Leaning forward, I placed my mug on a coaster shaped like a sunflower. “That’s part of the reason I came. Nobody has ever told me anything about the family, or about why we moved away from Woods Crossing and had no interaction with family at all.”
Faith nodded thoughtfully as she set a little dish on the floor in front of Jade. A loud purr sounded at our feet. You remembered that I like cheese and crackers?
Faith laughed. “How can I forget? You ate us out of house and home with your crackers and cheese habit.”
Jade ate with gusto as Faith reached down absently and scratched her behind the ears. I looked up from Jade to Faith, my mouth agape.
“She doesn’t let me scratch her ears! And I’m housing and feeding her!”
Jade’s laugh sounded in my head, echoed by Faith’s low chuckle. Give me crackers and cheese and maybe I’ll let you scratch my ears.
Faith straightened, still laughing. “She’s always been ornery. Don’t feel bad.”
Jade ignored us as she dug into the food. After blowing on my tea, I took a tentative sip. It was minty with just a hint of lemon.
“Anyway, what brought you all the way out here to an old nut like me?”
I straightened, my heart picking up speed. “I…I need help. I’ve only just learned about my powers and I don’t know how to properly use them. Jade told me that you’re the best person to teach me.”
Faith’s eyes grew wide. She took her time putting her mug down on a coaster. “The best help I can give you is to tell you to go back home. Your dad is right, you shouldn’t have moved here.”
Giving a frustrated sigh, I put down my mug, stood up and began to pace. “Grandma left the shop and the house to me. I can’t just turn my back on my inheritance and my family. And I don’t want to go home and live under Dad’s thumb again.”
Faith pressed her lips together. I noticed she was twirling her finger clockwise over her mug. Glancing down at the tea, I saw it swirling in the same direction. Her eyes creased with sympathy. “Yes, I…can imagine your dad has kept a tight watch on you.”
“But why?” I burst out. “Why is he like this? Why was our family driven out of town?”
Faith’s gaze flicked up to me as I stopped pacing and crossed my arms. “You really want to know?”
I threw my hands in the air. “Why do you think I came all the way out here?”
Faith took a deep breath, regarding me evenly. “It’s all because of the Farrows.”
“I gathered as much, but what exactly did they do?”
Picking up her mug, Faith took a long sip of her tea. Her expression was so hopeless and lost when she looked up at me that I suddenly felt guilty for pushing her so hard.
“Chandra and her coven, the Farrows, are responsible for Willa’s death. They killed her. They also killed your mother. That’s why your father hates the idea of you being here.”
I stared at Faith in stunned silence, my arms dropping to my sides.
“Murdered? Why?”
Faith let out a deep sigh, then leaned over and buried her face in her hands, massaging her forehead with her fingertips. She let her hands drop, and looked up at me. Suddenly, I didn’t see an eccentric weirdo, but a woman who’d been through unimaginable sorrow.
I sank down in the chair opposite her, still feeling numb over the revelation about my mother. Tears stung my eyes as I wondered what kind of monster would kill her.
“My dad said she died in a car accident.”
Faith reached out and put a hand over mine. Her hand was frail, her skin cold and paper thin, but the gesture filled me with warmth.
“I’m sorry that you found out like this. I’m not surprised Leo never told you. I’m sure he just wanted to protect you. Celeste was devastated when you and your dad left, but she didn’t blame him for leaving.”
I swallowed hard and looked up at her, the tears now streaming down my face. “But why? Why would anyone murder her?”
My voice came out in a hoarse whisper. Faith pursed her lips.
“That’s a very long story, and involves a lot more people than just your mother. To keep it brief, she fought against Chandra and the influence she and her coven had in this town, and Chandra didn’t like it. Willa did the same thing years before her. Anyone who goes up against the Farrows doesn’t survive.”
A torrent of emotions coursed through me. This family of murderers just didn’t fit with Theresa’s kindness. She’d known that I was a Black, but befriended me anyway. She could have been trying to get information from me, or track my movements, but that didn’t seem right either.
But I also couldn’t forgive her family for taking away my mother. If we ever met again, I wasn’t sure I could stay friends with her.
I picked up my mug again, desperate to give my hands something to do. “Aunt Faith, I need to know the story. I need to know what’s going on so I can protect myself and know for sure what I’m up against. Please, will you help me?”
Faith squeezed her hands more tightly around her mug, her face carefully neutral. I tried again.
“Jade mentioned that she killed a man, and that caused the initial fight between you and Grandma and Chandra.”
Her expression darkened. “Yes, Nick’s death is where it all began, but that’s a story for another day. The more important fact is that Chandra made your grandmother’s life a living hell. She did that to all of us, really.”
A hot flash of anger overtook me. “Then why hasn’t the Black family banded together to get rid of her? It sounds like this family has been cowed by this Chandra lady long enough.”
Faith shook her head solemnly. “No, Sage. Don’t even think about it. Chandra is pure evil, and too powerful. We’ve already lost too many to her…”
She trailed off, pressing a hand to her mouth. A single tear slipped down her cheek. I felt like a total jerk.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Faith.”
