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Grams was waiting for me at the coffee shop. I went to the counter and ordered a triple shot latte, asking for sugar-free caramel. Foregoing the pastries, I joined Grams at her table.
“Well, that was eye-opening. I may look good, but my endurance and stamina suck, I’m pretty adept at weights, but I can barely eke out four pushups. He’s writing up a workout plan. He wants me at the gym two days a week for weights, three for cardio, and 2 for swimming. An hour each day.” I stared at my cup. “You know something, don’t you? You’re not just randomly taking an interest in my health, are you?”
During the assessment test, I’d let my mind drift so I didn’t have to think about how out of shape I was. And the first thing I ran up against was the sudden realization that Grams knew about something that was going to impact my life.
“Is it the Butcher? Is he coming back after me?”
Grams sat still for a moment, then shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know if it’s him or not. But these woods…they frighten me in a way very little ever has. There are dark forces, ancient energies that make their home here, and some have little regard for life other than their own. In my heart, I know that you’ll be running up against them. I think your destiny, born from Scottish soil, is bound here. Your help is going to be needed.”
She sounded far away and distant. But certainty infused every word.
“All right. I can see that. The Olympic Peninsula has a life of its own, and it takes many shapes and forms, reaching out from the Lady of Crescent Lake, to bigfoot, to other, darker forces grounded deep in the national park. The energies go back beyond the natives who lived here, beyond the first human to ever set foot inside the boundaries of the park area.”
“You’re right,” Grams said. “There are nexus points around the world, where creatures from other realms can enter. This is one of them. Some of the trees here are over a thousand years old. I was just doing some research on my tablet when you came in. They’ve seen all the wars and skirmishes and lived on in silence, shrouded in mystery and their own deep thoughts. But they also provide an easy space in which to create a portal. Their magical energy is strong, hundreds of years old, and the Fae can use them.”
“I don’t know about the Fae, much. I would rather keep my dealings out of their realm?—”
“A wise decision, my girl. But other creatures out there, waiting for a way in. And demons can force a portal when it finds such an ancient soul. For tree souls are not like ours.”
I leaned forward, realizing Grams would understand my feeling about my magic. “It’s not easy being pledged as an earth witch. Our powers don’t seem as flashy as fire and water, and sometimes I feel like we run the stables and the Fire and Water elemental witches are the ones who always get to ride in the parade.”
“True, but your magic is rooted in the depths of the earth and all she can provide. Your magic is found in the stones and crystals, in the ancient halls under the grass, in the barrows of the bone-eaters. Your magic is tied to the world herself, and to all that makes the energy take form. Your magic can last a thousand years. Within that magic, the demons can take hold and worm their way in.” And with that, she began to outline the magical teachings she wanted me to learn.
CHAPTER TEN
After Grams explained the first lessons she’d be teaching me, we stopped at the grocery store on the way home. I wanted pizza, but Grams decided that stew would be healthier, so we picked up stew meat, some fresh carrots and potatoes, a can of stewed tomatoes, and some Swiss chard. I had plenty of herbs and spices, along with onions and garlic at home. She compromised though, and we added a loaf of French bread to the cart. She also added apples, for baked apples.
“If you want to get into shape, you need good solid food, and plenty of it. Less sugar, more protein and vegetables. However, I’m not cutting you off all the way,” she said. “Baked apples are a dessert that goes a long way back in our family, and while an apple a day may not always keep the doctor at bay, apples go a long ways in giving you a burst of energy.” She paused, then—as we got back in the car—said, “I know you may think that I’m going overboard, but the kind of magic I’ll be teaching you requires a body capable of handling deeply rooted energy. And you can’t run on a foundation of junk food.”
I nodded, then asked, “Does this mean you’re moving down here? That you’ll look for a place in Starlight Hollow? If you want to train me, it seems like that would be the most expedient way.”
Grams settled in the passenger seat as I slid behind the wheel. “I think…it does. As I said, I don’t get along with your mother and I cramp her style. I expect more out of her than she expects out of herself. And I don’t think she’s willing to change.”
“When do you want to go house-hunting?” Secretly, I was relieved. I’d come to rely on Grams during her visit with me, and I knew that my mother didn’t appreciate her like I did. I also felt safer when Grams was around. It was at that moment that it hit me: Grams had become like a substitute mother. She might be my great-grandmother, but she seemed more capable of handling a crisis than Catharine.
Grams seemed to sense what I was thinking, and as I pulled out of the parking lot, she said, “I do enjoy feeling appreciated and useful. It means a great deal to me.”
“You mean a lot to me. When you first wrote that you were coming to visit, I was worried. I thought that I’d fail to live up to your expectations. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that you care. You care about me and you care about others. Bree loves you, too. She told me she wishes she had someone like you in her life. Since her brother was killed, her parents have been too broken to help her with much. She understands, but that leaves her feeling all alone in the world.”
Grams was silent for a moment. “She’s a talented young woman. Puma shifter, correct?”
“Yes. That gives her an extra boost for her job. She can change shape and easily visit all the trails, she can explore the byways and back roads to gain an expanded view of the country she’s leading them into.” I told her about Bree’s predicament. “So the hikers misled her as to their knowledge, the hike was a disaster, and now they’re threatening to sue her for breach of contract—they never made it to the lake—as well as putting them in danger.”
“That’s ridiculous. If they misled her as to their abilities, that’s their problem and she shouldn’t have to pay for it. Did she ask them to them sign waivers?”
“Yes, she always does, and they did. It’s the logical thing to do.”
“Then she shouldn’t have any problems, but if she wants, my lawyers are on call and I can ask them to talk to her. They’re expensive, but I’m willing to pay for them to look over the situation and tell her what her next steps should be.” Grams pulled out her box of Mint-oes, a soft mint chew—and offered me one.
I popped one of the soft chews into my mouth. “Thank you. I’m sure she’ll take you up on the offer. I’ll call her when we get home.”
We changed the subject to cousin Owen’s wake.
“I’m going to ask you to keep the peace with your mother while you’re there, for Ciara’s sake. She’s lost her son, and it’s never easy. Trust me, I know—and so did your grandmother. She lost your father shortly before she died. In fact, there was only a three-month span between Malcom’s death and Elisa dying. Thank gods it wasn’t your other grandmother who died. I doubt your mother would have been able to handle losing both a husband and her mother in the same year.”
Both my mother’s parents were still alive, but they were constantly traveling. They weren’t exactly jetsetters, but they had adopted the lifestyle that some of the snowbirds did: they basically lived aboard cruise ships. They had a home base, but seldom used it. In fact, they rented their house as an Air BnB, and used that money to fund a good deal of their travels.
My mother resented it. I knew because she told me she resented it. She seemed to feel they were spending her inheritance. Aunt Ciara, on the other hand, cheered them on. But now, I imagined, my aunt would be longing for her mother to come home. Grandma Anna and Grandpa James weren’t exactly candidates for parents of the year, but they were caring and they had done the best they could by their daughters.
