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"Marta passed the torch to you She left you her practice The town can't do without her, and apparently she's chosen you to take her place You'll have to move the business over here to Veil House It will take a little while for you to get everything set up again, but she left you all her supplies"

Stunned, I blinked Marta was the toitch People went to her for help She was also the elder of the secret Thirteen Moons Society--the coterie ed to No one but family members knew about the Society and it was kept that way on purpose Hell, even I didn't knohat they did--only when you were inducted into the Society were you told ent on

"Marta left me her business? Are you sure of that?" I had been home once a year from the time I was thirteen until I turned seventeen, and that had been the last time I'd set foot in New Forest And rata with the elder witch "Why would Marta do that?"

Heather laughed "Oh, Cicely, you may be twenty-six now and on your own, but you're still one of us You've always been one of us, even though your mother tried to distance the both of you It's time to come home to New Forest" Her voice turned serious "Krystal's dead You don't have to run anymore Come back We need you I need you And youyou need us"

She was right Infor years, but now there was no more reason There hadn't been a reason for me to stay on the road for two years, since Krystal had died Except that so felt like all I kne to do But nowMarta leftto focusmy mother and me alive

"Be there in three days tops," I told Heather "Can I have my mother's room?" Memories of the violet-and-ivory trimmed room loomed in my mind

"Of course you can, and you can use the back parlor for your business and one of the spare rooms on the third floor for your supplies and workrooain "Oh Cicely, I've ain for more than a visit We've missed you"

And with that, I tossed the few boxes containing my possessions and my backpack in Favonis--ame of street craps--and headed out of California without a single look over my shoulder

LA was like every other city I'd lived in since I was six: a pit stop in the ra journey that had been my life But now, after twenty years, ainst the accelerator, Favonis sped along the I-5 corridor

I earing a pair of black jeans, a black tank top, and my best boots--a kickass pair of Icon's Boive notice to--I'd picked up odd jobs here and there since I elve but never anything per I was supposed to do--supposed to accomplish--but I'd never knohat Maybe this was it Maybe taking Marta's place would fill the void

"Come on, baby," I coaxed "Don't let me down"

And Favonis didn't She purred like a kitten, all the way up the coast

Speeding along the freeway, fueled by nu the way, I kept my eyes peeled for the exit that would take ainst the northwestern foothills of the Washington Cascades and the proled in front of me like a vial of crack in front of a junkie

Twenty years ago, I'd kicked and screa Krystal to leave edat me to shut up Now, after a thousand miles on the road, and a thousand years inback to live in the only house I'd ever thought of as ho

Only now, I' in New Forest And ain