A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Walk Into A Bar (Book 1 of The Last Witch Series) novel Chapter 28

Zev turns my hand over and brushes the pad of his thumb over my palm in rhythmic strokes, like he’s trying to calm a wild animal--which maybe isn’t far from the truth. “That night we followed the signs of the prophecy. At this point I don’t know much more than you, I’m afraid. We followed the fallen star and it led us to you both.”

“The rock.” I haven't thought about it since that night, but the rock I pulled out of the wall; it didn’t look like a regular stone because it most definitely is not.

“So Rain’s a witch? How? This isn’t like AJ’s situation. Rain’s dad isn’t magical. I’m sure of it.”

“This wouldn’t be passed down through her father’s lineage,” Rune says softly.

The implication of his words takes a moment to settle into my frazzled mind. “So you’re saying she got it from me?” I choke out a laugh. “I’m definitely not a witch.”

Zev frowns. “Stranger things have happened… but you almost certainly are.”

My eyes widen. “So, you’re saying my mother was a witch? And--”

“--And your grandmother,” Rune, finishes my thought. “I could feel her power. It was confused. Untamed. But very strong. Overwhelming, perhaps. I’ve never felt more clarity regarding the prophecy.”

“Tilly is a witch?” I feel like I’m in an episode of The Twilight Zone.

“Undeniably,” Rune says.

I look to Zev who’s nodding, clearly no question in his mind either.

The next ten minutes pass in silence, as Zev and Rune respect my need to process. I can’t just accept this witch business the way I did with AJ being a nymph (especially since with everything they’ve said about nymphs that one makes perfect sense).

They’re saying I’m a witch. My daughter, who can’t yet see an inch in front of her face, is a witch. Before my mother died, I was apparently being raised by a witch. And after she went, when I spent my days and nights with Nanny and Gramps, I was still under a witch’s guidance.

What is a witch? I don’t know what this means on the most basic level. And yet, the more I reflect, the more I have to consider the possibility. Tilly was always a little off, but in that quiet, grandmother kind of way. She fully departed reality when my mother died, but even then she went mad in her own, interesting way. A lot of nights spent at the cliffside where my mom killed herself, and a lot of lucid conversations with Gramps about why they needed to go look for Lauren (my mom). I remember overhearing those talks from my room, knowing Nanny was losing it but still wishing she was right.

As we get closer to Morgan’s, I decide to break the silence with a question. “If my mom was a witch with powers and shit, why’d she kill herself?”

Zev looks over his shoulder at Rune, the two sharing a thoughtful stare before replying. Is Zev trying to figure out what the answer is, or are the two conspiring about how much I’m allowed to know. Rune finally speaks up.

“As you know from my story, magical abilities don’t keep one safe from anguish.”

It’s a good answer. Doesn’t help me at all, but I can’t blame Rune for that.

We park the car and I get Rain out of her carseat. She’s going to wake up screaming for food any minute, but I’m hoping she’ll put that off just a bit longer to give my mind time to settle.

It’s only a little after 1 pm, a much earlier return time than I expected thanks to Nanny’s episode and the nurse with no manners. I figure Darius is still sleeping or hanging out in one of his darkened rooms and AJ is either on a unicorn scavenger hunt or taking a nap in preparation for another long night of bartending.