Page 103 of Clearly Charmed

‘Yes,’ Belladonna said shakily. ‘And you…’ She couldn’t manage to say the rest.

‘My synesthesia isn’t a weird fluke? The way I can see color, sense emotion is…’ Aster’s small body shook. ‘It’s magic?’ She took an uncomfortable gulp. ‘And Dani with the animals? Lia with her connection to the woods? It’s supernatural?’

‘Perhaps, but I’m not entirely sure,’ Belladonna offered quietly.

‘What the hell does that mean?’ It was rare to hear Aster snap at our mother.

‘None of you exhibit the hallmarks of magic from the Perkins line,’ Belladonna answered.

‘We’re freaks of some kind, then?’ Aster’s body continued to tremble, and I pressed my hand on top of hers.

‘What Bella means is that you do have some kind of gifts, but it’s unclear if they are related to magic.’

‘What do you mean by “unclear”, Clo?’ I forced out.

‘There are people in this world who can hear a beautiful song, and without any training can play it from memory on a piano. There are those who can read a passage from a book, a piece of poetry, and recite it right away because they have an eidetic memory. Is that magic or a blessing? We don’t know, but we believe you girls do have gifts, we’re just not sure if they’re tied to magic.’

I flashed to the breaking bulbs in Bryce’s bathroom. The wilting flowers and oddly bubbling gravy. That sure as hell felt like magic, but I couldn’t think about that right now. I was too worried about what all of this was doing to my little sister.

‘Bryce,’ Aster stuttered. ‘He was in the woods. If he saw the water, if he reports that Belladonna has magic, it’s going to be like that reporter from Denver, right?’ Her uneven breathing picked up again. ‘I could lose my business. And Dalton. He’s been so good to me through all the rumors and whispers, but what if this is all too much for him?’

I inched in closer to her on the sofa and tried to pull her in, but she was on her feet. ‘How dare you!’ she screeched at Belladonna. ‘I defended you. Claimed you were eccentric, unique, but this whole time you were running from us so you wouldn’t have to explain the truth about what you are. What we are?’

‘No!’ Belladonna protested. ‘For years, I’d been able to keep my powers at bay. Then I lost my job. Was struggling with money and had three babies to feed.’ Her voice broke. ‘In a hotel room in Reno right after you were born, I tried to give you a bath, Aster. My mind started to swirl, panic. The water rose up over your face,’ she said on a choked breath. ‘I ripped you out of the tub, held you to my chest, and sobbed, knowing that you…’ Her stare shifted in my direction. ‘That none of my babies were safe with me anymore. Before I left you all here, I made your grandmother promise not to tell you about the magic.’ She wiped the tears from her eyes. ‘I wanted you to have normal lives. Not be haunted every single day by the legacy of this family.’

‘You were wrong. That legacy has permeated every single part of our lives,’ I said sharply.

‘Oh, my Dandelion—’

‘But you kept coming back,’ Aster interrupted. ‘And then you’d just leave us again.’

Belladonna gave a sad nod. ‘Every year I return, hoping I can control it. And every year, as soon as I arrive, my power over it wavers. That time I promised to stay and help you in the shop, I was sure I was mastering it, but then your grandmother told me she was going to tell you all the truth. I got upset, and my focus slipped away again. The water in the lake started to flood the forest. Race toward this house.’

‘If you can’t control it, why the hell are you back now?’ I said.

‘As Clo told you, I’m going to therapy. I’ve found with some deep breathing and visualization I can push back the flow of magic. Today, I used it in the forest. Directing where the water went. How it flowed. It gives me hope that I can stay. That I can be close to you girls and my mother now with little risk.’

Every sentence, every confession was another striking blow. Aster sobbed next to me. I pulled her into my side, and she collapsed against my chest. ‘This is all too much,’ she cried. ‘For years, you let us believe you didn’t care. And then you swoop back in today and do this? If Bryce saw what you did, our lives will be ruined.’

The desperation, fear, in Aster’s voice made me sit up straighter. More than ever she needed me to be strong. Protect her and Lia in the way I always had.

‘I’m going to talk to Bryce. Find out what he saw.’

‘And if he says…’ Aster fixed an angry stare on Belladonna. ‘That he knows about her?’

‘I can convince him what happened in the woods was nothing but smoke and water from a tanker we couldn’t see.’

‘And you think he’ll believe you?’ Aster swiped tears from her cheeks.

‘I don’t know, but I have to try.’

I moved to stand and the ground was still wobbly beneath me.

‘Please stay here, Dani. You can talk to Bryce in the morning.’ Clo tried to reach for me, but I stumbled back.

‘No. Your lies have made this mess. The only way to save what small threads of hope we have left is to talk to Bryce tonight.’

It took me less than twenty minutes to get to Bryce’s cabin. The minute I pulled into the driveway, it was clear he was gone. The chairs on the outdoor deck were hidden beneath a large khaki tarp. All the lights inside were out, and the front door was locked. I sank onto the step in front of the house and my phone beeped with a text from him.