by C. L. Bright
The
Spellcaster’s
Trap
A Familiar Curse Story by
C.L. Bright
Copyright ©2021 C.L. Bright
All Rights Reserved
Cover designed by J.N. Sheats
Proofreading by Kendra’s Editing and Book Services
This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental.
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by federal law enforcement agencies and is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Also by C.L. Bright
Acknowledgments
Prologue
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
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Author’s Note
About the Author
Also by C.L. Bright
The Familiar Curse Series
Beyond the Black Mist
Sins of the Shadow Walkers
Acknowledgments
I want to thank everyone who helped me with this new series. I really appreciate my daughters for inspiring me to take a chance with this genre. They have been asking me to write books they can read for the last couple of years. I also want to thank Levenia for being my sounding board as I built this new world. My beta readers, April, Kari, and Yvonne, are amazing and really helped me work out the final bugs in these books.
Thank you to my fabulous cover designer, J.N. Sheats, who is also an amazing author. Finally, thank you Kendra for catching my typos.
Prologue
“Tell me the story again, Daddy.”
“Again?” He laughed as he sat at the side of my bed. “I’ve been telling you this story since you were seven. You should be bored with it by now. You’re what, ten?”
I giggled. “I’m still seven.”
“So you are.”
I yawned as I laid down and pulled the covers up. These times alone with my daddy were the best.
He was the most handsome man in the Heathergate Refuge. I hadn’t met anyone from outside the refuge, but I was sure he was more handsome than any of them as well. He didn’t look much like me with his pale blond hair and amber eyes. I’d been told I looked more like my mother, but since she’d died shortly after my birth, I had to take his word for it.
Shapeshifters were only photographed in their animal form, so I knew my mother had been a black cat with green eyes like mine.
I often wished there was some secret photograph of her in human form so I could see both sides. I could paint a fairly good picture of her in my mind. She must have had black hair and a slight build.
“Are you sure you want to hear this story at bedtime, Juliet?” he asked as he brushed my hair back. “I don’t want you to have another nightmare.”
“I won’t,” I promised. “My nightmare wasn’t about the story anyway. Please, Daddy.”
“All right. How does it begin?” he asked.
“Once, spellcasters were the most powerful magical creatures,” I reminded him.
“Not quite, Juliet,” he replied. “There have always been others more powerful.”
I sat up with wide eyes. “There are? What others? Are they our allies?”
He chuckled. “No, they aren’t our allies, but they have little contact outside of their own kind. You’ll learn all about the others when you’re older.”
“Why not now?” I pushed.
“We agreed on one story, not a lesson,” he reminded me.
I sighed and settled back onto my bed. “Okay. One story, but you’ll tell me about the others tomorrow.”
“I’ll tell you when you’re ready.” He didn’t give me a chance to argue. “Spellcasters draw on the elements of nature to feed their power. When they first took control of this land, they lived in peace with animals and did their best to protect them from harm.”
“Until greedy spellcasters destroyed the balance of nature,” I added angrily.
“Not yet, Juliet. There’s more to the story. A powerful witch named Ember wanted her beloved wolf to live as long as her, so she cast a spell that bound the lifeforce of the wolf to her own. That bonding, though done with no ill intent, was the beginning of a very dark point in our history.”
“Because spellcasters are greedy creatures,” I muttered.
“Many are,” my father agreed. “Once others realized Ember could talk to her wolf, they wanted her spell. Some simply wanted their animal friends to live longer, but others had noticed that Ember was more powerful with her lifeforce connected to the wolf’s. Many craved that added power and were willing to do anything to get it.”
“All those poor animals were treated horribly,” I whispered.
“Not all of them,” he reminded me. “Some were loved, but many were abused. The spellcasters called the animals bound to them familiars, and as time passed, fewer spellcasters treated their familiars well, preferring to drain them of energy.”
“But nature requires balance.”
“That’s right,” my father agreed. “Over time, the spell used to create familiars morphed into something else. No one knows the exact catalyst, but familiars developed the ability to take on another shape—one quite like their oppressors. It should have made the spellcasters see that their actions were wrong, but it only made matters worse. The spellcasters wanted shapeshifters to remain in animal form forever.”
“To keep them as slaves,” I muttered angrily.
He nodded. “Yes, that was their plan. Shapeshifters in many areas rose up and fought for their freedom, much like those who first settled here at the Heathergate Refuge. You are a descendant of the original leader of our people. With the help of spellcasters sympathetic to our plight, he was able to arrange for a series of interwoven spells that prevent outsiders from entering our refuge.”
He tapped the bracelet on my wrist. “These bracelets allow you to enter our home. Without one, you can’t cross the Ivorfalls. That’s why you must never lose your bracelet.”
“I know, Daddy,” I assured him. “You don’t have to add that to the story every time.”
“Yes, I do,” he argued. “You are the future leader, and you must never forget the danger you face without this bracelet.”
“I never get to leave the Heathergate Refuge anyway.”
“You will someday, Juliet. When you do, you must know how to protect yourself. As the leader, you will be the one to negotiate with the spellcasters in Azuredale for new bracelets.”
“If th
e spellcasters are so dangerous, then why do they make these bracelets for us?”
“It’s all part of our treaty with the Azureans. You don’t need to worry about all of that until you’re older. For now, just know that, even if they have a bracelet, spellcasters can’t enter the Heathergate Refuge.”
I hated being reminded of my future.
“Why do I have to be the leader?”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss my forehead. “It’s your birthright, little princess.”
“Maybe now that you have Nidia, you’ll have another child, and I won’t have to be the ruler.”
My father had recently decided to take Nidia as his mate. I didn’t know her well, but I was still excited about finally having a mother. It would be better still if she could help get me out of being the next ruler.
“I would love to give you a brother or sister, but that won’t change your destiny,” he reminded me. “Someday, you’ll take over for me. It’s what you were born to do, and I know you’ll be a great leader.”
“But what if it’s not what I want to do?” I asked.
“We all have our path to follow, Juliet,” he replied in the same patient tone he always used. “You will play a very important role in keeping our people safe, just as I do.”
“What if I’m too scared to keep them safe?” I whispered. “I’m smaller than all the other kids my age. Shouldn’t the leader be big and strong like you?”
“Being big doesn’t make you strong. Can I tell you a secret?” He continued when I nodded. “Even I’m afraid sometimes. Only fools have no fear, and you, my sweet girl, are no fool. Now, get some sleep.”
“But the story isn’t over,” I reminded him.
He gave me a stern look that was ruined by his twitching lips. “You think I should finish telling you the story after you’ve distracted me?”
I nodded, feeling no shame at distracting him from the story, especially when I knew he’d still finish telling it, just as he always did.
He smiled and continued. “At the Heathergate Refuge, our kind lives in peace, with no fear of spellcasters trying to enslave us. We didn’t leave the safety of our sanctuary for several decades. The daughter of an early leader was the first to leave.”
“Morena.” I whispered the name of the shapeshifter of legends.
He nodded. “She was wild from a young age and more powerful than the other shapeshifters. While we are all limited to only two forms, the young princess had many, or so the stories say. As trade was negotiated with the local spellcasters, shapeshifters began to venture out to the trading posts. It was there that word of her power spread.”
“And the evil spellcasters wanted her,” I muttered.
“That they did,” he agreed. “The spellcasters attacked, trying to break the spell around the Heathergate Refuge. They sent the most powerful of their kind to break through the barrier and take the young princess. She was locked away for her own protection, but she broke free, refusing to allow her people to risk themselves for her. She went to the edge of the Ivorfalls and shouted into the wind.”
“And the wind ate her words,” I added around a yawn.
“The wind absorbed her words and pulled on her magic. As the others watched, the young princess faded into the wind, weaving herself into the spell. Her power became the last piece of the spell that keeps us safe. It is that final bit of magic that prevents the spellcasters from passing through. They might be able to create the bracelets that let us pass, but it’s shapeshifter magic that truly protects us. Some say that when danger is near the Ivorfalls, the misty image of Morena appears to guard the entrance.”
“She was so brave,” I whispered.
“She is a part of us, our heritage,” he told me. “You will be just as brave, Juliet.”
After my father left the room, I stripped out of my nightgown and shifted to a small black cat with green eyes.
Normally, I didn’t sleep in this form, but I was frightened. The story of Morena didn’t scare me since I thought it was more myth than reality. I simply felt uneasy any time my father mentioned me becoming the leader someday. He was wrong about me being brave, but I felt stronger as a cat.
Stretching, I let out a yawn before settling down to sleep.
Chapter 1
Ten Years Later
“Juliet!”
I cringed when I heard my father’s shout, knowing he’d heard about my outburst earlier that day.
“Over here!” I called out from my hiding place behind the meeting hall.
Technically, I wasn’t hiding since I knew he could easily track me down. I’d merely needed a few minutes alone before the argument we were sure to have.
To think I’d once been excited about my father taking a new mate. I’d believed Nidia would be the mother I’d been missing.
Ha!
She’d never done more than pretend to like me when my father was around. It hadn’t been too bad in the beginning, back before she had Ellis. After my brother’s birth, she’d focused on him and always accused my father of giving me more attention. I blamed her jealousy for the distance between my father and me.
I stood and smoothed down my green tunic as my father rounded the corner.
He was more than a foot taller than me. Every adult I knew was taller than me. In both animal and human form, I was small—a fact I never forgot. It didn’t help that Nidia called me a scrawny kitten when my father wasn’t around.
“Aren’t you going to say something?” he asked.
“I don’t want to go to the trading post with Nidia,” I told him.
My father sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “Why do you make everything so difficult, Juliet? Why do you always fight us about everything?”
His questions hurt. All he ever saw was Nidia pretending to love me as much as she loved Ellis. He believed her lies about me being jealous and not giving her a chance to be a real mother to me.
“Why can’t you believe she’s awful and let me avoid her? Better yet, why not let Ellis become the next leader so Nidia will ignore me?”
“Do you honestly think Ellis would make a good leader?”
He waited for my answer, but when I said nothing, he continued. “I love you and your brother equally, but Ellis doesn’t have the right temperament. Our people need you, Juliet. You can’t run away from your destiny.”
“Fine, I won’t run from my destiny,” I said with an exasperated sigh. “Just let me stay behind today. I don’t want to go to the trading post with Nidia.”
When I met his gaze, I saw sympathy rather than anger. “You’re frightened. Leaving the Heathergate Refuge is scary. The time has come to learn how to trade, and Nidia has extensive experience in that area. She was in charge of trading before becoming my mate, and you can learn a lot from her.”
I opened my mouth to tell him it had nothing to do with fear and everything to do with Nidia, but that wasn’t entirely true. This would be my first encounter with spellcasters, and I was a little afraid.
“Can’t you come with us?” I asked.
The regret in his eyes was genuine, but I wasn’t surprised by his response. “You know we can’t risk having both of us on the other side of the Ivorfalls at the same time. You’ll be safe, Juliet. Nothing will happen to you at the trading post.”
“Are you trying to tell me there’s no reason to be afraid of the spellcasters?”
He tapped the bracelet on my wrist. “What have I always told you?”
“That the bracelet protects me,” I replied.
“Right,” he agreed. “Only the rebels are in danger from the spellcasters.”
“Why don’t we offer them a place here? I know you said they chose to continue fighting the spellcasters, but that was long ago. What choice do they have now?”
My father looked away, but not before I saw the guilt in his expression. “It’s part of our agreement, the one that keeps us safe.”
“We turn our backs on the rebels to keep our own people
safe,” I stated.
“What would you do?” he asked. “You’ll be the leader in eight years, so it’s time to start thinking about how you would handle the problem. Would you risk your family and friends to save strangers who may not deserve your help?”
“I don’t know if they deserve my help, but why assume they don’t?” I asked. “It seems wrong to let the rebels be enslaved and killed. We should protect all shapeshifters. When I’m in charge, I’m going to find a way to help the shapeshifters outside the Heathergate Refuge.”
I expected him to be angry since that’s how he reacted when anyone suggested helping rebel shapeshifters. Instead, he grinned. “You’re afraid to go to the trading post, yet you’re already talking about going against the spellcasters. You’ll do great things. I’m not saying you’ll decide to help the rebels. When the time comes, I’m sure you’ll see why that would be foolish, but your willingness to think outside the box will help you come up with solutions to other problems our people face.”
“I have to go with Nidia, don’t I?”
“Yes, you have to go with your stepmother. It won’t be that bad. This morning, she told me this might be a chance for you to finally bond. She’s looking forward to teaching you about trading.”
She’d told me the same thing earlier that week, and she’d seemed sincere.
Was I being unreasonable?
Nidia had seemed excited about being involved in trading again and even about teaching me all she knew. Perhaps we could bond over this experience. It would make my life easier and help ease the strain with my father if I could get along with Nidia.
“I’ll give her a chance.”
He looked relieved and surprised that I’d relented so easily. “After you get back, how about if we go for a run?”
“Just the two of us?” I asked excitedly.
“Just the two of us,” he promised.
I launched myself into his arms and hugged him. “I’m sorry for hiding like a child.”
He pulled back enough to meet my gaze. “It’s okay to be afraid, Juliet. Talk to me about what’s going on next time instead of snapping at Nidia.”
