forgive himself but he’s no match for a shifter if that’s who is after Zara.” Elise picked up the two silver goblets.
“Your brother has a fierce heart, I’ve seen how he watched over you. He’s also incredibly resourceful. He’ll keep Zara safe.” Hannah followed Elise out of her workroom and back into the living area of the cabin where the atmosphere was still frosty.
“We have the potion ready.” Elise paused before she passed one cup to Aiden and then the other to Caleb who was standing by the window, staring out into the darkness. “Are you both sure about this?”
“Yes.” Caleb’s fingers brushed hers as she handed him the cup. “We’ll be okay.”
“I’ll be right here if you need me.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
“That’s why I know we’ll be okay,” he replied.
“What do we do?” Aiden asked from the sofa where he was sitting next to Flora who clung to his arm, as if she were scared to let him go.
“Grandma Hannah will guide you.” Elise turned to face Hannah as she entered the room. “She’ll be there with you and can pull you back if it gets too scary.”
“Flora, if you move to the chair, Caleb, you sit next to your brother. I can direct you back to the time you need to remember. I just need a few brief details from you.” Hannah beckoned to Elise and together they moved a low padded footstool toward the sofa.
Once she was satisfied with the position of the footstool and had asked Aiden to shuffle closer toward Caleb, Hannah sat down. Flexing her fingers, she placed one hand on each knee and leaned forward slightly, her focus switching from one brother to the other.
Elise held her breath as Hannah spoke quietly to the twins, who guided her back in time to where they needed to go. To a time they couldn’t remember. Her heart ached for the two young boys who had lost their parents.
“They forgot they had a sister?” Grandma Sylvie’s voice made her jump. How had she gotten so close without Elise realizing it?
“Yes. I think they were so traumatized over what happened, they pushed the pain away as a coping mechanism.” Elise wiped her hand across her eyes. “It scares me. The thought of them opening themselves up to that pain is unbearable.”
“I can only imagine.” Sylvie’s brows knitted together. “And they think whoever was behind their parents’ deaths was behind their kidnapping from the foster home?”
“Yes. But no one knows for sure, which is why they need to remember.” She covered her mouth with her hand as Hannah told them to drink the potion and close their eyes.
In a calm voice, Hannah guided the twins back in time, probing their minds until they were right where they needed to be.
“Now, I want you to open the door and let yourself remember. It’s all in the past. No one can hurt you.” Hannah sat in silence while the twins unlocked their memories.
The room was deathly quiet. It was as if they were all afraid one sound might break the spell and ruin Caleb and Aiden’s chance of unlocking the secrets in their heads.
Then Caleb’s shoulders jerked forward, and he grasped the edge of the sofa cushion with his hands. He sucked in a deep breath as if he were struggling to breathe and Elise darted forward, only to be restrained by Sylvie.
Elise swung her head around to look at her grandma, ready to pull away and go to her mate. But Sylvie shook her head, her eyes misted with tears as she wrapped her arms around her granddaughter and held her close.
Tears rolled down Elise’s cheeks as she clasped her hands around Sylvie’s arms and held onto her. Her grandma was right, she needed to let this happen. She had to set her own feelings aside in the same way the twins were setting their feelings aside for the sake of their sister.
“How much longer?” Elise whispered as the clock on the wall ticked on endlessly.
“You know better than to ask that question,” Sylvie whispered in reply.
Grandma Hannah stared at the twins, her hands on theirs as their eyes moved beneath their lids as if they were experiencing REM sleep. Could she sense if they were okay? Would she wake them if the twins became too stressed?
Caleb opened his mouth and sucked in air as if he’d been drowning. Hannah grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, whispering in his ear. His eyes opened and