The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 121
His eyes darkened. “It’s those other witches who won’t—after I’m through with them.”
“Don’t worry about them. They think I’m dead. Let’s leave it that way.”
Eldon glanced at me next to Killian. “Are you sure about that?”
“The last thing I remember was them making sure I was dead.”
Killian’s nostrils flared. “And for that, they will pay. Severely.”
I shook my head. “Just let them be.”
Roska turned to me. “But they’ll figure out you’re alive soon enough. They’re threatened by you enough to go to all the trouble to come out here and hurt you.”
My head spun. “If that’s the case, my best course of action is to learn the craft as fast as possible.”
“You may be right,” Johan said. “Do you know why they’re so threatened by you?”
I closed my eyes and tried to remember. One of them had said something. I went over the events and finally remembered. “Claudia claims to have weakened powers because of my existence.”
Johan scratched his beard. “You said nature chose you as the coven’s leader?”
“Unfortunately.”
“It sounds like you’re pulled between the two covens of your origin,” Eldon said.
Killian frowned. “It sounds more like she’s being pulled by the other one. Whether it be nature or some other force, it wants her power and doesn’t care about her outcome.”
Eldon turned to Johan. “What do you think, Father? Is she going to have to eliminate them?”
“Possibly, but she isn't doing so alone.”
“Wait,” I said. “I don’t want to drag you guys into this.”
“It’s a little late for that, wouldn’t you say?” Killian arched a brow.
I looked down at my plate. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to drag you into this. It was just that I had nowhere else to turn.”
“Don’t apologize,” Killian said. “You’re as much a part of this coven as anyone else, and we stand up for one another. Those witches are going down. They don’t know the beast they’ve awoken.”
I noticed I was the only one without food, so I piled some food on my plate and only then realized how hungry I was. I dug in, trying to make sense of everything as I ate.
Johan put a hand on my arm. “We’ve got to get you in top shape.”
“We all need to get in shape,” Roska said. “I’m hardly ready for a battle.”
I glanced back and forth between the two of them. “Honestly, I don’t want to bring you all into this. Claudia thinks I’m dead. She should leave me alone now.”
“Until she realizes you’re still alive,” Killian said.
My stomach twisted in knots. “Am I going to have to kill her? All of them?”
“Unless you can find another way to convince her to back off,” Roska said.
“What do I do, then?” I asked.
Killian stared into my eyes. “You train like never before. Learn our ways—everything. You’re going to learn what usually takes twenty years or more, and you’re going to do it as fast as possible.”
My head spun.
“Eat up,” Eldon said. “You’re going to need your strength.”
They all gave me advice, enough to make me dizzy. Would I really be able to absorb enough knowledge to convince Claudia to leave me alone?
Once I was done eating, I pushed my plate aside. “Where do we start?”
Killian’s straightened his back. “We’re going into my study so you can learn all about the craft of healing. Do you have something to take notes on?”
Only my mother’s books, and they were filled. I shook my head.
“I’ll bring you some blank books,” Johan said. “And once night falls, we’ll take you out into the woods.”
“Let the games begin.”
Frida gave me a stern look. “There’s nothing jovial about this. No games, no fun. You’re cramming decades of education into as short of time as possible.”
“I know. It was just an expression.”
Johan rose. “I’ll be back with the notebook. The rest of us will prepare to teach you what we know.” He left.
Aches ran through my body, reminding of what I’d just been through. Now I would jump right into a crash course in my heritage. I just wanted to climb back into bed and sleep for as long as my body would allow. Yet that wasn’t an option. Not unless I wanted Claudia to win, and I knew what that meant—my death.
It was time to see how far I could push my limits.
“Does anyone know the use of runes?” I asked.
“The basics,” Frida said. “I can show you how to use them to protect yourself.”
“I can show you how to travel from place to place,” Eldon said.
Frida’s eyes widened. “When did you learn that?”
“Growing up in your shadow, sister.”
Her brows came together. “But Nils is the next oldest.”
“And he was always off doing his own thing. I spent plenty of time toddling around while Mother taught you about runes.”
A smile spread across her face. “You sneaky little devil.”
Eldon laughed. “Hardly. You two didn’t pay me a bit of attention, so I absorbed much of your rune training. I loved the idea of traveling with runes, so I’ve been secretly practicing it all my life.”
“You have?” Roska exclaimed.
“Sure. I’ve been all around the world, traveling to and fro mostly when everyone else is busy.”
Frida’s face lit up. “Where have you been?”
“Just about all over. Europe, Asia, Africa, and both of the Americas.”
Roska’s mouth dropped. “Does Mother or Father know?”
Eldon shook his head. “Only you know.”
I arched a brow. “Can you get to the Boston area?”
“I’ve been to New York and can easily return to anywhere I’ve been.”
“Why did you never tell any of us?” Frida asked.
“And risk having my powers stripped?” Eldon’s eyes narrowed.
My stomach twisted. “They can do that?”
“You’d better believe it. Mother only allows our witches to have so much power, and the men especially have to be careful.”
“Wait,” Roska said. “Are you saying other male witches have skills they’re hiding?”
Eldon sat taller. “I’ve already said too much.”
Frida and Roska exchanged an excited glance. “We won’t tell anyone.”
“Let’s just focus on helping our new sister.” Eldon cleared his throat.
“What do you know about this?” Frida asked Killian.
“I’m not part of your family. Just a humble healer and janitor.”
“Right,” Frida said. “We have much to discuss, but clearly that will have to be later.”
Johan returned and handed me a leather bound book. “Take all your notes in here. It’s been blessed with a protection spell, but do your best to keep it safe from enemies.”
“Thank you.”
He nodded and then turned to the others. “We’ll meet back here when the moon rises into the sky above the tallest tree.” He turned to Killian. “Will that give you enough time?”
“That should be plenty.”
Roska rose and looked at me. “Go with Killian. I’ll get this cleaned up.”
“I’ll help,” Frida said. “I want to find out if you know anything I don’t.”
Johan arched a brow.
“An older sister can learn from the younger, can she not?” Frida asked.
“If you say so.”
Killian ushered me back into his study. “How much do you already know about healing?” He closed the door behind us.
My mouth went dry. I leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy.
He stepped closer. “Maybe we’re rushing you.”
“No.” I shook my head vigorously. “I just… I’m recovering. Once you provide the healing, I’ll be as good as new.”
He turned around and studied some vials close to us. “Tell me what you know already.”
“Some basic blessing spells. I’ve had supernaturals come to me plenty of times over the centuries looking for cures to various ailments. Most of the magic I’ve done has been in the realm of blessings and locator spells.”
“Good.” Killian ran his fingers across a few vials. “At least you have a foundation. We’re not starting at ground zero.” He picked up a nearly-empty bottle. “Have you ever used ground nokken hair?”
“I can’t say that I have.”
“It’s hard to come by, but extremely effective.”
“Rare? Aren’t they extinct?”
“Never underestimate the nokken. They haven’t survived for so many thousands of years without being sly and sneaky, and I’m sure their hair has something to do with their vitality. Try some.”
My breath caught.
“You don’t trust me?” He tilted his head, getting hair in his eyes.
My heart nearly exploded in my chest. I swallowed and shook my head. “Not you, it’s the nokken. They’re sneaky, murderous beasts.”
“Don't let that stop you from receiving health.” Killian held the vial closer to me and he held my gaze, his eyes drilling into my soul. “Open your palms.”
I held out my hands and he poured a little powder.
He nodded, urging me to take it. His eyes widened, and I couldn’t resist any longer.
I brought my palms to mouth. The powder was a horrid mixture of bitter and sour, not that it should have surprised me, given what I knew of the nokken—the horrible, rotten creatures. But what healing properties they had been hiding.
A wave of warm tingles ran throughout my body, starting at my mouth. It exploded in all directions, bringing with it a sense of vitality I’d never felt before in all my years.
“What did I tell you?” Killian asked, a tone of teasing in his voice.
I stood tall, having never felt better. “Let’s do this. Do you have a pen?” I opened the book Johan had given me.
Killian went over to his desk and handed me one. “Better start with the nokken hair.”
“That’s my plan. What’s next?” I wrote my first note and scribbled furiously as Killian explained other jars, many of them containing ingredients I’ve never heard of before.
In almost no time, we’d made our way around the room and I’d written dozens of pages of notes.
“I don’t suppose you have a spell that will help me remember this more easily?”
“Someone might, but that’s not something I can help with, unfortunately.”
“Just good old fashioned studying.” I flipped through the pages, refreshing myself before I forgot anything.
He moved aside the curtain. “Looks like the moon is almost in its position. Do you have any questions about healing before the others come back?”
I had so many questions, I didn’t know where to begin. So I sat down and put my head in my hands.
18
Days turned into weeks and then months as my new family and friends taught me everything they knew. Or at least what they thought I needed to know.
They all kept my training secret from the rest of the coven, Selena-Marie in particular. She had arrived, furious about a group in Mexico that was causing problems for other covens worldwide. Luckily, most of her time was taken up with that, so she didn’t notice anyone taking time to help me out.
My old coven had been quiet. It was hard for me to guess if that was good news or not. They could have simply still been unaware of my survival. It was only a matter of time until they realized the truth, though.
One afternoon when Frida and I were heading back to her house after a particularly grueling session, I noticed something in the shadows.
“What’s that?” I stared, but couldn’t see anything.
Frida put her hand in front of me, stopping me. “Do you sense that?”
“Yes.” I narrowed my eyes, still unable to see anyone. Nothing appeared out of place. “Do you?”
“Someone’s watching us, but they don’t want to be seen.” Frida grabbed my arm. “Come on.”
We hurried to her place. “Do you know who?”
She locked the front door behind us. “Could be anyone. Maybe Mother has caught on that we’re doing something behind her back and has sent a spy. Or maybe someone else is onto us. It’s too hard to say.”
“Now they know we’re onto them, though.”
“Good.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes. She needs to back off.” Frida closed all the curtains in the room. “Are you ready to learn the best thing runes can do?”
“Better than traveling?”
She frowned. “I can provide an even better protection.”
“This I have to see.”
Frida glanced around. “I haven’t told anyone about this. I’ve hesitated as to whether I should tell you, but you need it more than I do.”
“What is it?” I exclaimed.
She closed her eyes and whispered something I couldn’t hear. Then she opened her eyes and wrote with a fingertip on a blank wall. She drew a glowing rune with swirls and points.
“What—?”
“Shh.”
It grew brighter, shooting out a sparkling light.
My eyes widened. What had Frida had been hiding from everyone, but was now willing to share with me?
A door appeared on the wall.
My mouth dropped. “What’s that?”
“Watch.” Frida pressed her fingertips against it, and it opened, exposing a dark hallway. She turned to me. “Come on.”
A mixture of fright and excitement ran through me as I followed my sister inside. The door closed behind us, leaving us in the dark. A moment later, a light shone from the wall next to us, exposing a packed dirt floor and rough wood walls.
Frida held her hand over a rune. She walked farther in, touching other spots along the walls, illuminating the way with runes that shone at her touch.
“What is this place?” I whispered.
“My hidden room. Our coven has never been attacked, but many fear us. It’s only a matter of time—at least that’s what I’ve always believed.”
“You built all this with runes?”
She turned and smiled. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”
We came to a staircase. She continued lighting the way by placing her hands over runes. Once we reached the top of the stairs, a wide open room greeted us.
Frida held her hands out in front of her, whispering. The entire room lit up as though in the noon sun.
My eyes resisted the bright light. I held my arm up over them until I got used to it.
Books and scrolls filled one whole wall. A bed and a small kitchen sat in one corner. Next to it was a desk underneath several shelves of magical items.
A gasp escaped my mouth. “Is this part of your home? How do you keep it hidden? Where do you—?”
“Magic, dear sister.”
“Will you show me how to create something like this?” I asked.
“Of course. I promised to teach you how to protect yourself with runes, did I not?”
I glanced around. “Yes, but I had no idea you meant anything like this.”
She laughed. “No one did. I figured this out on my own.”
“How?”
“I was trying to create a rune to send me to the other end of the coven, but I added a swirl where I should have added a corner. Out popped a door, and from there, I taught myself how to create my own little world.”
“Amazing,” I whispered.
Frida shrugged. “As far as I can tell, it’s unknown to anyone else in our coven.”
“Can a hiding place be created anywhere?”
“As far as I can tell, but it will be rudimentary. Nothing like this. I’ve been improving this hideout for well over a century.”
“Teach me everything.” My mind swirled with the possibilities. If Claudia showed up again, I could hide from her and prepare myself for a counter-strike while they were trying to figure out where I’d gone.
“That’s what I plan to do.” She reached for a book and feathered the pages, stopping at one. “First, you need to learn what each stroke means. As you can tell, it’s important. Had I never accidentally misdrawn the rune, I never would have figured out how to create a secret fortress. Are you ready to take notes?”
I pulled out my notebook, which was now almost three-quarters full. “I hope I have the room.”
“Oh, and another thing.” She stared at me.
“What?”
“This is important.”
“Okay.”
“No,” she said. “Really important.”
“Understood.”
“You need to make the notes in such a way that no one else will be able to figure out what you mean. If you need to create your own secret code, do that.”
My stomach twisted. “My mind is already nearly ready to explode from everything I’ve gleaned these months. Now you want me to come up with a language of my own?”
“I have faith in you.”
“Wonderful.”
“I’ll give you a few minutes.” She turned around and flipped through the pages of her book.
Sighing, I sat on the bed and leaned against the wall, hoping the magical room would provide me some inspiration. Nothing came. I watched my younger half-sister, who felt like the elder since she knew so much. She the teacher, me the student.
I closed my eyes, grateful that some of the coven had accepted me as one of their own. Nils and Keran had barely paid me any attention, which was fine. The few times I’d seen Nils, it was clear from the disdain on his face that his feelings toward me hadn’t changed. Keran didn’t seem bothered by me being there, but he didn’t want to help, either.
“Ready?” Frida asked, breaking my thoughts.
“As much as I’m going to be.” I opened my eyes. “Let’s get at this. I’ll have to wing it as we go.”
“We should probably start out with the basics.” Frida plopped down next to me. “How much do you know already?”
I pulled up my pant leg and showed her my protection rune. “I placed that there to keep my coven from me.”
She leaned closer and studied it. “I’m not sure that was what protected you.”
