“Not last time I checked. Why does that matter?”
“I was simply curious.” Stormy pursed her dry lips. “I haven’t seen the girl. I’ll be on the lookout for her, though. Is that enough to get you to go away?”
“No. This is my property. You’re not supposed to be over here.”
“I don’t see a sign proclaiming it private property.”
“Here’s your sign,” Hannah snapped, pointing at her dour scowl. “You’re trespassing. Go someplace else.”
Stormy didn’t make a move to retreat. “Perhaps you should call the police and have them handle the situation. Oh, wait, you can’t. The sheriff’s daughter is missing and he doesn’t care that you’re throwing your weight around regarding property lines.”
“He might,” Hannah shot back. “Especially since he doesn’t trust you. I mean ... we can’t find his daughter but here you are. He might want to question you over that.”
“I didn’t take his daughter.”
“No offense, but you’re not exactly trustworthy. It’s hard for me to take your word on this.”
“That’s because you’re a suspicious soul. If you were smart, you would embrace your brethren. You’re not smart, though, so you turn your back on us in favor of going it alone. That’s on you, not me.”
“My brethren?” Hannah found that her temper was ready to explode. “I don’t even know what that’s supposed to mean.”
“Witches, you moron. You constantly fight with us when we should be your allies.”
“Why would I ever consider you an ally? You and Astra want to take this place from me even though you have no claim to it.”
“We don’t want to take it, just share in it. Magic like this shouldn’t belong to one person. It needs to be explored, controlled, and then honed.”
The convoluted words made no sense to Hannah. Since she had zero patience, she figured there was no sense hanging around and continuing what appeared to be a fruitless conversation. “You’re never going to be a part of the magic here.” Hannah was firm on that. “This place is supposed to be a haven for those who believe in good karma, those who practice white magic. I won’t let evil touch Abigail’s legacy.”
“Oh, you’re such a Mary Sue.” Stormy’s eyes filled with disgust. “Your grandmother isn’t as innocent as she pretended to be. She wasn’t giving of heart and soul. In fact, she was a liar. She promised Astra a place at her table and then cut her out of the meal entirely. What sort of person does that?”
Hannah darted a look to her left and found Abigail watching the other witch, a grim set to her jaw. Obviously Stormy couldn’t see her, though, which Hannah found interesting. Abigail had been practicing her abilities and had clearly mastered a new one. If she could control who could see her and when, that would likely play in their favor ... at least eventually.
“Abigail wanted to share her magic with Astra,” Hannah supplied in an even tone, although it took effort to keep her temper in check. “She wanted to show her a way to goodness. Astra couldn’t see far enough past her own desires, though. She was greedy and wanted to take this place for herself, and don’t bother pretending it was because she had good intentions. That’s not who she is.”
“Astra has her own goals,” Stormy replied. “She’s not perfect by any means, but at least she doesn’t pretend to be some wide-eyed innocent. When she went after Cooper, it was because she wanted him to be hers. Yes, she wanted to dominate him. She didn’t pretend to be anything she wasn’t, though.
“You, on the other hand, came in here with a different purpose,” she continued. “You acted as if you had no idea that magic even existed. I mean ... you’re a powerful witch and yet you don’t even bother to use your magic to find your stupid dog. How pathetic do you have to be?”
If Hannah was confused before, she was doubly baffled now. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“You’re a descendent of the most powerful witch line this part of the country has ever seen,” Stormy insisted. “You have Josette’s blood running through your veins, for crying out loud. The second you showed up, it was obvious what would happen ... and yet you won’t embrace it. You refuse to accept your destiny.”
Not for the first time, Hannah had the distinct impression that someone else — an enemy witch for that matter — knew more about who and what she was than she did. Stormy seemed so sure of herself, so self-aware. Hannah was the exact opposite. While she was embracing the fact that her life was changing, everything else was a mystery.
“What is it you think you know?” Hannah asked finally.
Abigail stirred. “Now is not the time to linger. You’re looking for a missing girl. Playing games with this one is a waste of time.”
Hannah didn’t necessarily disagree and yet the edge to her grandmother’s voice gave her pause. “What do you know?” The question was actually directed toward Abigail but Stormy, who couldn’t see the third conversation participant, was the one who answered.
“I can’t believe I have to spell this out for you,” she muttered, shaking her head. “I mean ... get with the program. You’re supposed to be smarter than this. Astra has marked you as her equal. That means you need to be up to the challenge if this land is to be reborn.”
Hannah was legitimately baffled. “I don’t understand.” Her head hurt from trying to follow the conversation. “Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on? You said I have Josette’s blood running through my veins. How is that possible? She only had two daughters and they never bore children.”
“No, that’s what the official story said. There was more to the actual story, although Abigail worked hard to hide it from Astra. She was afraid that Astra would try to embrace her legacy when she
