A Stitch on Time 5 (8 page)

The sun streaming from the window bathed me in its warmth, and I was glad the second month of spring was changing up the weather. I was ready for long, summer days to keep the darkness at bay. Not that daylight was immune to monsters, but I preferred the hotter months.

I filled my lungs before exhaling. It felt good to take a proper breath without the stifling tension. It didn’t erase what happened to Ebony, or the uncertainty that lay ahead, but I did find a sense of solace. Papan was out of a coma and recovering. Ebony’s spirit might currently be trapped, but I was going to make sure this was a temporary setback. I would release Ebony from Maya’s grip and she would live out a spook-full life for as long as she wanted to stick around.

Shuffling from downstairs caught my attention seconds before Oren appeared.

“Good morning,” he said, giving me a quick peck on the top of my head on his way to the kettle. He was already dressed in a white business shirt, tucked into his tailored black pants, and polished shoes on his feet. His long white hair, in a low braided ponytail, now trailed down his back. He’d also shaved and hardly looked like the grieving man I’d sat with on the porch the night before.

“Hey,” I called back. “You look chipper this morning.”

He grabbed a cup from one of the cabinets and set about making tea. He sat across from me, causing the sun to frame his head with a halo.

“Do you want some of this in your coffee?” He opened his palm over the table, offering the pack full of herbs.

“What is it?”

“It helps deal with sorrow.”

I frowned. “You’re using magic to forget about Ebony’s death?”

“I’m using natural herbs to help ease the pain of her loss,” he said with a frown, staring at the green ball in his palm. “The irony is that Ebony introduced me to this. She was using quite a bit of it to wash away her own pain.”

A lump formed in my throat. It wasn’t right to judge him. Everyone dealt with loss differently, but I didn’t want to distance myself from the effects. Not immediately, anyway. Not when I’d made up my mind about Ebony’s situation not being final.

Whatever helps you cope,
a nagging voice said inside my head.

“So, do you want some?”

I shook my head. “I don’t need it.”

Willow chose that moment to wander into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. Unlike Oren who was ready to face the day, she was still wearing pajamas and her long hair was a mess. “Oh, hi,” she said, “I thought I heard voices.”

“Didn’t mean to wake you,” I said.

“You didn’t.” She sat on my left, so the three of us looked like we’d made a triangle. I knew how strong triangles were in terms of magic, and with the kitchen table between us I couldn’t help but remember
The Ecliptic
inscribed on the concrete floor inside this very house.

“Would you like a cup of tea or coffee?” Oren asked.

“Yeah, thanks, I’d love a cup of coffee.” Willow rubbed her face.

“How are you feeling this morning?” I asked. If her puffy eyes and the dark circles were any indication, she wasn’t well.

“I feel drained, and a little hollow.” She sighed, loudly. “I just don’t know how much more death I can take, you know?”

“I can give you something that will help,” Oren called over his shoulder, as he prepared her coffee.

“Sure, why not?” Willow stared at the tabletop. “Michael is coming over later to study for the HSC.”

“He’s doing it this year too?”

“Sure is.”

“I’m sorry that you’re facing some of the most important exams of your life and there’s so much crap to deal with at home.” I hated to suggest this, but I owed it to her. “If you want to go and stay somewhere else, I would totally understand.”

“Where am I going to go? To Roe’s? Where everything will remind me of Eb?” she asked, shrugging a shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“You could stay with me,” Oren said as he placed a mug on the table in front of her.

She snorted. “You practically live here nowadays, so I’d be all alone anyway.”

“That’s true.” Oren chuckled. “Listen, while I’ve got the two of you to myself, I need to speak to you about something.”

“Oooh, that sounds serious.”

He looked at Willow. “I’m afraid it is.” When he turned my way for just an instant, I had a pretty good idea what he wanted to discuss. “I think it’s time we aired some family business that is well overdue. With everything that’s happened and what’s around the corner, it’s important for both of you to be well informed.”

I nodded.
He’s right about that.
The
Obscurus
played an unfair game, so knowledge was essential and provided as much power as any magical strength. Mace had revealed a nice nugget of information the night before—he didn’t know Grandma had moved onto the afterlife.

Oren sat back in his chair and focused on Willow. “I’m Sierra’s biological grandfather, which makes me yours as well.”

“Like a Band-Aid, huh?” I’d expected him to dance around the subject, not to blurt it out.

“I figured as much.” Willow kept her gaze on the mug she’d wrapped her fingers around. “So if that’s your big secret, I already know.”

He nodded, accepting her words. “I’m not surprised you figured it out, but I wanted to tell you myself when the time was right. And now, you need to know about the other side of your family.”

“Are you talking about my father’s side? I never met anyone from his side. He never spoke much about his parents. I don’t even know if he had any brothers or sisters.” She took a sip. “The only person he ever mentioned was his grandmother. Dad always had plenty to say about her.”

“Yes,” he said. “Your grandmother’s name is Jacinta Mills.”

I already knew the woman Willow thought was her father’s grandmother was actually
her
grandmother. But I hadn’t said anything. This was Oren’s story to tell.

She shook her head, sending her long hair over her shoulder. “You mean she was my great-grandmother? Jacinta was my father’s granny. She’s the one he wouldn’t shut up about because she could raise corpses.”

Yeah, Eli Moss had a lot to answer for. Because of his obsession with necromancy, and his allowing a Lamia to seduce him, Willow had run away from home earlier in the year. It was how we’d met, and also how Eli sealed his own death at the hands of Maya. The man’s power-hungry ambitions nearly helped summon Legion into this patch, but at least he’d kept his only daughter out of Jacinta’s clutches. She sounded like a real bitch, that one.

“Willow, Jacinta is
your
grandmother.”

“But that would make her Dad’s mother…why would he lie to me about that?”

“Because he didn’t know,” I answered.

Willow opened her mouth to reply, but shook her head. “Does everything have to be so weird all the time? Don’t answer that.” She rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee, for what I thought might be an attempt at distraction.

“Your other grandfather is a man called Duff Moss,” Oren said with a sigh. “And I’m afraid they’re both alive and kicking.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Her blue eyes glistened in the sun, and for the first time since I’d met her, I realized they were very similar to Oren’s.

“It would be, if they weren’t both so dangerous.”

“So why are you telling me this, then?”

I put a hand over hers. “He’s telling you because it could end up being a matter of life and death. Tell her about the order.”

Oren sat forward. “Before I do that, she needs to know about my brother, Duff—you both do.”

“Your brother?” I echoed.

The man who happened to be a member of both the
Obscurus
and the Alliance was not only Willow’s grandfather but was also Oren’s brother? What the hell kind of messed-up circle did these guys travel in? I knew a bit about Oren’s and Grandma’s turbulent past—jealousy and desire played a big part. But I hadn’t known—or expected—
this
.

“Hold on a sec!” Willow placed her mug in front of her and raised both hands, shaking them. “You said Duff is my grandfather, and you’re now claiming he’s also your brother. Are you telling me my parents were cousins? This is so messed up.”

She was right about that.

Oren shook his head. “No, no, sorry, let me explain. Duff and I were very close and although we weren’t related by blood, we called ourselves brothers. Actually, most people didn’t know the truth and just assumed it to be true, which is what your grandmother believed. Jacinta thought we were real brothers, and when I denied her what she wanted, she went to him instead. The result was your father. They were never married, but their alliance is a strong one and to this day they serve each other.”

“Okay, so my father was born out of wedlock and she’s the one I get my necromantic powers from…but what’s this man called Duff have to do with anything?”

“He’s part of the
Obscurus
,” he said.

Willow’s eyes widened and she glanced at me. “The idiots that want to kill Sierra?”

Oren nodded.

“Shit,” she said. “Can I ever meet my grandmother?”

“No way, she wants us dead too.” I blurted. I hadn’t meant for that to slip out, but Willow needed to realize her grandparents posed a deadly threat to us both.

“What are you talking about?”

“It’s true,” Oren said, steering the conversation back to him. “Jacinta is the leader of the Alliance—a group meant to protect humans from supernatural threats—and she placed an order on both of your lives. It’s a sad and very long tale of betrayal and jealousy, so I won’t go into it. I just wanted to make sure that you know who I am and who they are. If you’re ever approached, make sure you don’t make the mistake of putting your trust in either of them. Emotional ties are something neither would hesitate to use if the rest of us refuse to accept the order.”

“Wait a sec. What does this order have to do with you, Oren?” She appeared to be confused now.

“I’m part of the Alliance. I—”

“What?” Willow cut him off. “No, don’t tell me any more. I need some time to get the gist of everything else you just told me.”

“Fair enough,” Oren said with a nod.

My mind was filled with a new danger, one I hadn’t even contemplated until Oren mentioned emotional ties. “You really think they would try to grab Will by telling her who they are?”

“I wouldn’t discount it.” He shook his head. “The fact Duff is part of the
Obscurus
confirms Jacinta has an ulterior motive. There is no way he would join with such a group without her approval, or suggestion. I’m starting to think she might be a part of it too.”

“It makes a sick sort of sense.” The thought made my insides quiver. Duff was responsible for helping Papan’s brother establish the situation he’d tried to force on his pack. These two oldies sounded like a formidable force. When—no,
if
—my plate ever cleared up, I would deal with Duff and Jacinta myself. I refused to have them pose a threat to my little sister.

Willow swallowed the rest of her coffee. When she stood and placed her mug in the sink, I thought she might march back to her room. She surprised me by saying, “Oren, I need you to teach me that incantation Sierra uses so well.”

“I plan to teach you every protection spell and incantation I know.” He swiveled around to look at her. “But which one in particular are you referring to?”

“The protection shrouding one,” she said sternly.

I wondered if she knew they were two different incantations.

“You’ve got it,” Oren said.

“Good, let’s go.”

Oren straightened. “You want to learn them now?”

“I’ve got exams coming and will have to devote every bit of brain power to studying, how about I learn some magic now so I can actually use it if I become someone’s target?”

Oren nodded and stood. “Fine, that sounds like a great plan. Besides, I’ve got just the place for you to record everything I’ve taught you so far. Let me just get it from my jacket. I’ll meet you in your room.”

Willow leaned over and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “Don’t worry, big sis. No one’s going to kill us. I’ll make sure of it.”

I squeezed her tight, glad to see the herbs were obviously already working. She wouldn’t sound so positive if she was still wallowing in grief. Not after the bombshells Oren had just dropped. The sneaky man probably chose this precise moment to come clean.

She headed for the stairs and descended back to her room.

“Are you okay?” Oren made his way around the table and sat on the chair next to mine.

“I don’t know.” I wanted to be okay, to stay strong for Willow, Lavie, Papan, and even Oren. But so much had happened that I felt like I was falling down an endless pit.

He grabbed my hand. “I can see the change in your aura.”

“I’ve probably got too many black stains to count.” My joke fell flat.

“No, that’s not what I’m talking about.” Oren squeezed my fingers. “I wish you could see how beautiful your aura is, and how much heavier it feels. It’s almost solid.”

“Is it pink?” I whispered.

“How did you know?” His eyes lit up, flashing pink quickly.

I shrugged. “It seems to be Hecate’s color.”

“Yes, your aura is neon pink and serves as a protection barrier. I doubt you’ll need to use the spell Willow wants to learn any longer.” He sighed. “I can’t believe how much she’s like you—so beautiful, determined, brave and headstrong.”

“Don’t forget troublemaker.”

He chuckled and said, “Yes.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He nodded, his cool fingers gripping mine.

“Is the color pink related to witches?”

“Ah, I wondered when you’d ask. Yes, it is.” He sighed. “Hecate is the goddess of many, many things and witches is one of them.”

So it was true, my grandmother had known exactly what she was doing when she bedded Oren. “Being part witch is my strongest connection to her, isn’t it? Well, aside from Saul.”

“Yes, the demon.” A faraway expression crossed his face.

I steered the conversation away from this topic, in case he brought up Grandma. “If Mace doesn’t know I’ve already got the power he wants, the others probably don’t either. Oren, I think I’ve finally got an advantage over those freaks.”