Returned (27 page)

“Here, put this on. Do you want a drink?”

“Sure, what have you got?” She leant down and laid the bag on her ankle almost sighing with gratitude.

“Oh, you don't know.” He shook his head and looked at the floor. “Eli makes these gadgets things and they tell you what is in your fridge.” He turned towards the fridge. “CID, what drinks do we have?”

Who was Sid? She opened her mouth to ask him but shut it when she heard a mechanical monotone voice:

‘The fridge holds 2 Dr Peppers, one beer, the light variation, and two bottles of spring water. You need to restock cans of coke, this is your favourite variety of drink.'

The mechanical voice ended. She sat gawking at the fridge expecting balloons or party poppers to come shooting out of it.

“So, your choice is Dr Pepper and water.”

“I’ll have a Dr Pepper please. That thing has a name?” 

“That was CID, the Content Identification Device. Eli built it so we could restock when things get low.”

What was wrong with just opening the fridge and having a look yourself? She wasn't going to state the obvious. Opening the fridge, he bent down collecting the cans and closed it.

“You can also select favourites. It’s pretty cool.”

She accepted the can as Jack slumped down on the chair next to her. He popped the top and started sucking back long drags; he was probably just as warm as her. It wasn't exactly heat wave weather outside, it was a cold November day but working and straining every muscle in your body kept you warm.

             
She sneaked a glance at him whilst he drank. His dark hair, cut into a jagged mess, moved in one wave on the top of his head. His Cupid’s bow lips sucked at the opening of the can, dragging the liquid into his mouth. She felt her mouth go dry. Her eyes continued their journey and followed the line of his neck. The muscle taut, pulling, as his throat pushed the cool liquid down. His top was a darker shade of blue, wet from exertion. Defined abs were highlighted by the closeness of material. She bit her lip and quickly averted her gaze to the bag of frozen peas. What was she thinking? They had issues. Serious issues.

“Jack...” she began, “have you been having... weird dreams?”

She dared to look at him properly. His eyes were wide with shock; his cheeks had lost the healthy glow from training. The hand that had paused with the can held halfway to his mouth suddenly dropped. She gulped, not caring if it was visible.

“What did you say?” His voice was ice cold.

“I've been having weird dreams, my mother comes and....”

She stopped talking. The thunderous look on Jack’s face told her she should stop. She knew at that moment he'd had dreams. The can crunched under the strain of his hard grip, spewing its contents all over his jeans and the floor. He ignored it.

“Your mother's been in your dreams,” he snarled, his voice dangerously low. “Your mother has come to see you. Well, what a lovely,
happy
reunion for you both!” He lurched to his feet making her cringe, his tall body casting a strikingly cold shadow over her.

“Jack, it wasn’t like-”

“Perhaps your bitch of a mother will give you tips on how to kill me? She’s obviously qualified!”

Cora was shaking her head back and forth trying to tell him it wasn't like that.  Why was he suddenly so mad? She wasn't trying to goad him, for once. His reaction fuelled her own anger, she couldn't stop it. She tried to tell her head to be reasonable, this anger was the reason why they were in this stupid predicament to begin with, but the fire in her belly told her to smack him right in the face.

“Jack I-”

“Your mother died because she was stupid! The same thing will happen to you, I can guarantee it. I feel her pain, the way the long metal spikes slid into her skin if she dared to move just an inch. I can hear the noise; can taste and smell everything.” 

“Jack, I...”

My God, she hadn’t realised. Why didn't Eli know? She wanted to help him, shocking herself with such a thought.

“Get out, Cora, get out and don’t come back.”

             
Cora numbly stood. She didn't know what to say, what to do. She placed the frozen peas on the table and limped to the kitchen door that led through the lounge and outside. Jack’s loud frustrated curse followed her down the brick path.

Chapter 35

REVELATIONS

The tears didn’t fall until she approached her front door. Hastily wiping the tears on her sleeve, Cora opened her front door and was instantly greeted with a high pitched feminine laugh followed by soft murmuring.

That was code for loved up.

Did she really want to enter and see?

             
Sighing, she headed towards the kitchen.
She nudged the door open enough to see her mother stood at the sink washing up. That didn’t surprise Cora, what did was how she had the room to do it.  Ayden had his arms around her waist with his head on her shoulder.

“Hi, I’m back,” she said, “Just letting you know.”

Before you do something that I don’t want to see or hear.

“Wait! Cora! Why are you back home so early?” Ayden asked, following her.

She paused on the stairs. “Jack freaked out and then kicked me out of his house.” She shrugged her shoulders. It puzzled her that she cared enough to feel sad.

“Why?”

“If you must know, I’ve been having these dreams that involve my mum, my real mum.” She held up her hand stopping Ayden’s questions. His eyebrows had shot so high up on his forehead that he was in danger of losing them. “I've told Tabitha about them but I asked Jack about them. He told me to leave and never come back, which I’m more than happy to comply with.”

Was she? The wind picked up around her. His bright blue eyes searched her face. “Have you looked in your family book?”

Oh crap, Tabitha was going to kill her when she found out. Ayden was close enough to actually do the killing.

“No, Tab told me a while ago to look in it. I don’t have the time, Ayden.” Her voice had taken on a whiny tone similar to that of a five year old.

“I suggest you look at it. It may hold the answers you need. As for Jack, let him cool down. He will realise he needs us and Eli may talk some sense into him. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, I’m not worried.”

She wasn’t, something else niggled at her.

             
She flopped down on the bed and listened as her mother asked Ayden what was wrong.

“It’s nothing to worry about, love, Cora is one tough cookie. She will be fine.”

She liked the way Ayden soothed her. They made a good couple. Her main worry was how long they could be a couple. Witches and commoners weren’t to know about each other. She didn’t want her mother to get hurt because that would affect her personally and she didn’t want Ayden to get hurt because that would affect the coven. She shook her head, it wasn't something she could think about.

             
She stood and started to move the mountain of clothes on the floor with her foot. She crouched down and looked under the bed. She could just spy the blue cover hiding underneath her purple jumper. Lying flat on her belly she wriggled underneath the bed and felt the sharp sting in the lower part of her back as the wood ripped off a layer. Sucking in a breath and lots of dust, she pulled the book towards her and wriggled out, reminding herself to stay low.

             
Ignoring the pain in her back, she coughed and sat on her bed propping the pillows behind her. She took a deep breath before opening the book. Bats were suddenly flying around in her chest. Opening the book to the first page, letters curved together. She could see the beginnings of a tree. Each name looked like a branch which then sprouted off into other branches of what she could only assume was sons and daughters. She flicked the thick smooth paper over and found blank pages, some had names on the top, ones she recognised from the family tree. She pulled her phone from her pocket.

“Cora?”

“Hey, I’m looking through my book and the pages are blank.”

This statement was greeted with silence. She was going to get an ear bashing for only just looking at her book. Shutting her
eyes, she waited for the blow.
Tabitha had a way of making the little hairs on her arms stand up without raising her voice.

“Cora, are you sure?”

She exhaled. “Oh, no, wait a minute. The pages have suddenly started showing letters and words and whole sentences.” The fear of Tabitha’s verbal whiplash didn't restrain her backchat.

“I don't know why the pages are blank. I thought it might have been different for you.”

She flicked through the pages as she listened to Tabitha, her heart stopped. Her mother’s name was printed in huge bold lettering; the page was full of writing. She flicked to the next page and the one after that.

“Cora?”

She could vaguely hear Tabitha’s voice above the buzzing in her ears. The top line read her mother’s date of birth, 3
rd
April 1583. Underneath this were two names that she didn’t know. Alivia and Roane Device. The breath was ripped out of her. Her eyes stung, tears threatening to spill over.

“Cora?”

“Tab.....”

“Cora, what’s wrong?” Tabitha’s voice rose with concern.

“I’ve found her page. I’ve found my mother’s page. But-”

“It is blank like the rest of them. I know,” she said. “I've tried every spell to see if the writing would appear, to know the truth. I’m sorry, I thought-”

“Tab, shut up, I was trying to say that there are pages full of notes about my mother… it’s all there.”

A sob rose in her throat followed by a strangled laugh. “My mother’s birthday was 3
rd
April? Did you know that? Of course you did. This is the type of thing I would like to know. Who are Alivia and Roane?”

“Oh my word, you can see all that?”

“Yes,” she said laughing.

“Alivia and Roane were your mother’s parents.”

Her grandparents. “What were they like?”

“They were such lovely people,” Tabitha chuckled. “Alivia was the soul of the family, small in height with bouncy grey curls; eyes the colour of olives. She was the magnetic pull, keeping her family close. I miss them. They weren’t killed in the witch trials but they fled the country. Your grandmother died a hundred years ago. Your grandfather three days later. He couldn't live without her. I can’t believe I will find out what happened after all the years of wondering. Are there still blank pages in the book?”

“Yeah, someone called Katia had a name at the top and nothing written underneath.”

“Katia was your mother's cousin. I wonder if only imminent family can read the pages? If this is the case then history will be lost without those here to read it.”

“I will call you back.”

“Make sure you do.”

Cora put the phone down, took a deep breath and prepared herself to read the details of her mother's life.

THE BOOK

Her eyes scanned the first page that read like a fact file, sort of like a ‘This is your Life’ moment, except it wasn’t the big red book that Michael Aspel read from and she wasn’t going to be reunited with her family.

3
rd
May 1587 -

Element became more powerful. Fully aware of her growing power. Parents introduce Alizon to the world of witchcraft.

8
th
August 1588 -

Small family hut was blown down due to her growing powers. Family move to Millsteeple.

12
th
November 1588 -

Device Family and Chattox family live within the same area.

Alizon befriends Anne Redfern and Tabitha Preston.

        
23
rd
July 1594 -

Attends Anne's marriage to Eli Yandell. 

7
th
November 1594 -

Anne Redfern confides to Alizon that she is pregnant with Eli Yandell's baby.

My God, if Anne was the same age as her mother then this would make Anne pregnant at 11 years old. That was too young. It wasn't uncommon to find young teenagers pregnant today; it was still shocking to read.

15
th
December  1594-