White Haven Witches Box Set

by T J Green

  Avery didn’t bother watching her. Instead she turned and ran after the others. The sand was sodden with water and it splashed around her, slowing her speed, and the torrential rain almost blinded her. They were all now halfway to the sea, the Mermaids still so sure of themselves that they didn’t rush, but lazily danced onwards, as oblivious to the weather as the men who followed them, laughing with dazed excitement.

  Avery glanced behind her, back to the main fire, and saw it had virtually gone out. The beach, what she could see of it in the darkness and through the sheets of rain, was deserted.

  She stood for a second, letting her eyes adjust as she swept her hair back off her face. The witches were darting around the men, desperately trying to break the enchantment, fend off the Mermaids, and blast them out of the way. The men were so beguiled that they were fighting the witches off, too. It was a disaster, and it was clear they were struggling.

  And then she saw the Nephilim, black silhouettes beneath the lightning, forming a barrier between the sea and the Mermaids.

  Avery ran, finally coming to halt at the edge of the group, which had come to dead stop. The Mermaids faced the Nephilim in a line, the men behind them. Their glamour had disappeared, revealing their silvery, scaly skin and their webbed hands and feet. Their singing rose, but the Nephilim were indifferent to its charms.

  Avery ran into the middle of the men, joining the others in trying to break the enchantment. One by one, she jolted the men with a blast of fire, letting it curl up their arms, enough that she hoped to break the spell, as it had done for the witches in the pub. Unfortunately, whatever enchantment they were in now was far more powerful. They shrugged, blinked, and then returned to their dazed state. She found Dan and shook him, but his eyes were vacant.

  Frustrated, she caught Briar’s eye. She looked frantic, and as impotent as Avery was. There was no sign of Nixie, and Avery wasn’t sure if that was good or bad.

  Gabreel called out, his voice booming out over the storm. “Return to your ocean, Daughters of Llyr, or you will regret it. These men do not belong with you.”

  One of them stepped forward, her face contorted with fury. “What men are you that resist our song?”

  Gabreel shouted, “We are no men! We are the Nephilim.”

  The Mermaid’s confident manner faltered. “No. It cannot be. You are dead. Fallen in the great flood that destroyed the world.”

  “And now we are back for vengeance. Flee now, or you shall all die.”

  Another Mermaid spoke, her voice carrying on the wind like the call of a seagull. “It’s a bluff, they’re powerless against us.”

  Gabreel laughed. He flexed his shoulders and two enormous wings spread from his back. He rose into the air and headed straight to the Mermaid. With his strong grip he lifted her high into the storm. Her shrieks made Avery’s skin crawl.

  The rest of the Mermaids ran at the Nephilim, leaving the men unguarded behind them.

  Avery shouted, “We have to act now! We can’t break their enchantment, but we can shield them.”

  “I agree!” Reuben shouted back.

  They quickly gathered together, linked hands, and threw out a powerful shield of magic, encircling the men—but they were still transfixed and immovable.

  “What now?” Alex yelled.

  “Air!” Avery yelled back. “We’ll float them back.”

  Much as she had pulled herself and Briar from the quicksand, she sent a cushion of air beneath the men’s feet so they floated inches above the ground, and then with the shield around them, they shepherded them slowly back to the dunes.

  Avery looked over at the battle, because that was the only word for it. The Nephilim had taken to the air, plucking the Mermaids up in ones or twos, and they dragged them high over the sea into the heart of the storm. In the searing flashes of light, she saw their broken bodies plummet, and she winced. The ones left on the ground must have decided to salvage what they could, because they turned back to where the men had been, and as soon as they realised they were no longer behind them, they fled into the sea.

  The lightning flashed, again and again, illuminating the rising waves as they crashed on the shore. As Avery glanced to her right, back towards White Haven, her breath caught in her throat. An enormous wave was building beyond the harbour. It must be Nixie. She had to trust that Ulysses and Oswald could deal with it alone.

  The group arrived at the edge of the dunes, wind-swept and soaked, and she released the spell, floating them back to the ground. Avery sighed with relief as the decked path that led from the beach back to the car park appeared out of the gloom.

  A groan grabbed her attention, and she looked around to see Dan rubbing his face. “Where the hell am I? What’s going on?”

  Beyond him, the other men were stirring, too. Avery shouted, “Not now, Dan. Come on, we need to get off the beach.”

  With El leading the way, the men followed, all of them awake, but utterly confused.

  Before the beach was lost to view, Avery turned and looked back to the edge of the sea, but the darkness and rain obscured everything. Another flash of lightning showed a soaring black shape in the sky, and then it was gone. She hoped the Nephilim would be okay. She turned and trudged after the others, and with every step, Avery felt her worry ebbing away, and exhaustion starting to take hold.

  She caught up to Briar, who was drenched and shivering. “Are you all right?”

  She grimaced. “Nothing a strong drink and a bath won’t cure.” And then she allowed herself a smile. “We did good! With help.”

  “Yes, we did,” Avery answered. “But it’s not over yet.”

  A shout up ahead distracted them. For a second, Avery couldn’t work out what was happening, and then Newton appeared, running through the men, encouraging them onwards. As soon as he saw them, he grinned.

  “You’re okay!”

  “Of course we are. There was never anything to worry about,” Avery said as confidently as she could. But he wasn’t really looking at her. Not that Briar seemed to care. She nodded and pushed past him, and Newton turned and followed, leaving Avery to walk alone.

  A flash of red and blue lights were visible in the darkness, and as they reached the car park, Avery saw a couple of police cars and an ambulance, and a few people who looked as if they’d come from the houses opposite the beach. The rain was easing to heavy rather than torrential, and a few uniformed officers ran up to the men, ushering them to the shelter in the nearest house. Alex and the others were talking to one of the officers. Newton had stopped following Briar and was standing alone, soaked and smoking a cigarette as he leaned on his car. She headed to his side. “Thanks for organising this.”

  He nodded to some of the houses behind them. “Someone called it in—which was good, because otherwise I would have had to. I didn’t want to risk one of the PCs seeing what was happening and getting involved. They said the lightning showed a group of men on the beach, who looked to be struggling.” He gave her a long look, his face clouded and uncertain. “Let’s hope there’s no video footage. Or it’s too unclear to see.” He paused for second. “I saw the Nephilim out there battling with the Mermaids.”

  “We couldn’t have done this without them, Newton. Their magic had these men utterly captivated. We might have saved a couple on our own, but that’s all.”

  He nodded as he looked into the distance, and then his gaze drifted to Briar for a brief second, where she stood at the back of the ambulance, wrapped in a towel. A myriad of emotions crossed his face. “All right. Thanks, Avery. I better head to the station and see what comes out of all this.” Another couple of police cars turned up and he walked away, as Avery looked for Alex.

  She saw him deep in conversation with Dan and she ran over, putting her arm around Alex’s waist. “How are you two?”

  Alex kissed the top of her head. “We’re fine.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Dan said. He looked white and his jaw was clenched, whether from fright or the cold Avery couldn’
t tell. “I might never go on another date again.”

  “Can you remember what happened?” Avery asked.

  “I remember the beach party, and then things get a bit blurred.” He looked behind him to the police. “I better go. I want a lift home. I’ll fudge stuff as much as I can with the police. And thanks, guys. I owe you. And you,” he said to Avery, “can explain to me exactly what really happened tonight with coffee and a pastry at work.”

  “Done!” Avery said, smiling.

  While the police were distracted with the other men, the witches headed back into the dunes. Briar was visibly shivering, and it made Avery realise how cold she was now that the adrenalin was wearing off.

  “There’s a big wave heading to White Haven,” Avery told the others. “We need to get Eve and Nate to safety, and then head to town.”

  “Avery,” Reuben said, shaking his head. “We don’t need to worry about town. Ulysses will deal with it. Come on.” And with that he headed across the dunes towards their original campfire.

  ***

  Eve and Nate were still crouched around the fire, in a perfectly warm, dry circle, protected from the raging storm by Eve’s magic.

  “So glad you two are so cosy here,” Reuben declared as they warmed themselves.

  “The advantages of being a weather witch. Lesson number one is how to keep dry. Did you save them?” Eve asked.

  “Yes, thanks to you,” Avery answered. “The men are safe, and the Nephilim were pretty brutal. We left them to it.”

  “Should we go back and try to help?” El asked. “Although, I would imagine they’ve finished by now.”

  Alex shook his head. “Gabreel was pretty clear that we shouldn’t interfere. I’ll try and contact him later. And they didn’t look like they were in trouble.”

  The three women laughed, and Briar put in, “No. They weren’t bothered by the Mermaids at all. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sight of them and their huge wings. That was impressive.”

  El nodded. “Revenge is a dish best served in the heart of a huge storm.”

  Eve smiled. “Good. Sit with me a few minutes while I ease this bad boy down.”

  “Much as I hate to leave your toasty fire, I want to see White Haven,” Avery said, unable to forget the image of the rising wave. “Anyone want to join me?”

  “I’ll come,” Alex said, rising to his feet.

  “Me, too,” Reuben volunteered. “It’s not every day you see a giant wave.”

  They reached the top of the dunes and looked towards the town. A rogue wave was rolling in. It was enormous, towering over everything and visible only as an intense blackness against the charcoal grey of the night sky. Avery felt her breath catch, and she heard Alex swear. Viewed through the rain it seemed like a mirage.

  “Are we sure Ulysses can handle this?” she asked, alarmed.

  But even before she’d finished her question, they saw the wave start to break, well outside of the harbour walls, falling in on itself, and then a wild, keening cry of grief was carried to them on the wind. Nixie.

  It was over.

  “I think we need a nightcap,” Reuben said. “Let’s head to mine.”

  27

  Reuben’s enormous living room was crowded, the fire was roaring, and everyone sat around cradling beer, wine, or whiskey.

  Ulysses and Oswald had arrived last with Avery after she went to find them at the harbour, and they both looked very pleased with themselves.

  “So, don’t keep us in the dark,” Eve said, grinning. “What happened?”

  Ulysses laughed, his voice as rich as chocolate ganache. “Well, she sure didn’t expect to see me.”

  “Nixie?” Avery asked. She sat on the floor between Alex’s legs, who was seated on the sofa behind her. She had managed to dry herself off, and warmth was flooding through her.

  Ulysses nodded. “We found her on the harbour wall, calling up the sea. It was her song that led us to her.”

  Oswald agreed. “She was oblivious and thoroughly enjoying herself. Her face,” he mused. “It was vicious. And then she saw Ulysses.”

  Ulysses laughed again. “It was a good thing you made such a brilliant storm, Eve. No one was around, or I’d have been arrested, because I tackled her straight into the water. She might have been half my size, but she’s full Mermaid and it’s her element. But I was able to drag her out into the deep. There was more out there than just the wave.”

  They all looked at him, drinks halfway to lips. “What do you mean by that?” Alex asked.

  “There was a pretty big deep ocean creature heading in; a Kraken. Don’t worry—it’s gone now. And it took Nixie with it. I don’t think it was too pleased at being dragged out here.”

  “A Kraken?” Nate asked, almost choking on his whiskey.

  Ulysses nodded. “They’re vicious things, but fortunately it took out its annoyance on Nixie, and then I dispelled the wave.”

  Avery smiled. “Thank you. We owe you.”

  He shook his head. “No, you don’t. And besides, we may need your help one day. And it was good for me, cathartic.”

  Oswald agreed. “I’m sorry the Council didn’t help more, but you have proven yourselves tonight.”

  Nate laughed. “The Council can be a bit precious, especially Genevieve. She definitely wanted you back on the Council, but she always wants things her way. I think she was trying to prove who was boss. I’m not sure it worked.”

  “She’s the lead witch, I have no problem with that,” Avery said, “but it was more than us at risk tonight. I’m not sure I understand her stance. Many people could’ve died tonight—or as good as, to be condemned to a life beneath the ocean.”

  “You have to remember,” Eve said regretfully, “that for many witches, our needs come before the needs of other communities. She didn’t want to risk anyone knowing about us, or things becoming more complicated. That’s the way it’s always been.”

  With the lights low and the fire crackling, it was hard to believe that just a few hours earlier they had been battling on Spriggan Beach beneath thunder and lightning.

  “Well,” Briar began, “I’ll be glad if life could return to some normality for a while. I have a business to run.”

  “Agreed,” Alex said. He looked across to Eve and Nate. “Our magic that falls over the town. Can you still feel it?”

  Eve nodded. “It’s certainly fading, and I channelled some of it tonight, which is why my storm was so good. Yes, I still feel it. But you know, you shouldn’t worry about that. While some creatures will sense it, not all will want to use it. Some are curious and are attracted to others like them. It can be a scary world out there for those with paranormal abilities. That’s why it’s best to keep them hidden.”

  Before anyone could answer, a heavy knock on the door disturbed them, and Reuben went to answer it. When he returned, Gabreel was with him, and his steely gaze swept the room.

  Alex leapt to his feet and walked over to shake his hand. “Gabreel, thank you so much for tonight.”

  “Our pleasure. It felt good to defeat the Daughters of Llyr. They will not come here again. At least not for many years.”

  “Come and sit,” Alex urged him.

  He shook his head. “No, I must join my brothers. I wanted you to know we will be on the moors beyond the town. We have found somewhere to stay for now, but we may need your help to become more,” he paused thoughtfully, “legitimate.”

  “We’ll do what we can,” Alex said, and Avery wondered what Newton would make of that.

  He turned and left, saying muted goodbyes, and then Nate rose to his feet, too. “Come on, Eve, we should go. I’m knackered.”

  Eve drained her glass. “You’re right. I’m going to sleep for a week I think. I’ll keep in touch, Avery.”

  Avery stood to hug her. “Yes, please. Safe travels.” She turned to hug Nate, too. “And to you. Thank you.”

  “Time for us to go, too,” Oswald said, sounding weary.

  After a round of hu
gs, handshakes, and promises to catch up soon, only the five White Haven witches remained.

  “More alcohol, anyone?” Reuben asked. “I’ve got plenty of beds.”

  “Yes please, and can we order food?” El asked, stretching like a cat. “I’m starving!”

  “It’s nearly midnight. No one delivers at this time,” Reuben said, reaching for the whisky bottle. “But there’s food in the kitchen—if someone wants to cook.”

  As they were talking, Avery heard the crunch of gravel and a car engine idling up the drive. “Who’s that?”

  “It’s probably Newton,” Alex answered. “I thought I’d let him know where we were. I’ll go let him in.”

  Avery glanced at Briar, but she was huddled in front of the fire, staring into the flames.

  Newton hesitated at the threshold of the lounge. “Am I welcome?”

  “Of course you are, you moron,” Reuben said affectionately. “There’s a glass here with your name on it.”

  “I’ve brought curry to bribe you with, if that helps,” he added, and Alex followed him with another couple of bags packed with cartons.

  El went to help him. “Brilliant, you must have read my mind.” She kissed Newton’s cheek as she wrestled a bag from his hands.

  Avery smiled. “You don’t need to bribe us. You’re always welcome.”

  “Even if you’re an ass,” Briar added, glancing up at him.

  Newton met her eyes and then looked at the rest of them, a rueful smile on his face. “You were all brilliant tonight, and so were the Nephilim. Well done, and sorry if I doubted you.”

  “You’re allowed to,” Alex said. “It was risky, but it paid off.”

  “I’m getting plates,” El said, heading out the door. “Newton, sit down, relax, and get drunk with the rest of us.”

  ***

  The next day, Alex and Avery left relatively early and headed back to Spriggan Beach, strolling hand in hand across the dunes and onto the flat sands.

  The sky was a pale, watery blue, as if the storm had scrubbed the colour from it. The beach was strewn with driftwood and seaweed, and the remains of the blackened wood from the bonfire sat in a soggy pile. The tide was out, and birds settled in the shallows and pulled worms from the wet sand.