Shadow's Reflection, page 15
part #1 of Stonebridge Witches - Book Two Series
“Contain it!” Elaine cried, her own magic weaving in tandem with June’s.
As the spells collided with the entity, the air exploded with a shriek of elemental fury. The entity reeled, its shape contorting as if trying to escape the onslaught.
Elaine’s magic danced around June’s focused attacks. Fire chased air, and water tempered earth. The elements intertwined under their command, creating a lattice of power that sought to encase the darkness.
“Bind it with me,” Elaine urged, her voice steady despite the chaos that raged before them. The wild curls of her hair were like flames lit by the energy they conjured, her jewellery clinking softly.
June poured more of herself into the binding, her fingers tracing hastily learned sigils in the bitter cold air. Each symbol ignited with golden fire before rocketing toward the entity. She imagined chains wrapping around the darkness, pulling it tight, constricting its power.
For a moment, there was resistance, as if the entity were made of something stronger than shadows. But then the bindings held, the magic solidifying around its form. A low rumble emanated from inside, and the lake itself seemed to hold its breath.
“Good, June! That’s it!”
But the entity lashed out, tendrils of darkness whipping through the air, tearing at the magical bonds. One strike hit close, too close, and June felt the sting of malevolent energy graze her cheek. She stumbled back, pain and doubt flashing across her mind. Could she really do this? Was she strong enough?
“Stay with me, June!” Elaine cried. “Don’t let it push you around!”
June fought back, her magic surging forward, pushing against the dark.
The entity, sensing its imminent return to the oblivion it’d just freed itself from, contorted in a desperate move. With a roar that seemed to split the sky and quake the earth, it lunged from the lake—no longer just a shadow beneath the ice but a towering form of writhing darkness. Shards of ice flew like glitter in the sunrise as the entirety of the elemental rose like a deadly iceberg.
June squinted against the wind-whipped frost, taking in the sight of the true form of the enemy before her. It was a pulsating mass of liquid obscurity, tendrils flexing and unfurling with sinuous grace, each movement a mockery of the balance its creation opposed. There were no eyes to be seen, yet June felt the weight of its gaze upon her, cold and ancient.
“Elaine!” she cried, her voice nearly lost in the rush of water and splintering ice.
Elaine nodded, her expression grim. They knew what they had to do.
In an instant, the dark mass surged forward, a wave intent on swallowing everything in its path.
“June, watch out!” Alistair’s warning came an instant too late.
A tendril of darkness lashed out, wrapping around June’s ankle, pulling her toward the entity’s gaping maw. Panic flared as the suffocating darkness enveloped her leg, climbing higher, seeking to claim her entirely.
“Let go!” June screamed, thrashing against the iron grip of the shadows. Her hands glowed with fierce elemental power, fire and lightning dancing between her fingertips, casting eerie lights across the dark expanse trying to absorb her.
“June!” Elaine’s voice cut through the terror as the sound of the older witch’s boots cracking on fragile ice echoed across the lake.
June’s mind raced, Elaine’s teachings flooding back. She was more than flesh and bone. She was a conduit of elemental might. She wove the thread…
“Release me!” she commanded, her voice thick with magic. “Let me go!”
The entity recoiled as June unleashed a torrent of elemental fury. She felt its hold weaken, the oppressive strength lessening as she fought, but it surged again, dragging her into the shadowy abyss of its body.
The world darkened as she submerged, and the last whisper of sunlight was snuffed out, replaced with an abyssal black, as her body met the cold, inky void of the creature.
At first, all was silent—a temporary reprieve from the chaos. But the silence soon shattered, fracturing into mocking whispers that echoed through the black.
“June,” hissed a familiar voice, soaked in disappointment. Her father’s spectre emerged from the murkiness, his eyes hollow and hostile. “Why couldn’t you save us?”
Her mother followed, a wraith composed of sorrow and regret. “If only you had been stronger,” she mourned, her words intertwining with June’s guilt. “You should’ve known. You should’ve seen.”
Ripples of self-doubt spread through June’s heart, stabbing into her like icy knives. She felt herself shrink beneath their gaze, the weight of her failures pressing down, threatening to crush her spirit.
“Stop it!” June pleaded, fisting her hands into her hair. Her magic withdrew, sinking deeper and deeper beyond her reach.
Then, amidst the crushing weight of despair, there appeared a small, solitary figure—a younger June, abandoned and alone. The child stared at her with accusing blue eyes that mirrored her own.
“Harriet needed you,” the younger June whispered. “And Lucas cared for you more than you knew, and you just threw him away.”
“Stop it!” June shouted, clenching her fists. A surge of anger coursed through her. “You’re not real!”
The darkness shifted, its murky depths churning as if to taunt her.
“You left when they needed you, June,” the younger June taunted. “And they suffered.”
“No!” she howled, shaking her head. This was a trick, an illusion. She wouldn’t let this thing use her loved ones to manipulate her, to feed its dark power. “You’re not real. You’re a monster.”
The apparitions faltered, their forms rippling uncertainly. There was defiance in June’s voice now, a rock-hard determination that cut through the spectral shadows.
A cruel laugh echoed within the sinister void. “And what if we are monsters, June?” it drawled, the tone a sick mockery of her father’s voice. Shadows twisted into cruel smiles, crueller eyes. “Isn’t that what you are, too?”
“No,” she whispered, her hands balling at her sides.
“But we are real, June,” the apparition of her mother said, her voice hollow. “We’re your fears, your regrets, your guilt. We are you.”
The oppressive weight of the darkness clung to June like tar. The entity’s influence seethed around her, a tide of negativity that gnawed at every shred of hope she carried. It whispered insidious lies, twisted truths designed to unravel her, but she wasn’t going to be another victim drowning in its shadows.
“Remember who you are.” Elaine’s voice reached out to her from somewhere far away. “You are light, June. You are fire.”
Her heart pulsed as points of light appeared in the gloom, the spectres made manifest by the elemental wavering around her.
Through the veil of darkness, more lights appeared, each a star in the void, a guide back to herself.
The coven, she realised. They were calling her back.
June shook her head, electricity sparking in her veins. She reached deep within, and this time, her magic answered. Fire sparked around her, illuminating the darkness, chasing away the cruel mirages.
“I am not you!” June roared, her voice echoing through the shadowy void. Flames danced around her in a dazzling display of defiance and power. “I am more than my fear, more than my guilt!”
The fire spiralled from her, a vortex of flame and fury that turned the darkness into a blazing inferno.
The spectres wailed as the flames engulfed them, their cries echoing in the hollow dark.
June burst forth from the swirling mass of the elemental entity, her form ablaze with an aura that was both ethereal and fierce. She stood, her boots firm on the slippery ice.
Her eyes locked onto the undulating darkness before her. With every step she took across the cracked ice, the coven’s chants rose, their energies converging upon her. And she was the conduit for it all.
“June!” Alistair’s voice broke through the cacophony of magic, lending her his earthen strength as if tying her to the fabric of the world.
“Unleash it all,” Elaine urged, her voice thick with the crackling promise of storm clouds ready to burst.
And June did. With hands outstretched, she summoned the elements in their purest forms. Fire coiled around her arm like a serpent made of living flame, water spiralled in the air, crystallising into shards sharper than any blade, while the earth trembled beneath her feet, eager to heed her call.
“By fire, be cleansed!” she cried, and the flames leaped forward.
“By water, be purged!” Ice shards followed, a volley of nature’s arrows piercing through the dark mass.
“By earth, be bound!” The ground rumbled, and fissures raced across the ice.
“By air, be scattered!” Gusts of bitter wind howled like ancient spirits, dispersing the shadows.
The elemental entity recoiled as if in pain, its form buckling under the assault. Its dark tendrils flailed wildly, seeking escape but finding none against the relentless barrage of elemental fury.
“Finish it, June!” Elaine shouted. “Unravel it!”
June felt the energy of the coven flow through her, barely able to contain the magic.
“By spirit, be gone!” she screamed, unleashing the full torrent of her power. The elements fused into a singular, radiant spear of magic that hurtled toward the entity’s core.
With a sound like the world tearing apart, light exploded across the lake, banishing shadows, purifying darkness. The entity writhed, its form dissipating, unravelling under the weight of June’s unrelenting will.
The entity’s dark essence began to fray under the onslaught, tendrils of energy peeling away and dissolving into the air. June felt the strain on her muscles, the burn in her lungs, but she didn’t relent. She couldn’t. They were so close.
“Keep going, June!” Elaine’s hand grasped hers, locking them together in an unbreakable bond—teacher and student.
With a final exhale, June unleashed the last remnants of her power. Light poured from her, pure and bright, and embedded into the writhing mass towering over them.
The entity gave one last shudder, then deflated like a sad balloon, the power that’d once coalesced into one malevolent blob, oozing back into the elements from which it’d been formed.
As the final wisps of darkness evaporated, the world seemed to exhale, the frozen lake reflecting the serene sky once more. A hush fell over the coven on the shore, the silence profound in the aftermath of such calamity.
June’s knees nearly buckled from exhaustion, but Elaine’s grip steadied her. Slowly, they turned to face each other, the older witch’s eyes gleaming with pride.
The shattered ice beneath their feet reformed into a solid slab, the older witch smiling mischievously as she embraced June.
“June Morgan,” Elaine said, her voice resonating with warmth and admiration. “You’ve done it. You’ve mastered your gifts and exceeded every expectation. You have well and truly graduated your lessons in elemental magic.”
Breathless, June’s eyes filled with hard-earned tears. “It’s unbound?”
Elaine nodded. “Its form has returned to the elements, and the balance is restored.” She tapped the ice with her boot. “Nothing but fish, frogs, and eels live down there now. Or they will once the thaw comes.”
They turned back toward the shore, their steps lighter despite the weight June felt in her chest.
“Look at them,” Elaine gestured at the coven, who were now moving from the water’s edge. “They believe in you. Forget the past, because you’ve well and truly shown you’re the light.”
June glanced up at the coven, finding Alistair’s familiar form amongst the assembled witches. A sense of belonging surged within her, warming her from the inside out. Yet, a part of her was missing, the hole left by Harriet and Lucas’ absence still raw.
“Harriet would have found this fight exhilarating if she knew about this world,” June mused aloud. “And Lucas… I wish he could see me now—not as the broken girl he remembers, but as the witch who stood against darkness and won.”
“Perhaps one day they’ll understand,” Elaine murmured. “For now, take pride in your victory, June. You’ve earned it.”
The lake behind them lay peaceful, its surface once again a mirror to the sky above. The coven’s murmurs drifted toward them, filled with plans to celebrate and restore, to heal and move forward. June let out a long breath, releasing the remnants of her fear into the ether.
Elaine looped her arm through June’s as they neared the others. “Your parents would be proud, you know.”
June managed a small smile, her heart aching at the mention of her parents. But she knew that although the ghosts of her past would never truly fade, today was a new chapter. One where she stood strong and courageous, facing the darkness she once feared. Her parents, though they were no longer of this world, had left her with a powerful legacy of light and truth—a legacy she was finally ready to accept.
Chapter 19
A crisp breeze threaded through Stonebridge, carrying the scent of pine and mulled wine through the bustling Christmas market. Twinkling lights adorned every stall, and laughter mingled with the faint hum of carols.
June stood outside the apothecary, her hands buried deep into the posters of her coat, her gaze flitting over the bustling town square.
“Are you ready?” Alistair’s voice cut through the wintry hum as he closed the shop door.
June turned toward the sound, her mentor’s presence immediately soothing. “Yep,” she said, though her voice betrayed a hint of dismay.
Alistair, tall and composed, adjusted his glasses. “Remember, subtlety is our ally. The smallest enchantments often hold the deepest wonder. No one will know.”
She nodded, her hands balling into fists inside the safety of her pockets.
They crossed the road together and strolled amongst the stalls, June’s eyes reflecting the rainbow glow of fairy lights as her heart thrummed.
They paused by the sweets vendor, where children begged for sour gummies and candy canes. With a discreet gesture from June, the sugar crystals on the sweets sparkled just a fraction brighter.
“Perfect,” Alistair murmured, pride warming his eyes.
They continued their circuit, adding a little flair wherever they went.
“Remember, the trust we build shields us more than any spell could,” he said, his words fading into the air as they worked their hidden craft. “We serve the community as a whole, not any one person or faith. Everyone deserves joy, especially at Christmastime.”
June felt the truth of his statement resonate within her. It was the very thing she wanted the most. To belong to a community, for her life to mean something good. To make a difference with the gifts she’d been given.
Thinking about the unravelled elemental, and the shadow she’d helped imprison, sent a shiver across her skin. But she willed the darkness away, focusing instead on the fairy lights, the children’s laughter, and the warmth of Alistair’s smile. Those battles were behind her.
Silently, they moved on, the old cobblestone streets carrying a sense of history and tradition beneath their feet.
June’s gaze drifted across the throngs of families and couples, their faces alight with the joy of the holiday. Yet amid the laughter and merry chatter, a hollow ache settled within her.
She spied Harriet in the window of Fortune’s Books, arranging the ornaments on the tree in the window display with her usual meticulous care, her bandaged foot covered in a festive sock trimmed with gold tinsel. The warmth that usually radiated from her friend seemed dimmed, her laughter not quite reaching her eyes when she turned to assist a customer. June’s heart clenched at the sight.
“June?” Alistair’s voice pulled her back from the edge of the slippery slope into depression. “You’ve gone quiet.”
“Sorry,” she managed, offering him a weak smile. “Just…old memories.”
Alistair nodded, understanding the unspoken words. “Elaine mentioned what happened with Harriet. I’m sorry.”
Harriet caught sight of June then, the recognition flaring in her eyes before she deliberately turned away, grabbing for her crutches. That small act reverberated through June like a thunderclap, hurting far more than any spell ever could. She swallowed, the words of apology she longed to say sticking in her throat. The divide magic had formed between them seemed impossible to defeat without revealing the truth she was bound by coven law to keep.
June squared her shoulders, feeling the weight of their fractured friendship. She wanted to rush over, to explain everything, but promises to herself and to the safety of her friend held her back. The magic within her, once a wild, unpredictable surge, was now a controlled stream, but that didn’t lessen the danger it posed to those unaware of the supernatural forces that danced on the edges of their reality.
“Harriet doesn’t understand,” Alistair said softly, his voice barely carrying over the din of the market. “And for her sake, she can’t.”
“I know.” June’s words were tinged with melancholy. “It’s just hard to see her and not be able to fix things.”
“Time is sometimes the only salve we have, June. Give her space. Give yourself space, too. Maybe one day she’ll understand.”
June nodded, though the gesture was more for Alistair’s benefit than hers. Her gaze lingered on Harriet, who was now laughing at something one of her employees said, her face animated yet missing its usual lustre.
Maybe Harriet was right when she said they’d changed too much. Ten years had passed, and they’d both grown apart, becoming strangers with memories of another time. Another distant time.
“Let’s keep going,” June suggested, tearing her eyes away. There were enchantments to weave and cheer to spread, even if her own heart felt as cold as the winter air. She took a deep breath, the crispness filling her lungs, and moved forward with Alistair through the crowd.
