Witch Condemned

by Valia Lind

  "Are you kidding me?" The panic I always cary with me rises up renewed. "He put them in danger! I can't believe he would be so stupid. There was a reason I didn't contact them. He should've at least talked to me before reaching out. What was he thinking?"

  "They reached out to me first."

  Tom's voice comes on the line, halting my rant. I fall silent immediately, confusing clouding my mind.

  "I don't understand."

  "Your parents have kept a lot of secrets from you over the years, Cordelia. Knowing about this task force is one of those secrets. When you disappeared from prison, they had their suspicions. So when the time was right, they reached out."

  "I don’t—“

  "I understand how frustrating this can be, Cordelia," Tom continues when I stop talking. I really have nothing to say. It's not like I'm surprised, per say. Every parent tries to protect their kids form the truth about one thing or the other. But this seems like a conversation we should've had.

  "So what am I expected to do?" I ask, instead of asking the million of questions which are currently bombarding me. There will be a time and place for that, but for now, I have to focus on the mission.

  "Once you're inside the palace, you have to call out to the relic with your magic. Ask it to reveal itself."

  "Ask it?"

  "Yes. Think of it as a living and breathing creature of magic. You're coaxing it out of it's hiding place, so you need to be gentle but firm. And you have to keep your intentions clear."

  I let that settle, trying to warp my mind around such a thing, before I ask.

  "And if it doesn't work?"

  "Then we try again. But Eric," I glance up at my companion to see that he's been listening intently this whole time anyway, but now he perks up even more. "Be prepared for resistance. Magic is moving through the city and you won't be the only ones there to look for this."

  "Understood."

  Mitch and Letty say they'll meet us in the courtyard, before disconnecting. We have to be careful with our magic on the way there, and since nothing active is happening in the area at the moment, we're driving instead of using a portal.

  "Are you okay?" Eric asks after we've been driving in silence for a few minutes.

  "I honestly don't know," I reply, turning to watch him as I talk. "There's so much of my life that's not what I ever would've expected. From my friend being killed, to me going to prison, to now finding out that my parents were so much more in the know that they led me to believe, I have no idea what to trust anymore. Or who. I'm being passed around like a pawn, between the council and the followers of the king. That's the only part I'm sure of."

  He's silent for a moment, before he speaks.

  "You can trust me."

  The words are spoken quietly, as if it's a secret shared between friends. But Eric and I are not friends. We've been allies, and nothing more. Expect for the time he held me after the nightmare or the dozen times he saved my life. I'd laugh if I could actually find humor in that. I told myself I wouldn't be trusting anyone anytime soon, and yet, somehow Eric wormed himself into my heart anyway. And he didn't have to do all that much.

  Maybe I'm a bigger pushover than I think I am. Or maybe some people are just meant to be in your life. I remember hearing somewhere that those things that are meant for you will always find you. Maybe Eric and the task force were those things for me. I don't know and so I don't reply.

  Instead, I turn toward the window and once again stare at the passing scenery. No matter what my feelings might be like, I have to at least try and stay strong. I don't think I can survive any more disappointments at this point.

  Chapter 21

  We pull up to the winter palace hours later. Eric and I made one pitstop for some food and gas, but other than that, we drove straight through. I thought we'd stay quiet the whole time, but surprisingly enough, he gets me talking.

  After basic information, we discuss some movies we love and we find out that we both enjoy action and horror. Which is basically what our lives have become.

  He loves carbonated water as much as I do, and thinks that peanut butter is overrated. As we talk, that lightness I've briefly glimpsed yesterday returns, and I don't think too much about my answers anymore. He makes me feel comfortable with him and for just a few hours, I forget what my existence has become.

  Letty and Mitch greet us in the middle of the courtyard, both dressed in very touristy outfits. Mitch is even carrying a camera around his neck.

  "You know most people just use their phones nowadays," I say by the way of greeting. The big guys grins.

  "Yes, but this makes me look even more out of the times, which means people expect less from me."

  I don't think anyone can expect little from him since he looks like he can crush them like a bug, but I leave it alone.

  "Which way?" Eric asks, and Letty turns and points. We follow close behind her, as I study the people mulling about. It's late spring, and while most are still wearing jackets, the weather is nice enough that a lot of people are out. I try to pinpoint any signs of trouble, but I don't see anything suspicious.

  Once we're through the security, I had to leave my knives in the car, we head toward the eastern side of the winter palace.

  "I have no idea where to start, but ancient weapons and armor seems like a good spot?" Letty shrugs and I nod in response. It sounds good to me.

  The palace is huge, with a number of floors and different exhibits in almost every room. The huge paintings take up every inch off the walls, framed in gold. I want to stand here and marvel at it all, but we're not here to gawk. Maybe one day I'll get to return and actually spend a few days exploring.

  Once we reach the Knight's Hall the gang turns to me. Right, I'm supposed to be asking it to come out. See, that just sounds stupid even saying it in my mind. But I have to do what I have to do.

  Walking around slowly, I let my eyes roam over all the items, not picking up anything magical right off the bat. The place clearly has a Greek style to it's design, but somehow ended up with an arsenal collection instead. The European arms and armor range between 15th-17th century and as I study them a little closer, I don't find anything particularly exciting about them. Closing my eyes, I pull on my magic, and it rushes to the surface, glad to come out and play in whatever capacity I allow.

  Please show yourself, I ask with my mind, pulling the magic into my words. I mean you no harm.

  I feel ridiculous and when I open my eyes to look around, I find that nothing has happened. I walk through the room, repeating my request, and still nothing.

  "Do you think we need to go through each room individually?" I ask after about ten minutes of trying.

  "Probably?" Letty replies and I grunt. This is actually going to take forever. A part of me wonders that if it's so hard to find, maybe it'll be easier to just leave it as is. The followers of the kind may never locate it. But then I realize that's a risk I'm not willing to take. I'd feel better with the relic in my hands.

  When we reach the center of the enfilade, a grand room opens up on front of us. A large portrait hangs from the wall and I immediately recognize Nicholas I.

  "Wow, this place is massing," Mitch whispers and coming from him, it makes this room seem even bigger.

  "It's the Nicholas Hall," I say, remembering vague information about the palace. When I was little I was fascinated with the culture and read as much as I could about it. "They held all the balls and receptions here. The open space is easy to convert into anything you'd like."

  It's true, there's not much here but the architecture of the room. The architrave is immediately below the ceiling and the moldings lie horizontally above the columns, creating intricate designs. The large chandeliers hang low, making the room feel more grand somehow. I spin in a slow circle, taking it all in.

  That's when I feel it. There's a tug on my magic, as if I'm seeing something out of the corner of my eye and when I turn it's gone. I race out of the room afraid I'll lose whatever it is I'm f
eeling. Eric, Letty, and Mitch stay right on my heels, as I call out to the relic with my mind. Trying not to sound too excited, I keep telling it it's safe and I mean it no harm, as the magic rises more and more inside of me. All of a sudden, I find myself in the courtyard once more.

  "I don't understand." I say, "It seems like it's lead me away from it..." but that's when I see them. A few groups of men and women, moving throughout the courtyard in a way that seems unnatural somehow. "Guys."

  "I see them," Eric states, coming up to stand next to me.

  My magic didn't lead me to the relic. It led me outside to show me what is coming.

  We race back into the palace, hoping to buy us some time, before they realize we're here.

  "What now?"

  "We keep searching," I reply, knowing it's our only option. If that cult gets it's hands on the relic, it will be the beginnings of a downfall. There's no doubt in my mind. Come on, show yourself to me, I think again, pulling on my magic. The tug comes after a few seconds and I spin on my heels, trying to figure out where it's coming from.

  "This way," I finally say, almost power walking to the west side of the palace. We're still on the ground floor, so if the king's henchmen walked in here now, they'd be finding us pretty fast. But the moment I step into the large room in the west wing, it feels right somehow.

  Stoping in the center of the room, I give my magic another go. This time, I put a little more oomph into it. It's more dangerous this way, but we're running out of time. The magic spreads out around me like a wave, as if I'm the pebble that's just fallen into the water. People continue mulling around me, and I'm sure I'm receiving some strange looks, but I don't let it distract me.

  I'm here to help. Please let me help.

  Suddenly, every ounce of my power pulls back and then zeros in on one spot. Opening my eyes, I turn to find the source and spy a collection of bowls on a large stone. Walking over, I study the three iron made pieces, but I don't see anything. Ready to give up, I turn to say so to the others when a spark catches my eye. Quickly, before anyone can stop me, I reach for the middle bowl, running my finger over the rim. The moment my fingers connect with it, there's a small click and the inside of the bowl opens, a piece of metal falling into my waiting hand.

  Picking it up, I see that it's a simple band, made from a collection of gold and silver, a braided piece of metal, about the length of my palm. Eric is beside me in a moment, looking over my shoulder at what I found.

  "Is that it?" Letty asks, coming up to stand on the other side of me.

  I raise it a little bit higher, and when I bring my other hand underneath it, the metal bends, snapping over my right wrist, right below my key tattoo.

  "I'm going to take a guess and say that's it," Mitch comments.

  Moving my hand over the bracket, I try to pry it off, but no dice. It seems to be holding onto me, as if it's seeking that protection I promised.

  "We need to go."

  The gang doesn't pause to question it further. We race out of the room and down the hall, keeping our pace fast, but not so fast that it attracts attention. It doesn't really matter though, because the moment we're back in the courtyard, we're greeted by a group of people.

  There's a moment of stillness and then everything happens at once. They attack, throwing magic and themselves at us at the same time. I don't have a moment's hesitation as I bring my arms up in front of me, sending a wall of flame towards them. My magic slams into a powerful shield and I'm thrown backwards into Eric.

  We stumble to our feet, him pulling me up and we turn back to the group. They shouldn't be displaying that kind of a power, unless something is fueling them. That means a powerful witch is nearby.

  "We have to find where they're getting their power, or we won't get through." I shout, as the sound of battle almost overwhelms me. Since we went into the palace, we're weaponless. But these guys came prepared. Swords are pulled out and people begin running and screaming, creating chaos within a chaos.

  One of the men rushes at me and I duck his advances only to be caught by another. I slam my palm into his chest, burning him in the process and sending him flying back a few feet. Another one grabs me from behind, and when I jump arching backwards, a guy grabs my legs to keep me from finishing the move.

  Screaming, I try to get out, but they're restraining me enough that I can't seem to get a grip on anything. Letty and Mitch are yelling to my left, and I can't see Eric through all the bodies. A wave of magic runs over me, infusing the men holding me captive, solidifying my theory. Someone else is here and they're feeding these thugs.

  Just then, the sea of people parts and I see Eric. He's holding his own against three assaulters, but he's about to be in trouble. Another one rushes him and the moment I see it, something goes dark in me. Then, it goes bright.

  I scream as the power burst out of me, and over my whole body. The men holding me drops me and I land in a crouch. Flames eat their way up my arms, but they don't burn me. Just those who come in contact with me. I thrust my palms forward, sending a wave of fire at the people in front of me and this time it's their screams that fill the air.

  My magic rages all around me, as I find each and every attacker, looking for the power source. Then, it's like I make a connection. I zero in on a spot on the other side of the courtyard, as a few people who are still in the area try to get out. But what I see completely pulls the rug from under me. My fire goes out immediately, and all I feel is tired.

  "Cordy," Eric is right beside me, holding me up as my legs give out. "What's wrong?"

  My eyes don't move as they make a connection with the witch on the other side of the courtyard. A smile curls up on her lips and then she's gone.

  "Cordy, talk to us. What is it?"

  I'm not sure I can form the words, but I swallow hard and then force them out.

  "Kelsey is alive. And she's working for the king."

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  Do you like academy adventure romance?

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  Thunderbird Academy Trilogy

  My power could save my friends—or destroy them.

  As I start a new semester at Thunderbird Academy, I have a lot to live up to. News of my sisters' courageous fight against the Ancient evil has spread, and now, everyone expects the same greatness from me.

  But all I want to do is:

  1) Find my dad.

  2) Figure out why my magic has suddenly gone on the fritz.

  It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to keep dealing with the ever-annoying Aiden Lawson. Shifter, nemesis, ridiculously gorgeous. I don't care how he makes my pulse race, I will not be deterred from my mission.

  But the war with the Ancients is just beginning, and now, Thunderbird Academy has become a sanctuary as well as a school. Each attack is deadlier than the last, and when the academy ends up under siege, my friends and I have no choice but to fight.

  Am I brave enough to trust my magic to save us? Or will my world come crashing down around me by my own hands?

  I'm in a fight for my life, and I, Maddie Hawthorne, have no idea what I'm doing.

  Welcome to my year at Thunderbird Academy.

  Full of magic, adventure, and romance, Thunderbird Academy is an completed addicting young adult paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind that will keep you reading late into the night!

  Want more from the Hawtho
rne Witches?

  See Harper and Brianna, Maddie’s sisters, take on the Ancients in the complete season one of Hawthorne Chronicles!

  Charmed meets The Originals in this exciting paranormal romance series by USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind!

  Welcome to Hawthorne. A town. A home. A sanctuary.

  It’s a land of magic, where traditions run deep. Governed by an ancient coven, it’s a place where supernaturals and humans can live in peace.

  Until now.

  An Ancient evil is rising on the outskirts of their town and it’s up to the Hawthorne coven to find a way to defeat it or their way of life is over.

  Four strong witches. Four incredible romances. Four life or death battles.

  Can one town stand against an Ancient evil?

  Season One includes:

  Guardian Witch

  Witch's Fire

  Witch's Heart

  Tempest Witch

  Get hooked on witches, shifters, and magic in this first season of a thrilling adventure!

  About the Author

  USA Today bestselling author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valia Lind has always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first published book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and has found her voice in Young Adult fiction. Her YA thriller, Pieces of Revenge is the recipient of the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award.

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