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“My mother was friends with one of your great-granddaughters. I know a little of your magic,” Cope said.

“Yes, Elizabeth was a talented witch in her own right, but became so much more powerful when she learned our ways as well. I do not trust well or easily, but I’m trusting you with my precious Aurora. I will not be pleased if you fail your end of the bargain. Do you understand?”

Cope nodded. “I understand. Aurora is in good hands with our family.”

“I see that. I have spent time with each of you over the last few days. You are all remarkably talented. More importantly, you treat your daughters with love, kindness and respect.” Delilah turned back to Aurora. “You have only to speak my name and I shall appear.” She reached her hands out to Aurora, who took them. “Tend your gift well. There are those who will wish to harm you because you possess this ability and others who will want to steal from you what is not rightfully theirs.”

“I promise to make you proud of me.” Aurora offered Delilah a solemn look.

“I already am proud. What you need to do now is make yourself proud. Never forget you are a Meehan. You shall bow to no one.”

Aurora nodded before swiping at tears cascading down her cheeks.

“How can we help you find peace, Delilah?” Ten asked.

“I am not ready to find peace yet, Tennyson. There are things I must do now that I am free once again.” Anger burned in Delilah’s green eyes.

“We can help with that.” All Ten wanted was to keep the people in Salem safe. Maybe there was a way to talk Delilah down.

“Yes, I believe you can, but I must be the one to strike the final blow. Blessed be.” With those words, Delilah vanished.

“Sweet Jesus,” Fitz muttered from the kitchen door.

“Daddy! Look what I did.” Aurora ran toward Fitz and tugged him toward the table. “I made all the fireflies appear.”

“You did an amazing job, honey,” Ronan said. “I’m just wondering if you can make them disappear too. I don’t want to spend the next week sweeping up their little corpses.”

Aurora whispered under her breath and the lightning bugs disappeared, plunging the kitchen into darkness.

Ronan crossed the room to open the blinds covering the sliding glass door.

“Cope, you’re going to work with Aurora so she can learn her family’s magic?” Fitz asked.

“With your permission, of course.”

Fitz was quiet for a few seconds.

Aurora tugged Fitzgibbon’s hand. “You should say yes, Daddy because I already know our family’s magic.”

“Our family has magic?” Fitz asked, sounding surprised.

“Look around. You, Uncle Ronan, and Jude were all strangers and now you’re brothers. Everly and I are daughters and nieces. You snapped your fingers and made us a family. That sounds pretty magical to me.”

Fitz nodded and hugged his daughter. “You have my permission to study with Cope. Just promise me you’re not gonna turn me into a goat if I don’t let you stay up ten extra minutes, okay?”

“I’ll think about it.” Aurora giggled.

Ten had always known there was something special about Aurora. He had never guessed her gift would lie in witchcraft. Judging by the look of shock on Fitzgibbon’s face, he’d never seen it coming either.

As wonderful as Delilah was for Aurora, Ten was worried about what things she had to do before she found peace. He didn’t need his psychic gift to know there was going to be another attack. The only question was when?

11

Ronan

Ronan felt like he finally had his house to himself. After dinner, Aurora had gone home with Fitz to spend the night in her own bed for the first time in what felt like weeks. He and Ten had put the kids to bed and were in the process of winding down for the night when his phone rang. “Fuck, it’s Cisco.”

“Delilah struck again,” Ten said.