Alix (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #1) by Virginia Hunter

bank withdrawals, they’d figure out Alix and Sam had been together. The car would be a red flag pretty soon, if it wasn’t already. “Next decent sized town we swap this thing.”
    “Got it,” Alix replied. “Thanks by the way. For saving my life back there.”
    “Of course,” Troy said. He’d do it again without hesitation, which unfortunately, he had the feeling that he might be forced to do so, soon. “That thing you did—transferring your injuries—is that something you’ve known about for a while, or is it something new?”
    “It’s new.”
    “We’ve got to get you to a specialist or something,” Troy said, rubbing his head.
    Alix laughed. “Yeah right. A freak specialist.”
    “Don’t say that, you’re not a freak,” Troy said, a bit agitated. “You’re a walking phenomenon. A miracle on earth.”
    “Oh Lord, the last thing I need is to be some freakin’ messiah—”
    “Look, I don’t mean to put you on the spot, or make you uncomfortable. But I can’t wrap my head around why you can do the things you do,” Troy interrupted. “A miracle is the only thing I can come up with to explain what’s happening, which seems kinda nuts anyway.”
    Alix sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been trying to figure this thing out since I was sixteen. No luck so far.”
    “What about family? Anybody you can ask?”
    Alix shook her head. “Nobody I could find, or would want to for that matter.”
    “You might not have a choice,” Troy said, speaking his thoughts. Bad family-life was a pretty common thing, and if it were under any other circumstances, Troy would be all for Alix avoiding a reunion with crappy relatives. But this “gift” she had, warranted searching for answers in places that she would otherwise steer clear of. “If we can shake the guys hunting you, we need to take some time to find out what’s going on. Your family is a good place to start.”
    Alix went quiet for a while. Troy was afraid he’d pushed too hard, and was about to apologize, but then she said, “All right, we can look for my dad. He’s the only one that might still be alive.”
    “Sounds good to me,” Troy said. “We’ll work this thing out. But right now, I need some sleep. You still okay to drive?”
    Alix nodded. “Yeah, get some rest.”

 
    T he stone hearth glowed with warmth, adding to the dim light of the vaulted room. Books filled the polished wooden shelves that lined every wall, except for one. The floor to ceiling windows on the southern wall allowed streams of starlight to filter into the cozy study. Plush chairs and luxurious settees from an age gone by, accented the massive Persian rug that covered the hardwood flooring. The most impressive piece of furniture, a cherry wood desk engraved with ancient symbols of witchcraft, sat opposite the windowed wall. Two Tiffany lamps cast soft light across the desktop.
    Miranda slowly turned the yellowed pages of a photo album she hadn’t opened in over fifty years. Hannah and Rhea were at the reservation for the weekend, helping distribute the crops that had been harvested from Coven’s Grove earlier this fall. So she thought it a good time to take a trip into the past.
    Even though Miranda didn’t look much over thirty, she was well beyond it. The photos she currently brooded over were taken before the turn of the century. It had been a time of hardship to be sure, but also a time of discovery and wonderment. The Industrial Revolution had been a thing to behold, and changed the world forever. Though unfortunately, it had killed some of the mysteries of life in the process.
    The curse of time, she thought, as she turned another page.
    Tears blurred Miranda’s vision, as she looked at the weathered photo. This image was the reason she had opened the album in the first place. It represented the reason why she had become the woman she was. It was the reason she feared being alone.
    The yellowed photograph depicted thirteen women. Standing in a group outside