Page 56 of Wicche Hunt

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” I moved closer but she walked to the edge of the cliff, overlooking the roaring ocean.

“I’ll try to stop by tomorrow to see your progress. I know you’re tired. You should go home and try to get some sleep. I’d like to be left alone now,” Mom said, her face tipped up to the moon.

“I hear the dismissal loud and clear, Mom. I’ve heard it most of my life. I need to tell you something, though.”

“Oh, darling, I’m not up to hearing about what a horrible, cold mother I am.”

“I never said that.” I’ve thought it plenty, but I never said it.

“You didn’t need to. Lots of family members over the years have felt the need to inform me.” She closed her eyes, her face still lifted to the wind.

“They’re just jealous and more than a little afraid of you.”

She barked out a harsh laugh and shook her head. “I’m fine. You should get back. I know you have lots of work to finish.”

This was when I’d normally take off, happy to get away from the crushing expectations they had for me. “Not this time, Mom.”

Opening her eyes, she glanced over and sighed. “All right. What is it you need to say?”

“I saw you in a vision.”

She waited, brow furrowed.

“You were little and had had a nightmare about having a Cassandra daughter who would live a short, miserable life before walking into the ocean.”

Mom’s eyes filled with tears, but she didn’t look away.

“Great-Gran told you the Goddess had blessed you and that you needed to find a father for the child who was powerful, maybe even more so than you, so that I could live.”

She didn’t speak.

“And you did, because here I am. It hasn’t been an easy life, but you made me strong enough to survive it. Thank you.”

The tears finally slipped over her lashes.

“Did you hate him? Was he cruel?” I paused, not wanting the answer but needing to ask. “Did he hurt you? Is that why we never talk about him?”

She lifted one hand to her mouth, as though trying to keep it all in, and then shook her head. Finally, behind her fingers she whispered, “I loved him.”

“What?”

Wiping at the tears, she nodded. “I did. I loved him so much and he loved me.”

“But then…”

“I wanted to be with him all the time, but I had responsibilities to the family. I was on the Council and missing meetings. People relied on me, and I was letting them down.”

“Mom, you’re entitled to a life. Your siblings didn’t give up their partners for the sake of the family.”

She shook her head. “It’s different for me. I had been gifted by the Goddess, chosen to be the next to lead. Like your great grandmother and Gran, the health, welfare, fortunes of this family have fallen to me to protect.”

“Okay, but you could do that with a partner. Gran and Great-Gran had husbands.”

“They had wicche husbands.” Anger underlined her words. She turned back to the ocean. “I was young. The elders set the expectations and held me to them. It was one thing for me to bear a half-fae child who could help the family and an entirely other thing for me to bring that fae man into the family, for there to be other half-fae children sullying the Corey line.”

“This family is lousy with sorcerers and they look the other way, but bring in a fae man and they hold the pure bloodline? That’s it, Mom. We’re going scorched earth on this whole fucking family.”

She let out a breath and smiled through the tears as she pulled me into a hug. “I wish I had your strength.”

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