Lucien and I went into the kitchen after his attention returned to his show. I was quickly abandoned by Lucien once he saw the room and probably how human it appeared. He observed the family pictures on the wall while I put up the groceries. Words weren’t exchanged as I unpacked the groceries, but once I rejoined him, I noticed he was looking at the only picture of my mom and I.
“Who’s this?” Lucien asked.
“My mom. This was the first and last picture we took together. As you can see, I was too young to remember her so dad keeps her pictures up so I know what she looked like.” Iexplained. My eyes drew her features that I had memorized over the years. Pictures were great, but I wished I knew what her voice sounded like, what her hugs felt like and how she was as a person. Pictures left a lot to question without much answers.
“Did you know she was a witch?” he suddenly asked, dropping a bomb of a question. Judging by the calm exuding from him, he didn’t realize the disruption to my psyche.
“What?”
“A witch,” Lucien repeated before waving his finger. “Wands, cloaks, eye of newt and all that?”
“No, I know what witches are. What are you talking about?”
His finger pointed to the necklace she was wearing. The very one I was wearing. I pulled it out of my shirt, looking down at it for some explanation that screamed witch, but couldn’t find it. Lucien grabbed the carved stone hanging from my neck. The movement pulled me closer to him, close enough I smelt the mint from his toothpaste.
I couldn’t continue staring without my heart leaping from my chest; I averted my gaze to the stone. It was black obsidian with a series of runes carved around the stone. The dark stone made them barely visible without proper lighting. Dad said they were Viking runes for protection. I didn’t think anything since my mother had gotten it from a renaissance fair.
“This is a siphon stone,” Lucien revealed. “It is worn by witches who no longer wish to hold magic. The stone takes out their magic, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected. If the witch ever decided to change her mind, then they would do a ritual that would turn the stone to dust and return the sealed-up magic to the witch. Your mom might have left Shadowhaven and used that necklace to appear mortal to the people of this town.”
“That’s not possible because my dad would have known. If she was a witch, he would have known. She passed it down tome and even left me a letter that said not to take it off because it will—.” I trailed off as pieces began to click together.
It wasn’t shocking news, but it was enough that I was speechless. What else did I not know about myself?
My feet carried me to the living room, Lucien walking behind me as if he was ready for me to collapse at any point. “Hey, Mel, you—,” my dad stopped talking when he looked over at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Lucien, please go outside for a moment,” I muttered under my breath so only he could hear. It was a little early in the relationship for family drama. I waited until the door closed behind him before turning my full attention to my father. “Was mom a witch? Don’t try to lie. Just give me an explanation as to why you never told me, please.”
Realizing the situation, he turned the television off and faced me. “Yes, she was. She came from a place that refused to accept you since you were only half witch. She made me promise to give you her necklace to protect you and hide any powers you might have inherited. She wanted a normal life for you.”
A witch. He knew all along.
I felt like I needed to sit, but my feet refused to budge or buckle. Left with the only option to stand, I leaned against the frame of the entryway.
“We have no secrets, dad. We promised that to each other long ago and I have come clean about everything. Good or bad, you knew it all.”
“You broke that promise before I did, Melinda Marie,” he snapped. Shooting to his feet, he pointed outside to where Lucien was. “You’ve known about his world long before today. I no longer have to act. Your boyfriend out there is more than that. My joy for your happiness was real, but that doesn’t mean I’m on fully board.”
“How do you know what he is?”
“Your mom told me everything about Shadowhaven. She wasn’t the only one from that place that had escaped to this town. Small towns such as ours have always turned into a safe haven for those with shadow blood.”
Lucien knocked on the door then, interrupting any response. “Then perhaps now that everything has been aired out, I could come back inside? There is still a killer on the loose.”
“My rule still stands. With the addition of no Shadowhaven talk in this house. If any rules are broken then you will be grounded,” my dad informed me, giving Lucien an extra pointed stare. Lucien wasn’t affected by this change in attitude towards him, almost like he was used to it. “You are trekking on dangerous ground, Lucien. Careful what you expose her to. She may have a foot in both worlds, but I won’t let you take my daughter from me.”
“I will leave the decision in her hands when that time comes. For now, we only want to find who killed Agatha and Jeremy. Do you know who it could be?”
Dad pursed his lips as he thought about it. “I know there’s a hunter in town, but beyond that no one has stepped out of line to be under scrutiny.”
“Your townies believe our Mel is the one killing people,” Lucien revealed. My dad’s face went dark, and I didn’t miss how his fists tightened at his side at the news. “I feel the same way, sir. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done until the real killer is found.”
“That curfew was put into place recently so you should start heading home,” dad spoke softly. I watched his distant expression, realizing he was too wrapped in his own thoughts to really focus on what was going on. He patted Lucien on the shoulder as he passed. “Keep my daughter safe.”
“With my life,” Lucien vowed. He walked outside first, giving me time with my dad before we left. In his distractedstate, my dad didn’t see the kiss Lucien placed on my head as he passed by.
Probably for the best, I thought to myself.
“Stay with him tonight, Mel. I’m going fishing in the morning with Henry and don’t want you alone. Let me know when you get there safely.”
