Buried Magic

by T J Green

  His hand was so warm, and she remembered the comfortable way she had fitted into his hold earlier. She had smiled. “In that case, yes please.”

  So here she was, sleeping in Alex’s bed. She replayed everything again and again, and after half an hour of tossing and turning, she fumbled her way to the kitchen in the darkness and poured a glass of water, trying not to disturb Alex.

  She heard him stir and he mumbled, “Are you okay?”

  “Sorry. I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Do you want some water?” She could just see him as her eyes adjusted to the light that trickled in from the street lamps outside.

  He sat up, half covered in blankets, his hair loose. “Yes, please.”

  She finished her water and then carried his glass over, sitting on the edge of the sofa as Alex edged over to make room.

  “I’m sorry me and Reuben were gone so long. We could have stopped this,” she said. She doubted she would ever forgive herself for yesterday.

  Alex finished his drink, put the glass on the coffee table, and then lifted his blanket and threw it over her, pulling her close. His chest was bare, and she could feel his warm skin against hers. She could see his eyes glinting in the darkness and the faint stubble across his cheeks, and she leaned against him, savouring the warmth and his strong, muscled body. He smelt so good. She immediately felt guilty. How could she even think this when Gil was dead?

  “Avery, what happened today is not your fault or mine. If you’d been there, you couldn’t have surprised Faversham. We might all have been killed.”

  “Yes, but—”

  “No buts.”

  He leaned in and kissed her, and she thought she just might melt right into him. He was intoxicating. She wriggled under him and pulled him closer until they were wrapped around each other. His kisses were long and deep, his lips firm, and he tasted so good. She pulled him closer, kissing him back, forgetting where she ended and he began. His hands slid up her back under her t-shirt, and she arched against him. And then he started to peel her clothes off, and she decided that staying at Alex’s was the best idea ever.

  ***

  The next time she woke, it was light and they were wrapped together in a tangle of blankets. Alex’s legs were warm and heavy across her own, his arm wound tightly around her waist. For a few seconds she didn’t move, instead luxuriating in the feeling of him lying next to her.

  Her body still tingled from the memory of a few hours ago, and part of her didn’t want it to end. She realised that this might have been some grief reaction from him, and if so, she would enjoy it while it lasted. She tried to remember what day it was. Friday. Avery groaned. She should phone Sally. She tried to roll gently away from Alex, but his grip tightened, and he mumbled against her neck, his breath warm. “Where are you going?”

  “I thought I should phone work.”

  “Bollocks to work.”

  “I wish. Sally might have heard about Gil by now. I should let her know I’m okay.”

  “In a minute,” he said, kissing the back of her neck and moving on to her shoulder. Immediately, her stomach flipped and she closed her eyes. Sally could wait. After all, she might not even survive the day.

  ***

  Avery had only been at work for an hour when DI Newton strode purposefully across her shop, the door banging in his wake. She was still upset about Gil, and Sally had burst into tears at the news, which had upset her even more.

  Newton’s grey eyes bored into her as he towered over her. His dark grey suit contrasted against his crisp white shirt, and looked grimmer than usual. “Miss Hamilton. We need to talk.”

  Avery looked at Sally. “Sorry, Sally. I won’t be long.”

  Sally looked between the two of them. “Take as long as you need.”

  Avery led Newton through the back of the shop and up to her flat. She headed straight to the kitchen and put the kettle on.

  “Did you find Alicia?” she asked, her stomach in knots.

  “Yes. She’d had her phone turned off.”

  “Was she upset?”

  “What sort of a bloody question is that?” he asked, glaring at her. “Yes. She was upset. She’s coming back today. Now, I suggest you tell me what really happened in that cave, because I’m not about to believe the crap you spouted yesterday.”

  Avery turned her back to him as she prepared the tea, and desperately wondered what to say. She had to lie.

  “It wasn’t crap. Gil had a horrible accident on those old boxes. It’s awful, but true.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re lying. Something terrible is happening in White Haven, and I intend to find out what. I’m on your side, Avery.”

  “Are you? Because it didn’t sound like it the other night when we sealed that bloody doorway.”

  He crossed his arms in front of him and leaned back against the counter, watching her. “All my life I’ve been hearing about witches, magic, and White Haven, and my place in it. I resisted it then, and I’m resisting it now. Magic should belong in the past.”

  Avery forgot about the tea. “What are you talking about? What do you know?”

  “Not bloody much. What happened, Avery?”

  “No! What are you talking about, your place in it?”

  “Magic runs deep in White Haven. Our history is soaked in it. Something has woken it up. I think that’s you.” He watched her from across the room.

  Avery felt out of her depth. Things were happening that were out of her control, and now it seemed Newton knew more than he was letting on, too. And she still didn’t know what to make of Alicia. Her fear made her angry.

  “Nothing has woken up! I have always had magic, as have the others. You just never cared before, and now you do!”

  “Oh, I’ve always cared,” he said, stepping closer. “But nothing bad happened before, and now there have been three deaths in one week! And all had to do with magic and demons. Something has changed, I know it has, and you are being obstructive.”

  Newton’s anger was palpable, and she stepped back, pressing against the sink. “I’m at a disadvantage here, Newton. You know what I am and what I can do. We sealed that doorway the best we could, and I’ll be checking it today. My friend, Gil, is dead. And at this moment, I don’t really trust you, despite the fact that you’re a detective. You tell me about half-whispered myths, but you don’t really share them. So, I’m sticking to what I told you yesterday. We were exploring the tunnels and Gil had a terrible accident, one that I will forever mourn. You don’t need to fear me, or Alex, Reuben, Elspeth or Briar, in fact.”

  “Three deaths, Avery. You should be careful.” He gave her one last hard stare and then headed to the door. “I’ll be in touch.”

  Avery watched him leave and felt a wave of despair wash through her. What was happening? They had five grimoires to find, and had only discovered two. Why did Faversham want them? If his magic was so powerful, what could the books offer him and his family? Why had they been hidden at all?

  There must be something else about the grimoires that was important, something that happened around the time of the Witchfinder. What had Helena and the others done that had earned the enmity of the Favershams? And what had this got to do with Gil’s great-uncle Addison?

  Avery’s thoughts reeled. One thing was certain. Faversham wouldn’t stop, and neither would she.

  End of Book 1 of the White Haven Witches

  Book 2, Magic Unbound, will be released on January 10th 2019

  You can pre-order it here

  Thank you for reading Buried Magic. All authors love reviews. They’re important because they help drive sales and promotions, so I’d love it if you would leave a review here. Scroll down the page to where it says, ‘Write a customer review’ and click. Thank you - your review is much appreciated.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading Buried Magic, the first book in the White Haven Witches Series.

  I love stories about witches
and magic, and I love Cornwall, so I decided to put the two together! White Haven is a fictional town, but reflects the beauty of the beautiful Cornwall fishing villages and the surrounding area. Harecombe, the base of Faversham Central, is also fictional.

  The Royal Cornwall Museum and the Courtney Library are real, but the archive is my fictional addition.

  Of course, there really was a Witchfinder General who was responsible for many deaths, but he never made it to Cornwall - that’s another bit of fiction.

  I have lots of people to thank for their help with this book.

  Thanks to Fiona Jayde Media for my awesome cover, and thanks to Kyla Stein at Missed Period Editing for ironing out the kinks!

  I also must thank Helen Ryan and Terri Cormack for their fantastic feedback on my first draft which prompted a very important rewrite - you’re both awesome!

  Thanks also to my launch team, who give valuable feedback on typos and are happy to review on release. It’s lovely to hear from them - you know who you are - and their feedback is always so encouraging. I’m lucky to have them on my team! I love hearing from all my readers, so I welcome you to get in touch.

  Thanks of course to my partner, Jason, who does most of the cooking while I’m feverishly writing in the study. Without his unfailing support and encouragement, my life would be so much harder - and I’d starve.

  I’ve dedicated this book to my mother, because not only is she one of my biggest fans, but also because I think there’s a little bit of witch in all of us, and as the matriarchal head of the family, she’s offered plenty of good advice over the years - and plenty of uncanny insight! Thanks mom!

  If you’d like to read a bit more background to the stories, please head to my website where I’ll be blogging about the books I’ve read and the research I’ve done on the series - in fact there’s lots of stuff on there about my other series, Tom’s Arthurian Legacy, too.

  If you’d like to read more of my writing, please join my mailing list. You can get a free short story called Jack’s Encounter, describing how Jack met Fahey – a longer version of the prologue in Tom’s Inheritance – by subscribing to my newsletter. You’ll also get a FREE copy of Excalibur Rises, a short story prequel.

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  About the Author

  I grew up in England and now live in the Hutt Valley, near Wellington, New Zealand, with my partner Jason, and my cats Sacha and Leia. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me with my head in a book, gardening, or doing yoga. And maybe getting some retail therapy!

  In a previous life I’ve been a singer in a band, and have done some acting with a theatre company – both of which were lots of fun. On occasions I make short films with a few friends, which begs the question, where are the book trailers? Thinking on it ...

  I’m currently working on more books in the White Haven Witches series, musing on a prequel, and planning for a fourth book in Tom’s Arthurian Legacy series.

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