Zoey turned into her father and threw her arms around him. “I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, Jellybean.”
Jane sat cross-legged in the center of the stones. Her eyes were closed, and her hands were resting on her knees, palms up. It looked as if she was meditating but she wasn’t. She was gathering all her powers and focusing them on one thing–her mother.
Jane opened her eyes at the feeling of warmth surrounding her. She was reaching out for her mother when her powers shot from her fingers and into the stones. A glow of light shot into the air above the stones and that’s when Jane saw her mother.
Jane watched it play out like a movie above her. Her mother was young and happy as she stood by someone Jane had come to know as her mother’s sister, Eileen. “Aurora, we are Kendricks. We’re strong and powerful in our own right. You don’t need to marry a Farrington because of their power. You know their reputation,” Jane’s Aunt Eileen said.
“But Anwir isn’t like that. He loves me, Eileen,” Jane’s mother protested.
“We will always be here for you, Aurora. Remember your own strength.” Eileen rested her forehead against her sister’s and then the image faded.
A new image appeared and Jane saw her mother pregnant. Her father appeared and placed his hand on the swollen belly. His face dropped. “It’s a girl. You have one purpose, Aurora, and you failed at it just like you failed at everything else. I need a boy. The Farrington line must go on.”
“It will. I’ve seen it.”
“What have you seen? Your powers aren’t strong enough to have visions. They’re weak like you.”
Her mother shook her head. “If we love this girl, a boy of even greater power will follow.”
Jane’s father stopped and stared at Aurora’s stomach with disgust. “For your sake, let’s hope you’re right.”
Jane’s father left the image, but the image didn’t leave. Instead, her mother bowed her head, rested her hands on her belly, and began to whisper. “Unto you, my daughter, I give my powers to surround you with love and protection. Unto you, my daughter, I give my powers to surround you with love and protection . . .” she chanted over and over again. Jane watched as her mother’s hands glowed with the power of magic from the Kendrick family. The glow shifted from her hands to her belly and then disappeared along with the image.
A new image formed. One of her father, mother, and her father’s sister, Loralei. “It’s a good match, Aurora,” Loralei was saying. “Ian is young, but ambitious and powerful. Jane will make the family proud. Why don’t you seek the advice of the stone keeper?”
Jane’s mother nodded and reached for her sister-in-law. “Thank you, Loralei. That’s very wise of you.”
“Then to the stone keeper we will go,” Anwir said before kissing Jane on her forehead. “Off to pack, Jane.”
Aunt Loralei took her hand and gave her a wink. “Come on, I’ll help you pack.”
Jane and Loralei left the image, but her father and mother didn’t.
“You promised me a son, yet it’s been decades and you haven’t conceived once. I’ve tried to love her, but to no avail. I’m marrying her off and that’s the end of it. I might as well use her to advance our family standing.”
“If you’re unhappy with Jane, why don’t we send her to my family? Eileen will take her in.”
Jane’s father grabbed her mother and shook her. “They’ve done nothing to help us. Your family abandoned us. Neither Jane nor yourself are to ever see those traitors again!”
The image dimmed and then a new one formed.
It was her dream. Her mother was at the stones. “Jane! I must warn you.” This time there was sound to her mother’s cries. Instead of disappearing again, an image of the six of them appeared with her mother. “The masquerade started long ago with each of you, but now you must work together to unmask the traitors. I gave you the power before you were born. You’ve had it all along. Your time to use it is now. Pull on the love that is even stronger than True Love. May the Goddess protect you and give you strength to do what I was unable to do—to stand up against evil.”
The light was gone. Jane’s powers were exhausted as she fell back onto the ground and everything went black.
“Jane!” Galen called to her as she felt herself being shaken awake.
“Drink this, dear.” A straw was shoved into her mouth and she drank. She felt her powers flicker back to life as she opened her eyes and looked up at Vilma holding one of her magic shakes that helped replenish a witch.
Her husband looked worried as he held her. “I need to give you an exam. Are you hurt?”
Jane shook her head. “I’m fine. I just used all my powers. I’ll be up and at it in seconds after I finish Vilma’s drink.”
“We saw your power lighting up the stones. Did you see your mother?” Zoey asked.
“I did. The six of us . . . somehow we played a role in this from the beginning. I’m not sure how, but that’s why it’s up to us to fight this evil. I also learned my father was an asshole and my mother gave me all her powers when she was pregnant to protect me.” Jane went on to tell them everything she saw.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Magnus said. “But we need to get back to Moonshine Hollow now. And Jane, your family needs to come too.”
“I’ll let them know.” Galen was already pulling out his phone and sending a text to Aunt Eileen.
“I don’t have enough power left to transport,” Jane admitted feeling a little embarrassed.
“Not an issue,” Lauren said. “Let’s get back to the house, pack everything you’ll need, and I’ll transport you both. I feel it too, Magnus. Something is very wrong in Moonshine Hollow.”
7
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to wait. Slade stood with Zoey by his side as Jane and Galen packed. It was decided they’d all travel together. They’d face whatever waited for them in Moonshine Hollow together. Slade could feel the tension rolling off his wife. Even his normally calm father-in-law was pacing.
Slade couldn’t feel what they were feeling. However, his warrior heart was ready to fight. It was hard to wait and not charge into battle. Instead, he motioned for Samuel and Polly to join him.
“Are you ready to fight?” Slade asked his fiercest warriors.
Samuel nodded, but then reached for Polly. Slade knew the feeling. Fighting for your True Love gave you added power, but also added worry. It was hard to go into battle when half of you was watching out for your wife. Especially when your wife was likely the key to the outcome of the battle.
“I’m ready too,” Polly said, and Slade could see that. She was practically glowing with power. He looked at his wife who was similarly shimmering.
Slade’s eyes met Samuel’s and his friend shrugged. He didn’t know what was causing it either.
Agnes and Vilma noticed as well and walked over to join them. Agnes and Vilma had taken Slade under their motherly wings once they realized he was Zoey’s True Love. The two of them easily filled the parental role not only for him, but also for every witch in Moonshine Hollow.