Chapter 1

Did you ever go back to a place you used to live, but haven't visited in a long time? You half expect everything to be exactly how you left it, including the people. You don't think that they're changing…even though you're out there in the world doing some changing of your own.

But then you find that your favorite restaurant isn't there anymore, the nice old lady down the street passed away, and your best friend who used to live right next door went off to college. That's when it hits you – that's not your place anymore.

But what if you haven't moved on?

People always say change is a good thing.

…is it?

"Fiona, come on!" Molly Phillips yelled, throwing her last duffel bag into the tour bus storage space.

Sitting on the stoop of her house, 16-year-old Fiona shut down her laptop and carefully put it in its case. Slinging it over her shoulder, she dashed down the walk and climbed the bus stairs. "Explain to me why we're leaving before eight in the morning?"

"We want to be at the next hotel by tomorrow afternoon," Molly informed her. At Fi's dubious look, she sighed. "Ned's words, not mine."

"I thought so," Fi laughed, making her way towards what would be her room for the rest of the summer. The rest of the Phillips-Bell clan were already boarded, mentally prepping themselves for yet another cross-country road trip.

Fi wasn't sure if she was ready herself. The past month since the school year ended and she went home had been tense. Annie had just gone back to her parents only a week before, and the gaping hole she left behind had been painfully obvious. It gave Fi a sense that she had big shoes to fill…for her own family.

The thought had even crossed her mind that Molly had been more upset about Annie leaving, than happy about her coming home. She wasn't sure if she could take that.

Sitting on the bed she had made the night before, Fi booted up her laptop once again. She didn't even bother checking her website; she had abandoned that when she moved to Seattle. The twins had been disappointed, but she had made it up to them by telling them how she lost her ability of sight. They had begged to sleep in Fi's room one night, and nagged Fi for a story about a recent encounter with the paranormal. Fi had obliged, for the sole purpose of getting them to go to bed.

"Please, Fi?" Maggie begged, putting on the biggest puppy dog face she could muster.

Miranda mirrored her sister's look, widening her eyes a little more. "Yeah, you have to tell us at least one!"

Maggie nodded. "Oh, make it the one about vampires, or the banshee, or aliens…"

Fi stared at her cousins for a long minute before letting out a breath. "Okay, fine. But you guys gotta promise not to tell anyone." The two eagerly held out their hands for a pinkie swear.

When all three shook, Fi recounted everything from the beginning – how she met the Will 'O the Wisp,, how she had read the wrong spell, and how Annie helped her fix everything. "Then, the spunkie told me that if I didn't read a spell to take away my sight, demons would come after me and my family. So…I did. I read a spell, I passed my ring along to Annie, and that was it. I haven't had contact with the paranormal since."

The twins were quiet for a few minutes. Finally, Miranda protested, "But, Fi, how could you do that? You're a witch. You can't lose your power just like that."

"What?" Fi replied, a little taken aback. "What gave you the idea that I was a witch?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "We figured it out, silly. You read that spell when you came to visit us, remember?"

"Look, guys, that was just part of the territory of having the sight, okay? And…and, all right, magic sort of runs in the family on my mom's side," Fi argued. "But that doesn't mean that I'm a witch. Don't mention it again, especially if I'm on the phone with my mom. She doesn't like me talking about that stuff."

Quiet again. "Fi…what happened to you?" Miranda whispered.

Next thing she knew, the twins had bolted from the room. Sighing, Fi fell back on her bed and stared at the ceiling, Miranda's question rolling around in her head.

That was when she realized that giving up her sight had been a terrible mistake. She had spent all night thinking, rehashing her conversation with the spunkie over and over. When I gave up my sight, Fi thought bitterly, I gave up the one way to protect my family, to sense when danger was coming. Demons are still mad at me – I can feel it. All Br…darn, still can't remember his name…he did was make me more vulnerable. I need my sight back.

It wasn't simply that she needed her sight. She missed it, a lot. Tracking down the supernatural had been a part of her. Miranda was right in that respect; she couldn't just lose something like that.

She snapped out of her reverie when her messenger service indicated that she had mail. Clicking the button that directed her to her inbox, Fi was confused to find a message waiting for her…without the sender's email address displayed next to it.

Curiosity overwhelming her fear of spam viruses, she clicked it open. Her jaw dropped at the message. It was a spell, and absolutely nothing else.

"'To Regain Sight'," Fi read aloud. She cast her eyes upward. "Daddy?"

Clearing her throat, she chanted:

"I had eyes, but I closed them tight,

Now I once again let them see light."

Fi quickly looked down at her father's ring, which she had put back on her finger out of habit when Annie left it for her. The engraving had disappeared again the minute it made contact with her finger. She waited it for it to reappear.

When seconds passed and nothing happened, Fi began to worry that her father hadn't sent the whole spell. It had been on the short side, after all…

Suddenly, it did begin to glow. The engraving formed in a flash of golden light. To her surprise, the warm light didn't stop there. It spread to cover her entire body, and vanished an instant later.

Fi's smile was that of satisfaction. Take that, Bricriu.

Wandering into the bus common area, Molly was vaguely aware that it was so early that the sun was rising. However, for some reason she was dressed and up for the day.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. Ever since Fi got back, which she was deliriously happy about, she'd had this…overwhelming sense of impending doom. She knew she was being dramatic, but there wasn't any other way to describe it. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she was being irrational, and that she hadn't had a vision in over a year, she couldn't shake the feeling.

Molly stopped in her tracks at that last thought. She hadn't had a vision in over a year? Where had that come from? Was she now judging the validity of her anxiety based on if she got a vision or not?

"That's it. I'm going insane."

She didn't realize she said it out loud until Irene and Ned stared at her. Smirking, Irene held up her coffee mug in mock cheers. "Finally, a new member to the club."

"What are you two doing up? Ned, I thought we weren't going to get on the road again until noon!" Molly chided, taking a seat next to Irene.

From behind the wheel, Ned explained, "I thought it'd be better if we were in San Francisco and at the hotel by the time the kids got up. Give cabin fever less of a chance to make itself at home."

"Good thinking," Molly chuckled. They'd only been on the tour for two weeks, a city per week. Yet it seemed like every time they were on the bus for more than a few hours, the kids would start to get restless. "I don't know what's gotten into them."

Taking another sip of her coffee, Irene replied, "It makes sense, Mol. Everybody hasn't been on tour in so long, especially Fi. Plus the fact that for once we have all four of our children on the tour at the same time. Besides, even you get antsy the first few weeks of a tour."

"I do not!" Molly retorted, then paused at Irene's smug face. "Shut up."

Irene laughed. "I didn't say a word."

"Yeah, but you were thinking that I've been so moody and distant lately, you hope that at the next hotel, we can get rooms at opposite ends of the building," Molly rambled, then raised an eyebrow at Irene's shocked expression. "What?"

Irene was actually gaping at her. "That's…that's exactly what I was thinking. Word for word. H-how could you know that?"

Ned put in, "It wasn't the first time you've read someone's mind in the past few weeks. Remember when you could tell that Jack had snuck into a local bar when he barely got onto the bus?"

Molly made a conscious effort not to roll her eyes. "Do you two hear yourselves? Yes, the only way I could have possibly known that Jack snuck out to that bar was by reading his mind. Never mind the stench of alcohol seeping out of his pores!"

"There were other times…" Irene began.

Molly sent her a glare. "You're being ridiculous, both of you! You're starting to sound like Fi! So I guess I'll have to tell you what I tell her – there's always a perfectly logical explanation. Let it go."

Stunned into silence, Irene and Ned respected her wishes. Unable to take it after a while, Molly made herself a cup of coffee and attempted conversation. "So, ah, Irene – what are you doing up?"

Still concerned but willing to let the subject drop, Irene answered, "Business call. Wanted to check into the club you're performing at tonight, and apparently they don't respond for hours unless you're one of the first five to leave a message."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Molly replied, somehow knowing that was what she wanted to hear.

Once Molly sat down again, Irene gave her a once over. "You know, Mol, I didn't want to say anything…"

"But you will anyway, per usual," Molly teased.

Chuckling softly, Irene continued, "…but you've been so…stressed lately, ever since Fi came home. Did you two have a fight or something?"

Molly paused, taking an extra few seconds to stir her coffee. "Not exactly. The problem is that we haven't had a fight. In fact, we've barely had a full conversation. She's…she's such a different person that I don't even know how to talk to her anymore."

"You had to expect that. No one stays the same when they've been away for so long, especially at that age," Irene pointed out.

Letting out a breath, Molly replied, "That's not it. You know what made Fi so…what's the word…unique?" When Irene nodded, she went on, "It's not there any more! She's completely lost interest in it. And I think that's what's caused this change in her."

"Well, you know how…interests come and go," Irene assured her. "It must have been just a phase. Besides, wasn't that what you wanted all along? Weren't you unable to sleep at night, worried that some demon would…you know."

"And that's between us, got it?" Molly reminded her, lowering her voice.

Irene sighed. "No, I was planning on telling your kids that you were petrified that hell itself would rise up to get them. Mol, you think I was born yesterday?"

"Sorry, it's just that the last thing I need is for you to let something slip, and Fi get all riled up again," Molly explained. "And truth is, I'm glad she's not into that stuff anymore. But call me crazy…"

"I always do," Irene joked.

Molly gave her an exasperated look. "I could have sworn I heard her and Clu talking about a ghost in the last city we were at, and she made a point of keeping it from me. What does that mean?"

"That Fi's learned somewhere along the line that it doesn't make her look particularly sane if she rambles on about supernatural beings," Irene supplied. "And that you, my friend, are a worry wart."

Molly had to concede that she had a point. "I know, it's just that I can't shake the feeling that…" Molly trailed of, putting a hand to her head. "…you should answer your phone before I hurl it through a window. Don't you hear that?"

"Molly, it's not ringing. What's wrong –" Irene was cut off as her cell phone let out its usual piercing ring. Getting up to answer it, she stared at Molly, wide-eyed. "You gotta admit, that is creepy."