Follow Me: Book Two of the Reluctant Witch Series

by Bernadette Walsh

Genres: Paranormal; Ghost; Occult & Supernatural; Paranormal Romance; Witches

Synopsis

DNA IS DESTINY. OR IS IT?

Nell Donahue was born an echo witch — a weak witch with just enough magic in her to read the tea leaves of bored suburban housewives. Nell's spent her life envying her more gifted sister and chasing magical powers she could never attain until an unexpected trip to hell increased Nell's abilities ten-fold.

Now Nell has more powers than she ever dreamed of. She's also being haunted by the ghost of a slain college student, threatened by a pack of semi-human demon-worshipping ghouls and harassed by a brawny detective who's awakened something in unlucky-in-love Nell that she'd much prefer remained dormant. Too late to return to her status as an echo witch, Nell must learn to harness her enhanced powers before she loses everything, including her heart.

Release date: April 8, 2020

Publisher: Bernadette Walsh

Print pages: 86

Sample

Prologue

I slung the backpack over my shoulder.
“Wait for your sister.”
“Gotta meet Carrie.” I ran out of the kitchen before Mamacould say another word. As I opened the front door, Mama said to my twin sister, Fiona, “She’s scared.”

“Of what?” Fiona asked
“Of you.”
I slammed the door behind me.

Scared? I’ve never been scared of anything. Fiona was the onewho scurried through Centerport Middle School like a scared bunny rabbit. Fiona was the one who never raised her hand in class or looked anyone in the eye. Not like me. I was student body president and cheer squad captain.

Up until last night, I was the brave twin.

Last night when Mama asked Fiona a few questions, like why she acted like such a weirdo in the lunchroom and talked to herself all the time, Fiona totally snapped. Her eyes rolled back in her head as the most awful words spilled out of her mouth:

“Granny killed a bearded man who pledged his children to the One. I saw Granny’s hands around the neck of a baby. TheOne is not finished with you, Mama. He’s not finished with any of us. Before Samhain, the One will squeeze Daddy’s heart until it stops beating...”

I ran out of the room before I could hear any more of Fiona’s lies. Imagine our Granny hurting anyone, never mind a baby. And Daddy dying? Mama says he’s as healthy as a horse. Fiona’s crazy.

She’s always been crazy.

Still, I wasn’t about to stick around and find out if Fiona had anything bad to say about me.

I rushed down the front steps to meet my friend Carrie but then noticed weeds in the flower bed. Darn, I thought I’d cleared all the weeds yesterday. Mama appreciated all the weed killing I’d been doing this week since Fiona and I had gained our powers. I waved my hands over the horrible dandelions. My palms burned as I drained their life force. See, magic didn’t have to be all scary and dangerous. Like Auntie Nuala said, magic could be a tool to make our lives easier. Better. It was nothing to be scared of.

Leave it to Fiona to turn what was supposed to be a gift into a curse. Well, let her talk to non-existent spirit friends and use her new scary voice to make up lies. I for one was going to school so I could be with my friends like a normal person and maybe even use the love spell Auntie Nuala taught me. It was about time that Brett Gardiner from math class finally noticed me.

No matter what Mama says or crazy Fiona does, I am not giving up my magical gifts on Sunday like Mama wants us to. I like my powers, even if they aren’t as strong as Fiona’s. It’s so unfair. Just because Fiona was born a whole five minutes before me, she gets to be the powerful witch while I only get to be the “echo witch.” Auntie Nuala, who’s an echo witch like me, says that even though I have less magical power than Fiona, I still have more power than most witches, which, come on, is totally cool.

Mama will see. When I use my powers responsibly and for good reasons then she’ll be proud of me. I won’t “waste my life” chasing magic. I’ll use my magic to have a really awesome life. When I’m a powerful witch and become a really successful person then

Mama will notice me, really see me, instead of always focusing on drippy boring Fiona.

“You’re late,” Carrie said when I finally met her at our usual spot at the corner.

“Sorry. Fiona hogged the bathroom again.”
“Ugh, Fiona. I hope she doesn’t try and walk with us. She’s creepy.” “Try living with her.”
I was outside math class when Fiona ran through the hallwayand crashed into Brett Gardiner. She’s so embarrassing, I thought, until I saw her eyes. They were wild and a weird color. Were they actually glowing? I grabbed her arm as she ran by me. “Fiona, wait. What’s wrong?”

Fiona twisted her arm and escaped my grip. I dropped my backpack and followed her as she ran through the door and down the school steps. I stopped with my hand on the door. If I left school grounds, I would definitely get another demerit and I already had two. Why should I risk detention and follow Fiona who was probably fine anyway? She’s the real witch, right? Fiona could take care of herself.

But what if Fiona wasn’t crazy and wasn’t lying? What if there was a bad spirit who wanted to hurt our family?

I pushed the door open and ran after Fiona. I’d almost caught up to her when Fiona’s feet left the sidewalk and she was, she was, she was flying!

I shouted, “Fiona!” but she didn’t turn around and didn’t stop. Her legs moved as if there was ground beneath her sneakers. Fiona flew over the tree tops in the direction of our house. I ran as fast as I could but there was no way I could beat a flying Fiona.

Sweaty and out of breath by the time I reached home, I found Mama and Fiona sprawled on the grass in our back yard. Mama cradled Fiona in her arms like a baby. Tears streamed down Fiona’s face. “Take them from me, Mama,” she shouted. “I don’t want my powers. They’re evil!”

Mama’s face softened. With a love and tenderness I’d never seen before, Mama stroked Fiona’s red curls. “Of course, my love. You’re safe now. Mama will always keep you safe.”

As I wiped the sweat from my forehead, I knew then, in the dark pit at the bottom of my witch’s soul, that Mama would never look at me like that. I knew she would never see me as anything more that the second born twin. The useless echo witch.

For Mama, it would always be Fiona. Never me.

Chapter One

Auntie Nuala told me for years that I was the special twin. That I was smart, funny, pretty. Gifted. And I believed her, of course. Why wouldn’t I? Unlike my drippy sister, I was popular. Plus I was pretty damn cute, if I did say so myself.

On my thirteenth birthday I found out Auntie Nuala was a liar.

I was not special, not gifted. At the ripe old age of thirteen I discovered I was second best—and always would be—fated as I was to be the echo witch.

My identical twin sister, Fiona, was the special one. The gifted one. Our generation’s most powerful witch and not because she was smarter or prettier than me. Fiona received most of the powers because she beat me out of our mother’s womb by five minutes.

Those five measly minutes cost me everything.

The worst part was that Fiona didn’t even want to be a witch. She was scared of her powers and begged my mother and Auntie Nuala to bind them. Mama tried to bind my powers too but I wouldn’t let her. I told her I was proud to be a witch. I’d hoped Mama would be proud of me too but my mother only shook her head and told me I was a fool like Nuala. Mama said no good could come from any magical powers, even powers as weak as mine.

I’d like to say I grew up to prove my mother wrong. That I used my powers to scale the heights of greatness. That I was a huge success.

Instead I was a single mom to three daughters by three different men, had just broken up with my latest loser boyfriend, was drowning in credit card debt and my battered SUV needed a new transmission I couldn’t afford.

So much for the power of magic.

I did own a tea shop—well, “own” was a bit of a stretch since it was mortgaged to the hilt. I used to own two but my Westhampton shop went bust last year. Still, the tea shop in Sayville was mine and I could in all good conscience call myself a business owner, which really, was more than I could say about my sister. Despite her straight As and law degree, Fiona was now just another Long Island stay-at- home mommy, entirely dependent on the good will of her husband, the very boring Nick Morrissey. Nick, the husband I’d tricked with one of my forgetting spells so he didn’t remember he was married to a powerful witch. Every few months I bolstered that spell so Nick wouldn’t realize my saintly sister bore twin daughters that were not his and were, in fact, conceived with her ghost lover, John Callahan. Fiona, with her designer pocketbooks purchased in a department store and not an outlet, owed much of her good fortune to me.

But that’s what sisters are for, right?

“Would you like a chamomile tea?” I asked Fiona as soon as she walked into my tea shop. “It’ll help with the nausea.”

“How did you—”

I laughed. “How did I know? Even though I’m an echo witch I do have some powers.”

“Of course. Sorry.”

I looked at Fiona’s twin three year old daughters, blissfully asleep in their double stroller. “Five children? Are you crazy, Fifi?”

“I have to give Nick a daughter that’s—” “His?”
Fiona sighed. “Yes.”
“And normal?”

Fiona nodded, her face pale and drawn. Pregnancy always sucked the very life force from Fiona.

Since it was after the breakfast rush, the tea shop was empty. In a more conciliatory tone, I said, “Go to the back room and I’ll bring in the tea. Valerie doesn’t start her reiki sessions for another hour so we’ll have the place to ourselves. You can leave the girls in a meditation room. And take out your colored contacts—you always feel better without contacts.” Fiona nodded and it was then I noticed her new haircut. The way it perfectly tamed her curls screamed expensive. I patted my own unruly curls trapped in a rubber band and tried to tamp down the familiar waves of jealousy.

I mixed raspberry leaf and ginger with chamomile leaves to alleviate Fiona’s nausea and then added nettle to strengthen what I hoped, for Nick and Fiona’s sake, was my niece-to-be and not another nephew. Fiona was right—Nick needed his own little girl. Nick’s mother also needed a granddaughter of her own. Nick’s mother wasn’t of the magical realm but her Greek blood told her something was off with the twins. A new little granddaughter to dress up and stuff with sweet pastries would be exactly what Nick’s mother needed and would distract her from the twins’ strangeness.

I understood why Fiona got pregnant again but to have another child after bearing the twins who were—well, they were not quite of this world, were they? That was risky. Who knows what toxic residue two ghost-witch hybrids left within Fiona’s body. I closed my eyes and tried to connect with the nascent spark of life within my sister. I felt the little one struggle to burrow into the wall of Fiona’s blighted womb. I sprinkled more nettle leaf into the tea for good measure. I closed my eyes and focused my thoughts on the little mite, “Come on, girl. You can do it.”

I carried the tray into the back room. After I poured Fiona’s tea, I lit a candle infused with a calming spell. “A baby, huh? What did Nick say?”

“I haven’t told him yet. I haven’t told anyone.”
“Why?”
“I’m probably crazy to have this baby. The twins need so much

attention. Nicola still hasn’t said a word while I can’t get Lizzie to shut up. The boys need me too, what with travel soccer and homework. Nick’s been working more than ever. He’s never home.”

Fiona couldn’t meet my gaze. As she added sugar to her tea, she said, “He manufactures any excuse not be around us.”

“When was the last time I reenforced the forgetting spell?”
“I don’t know, around Thanksgiving, maybe?”
“That long? Okay, I’ll come by next week.”
Fiona looked up at me with her glowing green eyes. “Spells can’t cure everything, Nell.”
“Neither can babies but that’s not stopping you.”
Fiona could cast a spell on Nick but it would be tainted by her own self interest—the same reason I couldn’t cast a spell to fix my busted transmission or pay off my credit cards. The last time I cast a spell for my own gain, I lost my Westhampton tea shop and yet another boyfriend. Even with my weaker echo witch powers, the forgetting spell I used on Nick was stronger than anything Fiona could’ve conjured for herself. Of course our mother was stronger than me and her spell would be the more effective but after Mama and her coven almost caused Fiona to miscarry the twins and then Fiona choked Mama and threatened to kill her, things between Mama and Fiona have been a little—let’s just say things have been tense.

Happy families.

I poured my twin more tea. “You look awful.”
“Thanks.”
“I mean it. You look drained in a way I’ve never seen before. Part of it’s the pregnancy but there’s something else, isn’t there?”
Fiona’s eyes flashed and an electric spark ran through me. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“Fifi, you know you can’t lie to me even when you try to bewitchme with your glowing eyes.”
Fiona shook her head. “It’s... I don’t know. I’m probablyimaging things.”
“It’s what?”
Fiona whispered, “It’s Nicola.”
“Are you seriously afraid that a three year old will hear you say her name?”
“You don’t know what she’s like.”

I laughed. “I have met her before. Sure, her stare is a bit unnerving but she’s only a little girl.”

“A little girl? She’s hardly that and you know it.”
“Okay, a little witch. Your first born witch.”
“And?”
“And her father was an incarnated dead soul.”
“An incarnated dead soul sent by the One to destroy me.”
I reached out and put my hand over hers. Fiona’s skin burned withthe force of our shared magic. “And the love of your life, Fifi. You knew the dangers when you chose to continue the pregnancy. You could’ve let Mama—”

“Kill them?”

“Terminate the pregnancy. Naturally, or I guess, supernaturally? Whatever. The twins are here now and they’ve been here for over three years and you’ve never looked like this before. What’s changed?”

Fiona whispered again, “It’s the pregnancy. Ever since I became pregnant, before I knew myself, Nicola’s been staring at me with her terrible eyes. I can feel them burn into me. Every time she touches my stomach, cramps tear through me.” In an even lower voice, Fiona said, “I think she’s trying to kill this baby. Maybe she’s trying to kill me.”

“I’ve heard of sibling rivalry before but, come on, Fifi.”
“Maybe I’m crazy. I’m probably imaging things.”
Fiona’s normally pale skin was almost green. Something waswrong. I poured more tea. “You’re not. Let Valerie work on you this morning. You always feel better after a good reiki session.”

“I can’t. The sleeping spell I used on the girls is about to wear off. I don’t have the energy to cast another one.”

“You used a spell on the twins?” I was not above casting a spell on my kids, especially Skye who at fourteen was beyond mouthy, but Fiona never used magic on her children. She barely used magic at all. I shook my head. “Oh, honey, it must be bad.”

Tears slid down Fiona’s pallid cheeks. “It is, Nell. It really is.”

“I’ll call Katey and ask her to watch the tea shop for a few hours. I’ll have to pay her, although she’s my daughter she does nothing for free and God knows I’m broke this week so—”

“I’ll pay Katey. It’s not a problem. I stopped at the bank on my way here.”

Because I’m always bumming money for one reason or another, Fiona kindly left unsaid. Well, this time Fiona’ll get her money’s worth. I plastered on a fake smile. “Great. I’ll take the twins to my house and pick up Skye and Lily. Then we’ll all go to the beach. Even witch-ghost children like the beach.”

“You don’t mind? I know the twins freak you out.”

“They don’t freak me out,” I said, although of course they did. Nicola even freaked Mama out—Mama who was afraid of almost nothing and went head to head every full moon with the evil spirit inhabiting our grandmother. I forced another smile. “It’s a perfect beach day. It’ll be fun.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. Now pop in your brown colored contacts before you frighten all my customers away with your scary green eyes.”

Fiona winked. “You love my scary green eyes.”

Like all magical creatures, Fiona’s eyes touched something primal in me. Whenever I allowed myself to gaze into them, they brought me a sense of calm. Peace. As if I was one with all the world’s witches. I stared into them and allowed a wave of bliss to wash over me. I touched my sister’s arm. “You’re right, Fifi. I do.”

Twenty minutes later, Katey and her nerdy boyfriend Carl drove up in the convertible Katey guilted her father into buying as a high school graduation present. Cute Brett Gardiner from eighth grade math class was my date to the junior prom—and Katey’s father. Of course I never made it to the senior prom. Teenage fatherhood didn’t stop Brett though. Brett took my ex-friend Carrie as his senior prom date while I dealt with infected milk ducts.

But, hey, I’m not bitter.

Brett was now a doctor and the only one of my children’s fathers who paid child support on a regular basis. He was also overweight, bald and married to a complete bitch who made his life a misery so, you know, karma and all.

Brett’s family was one of the oldest magical families in the New World. His mother’s a pretty powerful witch and her Gardiner bloodline gifted my Katey way more magical powers than the daughter of an echo witch was entitled to. So far, Katey was more interested in her pimply boyfriend Carl and her pre-med summer college classes than magic which made my mother very happy.

I tried not to be too disappointed.

Thank God Skye’s father was a bartender without an ounce of magical powers. If mouthy Skye had any meaningful amount of magic in her, I’d really be in trouble.

The twins were still asleep so Katey carried Lizzie while I carried Nicola out to the Fiona’s minivan which was bigger than my SUV. After the twins were secured in their carseats, I said, “Thanks for helping out today, Katey.”

“No problem.”

“Fiona will pay you and you can keep any tips you make but please, don’t let Carl eat all the brownies. The romance writers group is coming in this afternoon and they love brownies. I practically cover my rent with what they buy in brownies.”

“Can he have one?”
“He can have a vegan oatmeal raisin cookie. One. No more.” Katey stuck out her tongue. “Meanie.”
I kissed my eldest on the cheek. “Thanks again, sweetie. We won’t be late.”
When I arrived home, I found Skye jabbering on her phone with Lily parked in front of the TV. No beach towels folded, no sunscreen packed. With one shout from me, Lily—at age six my most compliant daughter—scurried into her bedroom and changed into a bathing suit. I threw on a bikini that at age thirty-eight I could still rock—thank you very much—and then gathered all the beach paraphernalia. Skye remained sprawled out on the couch.

“Get off the phone,” I said in as reasonable a tone as I could manage. “In a minute.”
“Get off the phone.”
“In a minute.”

I snapped my fingers.

Skye scowled into the phone and shouted, “Hello? Kyle? Can you hear me?”

I smiled. “Trouble with your phone, sweetie?”
Skye glared at me with her father’s brown eyes. “You are such a—” I snapped my fingers again and although Skye’s mouth moved no sound came out. Skye hated when I took her voice.
“What’s that, honey? Cat got your tongue? I can’t quite hear you. Change into your bathing suit so we can have a wonderful family day on the beach. You know how much I love spending time with you.”

Skye stomped off to her room.

Lily skipped into the living room and smiled, exposing the latest gap from a missing tooth. “I’m so happy, Mommy. I love the beach.” Poor Lily was always my afterthought. She was grateful for any scrap of attention I threw her way and I felt about two feet tall whenever she beamed at me with her megawatt smile. I’d had no business having a third fatherless child. But I was lonely and when the cute older guy at the end of the bar bought me one drink and then another, well, nine months later along came Lily. The charmer from the bar was long gone—I wasn’t sure of his last name truth be told—but like all my children’s fathers, his DNA barely made a dent in my formidable Donahue genes. Only his hazel eyes left their mark on my Lilly. Otherwise, like her sisters, with her red curly hair and pale freckled skin, physically Lily was all me.

I shouted, “Skye, move it.” My sensitive Lily flinched. Lily hated when I yelled. In a softer voice, I said, “Let’s get into the minivan before your cousins wake up.”

Lily smiled. “Lizzie and Nicola are here? Oh, yay!” Lily was the only person who seemed to like the twins.

I finally corralled the kids into the minivan and drove along Ocean Parkway to Cedar Beach. The twins were still asleep when I pulled into the beach parking lot. I turned off the ignition. “Skye, if I give you back your voice, will you promise to be good? I need your help with the twins and Lily today.”

Lily piped in, “No one needs to watch me. I’m a big girl.”
I turned around and smiled at Lily. “I know you are, sweetie.”
I then turned back and looked at Skye who was still scowling. “And

I’ll turn back on your phone.” Skye rolled her eyes.

“Don’t try and blackmail me for money because I’m broke. I only have enough for lunch. Voice and phone, that’s all I can offer. Deal?” Skye nodded. I snapped my fingers and with that, the twins woke up. Damn, I forgot how sensitive they were to any magical disturbance.

Lizzie chirped from the back seat, “Hi, Lily! Hi, Nell!”
“The creeps are awake,” Skye said in a bored voice as she texted her boyfriend.
“Yes, I’m aware.” I popped open the trunk. “Put down your phone and grab the beach chairs.”
“Hi, Skye!” Lizzie shouted.
“Hi, creep,” Skye said as she sent another text. “Ow.” Skye rubbed her forehead. “Mom, what did ya do that for?”
“Do what?”
“Make my head hurt. Ow, make it stop, Mama.”
“I didn’t do anything.” I turned around and looked at Nicola who was staring intensely at Skye. “Say you’re sorry, Skye.”
“I’m not apologizing to a baby.”
I whispered, “You know they’re not just babies. Say you’re sorry and she’ll stop.”
“Sorry,” Skye snapped. She rubbed her forehead. “Ow. It hurts even more.”
“Say it like you mean it.”
Skye turned around in her seat. “I’m sorry I called your sister a creep. Now, please, Nicola. Stop.”
Nicola looked away from Skye and turned towards her twin. Lizzie smiled and grabbed Nicola’s hand. The twins were devoted to each other—which would be sweet if they weren’t so scary.

But all children—even ghost-witch children—were like dogs and could smell fear. I turned to the twins and in as strong a voice as I could manage, said, “Girls, we are going to have a nice day at the beach but that means all of you have to behave. So no calling each other names and no,” I looked directly at Nicola and met her unnerving gaze straight on, “doing whatever you just did to Skye. Got it? Otherwise I’m driving home right now.”

“I’ll be good, Mama,” Lily said.
I smiled. “You’re always good, sweetheart.”

“I be good!” Lizzie shouted.

“I’ll unload the chairs,” Skye said as she climbed out of the minivan which was about all I was going to get from my hormonal daughter.

“And you?” I asked Nicola.
Nicola nodded slowly.
“Perfect. Now let’s go hit the beach and, if you’re all good, I’ll buy hot dogs and ice cream.”

Lizzie and Nicola toddled through the sand like two little flame-haired angels. Each obediently held one of Lily’s hands while Skye and I carried the beach equipment. Since it was midweek, Cedar Beach was filled mostly with mothers and children. The breeze off the Great South Bay was just strong enough to keep a pair of kites aflight. The twins broke free from Lily and ran towards two teenaged boys and their father who were flying the kites.

“Lily,” I shouted. “Keep up with them.”

I hurried along as the sand scalded the bottom of my bare feet. A bead of sweat ran down my forehead. This was not exactly going to be a relaxing day at the beach.

Fiona owed me—big time.

I dumped the beach bags near the water and not far from where the twins stood transfixed by the movement of the kites. Lily and Lizzie jumped with excitement while Nicola was smiling—actually smiling.

See, the twins are only little kids, after all. Little kids who need a little fun. Fiona treated the twins with such kid gloves the poor things probably didn’t know what a good time even was. Auntie Nell would change that. As my many ex-boyfriends could attest, Nell Donahue was nothing if not a good time.

After a while, the wind died down and the boys reeled in their kites. I led the three girls to the water while Skye sprawled on a blanket and searched in vain for a signal.

Lily and Lizzie splashed happily among the bay’s gentle swells. Nicola stood on the sand and stared with her arctic blue eyes out onto the horizon.

She’s only a little girl, I reminded myself as I crouched beside her. “Do you want to go in the water, Nicola? Would you like to swim?”

As if I hadn’t said anything, Nicola stared off into the distance. Her pale skin appeared translucent in the sunlight.

“You don’t have to be scared. I’ll go in with you. I’m an excellent swimmer.”

Still no response.

I touched her thin shoulder and rested my hand there. Nicola’s strange magic bubbled up through the layers of her soft baby skin to meet mine but instead of the familiar warmth of another witch’s touch, Nicola’s skin burned mine with the searing cold of the grave. I yelped with pain yet could not move my hand. The July sun fell away and I was transported to a place far beneath the sand. The shrieks of the most cursed banshees filled my ears. Before me stood a man with ashen skin. I fell into the bubbling molten flame of the man’s eyes as they burned through my own eyes into the back of my skull and ...

Nicola moved my hand off her shoulder and I fell back. My heart raced while I struggled to catch my breath.

Nicola did not look at me. She stood still with her face to the sea.

I sat up. “Is that what you see, Nicola? What you showed me, is that what you see all the time?”

She nodded.

What to say to this strange creature, isolated as she was by her solitary horror? I suspected she hadn’t shared these visions with Fiona. Yet Nicola showed her torture to me, a useless echo witch who couldn’t possibly protect her. All I could do was show this unfortunate soul that she was not alone. I grabbed both of her shoulders and forced her terrible arctic eyes to meet my own. “We are at the beach, sweetheart, and we are going to have fun. You deserve to have fun. Let’s swim. You’ll be safe. Do you trust me?”

Nicola placed her small arms around my neck and allowed me to lift her up. I held this cursed child more carefully than I’d ever held my own daughters and waded into the soft swells until the water was midway to my chest. Nicola clutched my neck yet did not make a sound. “Relax, sweetie. I’ve got you.”

Nicola gradually loosened her grip and almost smiled as I bobbed her up and down in the cool salt water. After a few minutes I asked,

“Do you want to try and float? That’s how Lily first learned how to swim. It’s ok. I’ll hold you.”

Nicola nodded, her eyes softer now. Almost human.

See, I wanted to tell Fiona. That’s all this child needs. A little more attention and a little less fear. She’s a lovely child. Stop treating her like she’s made of glass and she’ll be fine. Just fine.

I placed one hand underneath Nicola’s head and one under her back. She relaxed her body and closed her eyes as if she hadn’t a care in the world. As if she was a normal child.

Suddenly four bluefish popped up out of the water on either side of me. They landed a few inches from Nicola’s arms and they were—they were dead. Their heads twisted backwards and their eyes, dear God, their eyes had been gauged out.

Nicola didn’t open her eyes and her face remained placid—the child seemingly unaware of the piscine carnage around her. Four more fish popped out of the water and the teenaged boys who had been flying the kite earlier shouted to their father. One fish crashed onto my arm and it was all I could do not to gag.

I gathered Nicola up into my arms and, in as steady a voice as I could manage, said, “That’s enough swimming for today, sweetheart. You don’t want to overdo it.” Two more fish popped out of the water before we reached the shore. Lizzie and Lily met us. I let Nicola down onto the sand and she reached out for her twin’s hand. The two children raced down the beach while Lily ran after them like a protective mother hen.

The father of the two teenaged boys approached me. “What the hell happened in the water?”

Oh no. It’s never good when mortals witness the supernatural. Not good for us and certainly not good for them. I put my hand on my hip and thrust out my double Ds in an attempt to distract him from the fish carnage. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Those blues were flying out of the water. I’ve been fishing out here since I was a kid and I never seen nothin’ like that before.”

“Hmm. I didn’t notice.”

“Are you crazy, lady? I saw one of them smack you right in the arm. You didn’t notice when a fish hit you?” He pointed to my left arm. “Look, it left a red mark right there.”

“I have fair skin.” I shrugged my shoulders and winked. “Everything leaves a mark on me.”

The dad—and admittedly he was a hot dad although his hair was completely silver—refused to be distracted by my sexy winks or my impressive cleavage.

“I think I’d better radio this in. There might be a shark out there. Blues don’t hop out of the water for no reason.”

How about being in the presence of the spawn of the unholy undead? Is that reason enough? I flashed a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Whatever it was, it must’ve swam away because they’ve stopped now.”

Hot dad crouched down and peered at one of the dead fish that had washed up on shore. “Look at this. Its head is completely turned around. I never seen anything like it.”

The man shouted over to the lifeguard, “Hey, Billy. Go call your boss. There’s somethin’ going on. I think you gotta get those kids outta the water.”

“Umm. I don’t know. I don’t see anything,” the young lifeguard said. “Geez, it’s my friggin’ day off and now I gotta call this in.”

I placed my hand on his arm. I opened my mouth to say somethingbut an electric charge ran through my arm. Oh no. I hadn’t felt a thunderbolt like this since I loaned Brett Gardiner my math homework. I looked into his deep blue eyes and was drawn into them. How long had it been since I’d touched a man? Three months? Maybe four? With that silver hair and those broad shoulders, hot dad was absolutely delicious.
The sensible part of my brain shouted, “No. Look away, Nell.” I closed my eyes for a moment and silently repeated the mantra Valerie and I had come up with after my last horrendous break up: I am happy on my own. I don’t need a man. I am complete within myself.

My eyes still closed, another electric charge radiated through my chest. Hot dad asked, “Somethin’ wrong?”
I opened my eyes. My cheeks burned. “I don’t think—”

He pulled his arm away from me. “Listen, lady, maybe you’ve had too much sun or somethin’ and that’s why you didn’t notice ten friggin’ dead fishes practically hittin’ you in the head but if there’s a shark out there, I’m not gonna have those kids’ blood on my hands.” He looked over at the lifeguard again. “Billy, you blow that friggin’ whistle and tell those kids to come to shore before I take that whistle and stick it up your—”

Billy the lifeguard blew the whistle.

Oh, man, all I wanted was a nice day at the beach. Now I’ve experienced something with a total stranger with a hot bod and horrendous grammar and that was not good. Not good at all. I should grab the kids and head home. Far away from dead fish and dangerously handsome men.

Hoards of kids streamed out of the water and onto the beach. Ugh, the small snack bar will be jammed. Great. I looked down the beach where Lilly and the twins had been playing. They weren’t there. I shouted over to Skye who was sprawled out on the beach blanket. “Skye, did you see the kids?”

Skye removed her earbuds. “Huh?”
“The kids. Have you seen them? Are they in the bathroom?” “How should I know. I thought they were with you.” Without waiting for me to answer, Skye popped her earbuds back in.
No reason to panic. I’d been talking to hot dad for five minutestops. Where could they have gone in five minutes?
Two magical twins and a trusting six year old? Who was I kidding?

They could be anywhere.
“Don’t panic, Nell,” I said to myself. Lily probably took the twins to the bathroom. I ran across the burning sand to the bathroom.
But they weren’t there.
And they weren’t at the snack bar or the playground.
I scanned the entire beach and didn’t see a hint of their flaming red hair. I reached out my arms and closed my eyes to see if I could sense their energy but I felt nothing.

It was as if the three children had vanished. In vain, I called out,

I ran back to the blanket. “Get off your damn phone and help me look for your sister and the twins.” Skye opened her mouth to say something. I kicked her on her thigh.“Now!”

Hot dad along with the lifeguard and two uniformed cops were by the water’s edge. Hot dad pointed to the dead fish. I walked over to them.”You have to help me. My kids are missing.”

Hot dad said, “Phil, this was the lady I was telling you about.”

All the panic I’d felt since the children disappeared burst out of me. I shouted, “Enough with the dead fish! Didn’t you hear me? My kids are missing.”

Hot dad put his hand on my arm and the electric charge was stronger than before. “Relax, honey. Kids wander away all the time. I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.”

I pulled my arm back. The girls were missing and I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted by whatever was pulling me towards this man. “Don’t honey me,” I snapped. “You don’t understand. They might be in danger.”

“In danger?” one of the cops asked. “From what? These mystery fish that Danny dragged us down here for?” The other cop laughed. I ignored the cops and stared into hot dad’s eyes, willing him to take me seriously. “Please. Can you help me look for them?”
His deep blue eyes met mine and another electric charge coursed through my body. What was this? “Okay, okay, sweetheart,” hot dad Danny said. “We’ll help you. Billy, when kids get lost where do they usually go?”
“Last week two boys got lost in the marsh that starts at the east end of the beach.”
“Okay, why don’t I go with mom here and look in the marsh.” Hot dad turned to the two cops. “Phil, why don’t you and Tommy check the other end of the beach.”

“Thank you, “ I said. “Thank you so much. I am losing my mind here.” “Of course,” he said. “No problem.”
“Skye,” I shouted over to the one child I’d managed not to lose. “You stay here in case the kids come back.”
Skye was smart enough to say, “Okay.”
I turned to Danny, the hot dad/hot cop. “Let’s go.”

“You got sandals? You’re gonna need somethin’ on your feet if we need to walk in the marsh.”

“I left them in the car. I’ll be fine.”

Danny ignored me and said to Skye, “Honey, you got flip flops your mom could borrow?”

Skye scowled. “They’re new and her big feet will stretch them out.”

“That how you talk to your mother, young lady? When your sisters are missing?”

“Well, uh...”

He smiled but it was kind of a menacing smile where he showed too much teeth. “Be a good girl and give Mom your shoes. Alright, honey?” Skye wordlessly looked through the beach bag and then handed me her flip flops. I slipped them on and followed Danny who’d already started walking along the beach toward the marsh.
“I appreciate you—”
Danny didn’t look at me but just held up his hand. His eyes were on the marsh.
“It’s your day off and—”
He turned to me. His eyes were flinty and the distracting electric charge between us had thankfully disappeared. “Lady, it’s fine. Really. A few lost kids at the beach is a picnic compared to what I usually have to deal with. Keep your eyes peeled and hopefully we’ll find them building sandcastles or somethin’ like that. Okay?”

My shoulders, which were around my ears at this point, relaxed. Hot cop was probably right. The girls’ll be fine.

They had to be fine.

“There! I see somethin’ I think.” Danny ran down the beach and I struggled to keep up with him.

Just inside where the beach turned to reedy marsh, Lily half carried and half dragged Lizzie.

Lily, oh thank God. My Lily was okay.
Danny lifted Lizzie’s limp body. Her eyes were closed.
“Lily, what happened?”
Lily opened her mouth but no words came out. Her eyes, her normally happy shining hazel eyes, were two dark holes in her pallid face. Dear God, what had happened? What had she seen?

And where the hell was Nicola?

Danny said, “She’s breathing but she won’t wake up. At least we found them.”

“There’s another one. Lily has a twin.”
“Okay. You take the kids back and I’ll keep searching.”
Danny was big and tall and strong but I suspected he’d be no match for whatever had lured the girls from the beach. I crouched down to meet Lily at eye level. I took her two hands in mine and forced my echo witch magic through her skin, hoping to beckon whatever remnants of my powers survived in her diluted Donahue DNA. Lily’s thin hands burned mine as her sliver of power answered my call. “Where is your cousin?”

Lily’s pupils overtook the color in her eyes until they were two black caverns. Within them I saw my niece sitting in the muck as the reeds knit together and imprisoned her within what, at high tide, would be a watery grave. I dropped Lily’s hands and then held out my hands, palms out. The breeze blew from the north and I finally felt the faint vibrations of Nicola’s strange powers. She was a deep in the marsh, north-east from where we stood.

I kissed my daughter on the cheek and then whispered in her ear, “You did good, Lily. You did good. Now go with this nice man while I find Nicola.”

I stood up and said to Danny, “Take the kids back. I’ll find my other niece.”

“No. I’ll find her.”

I kicked off the cheap flip flops and allowed the soles of my feet to connect with the powers of the earth. I would need every ounce of power I could gather to bewitch him. I touched his arm and stared into his eyes. “You will take the girls back and get help.”

His blue eyes were slightly unfocused as he parroted back, “I will take the girls and get help.”

His touch told me that despite his gruff manner, he was a good man. An honorable man. A man who didn’t deserve to have his day at the beach interrupted by a brush with the supernatural. A man who certainly didn’t deserve to be ensnared in my web of chaos. Some people were affected for weeks, sometimes months, after a witch’s spell. I hoped Danny would be strong enough to shake off the after- effects of my spell much sooner than that.

But it would be high tide soon and poor Nicola was in danger and I couldn’t waste any more time worrying about Danny. I turned to Lily whose pupils were still dilated. “Go with this nice man, Lily. He’s a policeman and will keep you safe while I find Nicola.”

Danny carried a limp Lizzie over his left shoulder while he held Lily’s hand. They’ll be fine, I told myself, and so will Nicola as soon as I find her.

I held my palms out in front of me to catch Nicola’s vibrations. My bare feet sank in the wet sand as I made my way to the child. The sharp edge of a reed cut my cheek as I walked deeper into the marsh. Soon the water reached my knees. The tide was coming in.

I didn’t have much time.

Another reed slashed my cheek. Blood ran down my face and filled my mouth. It was as if the marsh was possessed and doing its best to keep me from Nicola. The tips of my fingers tingled with Nicola’s powers. She knew I was looking for her. She was trying to lead me to her. I called out, “I’m coming, Nicola! I’m almost there!”

Nicola’s signal led me up a slight incline. The reeds now actively attacked me as they slashed my arms and legs. The marsh was possessed by something but I couldn’t waste energy protecting myself from the reeds’ fury. I had to conserve my power to free Nicola from their grasp.

I climbed up the slight incline and found Nicola alert yet trapped behind a wall of reeds that had knit themselves tightly together and encircled her. I tried to pull the reeds apart but that only made them tighten.

Spells—what spells could I use to free the child? My mind was a blank as the incoming tide threatened to overtake even this small patch of dry land.

Every inch of my skin stung with the lashes the possessed reeds had inflicted. It was as if with each cut they bled away every drop of my weak echo witch powers. I pulled on the wall of reeds again. It was hopeless.

An image of my thirteen year old self flashed through my mind. I saw my teenage self hold out my hands as dandelions withered and died. Thirteen year old Nell turned and shouted to Mama, “I cleared the weeds for you, Mama!”

“Aren’t you my good girl.”

I held out my hands and willed every ounce of power from the center of my chest to leave through my hands and vanquish the cursed reeds. Nothing happened. I dug my feet deeper into the sand and pulled whatever additional power I could beckon from the earth. My hands burned and yet nothing happened to the reeds—the magic that bewitched them was too strong for my limited magical abilities. I closed my eyes and called out to all the witches that shared an ounce of my blood. “Come to me, my sisters, and lend me your powers. I need to save the child.”

One by one my sister witches answered from great distances—some as far away as our ancestral homeland in Ireland—and allowed their powers to flow through me. The reeds withered slightly but still were too strong for my borrowed powers.

“Mama,” I shouted, “help me! Lend me your power before the child drowns!”

A wave of energy burst forth from my palms and the wall of reeds withered and collapsed within moments. I pushed the now harmless husks aside and in a few steps reached Nicola. The child was pale and subdued but alert and seemingly unharmed. “Nicola, I was so worried. But you’re safe now and we’ll be back home in no time.”

Nicola held out her hand and in the center of her palm was a muddy silver heart-shaped locket. Entwined in its chain were long strands of blonde hair.

My niece opened her mouth and uttered her first word. “No.”

Her voice—deep and toneless—sounded like it came from the depths of a cold dark cavern in the bowels of the earth. No, not earth. Hell. It was the sound of hell itself—the deepest pit in hell. That one syllable tore through my very soul and beckoned me to surrender myself to despair, to destruction, to death.

Six seagulls fell from the sky.Their inert carcasses circled the cursed child.

“Nell,” she said.

My knees buckled at the sound of Nicola’s voice and every ounce of the magical powers my body had so recently possessed evaporated as the vibrations from her death-like caw entered my skull. No, I wanted to say to this devil child. No more. Please don’t say another word.

You’re killing me.

I couldn’t speak as I stared into her terrible arctic eyes and prayed she’d return to her self-enforced silence.

Nicola opened her mouth again. “Follow her. Help her.”

In an instant, my life force was yanked from my body. Every bit of hurt, hope, joy, jealousy, hate, sorrow, love—everything I’d ever felt in my thirty-eight years of life left me. I watched my face smash into the unforgiving earth before my soul was sucked into a cold black void far beneath the cursed marsh.