Page 41 of Bearly Believable Romance

Tabitha’s hands trembled as she re-read the message, her mind reeling. She was just getting used to her twin’s existence. But to learn that her sister was involved with the very group that threatened Whispering Pines? It was almost too much to comprehend.

She was still standing there, the note clutched in her hand, when Bram returned. He took one look at her face and immediately crossed the room, his strong arms encircling her.

“Tabitha, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”

She wordlessly handed him the note, watching as his brow furrowed in concern. They stood together in silence for a moment, the weight of this new information hanging heavy between them.

“I wonder who sent the note,” she asked.

“The writing looks juvenile. I wonder if it was that kid we caught during the attack.”

“Maybe your words got through to him.”

“If they did, this is a big help.”

“We’ll have to do some more investigating,” Bram said finally, his voice steady and determined. “We have to uncover your sister’s motives and find out where she is.”

Tabitha nodded, drawing strength from his presence. “I know. But where do we even begin?”

Bram’s eyes sparkled with a sudden idea. “Jasper. If anyone can help us find answers, it’s him.”

They wasted no time in making their way to the library, the heart of Whispering Pines’s magical knowledge. Jasper greeted them with his usual enigmatic smile, his translucent form flickering in the sunlight that streamed through the stained-glass windows.

“Ah, Tabitha and Bram. How can I help you today?” he asked, his voice echoing softly in the cavernous space.

Tabitha explained the situation, watching as Jasper’s expression grew thoughtful. He floated toward a section of the library she had never noticed before, his ghostly hand passing through the spines of ancient tomes.

“Here we are,” he said, indicating a thick, leather-bound volume. “The records of adoptions in Whispering Pines. If your sister was given up, there should be a trace of it here.”

Together, they scoured the yellowed pages, searching for any mention of Tabitha’s family.

“Look,” Bram said, his voice hushed. “A baby girl born on the same day as you, Tabitha. Given up for adoption to a family outside of Whispering Pines.”

“Does it say her new name?”

“Hmm. It looks like Ophelia.”

Tabitha leaned closer, her heart racing as she read the names. “She was adopted by the Shadowsoul Coven? I’ve never heard of them.”

Jasper’s face grew grave. “The Shadowsouls are a strong coven with a history of dark magic. If your sister Ophelia was raised by them, it’s no wonder she’s involved with the rogue magic users.”

A chill ran down Tabitha’s spine. Poor Ophelia. She thought of her own childhood, the cold, unfeeling and disconnected parents she’d lived with. Still, she did have the people at Whispering Pines. Her new family. They’d shown her so much love. What must her sister’s life have been like raised by a family steeped in darkness? Could she ever hope to reach her, to bring her back to the light?

She had to try. With Bram by her side, Tabitha decided to confront her parents, to demand the full truth about her sister’s adoption.

The phone call was tense, filled with long silences and clipped emotional words. Her parents, their voices heavy with a mixture of guilt and defensiveness, finally revealed the story Tabitha had been seeking.

“Your sister... she was born with a curse,” her mother said, her voice barely above a whisper. “A dark magic that would have grown to put everyone in danger. We had to make a choice, Tabitha. We chose you.”

Her father’s voice was gruff, unyielding. “It was a closed adoption. We didn’t want to be tempted to find her. We knew you wouldn’t have survived with a sibling born of darkness.”

Oh, god. Poor Ophelia. Tears streamed down Tabitha’s face as she listened, a mixture of anger and sympathy warring within her. Anger at her parents for the choice they had made and the secrets they had kept. But also sympathy for Ophelia and the life she had been forced into.

“I’m going to find her,” Tabitha said, her voice shaking but determined. “I’m going to help her. I believe that reconciliation might break the curse.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Then, finally, her mother’s voice was soft and filled with tentative hope, a complete change from her cold and detached typical tone. “Be careful, Tabitha. And know that we love you, no matter what.”

Tabitha hung up the phone, her heart heavy but her resolve unshakeable.

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