I try to stay calm, not wanting to get ahead of myself before we’ve told them about the curse. Or my doppelgänger. Or the ghost. That unfamiliar warmth of hope is beginning to spark to life in my chest again.
Clapping her hands once, Rowyn reaches an open palm out to Clementine. “I was about to make us lunch. How does that sound?”
She smiles tentatively but takes the offer, following the other witch inside with a glance back to her sister.
Clover smiles encouragingly. “I’ll meet you back there.”
With them out of earshot, I turn back to Clover. “I meant what I said—you’re both welcome to stay here. But I need to know whatyouknow before you take me up on the offer.”
Mindlessly reaching down, she pets a gorgeous black-tail deer that walks up. There’s a faint golden glow to her familiar. It’s less common in modern days, but can develop after a witch and her bonded animal have gone through great hardship together.
“This is Astra,” Clover offers, instead of answering the question.
“Hexate,” I tell her and point to the snake wrapped around my calf.
Clover smiles at her. “Nice to meet you, Hexate.” It’s a sweet, and uncommon, gesture to greet someone else’s familiar so formally. “I’m open to whatever you want to talk about before we make a decision, but I’d like to have the conversation in the kitchen with my sister.”
“Are you sure?” I ask cautiously. “I’m not trying to spook either of you, but there are some questions—on both sides I’m sure—that need to be cleared up.”
She nods, a stern expression taking over her soft, open features. “I’m sure. Lem and I don’t have secrets from each other. We’re a package deal.”
“Fair enough,” I agree and sweep my hand through the air, pointing her and Astra inside.
After Rowyn insisted on getting us each a plate of food made, the four of us are sitting at the table.
None of them seem rushed to get to the details, but I’m growing more anxious by the second. It doesn’t feel right inviting others into our coven without them having as much information as we do.
It’s not only that, though. I don’t know exactly what spell I cast, or how I did it, to call for a coven. There has to be some connection. If the sisters showed up days after Rowyn, who else did the wind carry those messages to?
It’s not that I don’t trust Rowyn, Clover, and Clementine. Strangely, I do.
Everything about this situation is getting weirder by the second.
“I guess I’ll jump into it,” I say, pushing my plate away. Annoyance flashes across Rowyn’s features, but she takes a bite and doesn’t say anything. I don’t mean to be rude, but my stomach is turning at the prospect of having this conversation.
I didn’t realize how easy this was with Rowyn, who walked right in and knew more than I did. Clover has a young sister to worry about, which makes me want to push them far from here. It also creates this ache to give them a home.
“This property, and my family, are cursed,” I blurt out unceremoniously.
Rowyn leans forward slightly and grimaces. “And this one”—she points a thumb at me—“has a doppelgänger.”
Clementine’s mouth drops open and her eyes widen, but she doesn’t look scared. If anything, she looks excited.
That worries me a lot more.
“The energy in this town is so weird,” Clover says. “We picked up on it as soon as we got within the borders.”
“It’s eerie,” Clementine adds soberly..
“As soon as we got into town, my powers just…” Clover trails off, carefully thinking over her words. “They feel off.”
“Like a light switch?” Rowyn asks.
She thinks it over, but shakes her head subtly. “No, not like they turned off. I can’t… use themhere. It feels kind of hollow,” she says and taps her chest.
My eyes move to her sister, who is giving Clover a concerned look, making me think there’s more to her comment than what she’s saying.
“A doppelgänger,” Clover muses and lets out a low whistle. “Now that’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming.”
