Chapter 48: Family Magic

The wailing started and would not stop. It was a horrible, broken sound, full of frustration and despair. It pierced me like a knife.

We all came together over the hunched form of Batsheva Moromond. I felt Quaid join us, his face expressionless but eyes soft as he watched his mother, wretched, shattered, shriek her sanity away into the night.

As she did, they started to arrive, slowly at first, in ones and twos, then large groups of them all at once, the coven, our family, come to pass judgment on the saboteur who almost destroyed us. None of them approached, leaving us alone, keeping their distance, standing guard over the Moromonds to allow us our moment together.

By the time the witches gathered, it was getting close to dawn.

"We should go," Uncle Frank said to us. Sunny shone beside him. She brushed my face with her fingertips in thanks.

"Stay," Mom said. "You are welcome here, both of you. From now on, you are always welcome."

Frank grinned at her. "Thanks, and any other tim