The canopy of leaves above Ben’s head parted, lifted by the midafternoon breeze. Birdsong sounded. In the distance, Ben caught the flutter of wings. The lazy breeze carried the honeyed scent of the flowers to him, as time passed in a leisurely unhurried way. It was an absolutely idyllic moment―except for the part where Ben was trapped and pretty sure that Ethan intended to kill him.
How does this keep happening? Getting murdered once was bad luck. The second, unsuccessful attempt at his death could be written off as coincidence. But this? Ben narrowed his eyes, watching as Ethan laid another armful of boughs to the rapidly growing pile in front of him. This is entirely too much.
At least Ethan wasn’t gloating. He didn’t even seem to be enjoying his task, stacking the wood with every evidence of regret. Though, as Ben noticed Ethan’s hand lingering over a withered branch, he wasn’t entirely sure that Ethan’s sympathy wasn’t solely with the cut branches. “What are you doing?”
Ethan drew his hand back. “Bonfire.” He placed the next branch on the pile.
“Wait a minute. You’re about to build a fire in the middle of a forest? I’m a city kid, and even I know what a bad idea that is!” Ben tried again to free himself from his bark restraints. “You never had Smokey the Bear in Little River?”
Ethan’s mouth twitched, even as he snapped a branch to better shape his bonfire. “I can mind a fire.”
“Great. I feel so much safer now.” Ben caught himself too late―antagonizing Ethan was not going to help his situation any. I have to make him see reason. “It seems like such a waste. Can’t you―” What was a Nate word? “―compost them?”
Ethan raised a branch so that Ben could see that yellow spread from a brown patch in the center of a leaf. “Diseased.” He dropped it back in the pile. “Composting spreads it. Burning kills it.”
This is not good. Ben watched the bonfire grow with increased apprehension. Did burning also kill rot? Whether it was Ben’s demonic involvement as an almost-sacrifice or his vampiric past that Ethan sensed didn’t matter. Fire would kill him. “You are aware that I’m not a plant? I’m not diseased or rotten―just different!”
“Different’s not good.” Ethan paused, his brow furrowed. “Don’t know much, but I know that.”
“Not necessarily! There are all types of people―”
“Not like me.” Ethan continued his task, every bit as matter-of-fact as if they were discussing different varieties of apple. “You weren’t there at the house when they came. If they could have cut me down, they would. They’ve been trying―you don’t know how they’ve been trying―but they found a way at last.” Ethan’s mouth twisted unhappily.
“Threatening your family? Ethan, that’s intimidation. It’s a crime. The police will help―”
“Who took Nate away? Told Ma it might be better if the rest of the family kept a low profile?” Ethan angrily brandished a sorry looking twig at Ben. “Wasn’t Dan and his lot.”
“The sheriff is just doing her job, Ethan. She doesn’t know. And how can she, when your entire family is determined to lie to her―lie to everyone?” If Ben could have freed his hands, he would have made fists. As it was, he felt the sandpaper-like surface of the tree scrape across his skin as he tried vainly to move them.
“Nate’s gone,” Ethan continued as if Ben hadn’t spoken. “And I have to stay here.” He glowered at the pile of branches.
Calm, Ben told himself. This may be your only chance. “You miss Nate, right? You want to help your brother?” He tried to look as engaging as he could. “You can. If you tell the sheriff that Nate took the scan and sample on your behalf, take the test yourself, it’ll prove you―and therefore Nate―had nothing to do with Harriet’s murder. They’ll have to let him go.”
Ethan’s frown increased. “Ma said the only way to help Nate was to stay out here until she called me back. Said it was safest, that with them thinking I was locked up, they wouldn’t trouble us.”
“But Nate’s getting plenty of trouble. You don’t want that, do you?”
“Nate’s safest where he is.” Ethan returned to his task of stacking the branches. “You have to isolate the disease to stop the spread.”
“Isolate?” Prison was definitely a form of isolation, but Nate wasn’t diseased―was he? “Are you saying―” Ben strained against the tree trunk as an explanation occurred. “Ethan, are you protecting Nate from Sandy? You know what he is?”
“Rotten,” Ethan said, a grimace turning down the corners of his mouth. “All the way to his core.”
Ben stared. All the time, Ethan had the knowledge that Ben had worked so hard to attain. “You―” Like a jigsaw puzzle, pieces fell into place. “All those years ago―did you drive Sandy away?”
A smirk settled across Ethan’s face as he nodded. “Sure did.” He didn’t try to disguise his satisfaction with himself. “Knew he was bad from the start, but didn’t think much of it―most people are a little bit wrong inside.”
“Wrong inside?”
“Fear, want, envy.” Ethan shrugged. “I don’t know. Too much of it warps you. Like a plant without light to grow, or not enough nitrogen in the soil.”
“Um.”
“Sandy was the worst. But I avoided him. But when he got his rot in Nate, I had to stop it fast.” Ethan flexed his powerful hands. “I’d have liked to rip him out by his roots.”
Ben tried not to think about just how strong Ethan was. “But you didn’t.”
“Next best thing,” Ethan dusted off his hands on his jeans, letting go of the branches. “Threw him in the river.”
“Seriously?” Getting his ass handed to him by a thirteen-year-old? No wonder Sandy had a grudge against Ethan.
Ethan nodded, a definite smile playing around his mouth. “Told him he could come back when he was clean and not a day before. He didn’t like that. Not at all.”
“I can imagine.”
Ethan nodded. “He made a thing.” He raised his hand palm up as if grasping for something not there. “A creature of smoke and ash and pain.”
“He summoned a lesser demon?” Sandy had been the demon’s agent for at least seventy years, time enough to gain that knowledge and power―but it was still a shock. George needs to know what she’s up against!
“Didn’t last long whatever it was.” Ethan’s shrug spoke volumes. “Ended up as fertilizer. Used it on the sweet potato crop.”
Ben stared. If he hadn’t been half-trapped inside a tree, he’d not have believed what he heard. As it was, even with the rough grasp of the bark a constant reminder that Ethan broke all the rules, Ben still struggled to believe his ears. “Are you saying you defeated an attack by a lesser demon―as an untaught natural practitioner aged thirteen?”
Ethan turned away, his expression hardening. “Those are your words. Not mine.”
“No, no, no, no! Ethan―that’s a good thing! A really good thing.” An unbelievably good thing. Ben took a deep breath to try to calm himself.
“Ma doesn’t like it. She says it’s meddling in what shouldn’t be meddled with.”
Ben grimaced. This was going to be hard to get right. “Your mother’s a good woman. But she’s not magically trained. I’m not sure she knows just what you’re capable of.” I’m not sure anyone knows. “Identifying the wrongness within Sandy, driving him away, fighting his monster… There’s not many people alive who could do that.”
Ethan’s nod had a grudging quality. “Sandy didn’t like it. Not one bit.” His smile crept back, thoroughly unrepentant. “Didn’t think I’d ever see him again.” He frowned, turning back towards the overgrown orchard.
Ben watched him walk away with an acute feeling of shock. Nothing in his training had prepared him for this. Power on that scale was the province of senior vampires or demons, beings not usually encountered without plenty of warning. This―
Ethan’s lying. He’s got to be. There was no way what he described was possible! But Ethan didn’t care enough what people thought of him to adjust his behavior. Would he care enough to lie?
Ben thought of Ma’s tangible anxiety. Possibly, he decided. For all of his coldness towards people, he’s got a soft spot for Ma―and Nate. He went along with both their lies for a happier existence.
But at what cost? Ethan was no longer in view, but Ben could hear the chop of his ax as he worked his way through the orchard. He sucked at his lip, trying to imagine the implications. Growing up surrounded by lies― Now that sounds familiar.
Ben shook his head in a futile attempt to get his hair out of his eyes. It was no good. The idea had taken root. I punished Dad for lying by holding myself apart from him―and look at me now. I don’t trust enough to let myself love or be loved. If it wasn’t for the tree’s grip, he would have sagged forward, letting himself feel the full weight of this discovery. I can’t blame Nate― It’s me.
A distant crack recalled Ben’s thoughts to Ethan. You can apologize to Nate―by getting yourself and him out of trouble. He turned his face in the direction of the unseen orchard. Ethan’s grown up with lies… Ma and Nate obviously cared a lot about him, but did that only increase the pressure on Ethan? Lies told with love are still lies…
Ben tried to imagine it. His aptitude for study had always been met with praise, and although Austin expressed concern that Ben didn’t spend more time with his peers, he was proud of every single one of Ben’s achievements. Ethan on the other hand… He’s had to hide, even from those who most love him, all his life. Nate complained about Ethan’s diffidence towards his magic, but Ben saw it in a new light. If all your life you have to hide, you’d have an antagonistic relationship with whatever is forcing you against your true nature. Add in a pervasive religious atmosphere with no real understanding of magic, and it was too easy to see how Ethan could associate his magic with negative reactions.
That’s really got to suck. Nate claimed Ethan didn’t care, but Ben wasn’t so sure. Always holding yourself in check, disguising your true nature, living in fear of what may or may not be coming―
Something stirred in reaction to Ben’s thought. Something―outside of Ben.
Ben stilled his mind instantly. His ARX training in identifying and resisting influence came instantly to the fore. Something’s there. Ben clamped down on his reaction and let his mind drift back over his train of thought. There were no leaps, none of the gaps of logic or memory that indicated influence. Something listening? Alert now for any signs of his mental eavesdropper, Ben let his thoughts drift. I was thinking about hiding…about the unhealthy effect of living in fear―there!
The presence realized it had been found, drawing back.
Don’t go! Ben made his thoughts as welcoming as possible. Please, I want to talk! He shoved back the knowledge that he was rapidly running out of time, that Ethan might return to start his bonfire at any moment. I just want to know what you’re doing.
There was no response, the presence continuing to withdraw.
Attempting to connect with something within your mind was against all the recommended advice, but Ben tried to take mental hold of the presence. Please―
He got a sudden, blinding vision. Sun, filtered through dozens of green cells. It faded, the awareness sinking back behind a rough barrier of tough bark.
Ben’s mouth felt dry. A―tree?
Not just any tree. Ben craned his neck, trying to look up at the tree that bound him. This…this isn’t supposed to be possible! All living things had the capacity for magic, but trees lacked the awareness to use it―didn’t they?
The tread of Ethan’s footsteps snapped Ben’s attention back to the immediate situation. He watched as Ethan placed his burden of branches down and began adding them to the bonfire. Before getting to work on his task, Ethan reached out a hand to one of the surrounding oak trees in a gesture that would not have looked strange between friends.
Ben tilted his head. “Ethan. You―really like to help plants, don’t you.”
Ethan snorted, clearly not considering that worthy of response.
Ben pressed on. “Instead of cutting back injured or diseased branches, have you thought about using your power to heal the tree instead?”
Ethan glared at Ben. “Using it is wrong.”
“Why? Because Ma and the pastor say so?” At Ethan’s nod, Ben continued. “You wouldn’t punish a plant for growing according to its nature, would you?” Ethan paused, holding the branch. “You shouldn’t punish yourself either. You should embrace your nature―”
“Planting trees in the wrong environment causes stress.” Ethan frowned, looking not at Ben but at the surrounding trees. “Makes them more susceptible to diseases.”
“That’s what I mean! You’ve been living in the shadow of this fear all your life.” The canopy rustled overhead, and Ben pressed on quickly, sure he felt some spark of interest in the surrounding air. “This fear―it’s like a blight. It’s making you unhappy, Nate unhappy, Ma unhappy―” Ben faltered. The eavesdropper was back, not troubling to hide its presence now. Ben tried not to think about it, concentrating on Ethan. “It’s making all of you sick. But it doesn’t have to be that way.”
Ethan stood in silence, his head bowed in thought. Above them, the leaves whispered, sounding like a rush of voices.
Ben held his breath.
“People are afraid.” Ethan started. “They wouldn’t be afraid if it was natural.”
“They don’t know what your magic is,” Ben said. “They think all magic is like Sandy’s―harmful. You can show them they’re wrong.”
“They threatened us,” Ethan continued. “Tried to cut us down. Over and over, they tried.”
Cut us down? Ben threw a glance around the clearing. The surrounding oak trees looked just like any other tree he’d seen, but he was starting to suspect they were anything but. “Fear. It’s blighting them too, making them scared and afraid.” He bit his tongue, wondering how to proceed.
Ethan turned to him, waiting and there was something of Nate in his expectation of help.
“It’s not going to be easy.” Ben swallowed. “At all.” Ethan continued to watch him. “People prefer to live with fear than to face it. But the only way to escape this blight you’re living under is to face it.”
“You know how to do that?”
Ben nodded. “There’s a friend of mine, George. She has evidence that will clear you―prove to the sheriff that you had nothing to do with Harriet’s death.” Ben hesitated. “It won’t convince everyone. But I think it’ll mean a lot to Ma.”
Ethan nodded, drawing himself up in a way that indicated business. “Let’s go.” He set down the branch he still held, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans as he strode forward purposefully―right past Ben’s tree.
“Ethan?” Ben twisted, trying to catch a sight of him. “You have to take me with you― Ethan!”
His footsteps had faded away.
Ben wriggled, trying vainly to free himself from the trunk. Has he seriously just left me here? He’s going to be arrested and no one will think to look for me―
The bark let go its hold on him. Ben stumbled forward, tottering dangerously in the direction of the unlit bonfire before managing to right himself. Regaining his balance, he turned to see Ethan remove his hand from the trunk.
A smile played around Ethan’s lips. “Only joking.” He turned. This time he did walk away into the woods.
Ben took a deep breath, before following him. What on earth have I done?
✩✩✩
“Sandy. That’s it? No last name, date of birth, identifying information…?”
Ben juggled the phone on his shoulder as he pulled his belt on. He sat in his rental car in the driveway outside Nate’s home, waiting while Ethan explained to his mother what they intended to do. “He’s been described as having blond dreadlocks, green eyes, and being politely spoken to a degree at odds with his appearance. He’s also been known to summon demonic entities when threatened.”
“Now there’s an interesting party trick.” George sounded distracted. Probably taking notes.
“I’ve done what you asked me to do, George.” Ben watched Ethan and Ma appear on the porch, Ma apparently remonstrating with her son. Ethan didn’t hesitate, walking directly towards the car. “Time to uphold your part of the deal.”
“Yeah, yeah. Give me a second.” There was a rustling sound as various papers were sorted through. “Okay. We’re going to need Ethan himself. Good luck finding him.”
The car dipped as Ethan climbed into the back of Ben’s rental car.
Ben permitted himself a smirk. “Not the problem you imagine.”
“If you say so.” George didn’t sound impressed. “We’ll need a priest, too. You already prepared one of those?”
“One moment.” Ben muffled the phone against his shirt as Ma climbed into the passenger seat. “What’s the name of the local pastor―Whitlock? Any idea where we could find him?”
“The pastor? I don’t know if this is a good idea.” Ma gazed anxiously at Ben. “Ethan says your friend knows a way we can prove that he’s not involved with the case?”
Ben nodded. “I’m not entirely sure what she has in mind,” he admitted. “But she said she has proof that will clear Ethan and get Nate out of jail.”
Ma’s fingers closed around the seatbelt, but she made no move to put it on. “It isn’t just the proof that concerns me. Ethan―” She cast an anxious look back at her son. “They might find something that’s not related,” she said. “I don’t want to see my son taken away.”
Ben bit his lip. This was the root of the problem―what Ma and Nate had tried so hard to protect Ethan from. If Ethan’s true potential for power was known, there was no knowing what might happen. “Whatever we find out today, it won’t change who Ethan is. Your son, Nate’s brother―his powers won’t take that from you. Your fear might.”
Ma’s eyes widened. She turned to stare at Ethan.
Her son shrugged. He took up half the back seat, all by himself. “My call. I say we do it.” His tone was unruffled as he combed his hair out of his eyes. “You don’t fight blight by pretending it’s not there.”
Really? Ben shot Ethan a quizzical look in the rearview mirror. He didn’t make all his decisions based on gardening practices, did he?
“You know your mind best,” Ma agreed, sliding her belt home. “But I’ll be happier when I’ve got both of my boys home.” She began to finger comb her long hair into order, using the car’s mirror. “Council meeting today, at the church hall. Just off the main street. I can’t go into the church like this―look at my hair!”
Ben raised his phone. “Pastor’s at the church hall. Meet there?”
“All right,” George agreed. “I’ll pick up the sheriff on the way.” She didn’t wait for an affirmative, simply hanging up the phone.
Now the sheriff, too? Ben eased the car into the room, feeling the full responsibility of his charge. Get Ethan locked up and Nate would never forgive him. That’s one thing Ma and I are in full agreement on. Both of us will be a lot happier when this is over.
It took a matter of minutes to arrive in Little River. Ben spotted George’s car parked outside the police station, fire department and library, and knew she wouldn’t be far behind. He pulled up outside the church. “Here.”
Ma undid her belt with a snap. Her face was set in a stern mask, and she climbed out of the car, not speedily, but without hesitation. She reminded Ben of something. But what?
A hunter. Ben fumbled with the car keys. She’s bracing herself for battle. He felt sorry for Pastor Whitlock.
The church was quintessential country, painted white with a cheerful red roof and stained-glass windows that glowed green, like fresh grass. Ma led them down the well-maintained path and cheerful looking bushes to the hall, a long, squat building, sharing the church’s color scheme, but none of its proportions. Ma didn’t knock, she just opened the door and walked in. Ethan followed, leaving Ben no choice but to do the same.
They interrupted a meeting. The pastor, wearing his clerical collar with a short-sleeved shirt and slacks sat at a table with two men and three women, going over what appeared to be a roster. He stood as they entered. “Emma. I thought I made myself clear. You’re no longer welcome here.”
“No longer welcome,” Ma said. “And here I’ve been a member of this church since I was baptized in it.” She looked at the group at the table, her mouth tightening. “Nice to see that you haven’t wasted any time figuring out how to replace me.”
“As if we’d let anyone who sheltered a murderer worship in our church―” The woman appeared to notice Ethan for the first time, flinching back against her chair.
“Emma,” the pastor said. “I must ask you and Nathan to leave.”
Ma crossed her arms. “Ethan and I aren’t going anywhere.”
“Then you leave me no choice.” The pastor reached into his pocket.
“If you’re calling the police, the sheriff just pulled up outside,” Ben said helpfully. “And if you’re going for a crucifix, that’s not going to work either.”
The pastor sent Ben a puzzled frown, but before he could muster an argument, the sheriff stepped through the door, removing her hat as she did. “Afternoon, Pastor, Council. Hopefully we won’t keep you long.”
“Sheriff! There’s been some sort of mistake! This is Ethan―”
“So I’ve heard.” The sheriff’s tone was dry. “Apparently, our twins need a refresher on the laws surrounding impersonation.”
“You mean fraud,” Ray said helpfully, following the sheriff into the hall with a case that Ben recognized.
A scanner? Now the presence of the pastor made sense.
The sheriff stepped aside for her deputy. “I mean identity theft.”
“Which is a form of fraud.” Ray smirked. “You sure it’s the twins that need the refresher, Sheriff?”
She shot him a withering look as George slipped into the hall after them.
The pastor took that moment to interrupt. “Sheriff, I must protest this intrusion! As the spiritual leader of this community, I cannot tolerate the existence of this”―he motioned towards Ethan―“thing in our midst!”
“Of course,” the sheriff murmured. “So I’m sure you won’t object to lending us your expertise for a moment.”
“Expertise?”
Ray patted the case he held. “We have here a scanner used to detect magical energies.”
“Scanner?” Ma studied the case. “The one you used on us at the farm?”
“The very same.” Ray didn’t ask before placing the case on the table. The council members shrank back as he snapped the case open.
“But they’ve already been checked,” the pastor said. “Your results―”
“That’s it.” The sheriff reached out for the scanner. “I’m an officer of the law, not of the supernatural. In my hands, this only gives a bare indication of magical presence. For example.” She held the scan up to Ben. “Hawick. Any objection to giving the good folk a demonstration?”
“None at all.” Ben straightened up.
The scan flashed blue.
“Demonic energy!”
Ben rolled his eyes. “Exposure to any sort of magic will have that reaction.”
The sheriff nodded. “Hawick’s an ARX agent, as you may have heard. He’s licensed to deal with supernatural cases.”
No longer licensed―and she knows it. Ben shot the sheriff a second look. What was she playing at?
Whatever the true state of Ben’s practitioner status was, the sheriff’s statement seemed to relieve her audience. “And you, Emma. We’ll show the folks what a clean slate looks like.”
Forget steel. The look Ma gave the pastor as she stepped forward to be scanned could have cut diamonds. She didn’t speak. The lack of reaction from the scanner did that for her.
“All clear.” The sheriff turned towards Ethan.
Ben steeled himself. This was the moment of truth. In the sheriff’s hands, the scanner would not distinguish between natural or demonic energies. Ethan had used his magic to trap Ben within the plant. Once he tested positive for magical use, he’d never be classified as normal again. It has to be done. But Ben struggled to breathe. Depending on the strength of the reading, Ethan could be taken into custody immediately―
“There is a difference between being holy in the sight of the law,” the pastor said. “And holy in the sight of the Lord.”
The sheriff lowered the scanner, turning towards the pastor. “I see you anticipate my request.”
“Request?” The pastor blanched.
Ben held his breath.
Ray motioned to George. “George here was the late Mr. Harriet’s hunting partner. She has in her possession a diary that indicates that Harriet visited Little River, met Ethan, and using a scanner of a similar model to the one I’m using, concluded that he had no traces of demonic involvement and took his investigation elsewhere.”
Ma had gone very pale. Ben took a step towards her, but Ethan was faster, putting an arm around her.
“But you scanned them yourself!” the pastor protested.
“And that’s where the problem comes in. For the scanner to give accurate results, it needs to be in the hands of a spiritual professional. You.” The sheriff accentuated her point by wagging the scanner cheerfully.
The pastor gulped. “I couldn’t possibly…”
“We’d be greatly obliged if you did.” The sheriff reached to tug at the brim of her hat, forgetting she’d already removed it. “Tell them, George.”
“Harriet wasn’t an ordinary hunter,” George said. “He trained for the priesthood before finding his true calling as a hunter. He was ordained in order to better perform exorcisms and have access to the church’s records of the supernatural.” She raised a battered journal with a leather cover. Harriet’s diary. “In his hands, a scanner was a lot more precise. He could calibrate it to exact streams of magical energy. So you see, we need a priest in order to replicate his results.”
“You’d be helping a police investigation, Whitlock,” the sheriff said. “Not only your civic duty, but your moral one, too, I think.” She paused, thoughtfully. “Unless you’d prefer I ask Father Lewis to assist…”
“There’s no need to bring the Baptists into this.” Was it civic duty or the fear of another priest stealing his thunder that prompted the pastor to take the scanner? “I know my duty.” He looked down at the scanner. “Is it on?”
“Let me turn the knob to demonic frequencies… Now just slide the power button―there.” Ray guided the pastor. “We’ll use Hawick as a test.”
Ben gave Ray a flat look. He wasn’t sure how he felt about being relegated to ‘control’ subject―or was that demonic poster child? He steeled himself as the scanner was pointed at him again. Nate would do the same for me.
“The light changed! Did you see that? It flashed red!” The pastor took a step back. “That has to be demonic influence!”
“Got it in one,” George said. “Too bad, Ben’s influence is already on record.” Everyone else seemed to have taken on the tense atmosphere of the room, but George was unapologetically cheerful.
“Thank you, pastor. And now, Emma.”
Ma stepped forward. She crossed her arms, lifting her chin in mute challenge.
The pastor hesitated. “I’m not sure this is necessary. We’re not investigating―”
“It’s procedure. If you don’t mind…” The sheriff trailed off to watch the pastor raise the scanner reluctantly. The lack of reaction surprised no one.
“And now Ethan.” The sheriff motioned him forward.
Ben felt a moment’s pity for the pastor. Ethan’s bland expression was just as intimidating as Ma’s angry challenge. He only hesitated a moment, however, pointing the scanner squarely at Ethan and pressing.
And pressing again.
“Nothing’s happening.” The pastor frowned at the scanner.
“It looks like you’ve confirmed Harriet’s finding. Ethan’s got no demonic involvement at all.”
“But that can’t be the case! It’s jammed―malfunctioning somehow.” The pastor pointed the scanner at Ben. It immediately flared red.
“No malfunction,” George said. “Now, if we’re finished here, Sheriff, I’ve got a person of interest report to lodge.”
“Not so fast,” the sheriff raised her hat to the pastor and the silent, watching council members. “We have a young man who needs to be reunited with his family first. Ray―”
Ray saluted. “I’ll follow with the scanner, Sheriff.”
“See, Ma?” It was Ethan who broke the silence. “No need to worry.” He followed the sheriff out the door.
Ethan leaving jarred the rest of them into action. George tucked Harriet’s diary back into the inside pocket of her jacket and hurried after the sheriff. Ben stepped back to let Ma follow ahead of him. She laid her hand on his arm in unspoken thanks.
“Emma.” The pastor emerged as Ma and Ben joined Ethan in the rental car. “Wait.” Apology evidently wasn’t easy for him. He tugged at his collar as Ma wound down her window. “It appears we may have been mistaken.”
“Mistaken?” Ma gave him a hard look.
“I think I speak for the congregation as a whole when I say we would like you to return, put this regrettable incident behind us.”
“Which regrettable incident is this?” Ma said. “The one where you accused me of consorting with the devil and threw me out of your church, or the one where you incited a mob to attack my children?”
The pastor shot a wary glance at the sheriff. “Tempers might have been running high, the situation got out of hand… But you must understand―”
“I understand,” Ma said. “That I’ve given years of my life to this church, and in my hour of need, it wasn’t this church that answered my prayers.”
“We’re only human, Emma.” The pastor struck an ingratiating note. “Forgiveness is a great virtue―”
“Perhaps you should make it the subject of your next sermon. Which I―and my sons―will not be attending.” She wound the window up, drowning out the pastor’s protests. “Let’s go,” Ma said. “We’re done here.”
Ben bit his lip to keep from whistling. Ma was mad.
“You never let us miss church.” Ethan’s tone was laconic.
“Things are going to be different now,” Ma said grimly. She twisted in her seat, reaching for Ethan’s hand. “I’m so sorry, Ethan. Of all people, your mother should have known you best, and instead I let my fear get the better of me. It won’t happen again―but will you ever be able to forgive me?”
Ethan attempted to endure the attention with his usual indifference. “Ma. You’re fussing.” But the rearview mirror revealed that he blinked rapidly.
What do you know―there’s a human in there after all. Ben returned his eyes to the road. As he glanced in the mirror, he caught the sheriff looking after them. Is she―smiling? The sheriff tugged her hat down over her eyes, but Ben was convinced he'd seen a brief flicker of her mouth.
Did she do that on purpose? Ben thought back to their standoff with the pastor. He'd assumed that the sheriff had been distracted before she could scan Ethan herself, but if she'd purposefully emitted it…
She knows. Or at least, she suspects that Ethan's magical―and she's okay with it. Ben released his death grip on the steering wheel. He could tell Nate his brother's secret was still safe.