Free I Wish... by Wren Emerson Page A

we're back in town and you're telling me this. Why tell me now? Why not the first day we got here or even as we were driving up here?"

    "Now that I'm Matriarch it's understood that you will be the one who replaces me as the Matriarch of this Family. Nobody knows what you can do, some would say nothing and that it's all an attempt to bluff. There are less powerful Families who would like to have a place in the Coven. If you are killed, then when I die another Family will have the opportunity to step into that place. The only way you can protect yourself is to know the danger you face and the means you have at your disposal to protect yourself. I've done as much as I can by ensuring that you can defend yourself physically and that you have a certain skill set that might come in handy at some point in the future. The rest is really up to you now."

    Well, of course my life would be in danger. Every good delusion has an assassination plot.

    Ramona sighed and slumped slightly in her chair. "If I'd had my way, I would have waited until you were an adult and brought you home while Mother was still in good health so that you could have learned more about the politics of Desire and about your own capabilities without so much danger. But when I heard Mother was sick, I knew we just didn't have time. If I hadn't been here when she died, Marla could have attempted a show of power and she might have succeeded and become Matriarch of the Family. Thank heavens for my alliance with Shep's Mother."

    "Does Shep have a power?"

    Mom chuckled and said, "No. Men don't have Talents. They can come from strong Families, which is what we look for when we marry one, but they never actually display any powers."

    "I think I'd like some time to think about this please." I wasn't entirely sure I believed any of what they were saying to me, but I needed to leave this room and this conversation as soon as I could.

    Ramona stood up and gestured toward the door. "I think that would be a good idea. Go ahead."

    I walked across the room on weak legs. My hand was on the doorknob when Ramona called after me, "Be careful. You're a very important person to this Family."

    I shut the door gently behind me.

    I went outside and rushed through a messy set of stretches before I jogged back to the path in the woods. Once I hit cleared ground, I lengthened my stride and started sprinting along the trail. I'd run along the path most days since we moved here, but never since that first day had I stopped at the clearing. I'm not even entirely sure what made me veer off onto the smaller trail. My mind was full of confusion and the clearing was such a tranquil place. I wanted to sit on the moss under the tree, close my eyes and think of nothing except the sounds of the forest.

    I crashed through the trees that guarded the entrance to the glade. By now I was sweaty and there were leaves and twigs in my pony tail. And so, of course, Ben was already there, shirt off again and writing in his notebook. It didn't appear that he saw me so I tried to sneak back into the trees before he noticed me, but I only got a few steps away before he called out to me.

    "Hey, Thistle." He set his notebook aside and walked over to me. "What's wrong?"

    I looked up at him. This was the first time I'd really noticed how much taller than me he really was. His wiry muscles emphasized his height. I don't know why I didn't just go then. After the way he'd treated me at school, I should have told him off and left. But there was concern written on his face and I really wanted someone to listen.

    "Ben, either both my mom and grandmother are crazy or I am. I've also seriously considered the possibility that maybe we all are."

    He put his hands around the back of my neck and gently used his thumbs on my cheeks to tilt my face towards him. "Slow down, ok? What's going on?"

    Deep breath. Here we go. "My grandmother told me today that Desire is a town full of witches. Not only that, but she says that