Witch's Cursed Circle Complete Collection

by Evelyn Cooper

  “Thank you, Adara,” I offer the sweetest smile I can muster. It’s the only thing I can give her in return for what she has done for me.

  “It’s my pleasure to serve in your honour,” she gives a gracious small bow which makes a blush creep to my face.

  “Hey, woman,” Dimia cocks her brow at me as she tries to get my attention, “there’s something else you should know before you become red as a tomato.”

  I blink at her as I wait for her to continue. I really cannot stand her.

  “It’s a good thing you already have your memories back. That way I don’t have to waste energy acting nice to you,” she mutters to herself.

  “It’s interesting that there’s actually a spell out there that’s strong enough to wipe you from my memory,” I mutter, and I hear Bran chuckling beside me.

  Dimia doesn’t seem to care. She proceeds to tell us the important thing she interrupted us for, “They already arrived... those ‘Rooks’ of yours.”

  My eyes widen in surprise. Even Bran is forced to turn to look at her.

  Something must’ve happened. They aren’t supposed to be here yet.

  Not unless... no... It’s too soon.

  The foreboding feeling in my gut intensifies as two men enter the garden.

  They both bear dreadful faces.

  The long-haired male with grey scaled-skin steps forward. He looks at me with his reptile eyes as he sternly speaks.

  “Lady Alwyn,” he rattles with a bow, and I nod, anxious to hear why they’ve returned so soon.

  His eyes slowly scan the entire garden, and I find myself following his gaze before he turns it back to me.

  “What is it? Why are you here?” I ask, and his scales glisten as he tenses.

  “We have to prepare for war.”

  WITCH’S CIRCLE OF TRUTH

  WITCH’S CURSED CIRCLE SERIES – BOOK 5

  EVELYN COOPER

  Chapter 1

  The Whole Truth

  “They’ve killed the east group.”

  I can see the fire burning in Garth’s eyes.

  “They what?” Bran is standing by my side, eyes wide mirroring mine.

  “We came to the campsite to the east of the Hiraeth group, however,” he closes his eyes for a moment, “only lifeless bodies welcomed us. It seems they were discovered by the coven’s forces.”

  “How? That doesn’t make any sense. I’m pretty sure Adeon was careful about covering their tracks. How could this happen?”

  Adeon is known to be an expert in covert operations. With him leading the Hiraeth group; the rebel forces that desire to overthrow the coven will find their task harder. Their activities have been underground for years. Although the coven and the government are both aware of their existence, there was never a time when they were able to be successfully tracked down.

  I’m having a hard time accepting that Adeon made such a colossal mistake.

  “What about Adeon?” I ask, feeling like a lump of molten iron is slowly creeping down my chest, ready to crush all the air out of my being.

  Ulric is the one to answer, “His body is nowhere to be found. Likely, he wasn’t with the east group when the attack happened.”

  At least there’s some good news. Adeon simply cannot die. Not now. It will be a tremendous blow to our plans if he’s removed from the equation so soon.

  “Lady Alwyn, with your permission my troops can move at once. Now is the best time to strike. They think they have defeated us; they will not see it coming.” Garth growls and grips the spear in his hand. Garth’s heart always lies with the people. He cares for them, but his soft heart does nothing to weaken his stomach for battle. He’s aggressive and relentless, which is why I chose him in the first place, but we can’t be reactive in the midst of war.

  “Garth, I understand that you’re angry. I’m seething too, but for us to win this war we must play by our rules, move on our terms, not theirs. If we attack now, we’d simply be reacting, and we’ll put everyone at risk. I know that isn’t what you want.”

  I put a hand on his shaking shoulder and return his gaze with a resolve that will equal his.

  “We’re going to strike back soon. I promise you that. But first, we have to take care of some other matters” I turn to Adara and Dimia, and they nod in agreement.

  When I face Garth again, the tension is still evident in his shoulders, his tunic tight from his bulging muscles underneath “You and Ulric should stay here and rest.”

  Bran is already one step ahead of me. “I’ll show you the way,” he offers kindly.

  The druid quickly follows suit, but the Silver Dragon stands still in front of me with his gaze set on the ground. There’s an uncontrollable tremor within him that can’t be soothed by empty words.

  “Garth,” he lifts his downcast reptile eyes to meet mine, “trust me.”

  His eyes widen for a moment, and as he sees what he needs to see through the depth of my eyes, staring deep into my soul, he gives me a curt nod. Then, he turns to follow Bran and Ulric who are already making their way to the resting quarters.

  “I can feel how heavy his heart is,” Adara’s soft voice echoes with a depressing tone.

  “When your eyes witness a horrifying reality, the sight of it will continue to creep in the back of your mind until it reaches your heart and clutches it hard” even though Dimia speaks with a voice empty of emotions, her eyes tell everything.

  I understand the pain and anguish in her eyes as I too have seen dreadful things with my own eyes, countless times.

  Things I wish had never seen, and that cannot be erased from my memory, etched within my mind forever.

  ***

  I stand in the middle of the pentagram Dimia drew inside what was once the ballroom hall of the castle.

  “Look, there’s a chance there’ll be lapses with this one,” the dark elf says as she sets the white chalk aside, “this is my first time performing this kind of ritual.”

  “Oh, you’re worried? You’re the high and mighty Dimia of the west. Why would you be worried?” A slow smirk creeps onto her face.

  “You want to end up brain dead?”

  “If you switch me back to that state, you’d lose everything.”

  “Okay, smartass. Are we going to do this or what?” she crosses her arms with a cock of her brow.

  “Please begin,” I close my eyes and leave the rest to Dimia.

  As she begins chanting, cold wind like a royal curtain wraps around me. My breath hitches for a few seconds, and when I exhale, different frames of memories flood my mind. The trembling spreads throughout my body, and I can feel my fingers twitch as my brain receives the ceaseless flow of scenes and images of my past.

  Time warps around me, and it feels like the ritual has been going on forever, but time is standing still, with a snap, my eyes are suddenly open. My lungs expand, their violent demand for air, making me gasp.

  Everything is so clear to me. Every memory, every conversation, every plan, it’s all there. I can see them falling into place, so raw and real I can almost touch and smell them. My feet immediately carried me to the old study of the castle in a dash like my life depended on it.

  I waste no time scanning the few worn-out books on the shelves. My mind is racing.

  “Where is it?”

  I have to find it. I need to find it!

  Books fly off the shelves as I frantically try to find the right one.

  “What’s wrong with her? Did she finally lose it?” Dimia asks, watching my every move as I forage.

  No. It’s quite the opposite.

  I finally remember. The memory that has been stowed away, hidden in its little box within the recess of my mind, the one which simply would not present itself no matter how hard I tried to bring it to the forefront.

  I know it’s around here somewhere…..

  After all, I was the one who hid it. It should be here.

  My eyes dart around until they rest on the small cabinet in the corner of the room, it’s
glass framed double doors are slightly ajar. Dust has formed inside the gap making the contents inside dirty. I can just see the spine of the book poking out from behind the ink well, quills and papers. I recognise it immediately. The cover is engraved with Celtic patterns and ancient words. In my haste to grab hold of the book, I knock the ink wells over sending splashes of ink all over the floor.

  No time to clean up after myself I impatiently flip the well-thumbed pages, rushing to confirm the source of my surging rage and the sharp pain in my heart. I silently will it to be false, but in my heart, I know it to be true. Still, I need to see it with my own eyes and trace the words with my own fingers.

  My heart halts as I see the words written in bold, The Witch of Wishes.

  My fingers go bone white as I tighten my hold on this sacred text. I can feel hot tears building in the back of my eyes but now is not the time for crying. No wonder I agreed to this madness. There will be vengeance, and her name is Meghan Alwyn.

  I turn to face Adara and Dimia behind me who seem confused and slightly concerned.

  “What is it Meg? What does the script say?” asked Adara.

  “There’s something you both need to know.” My voice has crept into a soft growl-like whisper.

  They exchange glances, and for a split second, I can tell that even Dimia is scared.

  ***

  Everyone gathered at the study where I waited with the ancient book in my hand.

  “Dimia said you might have lost your mind,” Bran tries to lighten the tension in the room, but he knows me enough to see the darkness growing behind my eyes.

  “What is it, Meg?”

  There was no other way I can show them the truth. I opened the book on the marked page and tear it away. Dimia gasps and immediately takes the book away from me.

  “What’s wrong with you?!”

  I ignore it and proceed to frantically tear the pages apart.

  “The Witch of Wishes” is never born; she is a created being. This is why they are so rare……. in the natural order of things; they do not exist. They are never born; they are formed.”

  The expression on their faces mirrors the horrified gaze I wore for days after I discovered the truth in the past all those years ago.

  “It is the highest role that can be bestowed to a witch, the ability to grant wishes. An instrument of the coven to do their bidding. The Witch of Wishes is theirs to control. She increases their powers.”

  “How do you know this?” Bran asks, staring at me in confusion.

  “My Mother was one of the most powerful Witches of Wishes.”

  “What?” Adara jumps to her feet.

  “But the coven couldn’t control her,” I continued, my voice breaking as I relive the memories.

  “No,” Bran gasps, seeing the end before I get there.

  “So, they killed her.”

  The burning house flashes before my eyes and the sound of her screaming as she died fills my ears, overcrowding my thoughts. I lived with that sound rining in my ears for years.

  “Ryia was not the first to alter my brain. They had already altered my memories as a child. The Supreme Sorceress erased part of my memories to make me believe an entirely different event happened.”

  “Wait. The Supreme Sorceress? She’s involved in this?” it’s Dimia who first speaks.

  “Deeply.”

  The dark elf grits her teeth, and her jaw clenches. I can see another form of anger emerging in her ruby eyes.

  I continue, “My Mother relinquished her title to her assistant, the cost of sparing my life. After they got what they wanted, they got rid of her, ending her life. And they took me with them to raise me as a puppet for all their schemes.”

  “Meg,” Bran starts, but I cut him off with a dismissive wave of a hand. It’s time they all know the truth. It’s time they all understand what it is they’re fighting for… and against.

  “The Witch of Wishes” made a way to create the circle. Anyone who seeks her out ended up being part of the cursed circle. That’s the reason the first part was successful, but what we’re about to accomplish with this 2000-year ritual is not for everyone’s sake.” I explain, pacing before them.

  “Then what is it for?” Dimia asks, narrowing her eyes.

  “We won’t be opening the gate, because there is no gate. There is no Paradise.”

  “First you say there’s no “Witch of Witches”, now you’re saying there’s no paradise?” Dimia asks, and I nod.

  “Yes.”

  “Then, what in the bloody hell are we performing this ritual for?” the usually quiet Dain exclaims.

  “The Supreme Sorceress, who’s leading the research, found out that there’s no such thing as Paradise. That’s why she’s trying to make one herself.”

  “Forgive me, Lady Alwyn, but I do not understand,” Adara chimes in. By cleansing the world “If there is no paradise, how can she create one? Worldbuilding is a far deeper magic than even the Supreme Sorceress holds.”

  “Are you sure about this, Meg?” Bran asks, leaning forward with his long white arms propped up on his knees, bearing the full weight of his head.

  “I’m sure.”

  “Alright, I’ll ask,” Dimia hisses, “If there’s no damn Paradise, just how does the supreme bitch expect to make one?”

  I pause, suddenly unsure of how to break it to them. They’re all such good creatures who stand before me. Our union shows that even the vilest of us can come together and live in something resembling peace without killing each other. Each of us, the purest of our kind are being used in such a sinister way would be poetic, were it not so horrific. I know the truth will break their hearts… especially Bran but I have to tell them. We have come this far together, and they deserve to know the truth.

  “The only way to create the kind of paradise she seeks on this earth is to cleanse it.”

  For a moment, no one speaks as they digest the words. The air outside is still and the wide eyes staring up at me are full of disbelief.

  “Cleansing the world?”Adara softly gasps.

  Bran mutters, “No… that’s not what we agreed to do. That… no…how?”

  “By destroying everyone and everything that already exists.”

  The silence returns, heavier than it was just seconds ago, the air in the room feeling heavy as the realisation sinks in.

  This is a weight that has no measure. A burden under which even the strongest of us may break. This is the reason they took my memories because I was such a threat to them knowing the whole truth.

  Chapter 2

  The Witch of Wishes

  “That’s why you made this plan?” Bran breaks the silence. “Why didn’t you just tell us?”

  “If I told you, do you think the planes of your minds will be spared from their manipulations? Do you think they’d let you live and roam around freely with the knowledge of the truth? Look what they did to me! They mentally tortured me. Do you think they wouldn’t have done the same thing to you? I had to keep the possible damage to a minimum; I had to protect you.”

  I know how much Bran cares for me and I can tell from the scowl on his face that he feels hurt and betrayed, but I did what I had to do to protect them… to protect him, and I have no regrets.

  “And so you chose to suffer alone?” the hurt in his eyes now is the same as it was when I went to meet the coven to initiate my plan.

  “This is just even further proof that we need to assemble our troops,” Garth’s raspy voice reverberates around the small room.

  Dimia audibly sighs, “Isn’t there anything else inside that brain of yours other than wanting to fight?”

  Did you not hear what she just revealed to us?” The large dragon-man hisses, taking visible offence to her condescension.

  “No. It’s the reason we have to be careful and precise about what we do next. If the Supreme Sorceress is behind all of this, then we can’t beat her with a half-ass punch. This is where we use our brains more, dragon,” Dimia retorts.
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br />   There was a flash of fire from his nostrils before he turned to narrow his eyes at me and the scales on his skin started to emerge.

  “You wish to let them do whatever they want? If you expect us to proceed with the completion of the ritual, you’d be asking us to participate in mass murder and while I respect you, my Lady, I will not stand for that.”

  “But lizard, aren’t you proposing to do the same thing? This war you seem so eager to fight, will it not result in the death of countless innocents so that you can win? It all sounds about the same to me.”

  I wish Dimia knew when to shut up; her sniping is going to cause Garth to react.

  “It’s not the same if we’re about to kill innocent lives, not to mention, the whole world!” the loud voices and the temperature in the room begin to change as his body starts radiating heat, ready for him to shift and present his true dragon form. Meghan would have to contain this situation before it became out of hand.

  “That’s enough!” I snap, and they both go silent, still seething at each other from across the room.

  “Garth, I’ll consider your suggestion. But if we have to go through with that, we’ll have to expect a loss on our side. Right now, it won’t be advantageous to declare an all-out war.”

  “I’m not suggesting an all-out war. I’m simply saying that if we keep sitting back like this, we’re bound to lose more in the future,” he responds with frustration.

  “I know that too. But being reckless will have the same result,” a sulking dragon is a rare thing, but he knows not to challenge me. Not here in this moment.

  “Don’t worry; I’ve already thought this through,” hoping it will at least appease their distress, I share my plan.

  “The coven was not entirely confident about the ritual being successful, so they prepared a reversal ritual that will undo everything if it went wrong.”

  “Let me guess. It won’t be easy to do that,” Ulric finally speaks up. He crosses his arms as he waits for me to confirm his statement.