Love the Witch, Hate the Craft: A Romantic Paranormal Mystery (The Witches of Secret Hallow Book 1)

by Nora Lee

  “What…?”

  The group took a few steps back as several jagged splits stretched from where they stood toward the trunk of the Elder Tree. Gnarled roots emerged from the gaps. They curled toward the base of the tree the way that a spider’s legs curled toward its belly in death.

  “What’s happening?” Garrett asked.

  Rowan stared at the tree in horror as the leaves on the lower branches burst into flame. The heat singed her face, even at that distance. “I don’t know!” She turned to Orianna and Caedmon. “What can we do?”

  Part of her felt satisfaction when she noticed Caedmon give Orianna’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he stepped toward her. “We can’t do anything.”

  “Then what…?”

  Caedmon raised a hand to interrupt. “We can’t do anything. This is up to you, Rowan Middlebrook, daughter of the Winterblossoms, and most powerful earth witch the coven has ever known.”

  The fire hopped from branch to branch until the whole lower portion of tree turned into a blazing inferno. Heat and smoke filled the air and the group stepped further back. Orianna placed a gentle hand on Fern’s head to help protect her from the ash and sparks flying around them.

  “What do you mean?” Rowan shouted to be heard over the roaring flames consuming the coven’s beloved tree. “What can I do? I’ve never heard of such a thing happening.”

  This time, she allowed Garrett to take her hand. He moved close to speak into her ear. “You’re part of the bloodline charged with protecting and caring for the coven. Your strength extends to the care and protection of the Elder Tree.”

  “My powers could hurt all of you if I unleash them now,” Rowan said. “I could injure every last one of you the way I did Nana.”

  “You can do this, Rowan,” Garrett said. “I have faith in you.”

  Her deep-seated fear of hurting the people around her warred with her terror that they’d lose the Elder Tree.

  With the tree gone, the coven would break up, and she’d be left adrift in a harsh world without her extended family. What would her parents think if that were to happen? Or Nana? How could she live with their disappointment?

  Nana had said she felt blessed by her injury, and it was true: physical harm would be far less damaging than letting Secret Hallow wither.

  She took a deep breath and gave Garrett a weak smile. “You should all get back to the truck. I’m afraid the entire grove might go up in flames.”

  “You can do this!”

  Rowan whirled at the sound of Nana’s voice. She’d been so caught up in the drama unfolding before her that she hadn’t noticed the appearance of her grandmother, the Ash sisters, and Adora. The group stood a little back, next to Orianna and Fern, everyone watching her with expectant looks. She felt the power of their love and support as a tangible thing across the space separating them.

  No pressure…

  A brief stab of humor helped break the stalemate between her fear of causing more damage and her desire to help keep everyone safe. She looked toward the Elder Tree once again and came to a decision.

  “I’ll do what I can,” Rowan said.

  Garrett took her in his arms. She looked up into his eyes, afraid of what was to come, yet reassured by the warmth of his gaze. Whatever happened, she knew he loved her.

  His head bent and their lips touch in a gentle kiss filled with promise. When they broke the kiss, he pulled her close, speaking into her ear so only she could hear. “I love you, Rowan.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “You know I love you, too.”

  Caedmon stepped into their circle, interrupting the intimate moment. “There’s no time.”

  Surprised by his gentle tone, Rowan gave him a smile. “Thank you for helping Fern…and take care of Orianna for me.”

  They shared a brief handclasp before he returned to the group.

  Rowan turned to find the trunk of the Elder Tree split up the center. The two halves of the massive tree leaned to either side and left an opening large enough for a person in the middle.

  She took a deep breath of smoky air and opened herself to the power of the earth beneath her feet. The familiar tingle entered her through the soles of her feet, pushing upward against the fear and worry she’d felt, until positive energies pushed the last of the negative emotions out through her extremities.

  Ignoring the heat of the flames, she stepped into the gap in the trunk, her expanded senses connecting to the tree in a way she’d never before allowed herself.

  She felt the faint life force pulsing through the viscous sap, through the dried bark, deep into the tree’s heart…a heart missing a vital piece.

  Her glowing power grabbed on and pulled the heart together around her.

  Welcome home. You’ve been missed.

  She heard the tree’s “voice” in her mind and felt a surge of remorse.

  Don’t worry. You’re not too late. We’ll all be fine now.

  The tree’s essence pulled her into a close embrace. The heart surrounded her in warmth and love and she dropped the last of her resistance to her powers.

  She’d felt she’d come home.

  How could she have resisted it for so long? She’d spent her entire adulthood fleeing the “weirdness” of Secret Hallow, and more so trying to escape the hurt that she had caused Nana. Instead, all Rowan’s departure had done was hurt the village.

  You’re home now…

  The song of the tree was life and beauty. It filled her, even as the heat of the fire singed her hair.

  Rowan could feel every single life within the grove. She felt the other witches in the coven, Garrett, the stags of the meadow, even the ravens circling high overhead.

  Strangest of all, Rowan felt another sensation deep within her. She sensed another soul, another life, connected to both her and the tree.

  Don’t be afraid. Nothing’s wrong.

  She expanded her senses as she spoke aloud. “Who is this I’m feeling? I don’t understand.”

  The tree continued to heal around her. You do understand. You’re just not ready to face the truth. Don’t allow your fears to blind you to what’s happening. This is a joyous occasion.

  Rowan’s hands dropped to her belly, where the warm glow of life hummed below her navel.

  The new life was truly within Rowan.

  Tears burned her eyes. “A child?”

  The tree’s embrace intensified and reinforced the discovery of her unplanned pregnancy.

  She carried a baby. Her baby. And not just hers…but Garrett’s child, too.

  The Secret Hallow coven was about to welcome a new member. A witch baby.

  ☆★☆

  Rowan began trembling with fear at the idea of bringing a new life into this world. She thought of Orianna and Fern and remembered how her interactions with her friend’s daughter hadn’t gone very well. How could she raise a child? In many ways, she still felt like a kid herself.

  Tears streaming down her cheeks, she raised her closed eyes toward the sky, extending her hands out to either side at shoulder height. She saw the connection of the power flowing from her fingertips to the Elder Tree as a tangible thing, a pulsating band of energy full of life and health.

  The ground beneath her feet shifted and trembled.

  This time, she knew she’d caused the tremor. The growing fear of impending motherhood had infected her energy stream and was creating an earthquake that threatened to build to the epic proportions of the event that had caused Nana’s injury so many years before.

  The more she tried to control herself, the greater she feared being unable to get a grip on the power. The spiraling cycle intensified the tremors and conflagration threatening to destroy the Elder Tree.

  Gentle arms wrapped around her waist. Garrett pulled her to him in a reassuring embrace.

  He had climbed into the tree to help her.

  She turned in his arms to try to push him back. “Please go…” She couldn’t bear the thought of injuring him the way she had Nana.
>
  He pressed a kiss to her damp cheek. “Never. I’m here to help.”

  “There’s nothing you can do. You need to go before I destroy both you and the tree.”

  Garrett held her chin in a strong hand. “I will never leave you again, Rowan. Nothing you say or do can make us part.”

  Even if you’re going to be father to a witch?

  She couldn’t bring herself to say the words that Rowan herself wasn’t ready to face.

  He deserved to know the truth. She had no idea how to break the news, though. They stood as two separate beings, their relationship at an end by her hand, amid what felt to her to be an apocalyptic environment. This really didn’t seem to be the time or place to share her news. Yet, she couldn’t deny him knowledge of his impending fatherhood. That wouldn’t be fair to him or the baby.

  “Garrett…I’m pregnant.”

  “What was that?” Garrett moved closer.

  She cleared her throat and spoke up as much as possible to be heard over the roaring of the flames and the rumbling of the earth. “I’m pregnant. We’re going to be parents.” Both time and her heartbeat seemed to stop as she awaited his response.

  His eyes went wide. His jaw dropped.

  And then he embraced her tightly, unable to speak except for a whisper: “What a blessing.”

  Relief suffused Rowan’s body.

  Everything will be fine. The flames engulfing the tree began to fade away and the heart expanded to encompass both Rowan and Garrett. All tremors faded. The flames and wind subsided.

  “What’s that?” He looked around. “I feel something.”

  She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and hugged him back. “The Elder Tree is blessing our union and the life of our child.”

  He placed a hand atop the spot where their baby rested. “Will our kid be a witch?”

  “Yes.” Rowan again awaited his response with bated breath, though with less anxiety than before.

  “We’ll need to build a house in Secret Hallow as soon as possible,” Garrett said.

  Tears poured down her cheeks. “Yes. Yes, of course.”

  You’re home, the tree sang.

  Beautiful spring blossoms began swelling as the final flames died away from the tree. Leaves and flowers thrust from the tips of its branches. They were brilliant pink, red, and orange, just like the flames, though the power was pushed into one of new life instead of destruction.

  “Come with me,” Rowan said.

  She took Garrett’s hand in hers and led him out of the trunk. Once outside, they turned back to watch as the tree continued to heal, the split down the center mending, the branches lifting upright, blossoms growing larger, and new green leaves appearing.

  Healthy green coloring spread from the base of the Elder Tree to the rest of the Samhain Grove. They’d skipped winter for a glorious spring.

  The couple stood together, Garrett behind Rowan with his arms wrapped around her belly, and she placed her own hands atop his. She’d never suspected someone so mundane could wield the power of love with as much strength as Garrett.

  His breath tickled her cheek as he leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “I hope being the high priest has some perks, because I’m ready for the job.”

  Rowan laughed through the tears. She had no idea if a mundane man could spiritually lead the coven, but if anyone could, it would be someone as fiercely compassionate as Garrett.

  Applause rang out in the grove, punctuated by whoops from Enid Ash and Nana.

  “You healed the tree! We’re saved!” Caedmon cheered, punching the air. There was no envy within him. He didn’t care that it had been Rowan who fixed everything—he only cared that it was fixed. The man wasn’t so bad after all.

  “And we have even better news,” Rowan said. Her cheeks burned as though she had swallowed the fire from the branches. “Garrett and I are staying in Secret Hallow.”

  “Forever,” Garrett added.

  Chapter 18

  SEVEN MONTHS LATER.

  “Open your eyes!” Orianna said gleefully.

  Rowan dropped her hands and looked around at long last.

  Her friend had walked her up the trail to the Samhain Grove. It had been a long, uncomfortable walk with the baby pressed under her ribs and head mashed into her pelvis, but as soon as Rowan saw what was waiting for her, she believed it all to be well worth it.

  A long table was set in the middle of the clearing near the Elder Tree. Shimmering cloth of a vibrant orange covered the rustic wood furniture and bouquets of teacup roses tucked into small pumpkins were spaced at regular intervals as decoration. Golden sunlight streamed through the red and gold leaves of true autumn.

  She breathed deep of the smell of the healthy Samhain Grove and rested a hand atop the growing swell of her belly as the baby shifted.

  As time passed and she became more in tune with the new life growing within her, she felt more excited than afraid, and looked forward to the child’s birth more and more each day. She couldn’t believe she’d ever been frightened of impending motherhood.

  And now the coven was getting together to celebrate the impending arrival of their newest member with a baby shower.

  “Hurry up, Enid! The rest of the guests will be here soon!” Gemma set another pumpkin full of roses in place as her sister hurried to her side.

  Enid patted Gemma on the shoulder. “You need to calm down. Don’t stress the mama-to-be.” She sent Rowan a smile of reassurance as she motioned toward an upholstered armchair set at the head of the long table. “Have a seat. I’m sure you must be tired from the walk.”

  “I am.” Rowan’s flowing maternity dress fluttered around her bare feet as she crunched through the fallen leaves.

  “You look gorgeous. Pregnancy suits you.” Gemma helped Rowan settle into the chair and poured her a glass of cool water. “Drink up.”

  “I’m already running to the bathroom every two seconds. Do you want me to keep leaving?”

  Orianna appeared. “That’s only going to get worse.”

  Fern ran to Rowan’s side. “May I?” She stared up with wide eyes.

  “Of course.”

  The little girl wrapped her frail little arms around Rowan’s swollen belly, resting her cheek near the navel. Fern leaped back almost instantly. “She kicked me!”

  Smiling down at her daughter, Orianna stroked her hair. “You two will be good friends.”

  “Can I help decorate?” Fern asked, already past the novelty of getting kicked in the face by an unborn witchling.

  Rose-patterned china appeared on the table at each place as Enid waved a hand. “That’s a good idea. Go ahead, cast a wee spell.”

  Orianna shook her head. “I don’t think so…”

  “She can do this.” Rowan knew she spoke the truth. As the new teacher for witchlings in Secret Hallow, she had spent the past few months teaching the little girl the self-control she herself had just discovered. “Fern has been working hard and is much better at controlling her powers. Let her show you.”

  “Please?” Fern asked, sticking out a pouty lip, widening her eyes, and clasping her hands together. She was a picture of ultimate cuteness.

  Mother and daughter shared a look while everyone else remained silent.

  Rowan crossed the fingers of both hands under the table. She knew this meant a lot to Fern.

  “Okay.” Orianna released her breath and smiled at Fern. “Go ahead.”

  Fern stepped away from the table and closed her eyes. Balling her little hands into fists and clenching her eyes tight, she turned her face toward the sky, mouthing unspoken words taught to her by Rowan.

  The sunlight disappeared behind a fluffy gray cloud. Moments later, a light mist began to fall.

  Rowan looked skyward with a smile on her face. The cool mist felt wonderful against her overheated skin.

  With the sprinkle of magically sparkling rain, now it was really a baby shower.

  Rowan clapped with delight. “Amazing, Fern!”

&nbs
p; “Pretty!” Fern declared. She danced in the rain that misted gently over the Elder Tree.

  Orianna kneeled beside Rowan, setting a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you. I’m so glad you’ve decided to say.”

  “So am I.” She placed her own hand atop Orianna’s. “And you’re welcome.”

  She settled back in her chair and watched as her friends completed preparations for the shower. Before long, other villagers appeared, laden with gifts for the baby.

  Adora Glenn brought a beautiful cradle of hand-carved wood. The Ash sisters set several bags filled with what Rowan felt sure must be interesting baby clothes—pointed hat guaranteed. Orianna set a large wrapped box among the growing stack of gifts and winked her way as Nana appeared with the best present of all…several baskets of pies, which Rowan had been craving desperately for her entire pregnancy. She couldn’t get enough.

  Garrett also showed up with Caedmon. Both men bore signs that they’d spent most of the day so far working on the new house downtown, where Rowan would be most easily accessible to the coven on sabbats and esbats.

  Rowan beamed at Garrett, her heart so full of joy she thought she’d burst.

  Surrounded by everyone she loved, and now that she’d mastered her powers, she just knew motherhood would be a piece of cake.

  With so much love and magic in her life, how could anything go wrong?

  ☆★☆

  Next book:

  Familiarity Breeds Witchcraft

  Gemma’s story!