Undying Magic

by TJ Green

  They had all been worried that some vampires had escaped, but if they had, they’d been quiet, and there were no other disappearances or strange deaths that had been attributed to them. “No, fortunately, which is good because we now have a headstrong fey on our hands.”

  They arrived at the long table, and Avery filled her plate as Nate frowned. “Ah yes, the survivor from the Wild Hunt. I’m intrigued.”

  Avery laughed, or at least tried to laugh. “Her name is Shadow, and she’s driving us mad, the Nephilim included. She’s an absolute force of nature! She’s using Dan, who works in my shop, as her own personal myth-ometer.” She rolled her eyes. “He loves every minute of it. I guess it’s good that someone does!”

  Nate studied her for a moment. “Eve mentioned her to me, but what’s Shadow trying to do? Get back to the Otherworld?”

  “And treasure hunt at the same time. You know, find ancient artefacts and sell them for a high price.”

  “And will the Nephilim help her?”

  “I think so. They’re trying to find their way in our world, and to make money. They think this will be lucrative. And let’s face it, they’re supernatural creatures. They have a natural interest in this sort of thing.”

  Nate looked troubled, and Eve said, “Nate’s worried, because he thinks she could find things that are best left hidden.”

  “You’re probably right, Nate,” Avery said, worry stirring within her again. “But there’s little we can do to stop them. I think we’ll just have to manage the consequences.”

  “But those consequences could be big,” he pointed out. “Any black market for art, drugs, or guns will always attract the worst kind of people. A market for mythical objects won’t be any different—except for maybe having supernatural buyers. She may even want to steal what’s already been found for her own uses.”

  Avery had a sudden image of Shadow breaking into museums and raiding their displays. Nate was right. She could definitely see that happening.

  “Although,” Eve countered, “the Nephilim and Shadow are very capable of looking after themselves. If you ask me, anyone who takes them on would be an idiot.”

  Avery sighed. “True. An even better reason for us to remain on their good side.”

  Avery spent the next hour or two mingling with the other witches, glad of the chance to talk to Ulysses and Oswald, and then Jasper, Claudia, and a few others. The fire was now blazing, and they sat around it on old deck chairs and logs in an effort to keep warm. They were nearly ready to return to the warmth of Rasmus’s house when Caspian arrived at her side. Caspian lived in Harecombe, the town next to White Haven, and like Avery was an elemental Air witch. His relationship with their coven had started badly, but over time things were improving.

  “Avery,” he murmured, his dark eyes appraising her. “How are you?”

  “Pretty good,” she replied. “How’s your wound?” She was referring to the deep cut on his chest caused by a vampire.

  He rubbed it absently. “Better now, thanks to Briar. It felt like it had poison in it for a while—maybe it had. Let’s face it, we don’t know much even now about vampires, do we?”

  “No, and if I’m honest, I’d like to keep it that way.” She remembered that Gabe was now working for Caspian. “How’s it going with the Nephilim as security guards?”

  “Good, but I’m not surprised. Gabe has a strong work ethic, and they’re imposing. No one argues with them.”

  Avery was curious. “Your company doesn’t work with occult goods, does it? Why did you want Gabe?”

  “We hide enough of ourselves in everyday life, don’t we? I thought it would be good to have honest conversations with as many people as possible. Life can be lonely otherwise.” He held her gaze for a moment before returning back to the fire.

  Avery knew Caspian seemed to have developed an interest in her, but she refused to be drawn in, instead deciding to tease him. “You need to find a girlfriend. You’re a catch, surely, with your wealth and big house. I’d have thought you’d be battling them away.”

  “Is that all I am? Money?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.

  Avery had been flippant, and certainly hadn’t meant to cause offence, but this was a topic she wanted to steer clear of. “No, of course not. And anyone who is interested in only that clearly isn’t worth your time.”

  “You don’t care for money, do you?” he asked, watching her.

  “Not particularly.” Avery started to get annoyed. He was being a flirt, and she didn’t like it. “And stop it, Caspian.”

  “Stop what?”

  “You know what. I’m with Alex. I love Alex.” As she said it, she glanced up and saw Alex across the fire, deep in conversation with Genevieve. As if he sensed her looking, he glanced her way and smiled, before turning away again.

  Caspian stared at his feet. “I know.”

  Immediately, Avery felt terrible, which annoyed her even more. “Maybe you should turn your attention to someone who’s free.”

  “But where’s the fun in that?”

  Now she knew he was baiting her. “I’ll stop talking to you if you keep this up.”

  “Oh, please don’t, we have so much fun!”

  She was about to say something unpleasant, when she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see Reuben’s large frame looming over her. “We’re heading back to the house, and then home. Coming?”

  “Sure,” she said, grateful for the interruption, and swiftly rose to her feet. “See you soon, Caspian.”

  He nodded and turned back to the fire, and Avery fell into step beside her coven, feeling Alex’s arm slide around her waist. Alex’s strength was spirit-based, and he was able to banish demons and ghouls, and use his intuitiveness to scry, spirit-walk, and communicate with ghosts. He was also skilled with elemental Fire, and as an added bonus for Avery, he loved her, despite all her quirks.

  Reuben and El, both tall and fair-haired, walked just a few steps ahead. Reuben was an elemental Water witch, who was still coming to grips with his powers after neglecting them for years. It had taken the death of his brother, Gil, to bring him back to magic. El was skilled with fire and metal work, wore lots of jewellery, and like Reuben, had several tattoos. Briar, the fifth member of their coven, was petite, with long dark hair, and a natural affinity for Earth magic and healing. She was a caring, gentle soul, who had just started a relationship with Hunter, the wolf-shifter who lived in Cumbria, and she was keeping very quiet about it.

  Being with them brought Avery more pleasure than she could describe. She had resisted joining a coven for so long, but now these four amazing people were family. They completed her. She smiled and nestled against Alex, feeling a sudden flash of guilt about Caspian’s behaviour, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “What’s Caspian done?” he asked. It was as if he’d read her mind, and she loved him for it.

  “Nothing, really. Just flirting, even though he knows it’s useless.”

  A trace of annoyance flashed across Alex’s face. “Doesn’t stop him trying though, does it?”

  Avery hugged him harder. “I ignore it, and so should you.”

  “I try. Don’t worry, I’m not about to get violent.”

  He pulled her to a halt and kissed her, and Reuben grimaced as he glanced at them. “Oh, you two, get a room.”

  Alex flipped him off. “Sod off, Reuben.”

  Reuben just laughed, and El punched his arm. “Stop being naughty.”

  “You normally like it,” he teased, as he increased his pace.

  The house came into view, as did Rasmus, greeting them on the broad patio that stretched across the back of his old home. His place wasn’t as old as Reuben’s, and it was made of faded red brick rather than mellow stone, but it was eccentric, just like he was.

  Avery broke away from Alex and went to his side, hugging him. “Thanks, Rasmus. It was great to finally be here and celebrate Imbolc with you. You have an amazing home.”

  Rasmus smiled, h
is old face dissolving into wrinkles. “Thank you, Avery. You’re welcome anytime. Are you sure you don’t want to stay? I have room.”

  When she’d first met him, Avery had thought him gruff and quite scary, but now she was incredibly fond of Rasmus, especially knowing now what she did of his past. “No, it won’t take us long to get home. And besides, we all have to work in the morning.” Newquay was on the north coast of Cornwall, and their trip to White Haven on the south coast would only take about 45 minutes.

  Briar hugged Rasmus, too. “I’m sure after having to put up with us all, you’ll be glad to have the place to yourself.”

  “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it,” he remonstrated. He turned to Alex and gripped his proffered hand. “Alex, thank you. The White Haven witches have been a welcome addition to our coven.”

  “And we’re glad to be part of it,” Alex replied.

  While the others talked, Avery looked back towards the trees, noting the feeling of peace and gentle magic that came from them. Rasmus’s family and the Cornwall Coven had celebrated there for years, and the wood seemed to have absorbed the positive energy. A line of lanterns lit the way to the clearing, but the fire itself was lost to view. She was about to turn away when she felt a prickle run down her spine, as if she was being watched. She stared into the darkness and saw a figure standing a short distance away from the path, just at the edge of the wood. Avery blinked. She could have sworn the figure hadn’t been there a second before. She stared on, waiting for whoever it was to come fully into view. It must be one of the other witches; although, it was odd that they wouldn’t have followed the path. The undergrowth was thick in places.

  The figure didn’t move. Whoever it was just stood there, watching her. Avery could see a pale face, but it was impossible to tell if it was male or female. And then, as quickly as the person had appeared, the voyeur went. Avery squinted and blinked again. Was she seeing things?

  “Are you okay?” Briar said to her, following her eye line. “What are you looking at?”

  “I could have sworn I saw someone at the edge of the trees, but they’ve just vanished!”

  Briar frowned. “It’s dark, and the lanterns throw uneven light, or maybe it was one of the witches enjoying the solitude.”

  “Maybe.” Avery finally turned away. “And it’s late and I’m probably overtired.”

  But as they said their goodbyes and finally left, Avery couldn’t help but look over her shoulder again, convinced that someone had been silently watching them all.

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  Author’s Note

  Thank you for reading Undying Magic, the fifth book in the White Haven Witches series. I thought it was about time to introduce vampires to the White Haven paranormal world. However, as you can see, I wanted to keep them inhuman and inherently evil; I hope you like my version.

  As usual, I have mixed myths and legends into my fictional world, and of course kept my focus on the witches. They are the heart of this series, and I love them all. I try to represent witchcraft honestly and positively, but of course, I have taken some liberties with facts.

  Witch-bottles really exist, and there was a news article about one quite recently. It’s also true that mediums and séances were very popular in the 1920’s and ‘30’s. Arthur Conan Doyle was a huge fan and an ardent believer in spiritualism. It’s also true that vampires are called Strigoi in Romania, and that Bram Stoker took his inspiration from them.

  I’m now working on book six in the series, and mulling over spin-offs, which will probably start with Shadow and the Nephilim. And I’m working on some short stories. I need more hours in the day!

  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, glad you enjoyed it; your feedback, as always, is very helpful!

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

  If you’d like to read a bit more background to the stories, please head to my website, where I blog 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.

  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, as well as short stories and news of giveaways. I’ll also be sharing information about other books in this genre you might enjoy.

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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.

  I’m currently working on more books in the White Haven Witches series, musing on a prequel, and planning spin-offs from the White Haven Witches.

  Please follow me on social media to keep up to date with my news, or join my mailing list—I promise I don’t spam! Join my mailing list here.

  For more information, please visit my website at tjgreen.nz, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, and Instagram.

  Books by TJ Green

  Rise of the King Series

  A Young Adult series about a teen called Tom who’s summoned to wake King Arthur. It’s a fun adventure about King Arthur in the Otherworld!

  Call of the King #1

  King Arthur is destined to return, and Tom is destined to wake him.

  When sixteen year old Tom’s grandfather mysteriously disappears, Tom stops at nothing to find him, even when that means crossing to a mysterious and unknown world.

  When he gets there, Tom discovers that everything he thought he knew about himself and his life was wrong. Vivian, the Lady of the Lake, has been watching over him and manipulating his life since his birth. And now she needs his help.

  The Silver Tower #2

  Merlin disappeared over a thousand years ago. Now they risk everything to find him.

  Vivian needs King Arthur’s help. Nimue, a powerful witch and priestess who lives on Avalon, has disappeared.

  King Arthur, Tom, and his friends set off across the Other to find her, following Nimue’s trail to Nimue seems to have a quest of her own, one she's deliberately hiding. Arthur is convinced it's about Merlin, and he’s determined to find him.

  The Cursed Sword #3

  An ancient sword. A dark secret. A new enemy.

  Tom loves his new life in the Otherworld. He lives with Arthur in New Camelot, and Arthur is hosting a tournament. Eager to test his sword-fighting skills, Tom’s competing.

  But while the games are being played, his friends are attacked and everything he loves is threatened. Tom has to find the intruder before anyone else gets hurt.

  Tom’s sword seems to be the focus of these attacks. Their investigations uncover its dark history and a terrible betrayal that a family has kept secret for generations.

  White Haven Hunters

  The fun-filled spin-off to the White Haven Witches series! Fey, Nephilim, and the hun
t for the occult.

  Spirit of the Fallen #1

  Kill the ghost, save the host.

  Shadow is an over-confident fey stranded in White Haven after the Wild Hunt is defeated on Samhain.

  Gabe is a Nephilim, newly arrived from the spirit world along with six of his companions. He has a violent history that haunts him, and a father he wants answers from - if he ever finds him.

  When they set up in business together with the Orphic Guild, they’re expecting adventure, intrigue and money.

  But their first job is more complicated than they expected.

  When they break fey magic that seals an old tomb, they find it contains more than they bargained for. Now they’re hunting for a rogue spirit, and he always seems one step ahead.

  The fight leads them in a direction they never expected.

  Gabe could leave his past behind, or he could delve into the darkest secrets of mankind. Shadow has no intention of being left out.

  Undying Magic

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