Daisy closed her eyes. “I call my power back to me. I call my energy back to me. I call my magic back to me. I am shielded from anything that would take my power from me. Nothing can harm me or take my light. I am safe. I am protected. I am powerful. And so it is.”
Nora nodded. “And so it is.”
She leaned forward and blew out the candle. A rush went through Soraya, straight through the center of her chest. It was like everythinghad changed, even though everything was the same. She was shaking, and she dropped Daisy’s and Nora’s hands and put her palm against her chest.
She was afraid to speak. She was afraid to do anything.
Nora looked around the space. “This is beautiful. It’s going to be a great place for you.”
Soraya nodded, her throat dry. “What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know. I could call him. I could ask him what he’s doing. I could move out without talking to him. I don’t have kids to worry about. I ...”
For a strange moment, Soraya envied Nora. She could just cut ties with Ben and be done with him. Except for all the emotional stuff. But she didn’t havethis...
These kids that she loved with every desperate part of her, tying her to the man who had betrayed her. Turned against her by the man who betrayed her.
“Why don’t you give it a couple of days?” Soraya suggested. “Whatever he’s been doing, he’ll keep on doing it.”
“Yeah.” Nora shook her head. “Maybe he’s never coming back. Maybe he’s actually abandoning the house and the practice. He’ll just quit paying for all of it, and maybe it’ll get taken away by the bank.”
“Maybe,” Daisy said. “But I doubt it.”
Soraya leaned down and picked up the candle, then she lifted it and put it on top of the mantel. “This is the symbol of the Discarded Wives Club.”
“We’re the First Wives Club.” Nora looked intently at the flame. “Lord knows they may go on to have second wives. Maybe third wives.”
Daisy laughed. “FirstWitchesClub, remember?”
Nora grinned. “Yes. The First Witches Club. I have no idea what I want to do. Except I don’t want to be with him. Sam said ... earlier, Sam said I deserve better.”
“Sam Reynolds?” Soraya asked.
“Yeah. He’s my foster— Ugh, no, I don’t like that label. We were in foster care together.”
“He’s right. Youdodeserve better,” said Soraya. “We all deserve better.”
She really meant that. She meant more than just what she deserved from her husband. She deserved better than friends who didn’t believe her. Who didn’t listen to her. Who didn’t think it mattered that her husband was unfaithful. Who thought she should choose a concept of morality that her husband wasn’t choosing. That she should be held to a different standard. She did want her family back. She wanted her sons back. On her terms. She wouldn’t be blackmailed by her cheating husband.
“We’ll help you get your things moved in tomorrow,” Nora said. “Sam said he would help.”
“I don’t even know Sam.” It was incredible to Soraya that someone outside the church would help her. For no reason. Which said a lot about what she’d been led to believe about peopleoutside.
“It doesn’t matter. He said he would help.”
A door slammed out in the hall, and the three of them jumped. Then they heard heavy footsteps down the hallway.
“Are there other units up here?”
“Oh yeah,” Soraya said, feeling breathless. “Aggie did mention that. There are two other units that go with the other stores on this strip.”
“I just thought maybe we summoned a ghost.” Nora put her hands up like claws, and there was still a slight tremble in her fingers, even as she tried to be funny.
Soraya pushed her shoulder. “Don’t say that. I have to stay here.”
She was still holding the tarot cards in her left hand. Nora took the pack out of her hand.
“You really are turning over a new leaf.”
