Page 74 of The Witch's Shifter
Unlike my mother, Auntie is thrilled to learn that I’m pregnant with Rowan’s child. She touches my belly and gets teary-eyed, and it’s yet another reminder of what my mother refuses to give me: affection, understanding,love. One of the hardest parts about losing Auntie was losing one of the only people I felt ever truly knew me. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle losing her again tonight.
“Three lovers,” Auntie says, sitting back with a chuckle. She sips from her teacup with one hand and pets Harrison withthe other. He’s sitting upon her lap, eyes closed, a gentle purr rumbling from his chest. “You’ve always carved your own path, little sprout.”
Auntie and I are seated on the couch in the parlor. Selene is in the rocking chair, Fletcher held to her breast, and my mother stands beside the crackling fire. She cuts an imposing figure, draped in dark fabrics with her hair pulled tightly away from her face. Though she isn’t looking at us, I know she’s listening, and I know she’s judging me, judging every word that slips from my tongue. But with Auntie clinging to everything I say, I can’t bring myself to care.
The men departed the parlor so that we could have some time alone with Auntie. I can hear Wyland and Rowan speaking from the kitchen, though I’m not sure where Alden and Faolan are. Gwynn remains perched atop the mantel, watching us all from her high vantage point.
“They’re good men,” I say, feeling the truth of the statement in my heart. “Each special in their own way.”
I showed Auntie all the improvements Alden helped me make to the cottage, and she loves the idea of expanding the home to make room for everyone now living here. With her approval, I’ll tell Alden we can get started on the renovations. I’ve been hesitant to make too many changes without Auntie here to okay them, like the cottage is still hers. And in a way, I think it willalwaysbe hers, but now I feel free to move forward with making the changes needed for my rapidly expanding family.
“Evelyn,” Auntie says, and my mother starts at hearing her name.
She turns slightly to regard Auntie over her shoulder. “What?”
“Come sit beside me. There’s much I wish to speak with you about.” Auntie gives me a gentle look, and I stand slowly fromthe couch, hesitantly vacating my spot to make room for my mother.
As I take a few steps away, Selene meets my eye. A knowing passes between us without words being exchanged. We will give our mother and Auntie time alone to speak privately.
“We’ll be in the kitchen,” I say, then give Auntie a smile before departing the parlor.
Selene and I step into the kitchen to find Rowan and Wyland playing a game of cards. Alden leans in the corner, nursing a warm mug of tea. Faolan is nowhere to be found. I glance out the kitchen window, but night has descended, and everything is painted black. A short burst of fear goes through me. Has he run away again?
Almost immediately, the bond between us warms, and a feeling of calm eases my anxieties. I believe Faolan must’ve felt my tension through our connection and responded with a wave of reassurance. It makes my shoulders relax.
He’s not gone. He’s still here.
“She’s just as I remember her,” Alden says as I step up beside him, his arm rising to loop around my shoulders. His woodsy scent washes over me. Breathing it in, I cuddle against his side. “This is all a bit...” He trails off, seeming to search for the right word.
I look up at him, admire his dark beard and the thick brows arching over his eyes. “It’s a bit unsettling, I know. It’s my first time contacting someone from the Otherside.”
“You all looked like you knew what you were doing.”
I shrug lightly. “All witches are taught the ritual. But I wasn’t sure if it would work...”
My gaze flicks to Selene, who is now perched upon Wyland’s lap, Fletcher held in her arms. Without her and my mother, would I have been able to reach through the veil and guide Auntie through? Something in me says no.
“Can anyone be reached?” Alden asks.
Seated at the table, Rowan goes stiff. I see it in his shoulders, the way he suddenly sits up and stops moving, the playful smile slipping from his face.
And I realize what Alden must be asking me, what Rowan is thinking at this very moment.
When I meet Alden’s eyes this time, I see something in them that he doesn’t usually show anyone, that he rarely even shows me: sadness. It makes me want to wrap him tightly in my arms and hold him to my chest until our hearts synchronize and beat together as one.
“Are you referring to your parents?” I ask softly.
Alden clears his throat and nods once. My hand finds his, still holding the mug of tea, and I rub my thumb across his warm skin.
“The longer someone has been gone, the harder it is to connect with them. This is the first Samhain Auntie hasn’t been with us, so she was easier to reach, not so deep into the Otherside that she couldn’t feel us calling. But someone who’s been gone for longer than a few years...” As I trail off, I can feel Rowan listening. It breaks my heart to know he must’ve been wondering if we could reach Lucy, if he could see his little sister even one more time. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve explained earlier.”
“It’s fine.” Alden squeezes my shoulder, and I can all but feel him shaking off the gray cloud that gathered above him. “I’m just glad your aunt came through. I know how important this was to you.”
Though Alden seems to let it go quickly, I note that Rowan is noticeably subdued as he continues to play cards with Wyland, like he’s gone somewhere else in his mind. I’ve been so focused on Samhain—and even on Faolan—that I failed to sit down with Rowan and explain why such a ritual wouldn’t work to reach his sister. I feel foolish now, like I may have hurt him withoutintending to. When I can get him alone, I’ll apologize for being so inconsiderate.
On Wyland’s lap, Selene sits up straight. Her eyes get a misty look as she turns to glance out the kitchen window. Slowly, she stands, then places Fletcher into Wyland’s arms.
“Aurora,” she says, meeting my eyes. “Our time is almost up.”
