The Moreau Witches Trilogy
Part Two
Healer
by Julien Gregg
Copyright © 2025 by Julien Gregg
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author by email. The link is below.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Ten
This short part will tell you what happened next.
Quinn Moreau, Heir to the Legacy of The Moreau Family and High Priest of Moondance coven stood in a room inside the Moreau Medical Group. Pierre his brother and fellow High Priest of Moondance stood with him. They were waiting on Shirley Baker to come into the room to be healed. Pierre was there with him because Shirley had cancer and those healings took the most out of Quinn.
Quinn was now thirty-tree years old with fourteen year old twins and a record for healing at the Moreau Medical Group. Over the years he’d healed so many that he’d become the legend of the Moreau family. The Moreau Medical Group had morphed into a full fledged hospital over the years as well. It now had six floors and three wings. The building took up an entire city block.
They’d been in the room for a little more than a half hour when Shirley and her husband Dave came in. Dave handed Pierre a check for ten thousand dollars. Quinn didn’t require this but people kept paying. Shirley was a young woman with curly shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. Her face was all over freckles as well as pale and gaunt. Dave was a bit thick in the middle in jeans and a t-shirt. His dark hair was combed to the left but a little messy from the wind outside.
Shirley had thyroid cancer and she was in stage four. Quinn wasted no time while Pierre explained what would happen he sat Shirley on the exam table and told her to lie back. Then he put his hands on both of her shoulders and started to look inside her. Cancer was easy to see and he found it quickly. He attacked it with his killing power just enough to kill the cancer. Then he was coaxing new cells to grow, making sure they were healthy, and then looking for any remaining cancer. He found some in his bones. It had spread and she didn’t know it. He attacked the cancer in her bones until it died. Then he coaxed new cells to grow to replace the cancer cells.
Time was moving while he was doing this. Pierre looked at his watch and saw that three hours had passed since Quinn had begun. This was running long for a healing but then it was cancer. Sometimes cancer grew in places unknown to doctors and scans. Quinn had probably run into a spreading situation. This was the fifth cancer patient he’d seen in the last year.
He watched Quinn like a hawk. The last time he had a cancer patient he fainted when he was done. Pierre was worried about him. Then finally Quinn sat back. Pierre sighed with relief as Quinn stood on his own. He wobbled a bit and Pierre was prepared to catch him but Quinn stood on his own.
“The cancer is gone,” he said. “Have your oncologist run scans. You’ll see. You’re healed.”
“Thank you so much,” Dave said, pumping Quinn’s hand.
“Turn him loose, now,” said Shirley. “He’s about to fall over from the effort it took to heal me, Dave.”
“Sorry there, Mr. Moreau,” Dave said, letting go of him so fast that Quinn nearly fell backward but caught himself.
“Call me Quinn, please,” he said. “If you have any questions just talk to Bastien Moreau, the Chief of Staff here.”
“Thank you so much,” Shirley said. “I feel so much better already.”
“You’re more than welcome,” Quinn said. “Drive safe now.”
“We will,” she said. “You get home to bed.”
“I’m going,” he assured her.
When they were gone Quinn sat in the chair usually used by the doctor. Pierre looked at him but Quinn waved him off. A yawn racked his body and made him shiver. Pierre wasn’t convinced that he was all right just yet.
“You look like you’re about to fall asleep,” Pierre said.
“I’m getting my bearings,” Quinn replied.
“Had it spread?” Pierre asked.
“To her bones,” Quinn replied.
“I figured,” Pierre said. “You were at it for over four hours. It’s almost dinner time. If I get you back in less than perfect shape Marcel might kill me and Philippe might help.”
“You leave the boys to me,” Quinn laughed. “Marcel and Philippe love you, Pierre. They’d never hurt you.”
It had turned out that Marcel had Quinn’s powers right down to the making flowers grow or wilt. Thankfully the boy hadn’t killed anyone but he had used his power on an errant wolf that had tried to attack him. Quinn couldn’t fault the boy for killing the wolf.
“They told me to watch you,” Pierre said.
“And you are,” said Quinn. “I’ll be ready to go in a minute.”
“Whatever you say,” Pierre said with a grin.
“Shut up,” laughed Quinn. “I’m ready now.”
Pierre helped him to the SUV and then drove straight back to the compound. He took Quinn to his house and Marcel and Philippe took him up to bed. Pierre hugged them both and left.
Philippe went to the kitchen to make sandwiches. He saw Charlie’s ghost and said hello. Both he and Marcel shared their father’s power to see and communicate with the dead. It was a feat that amazed Henri. He still showed up from time to time to eat dinner and hang out with them.
“Put that away and let me walk you through a real meal,” said Charlie.
“A real meal?” Philippe asked.
“A meal that your father will appreciate,” said Charlie.
“Okay,” he said.
Charlie walked him through a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy with snow peas on the side. He was proud of himself when he pulled the meatloaf out of the oven and hour later. Marcel came into the kitchen following his nose.
“Smells good in here,” he aid.
“Charlie taught me to make meatloaf,” Philippe said with a grin.
“Cool,” he said. “He taught me to make clam chowder when Dad was craving it,” Marcel said.
“Nice,” said Philippe.
The twins got along famously and that was a good thing. They respected each other and had only recently moved into separate rooms. Henri had been gone for a while but Marcel wasn’t ready to sleep alone in the room. Philippe had moved into the room slowly. He was all the way moved in now.
“That looks great,” said Marcel.
“Thanks,” said Philippe. “Go wake Dad.”
“Sure thing,” said Marcel as he left the kitchen.
He returned a bit later with washed hands and Quinn. Quinn sat down at the head of the table and accepted a plate from Philippe. It looked and smelled amazing. He hoped it tasted good. He knew how devastated Philippe would be if it didn’t taste as good as it smelled.
“It smells good, Philippe,” said Quinn.
“Wait till you taste it,” said Charlie. “I walked him through the prep and cooking.”
“He sure did,” Philippe said. “And thank you, Dad.”
“You’re welcome, Buddy,” Quinn said.
They all sat down with plates of their own. Lilly and Donetta were getting a bit too old to be running from house to house so they’d been on their own. The two women made it over every year for holidays.
Thankfully the meatloaf and potatoes were very good. Quinn had a second helping. Then they had some of the cake that Quinn had made that morning. Quinn sat back and sighed.
“So who did you heal, Dad?” Marcel asked.
“A young woman with terminal thyroid cancer,” he said.
“Had it spread?” Philippe asked.
“It sure had,” Quinn said. “To her bones.”
“That’s awful,” said Philippe. “You were able to heal her, right?”
“Of course he was able to heal her,” Marcel said. “Dad heals everything.”
“Well not everything,” Quinn said. “I can’t heal ALS.”
“You tried?” Philippe asked.
“Once,” he said. “But I had to keep healing her symptoms.”
“That sucks,” Marcel said. “What happened to her?”
“She died of old age,” said Quinn. “Right after we moved here.”
“We don’t remember living anywhere else but here, Dad,” Philippe said.
“Well you were born in Moreau Manor in Moonlight Bay, California,” said Quinn.
“You’ve told us,” said Marcel. “This cake is really good Dad.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said with a smile. “I did mix it but it was Betty Crocker who put the powder in the bag.”
“See that? Dad’s a comedian,” Philippe said.
“I thought he was a healer,” said Marcel.
“He does that on his days off,” Philippe said.
“All right, boys,” said Quinn. “Did Henri come by today?”
“No,” said Marcel. “No one’s been here since we got out of school.”
“All right,” Quinn said. “I have some Legacy stuff to do in the office. You boys keep it down, okay?”
“Sure, Dad,” said Philippe.
Quinn went into the office and sat down. Then he opened his Legacy mail and read the urgent messages from Joseph. It said that Aaron wanted to open a free clinic in Santa Barbara and he wanted the Legacy to pay for it. That wasn’t going to happen. The Legacy wouldn’t pay for anything like that.
The second one was about a statue being erected of some war hero in Waterford Park. They were opposed to it. He didn’t know what they expected him to do about it. He replied that there was nothing to do about it.
The third was about a rash of thefts that were happening all over the bay area. They were stealing car stereos. Quinn replied that Joseph could only deal with that if it was being done with magic.
Then he closed that mail and pulled out the paperwork that had been sent to him and looked it over. This was for another expansion of the Medical Group. He approved it and the Legacy would pay for it. They were naming a wing after him and in the future all of his healings would be done on this wing. Whatever.
The second was for updated text books at the school. He was surprised they were still using textbooks. He approved the order and the Legacy would pay for it. He read a note from Sheryl that the magic classes needed provisions. He sent her an email telling her to talk to Pierre because he owned the Bell Book and Candle in Buffalo.
Then he was done with all of that. He went into the living room and collapsed on the couch. To be honest he was still a bit tired from the healing. He wouldn’t do another for a few weeks. That would keep his brothers happy. His boys would probably not care either way. They just knew that when he healed sometimes and it really took a lot out of him. They hadn’t connected it with cancer as far as he knew.
That night he slept the sleep of the dead. When he woke up the boys were already at school and Henri was sitting in the kitchen having coffee. Quinn made himself an omelet with home fries and joined him at the table.
“Dad’s getting out of prison in a few months,” Henri said. “He wants to live with me. But I live in a one bedroom and don’t want to move.”
“He has to petition the coven for re-entry,” said Quinn. “He did go to prison for murder.”
“Maybe they won’t let him in,” Henri said with a sigh.
“Hey,” said Quinn. “That’s your father you’re talking about. Don’t you want him to get back into the coven?”
“Of course I do,” he said. “I’m just tired of him going on and on about where he’ll live and what he plans to do with his life. It’s all very boring.”
“I hear you,” Quinn said.
“How’d the healing go yesterday?” Henri asked.
“Without a flaw,” Quinn replied. “It took a lot out of me though.”
“Cancer always does,” Henri said. “The boys don’t know that right?”
“They haven’t made the connection,” Quinn said.
“When are you planning to test them?” Henri asked.
“Tonight when they get home from school,” Quinn said, deciding that on the spot. He would also give them his Book of Shadows. It was time that they knew it all anyway. They’d heard parts but never all of it.
“That’s dramatic,” Henri said. “Can I be tested?”
“You already have been,” Quinn replied. “I put the ring on your finger right after you came here and it burned you.”
“Oh,” he said. “I don’t remember that.”
“Well it did,” Quinn said.
“I gotta go to work,” Henri said and got up. He kissed Quinn on the head and then left out the front door.
Quinn sat there, drinking his tea and enjoying the silence. He watched Charlie’s ghost float through the room. Charlie didn’t have much to say about yesterday and Quinn knew that he was a little miffed about it. There wasn’t much he could do about it.
He dozed there in his chair for a moment and then snapped himself awake again. Charlie glared at him. He was about at the end of his patience with that ghost. What did he expect him to do stop healing cancer all together? It was the most popular terminal illness in the world.
“Charlie are you just going to glare at me and float back and forth in my living room?” he finally asked.
“You did too much yesterday,” Charlie said. “Pierre told you to stop doing that.”
“I healed a woman with cancer,” Quinn said. “Cancer always takes a lot out of me.”
“When you know that you should have a plan in place,” said Charlie.
“I have a plan in place,” Quinn said. “Pierre goes with me. If he can’t then Revanche goes. Sometimes April comes with him. I come home and go straight to bed to sleep it off. Or at least to try to start sleeping it off.”
“There should be something more that could be done,” said Charlie.
“Let me get this straight, you’re angry with me because you can’t be the one to help me when I heal cancer patients?” Quinn asked.
“Something like that,” Charlie said, giving him his crooked grin.
“Well I can’t help you there,” he said. “You’re out of luck.”
“Of course I am,” Charlie said. “One of these days I’ll have a body again. Then I can do all of that for you.”
“The only way you’ll get a body is if you go to the Goddess and be reborn,” Quinn pointed out.
“I hear you, I hear you,” Charlie said.
Revanche walked in the front door. He took one look at Quinn and shook his head. Then he came in and sat down. He said hello to Charlie and then went back to looking at Quinn. He had a look on his face that Quinn didn’t know what it was about.
“What?” Quinn asked.
“You healed cancer again and it spread?” Revanche asked.
“That’s exactly right,” Quinn said. “Who reported me.”
“Don’t try to make it sound like you did something bad,” Revanche said. “Pierre is worried about you.”
“This time wasn’t even as bad as last time,” Quinn said. “I left the hospital on my own two feet.”
“Did you now?” Revanche asked. “And went straight to bed when you got here.”
“For a nap,” Quinn said. “Marcel woke me up when dinner was ready.”
“Lilly come and cook for you again?” Revanche asked.
“No, Charlie walked Philippe through making a meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy and snow peas on the side,” Quinn said. “It was really good.”
“Well that’s good then,” Revanche said. “I came over here to tell you that April is pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” Quinn said. This would be their first.
“She’s excited,” said Revanche.
“You aren’t?” Quinn asked.
“Oh I am,” Revanche said, grinning. “I just wasn’t expecting it. After so many years I’d accepted that I wouldn’t be a father.”
“You’re thirty years old,” Quinn said. “Young enough to have a child. Stop selling yourself short.”
“Yeah yeah,” he said. “That’s what Pierre said. Did you know that he and Tom are thinking of fostering one of the boys from Starlight that wants to be initiated into Moondance?”
“Yes, his name is Chad McNay,” Quinn said. “He’s interested in marrying Randena Moreau.”
“You know everything,” Revanche complained.
“I’m one of the high priests of the coven,” Quinn said. “He had to petition both of us. We called the council together and voted. He’s to be initiated as soon as he turns sixteen. His mother and father have three and they’re happy to have Tom and Pierre foster him for the last two years of his childhood.”
“Well then,” said Revanche.
“I’m supposed to go to Starlight on Friday to heal Charles Oriley’s arthritis,” Quinn said.
“I thought you were working on Seamus Macreavy,” Revanche said.
“I did that last week,” Quinn said. “Worked so good his best friend wants me to come heal his.”
“Word of mouth,” Revanche said.
“Something like that,” Quinn said. “Seamus is getting up there in years. He wants his son, Rodrick to take over as high priest of Starlight. I’m hoping that Rodrick has a head for it.”
“Yeah,” said Revanche. “Didn’t he get into a lot of trouble with the elders or something?”
“Yeah he cast a love spell,” sighed Quinn. “It happens but that’s dark magic and he knew better.”
“Dark magic is bad,” Revanche said. “Tempting but bad.”
“You shouldn’t be easily tempted,” Quinn warned.
“I’m not,” said Revanche. “I meant for the kids.”
“They better have better heads on their shoulders, too,” Quinn said in a louder tone.
“I wasn’t talking about your boys,” Revanche said. “I was talking about kids in general.”
“Well I don’t need to worry about kids in general and dark magic,” Quinn said. “I’m testing the boys with the ring tonight.”
“What?” Revanche asked. “Thinking of stepping down?”
“Not until I die,” Quinn replied.
“Good,” Revanche breathed. “Why are you testing the boys?”
“I have to get it over with eventually it might as well be tonight,” Quinn said. “I’m also giving them my Book of Shadows.”
“My Goddess,” Revanche said. “You’re going to rain down a world of hurt feelings and confusion on them.”
“They need to know the truth,” Quinn said. “They’ve been asking questions about their mother.”
“Well I guess,” Revanche said with another sigh.
“Get out of here and go pamper April,” Quinn said with a grin. “She’s with child and it’s yours.”
“Yes, she is,” Revanche agreed. “I’m going.”
When Revanche left Quinn tidied up the house. He got to the boys’ rooms and stopped. He didn’t tidy their rooms. He went back downstairs with a hamper full of clothes to wash and dry.
He was putting them in the washer when Lilly came in with lunch. She had all over gray hair now and walked with a limp. Quinn was going to chastise her for walking all the way over there when he saw her white car outside in the driveway.
“Quinn you feeling better?” Lilly asked.
“Does the whole coven know I healed a woman with cancer that spread?” Quinn asked her before he hugged her. “Come in here and sit down. I’ll get this.”
He got them both a plate and placed a sandwich on both. Lilly knew how he liked his sandwiches and she spoiled him every chance she got. He put the plates on the table and poured glasses of iced tea. He grabbed a bag of chips off the refrigerator and took it to the table.
“Pierre call me,” Lilly said when he sat down.
“Apparently he called everyone to alert them,” Quinn said.
“He worry about you,” Lilly said, beaming at him. She was so proud of him for healing people. She told him all of the time.
“He can stop worrying. I’m fine,” Quinn said after he took a bite of his sandwich and chewed and swallowed.
“He never stop worrying,” Lilly said. “What big brothers for.”
“Yes, I know that big bothers worry about little brothers but when my big brother is sending everyone to me to check that I’m all right I get a little testy,” Quinn remarked.
“Calm self,” she said. “Is no good to be of stress.”
“I hear you,” he said.
“Kim worry about you and boys,” Lilly said.
“Tell Kim we’re all three doing fine,” he said.
“You do fine,” she said. “Kim worry anyway.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I’m testing the boys tonight and giving them my Book of Shadows.”
“Is good thing,” she said. “Boys need know if ring fit and need know truth about mother.”
“Yes, they do,” he said. “You’re the only person to agree with me on that.”
“I all you need,” she said with a smile.
“You’re always what I need, Lilly,” he said. “How’s Kim’s back?”
“He be of pain from time gone,” she said.
“You know I can heal you both,” he said for the millionth time.
“No you heal sickness not life,” she said as she always did.
“Okay,” he said. “I tried.”
“You try and try and I say no,” she said. “Kim say no too.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he said. “I’d like to help you.”
“You be of help all of time,” she said. “I am be serious.”
“I know you’re serious,” he said. “Sending the boys to do your yard work is a help but I can do so much more.”
“You no need,” she said. “I fine.”
“All right,” he said. “I’ll stop pushing.”
“You no push,” she said. “You just care.”
“I do,” he said. “I love you all.”
“We love you too,” she said.
When Lilly left he unloaded the dishwasher and changed the clothes from the washer to the dryer. He put the saucers in the dishwasher and put a clip on the chip bag and put it back on the fridge. Then he went in the living room and sat down. It wouldn’t be long and the boys would be home.
He got up and grabbed his Book of Shadows out of his room. He placed that on the kitchen table. He took off the ring and set it on top of the book. First things first. He had to test them first. He hoped that neither of his boys were the next heir to the Legacy. He hoped but he wasn’t about to bet the house on it.
Things transpired against him all of the time. When it came to the boys he was a bit more protective but he couldn’t protect them from this. If either of them was the next heir they had to know. He would have to keep him close and show him all that had to be done. That’s the way it was supposed to be. Quinn had to learn on his feet. That was the hard way.
He heard them coming when Tom dropped them off. They came in the door and walked straight into the kitchen. He stood there with the book and the ring and waited until they noticed him. They put their bags over the backs of two chairs and went to sit down. Then they realized that Quinn was standing in the room.
“What’s up, Dad?” Marcel asked.
“It’s time to test you boys with the ring,” Quinn said. He picked up he ring and handed it to Marcel.
Marcel looked it over and then slid it on his finger and shrugged. Then his look of smugness turned to a look of agony and he pulled the ring from his finger and handed it back to Quinn. He was shaking his hand to try to get the burning to stop. If he would just stop he’d realize that the burning stopped when he took off the ring. Quinn simply handed the ring to Philippe. He put the ring on his finger a bit more resolutely. Then it sat on his finger and he sighed.
Quinn let out a sigh he hadn’t known he was keeping held in. Philippe was the next heir to the Legacy. Quinn shut his eyes. He took the ring back from Philippe and put it back on his own finger. Then he schooled his thoughts.
“You’re going to shadow me when I do things for the Legacy,” Quinn said to Philippe. “There are things you have to learn that have to be done every day most of the time. We’ll work on your powers a bit more but the biggest push on your power will be initiation.”
“Is it awful?” Philippe asked.
“No it’s more annoying,” said Quinn. “In my day people would come to me for loans to buy this or that and I’d have to approve them or deny them. That doesn’t happen nearly as much now that we’ve moved away from Moonlight Bay.”
“What’s with the book?” Marcel asked, bored with the conversation.
“This is my Book of Shadows,” Quinn replied. “I’m giving it to you boys to read through. You’ll have it until Sunday.”
“Why?” Philippe asked.
“There’s a lot in there about your mother and your aunt Maria,” Quinn said slowly. “There’s a lot in there about how I came to know I was a witch. What happened after I arrived in Moonlight Bay and that sort of thing. My power spells and enchantments are in there along with my favorite runes and such. Just peruse it at your will and come to me with any questions you may have.”
“Do we have to give you our books?” Philippe asked.
“No,” he said. “A Book of Shadows is private. You share it with no one unless it is a coven book. Your personal books are yours and yours alone. I chose to share this with you so you can learn more about where you came from.”
“Thank you, Dad,” sad Marcel.
“You’re welcome,” Quinn said. “Do you guys have homework?”
“Yes,” said Philippe.
“Well get that done before you look at the book,” Quinn said. “I’ll put dinner together in a little while.”
“All right,” said Marcel, pulling a stack of papers from his backpack.
Quinn went into the living room and sat down. He worried that it wasn’t the right thing to let them read about all that had happened to him when he’d first reached Moonlight Bay. There was the theft of his sperm, the fights with Maria, the death of Maria, and then the awful spell that killed Charlie, their aunt, and their cousin. It culminated with the death of Josephine. There was so much in there.
They’d learn all about what Maria had done to their grandfather and grandmother, him, and Giselle. It was all in there. He hoped they understood why he’d reacted the way he had when it was all happening.
There was nothing to do now but wait. He couldn’t go back in there and take the book away from them. That would be a stupid move. They were all set to read through it and find out all that had happened. No he couldn’t take it away from them. They had until the end of the week to read it.
He could worry about it or he could just accept it. That was the road he needed to follow. He’d given it to them and the rest was up to them. They’d either understand or they’d hate him for what he’d done. It was a gamble but it was better that they knew the truth.
They didn’t say much to him after dinner that night. They went up to one of their rooms to read the book together. It had begun and Quinn was worried. He tried not to think about it but the more he tried it was all he could think about. He did some Legacy work and got through that but his mind was still on his boys reading his book.
When Quinn went to bed that night he saw that the light was on in Philippe’s room. He sighed and went into his room. He showered in his bathroom and then climbed into his bed naked as the day he was born. He was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.
The next day he got up and saw the kids off to school then he spent part of the day answering email and doing Legacy things. He had a lengthy email from Joseph telling him all that was going on with the Moonlight Bay branch of Moondance. There had been circles of healing and peace as well as circles for guidance and assurance. Joseph was proving to be a very good High Priest for the Moonlight Bay witches. Quinn was happy for that. After all he’d been the one to appoint him.
Then he cleaned the house from top to bottom save the boys’ rooms. He did more laundry and emptied the dishwasher when the cycle was complete. Then he got outside and gave the shrubs some pruning with is power. He raked up all of the fallen branches and stacked them in a pile for burning. It hadn’t snowed so he didn’t have to worry about that.
He burned the pile of branches and then went back inside to make lunch. He had a ham sandwich with chips and a glass of iced tea. His days were boring most of the time and he was thankful for that. Yet on days like this he thought of Giselle and how much he missed her. He thought of how much he missed Charlie being alive. Sure it was great that he was still with them but he wished he still had a body.
Even if he went to the Goddess and was reborn he’d be an infant and it would be twenty to thirty years before Quinn would ever find him much less make him love him. The thought was daunting and impossible. Still he wished that Charlie had a body.
Damn Josephine for what she’d done. He hoped her new life was horrible. He knew that she was reborn because her spirit didn’t linger after her death. Neither did Giselle’s. Charlie was the only one to linger and that was because he loved Quinn so much. It was maddening at times but he loved Charlie with all of his heart. Having his ghost around was a comfort and a hardship at the same time.
The boys came in a little after three and they had homework. Quinn helped them when and if they needed it. Nothing was said about the book yet so he wasn’t worried about what to say to them. When they were done he made dinner and they sat together and ate. Still nothing about the book.
“Pierre says that I’ll be able to heal with you soon,” Marcel said suddenly.
“He does, huh?” Quinn asked. “He thinks you’re ready for healing on that kind of scale?”
“I’ve healed dogs and cats at Sandra’s,” Marcel said.
“Dogs and cats are one thing, Marcel,” Quinn said. “I’ll take you with me to one of the healings and you can see for yourself just what I have to do.”
“All right,” he said, mollified.
“Pierre’s been working with me on the weather,” Philippe said. His power was to manipulate the weather. It was a dangerous power perhaps more dangerous that Marcel and Quinn’s.
“That’s great,” Quinn said. “Are you getting the hang of it?”
“I’m trying,” he said. “It gets away from me sometimes but I’m really trying.”
“I know you are,” Quinn said. “Yours is one of the hardest powers to control. You’ll get more control once you’re initiated.”
“That’s in two years,” he said.
“A little more than one,” Quinn corrected. “You’ll be fifteen in just over a month.”
“Yeah,” said Marcel. “We only have a year and a few days before we can be initiated. We’re in advanced magic classes.”
“Yeah,” said Philippe. “But I want the greater control over my power that comes with initiation.”
“You can’t be initiated until you’re sixteen,” Quinn said.
“I know,” Philippe said.
“Why did they tell the McNay boy that he had to wait until eighteen?” Marcel asked.
“Because that’s Starlight’s way,” Quinn replied. “We’ll initiate him into Moondance but we’ll follow the rules of Starlight.”
“Okay,” the boy said.
“Maybe we get initiated faster but I really have very little control of my power,” said Philippe.
“You have little control,” said Marcel. “I made the flowers in the school grow and I wasn’t even trying.”
“So we both have some control issues,” Philippe said.
“You’ll get control by practicing,” Quinn said. “It just gets easier to control after initiation. You’ll learn tricks to help you if you just trust Pierre.”
“Yes, Dad,” Philippe said.
“So you’ve been reading my book,” said Quinn. “Any questions?”
“Not so far,” said Marcel. “We got to the part where Grandpa died.”
“Okay,” Quinn said. “Let me know when and if you have questions.”
“We will,” said Philippe. “You really didn’t know you were a witch before Grandpa died?”
“That’s right,” Quinn said.
“But Grandpa was a witch too, right?” Marcel asked.
“Yes,” Quinn said. “Lilly and Kim were witches too and I didn’t know it. Your grandfather didn’t want this life for me.”
“But you have this life anyway,” Philippe said.
“Because the ring didn’t burn my finger when I put it on,” Quinn said. “If I had refused the legacy there’d have been no heir until I died.”
“I wasn’t born yet,” said Philippe.
“You wouldn’t have been born if I hadn’t accepted the legacy,” Quinn said carefully.
“Oh that’s right,” Marcel said. “You met our mother when you got to Moonlight Bay.”
“That’s right,” Quinn said. “When you get to the parts about your mother you’re going to have a lot of questions.”
“We will?” Philippe asked.
“I think you might want an explanation,” Quinn said. “Just remember that things happened the way they were meant to happen.”
“All right, Dad,” said Marcel. “Don’t worry. We know how babies are made.”
“I know you know that,” Quinn said a little more forcefully than he’d intended. “You just don’t know how you two were made.”
“Now I’m confused,” said Philippe.
“Read the book,” Quinn prompted.
“We are reading the book every night,” Marcel said. “But how can we not know how we were made?”
“Because it wasn’t traditional,” Quinn said. “Now I’ll say no more on this topic until you reach that part of my book. Believe me it covers it.”
“All right,” Philippe said.
He left them after that and started on dinner. He made chicken Alfredo with garlic bread and a tossed salad. It took him a while to make and the boys were cleaning up their homework mess by the time he was ready to put the food on the table. He’d made three individual plates. Now he was ready to set the plates down in front of them.
They had a good time eating together and the boys were shocked by the meal. Quinn hadn’t made it for them before. He knew how to make it but Charlie had taught him how to do it a long time ago. So he made it because he’d been thinking about Charlie all day.
They helped him clean up afterward and he was happy with them for that. Then they went to Philippe’s room to read the book. He poured himself a drink and sat in the living room.
It didn’t happen that night or the next night. It was about a week later, the night before Thanksgiving that they came to him with questions. He’d been ready for them and they asked the question that he’d been expecting.
“She got pregnant with us by magic?” Marcel asked. They were both standing before him.
“She stole a condom out of the trash and used it to impregnate herself with her mother’s magical help,” he explained.
“Damn,” said Philippe. “She sort of raped you.”
“Well that’s the way I felt about it,” Quinn said.
“So you didn’t like our mother at all?” Marcel asked.
“I didn’t dislike her until this happened,” Quinn said. “I was both happy to find out I was about to be a father and extremely pissed off about the way in which it happened.”
“You were with Charlie then, right?” Philippe asked.
“I was always with Charlie,” Quinn said. “Josephine refused to accept that.”
“Was she mental?” Marcel asked.
“She was a bit off,” Quinn said carefully. “But that didn’t excuse what she and her mother did to me.”
“No it doesn’t,” Philippe said. “What they did was wrong.”
“Do you understand how I could be happy to know that I was going to be a father but pissed off about the manner in which it happened?” Quinn asked.
“Yes,” they said that the same time.
“Thank you, boys,” Quinn said with a sigh.
“You thought we wouldn’t take your side on this issue?” Philippe asked.
“I wasn’t sure,” Quinn replied.
“Well of course we were on your side, Dad,” Marcel said. “It was wrong.”
“Yes it was,” agreed Philippe.
“Where is Aunt Giselle?” Marcel asked.
“She’s dead,” Quinn replied.
“Oh,” said Philippe.
“You’ll get to that part, too,” said Quinn.
“It wasn’t a normal death was it,” Marcel asked.
“I will tell you this,” Quinn said, deciding to go with it. “Three people died that day.”
“Did Charlie die that day, too?” Philippe asked.
“Yes,” Quinn said slowly.
“Oh man,” Marcel said, looking upset.
“Just wait until you get there,” Quinn said.
They went back to reading the book and Quinn poured himself another drink. He thought he might need to be drunk tonight. The memories that conversation sparked were dark and he needed a little something to lubricate those memories and let them slip away.
Charlie didn’t agree with him but there was no stopping Quinn tonight. He didn’t want these memories invading his tranquil mind. He didn’t need to spend the night crying and cursing Josephine’s name. He needed to get nice and drunk.
The next day as he nursed his hangover the boys ate their cereal for breakfast because Quinn didn’t make anything that morning. He did get the turkey in the oven at four and he’d checked it when he got up to make sure that he’d done it right. He had. He silently congratulated himself on getting it right in his drunken state.
It wouldn’t be long and Lilly and Donetta would be there to take over his kitchen and kick him out. Perhaps he’d take a hot bath with his coffee. He followed the twins out of the kitchen as soon as their breakfast dishes were in the dishwasher. He poured himself another cup of coffee and went upstairs to draw a bath in his bathroom.
“You wouldn’t feel like this if you hadn’t gotten drunk last night, Quinn,” said Charlie as Quinn slowly took off his clothes.
“You mind your business,” he said softly. “I needed to be drunk to get through last night. You don’t understand it but it’s the truth. Now get out of here and let me soak in peace.”
He slid into the hot water and grabbed his cup of coffee. He took small sips and let the water sooth his body. His stomach was finally under his control again. It was just the headache that had him down for the count. He sat in that water until it turned cold. Then he took two headache pills and went back downstairs.
Lilly and Donetta were working away in the kitchen. Kim and Larry were in the living room with the boys, watching football. It was the same with witches as it was with normal men. Football was a Thanksgiving tradition. He joined them as the headache pills did their thing and accepted the bowl of popcorn from Marcel as he sat in his recliner. He munched popcorn and watched two teams he was not familiar with play football somewhere he didn’t know.
Then Henri came in the front door, calling out, “Happy Thanksgiving” to everyone as he came through the house. He sat on the floor in front of Marcel and accepted the second bowl of popcorn from Philippe. With all three boys there Quinn was happy.
Charlie’s ghost was in the kitchen with the women. They couldn’t see him but he loved to be around when someone was cooking. It sometimes upset him that most couldn’t see him but most of the time he was happy.
Quinn watched all he could of football before he went into his office and checked the Legacy mail. There were three things in the folder and he went through them slowly and methodically. There were requests for more loans that he read through and checked the criteria. These were for two couples who didn’t have magic. They wanted to buy homes in Keller Village. He approved them both.
Then there were the normal reports from the partners in Moonlight Bay to tell him how the Legacy was doing. He read through them but they were mostly numbers. It was running smoothly so he was happy for that.
Then he found an email from Joseph telling him that witches were leaving the coven for various reasons. He said that twenty witches had left Moonlight Bay for other parts of the country. Some went to be near children or elders and some just left. Quinn didn’t know what to say to this. He emailed back that it was alarming but natural as far as he could see.
With all of that done he went back to the living room and hung out with the guys some more. It was more football but he sat and thought about what was coming. More people wanted to be initiated into Moondance and some of the teens had made it to sixteen and were ready for initiation. They had a full calendar for initiations. The council would have to meet to vote for the people who wanted to join the coven.
There were things going on at the school as well. Some kids were graduating and others were moving on to another grade level. Marcel and Philippe were moving on to another grade level. At this rate they’d be out of school completely by the time they were initiated. He was proud of their accomplishments but worried that they were going too fast.
Then Lorette and Franklin came in and Franklin joined the men in the living room. Lorette joined the ladies in the kitchen. It wasn’t long after that when they were calling the men to the table which had to have the extension put it in and folding chairs had to be added.
They got seated around the table and food was passed around. Lorette told Quinn that she had vetted some of the new arrivals and he was happy for that. Then they went around the table telling everyone what they were thankful for. Quinn was shocked when Marcel and Philippe both said they were thankful that their father had let them read his Book of Shadows. Of course they were both thankful for their progress in school and in the advanced class of magic.
Quinn was thankful that his boys were healthy and doing so well in school. He was also thankful for the new hopefuls for initiation into the coven. Lorette was thankful that she and Franklin were healthy and happy. Franklin was happy about the same things. Henri said he was thankful that his father was getting out of prison soon and would be petitioning the coven for re-entry.
Then it was just idle chatter as everyone began to eat. The ladies were commended on such a good meal. They were happy about that. Quinn really enjoyed the day but found himself at loose ends now and then. He was thankful that everyone was there for the holiday. He missed Pierre and Revanche but they had families of their own to have dinner with.
Then it was time for pie and cookies and back to the television they went. The ladies cleaned up the meal mess and divided leftovers for Henri and Lorette. His kitchen was cleaned from top to bottom and all of the dishes were in the dishwasher. Lilly and Donetta stuck around for a while longer just enjoying the company. They were both very proud of the twins and happy to spend time with Henri. Henri had become a part of the family over the years. Quinn knew that he had a father and that his father would be out of prison soon. He just hoped that Henri still came around after that.
Charlie’s ghost stuck around the living room watching everyone for the duration of the time they spent together. Eventually Lilly and Kim left but not without hugs for each of the boys and then Quinn. Then Donetta and Larry left with more hugs for the boys and Quinn. Then it was just Lorette and Franklin but they left to be alone with each other for the remainder of the holiday. The boys and Quinn got hugs again. Then it was just Quinn and his three boys.
“That was a great Thanksgiving,” Henri enthused.
“It was,” Quinn agreed. “I’m glad you were here for it.”
“Where else would I be?” Henri asked. “You’ve been like a surrogate father to me over the years. I won’t forget that just because my father is about to get out of prison. He’s not even sure he wants to petition the coven for re-entry now. He just wants to live his life for himself.”
“Well that’s completely up to him,” Quinn said. “He can visit you on the compound but if he’s not a member of the coven he can’t stay here.”
“He knows that and he says he doesn’t care,” Henri said. “The prison will have a job lined up for him and he has to live in a halfway house for a while. Then he said he’ll get an apartment and just live in Buffalo.”
“Well if that’s what he wants,” Quinn said.
“It makes things easier for me,” Henri said. “I don’t have to move to a bigger house, and my dad will be at a distance.”
“You want him at a distance?” Quinn asked.
“For now I do,” Henri said. “He did kill my mother.”
“Yes,” Quinn said. “But soon he will have paid his debt to society for the killing of your mother.”
“He hasn’t paid his debt to me for it,” Henri said quietly.
“Well there’s nothing I can do or say to make you feel better on that account,” Quinn said. “I wish there was.”
“Thanks, Quinn,” Henri said with a smile. “You always made me feel like I was just one of your boys. I want to thank you for that. You even helped me get a handle on my power. You were there for all of the things that a father should have been there for. I won’t forget that.”
Henri was a dream walker and Quinn had done what he could to help him control that power. It was a strange power for Quinn. Henri could enter the dreams of others and communicate with them in their dreams. If he wasn’t careful he’d get caught up in the dream and then he was in trouble.
He’d practiced that with the boys a lot and Quinn had been fine with that. Once he was initiated the danger was less evident and he got the hang of his power just fine. Quinn had taught him meditation to get into the dreams of others while he was awake. That way it wasn’t such a danger that he’d get stuck in someone’s dream.
Henri was exceptional at meditation. He caught on very quickly and then he and Quinn would spend an hour or so meditating in the living room. It was their together time. Quinn was happy that Henri had gotten the hang of his power. He was also happy that Henri felt like one of Quinn’s boys. He was as far as Quinn was concerned. He’d treated him no different than he’d treated his twins. Henri was family.
No comments:
Post a Comment