Witch's Heart

by Valia Lind

  "Krista?" My eyes snap up to her, as I feel the uncertainty in her as she says my name. A question is coming, but I'm not sure what to expect. "What's going on with you and Nolan?"

  Ah, yes. This question I should've been expecting. But I still don't know how to answer it. No, I'm lying. Lying to myself for a while now. I do know how to answer, I'm just hesitating. If I say the words out loud, do they become written in stone? I think so. I think there's no going back after I do.

  Harper sits unmoving, waiting patiently. She can't read my emotions, but she's known me long enough to give me a minute to come to terms with my thoughts. I'm not even one hundred percent sure what I'm going to say, until I say it.

  "I love him," the words burst out of me and I don't feel ashamed of them. Or scared. They taste sweet, like the truth that they are. Harper gives me known smile and a giggle bursts out of me.

  "I knew it," she says, poking me the side. "I felt your bond."

  "What?"

  "Don't act so surprised. Whatever the creature did or didn't do, that soulmate bond is real. I felt it."

  I think back to the moment I was fully me again. It was after Nolan kissed me, after he risked his life to break through my rage. He didn't think about himself when he stepped through my magic. He told me I wasn't alone.

  "I've only known him a few months," I say, not entirely sure if I'm trying to talk myself out of it or not.

  "Love doesn't have a proper timeline," Harper replies, grinning. "Connor and I knew each other as kids, in secret. We were together for barely two weeks before I knew my life has changed because of him. There are no rules. There's you and there's him and there's the thread that pulls you together. You can't deny it exists."

  "I can't. Not anymore," I reply, knowing it's true. The creature did show me that. So maybe he did help after all.

  "What are you thinking?" Harper asks when I continue to sit in silence.

  "That even though the creature used me for his own benefit, he still unlocked a piece of me I've been hiding away. Why would he do that?"

  "I think it was inevitable. I spoke to your mother when you were asleep." I sit up a little straighter, fully focused on her words now. "You have always been more powerful than you thought. Your mother protected you from that, until you were ready to wield the power. The creature just tapped into it before you knew what was happening."

  "That's an interesting theory," I say, echoing the creature’s words. "But I chose to go to him that last time. I sought him out."

  "And I don't blame you," Harper shrugs, taking me by surprise. "After your voicemail, we went to Jefferson. He didn't give us much more information, and he said that the spell could not be replicated. But I could understand their intentions a little better after speaking with him. They had no choice but to seek out the help of the Raven either. We all have to make tough decisions sometimes."

  She's right, and I leave it at that. Maybe I'll never truly understand what went on, or how I played a part in the creature's plan. The White Plague may have been something different, and maybe I could've done things another way. But I can't live in the past. All I can do is own up to my actions, and move on.

  And that's what I'm planning to do.

  Three days later, I'm sitting on the couch in my house, as I just get off the phone with my sister. I miss her terribly, but I understand their need to stay away for a bit longer. They're doing their best to find more information about the Ancients from other covens. We can use all the help we can get.

  I haven't seen Nolan in three days.

  I try not to dwell on that fact, or how much it makes my heart hurt. Harper told me that he left when she said she'll stay with me, and that was the last time anyone had seen him. A part of me expected this. I mean, I didn't think he would stay forever. But with the soulmate bond, I thought maybe that meant he felt the same. But maybe, just because two people are soulmates, doesn't mean they will end up together. That only happens in the perfect world.

  "Are you going stop sulking any time soon?" Harper asks, waltzing into the room. She has appointed herself as my babysitter. My mother is worried about me, which is understandable. At the same time, I think Harper can use the company just as much as I can. She's worried about her family, pretty much constantly. Not that I can blame her.

  "Probably not," I shrug in reply, taking the bowl of popcorn from her, as she settles on the couch beside me. We're having one of our movie nights, something we haven't done in weeks. That's what happens when trying to battle an Ancient evil, I suppose. Mundane rituals fall by the wayside.

  "You sure your mother isn't going to show up to haul me in front of the Elders?" I ask, as I reach for the remote. I only had a brief conversation with Meredith, and she didn't seem like she would punish me for what I've done, but I'm still expecting it.

  "You really need to let that go," Harper says, grabbing a handful of popcorn. I think of the last time someone told me to let go and cringe. Harper doesn't notice, but continues to talk. "They can't hold you responsible for something you had no control over."

  "But I did."

  "But you didn't," Harper turns to me, just so I can see how serious she is. "Any one of us could've done what you did. We are all vulnerable to the Ancient's magic. But if we're to blame anyone, it could be your mother. She didn't exactly tell you how powerful you are. That left you open. Just saying."

  With that, Harper turns back to the TV, grabbing more popcorn. I push play on the movie, sinking back against the cushions, my mind on Harper's words. She's right, to a point. But I still can't seem to forgive myself for letting myself get played like that. Maybe a stronger witch would've withstood the creature’s advances. Maybe a better witch would've have been clouded by her feelings.

  Once again, my mind drifts to Nolan and I wonder if I'll ever see him again.

  I push those thoughts away and try and focus on the movie. But then, just when I think I can lose myself in what's happening on the screen, I feel a tug at my heart, and it doesn't come from the girl beside me. Instantly, I sit up, glancing around, and my eyes land on Nolan, standing in the doorway. Harper notices my attention, as a grin spreads over her lips. She nudges me with her elbow, and I hand over the bowl of popcorn before I stand. Nolan moves towards the back door, and I follow him out.

  When I reach him outside, we stand staring at each other for a full minute. I don't know what to say to him, how to put into words everything he means to me.

  "I've missed you," he's the first to break the silence, and with his words, I read his emotions.

  "How am I reading you?" He grins at my question, taking a step closer.

  "I may have torn down a few walls."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I went back home, Krista. After what happened, I was summoned back. They felt my magic changing and realized how different I've become since my banishment. They've opened up the passage for me again."

  My heart drops at his words, but I also understand where he's coming from. If I was pushed out of Hawthorne, I don't know what I would do. This is a chance for him to be with his family again. I won't stop that. But I also need him to know how much he means to me.

  "I've been a Reader my whole life." I begin, keeping my eyes steadily on his. "I've protected myself against emotion and from those who wield it like a weapon. But since I've met you, everything I've been taught doesn't seem to matter anymore. For the first time, I don't want to hide behind walls. I want to be free. And I thank you for your influence in that revelation. I wouldn't have arrived here without your help."

  "Well, I don't think that's true," Nolan takes a step towards me, closing more of the distance between us and I have to lean back to look up at him. "I think you would've arrived at the conclusion even if you've never met me. You are the strongest, smartest, bravest person I know. You don't really need my help."

  "But I think we make a pretty good team anyway."

  "The best."

  I chuckle, but even I can tell there's no humor be
hind it. Nolan takes another step forward, before reaching for my hands. We've been here before, in this exactly position and the last time, it changed things. I think they're about to change again. No matter how scared I am of this goodbye, I wouldn't trade my time with Nolan for anything.

  "Maybe now you can bring us even more information," I begin, looking down at our joined hands. "Since you have more access. Meredith and the rest of the council would be thankful for the help."

  "Krista look at me."

  "I am looking at you."

  "No, you're looking at my hands. Please look at me."

  I can't deny his plea, even though I'm afraid of what I'll find in his eyes, I look up. What I see there makes my knees weak. He doesn't mask his emotion one bit, opening himself up so that I don't only see it, but feel it.

  "I'm in love with you, Krista the Reader. Every single part of you. You've made me a better man and fae and shifter. Do you really think I'm leaving?"

  "How do you?"

  "I don't have to be a Reader to read you, sweets. I know you."

  "Oh yeah?" He moves his arms, wrapping them around my waist and pulling me towards him.

  "Yeah."

  "And what exactly do you know?" I whisper, as reach over and wrap my arms around his neck, bringing him that much closer.

  "I know that I want to spend the rest of my life by your side."

  I can't help the grin that overtakes me, his eyes shining with amusement and love, as they look me over.

  "You're not scared?" I ask, and I know he reads the unspoken 'of me' in that question by the way he flexes his palms on my back.

  "You terrify me. But I wouldn't have it any other way."

  And just like that, that's all I want to hear.

  Pulling him down, I meet his lips with my own and my world becomes whole once again. The battle is far from over. The creature hasn't returned, and I don't know if he has been banished again, or if he's just waiting in the wings. We still have a war to win, and people to protect.

  I have no idea what the future holds, but I know that Nolan will be here with me through it all.

  "You know, you own me a date."

  "A date?"

  "To August Eve." I chuckle at his words. Us sitting in that diner seems like a lifetime ago.

  "I feel like the luckiest person alive," Nolan whispers against my mouth, as hold him tight.

  "Why is that?" I ask, even though I have my own answer to that question. He lets me read his feelings and they fill me up to the brim, even before he says his next words.

  "Because I've won the witch's heart.”

  Read more from the Hawthorne series in Guardian Witch and Witch’s Fire.

  https://valialind.com/hawthorne-chronicles/

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  Next in the Hawthorne Chronicles

  Book Four: Tempest Witch

  Tempest Witch (Hawthorne Chronicles, #4)

  Preorder today!

  Welcome to Hawthorne.

  A town. A home. A sanctuary.

  It’s a land of magic, where traditions run deep. Governed by an ancient coven, it’s a place where supernaturals and humans can live in peace.

  Until now.

  All Skyler has ever wanted was to be left alone. As a half witch, half mermaid, she has lived her life suppressing her shifter gene.

  But when her half-brother asks for her help, it’s difficult to deny him. After all, the Ancients are rising and the town of Hawthorne is the only barrier left standing between the world and the pure evil.

  The Hawthorne coven has a plan, but in order to carry it out, Skyler must connect to the one part of herself she’s kept hidden. But coming to town, she realizes she doesn’t need to hide anymore. And when she meets a wolf shifter, her already tilted world turns upside down.

  In order to survive, she must trust in herself. And in the magic of love.

  The big battle is here.

  It’s time to fight.

  Releases August 19th, 2019!

  Get your copy today!

  Note from the Author

  Thank you for reading my book! If you have enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review. Reviews are like gold to authors and are a huge help!

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  About the Author

  Author. Photographer. Artist. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, Valia Lind has always had a love for the written word. She wrote her first published book on the bathroom floor of her dormitory, while procrastinating to study for her college classes. Upon graduation, she has moved her writing to more respectable places, and has found her voice in Young Adult fiction. Her YA thriller, Pieces of Revenge is the recipient of the 2015 Moonbeam Children's Book Award.

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  Also by Valia Lind

  Hawthorne Chronicles

  Guardian Witch (Hawthorne Chronicles, #1)

  Witch’s Fire (Hawthorne Chronicles, #2)

  Witch’s Heart (Hawthorne Chronicles, #3)

  Tempest Witch (Hawthorne Chronicles, #4) - coming August 19th, 2019

  The Skazka Chronicles

  Remembering Majyk (The Skazka Chronicles, #1)

  Majyk Reborn (The Skazka Chronicles, #2)

  The Faithful Soldier (The Skazka Chronicles, #2.5)

  Majyk Reclaimed (The Skazka Chronicles, #3)

  Complete Box Set

  The Titanium Trilogy

  Pieces of Revenge (Titanium, #1)

  Scarred by Vengeance (Titanium, #2)

  Ruined in Retribution (Titanium, #3)

  Complete Box Set

  Falling Duology

  Falling by Design

  Edge of Falling