The Opal Witch

Chapter Two: Declan

"How?" she asked before falling forward into his arms.

Sighing, he carried her to the front porch swing and laid her down gently, adjusting her skirt to keep from exposing her to anyone who might wander by. He stepped back and studied her features, looking for the women he grew up with in the slope of her nose and the tilt of her lips. It might be wishful thinking, but he thought he saw hints of Daphne and Leora, maybe even their mother. Time had not taken everything from him.

When he'd gone to sleep, Declan knew he might find the family in this state. That anyone in the family was aware of their heritage was surprising considering the steps taken to hide their magic. If Bella's mother, Phoebe, hadn't stumbled upon the books and letters at the family estate, they would all be living their lives as unsuspecting humans.

Now, Phoebe was the last practicing female in the family, or at least she would be until Lux turned seventeen on the summer equinox. Bella would do everything to stop Lux from embracing her powers, but Lux didn't have a choice. Declan had to make sure she stepped into the role of High Priestess. Otherwise, he'd given up everything for nothing.

He took out his own cellular device and navigated to screen called the contacts list. Scrolling until he found the name he was after, he pressed call and waited.

"She recognized me. What now?"

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Lux

Lux entered the cool house with a grateful sigh. The last mile on her bike had been arduous. Her body and mind hadn't fully recovered from the near drowning, but she'd shooed Kitty's concerns away with promises to go to bed early. She had every intention of keeping those promises.

She didn't bother hollering for her mother despite the late hour. If her gut feeling this morning was right, Bella was at the tire shop harassing a poor attendant, and Lux's feelings were always right. That meant she would be in charge of dinner tonight.

"Wish I'd thought of that earlier," she grumbled, scanning the empty pantry before opening the menu drawer. Sweetwater might not boast much in the way of culture and shopping, but the town didn't want for restaurants which was handy since neither she nor her mother excelled in the kitchen.

Finger sliding across the menus, she asked herself, "Chinese? Sushi? Pizza?"

"I'm partial to Greek, if you'd like to ask my opinion."

"Ahhh," Lux screamed, scrambling for an object to defend herself. Settling on a marble rolling pin, she whirled around to face her intruder. "Memaw!"

She put the rolling pin down and flung herself into her grandmother's outstretched arms, the two women squealing as they rocked from side to side.

"Let me look at you, love," Memaw commanded, pulling back and lifting Lux's chin so she could peer into her gray eyes. "I see a girl about to become a woman."

"Memaw," Lux chastised, giving the older, Rubenesque woman one last squeeze before stepping back and admiring her.

Phoebe aged gracefully, her cheeks and forehead as plump and unwrinkled as a woman half her age. Only her gray hair and thicker waistline hinted at passing years, but Lux thought the changes only made her grandmother more becoming.

"Is that not something most grandmothers would say?" Phoebe asked, patting Lux on the hand before shimmying up on a barstool.

"Well, I wouldn't know as I don't have a grandmother like most."