High Witch Next Generation (Generations Book 2)

by Mona Hanna

  “Her sister found me out, so she might be on her way,” James said, turning back to Caeden. “We’d better do this quickly.”

  “Is she—” Caeden began.

  “She’s not a witch,” James interrupted. “Doesn’t mean she can’t hurt us.”

  Caeden nodded, then grabbed his arm and dragged him to a chair near Miranda. He tied James up, as they’d agreed to.

  Now to switch back.

  James had instigated them possessing each other, so he hoped he could be the one to make them switch back. He looked over at Miranda once more, again noticing the look of utter despair on her face. He didn’t understand it, but right now didn’t need to.

  He shut his eyes and concentrated, focusing on going back into his own body. He felt nothing at first, then suddenly was himself. He was in his body. He looked over and saw Miranda, as herself, seated by him.

  Caeden untied him, and when James stood, Caeden suddenly hugged him. He stepped back quickly, but James was astounded. Caeden hadn’t hugged him since they were children.

  James awkwardly turned away, then looked at Erica.

  “We’re not going to release you until you break the spell you cast on James,” Erica said, standing before Miranda. “We can wait all night.”

  “I won’t,” Miranda said. “My sister will save me.”

  “She’s not a witch—I can stop her.”

  Silence.

  “Who’s Benjamin?” James asked. “What happened to him and your parents?”

  Miranda looked at him with wide eyes. “How do you know about them? How did you figure out you could possess me?”

  James wasn’t about to feel sorry for her, but he wondered at how she appeared more like a worried child than a villain who intended to commit murder. “I’ll tell you if you break the spell.”

  Miranda looked away from him. “I’ll never break the spell, not until my job is done.”

  “But why in the world do you want to kill our mothers?” Erica asked. “Yes, we know about that. Miranda, we’re not going to hurt you. We just want you to break the spell. But I do want to know what wrong you think Ariel and Hallie committed against your family. Tell us. I don’t believe they’ve done anything wrong, but if they have, I want to know about it.”

  Miranda glared at Erica. “Don’t believe they’ve done anything wrong? How would you know? You were a baby at the time—most of you weren’t even born. You know nothing of how your mothers hurt me and mine. Nothing! And they thought they were doing good! How could they be so stupid!” Miranda took deep breaths, her face red with fury.

  Erica covered her face with her hands, sighed deeply, and then looked back at Miranda. To James’s astonishment Erica knelt before the girl, gazing up at her. “This is about the fire, isn’t it? You lost your family members that day. The day Ariel and Hallie cast the spell.”

  But Miranda only looked away. “You don’t know. You think you do, but you don’t. My parents did die in that fire, but Benjamin….” Her eyes filled with tears and she faced Erica. “He didn’t deserve what happened to him. None of us did. I’m not going to stop—I owe it to Benji, I owe it to my sister. It shouldn’t have happened. He shouldn’t have died.” Miranda burst out crying. She lowered her head, her tears falling down her face.

  Erica withdrew a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and reached towards Miranda’s face, then wiped away her tears. “Tell us. Tell us what happened.”

  Miranda choked back more tears. “I won’t. You won’t understand.”

  “You don’t know that. You’re going to be stuck here until this is over. Tell us the truth. At least then we’ll know what this is about.”

  Miranda kept her head down for a while, then looked at Erica. Finally she began to speak.

  ***

  They’d lived on the other side of the world at the time. There were seven of them: baby Miranda, who was just three months; Benjamin, who was three; Felicia, six; Robert, ten; and Leona was the eldest at twelve. Their father worked as a healer while their mother took care of the children. Leona had said their parents were the kindest, most loving people you could hope for. They were very much in love and even had notions of having more children. They lived in a beautiful large home with a meadow behind it, and everyone was loved and cherished.

  Then their parents went to town one day without the children and never returned. There had been a fire that destroyed the center of town, leaving few survivors, and their parents were among those who lost their lives.

  The children were sent to live with their mother’s much older sister and her husband. There was no one else who could take care of them, as their grandparents had passed away and they had no other aunts or uncles. They weren’t wanted by their new carers, least of all the youngest children. And they were treated as such.

  Miranda had only a few memories of living with her aunt and uncle, except for her last year with them, when she was five. But she had the scars on her body to show the years of abuse she’d endured. They were all beaten and scalded, as well as emotionally abused. None were spared being told they were useless, ugly, stupid, worthless, and hated.

  Then the physical torment turned to tragedy.

  When Benjamin was eight, he was beaten to death by their aunt in front of his brother and sisters. Only Leona was out. Miranda can still remember screaming and screaming as she watched. Their uncle held Robert back to prevent him from saving Benjamin.

  Somehow their aunt and uncle got away with the murder, although the children never knew how. The following year, when Leona turned eighteen, she took them away, and she worked and raised them. Leona never forgave herself for being out the day Benjamin died. She’d told Miranda her punishment was to never marry and have children of her own. She blamed herself almost as much as she blamed the two women she held responsible for their parents’ death, leading to their years of horror.

  Their parents had died in the fire caused by the spell the High Witches had cast eighteen years ago to give all witches extra power, to enable them to escape harm. Their aunt and uncle told Leona the story of the spell and how the High Witches knew a dark force would be unleashed by casting it. Ariel and Hallie knew people would die and did it anyway. A spell that only protects women and could do nothing to save an eight-year-old boy.

  Leona instilled in her siblings the fact that the High Witches were responsible for the family members they’d lost. Robert and Felicia wanted nothing to do with Leona when they reached adulthood. All Leona had left was Miranda, who’d known no other true mother. But Miranda remembered Benji, who’d been her best friend. So she agreed to Leona’s plan to kill the High Witches.

  She’d been raised to believe in their guilt. It was her truth.

  Chapter 11

  James finally understood what this was all about. Looking at the wounded girl before him, he felt she’d been raised to grow up and seek revenge. Her, because she had the magical power to do so, and because Leona had no one else. He didn’t hate Miranda anymore. But they still had to stop her.

  Erica, still kneeling before Miranda, put her hand on the girl’s knee. “I understand why you feel you need to seek revenge, but trust me when I say it won’t help. You’ll destroy our lives, and then you’ll have to live for the rest of your life with the horror in your heart that you murdered two people. I don’t hate you—I can hardly hate you when you’re a product of such tragedy. But your torment didn’t stop when you left your aunt and uncle’s home. Leona hurt you too. She had no right to ask you to kill people for her, to undergo this plan you’ve had. It wasn’t fair to you.”

  Miranda shook her head. “But she raised me. She gave up her life to raise us.”

  “It’s still not right. I understand your loyalty to your sister, but you need to stop now, Miranda. Break the spell. The only thing that will ever heal you is letting go. Break the spell, please.”

  Miranda gazed at Erica for a long time, and James wondered if she was going to give in. If she didn’t, what were they g
oing to do? How could they stop her? What could they say to convince her?

  Suddenly there was a loud banging on the front door. “Miranda!” a voice screamed.

  Erica gasped, then fled the room.

  “Leona!” Miranda cried.

  James ran into the front room as Leona kept banging on the door.

  Their parents hurried out of their bedrooms, Father reaching the door first. “What is this? Who are you?” he shouted.

  Glass suddenly flew everywhere as a large rock was hurled through the front window. Leona smashed the remaining glass with another rock, but Ariel reached out an arm and froze her in a stream of white light before she could enter the house.

  Ariel looked at Erica with wide eyes. “What in the world is going on?”

  Erica exchanged glances with James. “Mother, I….”

  “Hallie, go into the boys’ room. I thought I heard shouting from there.”

  Hallie hurried to the twins’ bedroom, and they heard her arguing with Caeden.

  Ariel let out a deep breath, her arm still held out to keep Leona frozen. “Brayden, Sean, go out and bring the woman inside. The magic will be broken briefly, but I’ll still her again. Erica, sit and tell me everything. Whatever you all are involved in, it’s gone too far.”

  James almost felt relieved the parents were going to help them. But he was also afraid.

  ***

  Erica sat in silence after telling her mother the whole story. Everyone was gathered in the front room, except Miranda, who was still tied up, and Father, who was watching her. Leona was being held by Sean, struggling in his arms but no match for his strength. Hallie was fiercely hugging James and wouldn’t let go.

  Mother sighed deeply. “Despite the fact that trying to handle this without informing us terrifies me, you at least found Miranda. The problem is, how to have her break the spell on James, and how to stop both Miranda and Leona coming after us again. I’ll have to talk to Miranda.”

  “Mother, wait. I was handling this. I know we should have told you what was happening, but I think I can convince Miranda to do the right thing. I don’t think she wants to hurt you or Hallie. I think she’s been brainwashed into thinking this way.”

  “You don’t know what she wants,” Leona spat out. “I raised her! She wants what I do! If I could kill you both myself, I would.”

  “But you can’t, so you tried to force your innocent sister to do your bidding,” Erica said. “I know you both suffered greatly, but would Miranda have done any of this without your insistence? Or would she have moved on and tried to lead a normal life? You’ve dragged her down with you, but this revenge is about you, not her. It was never about her.”

  Leona glared at Erica but said nothing.

  Erica looked at Mother, who stared quietly for a long while. Then she nodded and Erica breathed a sigh of relief, then went to talk to Miranda. It was time to finish this.

  Entering the twins’ bedroom, Erica knelt before Miranda once more.

  “Miranda, listen to me. This is your life. You have to do what you think is right, not what someone is ordering you to do. Leona will be stopped from trying to act out any of her plans again, and I promise we’ll protect you. You can join the coven—you can start over. Just release the spell on James. I beg of you.”

  Miranda sat very still. She looked at Erica, then at the doorway. Erica turned and saw James standing there. Miranda sniffed loudly. “I—I can’t…. Leona—”

  “Never should have asked you to do this. She can’t force you anymore. You’re free.”

  The look in Miranda’s eyes gave Erica hope. Miranda also seemed to have hope—perhaps, Erica thought, for the first time. “I’m so sorry,” Miranda whispered, and then she shut her eyes and lowered her head. There was a long moment of silence.

  Then James heaved, falling to his knees. Erica and Father hurried over to him. James rested his palms on the ground, as if trying not to collapse, and then he breathed a huge sigh of relief. “I—I’m free,” he said.

  Erica rested a hand on his shoulder, relieved herself. She then went over and untied Miranda, and, when the girl stood, enveloped her in a huge hug.

  Miranda stood still, then gently put her arms around Erica. “I’m sorry,” she said when Erica stepped back. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I forgive you,” Erica said, “but it’s not me you really need to apologize to.”

  Miranda bit her lip and looked over at James. She hesitated, then walked up to him. “I never should have done this to you. I apologize for the pain I caused you.”

  James nodded. “Thank you. I’m sorry you lost your parents and brother.”

  Miranda looked down, began to turn away, but then turned back. “How did you figure out you could possess me? And the other things you knew?”

  “Well, Erica hypnotized me to see if I could remember how to get back to your house. I entered your head. I could hear you talking to Leona, and it clicked that the bond went both ways.”

  Miranda took a deep breath. “Oh. I guess this was doomed to begin with. For that, I’m glad.” She walked towards Erica, and when she reached her, Erica took her hand.

  “Ready?”

  “Ready.”

  ***

  “Tell me you didn’t break the spell.”

  Miranda stood before Leona, who was still being held by Sean. Everyone else was gathered around the room. “I had to. I don’t want to hurt these people. Leona, I….” Miranda shut her eyes for a moment. Could she really break free from her sister? Was it that simple? She felt so bound to her, was so bound. Leona was her whole life. How could this end?

  “I love you,” Miranda said, looking in Leona’s eyes. “I always will, but this is wrong. I won’t hurt anyone, not for you or anybody else. I miss Benji with all my heart, but he wouldn’t have wanted us to turn out this way. This all has to stop.”

  The look in Leona’s eyes turned Miranda’s blood cold, but she had to stand firm. Then suddenly her sister’s expression changed. “At least let me hug you good-bye. I’m not likely to see you ever again.”

  “I—alright.”

  Miranda looked at Sean, who frowned but released her. Miranda stepped forward, Leona also moving towards her, but then Leona abruptly changed directions, hurling herself towards Ariel, pulling a knife from the back of her trousers.

  “Mother!”

  Ariel thrust out her arm, fire exploding at her fingertips, smothering Leona from head to foot. She collapsed, the magical fire blazing across her body.

  In a matter of moments, there were only cinders.

  ***

  Erica hugged Miranda for a long time while she cried as they sat on a settee. Mother and Father sat across from them, and everyone else was in their bedrooms. It was near dawn. Plans would be made in the morning for Miranda to stay with one of the women from the coven. What happened next would unravel over the coming days and weeks. Erica was exhausted, but most of all felt saddened that Miranda had lost another family member. But at least the danger was over.

  Finally Miranda sat back, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “You aren’t alone,” Erica said. “You have Hallie and the coven, and you can write to me whenever you want.”

  Miranda nodded. “Okay. I hope everyone can move on from this.”

  To Erica’s surprise, Mother smiled. “We’ve been through worse. At least you did the right thing in the end. You’re not a bad person, Miranda. I want you to remember that.”

  She smiled weakly. “Thank you.”

  There was a moment of silence, and then Mother stood. “Breakfast,” she said. “Then you and I are going to have a long talk.” Mother stared at Erica for a moment.

  Oh dear.

  ***

  A few hours later, Sean and Miranda stood at the front door. He was going to escort her home to pack her things before taking her to her new temporary home. Everyone was gathered around, with Erica and James at the front of the group.

 
“I’ll write to you, soon, Erica,” she said.

  “And I’ll write back. Take care of yourself.”

  Miranda nodded, then turned to James. “For what it’s worth, Gwen likes you too.” She half-smiled, then walked down the front path.

  Erica almost grinned at the shocked look on James’s face. Miranda was very sweet to care enough to tell him that after the trauma of losing her sister. She would take years to heal, but Hallie and the coven would help her, and maybe Miranda could reunite with her remaining siblings. There was hope.

  Chapter 12

  The rest of their holiday was uneventful, which was a welcome relief. Sean scolded James and Caeden several times for keeping secrets, while Hallie kept hugging James, annoying him tremendously. Mother was fine after a couple of days, having had a talk with Erica about not hiding things from her. Then their talk turned to motherhood and marriage, and the following days became more joyous, all the pressure and worry among the children dissipating. Erica was finally able to relax and enjoy thinking about the future, and she cuddled and kissed Gareth as much as possible. The days flew by until it was time to go home. Everyone was sad to say good-bye, but knew the next time they met, there would be a wedding to celebrate.

  ***

  “I can’t believe you’re engaged,” Julia said. She was sitting on Erica’s bed three weeks after Erica and her family had arrived home. “I’m so happy for you! And I can’t wait to be Aunt Julia.”

  Erica smiled. “I look forward to that too. I’m so nervous about the wedding, though. Mother wants to invite dozens of people. I’d prefer something smaller.”

  Julia snorted. “Sorry, sweetie, but we’re talking about your family here. Half the town will be there. Oh, you look terrified.”