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Clair was frowning at me. Her grey eyes filled with concern. “Why don’t you go lie down honey, if you’re not feeling well?” She asked softly, reaching out to touch my hand.
I smiled at her weakly. “Ok I will. Are you guys sure you don’t need help cleaning up?”
“No, that’s fine, Raven. We’ve got it.” Clair said.
Jeremy nodded. “Go rest. I’m heading back out to the precinct after dinner, and I won’t be back here until the morning. I’ll make you breakfast.”
“Ok.” I conceded, standing up. Conrad got up from the couch, still hiding under his glamour. To my surprise, Clair glanced in his direction as he moved. I frowned. Could she see him? She shook her head slightly, and seemed to discredit whatever it was she had thought she’d seen.
“Have a good sleep. Let me know if you need anything.” She said, standing to kiss me on the forehead.
“Thanks mom.” I said softly before heading upstairs. I could feel her gaze on me as Conrad and I slipped away to my room.
As scared as I was for myself, I was even more worried for Clair and Jeremy. This was their home. If anything were to happen to them, I would never forgive myself.
Conrad waited politely outside my door as I changed. Once I was tucked into bed and ready for sleep, he settled in for a long night in my computer chair.
“Sleep good Rayven. Mi keep watch.” He whispered a few words in patois, and my eyes suddenly felt too heavy to keep open. Almost immediately, I fell into a dreamless sleep, and I was grateful for the empty void that swallowed me whole.
41
The entire house shook. There was a groan and a snap. Conrad was shaking me violently.
“Rayven! Wake up!” He hissed. I was groggy and tired. What was happening? All of my furniture was rattling; books fell off my shelves and the tiny trinkets I kept on my desk crashed to the floor, shattering.
“What’s going on?” I screamed as pictures fell off my walls.
“Dey found us,” Conrad said urgently. “Quick, get dressed. Wi have tuh go,” I held my hand to my head, swinging my feet off the bed. Conrad stood facing the door, ready for whatever would come.
The very walls of the house groaned around me as the wards bent and buckled under some unseen pressure. I had just managed to stand up from the bed as the door to my room exploded inwards. Maria stood in the frame, dark, serious, and terrible.
“Move, Obeah Man.” She said, her tone was even and dry. I realized I had never heard her speak before, and I stood frozen.
Conrad raised his arms and the glass from the broken picture frames rose from the ground and hovered around us.
“Nah today,” He snarled, and the glass shot toward the intruder. She waved a hand nonchalantly, and the glass turned to sand before my eyes. The house shook again. Maria held out a hand, and Conrad went stiff, his hands shot to his neck as if she had an invisible noose around his throat. She rose her hand and Conrad rose into the air with it, his eyes wide, and his feet kicking helplessly in the air. I watched in terror as he choked. Maria smiled as he struggled to breathe.
“Stop it!” I screamed. “Let him go!” I reached for my aura. It was so weak I could barely feel the burning of my tiny stars. I went to rip the triquetra from my throat, but it flashed and burned my fingers. I cried out in pain. My heart sank as I realized I couldn’t get it off.
“Stop it! You’re hurting him!” I screamed. Conrad’s face had gone slack, and his eyes were rolling back into his head. He was going to die if she didn’t let him go. Maria was laughing, she began to close her fingers into a fist and Conrad jerked under the pressure.
I didn’t know what to do, I looked around the room desperately for a weapon, when suddenly Clair appeared behind the witch. Her hair was tousled from sleep and she was wielding a heavy wooden candlestick.
“Get the hell out of my house,” Clair snapped, her voice unfamiliar and cold. She swung the candlestick back with both hands and smashed it into the witch’s skull before Maria could react. I watched the dark witch crumble instantly to the ground, Conrad falling with her.
I ran to Conrad’s side, sobbing. He was coughing violently, holding his throat. Clair stepped over Maria’s prone form and joined me on the floor.
“Mom!” I cried. “We have to get out of here. I can’t explain, but we have to go right now.” Conrad was nodding with me, struggling to get up, unable to catch his breath. Clair held her hand over Conrad’s throat and a soft blue light started emanating from her fingers. Conrad’s breathing normalized immediately, his eyes nearly as wide as mine.
“There,” She said, rubbing Conrad’s back as he sat up. “That’s better.” He dropped his hands from his throat, staring at her, his usual lopsided grin spread across his face.
“Mi did know, man.” He said, smiling at Clair. I was staring at both of them, shocked.
“I had a pretty good idea about you as well,” Clair said kindly. “I was suspicious when Raven started wearing the triquetra, and I thought I felt new wards around the house when you started coming around. I wasn’t sure until I caught you glamoured in the living room.”
“What is going on? Mom, you’re a witch?!” I gaped. Clair nodded.
“I used to be honey. It’s complicated, and something tells me I don’t have much time to explain.”
