As she turned to walk away, she heard a voice from inside saying, “Running away, dear?”

Whoever lived in that cottage knew she was there. She would look stupid to walk away now.

Amelia turned and climbed the stairs at the front of the cottage and eased the door open. She found a kitchen table groaning with breakfast items, enough to feed an army, and there by a wood-burning stove was a grey-haired woman busy making more food.

The woman didn’t turn around but said, “Sit yourself down, Amelia. I’ll be right with you.”

She knew her name? This was getting creepier by the second. Amelia sat on the edge of the seat, ready to run out of there if need be. Finally, the elderly woman turned around and gave her a huge smile, followed by a head bow.

“Principessa, my name’s Sybil Westford. The Grand Duchess said you would be coming.”

“Lucia? My partner’s great-great-grandmother?” Amelia said.

“Yes.” Sybil carried over a plate and put it in front of her. “I hope you like scrambled eggs.”

“But she’s dead.”

Sybil smiled and poured out two cups of tea. “True, but you can still hear her if you’re open enough.” Sybil sat down next to her. “I think you know what I mean. Don’t you?”

Amelia hesitated. “I’ve been hearing voices since I was in a casting circle yesterday.”

“And what did they say?” Sybil asked.

“I couldn’t tell. They were all talking over each other and too far away. I couldn’t make out the words.”

“And now?”

“It’s all so clear. The voices wouldn’t stop telling me to come here. I couldn’t sleep.”

Sybil smiled. “Those are the voices of our ancestors, your ancestors. All the witches who came before give us our power.”

“So I am a witch? Really?” Amelia said.

When Sybil nodded, Amelia asked. “Did you know my mother and father?”

“I knew your mother. I was close to her.”

“Who was she? And what about my father?”

Just as Sybil took a breath to answer, Byron burst through the door in a flash. “Stay back from my wife—” Byron stopped dead. “Sybil, you’re still—”

Sybil laughed softly. “Alive?”

Byron caught her breath. “No, here.”

Amelia looked back and forth between the two of them. Byron had dressed really hastily, having pulled on the jeans and T-shirt that Amelia bought her. How did she know Sybil?

“You two know each other?”

Sybil nodded. “We’ve crossed paths over the years. We first met when I was a girl, and Byron came to us during the War, although she was much better dressed back then.”

Byron looked down at what she was wearing. “Please forgive me. I had to dress in haste. Amelia, why did you leave without me?”

“I didn’t think I’d be in danger. The voices wouldn’t stop talking, and I could hear them clearly after last night.”