Seven Days

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Syd stood on the top step of the wide, wraparound front porch and paused. The house had been in the Prescott family since the first Preskova set foot in Cranford Falls in the late nineteenth century, and had only ever been inhabited by them. She'd never given her family's gifts, as they called them, much thought, as they were simply things she and her sisters had been born with being able to do. They'd been taught from a young age to keep those gifts close, to not divulge them unless it was to someone they trusted implicitly. She never gave a second thought to Gram's being able to cast charms, although she knew very well her grandmother could do just that. She never stopped to think Gram had already done just that, protecting her family and their home to the best of her ability.

But, had Gram ever encountered anything like this? Any being like Tori? If so, she kept it to herself, and knowing Gram, that's exactly what she would do—keep them all in the dark until it became necessary to shine the light.

For Syd, her abilities were no different to her than the ability to draw was to someone artistic, or a writer's ability to paint pictures with words instead of acrylics. She'd never taken them for granted, but never boasted about them, either. They simply were.

Auras were her strength. She could look at a person and judge their state of mind, their trustworthiness, their temperament, and at times, their faults as well. She didn't have to think about, didn't have to study it. A quick glance at someone and she could read them almost immediately.

Back in August, Frerin's aura had been red and orange, tinged with pink. He hummed with restless energy, and women fed off that energy. It drew them to him. She'd seen that and knew the signs and ignored it back then. That was why his disappearance from her life didn't come as a surprise. She figured it was bound to happen and the one night she'd spent with him was definitely worth it.

But now? Now, he was content. He wasn't on the prowl for someone new and different. More green tempered his aura these days. She could trust him. He had changed and for the better and she knew when he said he loved her, he meant every word of it.

On the other hand, Gram's aura had changed over the last week or so, which led Syd to wonder if Gram had seen signs of trouble where Tori was concerned. The red that normally showed around her had grown deeper, a sign she was asserting herself as the family leader. But, a hint of deep blue also showed. Sadness. Or perhaps exhaustion. Maybe a combination of the two. Either way, Gram had shouldered a heavy burden and Syd knew Tori played some role in it.

She sighed softly as she dug out her keys. Gram said no one would get inside without an invitation, but what if Tori touched Teddy or Charlie? What if she touched Gram? How would any of them know?

Her head hurt just thinking about it.

A car drove by and as she turned to take a look, it slowed in front of the house, then stopped. It was a white Tesla that made almost no sound at all, and Syd's heart picked up its pace as Christina stared at her for a long moment, then offered up a slow, smug smile that made every hair on Syd's body stand up.

Time stood still for that moment, then, as another car approached from the opposite direction, Christina stepped on the gas and drove off. A moment later, Frerin's Jeep came into view and Syd's gut twisted as he pulled into the driveway and stopped behind her Jetta.

He climbed out and gestured in the direction Christina had driven off in. "Was that who I think it was?"

"Yeah." Syd turned toward that same direction, but the Tesla was out of sight now. A dull headache took root behind her eyes, pricking at the backs of her eyeballs like dull needles. "We should go inside, Frerin. We need to talk."

From the corner of her eye, she saw him stiffen. After all, nothing good ever came of those words, right? She turned to him. "Don't look at me like that, it's nothing too bad."