by TJ Green
“Genevieve is furious, but she doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions or make rash decisions. And I agree. We have time.”
“But won’t that give them time?” Sally asked. “They could be planning anything!”
“They’re not bloody Voldemort activating his dark mark,” Dan said. “And I’m pretty sure Genevieve won’t need to unleash any Dementors, either.”
Avery giggled, but Sally glared at him. “I know that! But they’ve been very underhanded, and were behind Reuben’s attack. He could have been killed! Caspian, too. All of you, really,” she added, turning her attention to Avery. “And Zane has never liked you, Avery. He could blame you for needing to flee!”
Avery sobered. “I know, and we’re not taking this lightly, but we need a plan. It’s Litha next week, and we’ll all be gathering to celebrate at Rasmus’s place, so that’s when we’ll decide on a plan, too.” She sipped her drink, thinking about her conversation. “Genevieve is going to visit the Looe and Bodmin Coven members if they’re around, and also let the other covens know today, just in case Zane or Mariah contact someone for help. Personally, I think they’re a long way from here by now.”
“Good.” Sally took another biscuit. “Well, I’m just glad you’re safe, and despite everything, I will still be going to that exhibition. Do you think they’ll add the treasure, too?”
“Maybe. Surely at least some of it, once they’ve assessed it.”
“And what about the chests you found and took to Reuben’s?” Dan asked.
“I took those back to the big cave first thing this morning, once I knew it was safe.” She had risen early and flown there with Alex. “It’ll be easier to pretend it was part of that treasure than tell anyone about the room beneath St Catherine’s Castle. It also means we can leave those spriggans well alone.”
Dan looked confused. “Why was Miles killed if he didn’t even get in there? You said there was no way he could have entered the place.”
“I’ve been thinking on that, and I can only presume he got too close and triggered them somehow. It’s odd, though. It’s close to a popular walking spot, and I imagine lots of people are around there all the time. They haven’t attacked any of them.”
“Unless, of course,” Dan suggested, slightly tentatively, “Mariah orchestrated it to get him out of the way. And then let them attack Jasmine. You mentioned that you and Alex had managed to control them, and El also did, and I know you said they were strong, but why couldn’t Zane and Mariah stop them?”
A chill rushed through Avery as she considered Dan’s words, and realised that actually made a lot of sense. Her legs went weak, and she sagged against the counter. “Shit. You might be right.”
He stared back at her, Sally watching them wide-eyed. “Maybe,” he said, “they intended for Ethan to never leave there, either.”
“And the man walking his dog!” Sally added. “Maybe he saw something, because he was nowhere near the cave in Looe, either!”
Avery staggered to the stool behind the counter. All the odd things that had happened made a lot of sense if Dan was right, which meant Mariah and Zane were far more dangerous than they thought. She took a deep breath, deciding to think on it and discuss it with the others later.
“Thanks, guys. I have a horrible feeling you might be right, Dan. Now, let’s do something positive, because this is depressing me.”
“Of course,” Sally said, visibly gathering herself and giving Avery a beaming smile. “We have new stock in, shelves to fill, and I need to decorate the shop for the solstice! It’s time for another witchy celebration in White Haven!”
“And I think it’s also time for some pirate music,” Dan said, quickly changing the track that had been playing.
Avery groaned as she heard the booming, jaunty words, “I am the very model of a modern major general.”
“The Pirates of Penzance!” She looked at him, aghast. “In my shop!”
She tried to wrestle the controls from Dan, but he just laughed maniacally and scooted after Sally, tugging her hair and making her squeal as he did a silly jig. Despite her mood, Avery giggled, and once again thanked her lucky stars for her shop and her friends, because she was pretty sure the coming weeks were going to be hard.
* * *
Thanks for reading Vengeful Magic. Please make an author happy and leave a review.
I have also written a spinoff series called White Haven Hunters. The first book is called Spirit of the Fallen, and you can buy it here.
If you enjoyed this book and would like to read more of my stories, please subscribe to my newsletter at www.tjgreen.nz. You will get two free short stories, Excalibur Rises and Jack’s Encounter, and will also receive free character sheets of all the main White Haven witches.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Vengeful Magic, the eighth book in the White Haven Witches series.
I’m sure you’ve noticed that this book was told from multiple points of view. I was encouraged to do this by all of my fantastic readers who said they would love to have more insight into the other characters.
I must admit, I’d wanted to, especially after doing this with White Haven Hunters, but wondered how well this would be received, considering this is the eighth book! Hopefully you have loved the opportunity to get in the heads of the other witches, and of course Newton. I feel it’s given the characters and stories a new lease of life, and I’m fizzing to get started on the next novel in the series.
I had a lot of fun writing about pirates. Cornwall is awash with pirate tales, and many of the places I refer to do exist, such as the Charlestown Shipwreck Treasure Museum and Jamaica Inn Smuggling Museum. Obviously the characters associated with them do not exist, and I’m sure there’s no skulduggery among the archives! Wheal Droskyn in Perranporth exists too, and in fact there are hundreds of mines all across Cornwall.
Cruel Coppinger was a real pirate who landed on the north Cornish coast during a storm, and he became notorious for his cruelty. His story was embellished by the Reverend Robert Stephen Hawker, who collected legends. Zephaniah Job was also a real person who kept the financial records for pirates, and his ledgers were burnt following his death.
If you’d like to read a bit more background to the stories, please head to my website, www.tjgreen.nz, where I blog about the books I’ve read and the research I’ve done on the series. In fact, there’s lots of stuff on there about my other series, Rise of the King, as well.
Now for the thanks I owe everyone who helped me produce this book.
I decided to run a competition in my newsletter and Facebook Inner Circle for a name for the parapsychologists. I had some fantastic suggestions and ended up narrowing it down to eight that had the final vote. Ghost OPS won by a big margin! Thank you Margaret Meyer for your awesome suggestion!
Thanks again to Fiona Jayde Media for my awesome cover, and thanks to Kyla Stein at Missed Period Editing for applying her fabulous editing skills.
Thanks also to my beta readers, glad you enjoyed it; your feedback, as always, is very helpful!
Finally, thank you to my launch team, who give valuable feedback on typos and are happy to review on release. It’s lovely to hear from them—you know who you are! You’re amazing! I also love hearing from all my readers, so I welcome you to get in touch.
If you’d like to read more of my writing, please join my mailing list at www.tjgreen.nz. You can get a free short story called Jack’s Encounter, describing how Jack met Fahey—a longer version of the prologue in Call of the King—by subscribing to my newsletter. You’ll also get a free copy of Excalibur Rises, a short story prequel. You will also receive free character sheets on all of my main characters in White Haven Witches—exclusive to my email list!
By staying on my mailing list you’ll receive free excerpts of my new books, updates on new releases, as well as short stories and news of giveaways. I’ll also be sharing information about other books in this genre you might enjoy.
You can
also follow my Facebook page, T J Green. I post there reasonably frequently. In addition, I have a Facebook group called TJ’s Inner Circle. It’s a fab little group where I run giveaways and post teasers, so come and join us. https://www.facebook.com/groups/696140834516292
About the Author
I grew up in England and now live in the Hutt Valley, near Wellington, New Zealand, with my partner, Jason, and my cats, Sacha and Leia. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me with my head in a book, gardening, or doing yoga. And maybe getting some retail therapy!
In a previous life I’ve been a singer in a band, and have done some acting with a theatre company—both of which were lots of fun.
Please follow me on social media to keep up to date with my news, or join my mailing list—I promise I don’t spam! Join my mailing list here.
For more information, please visit my website, as well as Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, TikTok, and Instagram.
Other Books by TJ Green
Rise of the King Series
A Young Adult series about a teen called Tom who is summoned to wake King Arthur. It’s a fun adventure about King Arthur in the Otherworld!
Call of the King #1
King Arthur is destined to return, and Tom is destined to wake him.
When sixteen-year old Tom’s grandfather mysteriously disappears, Tom will stop at nothing to find him, even if that means crossing over into a mysterious and unknown world.
When he gets there, Tom discovers that everything he thought he knew about himself and his life was wrong. Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, has been watching over him and manipulating his life since his birth. And now she needs his help.
The Silver Tower #2
Merlin disappeared over a thousand years ago. Now Tom will risk everything to find him.
Vivian needs King Arthur’s help. Nimue, a powerful witch and priestess who lives on Avalon, has disappeared.
King Arthur, Tom, and his friends set off across the Otherworld to find her. Nimue seems to have a quest of her own, one she's deliberately hiding. Arthur is convinced it's about Merlin, and he’s determined to find them both.
The Cursed Sword #3
An ancient sword. A dark secret. A new enemy.
Tom loves his new life in the Otherworld. He lives with Arthur in New Camelot, and Arthur is hosting a tournament. Eager to test his sword-fighting skills, Tom is competing.
But while the games are being played, his friends are attacked, and everything he loves is threatened. Tom has to find the intruder before anyone else gets hurt.
Tom’s sword seems to be the focus of these attacks. Their investigations uncover its dark history, and a terrible betrayal that a family has kept secret for generations.
White Haven Hunters
The fun-filled spinoff to the White Haven Witches series! Featuring Fey, Nephilim, and the hunt for the occult.
Spirit of the Fallen #1
Kill the ghost, save the host.
Shadow is an overconfident fey stranded in White Haven after the Wild Hunt is defeated on Samhain.
Gabe is a Nephilim, newly arrived from the spirit world, along with six of his companions. He has a violent history that haunts him, and a father he wants answers from—if he ever finds him.
When they get into business together with The Orphic Guild, they’re expecting adventure, intrigue, and easy money.
But their first job is more complicated than they imagined.
When they break fey magic that seals an old tomb, they discover that it contains more than they bargained for. Now they’re hunting for a rogue spirit, and he always seems one step ahead.
The fight leads them in a direction they never expected.
Gabe can leave his past behind, or he could delve into the darkest secrets of mankind.
Shadow has no intention of being left out.
Shadow’s Edge #2
As Shadow and Gabe become more involved with The Orphic Guild, they find out that the occult world is full of intrigue and far more complicated than they realised.
Especially when it seems that someone wants the same thing that they do — The Trinity of the Seeker.
Cause for concern?
Absolutely not. If anything, Shadow is more committed than ever, and relishes pitting her wits against an unpredictable enemy.
And Gabe? When they find instructions that could enable him to speak to his father, he and the Nephilim are more than ready to fight.
Join Shadow, Gabe, and Harlan as they race against an occult organisation that is as underhand as they are.
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