Chapter 43
Her heart cracked as Avery and Delanie Goodman strode into what had once been her living room. Annelise would have called them sooner, but it had taken her a while to even figure out that's what was needed. She’d thought she could save Story if she just kept going. But as usual, she wasn’t enough.
How many times had she stood as the lone sentry?
She’d tried holding back the water the first time the floods came.
She’d done something once, as a teenager, when high school friends were in a car accident.
Annelise hadn’t saved them all, but she’d stood guard, holding the car in her power and not letting any other vehicles smack into them causing further damage.
When the family needed money, she'd cast a lotto spell and those were hard to work.
She exhausted herself and never once asked for help.
Even just two weeks ago she tried to hold the water at bay again: The most powerful witch in her own generation of Lockhearts not smart enough to know not to go it alone.
But she was better now. Story might be right. Change was coming to the Hollow, but it was coming to Annelise Lockheart as well.
Tesh Elborn showed up next, with Mindy Bormann only moments behind her. They came in with purpose, winds at their back. They didn’t know why they were here until they arrived. Only that Annelise called.
Annelise felt her lips press together and her eyes water as they showed up. No questions asked. They knew she was in trouble, and they'd come.
One by one they stepped across the threshold and assessed the situation, seeing her grandmother lying on the ground, unresponsive.
Rowan continued doing compressions and though he wouldn't let Annelise take over, he did let Avery take a thirty-count.
Avery chanted as she did it and Annelise watched as it seemed to have some effect.
How long had her Gram been down? She didn't know.
Avery, Delanie, Tesh Elborn and Mindy Bormann were here, and Annelise almost cried in relief. Normally she would have called the four corners, but Story had already set the circle with five and now she had enough. Maybe they could reverse some of what Gram had done.
“She was saving Jenna's mom,” Annelise explained, hearing her voice as it cracked with the tears that had started to fall. She didn't believe Story’s decision was wrong, only regretted that it had been carried so far.
All the women here knew Jenna. They knew the story of Julie Brooks, the woman whose mother had married a soldier in Vietnam and come back to America. They all knew her name was originally Jin Li. When Jenna told the story, she said how her mother was considering reclaiming it.
No one asked what Mrs. Brooks had done or what had happened.
They simply moved into place, each woman taking a point.
Finishing her round of CPR, Avery allowed Rowan his rest, then took her spot at one of the remaining two candles.
As Annelise stepped into place at the fifth, the power of the circle solidified with the final piece in place.
Until she felt a bump to her shoulder from behind.
Startled, she spun around, but even as her mouth fell open at the newcomer she heard Rowan say, “Mom?”
Vienna Velasco moved Annelise out of place and took her position at the fifth candle.
“Mom, what are you doing?” Rowan asked, but he stayed steady and didn't miss a beat of CPR.
“I'm doing what I always should have,” she said. Annelise noticed as the woman's fingers clasped at the delicate gold pentacle at her neck. Vienna looked to her aunt Tesh and Tesh offered a nod as if welcoming the woman back into the fold. Rowan’s mother had been born an Elborn after all.
For a moment Annelise looked at the five witches standing around her and it took half a beat for her to realize they'd given her the power of the center of the circle.
Stepping to the middle, she watched as they all nodded in unison, the circle sealing itself around her as she announced, “We can't reverse the spell she cast. We cannot take back what Story gave to Julie Brooks, but maybe we can save Story.”
It was Avery who started. With one hand down toward the candle in front of her, she drew the flame up almost as tall as herself.
It glowed orange in the falling night. Delanie at the next position did the same, though her flame showed red.
Mindy's flame sputtered and sparked as she pulled her greenish fire taller and taller.
Then Tesh turned her flame blue. Annelise turned, watching as each one lifted, strengthening the circle around her.
Rowan still performed CPR on Story, who was half in and half out of the circle, but moving her was likely more dangerous.
Next to him stood the wild card, his mother. Annelise looked at Vienna, a woman she had no idea how to feel about right now, yet Vienna's eyes shone with compassion and strength.
A shock hit her as Annelise realized Mrs. Velasco was here because she'd heard the call. She shouldn't have been surprised as Vienna reached down and pulled the yellow flame of her candle all the way up.
With a deep breath and a feeling of power like she'd never known before, Annelise lifted her hands to the heavens and began to cast her own spell.
She chanted with five other voices joining in, to the background tune of the song of the trees in the Hollow and the magic that grew there.
Rowan sang as he continued doing chest compressions, maybe not even knowing he was feeding the magic like the rest of them.
At the end of the third round, the women each held the spell in front of them. Then, as one, they all turned and pushed it to Story, who gasped at last.
Hope clogging her throat, Annelise waited as she felt the spell fade around them. Though it lasted longer than any time she’d done it herself, Story faded again.
“Noooooooo!” She didn’t realize she’d screamed it, until she heard the wail from her own mouth. If they couldn’t do it together, then maybe it couldn’t be done.
Sucking in a few deep breaths, she felt her mind shut down.
No. This would not be the end. She refused to believe it.
The others were looking at her as Annelise felt the fire of anger and hurt and refusal to accept what was in front of her.
She would not let Story go down like this. She just wouldn’t.
“Again!” she demanded it.
Rowan took up another round of CPR without question. She was grateful for that, but it took another glare at the others before they shuffled back into their places. Sucking in air to fortify herself, Annelise started again.
“Stop!” Delanie called out, startling the other five.
Furious, Annelise turned on her friend. She couldn’t stop! They had to keep going.
“It’s the wrong spell,” Delanie declared softly.
“It’s not!” Annelise argued back, though she didn’t know why. She was simply too petrified to do anything other than fight. She was a dog in a corner, heart pounding, fear closing in, and she would growl at anyone who came close. She fought back even as she knew Delanie didn’t deserve it.
Stepping out of her spot, the redhead looked at her, compassion glowing in her bright green eyes. “It’s the wrong spell. We need blood magic.”
Around the circle, murmurs joined in. Finally able to process something, Annelise nodded. Delanie was right but… “None of us is a blood witch!”
Terror clawed its way back through her, tearing her up inside. She could not lose Story. Story was the only one left, the only one who’d stayed. If they needed a blood witch, where would they find one—
Delanie moved directly in front of her. Staring at her, the younger witch demanded her attention. “Blood is mostly water. You are a water witch. You can do this.”
Shit. Yes! Delanie was right. She could. “I need a water spell!”
But they all looked at her. Waiting. Of course they did.
Then it felt as if everything in the room slowly moved into a spot right under her solar plexus.
“Okay, this is what we do . . . do you know the spell?” They didn’t.
So she pushed it at them until all five nodded at her.
As she moved again to the center of the circle, she found all of them back at their candles, drawing up their flames to full height.
Outside, the moon had risen just enough to stare into the window at her. Facing it, Annelise lifted her hands and began as in the background, Rowan continued doing CPR and singing the song of the Hollow.
With everything she had, Annelise ran magic through the circle and through her grandmother. Controlling the waters that controlled blood, she didn’t stop or check, but commanded the others three times through the spell. When it ended, she felt it crackle with power through the room.
But nothing happened.
Annelise froze. The other witches stood still, silent in the moonlight. And they waited.
Rowan was mid count, and she couldn’t even breathe as he finished the words to the chorus of the song and sat back on his heels. So focused on his own job, he hadn’t realized it was done. But he seemed to sense the silence around him and the buzz in the air.
As he looked to Annelise, his eyes finally showing that he was frightened it still hadn’t worked, Story’s eyes flew open. Air moved into her lungs of her own true accord for the first time as she sat up and looked around the room, seemingly startled to see everyone there.
Annelise smiled as everything in her let go. She fought back sniffles and pushed back tears as she tried to be happy, because she was. Relief took over as the sparkles in the air around her grew stronger. The dam broke as Story took a second breath and looked around, still confused.
Starting to cry in earnest, Annelise gulped great lungfuls of air, so thankful that her grandmother was here looking at her with concern on her face.
So grateful to these other women who stepped up.
She couldn't help it, but Annelise let out a sob. Then, she couldn’t fight the darkness as it closed in, and the world turned black.