Chapter Twenty-Three
Against our vehement protests, Nana occupied the couch in the living room. Fluffy pillows propped up her frame, and she fussed at us for fawning over her.
“I’m telling you I feel right as rain.” She batted at me as I pulled a crocheted blanket over her legs. “Even better than I did before, if you can believe.”
Hope bloomed in my chest. Taking Lucky and Nick’s advice to heart and being specific with my demands might have ensured I’d have my grandmother around for a very long time.
Matt entered the room carrying a tray of glasses and tea. “I don’t know why we’re making everything nice for Aunt Nora. She doesn’t deserve it.”
“But Tucker and Clementine are coming, too,” I said.
My brother set the tray down on the coffee table, carefully avoiding the sealed parchment I’d placed there. He readjusted the blanket over Nana to his liking until she swatted him away as well. “Have you decided what you’re going to do yet?” he asked me.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. “No. I’m hoping an idea will come to me after talking to her. Or that I don’t regret adding her contract to my deal.”
Nana held out her wrinkled hand to me, and I grasped it in mine. “Your aunt acted in fear after almost losing her husband. I’m not excusing her actions, but as a widow I can understand her desperation.”
Matt snorted. “Aunt Nora’s interactions with Nick’s sister is what caused all the problems. And yet, you sound like you forgive her even though she almost killed you.”
“Forgive, yes. Forget?” Nana’s eyes hardened a little.
I knelt next to the couch. “Did I do the wrong thing?”
My grandmother cupped my chin. “No. Charity is never wrong, and I’m sure your mother would tell you the same thing, were she here. But what you did wasn’t for Leonora. Not really. You did it for someone else who’s truly your family because you chose to love each other.”
“Clementine,” I uttered. With sudden certainty, I knew what I would do with my aunt’s contract.
A gentle rap on the screen door interrupted us, and Matt left to answer it. Tucker and Clementine appeared first with Aunt Nora trudging behind them.
My cousin rushed over to hug me. “I’ve only heard a little from town gossip, but I think I have many thanks to give you.”
I embraced her back with a sigh. “Hold that thought until after we’re finished here.”
Tucker and his wife gushed over Nana, glad to have her hale and hearty. My grandmother insisted everyone take a seat. Matt poured the drinks and handed them around.
Aunt Nora remained standing and refused her iced tea. “I don’t think we’ll be here that long.”
Even without Dash near me, I could scent the pungent fear wafting off of her. “We’re here to talk, not attack. Please have a seat.”
She narrowed her eyes at me at first, but when she caught sight of her contract, all of her arrogance deflated. My aunt collapsed into the chair.
Ice clinked against the glasses as we sipped on our tea in awkward silence. I waited for Nana to begin the conversation, but she avoided my gaze. It took me a moment to realize she wanted me to step up and take charge.
“Aunt Nora, I’m sure you’ve been told about everything we went through in order to regain control of that.” I pointed at the scroll.
She nodded, her eyes glued to the parchment that still dictated her fate.
Tucker leaned forward in his seat. “We want to thank you, Charli, for everything you did. There have been no more outages around town, Flint says the barrier that protects us is back up to full strength, and our spell phones are working again.”
The list of wrongs now being made right was long. About the time I’d reached Nana’s house last night, Mason was waiting for me to help us celebrate. He stayed up with me since I couldn’t sleep with everything that had happened. We ate leftovers and talked into the early morning, but he left after dawn to give our family some privacy.
Although Nick had helped us in the end, he still had to answer for his part. Big Willie had delayed justice so that the crossroads demon could reinsert the souls he took back into their rightful owners. It would take a little while for things to return to normal, but these were all good first steps.
“What are your intentions with my contract?” Aunt Nora demanded.
“Mother!” Clementine chastised. “What did we talk about before coming here?”
My aunt snorted. “I will not be strong-armed or blackmailed. I want to know exactly what she’s going to do.”
Even after all I’d done, Aunt Nora still couldn’t extend a little bit of love to me. Any thought of mending bridges for my mother’s sake vanished.
“Leonora, your actions have put you in the position you find yourself in. Not my granddaughter,” Nana corrected. “And I believe I’ve more than earned the right to ask you to be courteous to your niece.”
Aunt Nora’s eyes widened as she took in my grandmother’s appearance. Her lip trembled as she spoke. “I never meant for anything to happen to you, Vivian.”
“How did you expect to obtain the high seat in the first place?” Nana pressed. “What did you think was going to happen?”
My aunt stammered. “I…I…”
“You didn’t think, Mother,” Clementine said, disappointment coating her words. “You cheated just to get what you desired. I’ve never understood why you needed something that doesn’t matter.”
“Because the Walker family has never been treated the same as theirs!” Aunt Nora exploded, pointing a finger at Nana. “The high seat should have been mine after Uncle Tipper stepped down, but the town chose her. Over and over again. I was long overdue to take control.”
Matt sneered at our aunt. “And when you did get what you wanted…when you held that position for less than twenty-four
