by T J Green
“True that!” He led them into the kitchen. “Beer or tea?”
Alex snorted. “Beer! It’s almost five.”
He handed them a bottle each and cracked one open for himself. “That was probably the weirdest night of my life. And that says something, after what happened at Castlerigg.”
Piper joined them, her hair now a violent crimson, which matched the long cut running down her arm. “Last night was insane! My skin is still tingling with all that magic.” She pinched her arm. “It’s right here! And those spirits in the town! I still can’t believe it.”
Avery agreed. “You’re not the only one. There was too much magic everywhere. Ours, Suzanna’s, the magic of the Wild Hunt… Who cut you?”
Piper shook her head. “Some rider guy with a huge sword. I managed to bite his ankle. Hard.”
Avery looked around. “Where’s the rest of your crew?”
“Headed back at dawn. They didn’t want to stay away too long, in case of insurrection,” Hunter explained. He leaned against the counter, thoughtful. “Were they Faeries in the grove? Fey? And who was the guy with the antlers?”
Avery answered. “It was Herne the Hunter. The God of the Hunt, the partner of the Goddess. And yes, they were Fey with him, and yes, they brought a wild, chaotic magic all of their own.”
Alex agreed. “Too wild. It was unpredictable, uncontrollable for us.”
“I could feel it here.” Hunter tapped his chest and his head. “Took all of my strength to resist running.”
“It’s easy to understand why normal people would have no chance when faced with the Wild Hunt tearing through the countryside and streets,” Alex said. “They’d go mad, die of terror, or simply become frozen in fear waiting to be cut down or carried away. Without our own magic and supernatural abilities, we’d have stood no chance.” He exhaled heavily. “The more I think about it, the luckier I realise we were.”
“Don’t you guys worship Herne and the Goddess?” Piper asked.
Alex groaned. “Worship is an interesting word. Sometimes we appeal to them to aid our magic, but not worship. Witchcraft does not involve bowing to gods. Magic works all on its own.”
Avery agreed. “We possess and wield elemental magic, no gods needed, but we sometimes like to satisfy the gods. They’re out there—in everything, if you adhere to pagan beliefs. But they have their own agendas, as you saw last night.”
Piper was still confused. “So, Suzanna became the Crone?”
“She had taken on the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess, but subverted it for her own ends, and yes, Herne recognised the Goddess in her. Gods have many faces. And I probably won’t ever appeal to Herne again,” Avery said with certainty. “It’s easy to give them human emotions, but they’re not human, and last night was a good reminder of that. They can be cruel and indifferent to our brief lives.”
Piper said, “Your High Priestess, she made all the difference. And the Nephilim. Otherwise, those escaped Hunters would have caused enough chaos on their own.”
They all fell silent for a moment, contemplating their great escape, and then Hunter laughed. “But what a thing to see! It was insane, but amazing—something out of a storybook! Definitely something to tell the pack about over drinks and a fire. At least that hasn’t made it on to the news.”
Avery had to agree. “True. It’s better to have ghosts on the news than a huge coven of witches spelling away the Wild Hunt.”
Alex gestured to the boxes in the room. “So, you’re going, then?”
“Seems so.”
“We’ll keep in touch, though,” Piper said, smiling. “If you ever need a pack, just call.”
“Same goes,” Avery said, smiling back. Despite her snark, Piper had grown on her, and she’d actually quite miss seeing them around. “You’re not taking Briar with you?” she asked, half wondering if she’d go.
Hunter shook his head sadly. “I know when I’m beat. That sodding Newton guy just had to get injured, didn’t he? She’s all cut up about him.”
“Hunter!” Piper was outraged. “He’s their friend and he almost died!”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad he’s okay, but well, you know.” He shrugged and then grinned. “All’s fair in love and war. He better treat her right or I’m coming back to try again.”
As Avery watched him, with a wolfish glint in his eyes and Alpha swagger on display, she knew he meant it. Newton better sort his feelings out, or he’d lose Briar forever.
***
On Saturday night, Avery was at a very different Halloween celebration. It was the night of the town’s bonfire, and she was in the crowd at the castle grounds, waiting for Stan to begin the ceremony.
She leaned into Alex‘s side, her arm wrapped around his waist, and pulled him so close he complained. “I can’t breathe, you crazy woman.” He kissed the top of her head.
She looked up at him, admiring his smile, his dark eyes, and gentleness. “Sorry. I can’t help it.”
“Hugs are good, but breathing’s important.”
She laughed and nuzzled into him again. Ever since the other night, when they’d all almost died, she felt she was so lucky to have him as her partner. It was only really four months since they’d got together, but it felt like a lifetime, and she meant that in a good way. He made her laugh, looked after her, and kept her grounded. He had simply changed her life. She kept thinking about the conversation in the car when they drove to Cumbria, and was annoyed with herself that she still hadn’t brought it up. What was she so scared of?
Avery was disturbed by a shout from the front, and then she saw Stan stand on the small raised platform that served as a stage. He and Becky had returned from their short trip, slightly confused as to why they had gone away in the first place, and also wondering why Suzanna was no longer answering his calls. He was also utterly disappointed he’d missed the ghosts. She and Alex had been around to see him, just to check that they were okay, and offered lame excuses on behalf of Suzanna. Now, however, he was again dressed in his Druid robes, and after he’d made his speech and performed his libations, the fire was lit, and the party got underway.
They wandered through the crowds and visited a few stalls that were offering apple bobbing competitions, hot food, donuts, and mulled wine, and then found a good spot to watch the fireworks. Halfway through the oohs and ahhs, Avery summoned her courage and turned to Alex.
“Did you mean what you said in the car the other day?”
He looked at her thoughtfully. “What did I say? When?”
“You said to Hunter that you would move anywhere and do anything if it saved me or anyone else you loved.”
He gave her a half smile. “Yes, I did mean that.”
She swallowed. “You love me?”
He pulled her to him and looked down into her eyes, his hand stroking her cheek. “So you heard that? I wondered, because you didn’t say anything, and I thought maybe you didn’t care.” He looked troubled. “But of course I love you. I’d do anything for you.”
All of a sudden, Avery was flooded with overwhelming joy. She beamed at him. “I was terrified I’d misheard and didn’t want to make a fool of myself. I love you, too. So much.” She laid her hand over his, and then rose on tiptoes to kiss him, the noise of the crowd disappearing as she savoured his heat and his kiss.
When he finally released her, he was grinning. “I thought you were planning on letting me down gently, like some hideous ‘we’re just friends’ crap.”
She punched him on the arm. “Idiot.”
“So no second thoughts about Caspian? He’s obviously just waiting for the right opportunity.”
And then she realised why he’d been looking worried lately. “No! He’ll never have the right opportunity with me, Alex Bonneville!”
He grinned again. “Awesome. Let’s talk about a trip I want to take you on.” And then he nuzzled her neck and started whispering in her ear, and Avery couldn’t stop giggling.
End of Book 4 of the White
Haven Witches.
White Haven Witches Book 5 will be out in 2020.
Thank you for reading All Hallows’ Magic. All authors love reviews. They’re important because they help drive sales and promotions, so I’d love it if you would leave a review here. Scroll down the page to where it says, ‘Write a customer review’ and click. Thank you—your review is much appreciated.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading All Hallows’ Magic, the fourth book in the White Haven Witches series. I love Halloween and the magical lore that surrounds the night. I thought it would be a great subject for my series. It was fun reading up on druids, yew trees, the Wild Hunt, and ley lines.
Thanks again to Fiona Jayde Media for my awesome cover, and thanks to Kyla Stein at Missed Period Editing for applying her fabulous editing skills.
Thanks also to my beta readers, glad you enjoyed it; your feedback, as always, is very helpful!
Thanks also to my launch team, who give valuable feedback on typos and are happy to review on release. Once again, they were fantastic. It’s lovely to hear from them—you know who you are! You’re amazing! I love hearing from all my readers, so I welcome you to get in touch.
If you’d like to read a bit more background to the stories, please head to my website, where I blog about the books I’ve read and the research I’ve done on the series—in fact, there’s lots of stuff on there about my other series, Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, too.
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About the Author
I grew up in England and now live in the Hutt Valley, near Wellington, New Zealand, with my partner, Jason, and my cats, Sacha and Leia. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me with my head in a book, gardening, or doing yoga. And maybe getting some retail therapy!
In a previous life I’ve been a singer in a band, and have done some acting with a theatre company—both of which were lots of fun.
I’m currently working on more books in the White Haven Witches series, musing on a prequel, and planning spin-offs from the White Haven Witches.
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