The Daughters of Maine Read online

  The Daughters of Maine

  by

  Tish Thawer

  * * * * *

  The Daughters of Maine

  Published by Amber Leaf Publishing

  Copyright 2017 by Tish Thawer

  All rights reserved

  Smashwords Edition

  www.amberleafpublishing.com

  www.tishthawer.com

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography

  Edited by Laura Bruzan

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any use of name brands herein is done so under the Fair Use Act.

  Licensing Note: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be resold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the author's work. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

  Table of Contents

  Contents:

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Excerpt

  Acknowledgements

  For all those who never stop looking for more.

  “God and Goddess of the moon, stars, and sun, shine your bright blessing upon me as this new day has begun.”

  –– Tish Thawer

  the

  Daughters

  of

  Maine

  Prologue

  SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS

  Present day

  The cauldron bubbled and burped its putrid fumes into the small storage room Ann had called home for that last six months. Though recently cursed to live as a mortal, the magic she’d wielded for centuries still sizzled in her veins, reminding her of all the things she was no longer able to do.

  The tsk of her tongue against her teeth marked the only reaction to the memory she’d allow herself, for the task at hand required all of her focus. Spells and witchcraft still existed, just not in the form to which she was accustom. It took more effort and a multitude of ingredients when wielded by anything other than a true witch. Adding another pinch of fennel, she closed her eyes and began her spell. “Time is mine, fluid and true. Take me back, my curse to undo.”

  A pop crackled behind her, splitting the air and sparking the deep well of hope that still––even after all her failures––continued to live inside of her. “Yes! Come on. Open.” Ann’s eyes grew wide as the portal she’d struggled to create time and time again began to expand. Squinting, she peered through the sliver of altered space and found a crowd of cloaked witches milling about. She waited patiently to gauge the timeline, hoping this was where––or more importantly, when––she needed to be. The crowd grew quiet as four figures emerged from a cave.

  “Welcome, my sisters and brothers. Our energy here tonight is what drew you to us, and now that our full powers are returned, we are to hide no more.”

  Ann scoffed as she watched Trin raise her arms into the air. “Power heals and power binds, sending its call throughout time. Divided no more, united are we, the Witches of BlackBrook, forever the three.”

  “Well, shit. I’m too late again.” Ann flung a handful of black salt into the cauldron, snuffing out the power of her spell and systematically squashing the last bit of hope she had.

  The brew sputtered and hissed, capturing her attention as a faint whisper floated to her ears.

  “Do not quit, my child, your aim is true. Simply alter your destination and you’ll emerge victorious.”

  A confident leer stretched across Ann’s face as something far more sinister than hope began to swell from deep within her chest.

  Chapter One

  BLACKBROOK, NEW YORK

  Present Day

  Trin sat straight up in bed, shocked awake by yet another nightmare.

  “Honey, what is it?” Jason asked, rubbing a comforting hand along her bare back.

  “I’m not sure.” She shook her head, her long auburn waves cascading side-to-side.

  “This is the third bad dream you’ve had this week,” Jason recounted.

  Trin looked over her shoulder into the bright hazel eyes of the man she’d loved for centuries. Jeremiah, now Jason, remained her rock and understood all that had transpired while they’d been apart; from the very beginning when her spell separated her from her loved ones, to the demon and fellow witch that had kept them apart for all the long years, and the multiple lifetimes that had followed. Now here, reunited and transformed into their true selves, she held her teary gaze to his and bared her fears. “And just like the previous two, I can’t remember a single thing about it. The feeling is always the same, though; something bad is about to happen.”

  Jason sat up, dipping his dark head to place a soft kiss upon her shoulder. “I think it’s time to tell your sisters.”

  Trin shivered and shook her head, not ready for another earful from her newly reunited sister witches.

  The smell of bacon permeated the air as Trin and Jason descended the stairs. Caris, aka Kara, her middle sister, was bent over the stove as she was every morning.

  “Good morning, love birds,” Caris called out. “How are you two on this beautiful day?”

  “Morning,” Jason and Trin jointly intoned as they each claimed a stool and slid up to the kitchen island.

  Caris spun, sending her russet ponytail swinging as she cocked her hip and waved a spatula in their direction. “What’s wrong?” she asked, piercing Trin with a concentrated stare.

  “Nothing. I’m fine. Just another nightmare.”

  “What do you mean another one?” Kennedy sauntered into the kitchen fully dressed in a navy pantsuit, her dark-red hair tucked into a neat bun and her FBI badge securely fastened to her belt. “The last one you mentioned was weeks ago.”

  Trin lifted the glass of juice Jason had placed in front of her to her lips, using this moment to take in Kenna, her baby sister. Her confident, down-to-business aura was different from what she remembered in their youth, but there was no delaying the conversation that needed to happen today. “Yes. And when I mentioned it, you both brushed it off as nothing, so I didn’t bother bringing it up again.”

  Caris’s eyebrows shot toward the ceiling as she turned back to the stove to attend her bacon while Kennedy joined them at the island, her plate in hand. “Trin, it’s not that we brushed it off as nothing, but ever since we stripped Ann of her powers and vanquished her to Salem, you’ve had all sort of feelings about the situation. Honestly,” Kennedy lifted her fork to point at Caris’s back, “we think it’s probably just guilt.”

  Trin set her glass of juice back onto the granite countertop as gingerly as she could, considering her tightening grip. “Look, I know we’ve been
apart for a really long time, and getting back into the swing of all things magical hasn’t been easy for any of us, but I need you to remember that I’m your big sister, and if I say something’s wrong, I would hope that regardless of our current station in today’s world, you could at least give me the respect I deserve as your High Priestess and not make assumptions.”

  IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS

  1690

  “Kenna, Kara, please finish your chores so that we can make our deliveries and return before the moon fully rises.” With a flick of her wrist, Karina sent two brooms soaring through the air towards her little sisters.

  “Why do we have to clean every day? It’s not like Mama is here to notice anymore.” Kenna sobbed as she grabbed the broom and sank immediately to the threadbare couch.

  Karina moved to sit next to her baby sister, knowing her words would only serve as a superficial tonic to the sorrow of losing their mother just a few months prior. “I know it’s hard, little one, and I miss her too, but Mama left this house to me...to us,” Karina gestured to both her sisters, “and like she said, if we take care of it, it will always take care of us.”

  Kenna wiped her dirt-soiled cheeks and nodded in understanding.

  “Besides, the faster we’re done and get these deliveries made, the faster we can get back here and continue our spell.” Karina bopped Kenna on the nose.

  The mention of doing magic together brought a spark to Kenna’s eyes. Pushing off the sofa, her broom sang in a chorus of swooshes as she glided across the small living space at the front of their cozy little home. Kara had already finished in the kitchen and was moving to the back room where they kept all their supplies. “Do you think we’ll need more herbs or candles to finish our spell?” she asked Karina.

  “No. I’ve already gathered everything we need from the nearby field and creek.” Karina dropped her head but couldn’t hide her sad eyes. “With everything that’s going on in town, we simply can’t risk buying anything that would arouse suspicion.”

  Kara set her broom against the wall and pulled her big sister into a hug. “We’ll be okay.”

  The rising tide of witch hunters and false accusations had already begun to spread through the land, and now with their mama gone, it fell to Karina to keep everyone safe. A responsibility she didn’t take lightly. “I hope so, but I can’t shake the feeling that something really bad is going to happen.”

  Kara pulled back. “Something worse than losing Mama?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid so.”

  Chapter Two

  The memory hit Trin hard. Knowing that the ‘bad feeling’ she’d felt was the catalyst to all that had followed during the burning times––including her own capture and persecution––certainly didn’t help ease her mood towards her sisters’ current opinions. “I understand that you may think I’m simply feeling guilty, but I assure you, it’s more than that. We need to do a spell and scry for answers.” Trin pushed off the kitchen stool and placed her breakfast dishes in the sink.

  “Okay, sis. Let’s plan to meet back here on Tuesday to work the spell. If this is as serious as you think, we’ll need to use the full moon’s power to clear our sight,” Kennedy suggested. “Plus, I have to head back to Washington for a few days to finish up some work, so I’ll be out of pocket until then.”

  “Why do you have to go back to Washington? I thought you used your magic to alter the minds of your employers so that you could stay away as long as you wanted,” Caris asked.

  “I did, but at the time it had only been us two,” Kennedy waved a hand between herself and Caris, “so my magic wasn’t as strong as it is now that we’ve found Karina and it’s probably close to wearing off.” She smiled at her big sister, hoping that despite their growing pains she knew how happy she was that they were all together again.

  “Ah, I gotcha. Okay, well, Tuesday it is then. I’ll check our supplies and make sure we have all the necessary ingredients,” Caris confirmed.

  Trin moved around the island so she could embrace them both at the same time. The loving energy that passed between them had become familiar again, and it never ceased to warm Trin’s heart. “Thank you. And as far as Ann, yes, I do feel a tad bit guilty for banishing her, but only because I remember her as Kit and can recall all the good times we had together throughout the centuries. I do not, however, feel guilty that we stripped her of her powers.”

  Trin thought back to the time when Ann had been under the demon’s influence and their nightmare had truly begun. Shivering, Trin turned to Jason. “I have today off and planned to spend some time with a few of our coven members, but since you’re still on vacation too, I think I’d rather stay home and do some meditating with you, if you don’t mind.”

  Jason’s sexy smirk and wagging eyebrows sent her sisters into a fit of laughter, but Trin quickly explained, “Get your minds out of the gutter. I’m hoping to tap into some of Jeremiah’s old memories of the other witches in the vicinity to see if there are any other threats we’ve perhaps overlooked.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Caris agreed. “With Kennedy heading back to Washington, you’ll have the house to yourselves for the entire day until I return from school.”

  “Okay, perfect,” Trin replied. “We’ll let you know if we uncover anything.” She nodded toward Kennedy.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you all on Tuesday.” Kennedy waved goodbye and grabbed her briefcase, but stopped just before reaching the door. “Trin, please be careful. If you do find anything that worries you, promise me you’ll wait until we’re all together before attempting contact, okay?”

  Trin sighed and leaned into Jason’s comforting embrace. “Will do.”

  Trin busied herself by washing the dishes by hand and organizing the few supplies they kept in the kitchen for any impromptu casting they may need to do on the fly. She hadn’t said a word since Kennedy left, and didn’t plan to until Caris had vacated the house as well. Once the door shut, Jason approached cautiously and wrapped his arms around her waist before speaking over her shoulder. “I know it upsets you when they treat you like the fragile one of the bunch, but you have to understand, it’s only because of how much they love you and that they’re scared of losing you again.”

  Trin’s shoulders raised and dropped in rhythm with her deep breath. “Yes, I understand, but what they don’t seem to remember is that I am and always have been the strongest of the three.” Trin spun in Jason’s arms, bringing them face-to-face. “I’m the one who took care of them when Mama died. I’m the one who always kept them on task when they fought me at every turn. It’s only because of me that they developed the powers they possess at all.” Tears began to sting her eyes by the time she buried her head against Jason’s broad chest.

  “I know, honey, and again, I’m not defending their actions, but simply trying to explain. You were on your own for all those centuries, practicing your magic as much as you could with your bond hindered by Kit and the demon. But Kara, Kenna, and I were together the entire time, honing ourselves into the best witches we could be without you. It was tough on us not knowing how you’d react or how our energies would respond to one another once we were all reunited. I think that worry alone drove them to push themselves into becoming the witches you see today.” Jason pulled back and looked Trin straight in the eyes. “They just wanted to be as strong as possible for you.”

  Trin maneuvered out of Jason’s arms and walked into the living room, casting flames from her fingertips to light a fire within the hearth. “I know that too, but it’s been hard for me as well. Thinking I’d been with Kenna all this time and remembering her as the petulant but sweet child I loved so dearly, only to find out that Kennedy is this hard-edged, kick-ass and take names kind of woman is something I never would’ve expected,” Trin shook her head as she eased down onto the couch. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t admire her for those traits and respect the powerful witch and woman she’s become, but I guess my only problem is that, I just wish
they’d give me the same level of respect instead of treating me like a ticking time-bomb ready to go off at any minute.”

  “I know, and I’m sorry babe. I think after spending centuries apart, we all thought coming back together was going to be easy, but here we all are, trying our damnedest to reacquaint ourselves with long lost versions of the past that simply no longer exist.” Jason sat beside her and reached for her hand.

  Trin stared at his strong, work-hardened hands and smiled. “You’re right, of course. And perhaps what we need to do before scrying or meditating on some kind of impending doom, is perform a ritual just for us, welcoming our new-selves in a way that will not only bring us all closer together, but also honor the job the Goddess bestowed upon us.”

  “I think that’s a great idea.” Jason slid closer to Trin and placed a light but meaningful kiss upon her lips. “So, if we’re not going to do any meditating today, how about we focus on my original idea instead?” He wiggled his brows again and felt Trin’s mood lift immediately along with her desire.

  “I like the sound of that.”

  Chapter Three

  Caris flipped the key and shut off her Jeep after pulling into the school parking lot. Reaching for her cell phone she pressed the #2 key and waited for Kennedy to pick up. “Hey, are you okay? You seemed off this morning? Did Trin upset you?”

  “No, not really.” Kennedy sighed. “It just feels so odd having to tiptoe around the new emotions in the house. And you know me, I don’t really do strange feelings and gut reactions very well,” Kennedy replied.