Page 82 of Big Witch Energy

“You killed his son,” Caroline reminded her, her good hand searching the ground for a rock or a stick or…something to tear at the duct tape.

“Because he was straying from the path I made for the family! Your father should have thanked me. Even he told your brother not to leave the island, to stay on Starfall where it was safe! And your stubborn, disobedient brother refused to listen—so proud, always thought he knew better! Sharper than a serpent’s tooth are the objections of a willful, disobedient child!”

“That is not the quote,” Caroline said.

Rose carried on as if she hadn’t even spoken. “All your brother had to do was stay where he was told, to follow my instructions, but he had to go see that girl, that strumpet, writing so freely to a man. She was no fit woman to marry a Wilton. And I wouldn’t have it. He had to serve as a lesson to the rest of you. And you, my Caroline…”

“Don’t ever call me that,” Caroline snapped.

“Don’t interrupt me, it’s rude,” Rose sniffed. “You were one of the few bright spots in a dismal generation. You were always obedient, always aware of the consequences for moving away from me. It pains me to do this, but clearly, your family needs another reminder of the consequences of rebellion.”

Keep her talking. Caroline sucked in a deep breath while her brain tried to process the potential outcomes of this situation. She loves the sound of her own voice, loves being in control. Keep her talking until the others can show up or you can figure out a plan.

“So…what?” Caroline asked. “You’re just going to keep killing us off until there are no more of us left to disappoint you? There’s only a handful of us left at this point.”

“I’d rather you be dead than a poor reflection on me,” Rose said primly.

“No one knows you exist,” Caroline said.

“Perhaps I should save myself the trouble,” Rose mused with that clinical detachment. “I could take you all in one final act of mercy. The constables are eager to find a plausible reason for the unexplainable, even in this age of electricity and technology.”

“You might get me,” Caroline said, remotely registering the sound of buzzing in the distance, a low hum echoing over the water. “But it’s not going to have the effect on my coven that you think it will. I don’t think you’ll ever be able to go home. They’ll put wards on the Rose, so you can never go back in. Hell, they might even re-create the locks, so they can banish you from the island. You overplayed your hand, like most tyrants do, because you think you’re never going to run into someone meaner and crazier than you.”

The buzzing noise got louder and louder. And out of the corner of her eye, Caroline saw an object flying toward her. It was bright red and coming at her with a dizzying rate of speed.

“Caroline, cover your eyes!” Josh thundered over a bullhorn. Caroline shrieked and threw her hands over her head. She grunted at the pain in her hand as something struck the RV over her head. Salt and herbs rained down around her.

Rose screamed, half-insult, half-rage, as she sizzled away.

When the “sprinkling sound” stopped, Caroline looked around to see herself surrounded in a not-quite-perfect circle of damp rock salt. Remnants of red latex laid scattered among rose petals and herbs. This had a certain teenage girl’s brilliantly spiteful fingerprints all over it.

Caroline cackled as Rose’s damaged form lumbered away into the woods. “You forgot about magic. You forgot about how much people could love each other. And you forgot about Mina freaking Hoult.”

Swiping wet salt from her cheeks, she looked toward the water to see Ben, Riley, and Alice waving at her from a little speedboat. Caroline huffed out a joyous cry as they beached it. She was so glad to see Ben, as well as the kids, who were zooming up beside the boat on a neon-green Jet Ski…and Ben seemed really surprised to see them.

Which was weird.

Mina was holding some sort of balloon slingshot thing. Josh was driving, which seemed to be the thing that was making Ben nervous. That was reasonable, considering Josh was operating a bullhorn with one hand while steering with the other. Caroline wasn’t a parent, but that seemed really, really unsafe.

The sight of Riley helping Edison flop over the stern of the boat made Caroline’s chest go warm with affection. Edison got in a boat. For her. Her heart was touched.

All of them spilled out of their watercrafts, Riley supporting Edison as he kissed the silty shore. Alice sprinted up the beach, pocketknife at the ready to cut Caroline’s feet loose.

“Was that a water balloon full of rock salt?” Caroline asked, grinning at her.

Alice threw her arms around Caroline, kissing her cheeks, her brow, and then spitting out the grains of rock salt clinging to her lips.

Mina was next, hovering at Caroline’s side and sobbing against her chest. Josh carefully patted Caroline’s shoulder. She covered his big hand with her uninjured fingers.

“The trick was only adding the water at the last minute so the salt didn’t dissolve, and filling it partially with air to keep the latex at tension—it only worked because the ride across the lake was pretty short,” Josh said. “And of course, the water-balloon catapult that we stole from a kid on the beach.”

“It doesn’t strike me as the sort of thing a child should have, really,” Caroline mused. She had to keep talking about this nonsense, or she would bawl. She would lose all control of herself and sob out her hysterical relief.

Nope, nope, too late. Ben baseball-slid in front of her and wrapped her and Josh and Mina in his arms. Caroline was sobbing anyway. Mina and Josh gracefully exited from the group hug and let Alice and Riley hug them while Ben checked Caroline’s injuries between fierce hugs.

“I’m so sorry,” Ben said, holding Caroline. “I said stupid, asinine, useless things because I was hurt and I was scared. I am so scared to lose you again. I don’t think I could survive that.”

“I said stupid, asinine, useless things too,” she said. “Because I’m scared that I’m not enough and I won’t ever be. And you need more and the kids deserve more and…”

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