Page 11 of Haunted Eclipse

As I examined the rest of the cards, I immediately saw that the problem surrounded a man. That much was obvious, and the cards told me they’d had an argument over him.

“Was there a man in your past—your mother’s past—who caused turmoil between you? Someone who brought about an argument, or a dispute?” I glanced at the Prince of Wands. “He might be a fire sign, or have a fiery personality. Someone who was arrogant, or overly self-assured?”

“Oh my gods, yes.” Charity straightened, her voice agitated. “There was.Trevor. My mother was dating a man when I was fourteen. He was an asshole, and I hated him. We fought about him constantly, until he finally left. My mother blamed me, said that I was the reason he left. But we let that go some time ago.”

A bell rang in my brain. Yep, this was the rift her ancestor had told me about. And they might think they’d left the argument in the past, but it was still there.

“You and your mother haven’t resolved the issue. This will cause problems for her when she crosses over. You need to talk to her about him, and be clear. In fact,” I said, narrowingin on an impression that solidified the more I focused on it, “you might accidentally keep her bound to this plane by your resentment over him. She doesn’t know how badly he hurt you—” I froze as I caught a glimpse of something I didn’t want to see.

A man, creeping into a young teen’s bedroom, late at night…

She met my gaze, and the pain in her eyes told me I was right.

“You never told her, did you?”

Charity sat very still, but her expression crumpled. “No, I didn’t,” she whispered. “I thought she wouldn’t believe me.”

“You need to talk to her. You need to tell her what he did to you. If you don’t, the anger and fear attached to his abuse will reach out and draw her back.”

“I don’t want to hurt her, not now—” Charity started to say.

“You’ll hurt her more by not telling her what happened. She needs to know, so you don’t silently bind her to this realm. And think of this: once she makes her transition, she’ll know what happened. She’ll be able to see it.” I tried to think of a way to explain how it worked. “If you don’t take care of this, that anger will fester deep inside, and you’ll attach it to her, instead of him. Blame the man who did it.”

“But she should have protected me,” Charity blurted out. She gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. “I didn’t mean that—she was so busy, trying to keep us alive after my father left.”

There—the rest of it came out. “You’re afraid she’ll think it was your fault.”

Charity leaned back in her chair. “I guess Iamafraid that she’d blame me, even after all these years. I’m thirty-seven now. It’s been twenty-three years, but I still remember every detail of that night. You know, it was just a few days after that incident that my mother broke up with Trevor.”

Everything was falling into place. Eva had seen Trevor watching Charity, but the desperate hope that she was imagining things kept her from acting. And then, something had shifted and she knew her fears were founded. But instead of talking to Charity, Eva had kicked Trevor out and went on with life as though nothing had happened.

“This is what you need to do: you need to tell your mother what happened, but try to remember she was in a vulnerable state and that she never wanted to see you hurt.” I loved it when readings fell into place, the combination of magic and the tarot solidifying the situation.

“And that will set her free when she’s ready?” Charity asked.

I nodded.

“It’s not as easy as booking a trip, though, or taking her to her favorite national park.” Charity sighed. “I guess we do need to talk about it. I thought I’d left my anger behind, but I never really dealt with what he did to me. And I guess I do still blame her.”

“Sometimes the freaks of the world are really good at hiding their perversity. She might not have known when she met him.”

“Did she ever figure it out? Does she already know what he did to me?” The look in Charity’s eyes told me I was treading in dangerous waters. One wrong word and it could make things worse for both of them.

“Perhaps, but not on a conscious level. I think she may have suspected, but she probably thought you would tell her if anything did happen. Miscommunication, at worst, Charity. But this will free her, because of that part of her that has always wondered. Sometimes, knowing the truth releases a burden. And knowing the truth now will allow her to move on.”

I sat back, staring at the cards. “Your mother is stronger than you think. She’s resilient. She wants to wrap up all the loose ends she can before she leaves, and this is one of thelast.” I paused, then added, “Your ancestors are waiting for her, Charity. They’ll take care of her when she passes. It’s not the end, you know. She’ll still live on, just in a different form.”

Charity sat very still for a moment, then tears welled in her eyes. She swallowed hard. “I’m so afraid.”

“You don’t want to lose her. Of course, you’re afraid. But she’ll watch over you. And your ancestors are watching over you.” I described the woman I’d seen. “Do you recognize her?”

Charity worried her lip, then nodded. “We had an old photograph hanging on the wall when I was young. I think I have it in storage. It sounds like my great-great-great grandmother, Ronita. She looked a lot like the woman you described, and she was a librarian before she got married.”

Again, the bells rang in my head. “Yes, that’s who she is. So take comfort in knowing that she’s always there, standing watch. And she’ll help your mother when it’s time.”

“I guess I have my work to do, then. I’m just…”

“Don’t wait too long,” I added. “Your mother may not have as much time as you think.”

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