Witch Avenue Series (The Complete Set)

by Bolton, Karice

  “It’s kind of like that, yes.”

  “How will I know when to perform it?”

  “It’s best done at night when she’s sleeping.”

  “I’m going to leave you two while I check with the others,” Logan muttered, kissing my cheek.

  I nodded and turned to face Jenna.

  “If this doesn’t give you the answers you’re hoping for,” Jenna began, “I’ll be there for you however I can when you return. I know that’s not much, but it’s the best I can offer.”

  “I appreciate that. I do. Seeing a glimpse of my mother didn’t give me much hope,” I whispered, forcing the sadness back.

  “You saw her?”

  “From a distance.”

  She pursed her lips together and grabbed my hands.

  “If this doesn’t tell you what we hope, you must not get distracted. You’ll need to detach your soul from hers and end the spell immediately. You can’t try to change anything about her either. You’ll have to let go.”

  “I understand.”

  “Let’s go over there where we can concentrate,” she replied.

  I followed Jenna to a clearing and sat down, my eyes still tracking where Logan was standing. His expression was somber as he listened intently.

  “Normally this is a spell that we wouldn’t try on another without practicing a time or two, but given the circumstances we have no choice,” she said, bringing me back to the task at hand.

  “Could you get hurt?” I asked, adding another to my ever-growing list of things to worry about.

  “Not hurt as much as incapacitated for awhile.” She forced a smile.

  “Oh.”

  “You’ll be fine,” she said, reaching for my hand.

  “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

  She smiled, unwrapped her scarf and placed it on the ground where she lay down.

  “The goal of this spell is to understand whether or not you can sense your mother’s soul. When the time comes, you will close your eyes and think of her as your mother, not the woman she appears to be now. Remember her story, her history and when you feel the energy of her past repeat ‘Anima Viator’ slowly until you feel above your self.”

  “What do you mean above my self? Like literally?”

  “You know that feeling when you’ve started dreaming and you lose all sensory engagement to the physical world. You might catch yourself twitching, but there’s nothing you can do to control it?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s the sensation we’re going for. That moment that you’ve left your own body, your soul will be traveling to your target.”

  “Whoa.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” It didn’t matter if I was or wasn’t. I had to master this.

  I felt Logan’s gaze on me. But I didn’t look over. I needed to concentrate. I lay next to Jenna and thought about everything she said. Thinking of her over the years as I grew up in the coven, I tried to tap into her energy. My body relaxed slightly as I focused my attention on Jenna’s spirit.

  “Anima Viator. Anima Viator. Anima Viator.”

  Hovering over my own body, I saw my lips move repeating the phrase as instructed. I panicked and wanted to slip right back into where I came from. I was out of my body! I didn’t want to be outside of my body looking in. I didn’t like this feeling at all. I looked over at Jenna and saw her body still, and her breathing slowed.

  I had to do it. Waves of Jenna’s spirit washed over me as I turned my attention to her. I could see her dreams, thoughts, and desires. Brilliant blues, purples and reds spiraled around me as I shared space with her soul. Fear began racing through my body. I didn’t belong here. If I had a body to shake, I would have. Instead I attempted to dive into my own shell, and woke up with a sense of vacancy.

  I opened my eyes to have Logan holding me.

  “Is she okay?” I asked.

  “Jenna’s fine,” he whispered. “I’m more worried about you. How are you feeling?

  “Tired and depressed, but it worked,” I said, giving him a crooked grin.

  “Of course it did.” He shook his head. “Because you did it.”

  I wanted to see her, but she was no longer where I last left her.

  “Where’s Jenna?”

  “She’s over there letting everyone know it worked.”

  “But why doesn’t she feel as horrible as I do?”

  “You were out for about thirty minutes or so. She woke up as soon as your soul left hers, but the soul traveler has far more recovery to go through than the recipient. That’s why your mom will never know anything happened, according to Jenna.

  “Wow. Things never stop getting interesting do they?”

  The wind kept blowing strands of hair in my face, aggravating me incredibly. Now was probably not the time to try to grow out my bangs. Logan gently lifted my head, and pulled my hair to the side, tucking it behind my ear.

  “That’s better,” he whispered.

  “I’m scared there’s not going to be a soul to feel in my mother. Or at least not hers.”

  “I know, baby. But one step at a time.”

  He bent down to place a kiss on my cheek, but a loud clap startled us both.

  “What was that?” I asked, sitting up.

  Logan looked toward the sky and over to the crowd who were all wondering the same thing.

  “Thunder maybe? I’m not sure. Let’s get you up.”

  “Do you feel that?” I asked, uncertain if it was my latest experience or if the ground really was moving.

  Logan grabbed my hand as we ran to the others.

  “Everyone, get out of here now,” he hollered. “We’ve got visitors. They’re coming from behind us. We can’t let them see us all together.”

  My head was pounding and the idea of successfully running down the hill didn’t seem promising. The group quickly disbanded, scattering in every possible direction.

  Logan’s fingers were woven between mine, but he wasn’t running as fast as the others. Instead he was slowing until he stopped. Everyone had managed to get off the hillside. Why were we stopping?

  “There’s no point in running,” he whispered.

  “What do you mean? Who’s coming?”

  He turned to look behind me, his gaze steady. I took a deep breath in and spun around to see the entire hillside covered with a sea of cloak-wearing witches. Cowards sent by my father.

  “What do you want?” Logan growled.

  “We’ve come in peace. We heard we had some out-of-town guests so we only wanted to welcome you.”

  “I doubt that,” Logan replied, moving me next to him.

  “No. It’s true. Nicholas wanted to warmly welcome you to the Adirondacks. In fact, he’d love it if his daughter would come for a visit.”

  “Do you have your wand?” Logan’s words popped into my mind, but his lips weren’t moving. That tattoo was working!

  Afraid I’d botch something up, I simply nodded.

  “Don’t use it unless they strike at you first,” he continued.

  “So what will it be? Can we expect your company soon? We know you’re aware of where we live, since dumping poor Preston off,” the leader said.

  “I have no interest in coming alone,” I replied.

  “Your father only wants to see you. He’s dealt with your boyfriend enough to know he has no need for him.”

  The anger was bubbling inside of me waiting to explode.

  “Then I guess my father will be waiting for quite some time,” I yelled over the wind that was picking up.

  “You have until sunset tomorrow to arrive at the Great Camp or we will take you forcefully and destroy everyone you love in doing so,” the leader said.

  My heart was racing. How dare my father threaten me. I reached for my wand and readied my stance.

  “Don’t do it, babe,” Logan whispered. “It’s not worth it.”

  “Thank you for the message,” I hollered over the howling wind. “Tell him I’ll
think about it.”

  The group members bowed their heads and retreated.

  “To have this many people interested in us, we must be doing something right,” Logan replied.

  I smiled at him as he brought me into his embrace.

  “I’ve got a really important tip,” he murmured.

  “Yeah?” I asked.

  “Always wait until someone else strikes first. But once you begin, fight until you can no longer fight.”

  ***

  “Are you ready?” Logan asked.

  We were in our bedroom, and I could hear the bustling of everyone downstairs as the nervous energy soared.

  Shaking my head no, I replied a simple, “Yes.”

  “You’re gonna be okay, baby.” He brought me into his embrace, and I wanted to stay in his arms, but I knew there was no turning back. Everyone and everything had mobilized and were waiting for my part in this whole thing — my pretend capture.

  “The sooner we get going, the sooner you’ll be back in my arms.” He was doing a good job of staying strong. His voice was resolute, hiding any sign of uncertainty that I felt.

  Logan wasn’t rushing me, always the gentleman. He waited until I released my arms and took a step back, readying myself for the encounter of a lifetime.

  “Everyone know what’s expected of them?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “All right, let’s go.” I shakily grabbed my bag and wondered if there were any cracks in our plan. It seemed solid, especially since Dace and Bakula became involved, but a tiny seed of doubt wanted to sprout, and I had to push it down continuously. If nothing else, I had to act strong. I couldn’t meet my father with a wobbly handshake or a trembling hug.

  “So we’ve got the vials that I prepared?” I asked, making myself go into warrior mode. We were headed down the stairs.

  “We’ve got the vials, bottles, and several sets of dried bouquets in case you need something else we didn’t account for. That was Jenny’s idea,” Logan replied. “I thought it made sense.”

  “And the snake?” I asked.

  “The snake has been boxed up and will be released on the outside of the walls,” Logan replied. “And the pendant will be at the end of the wall, near the lake. We’ve got food drops prepared for you too.”

  I felt the ache in the tattoo that Logan and I shared. Even though he was doing an incredible acting job, our shared bond told another story. And it was comforting to know his heart hurt as much as mine.

  “If you need anything from Dace or Bakula —” Logan began.

  “I know… I’ll contact you,” I interrupted, giving him a little smile. A slight grin spread on his lips.

  “At least you’re not losing your fire in all of this,” he teased. His eyes were hauntingly beautiful even though they held the sorrow of the moment.

  The longer I stayed in the house the worse it was going to be to leave him.

  I nodded at him, and he opened the front door. I felt the crisp fall air hit my skin. The beginning of evening started to creep into this part of the world, and I realized we’d better hurry so I could get in to see my father before sunset.

  Jenny had been in the garden, and came running up to me, and gave me a hug.

  “I love you, Triss. Your mother will be proud of you. You’ll get her back, and she’ll see what you’ve accomplished,” Jenny said, holding back the tears.

  “Love you too, and thank you for coming. Please thank your parents for me,” I replied.

  A lump in the back of my throat formed as the words sunk in because this trip was no longer solely to get my mom back. I hoped with everything inside that I would be able to turn her back to her old self — the beautiful, selfless woman she was before she became an Altered Soul — but there was no guarantee.

  I was going into the compound determined to stop a legacy of my father’s making. I no longer wanted his history to create anyone else’s future. That was my goal.

  Logan placed his hand on my shoulder, and I let go of Jenny only to see hundreds of people, many who I didn’t recognize, standing around us.

  “Protegat Animosique Unum,” They began singing, sending chills up my spine. “Tueri Divina. Protegat Animosique Unum. Tueri Divina.”

  “Thank you,” I replied to them all, as I climbed into the car.

  “Spirited one, huh?” I asked when Logan got into the driver’s side.

  “You caught that?” His eyes twinkled. “I can’t think of a better adjective for you.”

  I looked down quickly uncertain of my place in all of this. Was it only because I was my father’s daughter? Would my mother’s ancestors answer our calls like the fairies hoped?

  “Protect the spirited one. Protect the divine. It couldn’t be more true,” he whispered, grabbing my hand as we drove out of town, and I was left to wonder if any of it was true.

  The closer we drove to my father’s Great Camp, the more my tattoo throbbed. My skin felt like it was on fire and when it wasn’t burning, it was pulling and twisting — only it wasn’t.

  “You’re feeling that too,” I stated as I saw the grimace spread across his face.

  “It will be nice when what we share is joy and goodness. I doubt it will be quite this painful,” he laughed, and I committed the beautiful melody to memory.

  “Tell me about it.” I squeezed his hand, seeing that we were only a minute away from where I was going to be dropped off.

  “I wish you’d let me walk you to the lake,” he said. His voice was almost hoarse.

  “We can’t,” I replied softly, shaking my head.

  Logan turned the car onto the shoulder of the road as we arrived at my drop-off point and turned off the engine.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. This was it.

  “Triss, you are my world,” he whispered. “If anything goes wrong, you’ve got to tell me. We can come get you out.”

  His arms wrapped around me and I buried my head in his shoulder. He lifted his hands and caressed my hair, my face. He didn’t want to let me go.

  “I will do anything to protect you,” he whispered with his mouth pressed against my hair. “You know that, right?”

  I shook my head and began to push away, but his lips caught mine in one last effort to make his point. The desperation in our kiss relayed everything that we couldn’t say out loud. The tears threatened to fall as my mind wondered if this would be the last time I was in his arms. I admonished myself for thinking such thoughts and as if to prove my point, began backing away faster.

  “I should probably get going.” The atmosphere between us shifted as he released me into the uncertainty that lay ahead.

  The painful expression he wore stabbed at my soul.

  I hesitated a moment, placing my hand on his chest. His eyes were wide and solemn, shaking his head as if to reassure himself.

  “I love you, Logan,” I replied, feeling the back of my throat begin to constrict. I couldn’t cry. There was no way I’d be able to show up to see my father with tear-stained cheeks. “And remember that I’d do anything to protect you too.” I winked at him, hoping to lighten the mood, and was relieved to see a smile break on his lips.

  “Always a competition,” he teased, but the sadness in his eyes couldn’t be hidden this time.

  I got out of the car, grabbed my pseudo-surveillance bag, and looked back at him one last time.

  My stomach twisted into knots as I turned around and walked along the trail to the lake entrance. Relief spread when I saw the canoes floating. The first task of me getting to my father’s camp was working out.

  I threw my bag in the canoe closest to me and realized how much easier it was to get in a wobbly boat of any kind when there was someone else to hold it steady. I refuse to fail right out the gate! Pulling the canoe closer, I decided that it might be safer if I walked along the edge leading the canoe to an area where I could manipulate my surroundings.

  Tugging on the canoe’s rope, and tripping my way over to a mass of tangled gr
ass and brush, I stood on the mound while I attempted to half crawl-step into the unstable fiberglass death trap.

  My heart was already racing, and I hadn’t even started paddling toward my father. Giving myself one last heave, my body toppled into the canoe. I made it!

  Not allowing myself to get overly confident, I looked around the vacant water and pushed off with the paddle.

  With every stroke bringing me closer to my father’s clutches, my stomach twisted in knots. I needed to be seen, and the rest would fall into place.

  I smelled smoke in the air and wondered if there was yet another ceremony I might be intruding on. That would make the process go quicker… more chances to be seen. Rounding the corner, I saw a bustle of activity. It was a nice evening, and it looked like everyone at my father’s camp must have been taking advantage of it. I stopped paddling and let the canoe glide slowly to the shore hoping my presence would become known.

  The realization that I was truly alone hit me. I was floating in the middle of a lake waiting to be found by a father I didn’t know, a mother who seemed to have forgotten me, and an aunt who possibly had a hand in planning the events that got me here. Never feeling this amount of isolation before I stared straight ahead at my father’s property, attempting to turn the loneliness I was feeling into anger. That would be far more productive.

  My tattoo continued to burn, and I wanted to tell Logan I was about to enter the grounds, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want anything to give away the secret of what we shared between us.

  “Trespasser,” a woman’s voice hollered.

  My heart started racing. This was it. This was what I was waiting for, and I didn’t have to wait long. A group of people began running toward the bank. I scanned the crowd for anyone I might recognize and found no one.

  I began quickly paddling in the opposite direction in an attempt to look like I didn’t want to be captured.

  “That’s no trespasser. She’s my daughter,” my father’s voice boomed. “Now go pull her in and help her to safety.”

  Hearing those words prickled my spine as I watched ten or so of his followers run toward the water, toward me.

  “Oh, my Triss,” my father spoke, “I knew our paths would cross. Welcome home.”