Witch's Awakening by Neely Powell Page A

doubt Dr. Burns wants to write a paper about the phenomenon.”
    â€œHis academic career supported you.” Sarah’s tone remained calm and steady, but her sisters took her hands as she faced Brenna. “Your mother and father always made sure you, Fiona and Eva Grace were taken care of.”
    â€œYou’re applauding them for sending us money?” Brenna almost spat out the words. “They dumped me and Fiona here right after we were born and ignored Eva Grace, and you’re telling me I should be grateful because they sent money?” Anger cycled inside her like a storm rising. The china in the old breakfront rattled. The iron light fixture above the table swayed as she pushed to her feet.
    â€œHold on,” Eva Grace murmured, getting up and taking Brenna’s hand. “Be cool.”
    Fiona joined her, clasping Brenna’s other hand. “Don’t blow, Brenna. Please don’t blow.”
    Taking strength from the two people closest to her, Brenna grasped hold of her fury. She glared at Sarah. “I hope you don’t regret giving Delia a seat here again.”
    Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “Her seat has always been here, waiting. We need her now. We need some positive energy. Not anger.”
    â€œMaybe I’m the one you don’t want at the table.” Hurt nearly broke Brenna’s thinning control. “Maybe I should leave for good this time.” She turned to her cousin Maggie. “Maybe in twenty years when it’s your girl facing the Woman in White, you can beg me to come back and help.”
    Maggie broke down into sobs and the tension in the room crumbled. Brenna dropped Fiona’s and Eva Grace’s hands and stalked up the stairs to her attic studio. Like a teenager, she took great satisfaction in slamming her door. She hoped it infuriated Sarah and the rest of them. She couldn’t be with her family right now.
    Funny how earlier today she thought her being here could help them find a way through the current nightmare. Now all it meant was that she was going to have to confront her long-absent mother and father, along with the family curse.

Chapter Eleven
    â€œI remember when this church had just one building. And was just a church.”
    Deputy Brian Lamont’s comment made Jake look around as he pulled his cruiser into the parking lot of the Circle of Faith Church. The church campus included a large sanctuary, a smaller chapel, an administration building, gymnasium and sports complex, and a school. “It’s definitely more like a community center now.”
    â€œA center for certain Mourne County residents.” Brian’s laugh was dry. “According to my grandmother, this was just a little country church when Fred’s father preached here. About twenty years ago, when the economy was really booming, we got lots of people moving in from Atlanta. Fred decided to offer them what they wanted.”
    â€œNobody would argue that Fred is dumb. He’s a lot of things, but not dumb.”
    â€œNow he draws a huge crowd from counties all around. They say there’s a waiting list for admission to the school.”
    â€œI guess a lot of those rich people living in their McMansions want a private education for their children.”
    Brian laughed again. “And the regular Mourne County schools are full of God-only-knows what kind of people.”
    Jake grinned, knowing Brian had pegged the situation. The people who escaped Atlanta’s metropolitan sprawl of traffic and crime were happy to keep to themselves. They had a country club and a golf course as part of The Enclave, the gated community where they lived. Other exclusive developments in surrounding counties provided a large base of similarly minded individuals for socializing. They adopted Fred’s church and school as their own. Of course, they had to shop and do other business in New Mourne, but a real divide existed.
    Last year the chief