by Ines Johnson
Contents
Copyright
Front Matter
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Epilogue
About the Author
Other Books by Ines Johnson
Copyright © 2017, N. S. Johnson Seneb. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission of the author.
Cover design by Yocla Designs
Manufactured in the United States of America
First Edition August 2016
ISBN: 978-1-944744-01-4
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Chapter One
The Moon mounted the new day's sky, eclipsing the setting sun. The lunar orb that reigned over the sky crowned the mountain range's peak like the tip of a sovereign's scepter. Down below, the ocean's waves crashed against the mountain's western face. A gust of cool air from the Eastern Ocean blew through Lucia's sheath. She shuddered, pulling her heavy cloak around her body.
Looking down from her alpine perch a mile above the earth, she saw the outline of buildings in the water's depths. Two centuries ago, the Moon's pull on the ocean's tide caused the waters to engulf a land called California. The waves pulled the land under after the arms race that knocked the Earth off its axis and brought the planet closer to the Moon.
Before taking another step on the treacherous path down the mountain, Lucia cast up a prayer to the Moon Goddess to guide her steps in this journey. She soaked in the celestial body's energy, opened her eyes, and took off on light feet encased in heavy boots.
Her agile legs made quick work down the sloping mountain, bounding over boulders and ducking beneath low-hanging branches. In this light, with the spray of white, starlike moonflowers at her feet, she imagined herself a heroine escaping an evil villain intent on subverting her will by domesticating her into cleaning the miniature hovel he shared with his six brothers. Or fleeing a careless father who pitted his young daughter and new wife against one another in a competition for his affection.
Like all of her Sisters, Lucia had read the required patriarchal, romantic manifestoes as a novice. Men wrote these tall tales and made matriarchs into villains and would-be queens into wives. She remembered the stories of Snow White and Cinderella, foolish girls who each waited until a son of man overpowered them with their magical wang, slipped a gold band on her finger that robbed each girl of her feminine powers, and forced them into a domesticated life of service. The Sisters taught Lucia and the other young novices to scoff at horror stories like these. And, for the most part, she did.
Yet, unlike her Sisters, Lucia had experienced the thrill of being caught inside of a man's strong arms. She'd felt the tender care and warmth of a man's lips pressed against her cheek. For a time in her life, she had known a man's love. Now she set off down the mountain, leaving behind every feminist conceit, to return to that man's love.
The sounds of the wilderness permeated her thoughts as the fauna of the forest scurried underfoot. She thought of Cinderella and the mice that came to her aid. She recalled Snow White's birds helping her to clean her home. Lucia picked her way down the mountain and chipmunks scurried out of her path. Owls turned their heads away from her. Deer froze at the mere sight of her, fear shining out of their dark eyes.
A branch snapped to her right. Lucia turned to see a dark ball of fur heading her way. She paused. Not out of fear, but out of curiosity. A bear cub had picked up her trail. It bounded toward her, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. The wonder and excitement in the cub's eyes was at odds with the desolation of its surroundings. It warmed Lucia's cold exterior, and a smile brightened her face.
The cub looked innocent as it approached what it may have hoped would be a playmate near its size and color. Lucia had bronze skin and a riot of dark curls on top her head. She was certain that the dark cloak around her person aided in making her form look familiar to the cub.
She knelt down to the bear's level to show non-aggression. Hate and prejudice didn't come ingrained into the hearts of the young. Those who cared for the young taught them. They passed the lessons down in the myths and fairytales of each culture. The cub hadn't learned the way of the world yet.
Lucia offered her hand for a sniff.
The cub took another step closer.
A monstrous growl tore through the tree-lined mountain path, rivaling the winds from the strong tides below. The cub's mother charged towards them. On all fours, the bear was a massive force to be reckoned with. When it reached its cub, it roared shaking the red trunks of the Sequoia trees. At its full height, the mother bear topped eight feet and glowered down at Lucia.
With unstirring motion, Lucia rose from her crouch and faced the behemoth. She was small for her breed at just under six feet tall where a few of her Sisters topped seven feet.
The grizzled mother put herself between Lucia and her cub. The ground shook as the sow planted her weight and flashed her eyes at Lucia.
Lucia flashed hers back.
The mother bear lowered her massive bulk and whimpered. She took a step back in retreat, keeping her cub close to her body. The grizzly peaked up at Lucia through lowered lashes as she corralled her cub into the safety of the trees and away from the danger the cub had thought was a new playmate.
When they were out of sight, Lucia sighed and continued on her way. The idea of a hero rescuing someone like her was quaint. A man's myth. A fairy's tale.
She picked up her pace down the mountain and reached the city of Tahoe Lake just as the Moon reached its pinnacle in the sky. Unable to ignore the energy of the orb, she stopped and lifted her head in reverence to her Creator. All around her, she saw other moonkind doing the same; pausing to receive the full blessing of the Goddess.
At the edge of the lake, the workday was in full swing. Lucia watched a tall fae coaxing green vegetables from the shaded earth. The female fairies were slender with lithe bodies and straight, flowing hair. The elven males had broad chests, slender hips, and long fingers. All of their eyes were bright silver as they did their work, tilling the earth and enticing plants to grow under the Moon's pale light.
Lucia glanced at the clock on the city's tallest tower. She had dallied longer than she'd thought. She unbound her dark cloak, freeing her legs, which allowed her to pick up the pace.
Coming down the street, a young fairy ran between the legs of a tall elf who must have been the girl's father. The father bent down, capturing the girl in his strong arms, and tossed the little fae into the air. The little fairy giggled even harder as he caught her with a smile and planted a light kiss on the girl's cheek. The child's giggling laughter slowed Lucia's pace.
Memories flooded into Lucia. Strong arms. A face framed by wild, dark hair and brown eyes that radiated love. A deep, growling laught
er and then the lightest kiss on her cheek. Warmth blossomed in her young heart and the feeling of protection encased her within those strong arms.
The air around her shifted and brought her back to the present. Lucia looked up into the light blue eyes of the little fairy as she pointed her slender finger in Lucia's direction. Her angular cheeks grinned as though she'd seen Lucia's thoughts. Her grin was welcoming; her eyes bright and open.
Above her, her father's face showed alarm. His head slammed down, and he lowered his eyes. His hand jerked up and covered his daughter's eyes. He picked up his pace and gave Lucia a wide berth in the street.
Lucia cast her eyes to the ground. The green earth tinted a supernatural shade of silver in her vision. The spark of memory had stirred emotions within her. She waited until the feelings and the power they evoked passed. Within a moment, the ground turned green, and she turned her naturally hazel gaze towards her destination.
She kept her head down as she made her way to her destination: the train station. When she stepped onto the platform, a thrill ran through her. She'd watched the train from the mountain for years, dreaming of the places she would go when she reached her majority and could leave her Sisters. She'd turned twenty-one with the setting of yesterday's sun.
"Is that a witch?"
"It can't be. She's hot. Did you check out those tits?"
Now unbound, Lucia's dark cloak billowed out behind her under the light wind. Witches didn't wear constricting garments such as brassieres. Breasts told time, the High Priestess was fond of saying. They pointed up with possibilities during youth. They pointed outward with the directness of maturity. And finally, they pointed down to the earth at the twilight of a woman's life. Lucia's breasts pointed directly at the two human males, giving them an eyeful.
She'd been told all her life that beauty was overrated. She'd learned that strength and devotion were the most important traits. Though she knew the men's words were vulgar and insulting to her feminine sensibilities, she couldn't help but have a touch of satisfaction that the first human males she encountered found her form pleasing.
"Aren't coven witches pale with warts? That's why they need to charm men to get them to sleep with them."
"My neighbor said he'd been spelled by a witch on her Rumwicca. Said she ruined him for other women."
"With an ass like that, that witch could ruin me any time."
Lucia's shoulders stiffened at their indecent language. She pulled her cloak about her body and bound it tight.
Living on the top of a mountain in a community of only women, she had never felt the need to cover herself. Today, she wore her green sheath and her dark brown cloak, a bold fashion statement that left her looking like a patch of sodden earth. But it may have been the height of fashion with the way the human males were staring at her.
She knew she didn't look like a normal witch. Witches were tall with muscular bodies built for hard work and wilderness living. Lucia was a few inches shorter than the average witch. She had more curves than muscles. Her large breasts always got in the way when she ran, but her rounded rear end provided more cushion when she had to sit for hours doing work in the fields.
From the edges of the fae valley she peered up at the mountain. She could see its mists in the pale moonlight. She knew the witches there were rising to begin the day's work of tending to the feast. They would awake and check the crops of nightshade vegetables of eggplants, peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes. The berries were ripe at this time of year. Novices Aislin and Raven were likely having their fingertips painted red with the juices at this moment as they crushed them into pitchers. The Sisterhood would be singing in the fields right about now, having finished their evening prayers and devotions to the risen Moon.
This eve, Lucia's chore would have been laundry duty. It was her least favorite, washing the cloaks and sheaths of everyone in the community. Most jobs rotated for fairness, even the High Priestess got her hands dirty washing the undergarments of the entire coven. Witches lived simply as nature intended. They split their work and shared in the bounty of that hard work each day.
Lucia's mouth was parched in want of berry juice that would be put on the communal dining table in another few hours. Her stomach grumbled in want of eggplant stew. She hadn't eaten since last morning's feast. She had taken nothing from the coven on her solitary trek down the mountain as was custom of a witch embarking on a Rumwicca. But Lucia had no plans to seduce a human male to get her with child. The man she was looking to return to was a wolf.
"You looking for some company, little girl?"
Lucia frowned at the question. The human male couldn't have been more than a few months older than her. The boy barely reached her chin. Red pockmarks covered his pale face, which reminded her again of the sweet berries she could be drinking right now if she were back atop the mountain.
His friend was even shorter with skin a few shades browner than Lucia's. He chewed on his lower lip causing her to wonder if he had been a thumbsucker as a child. Such childish behavior wasn't tolerated in a coven. An elder witch would've punished a novice with a spinning spell; making the girl spin around until she lost her stomach. Soon after, any inclination to soothe by putting a digit into the mouth would be met with nausea.
"No, thank you," Lucia said and turned away.
She hoped the men would take the hint and not escalate the matter. The fae milling about the train station kept their large eyes cast away from hers. But these two males stared boldly into her eyes, and then down at her breasts as though they could see through her sheath.
"We could take care of your needs," said Pockmarks. "You wouldn't even have to spell us."
"I said ‘no’,” Lucia’s tone was firm.
She glanced up to see that a man in the blue uniform of a security officer eyed them. The security officer's eyes showed no concern for her. His concern was for the two young boys. His stance told her he was unsure what to do under the circumstances. There wasn't much defense humans, fae, or werewolves had against witches and warlocks.
"Oh come on, baby," said Thumbsucker. "We'd treat you real nice. And any bastard that resulted we wouldn't even try to put a claim on. The kid would be yours."
Coven witches were self-sufficient. They grew their own crops, made their own clothes, built their own houses. But there was one thing women of any breed couldn’t do on their own.
"I hear witches are wild in the sack."
The two males looked her dead in the eye while saying these vile words, and at Full Moon no less. They were really that stupid. Lucia's vision flashed silver. She saw the officer grab for the thick stick on his waist.
"I don't like the way you two are talking," she scolded. "The first thing you will do is apologize."
The boys both blinked, mouths hanging agape.
"I'm sorry," they both said, obediently.
"And now,” she said, “you will sit in the corner and behave until the train comes."
"Yes, ma'am."
Their eyes glazed over as they followed her command. They stumbled over their feet to a bench. Once they sat, Pockmarks scratched at the bumps on his face. Thumbsucker chewed at a nail.
Lucia blinked, releasing the Moon's energy. Color returned to her vision as her eyes returned to their hazel brown color. She looked to the officer to show him she meant no harm. She could've done far worse. Another witch would have, and there would have been nothing anyone present could have done about it.
The officer relaxed, but he didn't meet Lucia's eyes. It was the best she could hope for. The myths of man and tales of fairies were still believed in these parts. She was the villain in their story.
She stepped up to the ticket booth. "One-way ticket to Sequoia City."
The female clerk eyed her. "Are you here on a Rumwicca? You should know Sequoia City has laws against witches running loose. You'd be better off going to Vegas City."
"I'm not on a Rumwicca. I'm looking for my father." Lucia had no idea why she told this stranger her se
cret. She'd told no one in her coven. Though if they cared, which she doubted, her Sisters would've likely ridiculed her. That is, if they could first understand her need for the connection to a man.
On the other side of the glass window, the clerk's eyebrows rose. "You know who he is?"
The words were out of the clerk's mouth before she thought better of them. She averted her gaze, shoved Lucia's ticket through the slot at the bottom of the window, and turned her back.
Lucia took no offense. Most coven witches didn't know who their sire was. Fathers, being they were men, were unheard of on witch mountains. They weren't around for births or subsequent birthdays.
But that wasn't the case with Lucia. She hadn't been born on a mountain. She remembered being in her father's arms. Remembered him grinning at her. Remembered him telling her he loved her. She even remembered the day he walked away from her fifteen years ago and left her and her mother with the Sisterhood.
Lucia had many unanswered questions. Ticket in hand, she stood on the platform and waited for the train that would take her to find the man with the answers.
Chapter Two
Jackson Alcede shifted from the balls of his feet to his heels as a powerful right hook sailed within an inch of his nose.
The punch connected.
Not with Jackson's nose. He wasn't the intended target.
The receiver tumbled back and Jackson grabbed the man's large biceps, locking them behind his back to keep him from retaliating. Blood dripped from the man's now crooked nose and onto Jackson's cuffs.
Jackson growled under his breath. It was his favorite shirt, and he was due for dinner tonight at his parents' house. He wouldn't have time to go home and change. His mother would take one look at the blood and fret.
Not over the danger that came with his job.
No, Karyn Alcede knew all of her cubs could handle themselves in a brawl. She would fret over the fact that Jackson lived alone and had no woman taking care of him or the inevitable bloodstains that would wind up on his clothes.