I stared. “What are you saying?” No, she can’t possibly mean…
Ana locked her eyes on me grimly. “I’m saying that it was because of Gabby’s involvement with these dark witches that Arthur was murdered. She’d joined forces with them, but apparently had second thoughts and wanted to leave. There was a fight and she returned home, thinking she’d be safe. They came looking for her and a battle ensued. Arthur was killed in the crossfire. The rest you already know.”
My eyes filled with tears as I felt my heart breaking inside me. All these years, I had put my mother up on some sort of pedestal…imagined her as some perfect, untouchable being who had everything I lacked and did everything right.
“No wonder she ran away…I don’t think I’d ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to Dad because of me,” I whispered, and wiped away a tear. I could feel Ana’s heartache as much as my own.
“I lost my whole family because of the forces of dark magic,” she said solemnly. “The only things that mattered to me in this life—Arthur and Gabby—were taken from me, and for no good reason.”
She closed the book and set it on the table. Then she cast a sidelong glance in my direction. “So if you wonder why I am concerned about you becoming involved with magical unknowns who have potential ties to dark magic, I hope now you can understand. I cannot allow what happened to Gabby to happen to you.”
“It won’t,” I vowed. “I swear to you Nicholas is good. Everything he has done has been to help me and Justin…”
“Dark magic is often practiced under the guise of being helpful,” she mused.
“Speaking of Justin,” I went on quickly, “what’s happening with him?”
“The Council has decided to keep him under watch until he is stronger, then attempt a memory removal process—”
I jumped to my feet. “Ana, no! It will lobotomize him! What if he gets all messed up?”
She shook her head. “They have several highly skilled spellcasters working on it right now…finding a way to do a precise removal that will leave minimal side effects.”
I paced around the room. It was better than going in blind, but I still wasn’t convinced it was the best course of action for any of us.
“The Council is very interested in a positive outcome of this situation. They’ve also acknowledged the need for a new memory charm that is beneficial long term, in extreme cases such as this. It was decided that although it was a gross violation of free will, the good far outweighs the bad.”
“Okay,” I mumbled. “When exactly is this supposed to happen?”
“Not until he’s one hundred percent better,” Ana said. “His physical wounds are a manifestation of his internal ones, and he cannot endure any more magical trials until he is healed. He’ll be moved to a safe house where he’ll remain out of sight and under the protection of a Council Watcher.”
“When?”
“It’s being arranged now. Tomorrow, I believe…”
I nodded. There was nothing more I could do.
Justin’s fate was sealed.
Chapter 15. Memories
“How ya like it?” Dad winked at me as I wolfed down my third shredded beef taco. We were dining at a Mexican restaurant in Diamond Falls, just north of Crystal Cove. The place was right on the ocean, and we were able to watch the fiery sunset from our table as we ate.
“Are you kidding? This might be the most amazing thing I’ve ever had in my life!” I smiled between bites, and wiped away the grease that trickled down my hand and chin. “I only wish my stomach was larger so I could eat more.” The warm tortilla chips and fresh guacamole were positively divine, and the cheese quesadilla followed by the tacos with rice and beans had stuffed me to the max. I was really enjoying my evening with my dad, and judging from his relaxed demeanor and goofy smile the feeling was mutual.
“Should I get the band over here ‘n let them serenade you?” he teased, raising his hand to signal the wandering mariachi players.
“No!” I laughed in horror and pushed his arm down. “I don’t think I could keep a straight face if they started singing at our table, and I don’t want to be rude!”
“’Kay, well how’s ‘bout some dessert then?” he asked as the waitress approached. “Don’t tell me you ain’t got room, neither.”
Although I thought I might quite literally explode if another morsel of food passed through my lips, I nodded. I ordered the coconut flan, and Dad got the deep fried ice cream. It was impossible to tell which was more delicious, and when we left the restaurant fifteen minutes later I was moaning and holding my stomach.
“I can’t believe I ate so much,” I groaned. “Everything tasted so good though.”
“Yeah, that chimichanga was right up there with the best food I ever ate! Don’t tell Dee I said that, though. She likes to think no one can cook better’n her.”
I winked and made a locking key motion over my lips as we headed across the parking lot to the car. Ana had asked Dad if he would do her a favor and drive her Mercedes coupe for the evening. Otherwise it just sat in the garage unused for weeks on end, and that wasn’t good for the engine. I chuckled. Dad would never accept a favor, but he was happy to help her out. I had to hand it to her, she knew how to work him.
“Hey, I have an idea,” I said, eyeing the lively esplanade that ran along the ocean. “Let’s go for a walk on the boardwalk for a while. Work off some of this meal.”
“Sounds like a plan,” he agreed. Then he noticed my light sweater. “Won’t ya be cold though? It’s gettin’ kinda chilly now that the sun’s goin’ down.”
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “If it gets too cold, I’ll let you know.”
We stepped onto the wide, paved boardwalk running along the sand. It was similar to the one in Crystal Cove, only much larger, and had more of a carnival atmosphere. Dozens of bustling restaurants, clubs and bars lined the walk, while tiki torches and palm trees gave the whole place a tropical feel, like we were somewhere in the South Pacific. Several people zoomed by us on bicycles; a few were on rollerblades with their dogs. Some pre-teen boys weaved around everyone on their skateboards, and another guy was just standing there juggling milk bottles with his face painted like a lion.
“This place shore is somthin’ else, ain’t it, Callie?”
I marveled at the eclectic sights. “It is,” I sighed. “It really is.”
“You’re happy here, ain’t ya? Things are goin’ good for you?”
I smiled. “Dad, I am so happy. I love it here. Everything is going wonderfully.” I spoke with conviction. Even with all the drama and craziness surrounding me at the moment, I truly was happy. As happy as could be expected…
Immediately, I felt how good my words made him feel inside. How proud. How relieved.
He gently placed his strong hand on top of my shoulder as we walked side by side, navigating the weekend crowds, until the groups thinned. Once we passed the last section of restaurants, we were mostly alone. I listened to the waves gently crashing on the shore and the squawks of seagulls as they circled nearby, and I knew the time had come. I was terrified, but I had vowed to make it happen today. This was the moment he and I had needed to have for years.
“Please tell me about my mother,” I said. Quietly. Strongly.
Dad immediately stopped walking, startled. Maybe it was the determined look in my eyes, or maybe it was my forceful tone. Or maybe he was just finally ready. But after several long moments of silence, he asked quietly, “What do ya wanna know?”
I took a deep breath. It’s now or never.
“I want to know how she died.”
Instantly, he got that familiar look, the wariness that always appeared in his eyes whenever the subject of my mother came up…the look that was always immediately followed by him changing the subject.
Please, Dad, tell me. Please. I really need to know…
He took a deep breath and lowered his gaze. His broad shoulders slumped forward a bit as he began to walk. ?
??Well…I ‘spose you’re old enough to handle it. I never wanted you to be thinkin’ that I’m keepin’ nothin’ from ya, but I felt it best if you just let it be. No use gettin’ upset or sad over things that’ll never change.” His soft brown eyes were weary, like a hurt puppy dog. I felt bad to just spring my question on him like that—we’d been having such a nice time. But I had to know. I couldn’t put it off any longer.
“It was an accident. A bad one. Five people died that night, including your ma.”
“What kind of accident?” I sensed his reluctance. “Please, Dad…I can handle it. I’m practically an adult, and I deserve to know. Please tell me about my mother.”
He glanced at me, and I was overwhelmed by his feelings of guilt. He let out another deep sigh. “Right after you was born, I was workin’ for a feller up in Kinston Springs—right near Nashville. It was a good job and we was doin’ all right, me ‘n your ma ‘n you. I thought things was good. But then one day, outta the blue, she said she wanted us to move. That we had to leave. ‘Cept she didn’t know where she wanted us to go…just ‘away’ she kept sayin.”
He glanced out to the darkening ocean as if lost in a memory; the flickering firelight of the tiki torches cast his face in haunted shadows. “She was actin’ all irrational and upset,” he finally continued. “I tried to make her happy, I really did. I woulda moved heaven ‘n Earth for that woman. I promised her I’d look for some other place just as soon as the job was done. But I couldn’t just up ‘n leave, not with nowhere to go, and with no work set up someplace else and no money and a new baby…”
We’d reached the end of the boardwalk. I figured Dad would want to turn around and go back, but he surprised me by stepping onto the sand and hiking over to a large boulder. He climbed a short way up the side, then turned and reached out his hand to help me up. I sat down beside him and we both stared out at the water, shimmering under the glow of the setting sun and the rising moon.
For a long while he sat lost in thought, his jaw hard. I had to fight back the tears as I felt his overwhelming grief. He tried so hard to keep it hidden, locked away. But it was always there, just beneath the surface.
“One night, right after she’d made that big fuss ‘bout wantin’ us to skin out a.s.a.p.,” he continued, his voice low, “right after that, I got home late from work and there was a policeman waitin’ for me on the porch. Said I needed to come down to the station with him, ‘cause there’d been a horrible accident.”
He peeked over at me, almost shyly as I wiped away a stray tear that forced its way down my cheek. “I get there ‘n see you all wrapped up in a pink blanket, and some lady cop is playin’ with ya. They tell me that Gabby was in a big car accident off route 249. Five people died, they said. Only you survived. You was thrown from the car and landed in somethin’ soft. A miracle, they said.”
“I was with her?” I gasped. This was by far the most he’d ever revealed about my mother, and I was afraid to say more or do anything that might prevent him from continuing.
He nodded. “Yup. Best I could tell, she’d grabbed you an’ was skinnin’ out on her own. Took all of your things with her. Hers, too. Everything both y’all had was burned in the fire.”
“What fire?”
“It was a gasoline truck. Guess it lost control on a turn an’ smashed inta two cars an’ everything blew up in flames. You an’ Gabby was in one o’ the cars it hit.”
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Of all the crazy revelations I’d learned since I’d arrived in Crystal Cove…everything from witches, magic, Hunters, secret grandmas, past life lovers…everything… this was by far the most shocking. I was with my mother when she died? And I’d almost died as well? She was taking me away from Dad…she was leaving him?!
My head was spinning, and I had trouble catching my breath. Dad wrapped a comforting arm over my shoulders.
“See? This is why I didn’t wanna tell you. I hate seein’ you upset, Callie girl, and I can’t have ya hatin’ me for her dyin’! I just can’t! I can’t hardly live with myself knowin’ it’s my fault she took off like she did – ‘cause I couldn’t take her where she needed to go. I couldn’t protect her…make her happy enough to wanna stay.”
I stared at my father’s anguished face. He blinked back the tears and looked away—ashamed.
“No, Dad, no! You can’t feel that way! The accident wasn’t your fault! You can’t blame yourself—”
“Can’t help it, Cal. If I would’ve just done somethin’ for her. Somethin’ different, she wouldn’t’ve died. And almost losin’ you…makin’ you grow up without a mother…well, I’ve just never forgave myself. Don’t see how I ever can, neither.”
“Dad, no. Please don’t feel that way,” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “I love my life. I always have, even before we came here. And I love you. It’s not your fault what Mom did, and you don’t even really know why she did it…what she may have been running from,” I added as a disturbing thought crossed my mind. What was she running from? Or rather, who? “It’s not your fault…please don’t blame yourself.”
I threw my arms around him. I felt awful for making him feel this bad, but deep down I knew it was for the best. Now that the truth was finally out, maybe we could move on. I could only imagine how hard it must’ve been for him to keep this from me all these years—why he shut down whenever any mention of my mother came up. Why he always had that faraway, sad look in his eyes, even when he was smiling.
He took several long breaths, then continued. “Ever since the accident, I vowed to make a good life for you…to do right by you and your mama’s memory.” He looked at me with damp eyes. “She would’a been real proud of you, girl. Mighty proud.”
I fought back my own tears. “She would’ve been proud of both of us,” I whispered. “Both of us.”
We sat there on our rocky bench, lost in our own melancholy thoughts. I wanted to hear more, but I was afraid to push him any farther than I already had. Today was big…huge. I’d finally gotten him to open up about something he’d kept buried for sixteen years. Something that had clearly been eating away at his heart and his soul. If I pushed the conversation any further, it might be too much for him to handle. But at the same time, I didn’t want to leave this talk on such a sad note…to have our one and only real conversation about my mother be so depressingly morbid.
“Tell me how you met,” I whispered, staring out at the water, not daring to meet his gaze.
The change in him was immediate. His body relaxed, and I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice. “I’ll never forget the first time I seen your ma. She was…still is…the most beautiful thing I ever did see. Almost as beautiful as you.” He nudged me gently.
“I was twenty years old an’ workin’ out at a site near Atlanta. Me and some of the guys went into town to grab a beer an’ let loose after a hot day. Well, I was walkin’ with them down the street, an’ I see this pretty lil’ thing walkin’ out of a dress shop.” The corners of his mouth sneaked up in a grin.
“…Now gen’rally, I wouldn’t’a tried to talk to a girl as fine as your ma…could tell she was somethin’ special. Came from rich money maybe. And she was just so…beautiful. Like a perfect dream come to life, right there on Main Street. So tiny ‘n delicate lookin’, but at the same time she scared me to half ta death. Like one look from her would send me flat to the ground.”
I looked down at the sand and smiled, picturing him seeing her for the first time.
“…Well, some of the guys were kinda…well, boys will be boys, ya know? One of the fellers I was with, he started hootin’ ‘n whistlin’ at her, so she looked over at us. Looked straight at me. I remember that was the second I fell head over heels in love with her. She stole my heart right then ‘n there. I was a goner, sure ‘n through.
“Course she thought we was up to no good…she was prolly right. So she crossed the street an’ started walkin’ away from us. I smacked Toby on the head—that’s the guy that did the holleri
n’—an’ ran over to her to apologize. A lady shouldn’t never be treated like that.”
“What happened?” I whispered.
“Well, I thought she’d whack me sure. I prolly deserved it for somethin’ or other. But she didn’t. She was real nice and smiled and asked me to walk with her. So I did. We walked all around that night. Ended up at a park, just sittin’ and talkin’ and watchin’ the stars. I didn’t know why a girl like that wanted to hang with a guy like me—I know I’m not as smart or as rich as most other fellers. But she took a likin’ to me. By some o’ God Almighty’s Grace, she thought I was an okay guy.”
He paused, lost in his reverie. I could tell he was reliving the moment in his head, and it was bringing him some happiness—some peace. I remained still, barely breathing.
“Ya know what she said to me that night?” His low voice was barely audible above the squawking seagulls and the crashing of the waves. “I remember we was sittin’ there just lookin’ at the sky, not sayin’ much at all, when she touched my arm and tol’ me that I was gonna make a really great father. Kinda came from outta nowhere, and up ‘til I met her I’d swore to stay a bachelor for life—no kids, nothin’. But right when she said that, more than anything I wanted to have a child with her…as many as she could bear havin’.” He beamed at me. “Next to the day you was born, the day I met yer mom was the happiest day of my life.”
He wrapped his arm around me and I smiled up at him, leaning into his side. I still didn’t say anything. I didn’t want anything to ruin the pleasant spell of my mother’s memory.
…Even if it was all a great big lie.
Chapter 16. Perfect
I tossed and turned for several hours, unable to shake the disturbing thoughts that haunted me. Suddenly, I felt his presence in the darkness.