The Runaways: Book 1 of the The White Goddess Series

38. Another Goodbye

"Are you sure?" Kathy asked again when they reached the minivan. Rowena had already removed the spell and Kathy was acting normally again. As promised, she showed no sign of remembering agreeing to hand her baby over to strangers barely twenty minutes ago. 

They'd eaten fast. Serafina's stomach wasn't very happy at the moment but it was nothing to the anxiety crackling inside her like a live wire since they left the mall. She needed Kathy and Bryson out of range of whatever was going on with them and Rowena, which Ian and Serafina didn't even understand themselves. 

Rowena had fulfilled her part so far, but she was unpredictable and Serafina wouldn't feel better until Kathy and Bryson were gone. Unfortunately there was no way of rushing Kathy without scaring or worrying her. As it was she was surprised by Ian and Serafina's sudden change of plans, to say the least. 

Kathy passed the keys to Ian and hitched Bryson higher on her hip. He'd refused to let her put him down since they left the food court. Smart kid. 

"I was going to invite y'all to come with us for Christmas. I was just waiting until I heard back from Heather." Kathy sounded genuinely disappointed. 

Her disappointment was was nothing to Serafina's. It flooded through her with an overwhelming sense of loss. Christmas with Kathy and Bryson at their neighbours would be amazing. Serafina imagined a sparkling, prettily-decorated living room full of families, filled with music and laughter and good cheer. Exactly the Christmas Serafina dreamed of, and exactly the opposite of what she was going to get. 

It sucked knowing how close she almost got. Judging by the way they'd reacted to the idea of being part of a church, witches didn't celebrate Christmas. And even if Serafina and Ian managed to escape in the next few days, before the holiday, they'd be travelling too hard, on the run now from Hamish and King and Rowena and her sisters-slash-other witches, to worry about Christmas.

"Sorry, I didn't know that," Ian told Kathy, as if it would've made a difference. He pulled the sliding van door open with a rattling thump. "We already told Rowena yes." 

His regret was genuine. Sorry, Ser, he repeated privately. Ian knew what it would have meant to her, going to a real family Christmas. Serafina shrugged, but didn't meet his eyes. She knew she'd tear up if she did. Then he'd feel even guiltier.

It's my fault, not yours. And it was. Ian told Serafina to keep to herself. He told her not to let anyone see what he called her most distinguishing features. Like her hair and the giant tattoo on her back. But Serafina hadn't listened. She'd let her personal comfort overrule their safety. Then hid what she'd done, just to avoid Ian being pissed. She'd put both of them at risk. 

Kathy glanced over to Rowena and Lorelei, getting into their Range Rover futher down the parking lot aisle. "I know it sounds silly, considering how we met, but...you don't know them," Her voice dropped even though no one could hear them. "They have a reputation for being...odd."

"Odd how?" Ian asked from inside the van. He emerged a second later with Serafina's backpack in his hand.

Kathy glanced around. "People say they have ceremonies in the forest around the estate." 

Ceremonies? The word sent a shiver down Serafina's spine. She didn't like ceremonies. She'd taken part in enough of them to last her a lifetime.

Kathy and Serafina stepped back as Ian's duffel bag sailed onto the pavement, followed by his huge, battered sneakers as Ian climbed out of the van.