Page 27 of Witchy Woman

“I can understand that. I’m sorry I initially didn’t believe you. We’ve been through so much shit, I’m honestly surprised one of us hasn’t had a mental break. I think I’m subconsciously waiting for it.” She chuckles. It’s a dry, humorless thing.

I match the sound. “Fair.”

“I’ve missed you,” she says quietly. “I’m sorry things got so messed up between us.”

“I’ve missed you, too.”

“I don’t know what to tell you about the fire asking for help. I’m obviously not the person who has enough witchy knowledge to assist here. Grandma is probably the best place to start, and ifnot her, I’d suggest going to the shop and seeing if you can find anything in our family journals.”

“Family journals?” It’s my turn to cock my head.

She nods. “Our entire family history is documented all the way back to Salem. I haven’t read about any Fire witches yet, but it may be that another one had a similar experience.”

I shudder at the thought of setting foot in the shop.

“Would you be willing to bring the journals home? So I can read them here?”

“You’d have to ask Grandma if she’s okay with it, honestly. She doesn’t like things being taken out of the shop for any length of time.” She gives me a conspiratorial smile. “I think it’s because she’s a control freak.”

“I’ll ask her later.”

Grandma’s had a lot of patience for me lately, but all patience runs out eventually. And Hazel’s not wrong about her being a control freak.

Bellemews, butting her head against Hazel’s arm.

I chuckle. “Demanding everyone’s attention just like your mama, aren’t you?”

“She’s beautiful, just like her mama.”

We haven’t talked about everything, but it’s the first time I haven’t felt scared to talk to my own sister. It’s progress and I revel in it.

It would be silly to assume our relationship will go back to exactly the way it was. For better or worse, Hazel and I are different people than we were. And if we’re going to fix things, we have to forge a way forward as the people we are now, not the people we were.

Ew, this is getting too sentimental.

“So, how’s soulmate sex?”

“LAURA!”

I’m avoiding Grandma.

I need to ask her about the fire whispers, but she isn’t up in my face about it and there’s part of me that doesn’t want to know. Part of me that’s worried I’m some sort of freak.

Or that I’m evil.

Can kids absorb their parents’ karma?

Okay, I can’t keep going around and around in circles. Time to be a grown up and just do whatever it is I don’t want to do. Like all other adults.

Grandma came with me to the market today, leaving Hazel alone in the shop, but she’s not in my tent like usual. She’s probably causing some sort of trouble.

A prickle of awareness raises the hairs on the back of my neck as I instinctively look to my left.

Ash.

We haven’t spoken since our fight. He’s probably trying to make a point that he’s not going to push me until I’m ready to ask for help.

Joke’s on him, though. I don’t plan on ever asking him for help and I wanted him to stay away from me. So thanks, dude, but you’re just shooting yourself in the foot.