Mystic Coven: Winter Wiccan (Supernatural Academy Graduates Book 2)
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Mystic Coven- Winter Wiccan
Jennifer Rose McMahon
Copyright © 2020 by Jennifer Rose McMahon
All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously or are entirely fictional.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover design by Sanja Gombar
Dubhdara Publishing
www.jenniferrosemcmahon.com
Contents
Praise for Jennifer Rose McMahon
Free Prequel to the Pirate Queen Series
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
Afterword
About the Author
Also by Jennifer Rose McMahon
Sample of Urban Mystic Academy
Praise for Jennifer Rose McMahon
“McMahon's excellent paranormal mystery. Teen and adult readers alike will be clamoring for the sequel."
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
”Engaging, beautifully written scenes, and idyllic descriptions keep the tale moving at a quick pace. The characters are engaging and they draw a person in to this tale of adventure and intrigue. Adrenaline-fueled action and enough twists and turns to keep even the most astute readers on their toes, this is a captivating story with a heroine who is forcefully engaging."
InD'tale Magazine
”As Chieftain of The O'Malley Clan I am always interested in anything to do with Granuaile, our very famous Pirate Queen ancestor. Jennifer's novel captures the connection with the past which we treasure in Ireland. The Irish landscape, contemporary social life, the Irish language, and romance are woven into this fantasy story about Maeve Grace O'Malley and her quest to solve her 'Awake Dreams'. I am certainly looking forward to the sequel. More BOHERMORE please!"
Sarah Kelly, O'Malley Clan Chieftain 2017
Enjoy a free copy of Rockfleet, the prequel to Jennifer Rose McMahon’s Pirate Queen series.
AN ANCIENT CURSE. A RELUCTANT SEER.
A LEGEND REVEALED.
Cursed with the gift of second sight, Maeve travels through her haunting visions to medieval Ireland to discover mysterious secrets within her clan – secrets that could change her life forever.
Maeve must face her unseen enemies in a final attempt to protect her clan from obliteration. But will the heart-wrenching distraction of the rival clan chieftain’s son derail her before she is able to succeed and return to the future?
In the quest of a lifetime, or centuries of lifetimes, Maeve must make an impossible choice between love and loyalty to end her curse before her time runs out, trapping her in the past forever.
If you knew your gift was a curse, would you use it?
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MYSTIC COVEN - WINTER WICCAN
BOOK TWO
by Jennifer Rose McMahon
Chapter 1
They have a name for the supernatural academy student who graduates at the bottom of her class.
Rogue witch.
But when she rises up as the honored academy ambassador and the most badass coven leader she was always meant to be, they have a new name for her.
High Priestess
And this was the latest title I was struggling to get used to.
I'd actually grown comfortable with my prior moniker of Rogue Witch and even missed it. The derogatory label didn't carry as much pressure and presumptuous high standards to live up to. And in all honesty, as much as I had shunned it, the term rogue wasn't that far off the mark.
I still struggled to control my fire element without the assistance of my coven. And controlling anything else, like my temper or my impulsivity, would always be my weakness. At least as a rogue witch, I knew who I was and had grown comfortable in my own awkward skin.
But now the stakes were higher.
The Higher Order saw to that with their new unspoken expectations of what I would be capable of. The academy leaders had always had blind faith in my abilities and my lineage. But now, I'd come to realize, it hadn't been so blind.
So, now it was time for me to leave my insecurities behind and focus on creating the strongest coven Hazeldene House had ever seen.
The Mystic Coven.
My best friends. My family.
Stories were told of the existence of only one other coven that held similar strength as ours. They'd called themselves the UMAs. And their legend carried tales of portals, shape-shifters, and soul seekers, beyond anything we'd ever dreamed possible. They were the fairy tale told to the youngest students and new recruits of the academy—the stories that made them believe anything was possible.
And now, with my new coven taking its rank next in line to the Higher Order, our role within Hazeldene jumped to full-blown relevant.
Staring up at the stars, I took a huge inhale of the early winter evening. Glowing light from the waning moon illuminated the white balustrade that lined the edge of the terrace, and I peered through its numerous bulbous columns. The tranquility of autumn’s end hung in the air as I enjoyed the final, quiet moments of my favorite season.
So much had happened over the past several weeks, my head was finally beginning to slow in its spinning. I'd formed the new coven with Clayton, Noah and Piper, and Hattie and Asher. The six of us fit together perfectly when we combined our gifts. And after the Fire Festival, everyone at Hazeldene knew we were different. We'd generated something bigger than ourselves, something that was so much more powerful than we'd ever imagined possible.
I shook my head in disbelief of what we'd accomplished in such a short time together. We'd helped Hattie generate a portal strong enough that it allowed us to pull Ms. Reed through. I still couldn't believe it had all actually happened.
With a satisfied huff, I glanced through the balustrade again, certain I'd heard my breathy sound bounce back at me. Straining to hear any other noise coming from the darkness, I stood and stepped closer to the rail. Through narrowed eyes, I focused on the shadows that lingered by the edge of the bordering trees. Scanning the surroundings for any movement, I dropped my shoulders from my ears as the silence of the evening steadied my nerves.
Moving back, I prepared to sit again, but just as I began lowering myself down, the sound of whooshing air straightened my spine again. Almost like a sniff or a snort, the sound proved I wasn't alone. Glancing up at the high glass doors behind me, I planned my escape route. But then the unusual sound continued, raising my curiosity to the point of requiring investigation.
I stepped across the terrace and leaned over the railing.
"Who's there?" I whispered into the darkness.
My question was answered with only silence.
"I know you're there," I said. "I hear you breathing."
/> As soon as I said the words, I pictured Asher and Hattie fooling around, spying on me. They were supposed to be in bed at this time, but still, I wouldn't put it past them.
As my racing heart slowed, I hung over the rail as my feet lifted from the stone tiles.
"Where are you?" I called playfully.
And then, quick movement in the shadows caught my eye as it skirted along the edge of the terrace. I shot back off the railing and moved to the stairs, stepping down onto the lawn.
As I searched the direction of the motion, I moved away from the dark nooks created by the high gables and overhanging balconies of the manor. Images of the creepy-looking gargoyles that lurked along the drain pipes flashed through my mind, taunting me. The gothic manor was scary enough in the daytime, let alone at night. It was easy for one's imagination to run away with them.
Like now.
I swallowed hard as I looked back toward the stairs I'd stepped down only seconds earlier. Why did they suddenly seem so far away?
Moving with silent steps, I crept toward them, glancing over my shoulder to be sure I wasn't followed.
And just as I reached the stairs, hot breath moved across the back of my neck as the rumble of a low growl stopped my heart short.
I spun around as fear caught hold of me, and I raised my hands in a defensive stance. As I stared into the darkness around me, my eyes focused on a massive form hovering just out of reach. My pupils shot wide in terror as I gazed into the shining eyes and glistening fangs of an enormous wolf.
It huffed with deep breaths, heaving its massive shoulders. Waves of black fur camouflaged its other features within the darkness as it stared down on me. With my heart pounding in my ears, I choked on the scream that welled up from within me.
With one pounce, the over-sized wolf could destroy me, and judging by the stealth focus in its eyes, it planned to do just that.
"No!" I choked. "Go away!" I clapped my hands as I stumbled back on the steps.
Tears sprang to my eyes as the beast snorted the air again, this time with a deep growl that vibrated through my shaking bones.
Lowering its head, it took a step closer, snapping a branch under its heavy paw.
As terror surged through me, I lifted my hands again to stop its advance, and this time, a purple glow shot from my palms.
It was my fire.
Somehow, it generated within my hands, even through my inability to focus in any way.
The purple flames flickered from my palms, illuminating the space between us with an ethereal hue.
The wolf shook its massive head and stepped back from the crackling sparks. It narrowed its eyes on me one last time as it turned toward the trees.
As my air whooshed out, I pushed all of my force into my hands to keep the flames building. The shake in my muscles made it near impossible to focus my energy, and then, my attention snapped back toward the terrace.
The sound of the glass doors bursting open caused my flame to extinguish.
"Shaye?"
Clayton's voice shot through the darkness.
I gasped, attempting to breathe again.
And as I turned back on the wolf, I saw only its shadow as it blended into the trees.
I stared into the woods, searching for any sign of the wolf. The twist in my gut mixed fear with intrigue, causing me to wince in annoyance. Why had I always been drawn to danger? It was one of my most bothersome traits.
But I couldn't help it.
The wolf was one of the most powerful creatures I'd ever seen. It could end me with only one strike. And if Clayton hadn't come out when he did, that strike might have happened.
"Shaye, I've been looking for you." Clayton stepped closer and immediately took his rigid stance. "What happened?"
He reached for my hands, feeling the residual heat that radiated off them. Studying my face, he had no problem recognizing the terror in my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to hide it.
"There was a wolf," I muttered, still struggling to take a full breath.
He pulled me from the edge of the terrace, away from the stairs, scanning the darkness for motion.
"It's gone now, into the woods," I said. "You scared it off."
"Jesus, Shaye, why the hell were you so close to it?"
His judgy tone shot me between the eyes, but for once, he wasn't wrong in his accusation.
I glanced back at the woods. "I, I didn't realize at first. It snuck up on me."
Clayton's arm tightened around my shoulders as he moved me toward the safety of the manor. As we headed through the tall glass doors, he took one of my hands and studied it.
"You used your fire?"
I glanced at my palm in confusion.
"Maybe because you were close," I said. "I must have picked up on your energy."
Squeezing my hand tight, I thought back to the moment I'd generated the flame. Typically, I needed the fuel of another element to make my fire. Clayton's earth element fed my fire element perfectly, particularly since his energy was always near-explosive. That would explain why I was able to conjure my fire so easily.
"Well, I'm glad I didn't catch sight of the wolf," he said. "My nerves are already tweaked to their highest notch." He shook his head. "I'm pretty sure there would have been a throw-down."
I knew exactly what he was saying.
If Clayton had sensed danger near me, his beast would have erupted instantly. I imagined it for a minute. The wolf and Clayton's beast. It would have been a close match. Their massive sizes and powerful muscle structure were similar enough where it would be a true fight to the end.
My eyes closed in relief that the confrontation never happened.
But then, the twinge in my gut, like butterflies, proved my inner intrigue.
Clayton would be amazing, and seeing him in his beast form was by far the hottest thing I'd ever laid eyes on.
But then I shook my head to clear the misguided thoughts. Seeing Clayton in any kind of danger was the last thing I'd ever want. But still, imagining the skirmish was harmless enough and entertaining beyond belief.
Clayton's eyes narrowed on me, and I blushed under his gaze.
He could read me like a book, and shame washed over me.
"You know I'd do it for you," he said, scooping his arm around my waist, pulling me close.
"I know," I grinned, feeling every part of his muscular body against mine.
Then all I could think about was being close to him. In every way. His power over me was maddening, but at the same time, I loved it.
But there was something about this moment that was different. Something was off.
"You still feel unsettled," I said. "Like your energy is tweaking. Are you okay?"
His muscles twitched as if he were attempting to control himself with every ounce of effort.
"I think the wolf encounter just through me a bit," he said, brushing it off.
"No, I don't think so," I said. "There's more."
"Does there have to be more? A wolf just nearly devoured you," he barked.
His unnerved tone caught me off-guard.
But he was right. My encounter with the wolf could have gone very badly. If Clayton hadn't shown up when he did...
"I'm sorry," he said, pressing his hands over his eyes. "I'm a bit testy." He looked at me as he pressed his lips together. "I mean, the Drawing Down the Moon ritual will be here soon, and you still haven't told me your decision."
My eyes widened as I understood his angst.
I'd been avoiding the inevitable. The biggest decision of my life. And the clock was ticking.
My choice would have a profound impact on Clayton—keeping me or losing me.
And he struggled to hide the fear in his eyes.
But at the same time, he offered his support in allowing me to make the right choice.
"I just need to know," he said. "Will you be leaving Hazeldene? Will you be going home?"
Clayton's words resonated through my bones, reminding me of my desperate
predicament.
I'd rescued Ms. Reed from the abyss of the in-between. The combined power of the coven, and Hattie's ability to generate portals, allowed for Ms. Reed's long-awaited return, but she had returned with an unexpected message.
And her message carried the truth of my existence.
My parent had sent me here to Hazeldene for my training. I'd never known my origin story, having no memory of the time from my life before arriving at the academy. But now, Ms. Reed had enlightened me.
I'd already figured out that Hattie, our new recruit, was my sister. Our connection had been undeniable from the start. But it was only when we'd connected our faint memories and allowed the power of the labyrinth to show us the truth that we fully understood our family tie.
But the part that blew my mind the most was when Ms. Reed informed me that my parents were ready for me to return home.
My training was complete.
And now, it was time to go back and help my family face the struggles that surrounded them.
Witch hunts. Hysteria. Mobs. Hangings.
It was the stuff of horror movies and nightmares.
But my truth, my origin, was that I was the child of a gifted family who lived in the chaos of the 1600s.
And now that I'd graduated from the esteemed Hazeldene Academy, my preliminary training complete, they wanted me to come home.
The thought of leaving Hazeldene terrified me.
I'd finally gained some control over my unusual gifts, found my lost sister, and fell for a guy who thrilled me.
I had a place here at Hazeldene. One that held a promising future as an alumni mentor, and now as a High Priestess coven leader. For once, things were falling together for me.