Timeless (18 page)

Woken from his slumber, the dwarf was now standing up on his barrel. He raised a full glass of elfin whiskey. "To Matilda, and all the adventures that lie ahead of her on the other side. Blessed be."

Cheers echoed all around her. Andrew, a little wobbly on his feet, handed her a glass of whiskey. She shook her head. "Take it. Have a drink for Matilda. I doubt they've got this where she's going."

Alexandria took the glass, tapping it on the rim of Andrew's. "For you, Matilda, and all those on the other side, wherever you are." Then she put the glass to her lips and drank the amber fluid in one gulp.

"Are you okay? Andrew asked gently, placing his hand on her shoulder.

She lowered her head, staring at the empty glass in her hand. "I never got the opportunity to ask her who did this to her."

An elf began strumming a guitar; another coaxed a saxophone into a melodious tune, while others played fiddles, persuading a group of dwarfs into song. Everyone grabbed a partner and began to dance.

"Can I get you another drink?" Andrew asked.

"No, thanks. I think I just need to be by myself for a while, to think."

"You sure?"

Alexandria nodded, then slipped quietly away, finding a quiet spot on the edge of the woods behind the house. She pulled a tangled vine off an old garden bench, hitched up her long skirt and sat down. From her bench, the gazebo under the old tree, ablaze with twinkling lights, reminded her of the many parties her parents had thrown simply to celebrate life. She had never thought that all these years later she would be in this very same spot, celebrating death. She wondered if the spirits of the Harvey Clan had come together for the passing of her parents, just as the Rivenfell spirits had done for Matilda. She would have to add it to her list of questions, which was growing longer each day.

The band began playing another song, and she smiled. Pulling her legs up onto the bench, she rested her cheek on her knees. It was then that she noticed the meteor shower in the night sky above. She knew it was only streams of cosmic debris entering the Earth's atmosphere, and that most meteors were no bigger than a grain of sand, disintegrating long before they hit the Earth's surface, but still, what if it was something else? Spirits free from the human soul, on a journey to worlds beyond. After the day she'd just witnessed, she knew anything was possible. Magic was everywhere if you opened your heart to the possibilities, chose to believe in the unexplained, and she did. If Matilda's death had taught her anything, it had taught her to live each day to the fullest, take chances, leap into the unknown, say yes, just because you could. Follow your heart no matter where it took you, just as Kat had done, because tomorrow is not a given, just a promise of a maybe. She thought about Bran and River, wondering where they were tonight, and if they were looking at the same piece of sky that she was, and marveling at the wonder of it, as she was.

"May I have this dance?"

Alexandria lifted her head off her knees and turned around. She smiled, but did not answer, taking her time to consider her answer, and what the consequences of that answer might be. After a long moment, she reached out and took his hand. "Yes," she said, letting him pull her up onto her feet and into his arms.

He adjusted the wreath on her head, tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "I've been watching you all night," he said, then leaned down and kissed her, taking her breath away.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this episodic, TV-length ebook in an ongoing series. If you have enjoyed reading this book, your review would be greatly appreciated.

Book 5 in the Witchwood Series – Witches Bitches, coming soon.

Keep reading to discover the

List of Characters.

Clans.

Recipes.

Tree Magic.

Flowers – Colors & Meanings.

Candles – Colors and Uses.

Crystal - Colors and Uses.

Birthstones and Their Meanings.

Harvey Witches – Terminology & Plants.

Animal Symbols.

The Witches Calendar.

Herbs in Spells.

The Witches Pantry.

Witchcraft Terminology.

CHARACTERS – IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER.

Alec Graystone – Raymond's dead brother – ghost.

Alexandria Santorini – Rightful owner of Witchwood Estate.

Alexander Santorini – Alexandria's father (deceased).

Andrew Carmichael – Alexandria's friend and an In-between.

Andy Winterflood – Sheriff.

Annabella Lancaster – River's mother. Deceased.

Aradia Abbots (Harvey) – Kat Abbots's mother.

Ben – boy at party.

Beryl – Waitress Parkside Café.

Bethany – tourist.

Billy Bob Bruges – Newsagency owner. Elf.

Bran Romanoff – Real name, Bran Westwood. Vampire and friend/son of Clive and Dorothy Romanoff – Dorothy's brother.

Bridget Chandler – waitress at Lancaster House.

Caitlin – Witch. Rivenfell Clan.

Carmen Lancaster – witch. River's stepmother.

Clamenza – witch.

Clive Romanoff - groundskeeper at Lancaster House.

Count, The – Raven.

Desmond Harvey – One of the original Harvey witches (built Witchwood Estate).

Dianna – Matilda's mother – Rivenfell clan.

Dorothy Romanoff – housekeeper at Lancaster House. Deceased.

Eden Lang – Andrew's missing girlfriend. Enderlang Clan.

Eddy Chambers – Photographer.

Elizabeth Harvey – Daughter of Katriona Harvey and Frederick Lancaster.

Emmaleria – Desmond Harvey's wife.

Felicity Santorini – Alexandria's mother (deceased).

Fern – Sprite.

Frederick Lancaster – gray wolf. Katriona Harvey's lover and father to her child.

Harry – Mrs. Basset's gray cat.

Heath Harvey – Felicity's Father and Alexandria's Grandfather.

Heather Harvey – Heath Harvey's sister.

Henry Wormwood – Carmen's henchman and waiter/butler in the Lancaster House. Vampire.

Joe – Bus driver.

Kat Abbots – Daughter of the Mayor and one of Ferntree Falls founding families.

Katriona Harvey – witch.

Kerry Winterflood – sheriff's wife. Mother of Mallory.

Marcus Lancaster – River's father.

Mallory Winterflood – sheriff's daughter.

Martha Barnaby (Collins) – Olly's wife and Alexandria's Guardian.

Matilda Hemsworth – blonde waitress at Lancaster House. Rivenfell Clan.

Midnight – The Barnabys' black cat.

Mindy – Felicity's sister.

Mrs. Basset – The Barnabys' neighbour.

Nina Rosenberg – Vampire and witch from the Rosenberg clan.

Olly Barnaby (Romanoff) – Alexandria's Guardian.

Raven Wing – Shop owner of Ravens Wing – The Witch's Cauldron.

Raymond Graystone – Witchwood Estate caretaker and Carmen Lancaster's lover.

River Lancaster - Heir to the Lancaster fortune and white wolf.

Roger Elvis Wilkins – Tour operator.

Rosie – owner of Rosie's Pancake Parlor.

Sally Riven – waitress at Franco's Pizzas. Witch from the Rivenfell Clan.

Samhain - Dark Lord.

Savannah Harvey – Felicity's mother and Alexandria's Grandmother.

Stanton Jameson - a good-looking rich kid with a God complex.

Tiamat – Carmen Lancaster's Snake.

Tom – Bethany's Husband and tourist.

Vera Graystone - Witchwood Estate caretaker, Raymond's wife and Carmen Lancaster's half sister.

Violet Bruges – Newsagency owner. Elf.

Weatherbee. Mr & Mrs - the previous caretakers of Witchwood Estate.

CLANS.

The Harvey Clan:
Wrote the first Book of Shadows. They were known for their magical knowledge about spells and properties of magic. The most powerful witches in the Harvey Clan have green eyes. The Bloodthorns are their greatest enemies.