Full moon.

Bailey

I stare at myself in the mirror. The long white dress I have on covers my entire body, my face is clean of makeup except for the cherry lipgloss on my lips.

My hair.

I grab my brush and brush my strands so that it cascades down my back and I frown when I notice an uneven piece. Where the hell did that come from? I pick it up and my confusion grows when I notice it seems like it's been cut with scissors, which I would know because when I was thirteen I was depressed and cut my hair with Aunt Lisa's kitchen scissors. I'm broken out of my thoughts when I hear the distant sound of wolves hollering and I move to my bedroom window, seeing it's finally the full moon.

I immediately close my curtain and check that my bedroom door is locked before turning off the light and grabbing the spell book, my eyes dart to the potion on my desk and I bite my bottom lip in consideration.

I made a potion that ensures my safety from the afterlife because I don't have anyone that could bring me back and I know there's a chance that I won't be able to find my way out if someone doesn't help me but I need to do this. So I drink the potion and almost gag at the taste before sitting down on the floor in the middle of the circle of candles and use my powers to light the candles up. I take a deep breath and let it out again before starting, chanting the spell over and over until I eventually get the same feeling of the air being knocked out of me.

I sit up with a gasp, immediately looking around and recognise the exact same spot I landed the last time I was here but instead of going to Aurora again, I head straight to the opposite building where I found my parents the last time. And I immediately find them in something resembling a backyard.

"Mom! Dad!" They turn to me and my mom's eyes widen while my dad pales "I'm not dead." I rush to stay

Okay so maybe the white dress wasn't a good idea.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Mom says as she walks over to me and hugs, I try to find her familiar smell but I can't quite find it. "What are you doing here again, Hail Bail?"

After hugging my dad too, I say "I need answers. Now." When they glance at each other, I say "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off so harshly."

My dad shakes his head "You didn't. You deserve to know the truth. Let's go inside."

My mom wraps an arm around my shoulder as we follow my dad into the building which I'm starting to think is their resemblance of a house here in the afterlife. We head to the dining hall and sit down by the table, when they share another glance I say "I have so many questions."

"Of course, you do." Mom says "Go ahead and ask them, dear."

I swallow nervously before asking "Were you a part of The Shadow Sister?"

A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips "I was."

I nod and just decide to rip the bandaid off "Did you sacrifice humans?" Her smile immediately fades and both of them stiffen "And don't even think about lying, I deserve the truth. One of the most important people in my life needs to know the truth too."

They're quiet for a second before dad gives her a nod of reassurance and she says softly "We did."

My heart drops to my stomach "Why?"

"We were greedy. There's no other simple way to put it but we were greedy for the power. The magic."

I nod slowly and dig my nails into my skin to stop myself from falling apart "And someone put a spell on everyone in the sisterhood?"

She nods "We never found out who exactly it was because it was too late when we eventually realised what was happening. It all started with little things like hair loss, vomiting, painful stomach ache and loss of appetite."

"And then?" I ask in a shaky whisper

"And then our necklace just started burning us from the inside until we eventually took it off." She says staring down at the table instead of at me.

I glance at my dad to find him also avoiding my eyes. So he knew. I let out a heavy breath before asking "So what lead to you all burning down your houses?"

"We felt it was suitable" she says hesitantly "Witches using their magic to kill themselves." I frown as she continues "When your dad got home that night, he was supposed to take you out of the house and leave but everything escalated. He was drunk and you were so furious at your little age." She reaches a hand out and out it on top of mine "I need you to know that this is not your fault, Bailey. I did what I need to do for everyone."

"For everyone?" I snap as I yank my hand away "You were selfish human being who craved power! And it cost me my home and family! You don't care about anyone but your goddamn self."

"Bailey!" My dad says sternly "Don't speak to your mother like that."

My eyes snap to him "And why is that? Because only you can treat her like crap right?"

His entire expression darken and my mom says "Bailey, I need you to unders-"

"Oh, but I do understand." I stand up "Do you know that Candice's daughter died in the house fire with her mother?"

She blinks away tears and nod "I know"

I shake my head "I can't believe you. An innocent girl paid for your actions as well."

"We never meant for anything to go the way it went. But it did and there was nothing I could do."

I nod, not because I agree with her but because I want her to stop talking and suddenly something dawns on me "One of the witches had a daughter with Cory Robinson. Who?"

They tense and my dad ask in a tight voice "How do you know that?"

"It doesn't matter. Just tell me so that one good thing can come out this whole mess, because that man deserves to know his daughter."

When they continue staring at each other with a tense expression, I let out a humourless laugh and shake my head before making move to leave.

"It was me." I pause and turn around to look at my mom in surprise "I was the one who was dating Cory."

My heart starts pounding in my chest and my palms feel sweaty "Does that mean…?"

"Yes, Bailey. Cory is your father."

My mouth falls open and I glance at my dad to see his nod of confirmation and I blink away tears as I move back to the table but don't sit down "How? What even happened?"

She lets out a heavy breath "I was dating him for a while and fell pregnant with you but at the time he found out about the whole…sacrificial rituals and wanted to take you away from me."

My bottom lip quivers "What did you do, mom?"

She shakes her head and a sob tears through her as she says "I ran away with you."

I close my eyes as I feel tears run down my cheeks and I bite down hard on my bottom lip to stop myself from just breaking down. I open my eyes again to see dad comforting my mom and it doesn't take a genius to figure out they got together after she ran away with me. It broke my heart when Eli broke things off with me but finding out my dad is not actually my dad? It's breaking my soul.

I take a deep breath before saying softly "I should head back."

I move for the door again but freeze when I hear my mom ask "Do you hate me, Hail Bail?"

"I could never hate you, mom." I wipe my tears before glancing at her over my shoulder then at dad, which I refuse to refer to by his first name "Or you, dad."

And with that I leave, trying to ignore the tightness in my chest as I listen to my mom's cries and my dad trying to soothe her while my own tears are flowing.