Witcha Gonna Do? (Witchington #1)(71)
“We came to help, but only if needed,” she says as she wraps her arms around me in a tight hug that warms me up all the way from my toes to the ends of my hair. “I figured you’d have everything either taken care of or close to it by the time we got here.” She looks over her shoulder and glares at the night. “And if there are any other moves tonight, I pity the witch who tries it, no matter what power they think they have.”
There’s a rustling sound, and then a blast of hot air falls over us like a tsunami before half a dozen shadows take to the night sky, disappearing among the stars.
“Don’t worry,” my mom says, giving me another squeeze. “The Council’s gone for now. They’ll be back once they regroup, but we’ll deal with them later. Right now I just want to hug you.”
She does, holding me so tight that I’m not sure she is ever going to let go.
And that’s when I realize Gil wasn’t lying about my family. My mother had known. They all must have known. I’m stuck between hurt and shock, but I’m too damn happy to have my family back to say anything, but it has to be written all over my face, because my dad joins in on the group hug. My sisters join in and even Barkley delivers a friendly peck to my toe.
“I was wrong to not tell you the truth, Tilda,” Mom says when the hug breaks up, uttering the words I don’t think anyone has ever heard from her before. “We’ve known since you were born that there was something different about you. But it wasn’t until Griselda told us you were a spellbinder that we decided the best thing we could do to protect you until you were ready was to keep it a secret—even from you.”
“We should have told you before now,” Dad says, giving me an apologetic grin. “I guess it’s just hard to recognize that the baby of the family has grown up.”
“But you sure did,” Mom says, a proud smile on her face. “Look at what you made happen. You know, there’s a reason why I put you in charge of our family social media.”
“Because it was the only thing I am qualified for?” I ask.
“No.” She gives me the mom look. “I put you in charge because there’s no one I trust more with the Sherwood image and legacy than you. Tilda, you had it in you all along. And just look what you accomplished when you put your mind to it.”
“No thanks to this one,” Vance grumbles as he walks out onto the train platform. His unicorn horn is glowing a mean shade of red and he has a white-knuckle grip on Erik’s arm.
Leona’s jaw drops in surprise and her cheeks turn pink.
“Hi, LeLe,” Erik says, cocky even under the circumstances.
Leona stalks over to the platform, smoke—yes, literal smoke—coming out of her ears. “You threatened to hurt my sister?”
All of the Sherwoods take a step back in unison. Leona’s temper and refusal to suffer fools is legendary. No one wants to be in the way of one of her pinching spells. My sister is very creative in her target areas.
“I was trying to help,” Erik shoots back, shaking off Vance’s hold. “She did steal The Liber Umbrarum. My dad spent years planning the security for the gala and making sure all magic was null and void inside the museum.”
“Well done, Matilda Grace and friends,” Grandma Louise says with a delighted chuckle. “I knew you had it in you. You take after your grandfather. He was quite the troublemaker in his younger days, you know.” She claps her hands together with glee. “I can’t wait to hear all the details over eye of newt muffins and a cup of piping hot elderberry tea.”
I would love to say yes, and I’m so damn happy to have my family back that I’m so tempted to go along with Grandma and play the whole thing as an amusing adventure, but I can’t. People I love got hurt because of me.
“I’m so sorry, everyone, for the mess I caused,” I say, making my voice loud enough that everyone can hear. “I understand it may take some time, but I really hope you can forgive me.”
“On one condition,” Mom says, a soft look in her eyes.
I don’t hesitate. “Anything.”
The tip of her nose is red and there are unshed tears in her eyes. “You forgive us for keeping the truth from you. We thought we were protecting you, but the universe knew you were ready.”
“Even when I froze you?” My voice breaks on the last word, and then my tears are spilling over, because how in the world am I supposed to stand in the middle of this field, next to a derailed train, surrounded by the people I most love in the world, and watch my mom tear up without getting all emotional?
“I never worried, not even while we were frozen; I knew you’d find a way to fix everything. You’re a Sherwood, after all.” Her eyes narrow. “However, if any of you ever puts a kitchen dish towel over my head again, there will be uncomfortable consequences.”
All of the color drains out of Birdie’s and Eli’s faces. No one—and I mean no one—wants to be on Izzy Sherwood’s shit list. Then my dad gets the giggles, the kind that takes over your whole body and you can’t stop no matter how hard you try. Mom plants her hands on her hips and glares at the love of her life, but she’s pressing her lips together so hard there’s a line of white around them. Her shoulders start shaking. A chuckle escapes that she tries to play off as a cough, but she can’t do it. The whole thing is too ridiculous. She busts out laughing, an infectious sound that has everyone joining in.