Read The Magick of Dark Root (Daughters of Dark Root) for Free Online Page B

asked. “I don’t remember being that wise when I was her age.”
    “That’s because you weren’t,” Merry teased, nudging me in the ribs.
    “She’s like a little old woman. Maybe we shouldn’t let her hang out with her grandmother so much.”
    “The two have been almost inseparable since Mama woke up. But I think it’s good for both of them.” Merry’s eyes ventured to the staircase, mentally moving towards Mother’s room on the second floor.
    “Anyways,” Merry continued. “Sorry about June Bug reading you like that. She’s supposed to ask permission first.” Merry turned her head in both directions, checking to see that we were still alone. Turning to me, she whispered, “I think her talents are growing. Evolving. She knows things. Everything.”  
    “Like reading minds?” I whispered back, surprised. There were few witches who could read minds. It was one of the highest gifts given.
    “No. I don’t think so. It’s more like reading motives and intentions, I guess. She told me the other day that she was going to ask her daddy to send more money so that I would stop wanting to kill him. I’d never spoken those words but that’s what I was feeling.”  
    Merry’s ex-husband Frank had run off with a barely-legal barista the year before and sent child support payments only when he felt like it.  
    “You’re a saint for not killing him already,” I said, sliding my arm around her waist.  
    It worried me how thin she’d gotten. Merry was naturally curvy, claiming she put on five pounds every time she smelled a cinnamon roll. Now I could feel her ribs. She was under more stress than she admitted. I cleared my mind before she could read my panic.
    “I bet Mother’s got a few Voodoo dolls lying around here. We could make a Frank doll,” Merry teased.
    “She’s probably used them up on her own men,” I said.
    “That would explain why they’ve all mysteriously disappeared.” Merry blew on her cup then took a sip from her mug. “Want some coffee? I can put a shot of brandy in it.” As soon as she spoke the word brandy, her face went white. “Oh, Maggie. I’m so sorry. My mind’s all over the place lately and I keep forgetting.”
    Our eyes fell to her mug as we both remembered a night last month when we’d stayed up late at Dip Stix Café, guzzling countless bottles of Shane’s best wine.  
    Of course, I didn’t know I was pregnant then, but what if…?
    “I’m sure everything’s fine,” Merry said. “It was only one night. God only knows what Mother put in her body when she was pregnant with us.”
    “Not a good comparison,” I snickered. “But you’re right. It was only one night.”
    Yer father had the deathtouch.
      I resisted the urge to touch my belly as Aunt Dora’s words came back to me. Merry had enough on her plate with Frank, June Bug, and Mother. I wasn’t going to let her take on one more worry.  
    “Besides,” Merry continued. “I’m sure you ate very healthy at Hallelujah-Ville, right? That’s gotta count for something.”
    “You mean Woodhaven?” I laughed. “Well…”  
    Michael had done his best to get me to eat healthy, insisting on organic and free-range everything, but my private diet consisted of Oreos and Diet Coke, and not much else.
    This poor child didn’t stand a chance.
    June Bug returned to us, skipping, her hair divided into two fishtail braids that fell to the small of her back. Eve’s handiwork.  
    “Aunt Maggie, come see what we’re doing.” She took my hand and dragged me towards the dining area as Merry threw me an apologetic shrug.  
    In the corner, behind the round oak table where I used to eat breakfast, stood an aluminum tree at least seven feet tall. It was a sad, shriveled-up old thing: a thin, metallic pole that spewed out silver branches with so much space between them you could see to the wall behind it. On each branch hung four, red, glass balls as large as melons. Chunky strands of tinsel separated each