It turns out, there is no spell or ritual that allows you to tap into the ancestral ghost hub at Moonhollow. I find this out while I’m curled up in a wicker chair on the third floor balcony, watching the sunrise.

“This was always my favorite spot too,” says a slightly transparent woman as she soundlessly folds herself into the seat beside me.

I nearly spill the mug of hot tea I’ve got clutched to my chest.

She laughs, the sound like wind chimes tinkling in a light breeze. She looks like me, but a little older. Her thick, dark hair is in pigtail braids that frame the sides of her radiant face. Her body is covered by a long, old fashioned dressing gown. Her feet are bare.

“I’m Thena,” she says, offering me my own smile. She even has the beauty mark at the curve of her lips.

“Emmy,” I respond, breathless. I set the tea beside the leg of my chair and pull the afghan tighter around my shoulders.

“I know. You’re not quite descended from me. But you may as well be. The Adelfi line is such a cluster of sisters. I was your grandmother’s great aunt.”

That put her having lived sometime in the late eighteen hundreds. I swallow nervously.

“I have some advice for you, but first ask me your questions. I can see them swirling behind your eyes.” She folds her hands daintily in her lap.

“How many ghosts reside here?” I ask, unable to contain my curiosity.

“Countless.” She offers no more information.

“Just D’Argent women or guardians too?”

“Guardians haunt the lands, but not the house.” Her iridescent eyes seem to twinkle.

I mull that over. “But do...do their witches get to see them?”

“Sure. From a distance.” She squints out at the grounds like she’s trying to see the guardians.

“That’s terrible,” I murmur.

She’s quiet, eyes faraway. “It is the way of things. Not everyone has the same feelings toward their guardians as you and your mother.”

“You mean how we treat them like humans?” I ask, unable to keep the disdain from my voice.

“I mean how you love them.” She offers me another dazzling smile.

I think about that. I’ve always been in love with Devereaux, and of course I love Jules. But Brody… Brody has always looked upon me with disdain. But now that I’m getting to know him I realize that he’s definitely deeper than what he seems like on the surface. I am starting to feel something for him, too.

“Mama says guardians are chosen by fate. Is that true?” I ask.

“In a sense, yes. There’s a spell one can do to call them forth. Magic is kinda like fate. And of course the Order of Praecantrix assist in guardian placement.”

I frown. “The what now?”

“The Order of Praecantrix. For as long as witches have had guardians the Order has been in existence. It is made up of a council of men who work alongside priestesses to locate, groom and place potential guardians with their witches.” Thena purses her lips thoughtfully. “I probably shouldn’t have told you that. The Order isn’t revealed to a witch until she’s much older. But I suppose since you already have guardians, what’s the harm?”

“Were… Mama’s guardians chosen by the Order? Were mine?”

“Your mother’s were. I don’t think yours were, given the circumstances.” The sun shines through her face, and it’s a little bit off putting.

“Does the Order have magic?”

“No. That’s why they work with priestesses. A High Priestess is in charge of the summoning of guardians for her coven fledgelings. The order then gives them a little training and places them in the witch’s life to find.” Thena looks back out across over the land and something occurs to me.

“Are your guardians down there somewhere?”

“Yes,” she admits, turning to me. “I had two.”

“Do you miss them?”

“It was not my place to miss them. Or feel anything for them. We were taught that guardians are for protection, power and procreation only. And occasionally pleasure.”

“The four P’s,” I murmur, earning me a wry smile from my dead relative.

“Guardianship is not a life I would choose for my son, if I had one.”

Adelfi women only bear more women. It’s known by everyone, even by the non magical folk in the area.

I blow across the surface of my tea. “You said you know my circumstances. Do you know of the djinn?”

Her face puckers with disapproval. “Of course I do. It’s … unfortunate. What she did. That poor creature.”

I sputter. “Poor creature? He’s trying to kill me!”

“Bia was never kind to him. She used him until he was almost dead, multiple times. I’m not defending his actions now, but I can understand why he’s bitter. Being a fly on the wall of this house isn’t always exciting.” She seems to go even more transparent in her agitation.

I huff. “Well, I didn’t do anything to him.”

“True. But you’re the only thing standing between him and his freedom. So you may as well be his warden, like your grandmother was.”

I stare at her, heart thudding. “What’s your advice, Thena? You said you had advice.”

She smiles wanly. “My advice is to take your own life. It will break the bond and set that poor creature free.”

I feel the blood drain from my face as I gape at her. “Are you kidding me right now?”

“Oh you’ll be fine,” she pats my knee, but I don’t feel it. “As long as the resurrection spell is performed fast enough no harm will come to you.”

I blink, my mind flickering between ‘kill yourself’ and ‘resurrection spell’. “Define fast enough.”

“Before the body cools is the rule of thumb,” she says, like this is everyday knowledge. Perhaps it would be if I was up to date on my studies.

I look away from her, shivering in the cold morning air. “That seems a little extreme. I’m not keen on dying.”

“But the djinn is very powerful. He’s eluded your mother and her guardians thus far and will continue to do so. Soon he’ll resort to hurting those you love.”

I glance at her sharply, remembering the djinn’s words from my dream. The dream that wasn’t a dream.

“Well, uh, thank you for your input.” Though I have no idea what to do with the information or the suggestion that Thena has given me. I start to ask about Grandmother’s ghost but think better of it, deciding that I don’t really want to see her right now.

“Think about it. And I’m here if you seek council again.” It’s an obvious dismissal even though I was here first. I find myself standing abruptly and heading inside, tea in hand, not entirely of my own volition.

I’m half way down to the ground floor before I stop and blink away whatever ghost compulsion she used on me. What a strange sensation. I mentally check in and make sure the boys are still sleeping before making my way all the way to the kitchen.

To my absolute relief, Mama is there. She’s still wearing last night’s dress and makeup and she’s leaning against the counter, sipping from a mug that I recognize as Grandmother’s favorite. Her hazel eyes snap to me when I enter.

“You’re up early, baby girl.”

“The djinn visited me.” Her eyes widen and she sets down her cup swiftly. “In a dream! In a dream,” I hurriedly amend.

She exhales. “What did he say?”

“He was just threatening. Wants me to turn myself over and save him the trouble of killing everyone I love.” My voice quivers. “And then I met a ghost who said I should just kill myself and free the djinn.”

She blinks for a moment, processing all that I’ve just said. “What ghost?” she finally asks.

“She said her name is Thena.”

Understanding crosses her face. “Great Aunt Athena always has a very nihilist outlook on things. She died pretty violently and it traumatized her.”

“How did she die?” I sit my tea down on the counter when I notice my hand is trembling.

“Spell gone wrong.” Mama nonchalantly takes a drink.

“Is there seriously a resurrection spell?”

“Yes, but it’s tricky. And hardly ever actually works. It’s like a two percent rate of success,” she explains.

I sigh. “That’s not promising.”

“Don’t tell me you were considering it, baby. You’re smarter than that.” Her shrewd eyes search my face.

“Our fight against the djinn just seems so hopeless. Why can’t we ask the coven for help?”

“I’m not part of the coven. Not only would they deny me out of spite but they are bound not to help me. Assistance only goes to members,” she says.

“Well that’s selfish. Could I ask them? I’m part of the coven, right?” I ask.

“You can certainly try. But until you come into your power Clio is in charge.”

I chew on my lip. “Thena also told me about The Order of Pr… Prae something.”

“Praecantrix?” Her eyebrows rise. “I guess there’s no harm in you knowing now. Your guardians are bound.”

“Why can’t a witch know before then?” I hop up onto the counter and pick up my tea.

“Because it can skew the data. Your high priestess does the summoning and some guys show up, then the Order vets them and puts them in your life to see how you interact. If you know that they might be your guardians then you’ll act differently around them. It needs to be natural. They need to be drawn to you and you to them.”

“You said it was fate.”

“Fate, yes. With a little magical push to speed things up.”

“And a council of crotchety men to prepare random dudes for a life of being a subservient sex slave,” I say glumly.

She laughs. “Essentially, yes. I left the coven when I found out about the Order. The guys are sworn to secrecy until the High Priestess gives the okay but it felt like such a betrayal from the men I had fallen in love with. And I didn’t want that life for them.”

I don’t want that life for Jules, Dev or Brody either. They didn’t even get the rundown from the Order before being bound to me. I rub my forehead, suddenly exhausted.

“You should get some sleep, baby. We’ve got a house full of witches who will be clamoring for mementos of your grandmother’s today, and then the farewell ceremony tonight.” She brushes my hair back from my face.

“Did you sleep?” I ask her.

“Not so much. I got to reminiscing with my sisters and time got away from us. But I’ll be okay. I’ll take a nap later, after you’ve gotten more rest. We can switch off.”

I nod blearily and drain my cup.

“You can send the boys home today. They can’t be part of the ceremony tonight and it will go pretty late. We’ll head home tomorrow after cleanup.”

My stomach drops at the thought of so long without them, of sleeping without them. Having them all in the same room at bedtime was really nice.

I nod reluctantly. “Yeah, okay.”

I hop down and wander back upstairs, pausing to take a deep breath before opening the door. My guardians are all where I left them. Brody is sprawled on the cushy couch and Dev and Jules are each on their respective sides of the bed, facing the edges. The dull morning light pierces the gauzy curtains just enough to make the room look hazy. I yawn again and climb over Jules, settling into the middle with ease.

Each of the brothers rolls over so they’re facing me, but both still seem asleep. I smile and close my eyes, dropping immediately into an exhausted slumber.