The Witching Hour: 11 Enchanting Novels Featuring Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Shifters, Ghosts, Fae, and More!, page 128
“Show yourselves,” I demanded. “You wanted this fight—now you’re hiding? Are you cowards or powerful witches?”
Half a dozen mists appeared in front of Killian and me. Claudia, Dahlia, Phoebe, and three more of their tribe appeared before our eyes.
I really needed to learn how to do that.
“Give up already.” Claudia narrowed her eyes.
“Not while you’re trying to take my life.” I tried to conjure up another rune, but it didn’t seem to work with my eyes open—and I wasn’t going to take my eyes off her.
She put her hands together in the shape of a circle.
Not that again.
I did the one thing I could. I ran into her and knocked us both to the ground.
“Now you’ve done it.” A little marble fell from her hands and rolled to the ground. It turned into a tiny flame and fizzled out.
Screams sounded over the now-raging fire back in the main part of the village.
“Did you hurt them?” I demanded.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She glowered at me.
Something fell to the ground behind me.
I sat up and turned around. Killian lay on the ground, blood oozing from a temple.
Phoebe stood over him, an evil smirk on her face. She turned to me. “Let’s see what you can do without his help.”
A horrific cry escaped my mouth. “Killian!” I scrambled to my feet.
Claudia grabbed me and squeezed my arms. “Oh, no you don’t.”
I turned around, freed one arm from her grasp, and hit her across the face.
She lost hold of my other arm and stumbled back.
Cries sounded not far away.
“Father!” That sounded like Roska.
My heart constricted.
“Johan!” My mother cried.
I stared at Killian, still lying on the ground unresponsive. What happened to my father? To Killian? I wouldn’t let anyone die. Not this day. Not at the hands of my old coven.
Anger burned within me. I let it build so I could make as strong a rune as possible.
Something hit me on the side. I flew through the air and crashed into a tree, one that somehow had avoided fire. My head knocked against it with a terrible thunk.
I slid to the ground, unable to get up. I pushed myself to sitting, but could do no more.
Phoebe and Dahlia stood over Killian, who was still unconscious. Dahlia sliced her wrist with her own nail and then wiped the blood with her finger. Phoebe did the same.
They mixed their blood together and turned to Killian.
“No!” I cried. My feet wouldn’t budge.
Claudia appeared in front of me and forced me against the tree. She pressed her forearm against my throat. “You’re going to watch him die a slow and painful death, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
I fought against her, but she forced her arm deeper against my neck. “Or you can give up now. It’s all up to you. Your life or that of everyone you love. What will it be?”
Tears blurred my vision. It wasn’t worth it. I couldn’t let them all die because of me.
I hadn’t asked for any of this. Never once had I entertained the thought of becoming the high witch.
“Take me,” I whispered. “It’s over. Stop the insanity.”
Claudia lessened her hold on me, her eyes wide. “Really?”
Tears spilled onto my cheeks. “I’d rather die than have anyone else fall.”
She threw her head back and laughed. The sound sent shivers down my spine. “If I kill you, then I absorb all your powers.”
My blood ran cold. With her as the high witch, no one would be safe.
At least they would be alive, though. Killian and my family could work together. They could defeat Claudia between their vast knowledge. It would be possible with them, but I still had so much to learn. I’d get everyone killed if I kept trying.
I was the worst choice for high witch. I’d allowed my powers to grow weak.
Tears poured down my face, soaking into my shirt. “Get it over with.” I closed my eyes and prepared for the end. My entire body trembled as my tears turned into all-encompassing sobs. “Just save them. Let my family live.”
Something rumbled above followed by a crack. More rumblings.
Gasping for air, I opened my eyes and blinked away the tears.
Black clouds covered the sky. Lighting shot out in all directions. Another crack sounded and then rain poured down from the sky. Large drops came down, splattering everywhere.
Dahlia screamed out in agony. “It burns—it’s acid!”
Claudia turned to me, her face pale. “No, it’s heartfelt tears.”
Phoebe glanced around, her gaze landing on Claudia. “They’re against us. We’ll perish. Run!”
Everyone from their coven ran for cover.
The fires sizzled as the rain drenched everything. My hair and clothes stuck to my skin.
I crawled over to Killian. “Wake up,” I begged. “Please.”
He didn’t budge.
Screams sounded over the rainfall. This time, I didn’t recognize the voices.
Water pooled all around us. I needed to move Killian.
My body still ached, but somehow I found enough strength to heft him up over my shoulders. Stumbling, I carried him to where I’d last seen my mother.
Roska, Eldon, and Frida stood in a circle, holding hands and chanting.
People ran around in every direction, crying out.
“What do we do?” I asked. “We have to save Killian.”
Frida turned to me. “You have to stop crying.”
I hadn’t even realized I was still sobbing. “But Killian—”
“We’ll heal him. You have to get hold of yourself.”
I took a deep breath and tried to find my composure.
The downpour continued.
Roska begged me with her eyes.
“I’m trying.”
“Not good enough.” Eldon shook his head. “Trying is for the weak. Doing is for the strong.”
I swallowed. “But Killian…”
Eldon stepped forward and took Killian from me. “I have a gift in blessings. Let me heal him, but I can’t until you put this rain to a halt.”
How could I stop when Killian was unconscious and I didn’t know what was wrong with my father?
“Hurry,” Frida pleaded.
I spun around and ran. The only way I could quit crying was to get away from Killian. I had to focus on Eldon’s healing abilities.
An unburned building came into sight. The door was cracked open, so I ran inside.
It smelled of smoke, but was at least dry. I coughed and then sat in a rocking chair.
The image of Killian blacked out and bloody stayed in my mind.
Thunder rumbled outside.
I needed to imagine something else.
Taking a deep breath, I thought back the last kiss he’d given me. The warmth. The love. Adoration. My heart warmed and the overwhelming sadness lifted.
I thought about my mother brought back to life. Meeting my father and being accepted. More than just that, welcomed with open arms.
The rain hitting the house lessened. Only a few drops came down. But it wasn't enough.
I needed to make it stop—completely. I pictured all those I had grown to love. My new siblings. Killian.
It was almost enough, but a few drops of rain still hit the window. Tears still escaped and ran down my face.
Thinking about the present wasn’t enough and the past brought too much pain.
I needed to think about the future. My ideal future. I could go back into hiding.
Thunder cracked.
Or I could embrace being the high witch. Could I, really?
Light shone through the window, but still a couple stray raindrops hit it.
I imagined myself leading with Killian at my side.
The light brightened, like a summer day at noon.
Running my own coven and providing help to other groups who came in need of assistance.
Not only did the rain stop, but the window dried, showing no signs of having been wet.
Had I done it? Was the rain gone?
30
I stumbled out into the bright light and gasped in the fresh air. I had to cover my eyes until they adjusted to the brightness.
The sun had never shone so brightly before, or did it just seem especially so after the darkness of the storm?
“Over here,” Roska called.
She sat with Eldon and Frida under a tree, shaded from the sun. Killian lay between them. It didn’t even appear that the tree had ever been on fire. None of them did. Or the buildings.
Everything had returned to normal—just as it had been before. In fact, everything looked better than it had before Claudia’s fire.
“Is he going to make it?” I crept closer, afraid of the answer.
Killian’s right eye opened. “Gessilyn?”
I fell to the ground and embraced him.
“Don’t start crying,” he whispered.
“We’re safe,” my mother said. “Her tears won’t cause a downpour now.”
Clinging to Killian, I glanced around at our group. “We all survived.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “But what about Claudia? They’re all going to come back after me and—”
“Your rain stopped them,” Johan said. He smiled proudly.
“What do you mean?”
“They were burned by the rain and couldn’t get away. All of them fell the ground, screaming in agony.”
Frida nodded. “They begged us to take their lives.”
“You won.” Roska beamed. “Your rain caused them to beg for their own demise.”
My mouth fell open. “It did? I defeated them?”
“I was going to kill them for you,” Keran said, “but your mother wouldn’t let me.”
My mother nodded. “I knew you didn’t want anyone to die at your hand. Besides, they need time to think about their actions, don’t you think?”
“What did you do? Where are they?”
“They won’t be going anywhere for a long, long time.”
“Did you imprison them?” I asked. There were at least two spells that could keep them locked inside a room for years. My mother would know even more, and likely more powerful ones.
“Follow me.” Mother stepped out into the sunshine.
I glanced at Killian.
“Go,” he said and rubbed his head. “I’ll just wait here.” The corners of his mouth crooked up.
“You’d better.” I brushed my lips across his and then followed my mother through the village.
Birds sang in the trees. The sun warmed my soaking wet clothes and hair. The scents of freshly blossoming flowers filled the air.
We stopped at a water fountain.
I glanced around in confusion. “Why did we stop?”
Mother smiled. “I came to show you where Phoebe, Claudia, and Dahlia are staying.”
“Is this a riddle?” There was no jail in sight. Just a large, open field full of multicolored wildflowers.
She flicked a nod toward the fountain.
“It’s nice, but I don’t understand.”
“The statues, child. Look at them.”
I studied the figures in the middle of the fountain. Three ladies huddled together with the water shooting out from between them.
“Wait.” There was something familiar about the nearest one.
Mother smiled.
The closest statue bore a strong resemblance to Claudia. And come to think of it, the one on the left looked surprisingly like Phoebe. The other, like Dahlia.
“Did you turn them into stone?”
She kissed my cheek. “It should hold them for quite some time.”
I stared at her.
“By then, you’ll be strong enough to wipe them out with an arch of your brow if you decide that’s what’s best.”
My mouth dropped and I glanced back at the fountain. “I hope you’re right.”
“I am. And my friends living here will let me know if anything goes awry—which it won’t.”
“How long can the spell last?” I stared at the statues, wondering if the witches were able to see us watching them.
“The last ones I did that to are still in place.” A smile tugged on her mouth.
“For how long?” I asked.
She glanced up and appeared to be counting. “Several centuries.”
I turned back to the statues. Those three would be furious once freed.
“We should get back to the others. You have a lot to figure out.”
Wasn’t that the truth? Especially if I truly was the high witch.
We made our way back to the others. Killian stood, leaning against a tree. I ran over to him and threw myself against him.
He kissed my nose.
Johan came over. “May I?”
Killian nodded and stepped away from me.
Johan wrapped me in a warm embrace. “I know I haven’t been there for you most of your life, but I’m really proud of how far you’ve risen in the last months. If I could go back in time—”
“You can’t. Don’t worry about it. Everything worked out the way it was meant to… Father.”
He moved my hair aside and kissed my forehead, tears shining in his eyes.
Keran stepped forward. “I hate to break up the moment, but what are your plans?” He glanced back and forth between my parents and me.
About a dozen witches from our old coven stepped forward. A pretty redhead caught my gaze and gave a slight bow. “We need a leader, and we hold no allegiance to Claudia or Phoebe. If you will take us under your wing, we promise to serve you wholeheartedly.”
My breath caught. Leading already? Could I be ready?
I shot my mother a questioning look.
She put her arm around me. “I also want to follow under Gessilyn’s leadership. She’s shown us today many things—her dedication to all things good, for instance. And I can’t wait to see her come into her powers.”
My mouth gaped.
Killian inched toward me. “She’s going to be the most magnificent witch any of us has seen. She already is, in my eyes.”
All at once, my father and siblings spoke their agreement.
My face flushed with heat. I would have to learn to get used to attention. Apparently, I was now leading a coven of my own.
I turned to Killian and my family. “What are you all going to do?”
Frida flung some hair behind her shoulders. “Mother kicked us out. I’m not going back.” She bowed toward me.
My breath caught.
“Me, neither.” Roska bowed.
“Nor me.” Eldon bowed.
My other siblings and father also bowed.
The world seemed to spin around me. I grabbed onto Killian before I lost my balance.
Killian took my hand. “Where will we settle?”
Where would we live? The coven called the Boston area home, my family had only ever lived in Iceland, and I was used to a small town called Delphic Cove.
I glanced around, making eye contact with as many as possible. “How does everyone feel about the Olympic National Park? None of us has lived there. It’ll be fresh start for everyone.”
Everyone spoke at once, sharing their enthusiastic agreement.
Killian spun me around and pressed his mouth onto mine. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
The series continues with Lost Wolf.
To join Stacy Claflin’s mailing list and be alerted when she releases new books, click here.
Crescent Calling
The Crescent Witch Chronicles, Book One
Nicole R. Taylor
1
Standing in the shadow of the ancient hawthorn tree, my grip tightened around the dagger.
I wished I’d opened my eyes sooner because it would’ve saved a lot of heartache, but it was always the way. Hindsight was a terrible thing in the aftermath of life-altering events. The past can’t be changed, no matter how hard you wish it to be.
Sometimes, a coincidence is just that. Other times, the signs just keep piling up one after the other until there’s no denying it. This was real. All of it.
Magic, witches, fae, shapeshifters. They no longer resided on the pages of a storybook. They lived in my backyard, clawing at my door, thirsting for the magic that ran through my veins.
Staring up at the hawthorn tree, the silver rays of the full moon trickled through the branches, dusting the clearing with an eerie glow. Under different circumstances, it might’ve been beautiful, but I wasn’t waiting for a lover to come and sweep me off my feet. I was waiting for a monster.
The ritual was complete, the trap was set, and now all that was left to do was to wait for destiny to come and claim me.
The sound of something moving through the woods echoed all around, and I spun, my heart leaping into my throat. Catching sight of the russet-colored fur of a fox melting through the forest, I sighed in relief. It was just him.
He stepped into the clearing and came to join me in the shadow of the hawthorn, a comforting companion in the dark of night.
“Do you think they’d be proud?” I asked my friend. “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?”
The fox yipped softly.
“My first test as the last Crescent Witch,” I murmured, holding the dagger flush against my chest. “No turning back now.”
It was my duty to protect the last whisper of magic from the darkness that threatened to take it. It didn’t matter what I wanted. Not anymore. I was the only thing standing in the way of its extinction. Me. Skye Williams.
But my story didn’t start here. It began on the beaches of southern Australia, an entire world away from the forests of Ireland, and the day I found out my mother had died.
The day the Crescents called me home.
The ocean was calm today.
Usually, the wind chopped up the water and hurled it at the cliffs down the coast, making it treacherous for the cargo ships leaving the bay. Passing between the headlands required the help of specialized pilots who zoomed out in their bright orange speedboat at all hours of the day and night, but today, the water was flat, and the wind hardly blew at all.
