by A. J. Macey
Witches Be Crazy
Book 3 of the Not Your Basic Witch Series
A.J. Macey
Jarica James
Blurb:
Nothing in Aris Calisto’s life has ever been basic, and after a cauldron full of unexpected events, she finds herself a fugitive. Going on the run should have been the biggest challenge of her life, but after being separated from her tethers, she’s faced with an impossible choice--submit or run.
With time ticking down, Aris and her ragtag band of witches have to risk it all. Despite the odds, her coven manages to find their way back to each other, and Aris quickly realizes they have more allies than they thought. Revolution is coming to Akasha, but it won’t be an easy ‘potion to brew’ with-
new powers to master,
a collection of hexing hellions intent to use her for themselves,
an anonymous admirer,
and the unexpected burden of becoming a leader.
With her capricious coven behind her, can Aris use her i’magic’nation to hit the council where it hurts? Or will she find out payback’s a real witch?
Book 3 of the Not Your Basic Witch Series
Legends of Asteria Trilogy 1
Warning:
The Not Your Basic Witch is a WhyChoose/Reverse Harem trilogy featuring MMFMMM meaning there is M/M content, and the female main character doesn't have to choose between her love interests. This trilogy is the first in a series collection consisting of six trilogies titled Legends of Asteria. Each trilogy should be read in order.
This book contains references involving violence, and other themes that some readers may find triggering.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Born to be Witchy
Queen of the Wild Ones
Acknowledgments
Also by A.J. Macey
Also by Jarica James/J.J. Riley
Stay Connected
Copyright © 2020 by A.J. Macey and Jarica James
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover: Moonstruck Cover Design and Photography
Editing: Personal Touch Editing
Proofreading: Kelly Wuyscik and PollyAné Nichols
Formatting: Inked Imagination Author Services
Dedicated to:
A.J.-
My daughter, Evelyn Rose.
Words can’t express how much I love you.
Jarica-
My mom, who always shows me what true strength is.
I love you
November 29th
Friday Late Night
Aris
Ice cold. The stone, the air, my entire body was freezing, even after only the short while of being down here. Shivering, I tried to keep myself warm, but it was difficult with the power-dampening cuffs encircling my wrists. Imprisoned. A captive of the council, with the four people who would no doubt be used as leverage to make me do whatever it was that the council wanted.
The first two were Kye’s parents, who had been arrested almost a week ago after housing us while we were on the run. Lyra and Gabriel were curled together, Kye’s mom asleep on her husband’s shoulder as he held her. The deep melodic humming filling the dungeon was soft—Gabriel helping keep Lyra blessedly asleep, despite looking as if he would pass out right where he sat.
In the barred cell next to them sat Xan’s mom and dad. Neither paid me much attention as Councilman Eideann—Edmund, I reminded myself—Inspected the bloodied bandage on Josephina’s abdomen. A pang of guilt ran through me, the jagged wound in her sallow skin a reminder she had been stabbed by Delilah because of us.
Because of me.
My gaze filled with wavering shapes, a wall of unshed tears building. Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back against the rough stone. I wouldn’t—couldn’t—let the council see the weakness. They couldn’t know I cared about my guys’ families, or they were as good as cursed. Not to mention, anytime I had tried to open my mouth to say something, nothing came out. I mean… how does one tell a parent their son, roped into being a fugitive on the run, was stuck on the other side of an interdimensional portal in another world?
Hellsticks help us all, I thought with an internal sigh.
The sound of the door opening at the top of the stairs set me on edge, my worn and exhausted body flooding with a fresh wave of adrenaline. My eyes flew open, and I shoved off the wall to look through the rusted bars. A familiar nervous expression met mine. Brynn darted down the stairs with an arm full of ratty blankets with the messenger, Sebastian, behind her.
My heart rate slowed when I realized they were just passing out blankets and spelled plates and bowls for food. An ache filled me, my stomach squeezing painfully, knowing it had been hours since I’d had anything to eat or drink. Damned drownstool dust making me thirsty, I grumbled as I watched the two of them start with Gabriel and Lyra.
Brynn handed over two of the thin blankets as Sebastian knelt down and placed two of the tarnished silver dishes on the stone. As soon as they had been placed into the cell, the spell went to work. The bowl filled with water while the plate now held a couple pieces of torn-up bread and a block of cheese.
By the time they had finished handing the items to Edmund, the door had opened again. When Councilman Altermin and his cold grin descended the stairs, my stomach knotted for an entirely different reason than hunger. I didn’t look away, moving to stand so I could look at him as square on as I could. No reason to give him the ability to look down on me any more than he already did.
“Both of you, out!” he snapped. The grating harshness of his voice echoed off the walls, causing Brynn to jump slightly. “You can bring Miss Calisto her items after I have finished talking to her.”
“Yes, sir,” they both muttered before scurrying out of the room. I saw two sets of worried gazes flick to me out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t look away from the sleazy councilman. I opened my mouth to throw out a retort about how he talked to them as if they were beneath him, but Xan’s dad cut me off.
“Why would you treat them so poorly?” he hissed. Even from across the wide walkway, I could see the fire in Edmund’s eyes as he glared at his former colleague. “They’re not animals, for Goddess’ sake, Raymond. Have some respect.” It was difficult keeping my face flat, my eyebrows wanting to shoot up my forehead at his change in demeanor. He had been willing to call what I had with his son an abomination, looking down on me for what I could or couldn’t do. Yet here he was, standing up for the witches who worked for the council.
Well, color me black as a bat.
“They may not be animals, but they certainly aren’t real witches,” Altermin huffed haughtily with a dismissive wave of his hand. When Edmund tried to argue, Councilman Altermin turned his attention to me, effectively dismissing anyth
ing Xan’s dad had to say. His flat expression shifted into a cruel smirk when he finally faced me fully. A cat who got the cream kind of a grin curled his lips, and the cold glint in his eyes sent a shiver down my spine. Steeling myself, I tilted my chin up slightly. He wouldn’t make me bend. I may be a Mixta in the eyes of the council, but I am not weak, I reminded myself silently.
No matter what society thinks of us.
“Aris,” he started softly, but the low, gentle tone didn’t fool me. “I came to ask that you work with us without further conflict—”
“No,” I ground out before he could even finish his sentence. “I’m my own person, not a tool for you to wield whenever you need someone to do the dirty work, so you can keep your precious hands clean.”
“My, my, she sure has grown quite the backbone,” I heard a familiar voice say. Ice slid through my veins, my eyes widening involuntarily.
“Ah, yes, Miss Calisto, I’m glad to see you recognize your headmaster. I didn’t come down here to beg or plead for your cooperation. I actually came to assure Lionel you were safe and in one piece. I figured he’d like to see for himself,” Altermin explained, digging out a Witches Glass from his robe pocket.
The holo that appeared on the reflective screen made the hair on the back of my neck stand up, the iciness of the room was nothing compared to what I felt as I stared at Headmaster Tallis. His eyes leisurely roved over me from the other side of the bars, but there was nothing I could do with my powers nearly extinguished by the dampeners.
I can’t wait to punch him in his sleazy face.
“It’s good to see you, little witch,” Tallis cooed, his words only making my scowl deepen. “I’m glad to see my hard work paid off.”
“What hard work?” I scoffed. As far as I knew, he sat in his gaudy office at the school and did nothing other than prey on innocent witches. Well… one witch, seeing how I didn’t know if there were more he had harassed.
“Oh, they didn’t tell you? Good. I got word of your growing powers through a trusted source—”
“Let me guess,” I snapped. “Bellario? Yeah. She’s not exactly the most subtle when she’s digging into something.”
“Yes, Marina can be quite… insistent,” Tallis continued, his jaw ticking at my interruption. Seeing him grow angry at my defiance, I vowed to keep irritating him. “Once I knew, all it took was a show of powers. Rumors can be quite a powerful force.” With his words, everything clicked.
“You,” I breathed the word. “You’re the one who started the rumors. No wonder it blazed like hellfire throughout the student body.”
“Yes. Amber, Esmerelda, and Tasha were quite useful. Once they had pushed you to your breaking point, I only needed to alert the council, and I knew I would be rewarded.”
“With what?” I questioned, my hip jutting out as I tried to cop an attitude with handcuffed arms. What I would give to be able to cross my arms right now... “If it has anything to do with me or your creepy attempted blackmail, you can just go hex yourself. That goes for you too, councilman,” I sneered. My brave facade was still in place, but I knew if our back and forth continued much longer, it would start to slip as the fear wound around my chest and squeezed.
“I honestly don’t quite care what you want.” Altermin shrugged. “Soon enough, your men will be captured, and it’ll be easy to make you do what we command.”
I wasn’t sure what came over me, but going from a date in Aureus with Xan to kidnapped, knocked out, and punched had thrown me for a loop. Now I was thrown in this cold as hellsticks dungeon, and I couldn’t find it in me to care, so I laughed. The sound was giggly, echoing around us. The action must have worried the others as Xan’s and Kye’s parents’ brows furrowed as they looked at me.
“You don’t even know where they are,” I nearly shouted, my smile growing. I had the upper hand here. Did I believe the guys would stay in Aureus forever? Broomsticks, no, but for right now, they were hidden from the council, and that was what mattered. “And by the time you figure it out, they’ll be long gone. It took you months to figure out what I was, and that was with the help of a perverted headmaster and a group of bullies. You didn’t scare me in the council chambers, and you don’t scare me now. Powers or no powers, this isn’t the first time I’ve been threatened, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. A witch is a witch, regardless of their position in society. Your fancy title means nothing to me.”
At the end of my tirade, I was breathless, my chest heaving as I sucked in air. The adrenaline that filled me when he arrived turned into the sweet sensation of victory. They could lock me up, they could threaten me, but me and my pink as bubblegum hair weren’t going to conform anymore.
The surprised expressions from my guys’ parents barely registered, my attention solely focused on Altermin and Tallis as they both glared. Rolling my shoulders back, I stood straight, my fingers curling into fists. Strong and tough, Aris, you got this.
“I see.” The hum following the councilman’s words set me on edge. My facade slowly started to waver at the continued reminder of threats, but I kept as strong as I could manage. I wouldn’t let them see me cower even if I felt fear starting to ice my veins at his thinned lips and cool expression. “Well, I’m sure Delilah would enjoy some time with you after Lionel has his go-around. I’m assuming he wouldn’t want you too injured, right, Tallis? You should be here soon.”
“Two days,” Tallis agreed. “And I appreciate holding off on maiming my little pink witch until after. See you soon, Aris.” Altermin put the Witches Glass back into his pocket as Tallis finished talking.
“As you see, Miss Calisto, there is plenty we can do to you to make you more… cooperative. Sleep well,” Altermin murmured, his tone low and deadly.
As soon as he turned and started up the stairs, the dam broke down, and the fear that had been subdued flooded me. Based on the scared gazes from my fellow prisoners, they understood what I was facing, which did nothing to soothe my panic.
I have to get out of here.
November 29th
Friday Late Night
Drayce
Two Hours Earlier
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Torryn’s deep voice boomed as Xan stood in the doorway, clearly panicked and sweaty from running. At his loud voice, the familiars stood at attention, wide eyes following us as we rushed forward.
“She was right next to me, then someone snatched her. They were clearly Akasha guards from their uniform, and of course, Delilah,” he spit out, his tone a clear mix of self-deprecation and council-directed loathing. “But they had a teleporter. They were a block away before I was even able to turn around,” he explained, taking the bottle of water Kye held out. Kye nudged Xan to the nearest chair, encouraging him to sit down. Hedgie scurried forward, and Xan stooped down to pick up his familiar, calming himself as much as Hedgie. “They took her back to Akasha.”
“Fuck,” Kye bit out, pacing across the floor and nearly tripping over a freaked-out Mr. Stripes. I lunged forward and scooped up the worried familiar. The moment Xan walked back in without Aris, the tension in the room had risen, and Mr. Stripes had known something was wrong.
“The important thing to remember is they want to use her, so they won’t harm her. We just need to come up with a plan to get her back,” I reminded them, sending what I hoped was a wave of calm through our growing relationship.
Torryn turned and looked at me, one eyebrow raised as if he didn’t quite expect me to be the levelheaded one. “Okay, pack up, we’re going back.”
Without argument, everyone packed up the suite at top speed. Aris probably had the most strewn through the hotel suite, her stuff spanning the bathroom to her bedroom to the common room.
Just as I was tossing the last bit of makeup into a bag, I could hear someone’s rapid breathing. Taking a step out of the room, I noticed Caspian holding a pink pair of shoes in his hands and staring off into the distance with unfocused eyes. Slowly, I took the shoes out of his grasp, resting a hand o
n each shoulder as I spoke soothingly.
“Caspian, it’s Drayce. We’re going to get our girl back, and you know her sassy self is going to make their lives hell until we do. She’s going to be fine. We’d know it if she was really hurt; we’re all connected.”
His eyes flickered up to mine, the normal ocean blue dull and clouded as he struggled to keep them focused. “No.”
“No? No, what?”
“No, she won’t. She needs us,” he sobbed, tears finally spilling over as he gasped for air. My heart ached as I wrapped myself around him, lending strength through touch. His lean arms eventually relaxed as he clung to me, his fingers digging into my skin as I sat us on the edge of the bed.
“She does need us, just like we need her. Which is why we will get her back. She’s not alone, remember? I bet she even has allies there.”
“Caspian?” Torryn’s voice was calmer this time as he peeked his head in. I shifted so we could see him but didn’t let go of Cas.
“He’s having a panic attack,” I explained, hating to see my usually cheerful boyfriend worked up. Torryn nodded, not seeming surprised.
“He used to get them when we were younger,” Torryn explained, putting his hand on Caspian’s chest and moving Caspian’s hand to his.