Crone Alone by Donna McDonald

Author:Donna McDonald
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Donna McDonald

The skull grew radiant as they watched. The soft gray light around it expanded until it nearly touched the three of them. The skull hopped on the table, turning until it faced each of them. It repeated the hopping until it stopped for good in front of Listeria.

“Daughter,” a voice said from the skull.

“Father Corey?” Listeria asked, feeling a chill chase down her spine when she recognized the voice. “Who disturbed your grave, Papa? Who did this to you?”

“The evil one...”

Listeria chewed her lip. “Reverend Cotton Mather?” she asked.

“His kind corrupts. Your mother. Forgive me, child. Put me back...”

Listeria shuddered. While she studied the skull, the color it radiated turned from gray to red and felt as thick as blood as it stretched toward only her. It was one of the worst magical experiences of her life.

When she glanced away, Listeria noticed Violet and Katherine were staring at her. “Did you hear any of what the skull said to me?”

At their negative headshakes, Listeria drew in a breath. “The skull belongs to Giles Corey. People believed the Coreys adopted me, but he was also my biological father. He wants me to put his skull back with the rest of his body. Do you think everything in that duffle bag was meant to be used against me?”

Violet didn’t enjoy thinking about it, but she didn’t want to lie to Listeria. “I don’t think someone dug up your father by accident. They may have wanted us to find the skull, so you’d be freaked out.”

“Mission accomplished then,” Listeria said.

Katherine pulled her hands together and stared at the now silent skull. “What do you think they planned to do with the skull?”

Violet shrugged. “Dark magic desecrates with intent. Just as we set a positive intention in our work, the dark practitioner sets a negative one. The key to both is what is done to support what you ask of the magic. I’d wager whoever dug up Giles Corey’s grave and stole his skull knew he wasn’t just Listeria’s adopted father. Only a blood link works in magic.”

Listeria ran both hands over her face. “Good Goddess, I haven’t thought of this in forever. Violet, Mather knew about my father.”

Violet frowned as she spoke. “Are you sure?”

Listeria lowered her hands and nodded. “When my mother died, it was Reverend Mather who brought me to the Coreys. He didn’t take me anywhere else in the village or consult the congregation. Ann Corey even asked Mather why he assumed they would take on the responsibility. Instead of answering her directly, he smiled strangely at her husband. Eventually, my father told her it had to be done. He said it was their turn to show charity to an orphan, and that I was as good as any. I found out after they hanged Ann Corey. He was trying to arrange a marriage for me, so I’d be taken care of. ”

Katherine covered her face with her hands. “How long are we going to keep re-living Salem over and over? Centuries have passed.

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