The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 127
Mother looked at me and took my hands in hers. She shook. “There’s only one witch who can do that, Gessilyn.”
“Me?”
“The high witch.”
Blood drained from my face. “You have to be mistaken.”
She shook her head. “She must have died, and you’re the one to replace her.”
“The most powerful witch in the world?” I scrambled to my feet. “That isn’t possible.”
“I can teach you what I know, but it’ll only take you so far. We’re going to have to find someone who knows more.”
I stared up at the sky, trying to make sense of everything. “There has to be a mistake.”
“Think about it, daughter. It makes a lot of sense. You’ve managed to hide all this time, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Suddenly, Claudia found you—and keeps finding you.”
“What’s your point?”
“You’re too powerful to hide from any witch. Any who want to seek you, will find you.”
I met her gaze. “There has to be a mistake.”
“There’s not.”
“Why me?”
“That’s not something I can answer.” She helped me to sit again. “Come now, I need to teach you everything I know. It’s more important now than ever that we defeat Claudia.”
My stomach twisted in knots. “Why?”
“It’ll show others not to mess with you. Other power-hungry covens will try to take you down until you show what you’re capable of.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “But I don’t even know what that is.”
“You’ll tap into it once you need your powers.”
“Hopefully.” I hadn’t managed to tap into much when Claudia and Dahlia had nearly left me for dead. I’d barely managed to survive.
Mother picked up the book, which had fallen closed, and opened it again. “We’ll start with the runes, since that’s what you’re curious about. What do you know already?”
“Not much. Frida was just starting to tell me about them when one I pictured sent me halfway across the globe. Then one in soap sent me back in time.”
She glanced up at me, her eyes wide. “And you managed to get back here on your own?”
“I didn’t have much of a choice. The magistrate, he saw me.”
“Yes, I remember his rambling mutterings. That was when I hurried back to our coven to protect it—mostly you.” She took a deep breath. “It sounds like you already know all you need, you just haven’t tapped into it.”
I groaned. “I just want the knowledge.”
“And I can provide that.” She flipped through the pages. “Let’s start with the basics. I’ll show what the various shapes mean. Once you know that, you can create symbols based on what you need. There are groups whose entire magic system is based around the runes. You can heal and injure, curse and bless, create and destroy. Much can be done on both ends of the spectrum.”
“I would attach the rune to a person to heal or defeat them?” I asked.
“Or something that belongs to them. A strand of hair or nail clippings can be most powerful. Some have made dolls and put the hair inside.”
I froze. “For a hex?”
“It’s a common practice.”
That explained the ugly doll found in Killian’s place. “Show me everything.”
I made myself comfortable. This was going to be a long session.
28
The moon came and went overhead, not once but twice while my mother taught me everything she knew. Before anything else, I learned how to make a rune for retaining knowledge and drew it on my forehead.
“Do you have any questions?” she asked as we walked toward the village.
I yawned. “Will I be able to sleep when we get back to your place?”
“Let’s hope.”
“You think we might not?” I asked.
“It sounds as though Claudia is on the hunt. She may not be far off.”
“I can place some runes around the place so she can’t find us. Problem solved.”
“Maybe.”
“What does that mean?” I exclaimed.
“If they’re already hot on your trail, a cloaking rune will only do so much.”
“All I’m asking for is some sleep.”
“Sometimes we work best under pressure. There will always be time for slumber later.”
“Tell that to my heavy eyelids.” I fought to keep them open, though we walked. “I could crumple to the ground and sleep for a day on a pile of sticks.”
She gave me a sympathetic glance. “We’ll plan on some sleep, but be prepared for the possibility of no rest.”
I took a deep breath. If I were to be the high witch, I would probably have to get used to situations such as these. Though I’d never met the previous ones, I’d heard plenty of stories. Many sought them out on a daily basis, always wanting something. It sounded tiring beyond belief, for it wasn’t only witches who vied for her attention. Vampires, werewolves, faeries, and every other supernatural creature wanted her aid.
Since no one asked me if I wanted the job, I would find a way around that. Hire an assistant, perhaps. Someone who enjoyed having others clamor for her attention.
The little village finally came into sight. Killian ran between two homes and threw his arms around me. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever return.” He spun me around and then pressed a passionate kiss on my lips. “Have you been training all this time?”
I laughed. “Every last moment.”
He put me back on the ground. “That makes me tired just thinking about it. Let’s get back to the house so both of you can catch some shut-eye. Oh, and I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
I leaned against him. “That sounds heavenly.”
We headed into the village, my eyes growing heavier by the moment. Just as we passed by two close homes, my mother’s home came into view. I was half-tempted to burst into a run. The only thing stopping me was not wanting to look like a child in front of Killian. My sleepiness was getting the better of me.
A puff of black smoke appeared in front of us.
Killian put his arm out and stopped me from walking any farther.
From the cloud stepped Claudia. Dahlia was only a few paces behind. The smoke dissipated, revealing Phoebe and a crowd of other coven members.
A sly smile spread across Phoebe’s face. “Nora’s back. How delightful. It’ll provide all the more pleasure after we destroy you both.”
My mother inched closer to them. “Why are you so fascinated with us? We’ve been out of your hair for centuries. Surely you remember that, Phoebe. Why, with the part you played in my demise, I’d think you could never forget.”
“Did that rotten magistrate rat me out to you in the end?” Phoebe chuckled. “Right before he set you on fire?”
I lunged in her direction, but Killian stopped me.
“We don’t want to hurt you,” my mother said. “In fact, Gessilyn has proven that time and time again. Just lead the coven and let us be.”
Claudia tilted her head. “Oh, why didn’t you say so earlier? Let’s go, Mother.”
They both burst into laughter.
“You didn't think it’d be that easy, did you?” Claudia glared at me.
“I’m prepared this time.”
“Sure about that?” she sneered.
I stood taller and narrowed my eyes. “You have to ask?”
“Okay. You asked for it.” Claudia stepped back and put her arms in the air, forming a circle with her fingers. The air in the middle became blurry and then pulsated. She pulled her hands away from each other. As she did, a nearly-transparent ball formed.
The other witches from my old coven all glanced at each other excitedly.
In my mind, I visualized a rune of protection. I held onto it for a moment to build its strength, and then I cast it on Killian’s chest. He stumbled.
“What was that?” He rubbed the spot.
A sizzling sound came from Claudia’s energy ball. She lowered it in front of her. The movement caused her hair to stick out.
The others gathered around her, making the force grow larger still.
Next to me, my mother whispered in ancient Icelandic. It was a spell I’d heard her utter before, many years earlier. I took a step back to assess everything. It all seemed to move in slow motion and hyper-drive simultaneously.
Claudia was clearly getting help from the other witches. Killian moved in front of me. Just as he did, Johan and the others came out of the house. Others, I could only assume they were residents of the village, appeared from the other buildings.
The now-multicolored ball in Claudia’s grasp spun, sending sparks in all directions. They didn’t harm her or the other witches, but they sizzled and left black holes on everything else they touched, searing plants and structures alike.
I held my breath. If that was what a simple spark could do, what would the full ball itself do? It hissed as it went round and round.
Dahlia caught my gaze and shot me a smirk.
Fury burned in my core, especially as I recalled everything else they’d done to me. I still didn’t want to kill anyone, but I needed to put them in their place. Show them who they were dealing with, and make it so they wouldn’t soon forget.
The image of an intricate rune came to mind. It combined several elements my mother had taught me—things from between the lines—but none I’d seen used together.
I closed my eyes and held onto the image, making it burn brighter in my mind.
Killian shouted. I kept my eyes closed and my focus on the rune.
“Where did that come from?” Killian pulled me from where I stood.
I opened my eyes. The rune from my mind had appeared overhead.
“Have you ever seen that?” Killian asked my mother. “It looks like… I don’t know.”
“It’s mine.” I thrust my hands above my head in attempt to regain control over it. Once I was sure I had, I moved my arms to the left. The rune followed. I moved to the right, and again it followed.
If I was correct, the rune would provide protection for my side and leave the others unable to practice magic, at least for a short time. Hopefully long enough for them to give up and leave, thinking I’d stripped them of their powers.
Claudia headed in my direction, holding her ball up near my rune.
“We’ve got your back,” Killian grunted.
I glanced back. His knees and elbows were bent, and he seemed to be trying to help with the rune. I flicked my attention back to Claudia.
She scowled. “That’s cute. Runes. They haven’t been used in, what, over a century?”
My nostrils flared. “Maybe that’s to my advantage.” I tried pushing the rune toward her, but her ball seemed to place a field of resistance against it. The force ran through me. I pressed my arms forward until beads of sweat broke out around my face. My throat went dry. My body ached, reminding me of how little I’d slept.
If they’d had any sleep recently, they had the advantage. It only meant that I had to work harder.
Claudia met my gaze and narrowed her eyes. Her face shone with perspiration. Good.
My rune and her ball danced around, acting as if they were magnets that refused to connect.
Killian moved closer to me. “Keep… fighting. We… have… this.”
I could only grunt as I continued powering the rune. My arms throbbed with pain. I couldn’t give up. My family was helping me. I had to fall into their strength. The old coven outnumbered us by at least triple.
If it was true that I was the high witch, then we still had the advantage—at least based on the stories I’d heard about the strength and power of the previous ones. At the top of their game, they had beaten entire covens alone. The only problem was that I was nowhere near that practiced. I’d only just discovered what I was.
My legs shook. I couldn’t focus on both steadying myself and the rune.
Killian put his arms around me and held me tight. “You can do this.”
At least someone believed that. I nodded and repositioned my feet to anchor me into place. The rune shook as did my legs.
Claudia’s ball grew both in size and in brightness.
Energy drained from me. Was it sucking it from me, or was I giving it to the rune?
My rune’s color faded.
“I’m not sure I can do this.” I leaned against Killian. There was no energy remaining and my throat was now parched. Everything ached and my eyelids fought to close.
“Yes, you can. We’ve got your back.”
I took a deep breath and studied the rune and the ball. If only I could find a way around the ball, I could use the rune against them.
Still, I had my doubts. I was in no place to defeat Claudia. All those years hiding had made me weak. I shouldn’t have ignored my true nature. But it was too late for regrets now.
The rune continued to fade.
“Do something,” my mother said.
“I am,” I grunted and forced my hands higher into the air. The rune barely moved, but it continued to fade.
My heart sank. I’d had such high hopes for defeating her. Maybe I wasn’t the high witch after all. My mother had probably only said that to instill some kind of false hope or power.
Something popped. My attention snapped to Claudia’s ball. It spun faster than before, glowing brighter. It exploded with a deafening boom. Everything around us burst into flames. Fire danced all around us, its heat sapping more of my energy. My throat cried out for something to quench the thirst.
Everything went blurry. My knees buckled. I narrowed my eyes and focused on the rune. With what little I had left, I forced it toward Claudia before falling to the ground.
29
As I hit the ground, a sharp twig dug into my side. I moaned, but lacked the energy to do anything about it.
Everyone around me screamed and ran around. The rune appeared to have done some damage to the old coven, but it didn’t remove the blaze. Fire crackled from every side. One flame came right at my face. I couldn’t budge.
Someone grabbed my shoulders and pulled me away. The blaze was still everywhere, but I was out of harm’s way for the moment.
“Talk to me.” Killian cupped my chin and stared into my eyes.
I mumbled something incoherent, unable to find actual words.
“We need to do something. The fire is going to wipe out the village.”
“I can’t.” I tried lifting my arm, but it wouldn’t move.
“Your mother says it has to be you. The ball was directed at you.”
“She’s wrong.” I glanced around at the chaos. Flames. Screaming. Running. Wrestling.
He forced me to look at him again. “No, she’s not. I’ve seen what you’re capable of, Gessilyn. You’ve got this, and I’ve got you. Nobody’s taking you down without also fighting me.”
I glanced over at the other witches. Most of the shouts were from them. None were using magic.
My rune had worked.
It wouldn’t last long, but if I was going to do anything, I needed to act fast. I forced myself to sit. “Let’s do this.”
Killian’s gorgeous face lit up. He rose and helped me up. “I saw Claudia go that way.” He indicated toward the back of the village.
“Then that’s where I’m going.”
“We,” he corrected.
I took a step, but a horrible pain shot through my knee. My leg gave out and I stumbled.
He reached out and grabbed me before I hit the ground a second time. “Lean against me and save your strength.”
Using him as a crutch, we made our way through the paths between the flames and witches.
My mother appeared in front of us from a mist. “We need your heartfelt tears.”
“For what?”
“To cause rain. It’s the only thing that will stop this fire from consuming the village and taking anymore lives.”
I gulped. “More lives?”
She nodded.
“And it has to be her tears?” Killian asked.
“This was all directed at her. No one else’s will do.”
My throat closed up. “The simple fact that lives have been taken is enough for my tears.”
She nodded. “We—”
A crack sounded from the left. A flaming, falling tree was headed our way.
Energy renewed, I grabbed my mother and Killian and yanked them out of the way. The tree fell, crashing a house. The blaze spread through the building.
I gasped.
Killian took my hand. “We have to find Claudia.”
“Tears,” my mother called.
“You’re not coming with me?” I exclaimed.
“I need to find your father.”
“Is he—?”
Killian yanked me. “We have to put an end to this. Now.”
My head spun. “Right.” Both my parents were able to take care of themselves. If I didn’t deal with Claudia, even more lives would be lost.
Flaming trees continued falling in our path. I pushed one witch out of the way, not knowing whether she was from the opposing group or the village. It didn’t matter. I just couldn’t stand to have someone else perish.
“Where did you say Claudia went?” I asked Killian.
“This direction. Are you able to sense her?”
“If I could, don’t you think I could have avoided this whole mess in the first place?” I snapped. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. There’s an area up ahead untouched by the fires. She’s probably cowering there.”
We ran toward an open field. I couldn’t see anyone, but it had a strange vibe. It made my scalp tingle. “Do you feel that?”
“They’re probably getting their magic back. How did you make that rune? I’ve never even heard of one that could do that.”
“Sometimes you have to read between the lines.”
His brows came together. “Huh? If you say so.”
I managed to find some energy and burst into a run. The field appeared empty, but it felt like others were there. I glanced all around, not seeing anything.
