And yet, here she was in the flesh, the hesitant look on her face making me squirm with guilt.
Moira took her by the elbow and ushered her deeper into the store. “Tea? Coffee? Water?”
“Nothing for me, thanks.” She shrugged off her brown jacket and folded it over her arm.
Thalia was a small woman, fine-boned and petite. Now that I knew who she was, I acknowledged we resembled each other, though no one who saw us together would guess we were sisters right away. Where my eyes were bright blue, Thalia’s were hazel, amber flecked with green and she had high cheekbones and full lips. She was pretty in a girl next doorway, but Thalia was a powerful seer, and her magic packed a punch.
Her dark hair, so similar to mine, was plaited in her trademark braid and slung over her shoulder. She held a brightly colored patchworked bag which clashed with her outfit. Thalia normally favored skirts, but the weather wasn’t conducive to her normal style. Today she wore a pair of corduroy boot cut pants with shiny patent leather boots and a fuzzy white sweater. Several strands of thin beaded gemstone necklaces graced her neck, and she wore a pair of elaborately twisted silver earrings.
“Hey, Evie,” she said in a hesitant voice.
“Thalia.” There was a seat right across from me at my worktable. Not offering it was rude, but Moira didn’t give me the chance to decide. She led the seer over and pulled the chair out, then brushed away leaf and petal litter from the table’s surface.
Thalia put her bag on the ground.
“Sure you don’t want something to drink?” Moira asked.
Thalia shook her head. “I’m here to see Evie. I won’t take up much of your time.”
“Where’s Garrett?” I asked.
“Outside. Waiting for me in the car.”
“He can come inside if he wants,” Moira said.
“I told him I’d be no longer than five minutes.” She chewed on the edge of her lips and twisted her fingers together. “I’m here with a warning.”
Brushing off a warning from a seer was foolhardy. I couldn’t afford to let my pride get in the way of our safety. Setting the tools down, I crossed my arms and stared.
“Alright then. What is it?”
Thalia swallowed.
“Evie,” Moira snapped. “May I speak with you for a moment?”
“No.”
Moira snorted and reached for my elbow, yanking me unceremoniously from the chair.
“Excuse me,” she said to Thalia, her voice so sweet it could be bottled and sold as a Canadian export.
My sister watched with wide eyes as Moira dragged me to the walk-in fridge and shoved me inside.
“What is wrong with you?” she hissed as soon as the door shut behind us.
I knew I was being a huge brat, but I didn’t particularly care.
Moira’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods. Evie! You know you’re being an asshole and you’re doubling down on it!” She laughedout loud. “Never thought I’d see the day when you acted like a petulant teenager.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at her.
Amusement sparkled in Moira’s eyes. “As much as I want to gloat about this, Thalia is your sister. She had as much control over her birth as you did over what happened in Scotland.”
I stiffened, anger blooming in my chest. “It’s not the same,” I snapped.
“No,” Moira agreed, “but Thalia had nothing to do with her conception, just like you had nothing to do with Finn’s actions. Those things happened to you, not because of you.”
“Conception is a far different scenario than Scotland.”
