“Hold my hands,” my mother demanded, gesturing for me to reach over the table.
Doing as I was told, I cringed when my bloody palm squelched against hers, but she ignored it, starting up a Latin chant I’d never heard.
A rush of wind caressed my face as I closed my eyes. A vibration under my feet intensified as the ley line started to hum. The hairs on my arms rose as my mother’s magic filtered into me. I connected to the line myself, allowing my own magic to swirl its way up my feet and into my body.
“They’re ready to receive you,” my mother said as she broke the chant.
“Thank you,” I said to no one in particular.
As she started the chant again, I held on to her hands tightly. My mind suddenly filled with images from the past. Women in long white gowns, their hair covered by a soft hairpiece. My breath came short and fast as I watched them circle around a fire, their laughter and chanting loud in my ears.
Just as I was about to see what they were doing, I landed in a meadow.
Memories of the place rushed back to me. There, standing in the long grass, were the four witch ancestors I’d spoken to when I’d gone into a magically depleted coma.
“You remember us now,” the leader said, her hands gripped together in front of her.
Shaking my head to clear the dull pounding, I blinked hard. “Yes. Everything is coming back. The killer. My death. Why did you take those memories away?”
The blonde one came forward, her bright blue eyes piercing me. “We needed a little time to get this.”
Extending her arm, she handed me a purple velvet bag the size of my palm. As soon as the material landed, I flinched from the powerful energy that pulsed against my skin.
“What is it?”
“As you know, we need you to find the demon masked killer. There is someone in hell who can do a location spell to find him.”
Hell? What the hell did they mean? Oh boy, I was thinking in puns and that wasn’t good. My fingers were shaking, the bag suddenly heavy in my hand. What exactly had they given me?
“These are the ashes of your father. If you use them to bring him back to life, he’ll help you to find who you are looking for.”
Shaking my head, I stared down at the bag, tempted to drop it. Why would they want me to bring my father back to life? That was against pure magic rules, it would make me an impure witch.
“Don’t think like that,” the leader said, coming closer and wrapping my fingers around the bag. “We procured these ashes, so we’ll be the ones to take the natural balance punishment. Things are getting serious, and if we don’t take action now, the whole world will end.”
My mind was spinning, the idea of what they were suggesting repulsive to me. Bring my father back from the dead? They were insane!
“You must go now. Your memories are yours to keep. Do not tell anyone else about our request. You must do this with the help of an elder alone.”
Fear gripped me as they waved their hands, sending me back to the physical realm. My arms trembled where they still held my mother’s. She let go of me when my eyes shot open. I almost tumbled over without her support.
“What happened?” My mother’s lips were drawn into a thin line, her eyes wide.
Glancing down, I swallowed hard. There was no longer a bag in my hands. Where had it gone?
“Gemma?” my mother prompted.
Grasping my head as pain pounded suddenly, I took a deep breath. The memories were strong in my mind, the images playing out every scene that I’d forgotten. “I remember it all.”
The sigh of relief from my mother made me look up at her. She smiled, her gaze softening. Wait, was that a genuine look of happy concern? She was glad I had my memory back, but was it because she cared that I’d been suffering, or because she needed me back on the case of the serial killer?
“Did you speak to the ancestors? I could feel their presence.”
Coming around the stone table, she laid a hand on my cheek. Her words were calm, quiet.
“I miss the days we would get lost in magic and spells,” I whispered, taking her hand and pulling it away. “Yes, I saw the ancestors. They gave me my memories back.”
Her eyes closed briefly as she folded her hand into the pocket of her dress. “I also miss those days, my love. In a way, I wish you’d never had to grow up. However, that is life. I’m happy the ancestors helped you to retrieve your memories.”
The flicker of sadness that crossed her eyes made me frown. If she was so sad about those days, she had never shown it before. As soon as I’d been old enough to connect to the ley line fully, I’d become an agent. From that moment on, she’d disconnected from me emotionally, preferring to keep her distance.
“Thanks for your help, Mum, I really do appreciate it.” Reaching out before she could back away, I clasped her in a hug.
Her arms came up to pat me on the back. The return of pressure was brief before I let go. Stepping away, I kept my gaze on the floor. The weight of what the ancestors had asked of me settled heavily in my gut. I couldn’t tell my mother what they wanted me to do, and yet, when my father was brought back from the dead, how would she feel? How would I feel?
“I need to get back to the case,” I murmured, uneasy with my burden.
Smiling gently, she went back to her table, her hands already busy
