The Witches of Marble Falls

XV

Agatha stood in the front hall, her eyes on the stairs. She had felt something shift in the house, she had felt the energy increase as if someone was performing magic. She placed her hand on the railing, but Alaric appeared behind her and touched her shoulder.

'We would know if it was wrong, Agatha.' He turned away from her and entered the den, where Kittie sat on the floor, staring out the glass doors to the garden. Agatha followed him, her thoughts a tangled mess behind her eyes and closed lips.

'I still have a lot of research to conduct before we can make a solid decision on how to proceed. I've found very little information about her state, and the answers that creature provided were vague.' Alaric spoke, crossing his arms over his chest. Agatha sat behind her sister, on the couch, and placed her hands on Kittie's shoulders. The somewhat comatose woman raised her right hand slowly to grip her sister's in her weak fingers.

'Any answers, vague or otherwise, are welcome at this point.' Agatha's face was contorted with concern. Alaric took a deep breath to prepare himself.

'You are aware of the questions I asked the creature?' Agatha nodded. 'He informed me that the person who performed this ritual to sever Kittie's bond with her soul is a relative that is neither dead nor alive. This person exists on some strange plane. They are capable of appearing to us, manipulating objects, living what we would assume was a viable life—but they are also capable of disappearing, of removing themselves from our reality. They can travel through the veil with ease, more easily than even you or your sister are capable of.'

'Did he give a name?' Agatha asked without thinking. She caught herself, but Alaric shook his head.

'No. His other answers were just as vague. So much information, but so little that actually pointed in the proper direction. That's why I am having such a difficult time finding a place to start my research.' Alaric paced in front of the sisters, his arms still crossed. 'When I asked the purpose of performing the ritual, his response was to laugh. He informed me that the person who performed the ritual is corrupted, its soul is black and dead. The witch who cast this upon Kittie is power hungry and has a deeply rooted desire for revenge against your family—yet again, the creature was unable to give me specific information.'

'I just don't understand it.' Agatha whispered, running her fingers through her sister's hair.

'My final question was met with an odd answer, more unusual and vague than the others.' Alaric stated, stopping in front of the women. 'The creature stated that in order to reverse what has happened, we need an object, two virgins, and the original grimoire.'

'That makes no sense. We haven't moved any closer to understanding this mystery, and it nearly killed Emilia!' Agatha shook her head. She was muttering under her breath when a sound from the doorway stopped her. She looked over and saw Valerie standing in the entrance, Emilia leaning against her. She was pale, the circles under her eyes dark and her face drawn, but her eyes were bright.

'Harvey Wakefield. Harvey Wakefield performed the ritual to rip apart Aunt Kittie's soul and sever her connection with her power.'

***

The silence in the room was palpable as Valerie helped Emilia to the couch. She set her sister down and gathered a few pillows to prop behind her.

'How—how is that possible?' Agatha questioned, ringing her hands in her lap as she stared out the glass doors. Alaric had stopped pacing and sat down across the room in a high backed chair. He laced his fingers together and rested her his on his thumb, a look of deep thought on his face.

'This person exists on some strange plane,' Emilia repeated the answer given by the creature. 'He is neither alive nor dead, but exists in-between our world and the next. Kind of like he is holding onto this life by a few thin threads. Harvey Wakefield, our uncle, was not dead when he was pulled from the lake, though he was not breathing. He could have been saved.'