Chapter 13
It had been almost two weeks since the accident. Faith had fallen even more in love with her husband the night he’d sprung her from the hospital. After promising to keep a careful eye on her all through the night, he convinced Healer Whipple to release her.
With the SUV totaled, Zoey and Faith had climbed into Hunter’s truck, while Lincoln and Clair drove the triplets to Faith and Hunter’s house. But not before they stopped for the pizza and the caramel frappe Faith had been craving. Lincoln Townsend truly was the best father in the world.
Sure enough, Faith hadn’t had even a hint of pain since, and when she went in to see Healer Whipple the next morning for a follow-up, she’d sent her home with a clean bill of health.
Since then, Faith had stuck close to home to be with her triplets.
Renovations had already started on the spa, and while Faith had been nervous that the curse might rear its ugly head again, so far everything had been smooth sailing.
She prayed that the spell was just a weird, one-time thing that never happened again.
Or maybe the smudging she and her sisters did that day had cleared the place of any bad energy.
Either way, she was glad to have the incident behind them.
As far as the accident went, they’d already purchased a new SUV. It was a Toyota Highlander with plenty of room for their large family. Of course, the savings had taken quite a hit, but like Hunter kept telling her, all that mattered was that they were all healthy and safe.
At least repairing the spa meant they only had to pay for materials. Having a general contractor for a husband was quite handy sometimes.
“Faith, remember my play is tonight,” Zoey said as she came flying down the stairs. “You need to take me a couple hours early.”
“I’ve already got it planned. The triplets are going to Noel’s.
Now that Daisy’s ankle is better, she offered to watch them for some pocket money.
Once we drop them off, we’ll head up the mountain to the theater.
Your dad is working at the spa, trying to finish the last of the drywall today, and he’ll meet us there. ”
“Daisy is better then?” Zoey asked, taking a seat next to her at the table where Faith had been having an afternoon cup of coffee. “She hasn’t been returning my calls.”
“Yes. It was just a sprain, but even with magical healing, it took a bit to get full range of movement back,” Faith said, marveling at how everyone reacted differently to healing magic.
“Why? You were all better forty-eight hours after your surgery,” Zoey said.
“I don’t know, really, but I have a theory that sometimes someone’s own magic can interfere with a healer’s, and it fights the process. If Daisy has spirit energy, her own magic might have been trying to heal her and worked in opposition to Healer Whipple’s.”
“You think Daisy might be a spirit witch?” Zoey asked, her eyes wide.
Faith shrugged. “It’s possible. Her magic is unpredictable at best, which is often a trait of spirit witches in the making.”
“That’s true. Last month she tried to make a potion, but all it would do was turn a bubbly green. It was supposed to be an energy potion like Aunt Abby makes, but instead it looked like sludge. No one was brave enough to try it.”
Faith chuckled. “Good. Who knows what it would have done? I’ve also seen her try to start a fire in the fireplace.
All her efforts did was create a tiny spark that looked more like a firefly buzzing about.
But she is decent at air magic sometimes.
I saw her send a piece of cake across the room when Buffy tried to steal it off an end table. ”
“I think it was Aunt Noel who did that,” Zoey said.
“Really?” Faith said. “Well, then I don’t know. I’m sure eventually she’ll figure it out. Until then, we’ll just wait and see.”
Zoey stood. “At least she has magic. I’m not sure I have any at all.”
Faith reached out and patted her arm. “It’s not always everything it’s cracked up to be.”
“Says the water witch who has never had trouble casting a spell in her life,” Zoey said, almost bitterly.
Faith pulled her into a hug. “You never know. Your dad has magic. You might just be a late bloomer.” Her mother, Vivian, didn’t have magic, so it was anyone’s guess as to whether Zoey had magic or not.
Usually if one did, it made a showing around puberty, but as with everything else in the world of magic, nothing was set in stone. Everyone was different.
“Probably not,” she said, allowing Faith to hold her for a moment or two longer. When she pulled away, she gave Faith a slight smile and said, “Good thing I don’t need it for acting.”
“That’s right. You’re fabulous without it. Now go get ready so we can get you to the theater.”
Zoey disappeared to her bedroom while Faith cleaned up her dishes and got the triplets ready to go to their aunt’s house.
Just as she got her girls strapped into their car seats, her phone rang.
It was the impound lot where they’d taken the totaled SUV. She answered, “Hello?”
“Faith? It’s Bob down at Keating Hollow Wreckage. I’m calling to let you know we’re getting ready to crush your vehicle, and we found a bag of personal stuff. I pulled it out, but do you want to look through the vehicle before we crush it?”
“What’s in the bag?” Faith asked. They’d already looked once and hadn’t found anything.
“Looks like a towel and some personal items. It was shoved up underneath the passenger seat. I have it here in the office if you want to swing by.”
“Sure. We’ll do that this afternoon. If you checked the SUV thoroughly, go ahead and crush it.
I don’t really want to see it again,” Faith said.
The one time they’d gone back for personal items, Faith had nearly had a panic attack when she saw the crushed front end.
Zoey had been in that car with her. If she hadn’t swerved when she did, the outcome of the accident could have been so much worse.
The last thing she wanted was to relive that.
“Okay. See you soon.”
Zoey walked out, a nervous smile on her face. “I’m ready. I think.”
Faith gave her a reassuring smile. “You’re gonna be great. Let’s get going.”
After they dropped off the triplets, they made a quick stop at the wrecking yard.
Faith was careful not to look around for her old vehicle.
Her anxiety was already a little bit out of control just from thinking about the accident.
But she was sure once she was engrossed in Zoey’s play, she’d be fine again.
When Bob pulled out the bag, Zoey said, “Oh, I forgot all about that.” It was the canvas bag that Olive had given her the day Daisy had sprained her ankle. The day they’d gotten into the car accident. “Thanks!”
Bob nodded and said, “I heard you’re starring in the play tonight. Mean Girls, right?”
She grinned at him. “Yes. I’m playing Cady.”
“Knock ’em dead.” Bob held out his fist for a bump, and Zoey giggled, returning the gesture.
They hurried back into the Highlander, and Faith steered the SUV down the highway while Zoey looked through her bag. She pulled out a brush, a lipstick, her house key that she’d thought she’d lost. Then she paused, gazing into the canvas bag as if she were studying something.
“What is it?” Faith asked. “Is there mold on your towel?” The thing had been in that bag for a couple of weeks.
“No.” She laughed and put her things back in the bag. “I was just looking at the other makeup items I left in there. Nothing important.”
Faith nodded and started to climb the mountain. The road was just as winding as it always was, but now Faith was a lot more careful going around the turns. And thank the goddess for that, because after one hairpin turn, a car came barreling at them, crossing the double yellow line.
With her heart racing, Faith quickly pulled off to the side of the road, letting the mustang fly past them.
Her hands were sweaty and her stomach was queasy, but they were safe.
When she looked over at Zoey, her stepdaughter was pale and clutching the leather seat with both hands. “It’s okay, Zoey. We’re fine.”
“I know. I just… I think I’m traumatized.”
“You and me both, sister,” Faith said, reaching over and squeezing her shoulder. “But we’ve got this. We won’t let a crazy driver ruin your big night, right?”
“Right,” she said, but the teenager didn’t sound convincing.
“We’re good,” Faith said, more for herself than her stepdaughter. They needed to get through this, prove to themselves they could handle being on the road, even if there were careless drivers to watch out for.
After checking carefully, Faith eased back out onto the road, and they managed to make it the next ten miles without incident.
Zoey let out a huge sigh as Faith parked the Highlander.
“Ready?” Faith asked.
“Just as soon as I freshen up my lipstick,” Zoey said and started rummaging through her canvas bag again.
Faith jumped out of the vehicle and waited patiently until Zoey was done.
As they were walking into the theater, Faith noticed the charm bracelet she’d given Zoey on her right wrist. “I haven’t seen that in a while.”
“Huh?” Zoey asked.
“The charm bracelet.” Faith nodded to her hand. “Are you wearing it for luck?”
“Oh.” Zoey rubbed one of the charms between two fingers. Then she looked sheepish as she added, “Yes. I was afraid to tell you that I thought I’d lost it, but it suddenly turned up today. It’s never coming off now.”
Faith figured she’d found the bracelet in the canvas bag, but she let it go and just said, “I’m glad it wasn’t lost.”
“Me, too.”
The two of them walked into the theater hand in hand. When Zoey disappeared backstage, Faith went to find herself a spot near the front of the stage so that she and Hunter could have the best view.
Unfortunately for her, Summer Thomas showed up and plopped down right next to her. “Hi, Faith. Long time no see. What have you been doing the past few weeks?”