The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4

by Carissa Andrews

  My eyes widen. “That’s incredible. I mean, at least you know what your powers are. Sort of.”

  “You’ll figure yours out, too. It’s what this place is all about,” Cat says, patting my shoulder.

  I glance back down at my schedule, trying to decipher how she figured out my next destination.

  “They vomit your entire year's schedule onto one piece of paper. See, this is semester one, hour one,” Cat says, pointing at the section with my current classes. “You just need to follow the hour, and cross-reference it with the semester and day, and you're set.”

  “Thanks, I don't know why they can't just simplify it,” I say, shaking my head and folding the paper into a tiny square so I can cram it into my pocket for easy access.

  Cat shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe it's just a sadistic rite of passage?”

  I chuckle. “Yeah, sounds about right.”

  A guy with the same dark skin, but a much softer demeanor walks up, placing a hand on Cat’s elbow.

  “I’m gonna have a word with Ms. Cain about something. Meet ya in Powers and Tech,” he says to her. His eyes lock with mine for a brief second before he drops his gaze to the floor.

  “Okay, Colt. Be right there,” she says, nodding.

  “Yeah, all right,” he practically whispers. For a split second, he hangs back as if there's more he wants to say, but he drops his head, pulls up the hood on his hoodie, and walks off.

  I quirk an eyebrow. “He your boyfriend?” I ask, watching him turn the corner.

  Cat snickers, covering her face. “Uhm, no. Ewww,” she laughs. “I guess I should have introduced him. That's my twin brother, Colton. But pretty much everyone calls him Colt. It’s kind of a big joke around here. I’m Cat, he’s Colt. Funny thing is, neither one of us are wereanimals.”

  “Oooooh,” I say, dragging the ‘o’ out, thinking. “So, twin, huh? That’s pretty cool,” I say, trying to shift the awkwardness.

  Cat tips her head, suggesting I follow her, and she starts walking. “Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. Colt and I have been inseparable since—well, conception, I guess,” she laughs. “He’s the only one who really gets me. Just like I get him. We can practically communicate mentally, no powers needed.”

  “That’s really awesome. I’m an only child, and so far, there’s only one person I feel really gets me. But that’s okay, he’s pretty awesome,” I say, smiling.

  “Ah, so my turn to take the leap. Boyfriend?” Cat says, leading the way.

  I nod. “That obvious?”

  “Well, only because of the shitty grin you have on your face right now. I’d say you’re pretty enamored.”

  “Definitely,” I say, blushing.

  “Well, I’d love to meet him,” she says. “I’ve lived here my whole life and let me tell you, it’s nice to see some fresh faces.”

  “What are you doing this weekend?” I say, shooting her a sideways glance. “He has standing plans to come up to Windhaven Saturdays and Sundays.”

  “By the sounds of things, I’ll be stopping by to meet a new friend’s boyfriend,” she says. “I take it he doesn’t live here?”

  I shake my head.

  She presses her lips tight. “Eh, absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that. Maybe we can all go hunt for the creature they think is loose in the waterways together,” Cat says, wiggling her fingertips in the air in front of her.

  “The what?” I say, scrunching my face.

  “Didn’t you hear?” Cat says, her mouth slack-jawing open. “There are some two kids missing. That’s the big deal that was going on during the Witching Stick.”

  “Oh, yeah. I did hear that. Do they know what kind of creature?” I ask, remembering back to the snippets I heard when we first arrived on campus.

  “They’re not a hundred percent. But evidently, there are rumors about the disappearance being similar to one a while back. So they think it might be the same one since it got away. I’ve heard the magical community has been called in on the hunt because time is critical. From what I hear, it’s not the kind of creature that kidnaps to have tea and crumpets.” She sticks out her tongue and makes a face.

  “Whoa. That’s—I didn’t realize how big of a thing that was. Creatures, I mean,” I say, my words stumbling out.

  Cat smirks. “You’re in a school for magical abilities and you’re surprised there are creatures out in the world? Where have you been living, Autumn?”

  “Under a rock, I suppose. Until recently, I was pretty sure I was just a human of the non-magical variety,” I laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I knew there were creatures but I guess I’d just never come in contact with any of them.”

  “Ah, well, that explains a little bit. Just be careful if you’re near any of the waterways—things like rivers, streams, lakes…ponds,” she says, stopping in front of a classroom door.

  “Okay, good to know.”

  Ponds? My hypothesis from before suddenly doesn’t sound so out there.

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure everything will be resolved soon,” Cat offers with a sincere grin. Without another word about it, she heads inside the classroom.

  The rest of the day flies by in record time. Between getting a bearing for my new lessons and trying to figure out the layout of the school, there isn’t much time for anything else. Luckily, Cat’s in four of my six classes, and the two she’s not in, her brother Colton is, so she still knew the way. My mind continues to circle around the news of a water creature snatching kids and for some reason, I just can’t seem to shake an eerie familiarity of it. I hope they find the two kids soon, and in one piece.

  As the last class of the day ends, I make my way to the commons so I can try to gather up my thoughts before heading home. I sit down in one of the big, cushy red chairs, trying to discern whether or not a pattern emerged from today’s schedule that might clue me in on what kind of powers I could have. Unfortunately, everything is pretty generic. Intro to Essential Life Energies, Power & Technology, History of Supernaturals, Spellcasting Basics, Intro to Conjuring, and Grimoire Crafting.

  I wonder if I should just go back to Ms. Cain in the front office and ask her. She seems like the kind of lady who knows a lot more than she lets on.

  “Hey, do you need a lift home?” Cat asks, flopping into the seat beside me.

  I look up, blinking at her. “Nah, I drove myself. Thanks, though.”

  “You’re not gonna get lost trying to find your way home, are you?” she says, grinning at me.

  “No, I think I can handle it. Besides, I can ask Siri.” I hold up my phone and wave it.

  Cat nods in approval. “Nice. What kinda car do you drive?”

  “Ford Escape.”

  “Wicked. I wanna get a Honda Civic, but my dad made me get a four-wheel drive SUV, too. Because, winters. Ugh, anyway. Can I come see?” she asks. “I have some time to kill before Colt gets done chitchatting with Mr. Reed. He’s a tech geek. Probably because he knows it’s the one thing I suck at.” She rolls her eyes.

  “Be my guest.” I shrug.

  Standing up, I throw my backpack over my right shoulder and lead the way. It takes a while to get to Big Blue. Since I was late, I had to park at the outskirts again.

  “Jeez, where did you park? Siberia?” Cat huffs. “Dang good thing we’re nowhere near water anymore. I’d be worried we’d be snatched next, for sure.”

  I shudder away the thought. “Well, I was running late, remember. So I had to park a ways out,” I say, trying to stay lighthearted. “Come on. We’re not far now.”

  “Had I known I had miles to go, I would have changed into my running shoes,” she chuckles.

  “Behave,” I say, shaking my head. Her flippant attitude does wonders for setting me at ease about running into anything nefarious out here—creatures or otherwise. Plus, it makes me feel a little less self-conscious about being here at all.

  “So how far is your house from the school?” she asks, hiking her backpack up on her right shoulder.

  “Mmm,
not super far. Twenty minutes if I drove the speed limit, I suppose.”

  “Me, too. Where are you at?” Cat asks, quirking an eyebrow.

  “I’m out on Lone Oak Boulevard.”

  “Hey, me too,” Cat says, grabbing my arm. “Which house are you?”

  “Erm, 17535. I think?”

  Cat stops dead, butting her head with the palm of her hand. “Oh my god. I don’t know why it didn’t click sooner. Blackwood.”

  I nod, “Yeah, that’s my last name.”

  She stares at me with her mouth agape.

  My eyebrows tug in. “What?”

  She shivers, “N-nothing. It’s just—I didn’t think anyone lived at the old Blackwood estate anymore.”

  I snort. “Really? Why?”

  She blinks rapidly and licks her lower lip, “I, uh, live across the pond. Honestly, I haven’t seen anyone come and go from that place in ages.”

  “Ah. Yeah, my dad kinda likes his privacy. He’s more of a homebody,” I nod.

  Cat’s eyebrows tug in and she takes a moment to think. “Yeah, he was always kinda like that. I guess I haven’t seen him for a while. Weird.”

  I narrow my eyes, trying to make sense of her reaction. When she doesn’t say anything else, I turn and point to the bright blue hood beside me. “Okay, anyway, here’s Big Blue.”

  “Not too shabby. This blue is electric. I love it, ” she says, circling the vehicle. “Did you have it custom painted?”

  “Nope, I got it this way. It’s actually why I bought it.”

  As she reaches the back of the car, she stops dead in her tracks. Her fingertips reach out and she touches the etchings left from the other day.

  “Autumn—”

  I race over to her side, my hands flying up and shaking in front of me. “Yeah, I know. Some jerk did that when I came in for the Witching Stick. It’s going in next week to get fixed.”

  Clearing her throat, Cat backs away.

  “Do you know who did it?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

  “I wish I did. I saw a guy with white-blond hair run off into the woods, though. Wade, my boyfriend, and I figure it was probably a prank or something and they just got the wrong car. Because, seriously, no one knows me in this town. I used to live in Mistwood Point.”

  Cat’s face turns red and her jaw clenches. “You know, I better… I gotta go. Colt doesn’t know where I am and I’m his ride. He’s probably done with Mr. Reed by now. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” she says, backing away.

  “Everything okay?” I ask, alarm rising with the hairs on the back of my neck.

  She nods a bit too enthusiastically and looking down at her empty wrist. “Yeah, yeah… I just need to get moving. I didn’t realize what time it was.”

  “All right. See you tomorrow, then,” I mutter, taking a tentative step toward my driver’s side door.

  “Okay, yeah. See ya tomorrow,” she says, shooting me a quick wave and turning on her heel.

  I open the driver’s side door and fling my backpack over to the passenger seat.

  Cat stops walking and twists around. Her eyes are serious, dark pools. “Keep an eye out for anything strange, Autumn,” she says. “Don’t go outside by yourself. Especially near the pond.”

  Chapter 12

  Okay, That Was Unusual

  Cat’s bizarre statement set off a burst of anxiety coursing through me and even though I know I’m safe, I feel like I should be doing something to find the missing kids. I don’t know what, though. Surely they have people far more qualified to be out there than I am.

  When I get home, the house is still relatively quiet. I’m beginning to think it’s just the way of things here, but I’m still not used to it. At Mom’s house, there was always some noise. Whether it be her running in and out, or a radio left on somewhere.

  The silence pulls on my thread of anxiety until it’s woven tightly around my mid-section. Taking a deep breath, I kick off my shoes and make my way up the grand staircase to hunt for Dad and let him know how the first day of school went. Afternoon light streams in from various directions, gifting a beautiful, magical energy to the space. When I reach the second floor, I take a beat, looking out over the massive entry.

  The ornate carvings along the stair rails look centuries old, and maybe they are. The upper windows on the second level bleed beams of light onto the stairway, illuminating the dust particles as if glitter rains from the rafters.

  I can’t believe I didn’t appreciate this when I was little.

  Grinning and shaking my head, I grip the railing and look over the edge. As I do, flashes of a woman dressed in a blue floor-length dress sprawled out on the floor, her body bent at an awkward angle, rush up at me. I squelch a startled scream and back away.

  “Everything okay?” Dad asks, rushing toward me from the other end of the hall.

  I trip backward, slamming my back into the wall behind me.

  “I—uh—yeah,” I stutter, trying to shake away my surprise. “There was just—I think I…”

  “What did you see?” Dad presses, watching me intensely.

  My fingertips trace my eyebrows and I shake my head.

  “Uhm, nothing. It was nothing,” I mutter.

  “Are you sure, honey? Your scream kinda said it was something,” he says.

  “Yeah, I think I just got too close to the edge of the rail—”

  His blue eyes darken and he narrows them at me.

  “Seriously, Dad. I think I just startled myself. I—I’m gonna go do my homework,” I say, no longer sure I want to engage in a long conversation with him. I need to regroup.

  “Wait a second. How did your first day of school go?” he asks.

  “It was fine. Good. Definitely good,” I say, feeling like the air around me is closing in. God, I’d do anything to go to my room and just breathe for a minute.

  “Good, good. Glad to hear it,” he says, his head bobbing up and down slowly.

  “Yeah,” I say, running my hand across the back of my neck.

  “All right, well... I guess I’ll let you go. I’ll be out in the garden for a bit, if you need me. Dinner should be soon. Maybe you can tell me more then?”

  “Yeah, that sounds like a plan,” I nod, feeling more appreciative that he can read my need to be alone for a bit. Mom would have pressed me and continued until I spilled everything. “Thanks, Dad.”

  He shoots me a sideways grin. It’s not necessarily a fake smile, but one that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

  I take a tentative step onto the staircase, unsure if I really want to go down to the main floor and past the spot where I saw the woman.

  Without another word, Dad makes his way past me and down the large staircase. When I can tell he’s out of earshot, I step forward gingerly and peer over the edge of the rail. My fingertips dig into the railing, but the only thing at the bottom is the huge decorative rug.

  Relief floods through me and I make my way down the rest of the stairs.

  “Weird,” I mutter, shaking away the tendrils of terror when I reach the spot where the body was laying. There’s nothing there, not even a hint that anything may have been there at one point. “Get a grip, Autumn. Or more sleep.” I rush past the location, half running down the hall to my bedroom.

  As I open the door, the natural light lacks the intensity from the front of the house. Instead, it illuminates the backyard and its various shades of fall. Walking to the large picture window, I take a seat and stare out into the beauty beyond. The view of the pond in the distance is somewhat obscured, but still beautiful, as is the rest of the courtyard. It almost hugs the blazing trees in the middle with a welcoming embrace.

  Settling into the stillness, my cell phone buzzes in my pocket, making me jump. I tug it out, flipping it over to see who’s calling.

  I grin, pressing the green phone icon. “Hello?”

  “Hey there, beautiful,” Wade says, his voice like a melody from a song I forgot I loved.

  “Hey, I’m so happy to hear
your voice,” I say, clutching my phone to my ear.

  “Same here. I know I coulda just texted, but I…dunno.” He takes a deep breath. “I missed you.”

  My heart flutters. After everything that’s just happened, my emotions are whiplashing and I blink back the tears brimming in my eyes. “I miss you, too. Are you still planning on coming at the weekend?”

  “Definitely. Wild horses and all that. Will your dad be there this time?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I mean, I can ask him, for sure,” I say, swallowing hard and nodding to myself.

  “Do you think he’ll let me stay there again? Or do I need to sleep in my car?” he asks, chuckling under his breath.

  “You are not sleeping in your car. I’m sure it will be fine. Besides, I’ll sneak you into my bedroom if I have to,” I say, glancing over to the big king-size bed.

  “Well, that sounds promising,” he says, a twinkle of mischievousness playing at his tone.

  “Hey now, don’t make me regret that statement.”

  “Oh, trust me, there would be no regret,” he laughs. “Well, of course, unless your room decides to throw more stuff.”

  “Yeesh, right? I’ll make sure everything is strapped down if I have to.”

  “That also sounds promising,” Wade says, his voice smoldering even through the phone.

  “It does, does it?” I tease, letting the wave of desire wash over me unexpectedly. “Is that a promise?”

  He pauses for a moment, his breath slightly ragged on the other end of the line. “Only if you want it to be.”

  Goose bumps flash across the back of my arms; dancing their way up my neck and into my scalp. I bite my lower lip and shiver.

  Wade clears his throat, “So, uh, anyway…”

  Swallowing hard, I blink away the daydreams his words have conjured. They’ve almost all but erased the strangeness of the day.

  “Yeah—uh, so anyway,” I repeat, sighing loudly, “first day of school was a bit weird, and being home hasn’t been any more normal.”