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A loud bang to the crystal lid sounded, snapping Sadie’s attention to Charlie. Her sister’s fists pounded harder, her gaze focused, determined. No longer did fear reside in Charlie’s eyes.
“She remembers,” Skyler whispered.
A mixture of emotions washed over Sadie—this wasn’t just Charlie. The Ada piece of her was now there, just as Harlow’s was with Sadie. Skyler drew back the lid and Charlie sat up, shakily slipping out from the box.
“I remember everything,” Charlie said in a low voice, gripping the side of her skull as if she could remove the memories.
“You did this,” Sadie spat. “You toyed with an unknown spell and trapped us in this cycle.”
“Because I didn’t know what you had become. You lied to me about leaving Salem, and then you were reaping the essence from innocent people and creating havoc in your wake. With your recklessness, you were going to expose yourself! You can’t blame Papa and Jasper’s coven for everything!” Charlie shouted.
“Papa should’ve left me alone, let me marry Jasper. His coven would’ve accepted me. It was Papa’s fault!” But she knew, even though she refused to admit it, that she’d done this. “And if we’re discussing innocent lives here, what about my child? I was pregnant when you cast your spell. Did you know that?” Sadie’s words didn’t come out as harsh as she’d wanted. Instead, she knew her sister heard the sound of heartbreak within them.
Charlie stumbled backward, colliding with Skyler’s chest. “I did, but not until I unleashed the spell, then I felt it, felt the baby’s heartbeat, his heartbeat, and that’s why the spell misfired. It had only been meant for you two, but when I tried to reverse it, I got caught in the hex, as did Skyler. I never would’ve tried to end your life.”
Her baby had been a boy… Her sister hadn’t meant to harm her, which she should’ve known, but she’d still believed that Ada could’ve changed… “Why wouldn’t you want me to die, though?” Sadie asked. “You discovered what I had become, had witnessed my threats.”
Charlie heaved a sigh. “Because there was still good in you. Your heart wasn’t wholly dark, no matter how much you believed it was. There was always a part of you to save.”
“And River?”
“The same. But that doesn’t make what you did right. That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t have been repercussions.”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Do you still have your magic? Every miscarriage I’ve had has been the same child, am I right? He dies in each life.”
“It is. I’m sorry.”
Sadie held back a sob and nodded, knowing all along it had been.
Charlie closed her eyes briefly, her brow furrowed. “I do have magic still, but if you’re asking if I can break the hex, I’m not sure I know how.”
“Can you take the bind off my magic? I can help you.”
Charlie hesitated while glancing back at Skyler. “Possibly, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Irritation coursed through Sadie, even though she understood the reasoning behind her sister’s answer. But if she couldn’t help, then she didn’t know what would occur next, what would happen to River and their child. “I can’t leave the woods anymore. And if you’re afraid I’m going to hurt you, I could easily do it with an axe or a knife if I wished,” she growled.
Charlie bit her lip. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”
“I’m not going to hurt Skyler either.”
“It’s not him.” Her gaze held Sadie’s, worry flickering there. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“I love the taste of your lies.”
Sadie frowned at Charlie’s words just as Skyler cursed under his breath. Pregnant? Pregnant? It wasn’t possible… Of course, it was possible, but…
“You just got back with Skyler recently,” Sadie pointed out. “I don’t think you can find out if you’re pregnant after a handful of days unless you’ve performed a spell. Have you?” Or had her sister slept with someone else in between their breakup? She watched her sister for a lie, wondering if she had known what she was after all.
Charlie sighed. “I’m not a few days along. I’m three months pregnant.”
“What?” Sadie blinked. “So you’ve been with Skyler all this time?” Under different circumstances she would’ve been thrilled, but what did this mean?
Charlie shook her head. “No. We recently got back together, but after what happened with you and River, I didn’t know what to do. I went to Skyler’s and spent the night with him.” She bit her lip and peered up at Skyler. “I should’ve told you sooner. I know I should’ve. I was planning to tell you tomorrow at the beach. It’s not just that though…”
A baby… Sadie couldn’t help but think of her own child and she knew precisely why her sister had trailed off, why she was looking at her now with fright. “That’s my child. You’re carrying the child that River and I created,” she murmured. Instead of envy, Sadie felt only the urge to protect her sister. To protect the child, her son, who had died so many times.
