“She spoke to you, didn’t she?” Rose asked.
The others turned to Mina. She couldn’t tell if any of them was aware of what just happened.
“I…”
That was all Mina was able to utter. She didn’t know if she could trust any of them.
“Did someone speak to you?” Reeba asked, repeating the question.
Obviously, only Rose was aware, though partly. The others weren’t.
“It was…” Mina started, then bit her lip.
“Your mother,” Rose finished her sentence.
Mina swallowed heavily. Her heart was beating inside her chest so violently that she felt like it was about to jump out and run away, leaving her with an empty shell.
“I could sense the powerful connection between the two of you,” Rose continued, as the others looked on.
Mina could see the astonishment on Reeba’s face. That was probably the last thing she expected. Mina wasn’t sure if Rose had anticipated any of it, not that it mattered much.
“When Reeba said you wanted to come, I said no at first,” Rose admitted.
Mina didn’t know this. Reeba hadn’t told her.
“But, when I opened the Empress in my tarot cards that evening, I knew that I needed to stop and think again. I wasn’t listening to something important that I was being told. See, I was right,” she smiled.
That smile told Mina that she was safe, she was among friends.
“Your mother wanted you here. She couldn’t get you here on her own, you see. No witch has that power when she crosses over. But, she made you curious. She made me rethink my decision. Your presence here is her doing, after all.”
Mina felt another gush of tears coming on but she managed to suppress it. This was no time for crying.
“She was the keeper of the Book,” Rose continued. “When she died, she had given it to your brother for safe keeping but the real keeper of the Book is you.”
“Me?” Mina wondered.
“Yes, you were just too little for the job when she died. So, your brother took over, until you come of age.”
“Do you know where my brother is?” she asked.
“No,” Rose shook her head. “All I know is what your mother allowed me to know. She was inside my head, my body, and my thoughts were her thoughts. It doesn’t go the other way around. I only know what she lets me see and hear. And, that wasn’t much.”
“So, you know who I am?” Mina asked, her voice down to a whisper.
Rose looked at the other girls, then back at Mina.
“Your secret is safe with us,” she assured her.
“What secret?” Reeba asked quickly and Rose smiled.
“Maybe you’d like to explain it to them yourself?” Rose urged Mina.
Mina swallowed, feeling a dry lump somewhere in her throat which wouldn’t go away. Yes, she felt like she owed Reeba an explanation, after everything.
“My name isn’t Lucy Wing,” Mina started, and Reeba’s eyes widened in shock. “It’s Mina Payton.”
“Mina Payton?” Reeba repeated her name. “Wait, your brother is Kellam Peyton?”