One by one, each hooded figure walked up the stairs onto the gazebo. Each removed their hood, took a wildflower from the wreath crowning their head, and placed it on Matilda, then blessed her with a kiss.
"They're all women," Alexandria said.
"This is women's business," Aunty Mindy replied.
After the last Rivenfell ancestor had offered her blessings, the forest gentry gathered around, making their acquaintances and catching up with old friends, signalling the beginning of the celebrations. Food and drink was passed around. Glasses were raised, toasts were made; the forest gentry certainly did know how to celebrate such an occasion.
Andrew made friends with a funny little elf, who taught him an Irish drinking game. Needless to say, the elf won, and Andrew would most certainly wake up with a hangover in the morning. Luckily for him, though, Aunt Mindy had a marvellous hangover remedy, which although it smelled of dirty socks, tasted like red cordial.
Alexandria was more than taken aback when she had her hair braided with wildflowers by her childhood friend, Fern, a sprite, who was still exactly the same height as she'd been when Alexandria had been just a child. Fern confessed that it was she who had flown in her bedroom window, keeping Alexandria's room clean, knowing that she would return one day.
"Dear Alexandria," a cheerful man's voice behind her said, and she spun around, to be caught in a bear hug by Billy Bob and his dainty wife, Violet, from the Newsagency in town.
"You're here," she said, shaking her head. "How?"
"Car's out the front," he said, pulling up his trousers, then snatching his spectacles off his nose to clean them on his shirtsleeve. "An old man can still drive a car, Princess. Wouldn't trust the missus though," he said, giving Violet a little nudge with his elbow, which earned him a sharp slap on the arm. They were both dressed in white. Violet looked exceptionally pretty, with her hair swept up on her head with masses of flowers.
"No, I mean, how did you know about this?" she said, motioning around with her arms.
He pushed his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and put his arm around Violet. "We're elves, dear. Violet and I fell in love out there in those woods," he said, grinning and nodding towards the woods at the back of Witchwood while hitching up his trousers again with his free hand. "We elves love to gossip. Nothing much happens around Ferntree Falls without us finding out about it first."
Nina disappeared without a word, back into the house, knowing that her kind unnerved many of the forest gentry. They did not approve of her choices when it came to her eating habits.
The most beautiful of the Rivenfell witches, who appeared to hover fractionally above the ground rather than walking on it, greeted Mindy with a warm embrace. "It has been too long, my friend."
"I wholeheartedly agree, Caitlin. It's just a shame that it's under these circumstances." She turned and put her arm around Alexandria's waist. "Can I steal her away from you for a moment?" she asked Violet, who nodded.
The white wolf was never far from Alexandria's side.
"Caitlin, this is my niece, Alexandria Harvey-Santorini, the owner of Witchwood Estate, and Felicity's daughter."
Caitlin bowed. "It is an honour to meet you, Alexandria. We have all waited patiently for your return to Witchwood."
"The honour is all mine," Alexandria said, surprised by the woman's formal greeting. She returned the bow, just in case it was Rivenfell tradition, which, of course, had Mindy and Caitlin both smiling. Over Caitlin's shoulder, Alexandria noticed a lone Rivenfell witch standing silently by Matilda's altar. "Will you excuse me ... there is someone I must speak to quite urgently."
"Of course, my dear," Caitlin said, bowing again. Alexandria did a quick curtsy, then shot off towards the gazebo, nearly tripping over a dwarf, who was leaning up against his whiskey barrel and snoring like a buzz saw, an empty glass still clutched in his fist.
The white wolf sat down beside the gazebo, watching every move that Alexandria made, listening to every word she spoke.
The elves began to dance.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Alexandria asked the woman who appeared to be the only person not keeping up with the obligatory traditions of the Rivenfell Clan. "You're not celebrating?"
"Forgive me," the woman said, suddenly aware of who was speaking to her. "But as a mother, it is difficult to celebrate the passing of one so young."
"As a mother?" Alexandria asked, suddenly aware of the same fair hair, the same brown eyes, and the same high cheekbones as the girl lying on the altar. "Matilda is your daughter? But you don't look old enough to be her mother."
"Matilda is my daughter," the woman said, her face grief stricken. "My name is Diana. I died during childbirth when I was twenty years old."
"Wait. What are you saying? You're dead?"
"Of course. We are all dead," she said, motioning with her hand towards the other Rivenfell women, who had fallen silent and turned to look at Alexandria. "You didn't know?" Diana asked, surprised by the look on Alexandria's face.
Alexandria shook her head. "No, I didn't know."
If she was going to be completely honest with herself, however, she'd known all along that they were dead. They were all impossibly beautiful; their skin glowed like spun silk, and their lips were the colour of rose petals. Their voices were the sweetest she had ever heard, musical, angelic. Their hair was as smooth and shiny as white satin sheets. Their eyes were all big, brown, and framed with incredibly long lashes. They hovered rather than walked, and they had fallen from the sky like snowflakes. Of course they were dead.
The Rivenfell women turned away, returning to their various conversations.
"You're a ghost," Alexandria said.
"Spirit," Diana said. "And I am here to take my little girl home." Her fingers brushed over Matilda's cold cheek. "Wake up, my child. It is time to go home."
Suddenly, all of the Rivenfell witches gathered around the gazebo, and Alexandria felt a distinct chill in the air. The Rivenfell women began to chant, summoning the spirit of Matilda. The girl on the altar shook, then jerked. The sounds of the forest for miles around fell silent, as though all living creatures were holding their breath in anticipation.
Matilda's body shook again, as though invisible hands were trying to shake her sleeping body awake.
The chanting grew louder, then suddenly stopped, and Alexandria found herself holding her own breath.
Diana looked at Alexandria with a pleading look on her face. "She is waiting for you to let her go. All the time you hang onto the notion that you can still save her, she's trapped in this mortal plane, neither dead nor alive."
Tears ran down Alexandria's cheek. It was true; in her heart, she had not let Matilda go. She wanted the girl to live, fall in love, have children, and grow old. That was what was supposed to happen.
Diana brushed the tears from Alexandria's cheeks with her cold fingers. "You have to understand, Alexandria. This is not the end for Matilda. It is a whole new beginning. You have to trust me on that. Please, let my daughter go."
Alexandria nodded, then turned to face the girl on the altar. "I'm letting you go, Matilda," she said in a small whisper. Nothing happened.
"She can't hear you," Diana said. "Please try again. As soon as the clock strikes three o'clock, she'll be trapped in the in-between, reliving her death over and over again, unable to move on."
Alexandria pulled out the pocket watch hanging around her neck and flicked it open. In less than one minute, it would be three o'clock in the morning. "Wake up," Alexandria shouted. "It's okay to go. I'm letting you go," she shouted louder still, shaking Matilda's arm. Nothing happened. Alexandria let go of the girl's arm, took a breath, and brushed her tears away. "Matilda," she said in a firm tone. "I'm telling you to leave this place, now."
Matilda's body heaved, her eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright, then smiled. "Thank you, Alexandria. I will always remember you with kindness."
Alexandria leaned in to hug her, and was about to ask her who did thi
s to her, but there was only air and the white dress where Matilda had been sitting. She turned around. Diana, Caitlin, and the rest of the Rivenfell witches had simply disappeared. Unlike their arrival, their departure had been instant and without fanfare.
Woken from his slumber, the dwarf was now standing up on his barrel. He raised a full glass of elfin whiskey. "To Matilda, and all the adventures that lie ahead of her on the other side. Blessed be."
Cheers echoed all around her. Andrew, a little wobbly on his feet, handed her a glass of whiskey. She shook her head. "Take it. Have a drink for Matilda. I doubt they've got this where she's going."
Alexandria took the glass, tapping it on the rim of Andrew's. "For you, Matilda, and all those on the other side, wherever you are." Then she put the glass to her lips and drank the amber fluid in one gulp.
"Are you okay? Andrew asked gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.
She lowered her head, staring at the empty glass in her hand. "I never got the opportunity to ask her who did this to her."
An elf began strumming a guitar; another coaxed a saxophone into a melodious tune, while others played fiddles, persuading a group of dwarfs into song. Everyone grabbed a partner and began to dance.
"Can I get you another drink?" Andrew asked.
"No, thanks. I think I just need to be by myself for a while, to think."
"You sure?"
Alexandria nodded, then slipped quietly away, finding a quiet spot on the edge of the woods behind the house. She pulled a tangled vine off an old garden bench, hitched up her long skirt and sat down. From her bench, the gazebo under the old tree, ablaze with twinkling lights, reminded her of the many parties her parents had thrown simply to celebrate life. She had never thought that all these years later she would be in this very same spot, celebrating death. She wondered if the spirits of the Harvey Clan had come together for the passing of her parents, just as the Rivenfell spirits had done for Matilda. She would have to add it to her list of questions, which was growing longer each day.
The band began playing another song, and she smiled. Pulling her legs up onto the bench, she rested her cheek on her knees. It was then that she noticed the meteor shower in the night sky above. She knew it was only streams of cosmic debris entering the Earth's atmosphere, and that most meteors were no bigger than a grain of sand, disintegrating long before they hit the Earth's surface, but still, what if it was something else? Spirits free from the human soul, on a journey to worlds beyond. After the day she'd just witnessed, she knew anything was possible. Magic was everywhere if you opened your heart to the possibilities, chose to believe in the unexplained, and she did. If Matilda's death had taught her anything, it had taught her to live each day to the fullest, take chances, leap into the unknown, say yes, just because you could. Follow your heart no matter where it took you, just as Kat had done, because tomorrow is not a given, just a promise of a maybe. She thought about Bran and River, wondering where they were tonight, and if they were looking at the same piece of sky that she was, and marveling at the wonder of it, as she was.
"May I have this dance?"
Alexandria lifted her head off her knees and turned around. She smiled, but did not answer, taking her time to consider her answer, and what the consequences of that answer might be. After a long moment, she reached out and took his hand. "Yes," she said, letting him pull her up onto her feet and into his arms.
He adjusted the wreath on her head, tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been watching you all night," he said, then leaned down and kissed her, taking her breath away.
The End.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this episodic, TV-length ebook in an ongoing series. If you have enjoyed reading this book, your review would be greatly appreciated.
Book 5 in the Witchwood Series – Witches Bitches, coming soon.
Keep reading to discover the
List of Characters.
Clans.
Recipes.
Tree Magic.
Flowers – Colors & Meanings.
Candles – Colors and Uses.
Crystal - Colors and Uses.
Birthstones and Their Meanings.
Harvey Witches – Terminology & Plants.
Animal Symbols.
The Witches Calendar.
Herbs in Spells.
The Witches Pantry.
Witchcraft Terminology.
CHARACTERS – IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.
Alec Graystone – Raymond's dead brother – ghost.
Alexandria Santorini – Rightful owner of Witchwood Estate.
Alexander Santorini – Alexandria's father (deceased).
Andrew Carmichael – Alexandria's friend and an In-between.
Andy Winterflood – Sheriff.
Annabella Lancaster – River's mother. Deceased.
Aradia Abbots (Harvey) – Kat Abbots's mother.
Ben – boy at party.
Beryl – Waitress Parkside Café.
Bethany – tourist.
Billy Bob Bruges – Newsagency owner. Elf.
Bran Romanoff – Real name, Bran Westwood. Vampire and friend/son of Clive and Dorothy Romanoff – Dorothy's brother.
Bridget Chandler – waitress at Lancaster House.
Caitlin – Witch. Rivenfell Clan.
Carmen Lancaster – witch. River's stepmother.
Clamenza – witch.
Clive Romanoff - groundskeeper at Lancaster House.
Count, The – Raven.
Desmond Harvey – One of the original Harvey witches (built Witchwood Estate).
Dianna – Matilda's mother – Rivenfell clan.
Dorothy Romanoff – housekeeper at Lancaster House. Deceased.
Eden Lang – Andrew's missing girlfriend. Enderlang Clan.
Eddy Chambers – Photographer.
Elizabeth Harvey – Daughter of Katriona Harvey and Frederick Lancaster.
Emmaleria – Desmond Harvey's wife.
Felicity Santorini – Alexandria's mother (deceased).
Fern – Sprite.
Frederick Lancaster – gray wolf. Katriona Harvey's lover and father to her child.
Harry – Mrs. Basset's gray cat.
Heath Harvey – Felicity's Father and Alexandria's Grandfather.
Heather Harvey – Heath Harvey's sister.
Henry Wormwood – Carmen's henchman and waiter/butler in the Lancaster House. Vampire.
Joe – Bus driver.
Kat Abbots – Daughter of the Mayor and one of Ferntree Falls founding families.
Katriona Harvey – witch.
Kerry Winterflood – sheriff's wife. Mother of Mallory.
Marcus Lancaster – River's father.
Mallory Winterflood – sheriff's daughter.
Martha Barnaby (Collins) – Olly's wife and Alexandria's Guardian.
Matilda Hemsworth – blonde waitress at Lancaster House. Rivenfell Clan.
Midnight – The Barnabys' black cat.
Mindy – Felicity's sister.
Mrs. Basset – The Barnabys' neighbour.
Nina Rosenberg – Vampire and witch from the Rosenberg clan.
Olly Barnaby (Romanoff) – Alexandria's Guardian.
Raven Wing – Shop owner of Ravens Wing – The Witch's Cauldron.
Raymond Graystone – Witchwood Estate caretaker and Carmen Lancaster's lover.
River Lancaster - Heir to the Lancaster fortune and white wolf.
Roger Elvis Wilkins – Tour operator.
Rosie – owner of Rosie's Pancake Parlor.
Sally Riven – waitress at Franco's Pizzas. Witch from the Rivenfell Clan.
Samhain - Dark Lord.
Savannah Harvey – Felicity's mother and Alexandria's Grandmother.
Stanton Jameson - a good-looking rich kid with a God complex.
Tiamat – Carmen Lancaster's Snake.
Tom – Bethany's Husband and tourist.
Vera Graystone - Witchwood Estate caretaker, Raymond's wife and Carmen Lancast
er's half sister.
Violet Bruges – Newsagency owner. Elf.
Weatherbee. Mr & Mrs - the previous caretakers of Witchwood Estate.
CLANS.
The Harvey Clan: Wrote the first Book of Shadows. They were known for their magical knowledge about spells and properties of magic. The most powerful witches in the Harvey Clan have green eyes. The Bloodthorns are their greatest enemies.
The Rivenfell Clan: A typical Rivenfell witch is kindhearted and likes to be of service to others. They worship Mother Nature, and usually have white hair and brown eyes. The Tree Of Life is their symbol, and a small tattoo on their right wrist is only visible through magic.
The Rosenberg Clan: They are the most mischievous of the clans. They usually have dark hair and dark eyes. They are said to be related to leprechauns. They wear a silver cross with a blood red ruby to represent a red rose.
The Lochlanach Clan: A Viking clan, they used runes for casting magic. Many Lochlanach people have red hair.
The Bloodthorn Clan: Named after a poisonous flower, they are darkest of all the clans. The Bloodthorns are famous for the use of dark magic, forbidden practices, and the ability to do evil. They worship serpents and often own them as pets. It is their desire to destroy the other clans, becoming the most powerful clan of all the earthbound witches.
The Stregheria Clan: An ancient Italian clan of witches destroyed by the Bloodthorn Clan. Many of the clan were Romany/Gypsies.
Ved'ma Clan: An ancient Russian clan of witches destroyed by the Bloodthorn Clan. Shape-shifting spells involved invocation of the wolf.
RECIPIES.
Violet's Lavender Tea.
Savannah's Potato And Rosemary Bread.
Aunty Mindy's Blueberry Cobler.
Martha's Herbal Tea.
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