Witch's Awakening (21 page)

Brenna was stunned. Losing control like this was not like Sarah. The events of the last few weeks were having even more impact on her than Brenna feared.

“My Celia,” Sarah said. “My dear, dear Celia.”

The expressions of everyone in the room mirrored Brenna's feelings of shock. Several moments passed with only the sound of Sarah's quiet cries.

Sarah worked to regain control, pulling away from Marcus and looking around at all of them. “I always hoped Celia would speak to one of us. She died so young.”

Delia spoke up. “We need to know exactly what Celia said about the coven, Fiona. Tell it just as it happened.”

Fiona hesitated, swallowed hard and then closed her eyes. “It was after the circle was broken, while we were watching Doris. I was standing back a little. You know I don't like seeing blood.”

“Nothing to be ashamed of,” Frances said. “What happened to Doris was frightening.”

Fiona gripped Brenna's hand. “I blocked everything out except what we were doing so I could concentrate on the spell. It wasn't very hard. Not many spirits have spoken to me since Sandy was killed.” She looked troubled. “I can't find several of the town's prominent ghosts. It's like they've gone into hiding.”

“But you saw Celia,” Brenna prompted. “When?”

“You and Eva Grace were helping Doris. I was freaked out by the blood. A voice whispered close to my ear and startled me. At first I didn't know what she said. Then Aunt Celia appeared in front of me.”

Rubbing her face, Fiona sighed. “I was shocked to see her. I've never talked to Aunt Celia before.” She looked at Eva Grace. “I would have told you.”

“I know that.” Eva Grace looked sad, as she always did when reminded of the mother who died when she was a baby. “Tell us exactly what Mother told you tonight.”

“It's was pretty straightforward. She was in front of me and she said, ‘Beware of the traitor.' Then she disappeared. By the time I came back to myself, I was backed into the corner behind the counter, and Brenna and Jake were talking to me.”

“Did she say who the traitor was?” Brenna asked.

“There is no traitor.” Sarah's voice had regained her normal authority. “We're family, and we've never had anyone betray us.” To Fiona she said, “Celia didn't specifically say the traitor was in the coven, did she?”

Fiona looked confused. “She warned me against a traitor. I assumed it was a traitor in the coven.”

“But maybe that's not what she meant.” Sarah rose. “Maybe she was talking about someone outside our circle.”

Her gaze landed on Jake. His eyes widened.

Brenna jumped to his defense without pause. “Now wait a minute—”

“Jake was Garth's best friend,” Eva Grace broke in. “He wouldn't do anything to hurt us.”

“Maybe not intentionally,” Sarah retorted, still staring hard at Jake. “Look at the happenings all over town. People who have never been violent have done things completely against their natures. Perhaps our friend here is infected.”

Jake was speechless.

Brenna sputtered a protest. “That's not possible. The night in the diner when the werewolf came out, Jake had to fight his own change. He fought and won. That's the kind of strength he has. He wouldn't give in to a demon and betray us without a tremendous battle.”

She realized Jake's victory over the evil that night was when her feelings for him had begun to soften. He was good inside, she felt. Truly good. But he shocked her with his next words.

“None of us can be sure of what we're capable of.” He looked at Sarah, a mixture of guilt and pain in his face. “I know from experience in my own life that control isn't always possible.”

Smug now, Sarah looked to the rest of the group for support. Brenna was infuriated with her grandmother for planting this seed of doubt about Jake. Why was Sarah doing this?

Aid came from an unlikely source.

“This is insanity,” Delia said.

“Utter nonsense,” Aiden agreed. “There was no demon inside Jake tonight. He did nothing that showed the slightest hint of betrayal.”

Brenna took Jake's hand, threading her fingers through his. “Of course Jake did nothing to hurt us. But look at us, turning on each other, casting blame on someone who has been a friend. Maybe the demon is infecting us all.”

Aiden appeared thoughtful. “Brenna could be right. As far as the spirit who spoke to Fiona, it's possible the demon took Celia's form to spread dissension in our ranks.”

Fiona paled and Eva Grace put an arm around her.

“How can we tell what's the work of a demon and what's not?” Brenna voice held a plea.

“There's no simple answer.”

Delia turned to Sarah. “You're grasping at straws to explain why this happened to Doris tonight. The simple fact is we should not have done that restorative spell at all. You made a mistake. We were wrong to go along with you.”

Sarah protested and Frances stepped to her side. “Sarah was simply trying to do something positive. Eva Grace has lost so much. Who can blame Sarah for wanting to put her shop back together?”

“But who knows what dark magic we set free,” Delia mused.

“That's not possible,” Sarah insisted. “We're a family of witches who have stood together through good and bad times. We let no evil in. Why, in our history, any hint of black magic has met with banishment.”

Brenna disagreed. “Maybe Willow was right. Maybe we're losing control of our powers and of the town.”

As usual, Fiona defended her grandmother. “That's not true. If not for Connellys, who knows what would have happened to this town in the past.”

“What's happening now?” Brenna demanded. “We all saw the Woman in White at the store tonight, and she's never appeared anywhere but on Connelly land near the falls. Why has that changed?”

“Because we were all assembled there?” Eva Grace offered.

“We've assembled often in the past week.” Brenna studied her family. “Why wouldn't she take us while we're at the home place?”

“Our protections are too strong there,” Sarah insisted. “It was the Woman who came tonight to the shop. You all knew it was the Woman in White. We know it's time for her. It was inevitable.”

This blind acceptance made Brenna crazy. “Yet we were able to repel her with magic. Has that ever happened before?”

Sarah exchanged a glance with Frances. “Well, no, but—”

Brenna opened her mouth to reply when a dark-haired man wearing surgical scrubs entered the room.

“Are you all the family of Doris Barton?”

“Yes.” Sarah stepped forward.

“I'm Dr. Hargrave. She made it through the surgery. I was able to repair her carotid artery. Fortunately it was just nicked. She's very strong, but the next twenty-four hours will be critical.”

“Thanks be to the goddess,” Sarah murmured. A chorus of voices echoed her relief.

The doctor surveyed the group. “Which one of you is the empath?”

Eva Grace nodded. For the first time, Brenna saw how weak her cousin was.

Dr. Hargrave hurried over and placed his fingers on Eva Grace's wrist. “Whatever you're doing for Doris, you need to stop. She's in a deep sleep and her vitals are stable. She'll be all right for the next few hours.”

Relaxing and letting out a deep breath, Eva Grace reached for her purse and pulled out a tea ball. “Could someone get me some hot water?”

“Of course, dear.” Estelle hurried to coffee maker in the room where a pot of water simmered.

“Is it ginseng?” Dr. Hargrave asked.

Eva Grace nodded. “It should help me feel better until I can rest.”

“It's very effective.”

When Eva Grace gave the doctor a questioning look, he smiled at her.

“My grandfather is a Cherokee healer, and their methods are very similar to yours in that good health relies on harmony with man, animal and plants.”

Brenna was pleased to hear this coming from a surgeon. It wasn't often men and women of science accepted the ancient remedies her family practiced.

Frances handed Eva Grace a paper cup and the young woman dropped the tea ball into it. The scent of ginseng wafted up and Eva Grace drew it in.

Brenna decided she liked the doctor. “Do you use any of your grandfather's methods?”

“I have an herb garden.” His grin was wry. “Actually, my gardener maintains a beautiful patch of herbs for me. I don't use them much, but my grandfather is still sought out for healing and medicinal help. Like me, my father has a medical degree and he uses some of the herbs for minor illnesses. I use them mostly because I enjoy cooking.”

The doctor checked Eva Grace's pulse again.

“I'm feeling better already,” she said.

He appeared pleased. “You saved Doris's life. She could have suffered a major loss of blood if you hadn't intervened.”

“You're sure she'll be okay?” Diane asked, teary-eyed. “She's my mother, and this is her grandson.” She gestured to Brian.

Dr. Hargrave rose. “You can both come back with me to see her for a few minutes. Then you all should go home. No other visitors tonight.”

Diane and Brian followed him out of the room.

The rest of the coven looked at one another. Before Brenna could speak, Sarah held up a hand. “Let's have no more talk of traitors tonight.” She turned to Jake. “I'm sorry I accused you. I don't want to believe the traitor could be one of my family. Most likely Aiden is correct, and it was the demon who spoke to Fiona instead of Celia. After all, she's never come to us before. Why would she now?”

Brenna could think of many reasons why a family ghost might want to help them in their hour of need. Most of all, however, she was glad Sarah had set to rest any question of Jake being the traitor.

His expression somber, Jake took Sarah's outstretched hand. “I understand. It was natural that you think it might be me.”

“But it wasn't.” Brenna shot a resentful glance at Sarah. She turned to the others. “What do we do now? Are we just going to wait around for someone else to be hurt or killed?”

“Please keep it down,” a nurse admonished from the doorway. “I believe the doctor said you should leave.”

Aunt Estelle hung back to wait for Diane and Brian, but the rest of them headed out to the parking lot. It took great effort for Brenna to hold onto her temper.

Jake put a hand on her shoulder. “Let it go, Brenna. I'm not upset with Sarah's accusations. This was a terrible night and everyone's feeling the strain.”

“Can I come with you?” she asked. “I don't want to go home and argue about all of this any longer.” When he hesitated, she added, “I need to get my car, as well. It's still sitting in your yard where I left it last night.”

He nodded and led her to the cruiser. Brenna saw Sarah look her way and turned her head. Maybe Maggie had the right idea. Maybe all of them should run and hide.

Chapter Nineteen

“Sarah and I fought off the Woman in White with magic tonight. I need to know if that has been done before,” Brenna said as they entered Jake's living room. “There's so much I need to know. If no one's going to help me, I'll just have to do what's needed on my own.”

“And how do you think you'll do that?” Jake put his hat on a table near the door, removed his holster and put his gun in the safe on top of a bookcase. “The whole coven hasn't defeated whatever this is, a lone witch may not fair too well.”

“Do you think Aunt Celia's spirit was the demon?” Brenna followed him to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She set a bottle for him on the counter.

She was making herself at home, Jake noted with discomfort. “I don't know,” he asked her with a frown. “Do you think she was real?”

“I'm asking for your opinion.”

“I may be a shifter, but I don't know much about demons and ghosts.”

His answer seemed to upset her. “You're still angry about Sarah's accusations, aren't you?”

“I told you I wasn't.” If anything, Sarah's words reminded him of who he was and what he was capable of. He needed to keep that foremost in his mind to keep Brenna at arm's length.

She regarded him with her head cocked to the side. “You don't have much faith in yourself, do you?”

“Why do you say that?”

“What you said tonight about control.”

“In a blink of an eye, I am a predator,” Jake reminded her. “I'd be foolish not to acknowledge that.”

“It's more than that. What's made you this way, Jake?”

He had a flash of memory, of blood and gore. Carnage wrought by him. He took a step back. She was in his space, meddling in matters that were none of her concern. What happened to keeping it casual?

He took a deep breath and released it slowly, working hard to resist anger. “How about we see about your car? If we can't get it out without further damage, I'll take you home.”

Brenna studied him in silence. “Okay, I'll leave if you want me to.”

What he wanted was a jumble in his mind. He could barely think. He should push Brenna away. So why did he want to hold her? “It's late,” was his lame reply. “And it was a terrible day.”

“I don't want to go home.” The admission seemed torn from Brenna. “I just want to run away, and I hate myself for it.”

Her name was a sigh on his lips as he acted on instinct and pulled her close. “What do you want to run from most? Your family or the Woman and her curse?”

She turned her face into his chest. “Both of them. I'm angry with Sarah because she's not taking advantage of the strength of the family. She's trying to make all the decisions alone.”

“And your parents?” he prompted.

She was silent. “I was surprised how they defended you tonight. How logical they were.”