Page 31 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

"Wow... I thought I had passed out for like ten seconds, but now it feels more like ten good minutes..."

I nod and apply some more of the ice on her forehead, making Kelsi grimace again. We are back in Ben's car, driving toward the Purple Moon Clan territory. It left me enough time to update Kelsi on everything she missed while unconscious, but I'm still a bit worried, her forehead has one serious bump growing and it's a bit blue too.

"I really think we should stop by a doctor’s or something to have you examined," I say.

"No need, just the ice and I'll be good. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

"It doesn't hurt because you're numb from the ice," I protest.

"Don't worry, I mind-linked my sister," says Ben. "She'll meet us there."

I nod, feeling a bit better that Bonnie will take a look at that ugly thing growing on Kelsi's head. Actually, taking care of her is also a bit of an excuse so I can focus on Kelsi instead of thinking about Liam and the other werewolves.

I don't like the way we parted. I don't like the fact that we parted at all, to be really honest. However, something tells me it was the right decision for now. Everything’s happened so fast since last night, and I need to take a step back to reconsider the whole picture. Although everything went... incredibly well between us, and we had an amazing evening together, I know this is like learning to run before we walk. I don't have all the answers to my questions and with what we just learned, it looks like those answers might even end up hurting Liam. Which is definitely the last thing I want.

Very selfishly, though, I feel a bit happy that one thing was revealed, another clue about my identity. Mara was Nephera's unborn child. It explains why no one knew about that name, only the witches could have seen it on the Witches’ Ancestral Tree. However, where did Selena see it, then?

Those words from the Water Witch haunt me too. What is a Cursed One? Is it because Clarissa was born without being a witch herself, but I am one somehow? Clarissa was sure her mother was an Earth Witch, and with all the clues we’ve got so far, I'd be keen to believe it too. So why wouldn't she be one herself...?

"We're here, ladies," Ben suddenly says.

I was curious to go back to the Purple Moon territory. Liam and I came here briefly, but since we only scouted out Sylviana's house, I didn't have a real chance to meet the local werewolves and humans. The first thing that hits me is that just like before, all the houses look the same, aligned in colorful rows. I think we arrived on the other side, where it looks more like family houses, with people in the yards. Someone is grilling a barbecue, is it Sunday morning? The smells in the air are nothing like the fishy ones from the harbor over half an hour ago. Kelsi keeps looking out the window too, just as curious as I am.

"Oh, here's my sis."

Indeed, Bonnie is waiting for us in front of a large building, her arms crossed. For once, she is not in her hospital blouse, and quite nicely dressed. She's wearing denim pants and a white embroidered top, her long red hair held by a hairband. All three of us get out of the car, and I notice she has little heels on too.

"Mara, what's with that outfit?"

I forgot I was wearing Liam's clothes... What didn't burn, to be more precise. It's been a rough morning, now that I think about it. I could really use a shower after this, I probably smell like a not-so-fresh mix of seawater, dog, and... barbecue. Is it okay to meet an Alpha looking like this?

"Hey, sis, can you take a look at Kelsi? She hit her head badly..."

"I heard what happened at the shore," says Bonnie, walking up to Kelsi to check on her. "Are you guys alright?"

"Yeah... Just tired," I sigh.

I check myself out in the car's window, and I do look like a bit of a wreck, to be honest. I'm tired, my burns still hurt a bit, and I have a lingering headache because of all that humidity earlier, most likely. Bonnie suddenly growls.

"You call yourself a bodyguard? How come you're the only one who's fine?"

Ben makes a grimace and looks down, a bit embarrassed. She's not wrong, but I really cannot blame him. It's been a tough start for everyone, and I was probably the most at fault out of the three of us. After a while, Bonnie nods.

"You're just bruised, Kelsi, from the looks of it. Here, take this. And if you still have a headache, or you feel nauseous or dizzy in any way, you tell me, okay?"

"Sure."

"What about you?" she asks me, her eyes going down to my new scars. "How come you have more of... those?"

I glance down at the black marks on my body. I know they are nothing like normal burns, which is why Bonnie can immediately tell I have been playing with fire.

"We put ice on it. I'm fine."

"You're lucky those kinds of burns are fine with ice! What are you going to do if Kelsi or Ben get burned? They don't heal like you from fire!"

All three of us are looking down now, as if we were scolded by our preschool teacher. After a while, though, Bonnie sighs and crosses her arms.

"So? Why are we here now?"

"Come on, sis, I'll update you on the way."

Still not so happy, Bonnie follows us into the Purple Moon Clan territory.

With all the people around, our arrival did attract some glances. Not only because of my appearance, but because Kelsi, Ben, and Bonnie are the ones who stand out, for once. We are clearly in a neighborhood where Caucasian skin isn't the majority. I see all shades of brown skin around us, and strangely, I can't help but glance around wondering if anyone knows me here. Is it a coincidence that Clarissa borrowed a name from a community that looked like her?

A lot of people look our way, but they don't approach or seem hostile at all. In fact, the few wolves on the grass or sidewalks barely glance our way. I would have thought that the twins' presence would agitate some of them, but in terms of territory, the Black Brothers’ territory is literally next door. I guess there's nothing too surprising, and the packs are indeed at peace in Silver City.

"So, what now?" asks Bonnie.

"We need to find Lysandra Jones, the Alpha," says Ben. "I don't know the Purple Clan too well, but I guess we can ask–"

"No need," I say.

I can feel her. Just like the other Alphas, Lysandra Jones' aura feels something almost physical to me. It's not as strong as Nora's or Selena's, but I can still feel it. It's a bit stronger than Johnny Seaver's, and it's guiding me toward those buildings with the graffiti. I start walking, the three of them following behind me.

I'm feeling a bit... numb. Maybe I'm just tired from all these events today, but I feel a bit strange, thinking I'm going to meet yet another person who could have the answers. However, she could also have none at all. I mean, I'm only meeting that woman based on the assumption that Clarissa picked the name Mara Jones on purpose... although it's a relatively common name. I could be completely wrong, or I could be on my way to meet someone related to Mara, the original Mara, Nephera's unborn daughter. After all, if it was her real last name, does that mean she was connected to that Alpha, to the Purple Moon Clan? All the questions are rushing in my head, and I'm making too many assumptions.

We arrive at the entrance of the bunker-like building covered in graffiti. It's more like an abandoned building, actually, but the walls inside have been torn down to leave only the main structure, and inside, a giant skatepark has been established. It's not just a skatepark, though. To my surprise, there are about as many humans as there are wolves. I can't tell if they are doing some strange dance, fighting, or pursuing each other, but there's a lot going on. It's echoing like crazy in there, making the whole place crazy noisy compared to the quiet neighborhood just before.

"Oh, shit..."

I feel just like Ben, a bit overwhelmed. This place is crowded with people. Most look young, but there are some older ones too, who seem to be training them. Is this some sort of training area? I keep glancing around, following that aura I felt. It guides me toward a woman, sitting on a pillar, like a panther watching her territory. There are two men standing at the foot of that pillar with angry pit-bull faces, making me think I definitely found the Alpha. Moreover, her eyes are already on me.

She doesn't act or say anything, though, she only has that smirk on, and swings her leg around, waiting for me to come to her. She's wearing only sports clothes, and her long hair is split into two very long braids. She looks much younger than I thought. Her skin color is darker than mine, but she has gold tattoos on her arms and gold rings too. She even has a few piercings. I navigate between all the wolves and humans in the area to approach her, trying hard not to get hit or bumped into. I didn't think it would be this hard just to come and talk to an Alpha!

Finally, I arrive below the little pillar she is seated on. She smiles.

"Hello, little witch. Got lost?"

"I just came to ask you a few questions," I say.

"Let me guess. You're curious about Sylviana, right?"

I hesitate. Sylviana's house is on their territory. It makes sense they were... closer to her. Their pack probably knew of her existence long before others. I take a deep breath, and decide to be more direct.

"...More about Nephera, actually."

She loses her smile, and I see her frown a bit. Crap, maybe that was too direct? She doesn't look like the kind of woman I should mess with. Her aura seems quiet and tame at the moment, but I have a hard time reading her facial expression, and it makes me nervous. She's definitely gauging me, and I can feel her bodyguards, or whoever those two massive guys are supposed to be, glaring at me.

"...Why would you ask me about Nephera?" she finally asks.

"I... wondered if she had ever been associated with the name Jones."

"Jones?"

She stays silent for a moment, and I can tell she's scrutinizing me again. Although she doesn't seem to trust me, at least she's rather honest. After a little while, she comes down to the ground with an elegant little jump, falling silently on her feet like a panther. When she stands back up, I realize how tall and muscular that woman really is. Her aura seems more impressive from up close too.

"Come with me."

She guides me out of that place, and my friends follow after us as soon as we are out of there, all three of them rather quiet. However, Lysandra Jones doesn't seem to care about them. She goes toward one of the houses in the area, a large blue one. It has an old lady sleeping outside on a rocking chair, with some young pups sleeping at her feet like it's nap time. Lysandra walks past them and takes us inside.

It's a family house, but surprisingly empty. I would say it's a bit smaller than Nora's, more closeted too. It has a strange choice of decor, though. Some of the old items hanging in all corners reminds me of that old movie that took place in Louisiana, with the voodoo stuff, scented candles, and the likes... There are old pictures everywhere, it looks like the Jones Family has been around for a while... However, the furniture has been changed into something more colored, more modern that clashes with the rest. A big, black leather sofa is in the middle of the room, and Lysandra points her finger for us to quietly sit on it. Then, she turns around, leaning against a large mantle.

"Alright. What about the name Jones?"

"I don't know if you heard, but... Mara is basically looking to find her memories, and who she is," Bonnie starts explaining. "The White Moon Clan was... helping her until now, but..."

"You mean watching her," Lysandra interrupts her. "I know Selena, she is a good Alpha and a good woman, but she is too stubborn and wary of people to simply take pity on a young unknown witch, not after what happened. I already know all that, do you think Tonia and I don't talk?"

Bonnie stays mute and looks down, a bit embarrassed. I sigh.

"If you already know, then, do you know anything about... Mara Jones?"

She frowns, crossing her arms.

"Mara Jones? Who by Moon Goddess is that supposed to be?"

I gulp down my saliva and, in a few words, tell her about our little quest at the library for answers, how that name came up, and more recently, our new revelation about Mara's affiliation to Nephera.

"...I don't know much about Nephera, but... in my opinion, it feels a bit strange that Judah Black would have been the father of her child."

"Why not? He was enough of an asshole for that," she growls.

"Liam Black and I are... fated mates."

A few seconds of silence follow; Bonnie’s jaw drops though no sound comes out. Kelsi and I exchange a nervous glance, when finally, Lysandra Jones chuckles

"Wait... you're the young Black's fated mate? That stubborn little punk got himself a mate, and a witch, to boot!"

"Yes, I mean we are not technically mates yet, but... You seem to... really know Liam?"

"Know Liam? Girl, I trained with his little ass since he was a kid! He would come every single week to our territory, looking for trouble. He just loved to brawl behind his brothers' backs, he would come and train in that very same arena you saw just now."

Arena, she means that deserted building? Is that really their training ground, then? I wouldn't exactly call that an arena... Lysandra laughs, putting her hands on her hips.

"I don't know how many times he and I almost killed each other, but my father didn't care as long as he didn't go over the line. Liam had so much energy to spare... plus, that's how he met Sylviana."

"You knew Sylviana well too?"

Lysandra nods.

"Of course. My pack is one of the oldest packs in Silver City. We are familiar with witches, we knew they were here long before us. Sylviana knew we were probably one of the only packs with nothing against witches at the time she came to this city, before... Black got rid of his father and Nora Bluemoon became the new Luna. She never asked for anything, but she was useful to our community. We let her settle in that house, protecting her identity from other packs as long as we could."

"Th-then... do you think that before Sylviana was around, Nephera could have... I mean, if your pack is familiar with witches, and she could have been acquainted with your... family..."

As she slowly understands what I'm trying to imply, she opens her eyes wide, staring at me. After a while, she scoffs, but frantically shakes her head.

"I'm going to stop you right there, young lady. My mother died when I was a child, but she was my father's fated mate. Bless their souls, there is no way he would have ever gotten involved with another woman. I have no idea if she had an affair with those three’s piece-of-shit father, but there is no way it ever happened with my dad."

"Then... why would I–I mean, Clarissa pick the name Jones? Was it just a coincidence?"

"I don't know about Nephera, but I have never heard of her being associated with our pack. If she hid from Judah Black long enough to have a kid with someone else, it wasn't with my father."

My hopes crumble with those words. So Mara was really... Judah Black's child? It... still doesn't feel right. I was so sure her father could have been someone different, another man. Everything would have made sense too since the Purple Moon was familiar with witches, but it feels like something went wrong, both with my conclusions and Nephera.

"...I think you're looking for the wrong witch, hun," she sighs.

Just as I was about to ask what she meant, Lysandra suddenly walks to one of the portraits, a black and white picture, a family portrait. She takes it off the wall and brings it to me. I notice a young couple, posing on a bench, both with little girls on their knees. If they are not twins, the two girls ought to be very close in age. The picture looks very old, a few decades old at least. I am confused.

"...Sorry, but who are they?"

"Lucian and Beatrice Jones, my great-great-great-grandparents."

...Beatrice? A vision of that name flashes in my mind. The Witches' Ancestral Tree. I remember clearly, the name Beatrice was there. Her name was among Sylviana and Nephera's ancestors, the witch who had two daughters! I stare again at the picture. Two daughters... two young witches. Sisters who got separated and each formed their own line of descendants, giving birth to new witches.

"That woman you see right there? The little girl on her knees was the last known witch of Silver City before Nephera and Sylviana. And she was also my great-great-grandma. Her name was Sadia Jones."

I hesitate a few seconds, replaying the events in my head, but... something's just not right.

"No, no, it's not possible," I mutter, completely confused.

"Mara?" asks Kelsi, a bit lost.

"Sadia was marked as Nephera's mother, in that tree," I explain. "She was right next to her name. If she was your great-great-grandmother, she can't be Nephera's... mother. It makes no sense, that would skip more than two generations!"

"Could it be another woman with the same name?" suggests Bonnie.

"No, darling, there was only one Sadia Jones," says Lysandra. "However, who told you it was necessarily going from mother to daughter?"

"But..."

"Think again. There were no male names on that tree, right? Sure, it's extremely rare for a witch to birth a son, yes, but it does happen. Like my grandfather, one of Sadia's sons. She had three boys. So, why would that tree not record those men too?"

"...Because they are not witches."

The answer just hits me. I had already noticed there were no male names, but I thought that was because it only recorded the girls, not necessarily only the witches. I wasn't interpreting that tree the right way. I thought all witches gave birth to witches, but I should have known better. No, I should have realized where I was mistaken after seeing Clarissa's memories this morning!

I can feel the wheels spin and turn at a crazy speed in my head. A lot of things are starting to make sense. Or at least, it does fill in a few holes. Not all of them, but it does feel like I just got a few clues I was missing. I was thinking about all this in the wrong way. A too... linear way. I was too focused on the witches themselves, I didn't even consider the rest. I mean they had families, partners. Why did I think they'd only have daughters?

"So... witches don't always give birth to witches?" asks Kelsi.

"They obey the same laws of genetics as we do," says Lysandra. "A werewolf and a human's offspring won't always turn out to be a werewolf, either. Moreover, witches have no male counterparts. It makes sense their blood could weaken. Especially if they pick wolf mates, we have pretty good genes."

"So you're saying, instead of her daughter, Nephera must have been... Sadia's descendant?"

"One of her descendants, yes. I told you, Sadia had three boys, and they all had children as well, from what I know. If what you're saying is true, and she was next to my great-great-great-grandma on that tree, she ought to be."

"...That could explain why Clarissa used the name Jones," says Kelsi. "If she didn't know who Mara's father was, she may have... used a name from her mother's family line."

"Yes, but that would mean you–no, Clarissa had found out about Nephera's link to the Jones’," adds Ben, turning to me. "Doesn't that sound odd to you? It was a pretty big... mystery until now. How would she know?"

I agree. Something here just doesn't feel right. Let alone the Jones' Family tree, I'm getting more and more curious about Clarissa. If she didn't pick that name by chance, how the hell did she find out?

"Did anyone else come around to ask questions? I mean... have you seen me before? " I ask Lysandra.

She shakes her head slowly.

"No, girl, only the night of the fire. I came with my wolves to see if they needed help, but you were in a bad state. I'm not going to say the piece of charcoal I saw was anything like you, girl. I wouldn't have recognized you. And I had never seen you before that."

So she has no memories of me as... Clarissa.

Then, if she never met Lysandra, where did Clarissa get so much information about Nephera and Mara? How did she know about their relationship with the Jones Family? It's strange. Even if she found another Witches’ Ancestral Tree, the name Jones shouldn't have been anywhere on that tree, it only kept the first names. How in the world would she have found such information? From what I have heard so far, even Nephera herself ignored who her real mother was!

Lysandra sighs.

"I'm sorry I can't help you more than that, little witch. However, Sylviana was the only witch I knew, and even she had her own secrets. The few things I do know about witches, I learned from my grandpa. We may not have witches anymore in the family, at least not on my side, but we don't forget our ancestors. Moreover, he always said it was important to pass that knowledge onto the family, in case another witch would appear. We swore to protect the good witches here in Silver City, even if they are not Jones’; that included Sylviana, of course. However, Nephera may have been a Jones, but she was an evil witch. We only help good witches. If you intend to stay on the right path, I'll help you whenever I can."

I slowly nod. In other words, she'll be keeping an eye on me too... I should be used to it by now. However, that good witch, bad witch thing bothers me a bit. It actually reminds me of another matter I had in mind.

"Actually, I do have another question to ask you. That witch... the Water Witch we just saw on the harbor, she... called me a Cursed One. Do you have any idea what that means?"

Lysandra raises an eyebrow, looking surprised, but she nods immediately.

"Yes, I know, but even among witches, that is not a very... According to my grandpa, mostly evil witches used that term. It is a bit of a... an extremist way of thinking among witches. Cursed Ones are the name they use for girls born from a witch, but without any powers. It is a rare phenomenon, but it does happen, just like them giving birth to boys."

"Why call them Cursed Ones, though?" asks Kelsi. "It's not their fault they are born like that..."

"Like I said, it's quite extremist, and most witches don't use that term. I am not too sure, but it does sound like the blood of the father has something to do with it. Long ago, witches made sure to have children with witches' sons, to make the magic in their blood stronger. However, this is not the middle ages anymore. Witches marry whoever they want, human or werewolf. It is only a theory, but there are probably less and less witches in the world. Hence, some witches like the one you met probably don't like that. Girls being born without power means less witches. They consider them failures to their bloodline, or something like that."

"It's really cruel..." mutters Bonnie. "They are already born in a weaker position, but they are even rejected by a part of their own community..."

"Excuse me if I missed this, but you keep using the terms good witches and evil witches," says Kelsi. "I thought that was just a thing of fiction, but you make it sound like there's a real difference."

To my surprise, Ben is the one to answer that, turning to us.

"It's about the way they use their magic. Mara, you probably don't... I mean, I don't really know how that works, but from what Sylviana had said, good witches use their body as their source of magic. Like, when you get those burns? They appear because you use your own strength, right?"

I nod, glancing down the black markings on my body.

"To be honest, I didn't know there was any other way..."

"Well, the other way is the way of evil witches, like Nephera. Instead of their own... forces, they use other people to make magic."

"Wait, what? Other people?"

What the heck is he talking about? Ben glances toward Lysandra, but she doesn't react, and when he looks at his twin, Bonnie slowly nods. So she knows about this too. Of course.

"They... I mean, I'm no expert, but they apparently use the life force of other people to do magic..."

I remain quiet for a few seconds. What the heck is that now? Using other people? He means doing... those burns, that pain, and pushing it on someone else? This is...

"That's pretty fucked up..." mutters Kelsi.

It's the first time I’ve heard her swear, but Moon Goddess, I couldn't agree more with what she just said. This would make me want to freaking vomit. How can you inflict this onto someone else to do magic? I mean, it's already painful enough for me whenever I try to do it, I don't wish this on anybody else! No freaking way!

"Okay, when were you guys going to give me that information?" I ask the twins, a bit annoyed.

"I didn't think you'd need it," says Ben with a grimace.

"Of course I don't, but it doesn't mean I shouldn't have freaking known sooner! Bonnie, you too!"

"Hey, I thought you knew! You guys have been doing a bunch of research, and you talked about evil witches a while ago, I really thought this wasn't breaking news for you!"

"Well, it is," I sigh.

That certainly explains a bit better why everyone is so allergic to Nephera's name. Her being a... bad witch does resonate differently with me now that I know this. So whatever her power did to her, she... did it to other people? She probably didn't get burns like me, but it likely wasn't much better... I shake my head.

"Alright, I get it. So they... use other people to deflect the secondary effects? Like my marks?"

"I don't think it was anything like your burns," says Ben. "It just made people sick, like poisoned. They'd cough up blood or vomit, be super, super sick, and die."

Oh shit, it does remind me of someone... I try to think about it, but... Clarissa should have been a Water Witch, right? What if a Cursed One wasn't just about... the lack of power?

"You mentioned that the Cursed Ones tend to be... weaker? How is that?"

"I don't know. That’s all I heard, but apparently, it isn't just the fact that they don't have magic. They often don't live long, either."

I remain silent for a little while, taking all of that information in.

Clarissa was sick, very sick. With her mother being an Earth Witch, she would most likely have been a Water Witch, but no, she was a Cursed One. What if the Cursed Ones weren't just magicless, but unable to handle their amount of magic? If it forcefully... I don't know, attacked them? It was a similar sensation this morning. When Liam woke me up. I didn't realize the amount of pain I was in, my magic was working against me. It's not something that's just a part of me, it sometimes seems to have a will of its own. Maybe Clarissa's powers never came to be because she could never control it. Not only did she not have the necessary training she should have gotten from her mother, but she ended up with a power that was too strong and was consuming her life from the inside.

That's what that witch saw in me, she probably saw the powerless Clarissa, a Cursed One, using the unborn Mara's fire powers. Of course, it wouldn't make sense. Even if she had been a witch, Clarissa wouldn't have been a Fire Witch.

The question is, what happened? That witch implied that I... that Clarissa had stolen Mara's powers. Is that even possible? How did she do that? Mara was never even born! How could Clarissa have found out about an unborn child, whose very existence was concealed, and discovered a way to take her powers when she couldn't even endure her own? Regardless of how she got those fire powers, was Clarissa really able to handle it?

Something just doesn't make sense here. ...Did she get help? Did something happen that I missed? The hatred that Water Witch had was so intense, I felt like she was staring at some murderer, she made me feel like a damn criminal! However, it doesn't add up. If Clarissa stole Mara's fire powers... Why do I feel more like Mara than Clarissa? What really happened in that fire? Damn, I wish I had been able to see more of those memories...

"...Any more questions?" asks Lysandra.

I slowly shake my head. No, I think I'm done. Still with a lot of questions, actually, but those I won't find answers for here. Kelsi and the twins get up with me, and I politely thank Lysandra for all of her help until now.

"No worries. Come back around if you need anything... As I said, the Purple Moon Clan has nothing against witches... good witches, of course."

Just like that, we leave her house, and find the four of us slowly walking around the neighborhood.

The truth is, I'm a bit disappointed and torn inside. I didn't get the answers I really wanted to hear. That Mara wasn't the Black Brothers’ sibling, Liam's half-sister. Instead, what I got was more questions about Mara, Clarissa, and Nephera. I keep thinking something happened, but not as bad as what all the evidence points out. How desperate was Clarissa, and why did she get Mara's powers? The Clarissa I saw in that memory was... ready to die, if I may say so. Her quest was only to prove her mother was a real witch. She had no thirst for power, I felt nothing like that. So how did we get to where we are today? With Clarissa Garnett's body and Mara Jones' powers?

We slowly walk back to the car, and from the long faces following me, I know I'm not the only one who's doing some deep thinking. From the frowning, I'll guess Ben is updating his sister on everything she's missed. Kelsi walks up to stand next to me.

"So, Clarissa was a Cursed One, and... Mara Jones was actually Nephera's daughter, but she was never born into this world, and so far, we... I mean, it still seems like Judah Black was her... biological father?"

"We are not sure of that yet."

"I know..."

She doesn't dare add anything else, respectful of my feelings. She probably knows I'm quite disturbed by that. I know I acted tough and like I didn't really care until we had valid proof earlier, but... the idea is still haunting me. It just doesn't feel right that I'd... partly be Liam's half-sister. I mean, regardless of the whole body thing. I'm not Mara Jones. But was Judah Black really her father? Something just doesn't make sense here.

We finally arrive back at the car, and all get in, the twins in front, Kelsi and I in the back. I am still thinking about our conversation with Lysandra and Kelsi's words when Ben starts the engine. He stops at a red light, and suddenly, another thing hits me.

"Moon Goddess, that explains it..."

"What is it, Mara?" asks Ben, glancing in the rear mirror.

"I just thought, when we were talking about biological parents... Sylviana and Nephera thought they were half-sisters, because they had been raised by the same witch, Danica, right? But, it turns out Nephera wasn't Danica's daughter, she was... probably a human's daughter."

"Yes, that's what we determined from the fact that she was... Sadia Jones' descendant. But what about the relationship with Danica?"

"That's exactly the thing. Danica was a witch. Sylviana was a witch. If you were born with a child that's a witch, without being a witch yourself, what would you do?"

The twins exchange a look, but Kelsi is faster to catch on this time.

"Oh... I see where you're going, boo. You think whoever Nephera's parents were, they entrusted her to Danica because she was a witch?"

"Well, that would make sense," says Bonnie. "Perhaps Danica didn't want to tell Nephera she wasn't her biological daughter, but she still sent her here, to Silver City, where her roots were? Maybe she was hoping Nephera would reconnect with her past?"

"It didn't happen, though," sighs Ben, taking a left turn. "Nephera never connected with the Jones’, Lysandra had no idea she was a... distant relative."

"But... how could Clarissa have found out, then?"

That's the one thing I am most disturbed about. How, indeed? The only people who could have made the link never crossed paths with Clarissa, or they were dead long before she came to Silver City.

It's strange, that the more I research about Mara, the more things point to Clarissa, and not in a good way. She knew way too many things. How did she even get the name Mara Jones, supposedly unknown to everyone? She couldn't have met Nephera, or Sylviana, so who? Who helped her? I can't believe she only found her answers with a bit of research. Something happened, someone who knew the whole truth helped her out, and it just drives me crazy.

Because I feel like this is the one question I really need to answer to unveil everything.