Coven Of Catastrophe: Book 3 in the Lorna Maximoff Series

Spirit As Our Guide

I was numb. Billy managed to bring me back to his house, to the family he had but I did not.
Agatha was my only family left...and now she was gone. Billy's parents were kind, though quite concerned and confused as to why their son was returning after 48 hours with some random girl and looking like we'd both been to war and back.
"Sit." He said gently, guiding me onto his bed.
He glanced around the room, in a daze of his own.
I could hear is mind working, racing...slowly coming to the same conclusion I had.
The road had never been real, not until him and I had made it. Just as Agatha had said.
And if we had made it....
I looked up to my brother, my eyes mirroring the tears in his own, "Then we killed them."

A cackling I knew all to well filled the room.
"Agatha!"
I turned in disbelief, and there she was, a ghost...somehow still looking good.
"I saw you die...."
Agatha smirked, "Yeah. And now, I'm a ghost. Can you dig it?"
My mouth hung open, so did Billy's.
Agatha cackled, "I mean look at this!"
Agatha drifted towards us.
"By the way I did not sacrifice myself for you fools." She pointed a finger at us. "I took a calculated risk." She waved hr hands around, "Still figuring out the rules here-" she attempted to slap Billy, then me, "See, so disappointing."
My jaw dropped slightly, "That's what you're worried about!"
Billy spoke again, "The road...that was us wasn't it."
Agatha smirked softly, "It was your mind...her magic." She smiled at me, "The Witch Godesss." She hissed the words out, "All the magic in this universe, and you used it to help your brother, even when you didn't know it was him."
The weight of what we'd done hit me all at once. Agatha looked almost proud.
"My magic....did that."
"We killed them..." Billy whispered, "My mind killed them!"
Billy had to take a seat, and I found myself on the verge of hyperventilating.
"It wasn't your fault it's mine..."
"Look around Lorna, all the idea were mine." He said gesturing to his room.
I took a staggering breath, remembering everyone...
"Alice!"
"Well I killed Alice." Agatha amended.
"Lilia..."
"Her choice-"
"Ms.Davis!"
"Who?"
"Agatha for fucks sake Ms.Hart!" I yelled.
"Ah yes the gardening lady."
"We killed them all."
Agatha rolled her eyes, "Well actually, if you do the math you actually saved a life."
I glanced up, "Jen? She made it out."
Something like relief washed over me,
Agatha shrugged, "I mean I was gonna kill them all in my basement on day one." She sighed, "If you want to be a witch. Get used to this feeling."
I glanced at Billy, each of us thinking the same thing.
We stormed out the room, and drove over to Agatha's house in the car.
Her ghostly form remained irritatingly by our side, even as we walked down to the basement. The door was still there.
"Oh, back to the scene of the crime are we?" Agatha mocked.
"Shut up Agatha!" I yelled.
"Please, you were crying for me not hours ago."
"Ya well that's when I thought you were dead!"
Billy busied himself with gathering things while I fought with Agatha.
"This is ridiculous, what's the point of being dead if your even more annoying that when you we're alive!"
Agatha it ignored my question and drifted over to Billy.
"You have something of mine." She said, clearly seeking her pendent.
Billy went to the centre of the room and began casting a spell, he took out Agatha's own pendant and began to chant.
"Wait..."
Agatha seemed to realize what he was doing at the same time I did.
"Billy wait, we can't just banish her!"
"Why not!" He shot back.
He continued and Agatha began to fade, "Agatha tell him! Tell him why you don't want to go!" I yelled at her, "Tell him or I'll let him do it!"
She reached out, trying to grab her pendant.
"Why are you still here!" I yelled.
In a familiar fit of rage Agatha slapped the pendant from Billy's hand.
"Because I can't face him!" She screamed.
The pendant fell to the floor. I glanced at it in shock....ghosts could touch things now?
"Agatha..."
Billy sighed, "Nicholaus..."
Agatha walked over to the pendant and managed to pick it up.
I rolled my eyes, "Of course she can pick it up, she may as well be alive."
I walked over to Agatha, my earlier anger dissipated.
Billy spoke, "I'm sure he would forgive you...for, whatever you did."
Agatha shook her head softly, "It's when you say things like that...you remind me of him."
She walked over to me, "And you...Lorna...are like me, but only the good parts."
She reached out, and I felt a cold but comforting sensation as what would have been her hand touched my cheek.
"You picked it up." I said, eyeing her pendant.
She smirked, "Well, I'm a quick study...speaking of which, you still have much to learn little witch...or should I say the witch godesss."
I glanced away, "I still don't get what that means."
Agatha smiled softly, "I know....but you will."
I glanced at her, "Maybe you can still teach me."
Billy stepped in, "Spirit as my guide."
"Well, we do make quite the team." Agatha added.
"And to tell you the truth...I've always wanted an apprentice...or two?"
I glanced at Agatha, I thought about America, how she would feel about this. I missed her, but I needed to take this step.
"What about the sorcerers, and Kamar taj, I have friends there."
Agatha quirked a brow, "You mean your little girlfriend...im sure we can grace those fools with our presence." She mused, "Consider it joint custody."
I rolled my eyes, but I was happy Agatha was here...even if she was a ghost.
"You'll like America I think...she's not technically a sorcerer."
Agatha smirked, "Good. Now, shall we?"
I glanced back at Billy

"We need to close it." I said, "before we leave."
I glanced down at the door to the road, and with a wave of my hand, it solidified, a memorial to those lost. Sharon, Alice and Lilia's names remained.
"One door closes..." Agatha mused.
"And another door opens." Billy finished.
I opened the door to the basement, and the three of us stared out into the light together.
Agatha smirked, "Let's go find Tommy."
And so I walked with my brother, and my mentor out into the light. And I did not know where we would go next. I did not know what dangerous lay ahead. If Tommy was really out there, if Vision was still out there...If my mother was alive or dead?
But I knew one thing, I was the witch goddess, and whatever that meant....I was going to figure it out.