“I can see where you’re coming from. It was Lauren’s idea.” Ethan’s smile shined with pride. “She brought it to Agatha fresh out of college. She’d been treating a particularly difficult client and suggested he might benefit from therapy.”
“That’s clever.” I took our plates and returned them to the sink, mumbling a quick thanks to the house. “There’s often trauma associated with injuries or physical pain. Releasing that can ease the recovery process on both fronts.”
“That’s exactly it.” Ethan chuckled and shook his head. “Once Lauren discovered she was a witch, there was no stopping her.”
“Lauren’s a witch?” I paused midway to my chair, my mouth dropping open. The Twins were fae, and Lauren was a witch. Allegedly, so was I. Maybe this really was a coven.
“Well… yeah. The Center runs on magic.” He twitched his eyebrows. I didn’t think I’d missed something obvious, but apparently I was being dense. “Lauren has natural healing abilities. She combines that with modern techniques to treat a clientele that wouldn’t otherwise be able to seek relief.”
“When did she learn she could… do that?” The Lauren I remembered from high school had not been so selfless.
“Senior year. But the years leading up to it, when her power was building but she didn’t understand why, were tough for her.” Ethan pressed his lips firm, as if he regretted saying anything. “That’s her story to tell.”
I decided to let that subject drop. He was right, it was Lauren’s story to tell. I was a different person in high school, too. Given the Twins’ response to me, it would be nice to have another ally in the house. Maybe I should let go of what I did remember from thirty years ago and shape a new path forward. Maybe if I did, the parts I couldn’t remember would come back to me.
“Okay, let’s get to business.” I waved my hand like I was waving away the space between us and sat down. “What do I need to know about the next thirty days?”
“Right.” Ethan pulled a tablet out of his briefcase and opened it on the table, rotating it and scooching closer so we could review it together. “You have thirty days from yesterday’s board meeting to establish your place as rightful Supreme and Division Head. Brianne is the manager, and she can help you learn the ropes and answer most of your questions about the day-to-day. And the other division heads are required to support you.” He wrinkled his nose. “Even the Twins.”
“What happens if I don’t do it?” A sudden dryness coated my throat. “What happens if I can’t, or don’t want to, establish myself?”
Ethan swiped the screen, scanned it, then closed it and tucked it away.
“Let’s not worry about that just yet. I’m sure you’regoing to do fine.” Whoa. That was a heavy tone for something that was supposed to be placating.
“Didn’t Agatha have family? Anyone other than me she trusted?” A glass of ice water appeared on a coaster on the table. I gulped it down. I still felt like I was swallowing sand. “Why can’t Brianne become Supreme?”
“She had a distant family that is not under consideration.” Ethan’s tone was sharp, making me wonder about this “distant family” he wasn’t going to expand on. “Brianne is mundane.”
“Brianne?” I barked out a laugh. “She’s anything but mundane.”
“No, I mean she doesn’t hold magic. She can support the Supreme, but she can’t become one.” Ethan fidgeted in his chair. “Do you mind if I pace?”
At my nod, he stood and walked, his long stride eating the small space between the kitchen and breakfast nook. I’d already figured out that, despite his big tough attorney facade, Ethan struggled with uncomfortable situations. And so far, every situation we’d had together was uncomfortable. I waited, letting him process how much he wanted to say to me. It seemed easier than asking a ton of questions. I didn’t want to pry answers out of him, but I would if he didn’t give them willingly.
Finally, he stopped and sat back at the table, angling his chair to face me fully and leaning forward.
“Okay, here’s what I know. This is the second version of Agatha’s will. Well, technically it’s the third, but no one ever saw the first one. What we refer to as the original copy was created by my dad the year we were born.” He paused for effect, and probably to make sure what he was saying sank in. “The year your mother started her job here.”
My gut vibrated. It was a new sensation. I was so used to getting nauseous when I was processing or upset. But this was different. This was deeper than a stomach issue, as if my roots were waking up from a long nap.
“Are you saying she added my mom to her will?”
“No.” Ethan tugged on one of his curls. It was kind of adorable how exasperated I could make him. “She addedyouto her will, Simone. From the moment you were born, she expected you to become Supreme.”
Wow. No pressure there. The vibration was growing. My body wastrying to tell me something. I dug my nails into my palms, trying to focus on whatever it was. What did I know—what was I forgetting?
“I think…” I paused, swallowed, and tried again. “I think I knew that. I was always going to come back here.” The vibration echoed in my throat. Yes, that was what I needed to say. “It’s all fuzzy. My life happened, different from how I expected it to go. But deep down there’s something here.”
I waved my hand over my stomach, then past my chest to my neck.
“An inner voice whispering that I was supposed to return sooner.” I blew out a breath. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Agatha warded you away. She told me about it when we met to revise the will last week.” She said you two had an agreement. You went to college, finished your clinicals, and got some experience. Then you were supposed to return here twenty years ago to train under Agatha. You didn’t. She assumed the ward held, keeping you from returning, though she didn’t know why.”
He sat back with a sigh and shrugged his shoulders.
Last night, Gumbo had told me something similar. I’d blamed Jeff. But after a night of sleep and calmer emotions, it wasn’t fair to place it all on him. I’d chosen to stay. I hadn’t wanted to return to Treater’s Way or face the pain I felt when I thought about home.
