be hiding out.”

Sarah stood up and walked over to Zane, putting her hand on his arm. “Are you going with him Zane?”

Zane glanced at her and then frowned at the worry on her face. “Yes Sarah. It’ll take both of us to bring him down. It’s not right to let Lash face this alone. He shouldn’t have to.”

Sarah swallowed sickly and looked across the counter at her friend. Lash was looking at her somberly, his pale blue eyes looking sad but determined.

“I’m so sorry you have to do this Lash.” she said as Zane put his arm around her shoulders.

Lash shrugged and looked away from her for a moment before looking back. “It has to be done Sarah. Don’t be sorry.”

Gretchen took charge after that, ushering everyone off to bed except for Lash and Zane. Zane kissed her goodnight at the door to the office and made her promise not to worry, but she broke it as soon as he walked away from her.
How could she not worry?
He was getting ready to face a man who got his kicks from drinking blood and causing pain.

But the day had tired her out more than she realized because as soon as she lay down, she was out.

Sarah woke up the next morning and glanced at the clock. It was ten in the morning. She blinked her eyes in surprise and frowned. She was alone in the room. If Zane was back, he would have come to her. She threw her blankets off and rushed out of the room, going straight to the kitchen.

Agnes, Gretchen, Teresa and Charlie were standing together in the kitchen, talking softly and looking somber.

“Where’s Lash and Zane?” she asked quickly, looking worriedly from face to face.

Gretchen tried to smile as she shook her head. “They’re still not back yet dear.”

Sarah groaned and shook her head. She should have gone with them. Not knowing what was happening or what had already happened would kill her.

“Now stop worrying. I’d know if something bad has happened. Everything’s fine Sarah. Now come on over and eat some breakfast. You look like you could use a ham and cheese omelet.”

Sarah nodded, not caring if she ate or not. “I can’t just sit here waiting all day for him to come back. I can track Zane. I’m going to go find him,” she stated and turned to head back to her room to grab her shoes.

A hand on her arm stopped her though in mid-stride. “They’re outside of the protective lines you made yesterday. If Charles isn’t back yet, he will be soon. The memorial service for Francis is at one. You
have
to stay here Sarah. You don’t have a choice,” Gretchen said and motioned for her to sit down at the table.

Sarah felt her teeth grinding and tried to relax as she gave in and went to sit at the table. Gretchen was right, she was stuck.

“If they’re not back by twelve, I don’t care about the lines. I’m going to go find him,” she said firmly.

Agnes made a few clucking sounds under her breath and Gretchen turned away. Charlie and Teresa came and sat down across from her at the table.

“If you don’t relax you’re going to pop a blood vessel in your brain or something,” Charlie said with a half grin as she flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder.

Teresa nodded her head in agreement. “Why don’t I do your hair for the memorial service? We could all figure out what we’re wearing and maybe do our nails or something?” she said hopefully.

Sarah smiled at Teresa’s kind suggestion. She kept forgetting that Teresa was still eighteen in her mind.

Charlie nodded her head in agreement. “Great idea Mom. I’ve got some really glossy black that would match these high heel boots I have. You can borrow them if you want.”

Teresa’s eyes went wide. “
Black nail polish
? Seriously? No one ever wears that color. At least they didn’t eighteen years ago.”

Charlie and Teresa wandered off, smiling and talking fashion and nail polish colors and Sarah couldn’t help grinning at how happy Charlie looked. Agnes slipped a plate filled with steaming food in front of her and sat down opposite of her in the chair Teresa had just vacated.

“Eat up child. You’re going to need it.”

Sarah frowned but took a bite obligingly. “Why is that? What does the day hold for me Agnes,” she asked curiously, wondering just how far Agnes’s skills at sensing the future went.