White Haven and the Lord of Misrule

by TJ Green

  Rupert rocketed upright, shouting, “Who’s there?”

  El saw him reach for the light as Reuben sent a ball of energy at the bedside lamp, shattering it, and casting out his own wave of white light in the process.

  “Thieves!” Rupert roared, leaping out of bed as Charlotte screamed.

  El ran for the door, struggling under the weight of the costumes, but Reuben was trying to block Rupert. El wasn’t entirely sure what he did, but a powerful light swept out of him as if he was some sort of avenging angel.

  Rupert staggered back and yelled, “Begone, you devil!”

  But Reuben was already running to the door, pushing El before him until they were racing through the house. They had barely got halfway down the stairs when the boom of a shotgun resounded at their backs. Reuben threw another ball of energy behind them that exploded on the landing like a firework, buying them more time. They ran to the back door, racing across the garden the way they came, and heard another gunshot behind them.

  “Fucking madman!” Reuben huffed. “He’s trying to kill us!”

  By that point, lights were going on in the houses on either side of them, but fortunately the garden and fields were still pitch black. Reuben wrestled some of the clothes out of her hands and threw them over the garden wall, then leapt on to it and pulled her over with him. They landed, winded, in the damp grass on the other side, but in seconds they were back on their feet and stumbling across the fields, the bells jingling as they ran. El almost fell into the car when they reached it.

  As Reuben started the engine, El saw a light bobbing across the field. “Shit! He’s following us!”

  Reuben grinned and roared down the lane. “He can follow all he likes. Unless he’s got a bloody broomstick, he’s screwed.”

  Twelve

  Newton couldn’t settle himself in Avery’s living room. All he could imagine were his friends being caught and arrested, or worse, injured by the owners of the houses they were breaking into.

  He knew they had powerful magic, but when that magic was likely to unmask them rather than protect them, it didn’t really comfort him. He couldn’t concentrate on the TV and instead paced, in between fussing over the cats who snaked around his legs.

  He was relieved when he finally received the first call from Briar. “Are you okay?” he asked quickly.

  “Fine. All done. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

  Five minutes later, he had another call from Avery. “I’ve got it. I’m coming back now.”

  “Any trouble?”

  “Arthur Lloyd sleeps like the dead. Be back soon. You can start the fire outside, if you want.”

  Grateful for the distraction, Newton wrapped up and headed into Avery’s garden with a torch, fumbling his way to the shed where he turned on the garden lights. The chains of fairy lights and uplighters bloomed to life, turning the area into a magical place, and he smiled. Avery couldn’t contain her magic, whether it was in her shop, her house, or her flat. Briar and El were the same, but Alex and Reuben were less obvious, which was a relief. It made Newton feel like he blended in more.

  He followed the gravelled path to the rear of the garden and a cleared bed that was ready for spring planting. It edged the lawn, and Avery had already stacked branches and wood there for the fire. Once he had arranged it to his satisfaction, he lit it, and stood warming his hands and thinking about Briar.

  While she hadn’t shared her feelings about Hunter, he suspected that their relationship might be struggling. Briar was never one to talk openly about her emotions. She guarded her heart closely. And to be honest, he’d done nothing to deserve her confidence. Their growing closeness when he’d first met her had ended abruptly, and he’d been working hard ever since to regain her trust. He knew she was his friend now, but still wasn’t sure if he’d be anything more. Now, standing there waiting for her, he wished for nothing more than to be going home with her later and staying all night.

  Newton prodded the fire and added more wood, and the flames rose higher. Within minutes he heard Avery and Briar chatting as they walked towards him, and he pushed all thoughts of a relationship with Briar to the back of his mind.

  “Great job on the fire, Newton,” Briar said, sidling next to him and warming her hands over the flames.

  “You have no idea how pleased I am to see you two,” he told them, noting their flushed and furtive expressions. “Are you sure everything went okay?”

  Avery grunted in a very un-Avery way. “I have never broken in anywhere on my own before, so it was a bit unnerving. I will not be doing it again.”

  “Me neither!” Briar said, shivering inside her coat.

  “If only I could believe that,” Newton said with a grimace, and knowing there were likely to be many more times that they’d have to break in somewhere. “Where are the costumes?”

  “In the shed, with Helena,” Briar told him. “Fortunately, Jessica had left all of her costume in the bathroom. I’ve never been so nervous in my life.”

  “I am very worried about the others,” Avery confessed.

  “No need to worry about me,” Alex called from behind them. He emerged into the firelight looking pleased. “It took me a while to find the mayor’s costume, but I got it, in the end.” He sighed and swigged his beer. “For a horrible moment I thought I was going to have to go to her house, but it was squashed into a drawer in her desk.”

  Avery reached up and kissed his cheek, and then checked her watch. “So, now it’s just Reuben and El missing.”

  “They’ll take longer anyway,” Briar reasoned, “because they had further to travel. Why don’t we prepare the circle while we wait?”

  “Only with a mulled wine in hand,” Avery said, striding back to the house with Alex beside her. “We’ll bring everything down. You two wait here.”

  Newton nudged Briar once they were alone. “You’re shivering.”

  “I’ll be fine in a minute. I think it’s more adrenalin than cold.”

  “You don’t embrace the ninja assassin lifestyle like Reuben, then?”

  “No! Or El. That pair are well-suited.”

  He nodded, not wanting to voice that he thought he and Briar were, too. Briar wouldn’t want to hear it. Instead, he just agreed. “They are. So are Alex and Avery. Lucky them.”

  “You’ll find someone,” Briar said softly as she stared into the fire.

  “I already have.” He stared at her, willing her to look around, and she finally smiled and looked up at him.

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Not while I still think I have a chance. Tell me I’m wrong.”

  But she just smiled enigmatically and turned back to the fire, and Newton took that as a win.

  Avery carried the tray of mulled wine down the gravelled path and heaved a sigh of relief as she saw El and Reuben around the fire with the others. “Thank the Gods you’re back! And you timed it well!”

  Reuben winked as he reached for two glasses and passed El one. “I must admit, our theft was eventful.”

  El groaned. “That’s one word for it!” She sipped her wine and groaned again. “This is delicious. It’s spreading to my toes!”

  “Don’t keep us in suspense,” Alex said, taking a glass and making room for Avery around the fire. “What happened?”

  “Bloody jingling bells is what happened!” Reuben said. “And a shotgun!”

  El looked at him, astonished, the firelight winking off her piercings. “Er, I think you’re missing something!”

  Reuben sniggered and looked sheepish. “Ah, my light show, you mean?”

  “Light show?” Briar asked, obviously confused.

  Reuben’s blue eyes twinkled mischievously. “We had a plan before we went in. We said if we got caught that I would provide a diversion. Knowing that magic wouldn’t be subtle—because of the truth spell—I decided to capitalise on it and sort of fired up my energy.”

  El snorted. “He exploded like a comet! He lit up the whole bloody room!”
<
br />   Reuben laughed. “Rupert yelled, ‘Begone, you devil!’”

  “Oh, no.” Briar clutched Newton’s arm and didn’t move it, Avery noticed with a smile. “We’ve sent him mad.”

  “Actually, the costumes sent him mad!” Reuben reminded her.

  Avery agreed. “And Helena exacerbated it.”

  “Slow down!” Newton remonstrated. “What did you do?”

  “Just what I said,” Reuben explained with a shrug. “El tried to muffle the bells, but her magic bloomed with light. Rupert woke up, and seeing as I said I’d be a distraction, I sprang into action. El’s light made me decide to exaggerate my own magic. The truth spell caught it and magnified it. I was like a star in the middle of the room.” He spread his arms wide and twirled. “It was awesome.”

  “You are a bloody twit,” Alex said, laughing. “What about the shotgun?”

  “Ah. Rupert is clearly paranoid and fired at us as we ran, but we had a head start and were too quick. Voila—we have the costumes!”

  “I guess it’s time to burn them, then,” Avery said, handing Alex her glass and picking up the salt from the tray Alex had brought with him. “I’ll make the circle.”

  Alex had already placed the candles around the fire on the points of the pentagram, and had put his Athame on the tray, ready to draw the outer circle, so Avery poured the salt around the fire, leaving a small gap that she would complete once the clothes were on the fire.

  “Are we sure we have everything?” she asked the group.

  “As sure as we can be,” El said as she moved to her position on the pentagram. “Whatever we left behind won’t be much.”

  “Are you certain I should be here?” Newton asked.

  Avery smiled, knowing he was wary of their magical rites. “Do you want to be?”

  He squared his shoulders. “Yes.”

  “Then you’re welcome. In fact, Newton, while I take my place on the pentagram, why don’t you throw the herbs on the fire, then the clothes, and finally,” she handed him the bag of salt, “seal the circle.”

  His eyes widened. “Okay. Then what?”

  “Stand back and enjoy the show.”

  Avery gathered the herbs that would help cleanse the spell as the clothes burned, and handed them to Newton. The costumes were close by in a big pile, their scent dissipating in the open air. As the witches settled in their positions, Newton threw the herbs on the fire, and the witches began to chant a simple spell that would seal the circle. The fire blazed, and piece by piece Newton threw the clothes on. For a few seconds, it seemed as if they would resist the flames, but then they caught, burning in purples and greens. Newton quickened his pace and completed the salt circle, falling back next to Briar.

  As one they raised their voices and hands, and with a whoosh the circle of protection surrounded the fire, funnelling the flames upward in a column, and they fell silent and watched the ashes rise into the air.

  “I feel guilty about burning them,” Alex confessed in a low voice. “And I still wonder if they were successful.”

  “Did the witch and his apprentice feel that real?” Briar asked.

  “They did. I liked them, too.”

  “Well then, let’s think the best,” El said brightly. “The witch’s magic worked, and they survived to live a long, happy life.”

  “Softy,” Reuben teased her.

  Newton was still watching the fire engulf the costumes, almost nothing now remaining except for the bells, and even they were melting in the heat. “Is it over?” he asked, looking hopeful.

  Avery grinned. “It’s over.”

  “How long until the town returns to normal?” he asked as they moved away from the pentagram, and sat in chairs on the lawn.

  El pulled a blanket over her knees. “Good question. Probably twenty-four hours until it dissipates completely.”

  “Stan will be upset,” Avery said, thinking of how excited he’d been by his new idea. “He’ll feel like a failure.”

  Reuben shrugged. “He isn’t, really! He wanted a topsy-turvy town ruled by the Court of Fools, and he got one! You could argue that the whole misrule-thing worked a little too well.”

  “I’ll make sure to remind him of that tomorrow,” Briar said, sipping her wine and wriggling her toes by the fire. “The town will rally around him, and so must we. I’m sure that if the parade and solstice bonfire go well, he’ll be okay.”

  “But the memories of everything happening won’t just go away,” Alex said. He winked at Avery. “I don’t think you should worry, though. None of us should. White Haven enjoys a bit of paranormal fun. It will add to the town’s mystique.”

  “True.” Avery reached for the jug, finally able to relax. “More mulled wine, anyone?”

  Avery gathered a relieved Sally and Dan in the kitchen of Happenstance Books the next morning before they opened the shop.

  “So that’s it?” Sally asked Avery. “No more crazy Court of Fools?”

  “And no more Helena?” Dan asked, looking disappointed. “I’ve decided I quite like a ghost being in the shop.”

  “I can guarantee no more Court of Fools,” Avery said smiling broadly. “I cannot guarantee no more Helena.”

  “Yes!” Dan punched the air.

  “You’re so weird,” Sally told him.

  “Says the woman who attacked Rupert with a witch’s broom,” he shot back.

  Avery laughed. “I don’t think I stressed enough yesterday, Sally, how absolutely amazing you were. Thank you!”

  Sally looked sheepish. “I was just so angry. Especially when he insulted witches! How dare he!”

  “Hold on!” Dan teased. “Don’t get fired up again.”

  “If you’re not careful, I’ll smack you with a broom,” she warned. She suppressed a smile and turned back to Avery. “Did you say the police released Rupert?”

  “Yep. They might charge him with disturbing the peace, but let’s face it, he didn’t really do anything.”

  “He was inciting violence!”

  “I know. I’m sure he’ll think twice before paying us a visit for a while. And now,” Avery swigged the last of her coffee, “I am going to cleanse my shop, refresh my spells, and prepare for the day before welcoming the hordes of people who will no doubt descend on us, desperate for gossip.”

  Avery smiled as she left Dan and Sally chatting, and closing the door behind her, leaned against it and surveyed her shop.

  The fairy lights twinkled and gleamed, casting a warm, rosy glow over the books and occult goods placed on shelves and tables. It smelled of pine and incense, and as she took deep breaths, a feeling of peace descended on her. Despite the events of the last few days, her shop was still a sanctuary, and with a spring in her step, she started her daily rituals, feeling lucky to be in such a special place.

  They would celebrate the solstice in a few days, and the wheel would turn again, bringing new challenges and adventures.

  Avery was ready for them all.

  Thanks for reading White Haven and the Lord of Misrule. Please make an author happy and leave a review here. The ninth book in my White Haven Series is called Chaos Magic, and is on pre-order now.

  If you'd like Sally's mince pie recipe and the Black Book of White Haven, a booklet with insights into all of the White Haven characters, please subscribe to my newsletter at tjgreen.nz/landing. You will also get two free short stories, Excalibur Rises and Jack’s Encounter.

  By staying on my mailing list you’ll receive free excerpts of my new books, as well as short stories, news of giveaways, and a chance to join my launch team. I’ll also be sharing information about other books in this genre you might enjoy.

  Read on for a list of my other books.

  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading White Haven and the Lord of Misrule, my Yuletide novella.

  I thought a short, Yuletide-themed story would be fun, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. It was tempting to put more of my regular characters in it, but decided that would make it far
too long! Ever since I learned about the Lord of Misrule, I thought it would be an intriguing storyline, and it was natural that he should be Stan, the organiser of all White Haven festivities. I also thought Rupert, the grim and suspicious owner of the House of Spirits, should be explored a little further, and Helena is a favourite of all, so it seemed fitting for her to join the shenanigans, too!

  As I explain in the book, The Lord of Misrule is an actual title used in royal courts and by nobility, and was particularly popular during the medieval and early Tudor period until, like most things, it fell from favour. There was a mock-court too, which I called the Court of Fools, embellishing upon the concept for my own needs.

  www.tjgreen.nz, where I blog about the books I’ve read and the research I’ve done for the series. In fact, there’s lots of stuff on there about my other series, White Haven Hunters and Rise of the King, as well.

  Thanks again to Fiona Jayde Media for my awesome cover, and thanks to Kyla Stein at Missed Period Editing for applying her fabulous editing skills.

  Thanks also to my beta readers—I’m glad you enjoyed it. Your feedback, as always, is very helpful!

  Finally, thank you 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! You’re amazing! I also love hearing from all my readers, so I welcome you to get in touch.

  If you’d like to read more of my writing, please join my mailing list at www.tjgreen.nz. You can get a free short story called Jack’s Encounter, describing how Jack met Fahey—a longer version of the prologue in Call of the King—by subscribing to my newsletter. You’ll also get a free copy of Excalibur Rises, a short story prequel. You will also receive free character sheets on all of my main characters in White Haven Witches—exclusive to my email list!

  By staying on my mailing list you’ll receive free excerpts of my new books, updates on new releases, as well as short stories and news of giveaways. I’ll also be sharing information about other books in this genre you might enjoy.