Fate Changer (The Lost Witch Trilogy #3) (2 page)

Race stared at him without expression for a moment before standing up so fast his chair went flying behind him, crashing into the wall. He growled, his face turning red with anger.

“I stayed out of Sarah’s life to protect her from something like this happening. Don’t judge me. And don’t think just because you’re her boyfriend that gives you the right to call the shots around here,” Race said, his nostrils flaring and his fingers turning bright with energy.

Sarah shook her head and stood up, moving between her father and Zane. She reached back with one hand to clasp Zane’s hand and pushed soothing energy into his body trying to ease his anger. Race had no choice but to switch his gaze from Zane to hers. He had trouble meeting her eyes, but she stared at him until he did. He looked guilty and defeated.

“No one has the right to call an end to my life. I don’t care if you’re my father or not. If that’s the way you feel, then Zane’s right. You need to go. I need to be surrounded by people who care about me and who will help me find a solution to this mess. You’re not calling the shots here anymore.
I am
. And I want you to leave.”

Race’s anger immediately disappeared as he stared helplessly at his daughter. He reached out to take her hand in his, but she moved out of his way. He looked down at his feet for a moment and then looked up, staring into her eyes.

“Would you choose your life over everyone’s here Sarah? Would you choose your life over countless other witches who will suffer when Charles takes on your power? I know it sounds horrible, but it’s the selfless thing to do. If I could take your place and give up my life for yours, I would. But it’s you he wants. And he will stop at nothing to get you, no matter who he has to kill to do it. Don’t you understand that?”

Sarah’s mouth opened to speak, but she was pushed gently out of the way by Lash. Lash turned and shook his head at her. Zane gently grasped her arms and pulled her back away from Lash and her father.

Lash turned back to face Race. “
Stop
. Don’t you say one more word to guilt Sarah into killing herself. Don’t you dare say one more word to rationalize your plan to murder her yourself. We’ve already agreed that we want to fight to save her. Sarah is good and strong and beautiful. She’s worth fighting for. And if you can’t see that, then you’re worse than Charles Langford. He’s willing to fight for her. But you won’t even try. Zane is right. Get out,” he said, pointing to the front door.

Race’s lips were clamped in a tight line as he stared expressionlessly at the dark young man in front of him. He looked over Lash’s shoulder at Gretchen, but she looked away in disappointment. He turned and looked at Agnes and Charlie too, but they both looked away from him.

“I’m only trying to do the right thing here. For everyone,” he said almost pleadingly.

Sarah felt sick to her stomach and turned away from her father to hide her face in Zane’s shoulder.

“You’re choosing the easy way out Race,” Zane said quietly.

Lash walked over to the front door and opened it silently, staring at Race. Race’s eyes glittered at Lash and Zane but he walked quietly toward the front door and turned back to stare at his daughter one last time before walking out the door.

Lash shut the door softly and leaned up against the hard wood, lowering his head to stare at his feet.

Sarah reached her hands around Zane’s back, grasping his shirt in her hands as she sobbed quietly into his chest. Zane rubbed her back as he sent warm pulses of energy throughout her body to calm her.

Agnes and Charlie both put their arms around Gretchen as she cried softly into her hands. Race hadn’t just walked out on Sarah. He had walked out on everyone. Even the woman who loved him.

Zane stared miserably at his mother as he continued to hold Sarah. “Mom, you could go with him. No one would judge you for going. We all know you love him.”

Gretchen wiped her face with the tissue Agnes handed her and shook her head as she tried to smile at her son. “No Zane. My most important job in this world is being a mother. And you and Sarah both need one now. I don’t understand why Race is doing what he’s doing, but I can love him without agreeing with him or condoning what he’s doing.”

Agnes patted her daughter on the back and nodded her head briskly. “You are one strong woman Gretchen. I raised you right,” she said and kissed her on the cheek.

Charlie stared in awe at everyone around her and shook her head. “This is what it means to be a family. What just happened here, right? I mean, my father turned his back on me and Sarah’s father turned his back on her, but you guys are willing to stand up for her no matter what. That’s what I want. I want a family like that.
I’m in
. Whatever this is, I want it,” she said, her face breaking out into a pretty smile.

Lash laughed and smiled at her across the room. “You and me both. We’ve made our own little tribe here. We’re all messed up, strange and non-related, but we’re a family now and we take care of each other. So now what? How do we protect our family?”

Sarah walked into the kitchen following Gretchen and Agnes and felt Charlie slip in beside her. Lash and Zane had decided to go see if they could find out anything about Beatrice’s whereabouts. In all the havoc and shock of Francis’s death, everyone had forgotten about Beatrice until Agnes had remembered her.

It had been perfect timing too because the question of
how do we protect our family
, was a question that no one had an answer to.
Yet
.

Gretchen opened the fridge and frowned darkly at the emptiness. “Your father hated cooking with a passion and his fridge proves it. There’s nothing here but a half a gallon of milk, a lemon and a stick of butter.”

Agnes opened a few cupboards and sniffed in disapproval. “This is ridiculous. No one’s had breakfast and its lunch time. We’re all starving. Gretchen, we’re going to have to go to the store,” she said in an aggrieved voice.

Gretchen nodded her head with a frown. “It’ll be fine. Charles won’t pull anything. He gave Sarah a month. He wants her to be a willing sacrifice. He won’t ruin that by pulling something just an hour later. We’ll be fine. But what about you girls?”

Sarah and Charlie exchanged looks and shrugged. “I don’t feel like going to school. I’d rather spend my last month of freedom trying to save myself then figuring out algorithms or running the mile in PE.”

Gretchen smiled and Agnes even laughed a little. “I don’t blame you. Stay home today and we’ll talk later about school. No one can think straight on an empty stomach anyways.”

Charlie cleared her throat nervously and everyone turned to her. “I’d like to go see my mom one last time. Sarah can come with me. It’s just at the edge of town. She lives in the Meadow Brook Assisted Living Center. I know she can’t tell I’m even there or anything, but I’d like to see her one last time in case,
um
. . . , anything happens, you know,” she said quietly.

Sarah swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded quickly. “Of course I’ll go with you. Gretchen, can you drop us off on your way to the store? We can walk back when Charlie’s done.”

Agnes walked over to Charlie and hugged her tightly for a moment. When she pulled away, Agnes’s eyes were bright and shining and she grasped Charlie’s shoulders tightly. “I have the strongest feeling that you’re going to be just fine Charlie Prescott. You’re father isn’t going to harm one hair on your head. You’re going to live to be a strong beautiful woman with a family and children of your own someday. You’re going to be just fine. But go see your mom. She’s waiting for you,” she said in a strong, clear voice.

Sarah watched in bewilderment as Agnes’s eyes faded back to normal and she stepped away from Charlie. She glanced at Gretchen and Gretchen smiled at her mother and hugged her.

“That’s my mother’s gift. Sometimes she can see things others can’t.”

Agnes sighed happily, her eyes twinkling warmly before turning to head out the door.

“Come on girls. Let’s go,” Gretchen said, motioning towards the door.

Charlie stood where she was blinking in surprise and Sarah had to grab her hand to pull her out of the room.

They arrived fifteen minutes later and she watched Agnes and Gretchen drive away and couldn’t help wishing she was with them. She stared unhappily at the dark miserable looking building and knew she didn’t want to go inside. The windows were small and some of them were barred. The gray brick exterior looked more like a prison than a happy place to live.

“Come on Sarah,” Charlie said, walking toward the front automatic doors.

Sarah sighed and followed her cousin into the building and was immediately hit with the strong smell of disinfectant and something heavier in the air she couldn’t name and was afraid to try. She coughed a little and felt like covering her nose, but smiled politely at the aides walking briskly through the hallways. Charlie ignored the receptionist and headed down a brightly lit hallway with pictures of boats and ocean scenes along the walls. She stopped in front of room 303 and paused for a moment to take a deep breath before opening the door. Sarah followed closely behind her, curious to meet Teresa Prescott, the woman who had had a child with Charles Langford.

Charlie walked into a bright room that looked like any typical bedroom. The only difference was there were no knickknacks or sharp objects. The patchwork quilt on the bed looked homey and well made. Charlie paused for a second and then turned to look in the far corner where a tall thin, beautiful woman stood, leaning up against the wall, with a serene look on her face.

Sarah watched silently as Charlie walked quickly to the woman and gently took her hand in between both of hers.

“Hi Mom. It’s me Charlie,” she said softly, looking up into an angelic, expressionless face.

Sarah walked back towards the window and leaned against the wall to give Charlie and her mom privacy.

“I’m lost. Didn’t you know?” Teresa said, reaching out a finger to touch her daughter’s cheek.

“I know Mom. It’s okay. We all get lost sometimes,” Charlie said in such a kind voice that Sarah blinked in surprise.

The woman pulled her hand out of Charlie’s grasp and wandered around the room, finally coming to stand in front of Sarah. Sarah stood up straight and looked at Charlie, unsure of what she should say or do. Charlie raised her eyebrows and just looked back, not being any help at all.

“Hi Teresa. I’m Sarah. How are you today?” she asked, talking slowly and clearly.

Teresa stared at Sarah, tilting her head to the side and reaching out a hand in front of her, moving her hand in a slow circle.

“Why is the air so hot and white around you? Why are you glowing?” Teresa asked wonderingly, her eyes looking concerned and her forehead creasing.

“Ignore her Mom. She’s just a weirdo,” Charlie said with a quick grin.

Sarah frowned at Charlie and rolled her eyes. Teresa stared at her unblinkingly for a few moments before shaking her head. “You glow just like Charles.”

Sarah gasped and looked at Charlie to see if she heard. Charlie’s face had turned pale and she looked ill for a moment. “Mom, who is Charles?” she finally asked.

Teresa turned away from Sarah and wandered over to a picture of the beach. “I want a cookie.”

Charlie sighed and her shoulders slumped down. She shook her head and then smiled at her mother. “I’m going to go ask the cafeteria for some cookies and milk. I’ll be right back,” she said and walked to the door.

Sarah cleared her throat and walked to join Charlie by the door. “I’ll come with you,” she said hurriedly. Sarah didn’t want to stay by herself with Charlie’s mother.

Charlie looked over her shoulder and shook her head with a frown. “Stay. See if she’ll say anything else about Charles. I’ll be fifteen minutes at least. I want to talk to the director and see if there’s been any change in her behavior lately. She’s acting funny. Talking more than usual.”

Sarah stared morosely at the closed door and then sighed. She put on a smile and then turned to look at Teresa who was no longer in front of the picture but was now standing right next to her. Sarah squeaked in surprise and stepped back.

“Oh wow. You don’t make much noise, do you?” she said with a flustered laugh.

Teresa stared at her silently, almost pleadingly.

Sarah frowned and went to sit on the little couch against the wall. Teresa immediately joined her, sitting uncomfortably close. Sarah studied the woman sadly, noting how beautiful she was. Charlie was pretty like her mom but she took after Charles in coloring. Teresa’s hazel eyes looked searchingly into hers but Sarah looked away with a wince. Maybe there was something that would take Teresa’s attention off of her?

She looked around the room, but there was nothing. No magazines, no books, nothing. Now what to do for fifteen minutes?

Teresa reached her hand out slowly and laid her hand over Sarah’s resting on her knee. Sarah frowned and looked down at the older woman’s hand and immediately felt Teresa’s emotions through the connection. Sarah was about to pull away and break the connection, when she felt a great sadness slip through Teresa and into her.

Sarah blinked a few times and then covered Teresa’s hand with her other one. “Teresa, why are you so sad?” she asked gently.

Teresa continued to stare at her, unblinkingly.
Waiting.

Sarah frowned and looked deeper into Teresa’s eyes. Sarah pushed her energy out and towards Teresa, surrounding her and then moved inward. Teresa immediately relaxed and closed her eyes, leaning back on the couch as if she were ready to take a nap. Sarah hesitated for a moment but then thought of Charlie. What if Teresa’s mind was just torn? What if she was able to give Charlie her mother back?

Sarah closed her eyes and leaned in close as she had once done for Agnes. She leaned forward a few more inches and touched her head to Teresa’s. As soon as their heads touched, the connection grabbed onto Sarah and pulled her in. She took a deep breath and headed in deep, trying to sense if there was anything damaged or broken she could find. If Teresa’s dementia was biological, then that was one thing.
But what if it wasn’t?
What if Teresa’s dementia was
magical
?