Page 78 of Spell Ya Later

And I don’t like it.

The exhaustion in Mom’s shoulders weighs heavily on her as she turns to Laura. “I owe both of you a lifetime of apologies.”

At least she can admit it now, but I don’t know if a lifetime will be enough. It doesn’t feel like enough. I understand her, but I still look at her and feel almost nothing but anger. Rage. It has my hands shaking.

“That...” Grandma enters the house with a sweep of her hand and a slammed door. “...is a phrase I never thought I’d live to hear you say.”

The house warmsinstantly with Grandma’s arrival. Magical or not, she adds a layer of life that is palpable. Or maybe the house just likes her.

Mom’s shoulders tense, her wall threatening to creep back up. “Welcome, mother.”

“Laura told me about Noah.” Grandma turns to me, grasping my hands in hers. “We will return him to you, Hazel. I will not allow history to repeat itself.”

My eyes burn with tears I’ve refused to let myself shed. I can’t imagine a reality where I lose him. “We have to.”

In a gasping breath, I’m pulled into Grandma’s arms. Her hug is tight, almost too tight, but I need it tighter. To feel safe.

“Can someone get out of their own ass for five seconds and tell me what the fuck is going on?” Laura practically hisses.

Grandma sighs, releasing me. “Sarah, would you like to or am I allowed to speak?”

My gaze darts between the two of them.

“I release you from your vow. Say whatever you wish.”

“Thank you.” Grandma ushers us into the living room.

“Thirteen years ago, the warlock Draven began targeting witches and stealing their power. It got so bad that a few families came together and had a meeting about how to deal with him. It was decided that your mother and I would handle it.” Grandma takes a deep breath. “We were the strongest. It just made sense. What we didn’t know was that Draven had a family of his own. And we thought we had found him, but we had found his younger brother instead. We banished him, and Draven swore revenge. While we were celebrating our victory, Draven was planning. He took your father.”

Laura’s eyes are swimming with tears and I’m not doing much better. A simple mistake is what took my father from me? What destroyed my entire family? Will a simple mistake take Noah from me, too?

Grandma reaches for Laura’s hand, holding her dearly. “We received a note indicating your father’s location. Your mother left immediately, and I stayed to watch you both. We were supposed to watch movies and eat popcorn, but there was a feeling in the pit of my belly that told me to follow. Even if I hadto bring you both. By the time I arrived, your father was...Your mother had wounded a few of them, but she was wildly outnumbered. I cast a cloaking spell, and she took the two of you to hide. I drew their attention elsewhere and eventually they got tired of looking and left. It appears Draven doesn’t believe the debt has been paid, and he has returned for the rest of us.”

I turn to Mom, her face as hard as stone. “What happened before Grandma got there?”

“No.” She shakes her head violently. “I refuse to...No. We will plan for now, but I can’t.”

“But it could help Noah!”

“I said no. I will help you, we will do this together, but I refuse to relive that night more than I am forced to. And that’s final.”

It’s more than I had before. But still not enough.

“And in your grief, you ripped us from our magic, from our grandmother, and from our memories. Then swore Grandma to secrecy,” I finish.

She nods. Barely a hint of remorse in her gaze.

“So that’s why Hazel’s been a massive bitch,” Laura says, voice trembling. “What is all this nonsense about soulmates?”

“The Pruitt women are blessed.” Grandma straightens her back. “We all have a soulmate. It has been recorded since the beginning of our line in Salem.”

Laura’s face screws up as if she bit into a lemon. “Ugh. How do you even know if you’ve met your soulmate?”

Grandma looks to me, a soft smile on her face.

“The first time you touch...it’s like you put your finger into an outlet. It’s a spark, an electric shock that doesn’t make any sense. But it changes as you spend more time together. It becomes more of a soothing buzz.” My fingers twist together. “We’re wasting time. What’s the plan?”

The room is silent except for the groaning and moaning of the house. I think it would help if it could.