The Windhaven Witches
Books 1-4
Carissa Andrews
Contents
Secret Legacy
1. Should I Stay or Should I Go?
2. And Then There Was an Angel
3. The Winds of Change Are Coming
4. Barely Existedness
5. Going Back in Time
6. I Don't Wanna Go...
7. Welcome Home, Autumn
8. Do You Think I'm Nuts?
9. The Witching Stick
10. Veritas vos Liberabit
11. First Day of School & Other Strange Things
12. Okay, That Was Unusual
13. Holy Hell—It Was You!
14. I Just Hope You're Ready
15. Library & Dead Ancestors
16. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
17. A Trail To Follow
18. Shadows & Tattered Wallpaper
19. Legacies and Curses
20. Broken Loyalties
21. Remnants
22. Careful What You Wish For
23. Surprise
24. Forbidden
25. When the Dead Rise
26. Showtime
27. I Can't Do This Alone
28. Gemini Blood
29. Circle Back Around
30. Sinner
Soul Legacy
1. Loose Ends
2. Witching Stick, Take 2
3. Where Do I Sign?
4. Desecrated
5. Rumors On The First Day
6. All That Follows
7. New Doors Best Left Closed
8. Undead Things
9. A Home For The Dead
10. Who's Out There?
11. Maybe It Was Fate
12. Buzzkill
13. Prove It
14. Confessions
15. All Eyes Are On
16. The Jig Is Up
17. Speak Your Truths
18. A Wellspring Of Veneration
19. Gather Your Alliances
20. Convergence
21. Sworn To Secrecy
22. Unleashing Pandora
23. A Death Wish
24. A Guarantee
25. Fetch
26. All Things Displaced
27. Sudden Death
28. Where Do We Go From Here?
Haunted Legacy
1. Death is my curse
2. What’s Fate Got to Do With It?
3. Open Wounds
4. Haunting
5. Messed Up
6. One Reason
7. The Thread of Life
8. Lucky to Have Found You
9. Seeking Answers
10. Sacred Spaces
11. Panic Room
12. The Space Between Us
13. Paranormal Activity
14. Banishment & Protection
15. Against the Clock
16. His Time Has Come
17. To Whom This House Belongs
18. Stages of Grief
19. Answers Within
20. A Cursed Legacy
21. What Kind of Choices Are These?
22. Summoning the Forgotten
23. Into the Vortex
24. Tick Tock
25. What Is It Good For?
26. In His Likeness
27. Puppet Master
28. Death Wish
29. Splintering
30. Always Be With You
31. Chin Up
Cursed Legacy
1. A Lot Like Christmas
2. The Roller Coaster of a Cursed Life
3. Phone Calls & Exploration
4. Pomp and Circumstance
5. Puzzling
6. For Your Sins
7. Lies
8. Family Matters
9. Out in the Open
10. Put to the Test
11. Breathe
12. Life, Death, & Metamorphosis
13. Pity Party & Negotiations
14. An Insane Gamble
15. The Other Side
16. Them’s the Rules
17. Clear the Sins Away
18. Ripples
19. Merry Christmas
20. Lachesis
21. Pulling the Strings
22. The Only Way Forward
23. Fail-safe
24. The Box
25. Sin-Eater
26. Memories
27. Done with Fate
28. Second Chances
Also by Carissa Andrews
About the Author
Secret Legacy
Chapter 1
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
By the absurd color of my mother’s face, it’s safe to say I’m royally screwed.
“I asked you a question,” Mom says, her hazel eyes trained expectantly on me.
My mouth drops open, and I shake my head. “I don’t even know what that is.”
“Don’t play coy with me, Autumn. This is a big deal—a behemoth deal. You don’t get a packet like this to the Windhaven Academy unless they’ve accepted your enrollment,” she says, placing a protective hand across the large purple packet with sparkly stars across it.
Instinctively, I grab for the envelope, tugging it from under her palm. I pull it to my chest without even looking closer at it. It’s got some heft to it, and I float through the decisions of whether to toss it in the trash or walk off with it.
“Look, Mom, there’s gotta be a mistake here. Or maybe someone is playing a practical joke on me. The Windhaven Academy…that’s a school for kids with unique abilities—the supernatural kids. Why would I apply there, let alone get accepted? It’s ludicrous.”
“That’s what I would like to know. Imagine my shock when the mailman passed it over,” she says. “The last I heard you were planning on going to the U next year. I know it’s not as early as you would have liked, but trust me, saving for it was a wise investment. Especially with the student loan snafu—”
“You can relax, Mom. There’s nothing to this at all. I still plan to get my forensic sciences degree, for crying out loud.”
I turn on my heel to vacate the premises before things escalate. Mom and the supernatural world don’t have the best of track records, but Mom and money are even worse. The last thing I want is a four-hour discussion about the nature of things and how the system is built to “keep us little folks down.”
Mom follows me. “Why are you walking away, Autumn? We're not done here. What aren’t you telling me?”
Spinning around, I scrunch my face, trying to hold it steady without drawing out her imagination. “N-nothing.”
“Well, that was convincing,” she says, placing a hand on her hip. “You know, I always thought we had a pretty good thing going here. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, and this last year having to work at the craft shop hasn’t been ideal, but I never thought lying would be a thing.”
“It’s not. I’m not—” I say, unable to contain the anger building inside me. “Mom, I have no idea what this is or why it arrived. If you can’t trust me, or believe me, then that says more about you than it does me.”
Her mouth pops open, but words don’t tumble out at their ordinary pace.
Without wasting another moment, I turn my back on her and stomp upstairs to my bedroom. It’s the one space in this tiny house that’s off limits for her, and she knows it. After closing the door, I fling the packet onto my bed and lean back against the wood doorframe.
My brain whirls around, trying to make sense of the past f
ew minutes. There is literally no reason for me to apply to the Windhaven Academy and even less reason to be accepted. I have no powers at all. None. Trust me, I’d know after the years of wishful thinking and trying to make something amazing happen. I’ve seen close friends learn their abilities and go on to do incredible things. But I’m still here—stuck in Mistwood Point until I can afford the state university like a completely ordinary girl. Meh. At least going for my forensic sciences degree would be more interesting than helping out all the old biddies in town with their fabric choices.
“We’re not done talking about this, Autumn…” Mom’s voice filters from the other side of the door.
“I know,” I mutter under my breath as I close my eyes. “I just need a bit of time to decompress. I’ll be down soon.”
As much as I love my mom, her hovering can be suffocating at times. I’m twenty years old, for crying out loud. If I wanted to go, and could actually afford it, there is literally nothing she could do to stop me.
“Please, promise me you’ll just toss it in the trash. Because that’s what it is,” she says.
Refusing to answer her, I look up at the ceiling and breathe in slowly through my nose. I’ve never understood her extreme reaction to anything supernatural. I know something happened in her past, but she’s refused to clue me in. Who’s the one keeping things from whom?
Shaking my head, I whisper, “Maybe I should get a place of my own.”
It would set me back on my timeline for college, but it might be worth it. I’d gain more autonomy and be able to make my own decisions without a dramatic conversation over every little thing.
My gaze falls to the purple envelope, and I swallow hard.
Could my mom be right? Is it really an acceptance packet? Why would they even send me an acceptance?
Unexpected excitement bubbles inside me, and I can’t seem to contain it. However, the inner voice implanted in the back of my head by my mom tells me I’m being crazy. Even if it was, it’s not like we could afford the tuition. Windhaven is insanely expensive; without pulling a bank job, I’m pretty sure I’m a couple of hundred thousand shy of meeting their requirements.
I bite my lower lip and take a tentative step forward. Despite myself, morbid curiosity wins out. Taking the final few steps to the bed, I drop down and pull the monolithic envelope onto my lap. The setting sun streams into my room, creating a soft glow that entices me to live in the moment. I run my hand along the outside edge of the packet. The texture is more like soft silk than paper, and the stars across the top twinkle with multifaceted dimension in the sunlight.
However, I’m a tiny bit disappointed there’s nothing innately magical about it. It doesn’t fly, or talk, or do anything unusual at all. Surely a supernatural school has resources to do something like that, right? Or am I just being incredibly naive?
I take a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing…”
Flipping the packet over, I pull the ripcord from the top edge. I half-anticipate letters to come flying out or a bright light to shine from the heavens. But again, I’m sorely disappointed. Inside is just a packet of paperwork. Ordinary, mundane paperwork.
We haven’t even met the digital age, I guess.
On the upside, the paper is the same graceful, soft texture, and I can’t help but wonder what it’s made of. Maybe magical spiders wove their silk into the fabric of the paper? At least that would be cool. As I shuffle quickly through the contents, I find, in addition to the papers, a large booklet of information about the courses available, the history of the school, and other details, like off-campus events for supernaturals. There’s a map, a few event flyers for the campus social groups, and of course, right on top...is my acceptance letter.
I suck in a quick breath and scan through it quickly.
Dear Ms. Blackwood,
Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that I offer you admission to the Windhaven Academy Class of 2024.
Your thoughtful application and magical aptitudes convinced us that you have the intelligence and innate talent to be amongst the best here at Windhaven Academy. Among the over 15,000 applications, yours stood out immediately, and our seers recognized the incredible gift your lineage brings to our ranks. As such, we are thrilled to welcome you and look forward to your unique and extraordinary contributions as you adjust to our academic and campus life.
The exciting next steps can only be taken by you. As I’m sure we are not the only university you’re considering in the coming weeks, I encourage you to learn more about us and the legacy we share. We invite you to attend our next orientation weekend called the Witching Stick, coming up on August 25-26. You’ll be given guidance on your particular gifts, as well as an introduction to the curriculum crafted especially for you and the dynamic campus we have here.
Should you choose to matriculate, I am also thrilled to inform you that your enrollment has been fully paid for by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous. This is truly a once-in a lifetime opportunity and one I sincerely hope you do not miss out on.
Once again, I congratulate you on your admission to Windhaven Academy and welcome you to our family. We look forward to seeing you in August.
Sincerely,
Marva Arlo
Director of Admissions
I stand up, practically squealing. “Holy shit.”
My brain spins out of control as I read it again, but this time more slowly, paying close attention to certain parts.
I don’t know which aspects to focus on first.
Thoughtful application? Lineage? Legacy?
I stand up, clutching the letter in both shaky hands. The rest of the contents from the packet fall to the floor, but my eyes can’t move from one small phrase.
Fully paid for.
Confusion and excitement tussle through my mind, fighting for a ruler.
Without thinking, I move to the door, opening it wide, and running down the stairs to find Mom.
Her wide eyes greet me as I rush into the kitchen.
“You opened it,” she says softly, disappointment rolling across her features.
I ignore it, walk up to her, and take a seat at the dining room table. “Mom, it says here I have a free ride. As in, fully paid for—” I shove the paper at her. “Look, right here.”
“I don’t need to read it,” she says, eyeing me closely.
“But, Mom, it says I don’t have to pay for it—you don’t have to pay for it. I can go for free,” I repeat, stressing the part that immediately lightened an enormous burden I’ve been carrying around.
“You can’t go,” she says slowly.
“What are you talking about? Of course I can. They want me there,” I sputter, scooting my chair back.
“Everything comes at a price, Autumn. Including this. You might not have to pay for it, but trust me, it will have a cost. Besides, how do you think you’ll fare in a school with supernaturals? Have you even given any of this some real thought?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll figure something out. And what about this?” I say, pointing to the line about the gifts my lineage brings. “Any idea what this means?”
The blood drains from her face as she looks up, but she shakes her head a second too late.
“I don’t have any idea what they’re talking about,” she says, her eyelashes fluttering.
I narrow my gaze. An awkward silence stretches out between us. There’s more going on here than meets the eye.
“Mom, if you’re keeping something…” I warn.
“Young lady, I don’t like what you’re insinuating. I’ve put a roof over your head. I’ve given you everything—”
“That’s not what’s in question here. Answer me. Do you know something about this? Do you know what they’re talking about?” I sputter. My heart threatens to burst out of my chest and I can’t believe any of this is happening. Especially now.
Something resembling defeat flashes through her eyes, but she exhales slowly. “I wouldn’t blame you for wanting to be c
loser to your dad. Maybe that’s why you applied. Things haven’t always been easy here,” she says, ignoring the question.
“Mom, I’m not trying to get closer to Dad. I haven’t even talked to him for over a year. He barely shows an interest in my life. This is something else entirely. I don’t know what happened or why they think I applied…and you’re not answering my question,” I say, my fingers tapping nervously at the paper.
“It says here that you sent in a thoughtful application. So perhaps we both have things we’d like to gloss over,” she says, arching her eyebrow high.
The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 Page 1
