Home (10 page)

“
I’m happy,
Bri.”

The photograph
had been sketched, although the details were amazing for something
that would usually be drawn by hand. The sketch was one from last
Christmas. The camera angle came from the head of the table so that
it pictured everyone’s faces, the joy, the love in their group.
Cora focused on Clio. She saw the laughter dance on her face as she
held a conversation with Clay. Cora looked up at Clay and saw the
struggle on his face as he looked down at the picture.

“
It is really
lovely, Jack,” Clay coughed.

“
We miss them
every day,” Jack murmured, “every time we think of them. I know we
all feel the pain as if it happened yesterday. It hurts, but I
thought with this picture, remembering the love and the happiness,
that maybe we could think happy thoughts, knowing they are still
present.”

Cora braced
herself for the hit as she looked at her mother. Instead, she
laughed. Loudly. Her mother was winking at Ayden whilst pointing at
Cora and Jack. Of course she would have known, even then. Ayden
looked over her shoulder and smiled.

“
I remember
that moment like it was yesterday. How did you do it,
Jack?”

“
I was
hypnotised.”

“
What? When?”
Cora asked. She couldn’t believe that something like that had
worked.

“
I know
someone,” Evelyn told them. “Jack mentioned what he had in mind and
I knew just the person.”

“
It’s perfect,”
Cora sighed. She made her way over the growing pile of paper and
placed the photo on the mantle.

“
Right, I think
you should open my gift before everyone else,” Ayden told
her.

She laughed.
“Are you just a little bit excited, Ayden?”

Ayden pulled a
face. “No.” Yet he shifted his body, like the excitement was too
much for him.

She shook her
head. “Will it make me cry?”

“
Yes, but they
will be happy tears.”

Ayden handed
her a box with a bow on the top. “Have you even bothered to wrap
this?”

“
I did the bow.
It is my kind of wrapping.”

Cora nodded,
it was quite good for Ayden as he didn’t have the patience for
fiddly things. She lifted the lid off the box and frowned as her
finger traced the cover of a photo album. Lifting it, she set aside
the box and opened the album. Her mother hadn’t said anything...
The tears sprung to her eyes as she looked at the pictures on the
first page. Her mother had documented her life. How had Ayden
known?

There were
photos from places Cora couldn’t remember, ones she didn’t even
know of. In one she looked happy, her hair was pulled high on top
of her head. The sun had browned her skin, her arm was slung around
her mother’s shoulders. Her mother looked so young. Almost like her
older sister.

“
Where?” Cora
asked.

“
I found them
in the wardrobe as I packed.”

“
Why?” Why
hadn’t her mother ever shown her them in the last year?

“
You never age.
You couldn’t stay in one place too long. She couldn’t put them out,
but she could have told you about them since you’ve found out...”
Ember offered.

“
I’ve never
heard of it before... never known a witch to live with Commoners
who knew their secret, and now we are in the company of two,” Iona
said.

“
To be fair,
Cora dropped on lucky,” Jack told them, “the people I lived with
made my life hell because they knew my secret and it ruined their
life. Laura embraced it.”

“
She certainly
did,” Tabitha whispered.

Cora’s fingers
brushed up against the photo.

“
I think we are
going to need more frames to be hung up,” Jack joked with a smile
as Ciaran groaned.

“
Thank you,
Ayden.”

Ayden
shrugged. “It was an easy present. I had to pay for the
bow.”

“
Right, time
for my present,” Ember said, passing her an envelope.

Ember was
already wearing Cora’s present. It was a Christmas jumper. Stitched
into that jumper was a witch sitting in Santa’s sleigh. She’d had
it specially made, knowing this was the only Christmas jumper Ember
would wear.

Cora opened
her present and looked at it, trying to not let her face show her
confusion. It was a blank piece of paper.

“
Well, I don’t
have a printer set up just yet and I wasn’t going to use that stone
back at the shop.”

Cora laughed
and nodded at Clay who turned to Tabitha. “Ahhh, that is where you
are wrong, my lovely.”

Clay pulled a
box from behind him and Eli then passed it to Tabitha who looked at
it in surprise.

“
We each put in
some money and bought you a new laptop, Tab,” Eli told her. “I’ve
put all the latest things on there.”

Was it wrong
that Cora felt giddy about a new laptop for the shop?

“
Hmmm... I
can’t usually work your new gadgets, Eli.”

“
Tab, that is
just a normal laptop, nothing too fancy,” Ayden
chuckled.

“
What do I do
with my old laptop?”

“
Throw it in
the bin!” Cora giggled.

“
Burn it whilst
we dance around it?” Jack suggested.

“
I like the
idea of a burning, but no dancing,” Clay agreed with
Jack.

“
The bin sounds
like a good idea. Thank you everyone.”

“
Okay, so back
to my blank piece of paper,” Ember said. “Cora, that is a voucher
for your wedding hair and makeup.”

“
Wow! Ember,
thank you.”

“
You will look
beautiful when I’m finished.”

“
You don’t even
need to start,” Jack stated, kissing Cora softly on the lips,
making her sigh contentedly. “Already beautiful.”

Cora smiled as
Ayden and Eli rolled their eyes, Ciaran grinned and Clay made
gagging noises.

“
Cora, you need
to come with me for your present.” Tabitha stood and motioned for
her to move.

Ember went
first and headed to her room. What had they done? The bedroom had
just been decorated and Jack would kill her, and then attempt to
kill Tabitha and Ember, if they had done anything to change
it.

Tabitha stood
behind her as Ember opened the door and entered. Cora lost the
ability to breathe. Any thoughts that may have formed, simply
tumbled out of her head.

“
This is your
wedding dress. It was made by your grandmother and mother in 1612.
Jack’s mother also helped.”

“
And I’ve seen
this dress before?” Cora whispered, and not for the first time, she
hated that her thoughts were no longer with her.

Cora’s finger
softly traced the white material of the long skirt. Pearls winked
at her as the sun’s rays danced upon them.

“
Yes, you were
wearing it as they put the finishing touches on it. The day they
were attacked by...” Tabitha didn’t finish. There was no
need.

“
Okay.” She
couldn’t help the jolt. Tabitha so rarely spoke about the time
before. She was always protecting her. This was a step in the right
direction. “It is beautiful, but will it still fit?”

“
You don’t need
to worry about that,” Ember said.

Cora looked at
the lace that swept up from the bodice. It would fit snug against
her neck. She wasn’t sure she could pull off such a look
now.

“
We will change
the lace at the neck of the dress and turn it into a bodice, to
make it modern,” Tabitha said, as if she had read her mind. “It
will also mean we can put our names on that dress. Every person who
ever loved you has put something into your dress.”

“
Thank you.”
She was overcome with emotions. Thank you didn’t seem to be
enough.

“
You are
welcome. It can be your something old, rather than using
yourself.”

“
Thanks, Tab,”
Cora sniffed and playfully slapped Tabitha’s arm.

“
Come, it is
time to eat.”

“
That bird is
done already?” she asked Tabitha, but it received a playful smirk.
Of course it would be done. This was Tabitha, she could do
anything.

*

“
I’ve got
another one,” Flynn boomed as the laughter continued.

The wine and
Guinness had been in full flow for some time. The table glistened
as the darkness surrounded them. It wasn’t completely dark as the
moonlight bounced off the snow, giving the whole place an
illuminated glow.

“
What did the
scarf say to the hat?” Flynn asked everyone.

They’d
decided, after reading the jokes from the crackers, that they could
come up with better ones, ones they had heard before.

Flynn waited
for another moment. “You go on a head and I’ll hang around
here!”

The women
around the table groaned and rolled their eyes. Flynn’s jokes were
bad. He seemed to appreciate them the most.

“
I’ve got one,”
Ayden said. “A blonde is overweight-”

“
Oh my God, is
this going to be a long one?” Evelyn mumbled.

“
Longer if you
interrupt me,” Ayden said with a wink that made her smile. “So, a
blonde is overweight and her doctor puts her on a diet. The doc
said, ‘I want you to eat regularly for two days and then skip a day
and repeat the procedure for two weeks.’” Ayden waited as he ate
another carrot.

“
When the
blonde returns she’s lost nearly four stone. ‘Why, that’s amazing,’
the doc says, ‘Did you follow my instructions?’ The blonde nods.
‘I’ll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that
third day.’ The docs looks at her, ‘From the hunger you mean?’
‘No,’ she replies... ‘from all the skipping!”

“
Oh Jesus,”
Clay laughed.

Cora giggled,
which sent the table into hysterics. “I really tried to hold it
in.”

“
That was such
a bad joke! But it has to be the best, worst joke!” Ciaran
roared.

“
Yeah, but you
were all engrossed.”

“
No, we just
fell asleep with our eyes open,” Flynn laughed.

A loud bang at
the door made the group jump. Cora looked quickly at
Jack.

“
Who the hell
is that? If it was Alastair, he would walk straight in...” Clay
growled.

Cora knew that
was right. “Ember?”

Ember nodded,
her body sighed against her chair. Less than a minute later, Ember
opened her eyes. “It’s Tommy.”

Jack stood up
and she followed. The rest of her coven remained behind them,
including the Irish coven. Jack opened the door. Tommy’s eyes were
a little dazed as he looked at the gathering of witches. He hadn’t
expected all of them.

“
I’m sorry,
Cora,” Tommy spoke quickly.

“
For what?” she
queried.

“
For coming to
you with...”

Ayden and Clay
pushed forward, stepping outside, looking for the
danger.

“
Coming with
what?” Cora asked as they found nothing outside.

“
I have a
message,” Tommy stuttered.

What was
Alastair playing at now? Why would he use Tommy? To keep them on
their toes maybe? What was Alastair doing using Tommy? Did he know
that Tommy had given them a message before?

“
From
Alastair?” Tabitha questioned.

“
No... from
your mother and Clio.”

11

THE MESSAGE

They stood on
the doorstep, leaving Tommy out in the cold. She could feel the
ripples of shock circle around the group. He had a message from her
mum? Why would he come now? Was this part of Alastair’s plan? She
didn’t trust Alastair. Tommy had done nothing to gain their trust,
although he had told her about her brother...

“
You’re lying!”
Ayden spat as he lurched towards Tommy.

Ciaran and Eli
held Ayden back.

“
Why would I
lie? I told you the truth last time,” Tommy said as he pleaded with
Cora.

He had a
point. Yet, Tommy had told her this on a date that Alastair had
enforced.

“
I think you
should come in, Tommy. There is no point discussing this out in the
open.” Tabitha nodded and everyone stepped aside.

Tommy entered,
he seemed nervous with so many witches stood around him. Cian led
the way to the living room. They sat as Tommy stood. Ayden remained
at the door, feet planted. Eyes of pure ice looked straight at
Tommy, daring him to put one foot out of place.

“
What message?”
Ember asked.

“
Does Alastair
know you are here?” Jack demanded.

So Jack’s
train of thought had run with hers.

“
Answer Jack’s
question first,” Ember responded with a flippant wave of her
hand.

“
He doesn’t
know I’m here. I didn’t even know if I was going to come myself. I
didn’t know how welcome I would be...but she is very
persistent.”