The Magick of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root) (49 page)

When I couldn’t bring myself to cut a wand from the Willow’s Daughter, Shane took me to the tree where he had carved our initials many years ago.

“Where did I get the wood for my wand?” I repeated, feeling the weight of it in my hand. “Well, Jillian, that’s my little secret.”

“Fair enough. We’re all entitled to a few of those.”

I drove her back to Sister House. We sat in silence until we hit a bump and the radio turned itself on.
Living La Vida Loca
played. For an instant, Leo sat beside me, dancing in jerky motions as I told him to eat his apples.

“You never get over it, do you?” I asked Jillian, pulling up the drive.

“Over what, hon?”

“Being a parent.”

She stroked my cheek. “No, my dear Maggie. You never really do. You’re going to make one heck of a mama.”

“How do you know?” I asked, still worried.

“Let’s just say I have my ways.”

My sisters, all dressed in black, came out to say goodbye to her. She hugged them all and whispered something into each of their ears. Eve’s face softened at her words and she nodded in understanding. I wanted to know what Jillian had told her, but as had been pointed out to me, we were all entitled to a few secrets.
 

I loaded the last of Jillian’s bags into the trunk of her rental car then turned to her, giving her one last hug. “Thank you so much for coming for me. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Jillian looked at my sisters. “I think you would have been okay, but I’m glad you called.”
 

I stammered, then asked her the question that was on my mind.
 

“Jillian, how am I going to raise this baby, if I have the
deathtouch
like my father?”

Jillian smiled. “You do know there’s only been one documented case of Armand’s
deathtouch
? And it occurred only when he, was, well…intimate with a woman.”

“Intimate?” I asked, confused. Then it dawned on me and I blushed. “Oh…Who?”

“Larinda. But it seems she survived. So I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“But I…I killed Leo with these hands,” I said, holding them up.

“You did that to save someone you loved. It was an accident, not the
deathtouch
.”

“Okay. Thank you.” I pressed my hand to my stomach and felt the flutter of life inside me.
 

Jillian took me by the shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye. “This isn’t goodbye. I’ll be back.”

“Promise?”

“Yes. There’s so much more you need to know. Secrets that have been kept from you, but the time is coming to change all of that.”

“Good secrets?” I asked hopefully.
 

Jillian tilted her head back, her shoulder-length charcoal hair bouncing behind her. “Oh, Maggie, you do make me laugh. Yes, my dear, good secrets. Be strong, okay?”

“Yes.”

She climbed in her car and drove away.

We stood in the dirt driveway, waving until she disappeared.

“Look!” June Bug pointed to a tight cluster of dandelion seeds that spun before us, before floating towards the maple tree on the perimeter of the yard. On the limb of the tree perched two birds: a raven and an owl. They watched us curiously before flying off in opposite directions.

In the air was the scent of roses, crayons, and baby powder.

I smiled and turned towards the house. All was as it was supposed to be.

Thirty-One

CLOSING TIME

I wiped my wand with a polishing cloth and placed it into a sealed box in the back of Mother’s magick shop. The wand would find a good home, once I had one of my own.
 

The taxes had come due on Harvest Home, and we were no closer to paying them than we were in the beginning. We could solve some of our problems with magick, but not all of them. And I was okay with that. I had seen what happened when you messed with the balance of things too much.
 

Even witches had to be selective.
 

For now, I’d have faith. I knew that Mother and even Leo were watching over us now. I’d ride the tide, letting whatever happened, happen.
 

“We still have Leo’s money,” Eve reminded me as we closed up the shop.
 

“Uh, Eve…” I wasn't sure how to break this to her. “We don’t have Leo’s money anymore. Except for a few hundred bucks I kept for emergencies.”

“What do you mean?”

“I sent it to his mother.”

“All of it?”

“Well, technically, Leo did, before he left us.”

“She’s a nut job, Maggie! What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking it was the right thing to do. Besides, its bad money, Eve. We both know Leo didn't come by it in the right way. It would have caused us nothing but trouble.” I paused. “And all his mother really wanted from him was his monthly check. This will keep her from asking questions, at least for a while.”

“I can handle trouble,” Eve said. “But I can’t handle being a pauper.”

“If it’s any consolation, I thought we’d keep the car. I had Leo sign over the title.” I had struggled with this as well, but he and I had spent so much time driving around in it, I wanted to keep it for the memory.

“I guess that helps.”

We stepped onto Main Street. Paul was parked right in front of the shop, his Explorer laden with luggage. He was leaving for Seattle today and had come to try, once again, to say goodbye to Eve and to explain why he needed to go.

She waved him away, saying nothing. With a hurt look on his face, he nodded a goodbye to me, then drove slowly on.

“You should at least tell him how you feel,” I said, staring after him.

“He’s leaving me, Maggie. What am I supposed to do? Beg for him to stay? Ask him to choose between his kid and me? It’s easier for him this way.”

“You big softie, Eve! Here I thought you were being your usual, bitchy self.”

“Hey!”

“But you weren't. You don’t want to force him to have to choose! So you’re just letting him go. I’m not sure if I’m impressed or sad.”

“Yeah, well, he’s got enough on his plate.” She crossed her arms as she stared after him. He had stopped to get out and say goodbye to a local man who had become a regular of his at Dip Stix.

“You could go with him,” I said, carefully.

“What?”

“You could go to Seattle. Be with him. He’s going for his daughter, not his ex.”

“And leave the shop? And you?”

“I’ve got two more sisters to fill the void.”

“You make me feel so warm and fuzzy.”

“Seriously, though, you could go with him.”

“Maggie, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not cut out to be a mother. I’d probably screw that kid up worse than I’m screwed up.”

I put my arm around her neck. “I don’t think you’re all that screwed up. A little warped maybe, but definitely not screwed up. I’d trust you to babysit my kid.”

“You would?”
 

“Yes. As long as you didn’t try to braid his hair.”

She paused, looking at me, then Mother’s shop, then at Paul.
 

“Go to him,” I said.

Paul returned to his car. Eve shouted to him, waving him down as she raced towards him in boots with two-inch heels. They spoke animatedly through the car window.

Ruth Anne emerged from the bookstore next door, carrying a stack of paperbacks, each depicting a bare-chested man on the front cover. “Research,” she said when she caught me gaping. “I think I’m ready to write my next book. This place really is a great muse.”

“That, it is.”

“What do you think she’ll do?” Ruth Anne asked, nodding to Eve who was still talking to Paul.

“I’m not sure.” I felt sad thinking of a Dark Root without Eve. “But wherever she goes, this will always be her home.”

“Very poetic,” Ruth Anne said, the left side of her lips crooking up into a smile. “Maybe you should be a writer.”

“Ha-ha. How about I feed you a good line every once in a while, and you can pay me royalties?”

“Sounds fair.”
 

We continued to watch Eve, neither of us knowing what she would do.
 

After a long pause, Ruth Anne said, “So, Maggie Mae. How’s your own story coming?”

I smiled at my oldest sister, lifting my chin to catch the last ray of sunshine. “Let’s just say it’s in progress.”

“Oh?” Ruth Anne rummaged into her back pocket and handed me an envelope. “Aunt Dora asked me to give this to you.” It was postmarked from California.

“Michael,” I said, taking a deep breath as I tore open the letter. “I already told him he could see the baby on holidays, what more does he want?”

Dear Maggie,

Thank you so much, for everything. As I’ve said, I know I haven't always been there for you, but I promise to be there for our child.

I sold Woodhaven. It was a place we had built together, and it’s only fair that half of the proceeds belong to you. You shouldn't have many problems financially for a while.

With Love,

Michael

With trembling fingers, I dug at the bottom of the envelope. Sure enough, Michael had sent me a check. It was three times the amount we owed for taxes on Harvest Home.
 

Three fold.

I screamed so loud, people turned in my direction to see if I were okay. I passed Ruth Anne the check. “Look! We can pay the taxes on Harvest House, fix up Sister House, put some money into the shop. Everything’s solved now! Everything!”
 

Ruth Anne handed it back to me. “An almost perfect ending,” she agreed. “But I wouldn't say
everything’s
solved. Every story needs a happily ever after.”
 

“I thought you didn’t believe in those.”

“Maybe I’m coming around.” She nodded to the café across the street.

In the diner window, I saw Shane lighting candles, preparing for the evening crowd.
 

“It’s time,” she said.
 

She was right.
 

I removed the crystal pendant from around my neck that Michael had given me and cupped it in my hands. “Goodbye,” I said, kissing it. I couldn’t keep living in both the past and the present. I squeezed it, then dropped the pendant into the nearest trash bin.
 

I took a deep breath and stepped bravely into my future.

The doorbell chimed when I walked into Dip Stix.
 

Shane looked up from his table, clearly surprised to see me.
 

“You want dinner?” he asked as I approached.

“No.” I raised my lips and pulled his face down to mine.