The Witches of BlackBrook

by

Tish Thawer

* * * * *

The Witches of BlackBrook

Published by Amber Leaf Publishing

Copyright 2015 by Tish Thawer

All rights reserved

www.amberleafpublishing.com

www.tishthawer.com

Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography

Edited by Laura Bruzan

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any use of name brands herein is done so under the Fair Use Act.

Licensing Note: This Kindle eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be resold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

“Thawer managed what I thought was an impossible feat. She was able to put yet another new spin on the age old vampire tale.” ~
The Bookshelf Sophisticate

“...everything about
Scent of a White Rose
was such a fresh new concept when it came to vampires, actually it was just a whole new concept in general for the paranormal genre! This is a read any paranormal lover should read!” ~
YA-Aholic

“
Scent of a White Rose
is not the plain Jane girl meets vampire and falls in love story...I will tell you that you should add this book to your TBR list.” ~
The Book Nympho

“Tish Thawer crafts a seductive vampire tale with her eloquent writing style and keen sense of romance that simply entrances.” ~
Romancing the Darkside

“Tish Thawer is one of those authors whose works are marked by something incredibly special. With each book she writes, I am awed by the magickal elements in each novel.”
~ Author Rae Hachton

“The author skillfully weaves a tale so intense that you can't help but want more.”
~ The Cover and Everything in Between

“Once more, I was overwhelmed by the creativity and imagination that comes from this author...” ~
Proserpine Craving Books

“Ireally, really like the world of Ovialell. The world is unique, complex, and full of all sorts of paranormal species. There are werewolves, vampires, amazons, Goddesses, there are so many interesting elements to the world
.
”
~

The Book Savvy Babe

“
...this was an addicting, thrill ride of a read which kept me turning pages and cursing real life that kept interrupting me... A new take on a tale that is literally as old as time, I would challenge anyone to predict the ending. Brilliant!”
~ NerdGirl

“The plot is wonderful. The characters are amazing and fun. Tish Thawer's Raven's Breath is unique story. Meet the only female Grim Reaper...There are so many thing that I love about this book but my favorite is the twist at the end.” ~
GoodReads Reviewer

“...I now rate this story as one of my all-time faves. Raven is the first female Grim Reaper. One would think that would make for a dark, sinister story line. Well, it does, but not in the way you'd think. Ms. Thawer also breathes humor, light, and romance into this Sci-Fi novel. I love Raven's character, with her spunkiness, gumption, and self-deprecating humor. The scenes are lushly drawn, and the other characters grab your interest and add so much to an already wonderful story. If you've never read Sci-Fi before, read this as your first. If you love a great plot, read this. If you haven't finished it by Sunday evening, call in sick to work Monday morning. You'll be glad you did. I am so looking forward to reading the next in this series!” ~
Amazon Reviewer

The Rose Trilogy

Scent of a White Rose - Book 1

Roses & Thorns - Book 1.5

Blood of a Red Rose - Book 2

Death of a Black Rose - Book 3

The Ovialell Series

Aradia Awakens - Book 1

Prophecy's Child - Companion

The Rise of Rae - Companion

Shay and the Box of Nye - Companion

Behind the Veil - Omnibus

The Women of Purgatory

Raven’s Breath - Book 1

Collections

Christmas Lites II

Losing It: A Collection of V-Cards

Fairy Tale Confessions

To all who inspire me with your art, your words, your loyalty, and support.

Thank you.

“We are the granddaughters of the witches you weren’t able to burn.”

–– Unknown

the

Witches

of

BlackBrook

IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS

1693

Flames licked the
hem of her dress as she worked to free her hands from the ropes. Somber faces, etched with malice or fear, looked on as she squirmed against the stake. She refused to close her eyes or scream. She wouldn’t give them that. No. She would prove to be as defiant and wild as they deemed her while dragging her from her home.

Kara and Kenna stood hidden at the back of the crowd, silently pleading for her to use magic to escape. She wanted to, oh how she wanted to, just to see these
purists
running for the hills. But, staring into her sister’s eyes as her legs started to burn, she knew she had to do whatever it took to keep them safe.

She closed her eyes, the chant beginning simple as always, words from the Goddess flowing into her mind. “
Come to me, death that be, flames surrounds, peace abounds; flesh to earth, spirit to soar, transport our souls, alive forever more.”

BLACKBROOK, NY

Present Day

She pulled the fur of her hood around her face as the wind whipped against her skin. New York was her home and had been for the entire twenty-five years of this particular lifetime, so you’d think she’d be used to the harsh winters by now.
Freezing my face off?
Not sure I’ll ever get used to that
, Trin thought.

With a hand-held shovel she approached her car, hidden from sight under a glittering blanket of white, and sighed. Four minutes in and she was wishing she could use her magic or that she could at least hail a cab. Unfortunately, until she found her other sister, her small pool of magic wasn’t going to be sending her anywhere fast. And as for the taxi, BlackBrook was a small northern town in upstate New York, one that practically shut down once a snowstorm hit. Trin kicked the drift firmly set against her tire, cussing at the fact she was probably one of only a handful of people who had to go to work on this frigid day.

Five minutes later, with barely any progress made, Trin spotted a police car creeping down her icy street. Stepping around the hood of her Volvo, she waved her arms in the symbolic “Come help me” gesture.

“Morning.” The handsome officer smiled. “Need a lift?”

The idea of putting her life in someone else’s hands in these conditions was terrifying, but there was no denying she wouldn’t make it to work on time if she continued to dig out her own ride. “Yes, please. BlackBrook Wellness Center if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. Hop in.”

Trin climbed into the front seat of the squad car, depositing her wet shovel onto the floor between her feet.

“Thank you so much.”

“It’s no problem, I’m here to serve.” He glanced in her direction, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips. “I’m Officer Hardy.”

Officer Hardy, or Jason she’d found out from the girls at work, was the newest transplant to BlackBrook, accompanied only by his cousin, Caris, a kindergarten teacher at the local private school who Trin had yet to meet. Apparently, though, they shared bright hazel eyes, and from what Trin had been told, kind hearts, the pair of them.

“It’s nice to meet you. How are you and your cousin enjoying BlackBrook?”

“It’s great, thank you.”

Trin rubbed her gloved hands in front of the heater vents. “Are you both used to working in this kind of weather?” Trin asked.

“Yes, but Caris has a snow-day today and I suspect she’ll spend most of it asleep––Or not.”

Trin looked up to see an unfamiliar Jeep parked outside the Wellness Center and quickly made the connection. Jason parked next to his cousin’s ride, exited the car, and followed Trin into the building.

The interior of the local spa was calming and serene with smooth mahogany and sea-colored glass throughout. Soft instrumentals played non-stop, and fragrant oils permeated the air. Trin bid Officer Hardy a good day, then waved at Mia, the receptionist, on her way to the back room. Lifting the latch on her assigned locker, Trin deposited her belongings then returned to the front desk, anxious to retrieve the file for her first client of the day.

Caris Hardy, New Member

Occupation: Teacher

Preferred Pressure: Medium to Deep

Problem Areas: Upper back, lower back, shoulder blades, and neck.

Trin laughed internally. Caris may not be sleeping on her day off yet, but after a relaxing massage, a little R&R was definitely in her near future.

“Caris?” Trin whispered as she peeked into the waiting area.

Caris Hardy looked more like a college student than a teacher. She was nestled into one of the comfy leather chairs next to the fireplace with her auburn hair piled high, wearing sweatpants, boots, and a flannel button-down under her long winter coat. Upon hearing her name, she opened her bright eyes and smiled kindly.

“Good morning, Ms. Hardy. Are you ready for your massage?” Trin asked.

“Oh, you have no idea.” Caris beamed.

Trin led her new client down the hall, turning towards the furthest room at the end. “Here we are.” Trin gestured with a wave of her hand then followed Caris inside. “So, what are we doing today? Full-body, or are there specific problem areas you’d like me to focus on?”

“If we could focus on the upper body, that would be great. As you’ll see, I hold a lot of tension in my neck and shoulder blades.”

“Of course, no problem. Please undress to your comfort level and we’ll start face-down. I’ll give you a few minutes,” Trin explained.

“Okay, thanks.”

Trin shut the door, giving Ms. Hardy the allotted two minutes to get settled, then knocked quietly and reentered. “All set?”

“Yes, come on in.”

Trin dimmed the lights, checked the bed-warmer, set Caris’s file onto the cabinet counter, and turned to face the table. Her practiced ritual of lowering and refolding the sheets and blankets down her client’s back was interrupted with another internal giggle. The petite Ms. Hardy was covered in tattoos.

Trin wasn’t one to judge, having tattoos herself, but the dichotomy of what this person did versus who she really was, had her amused. Trin found herself truly interested in getting to know more about this woman.

“Your tattoos are beautiful,” Trin said as she adjusted the bolster.

“Thank you,” came Caris’s quick reply.

Trin dispensed her homemade lotion into her hands and reached for Caris’s shoulders.

“Ouch!” Trin exclaimed, pulling back her hand.

“Oh my god, what was that?” Caris lifted her head.

“I’m not sure. There usually isn’t any static build-up in the rooms, but boy, that was one heck of a shock. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Must be my electric personality,” Caris joked.

Trin laughed nervously and rubbed her hands together once more. “I’d buy that.”

Caris lowered her head back into the cradle and Trin began again, this time with no surprises.

Much to Trin’s dismay, the hour flew by. She and Caris had talked more about her tattoos, her move and new job in BlackBrook, and of course, her cousin who turned out to be single.

Trin handed Ms. Hardy a glass of water as she walked out of the room.

“Thanks, again, Trin. This was heaven. I will definitely be back to see you soon.”

“I’d love that. Also, remember to drink lots of water, and a warm bath with some Epson salt wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”

“You got it,” Caris replied.

Trin gave a final wave as Caris left the building, then went to clear and turn the room. After refreshing the sheets and resetting the table, she took an extra minute to glance at Ms. Hardy’s file. There wasn’t much information beyond the basics: address, occupation, emergency contact, etc. Trin returned the file to the cabinet behind the front desk and glanced at her watch.

“Mia, I’m gonna take my break now. I’ll be back in a few.”

The blonde receptionist nodded her head and continued talking into her headpiece.

Trin entered the locker room and grabbed her cell phone from her purse, holding down the number two.

“Kit, I think I’ve found her!”