The Opal Witch

Chapter Six: Amulets

Lux

Lux crept down the stairs not long after the sun rose the next morning. Grit filled her eyes and her body protested with each step, but she couldn't force herself to stay in bed any longer. Mostly because Kitty kicked in her sleep, and her hangover snores reached the underworld. Travis was no quieter. His long, gangly form was stretched across Lux's bedroom floor, and the pillow his face was smashed into did nothing to muffle his wheezing breaths.

But as she settled herself into the porch swing with a cup of coffee warming her hands, she knew sleep eluded her for other reasons. The little sleep she had managed had been filled with a strange string of alternating nightmares and dreams. New faces appeared- one the handsome Declan. The others were girls she'd never seen before with her eyes, but her heart whispered she knew them.

She raised the stoneware mug to her mouth and paused. The rich hints of caramel and vanilla wafted from the cup, but it wasn't enough to distract her from watching the two women wandering up the gravel driveway. Clouds obscured the morning sky, and raindrops dotted the concrete path to the porch. Her grandmother and mother strolled toward the house with their heads bowed to keep the drizzle out of their faces. The stern line of Mama's mouth suggested that, as usual, she was not pleased by what Memaw was saying, but Lux knew she was taking it in. Accepting it.

They hadn't spotted her yet, and she took the moment to study the two most important women in her life. They were so similar in looks and posture. She didn't know if it was because she'd never seen her grandfather to know what features her mother inherited from him, or if it was because Memaw's DNA had dominated, but her mother could have been Phoebe Godelieve thirty-seven years ago. If only their approaches to life were as similar as their looks.

Memaw looked up with a smile, as if she was expecting to find her granddaughter waiting for them. "Good morning, Lux. You're up awful early for having been out so late."

"Good morning, Memaw. I didn't expect you to be here this morning."

They walked up the steps and over to where Lux was swinging. Memaw placed a hand on her cheek before stooping down to replace her hand with her lips. "I wouldn't miss my granddaughter's seventeenth birthday."

"How are you feeling?" Mama asked, dark eyes assessing Lux carefully.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Should I not be?"

"I heard y'all stumble in this morning. I figured your head would be giving you fits."

A giggle slipped out of Lux's mouth, and she answered around a smile. "I only stumbled because I was trying to help Kitty and Travis up the stairs. I doubt we'll be seeing them before noon."

"I'm glad one of you three had the common sense to not get wasted last night," Phoebe sniffed, shooting a glare at her daughter. It figured that she'd find fault in Mama's philosophy on alcohol, despite how much she fussed about Mama being too uptight.

"Oh please. Mother, you used to pour me a glass of wine with dinner every night." Mama turned to Lux. "So you've not noticed anything unusual today?"

Twin looks of expectation crossed their faces. The sight would've been comical if Lux wasn't trying so hard to figure out what they were getting at. "Nope."

Triumph glittered in Mama's eyes; disappointment dulled Memaw's. "I'm getting coffee," Mama announced, her voice suddenly chipper. "Mother?"

"Yes, please."

The screen door clanged shut while Lux scooted over to make room for her grandmother. Memaw patted her knee, drawing attention to the odd ring on her finger.