by Kit Hallows
“Find the boy,” I whispered as the darkness washed over me again.
I woke half walking, half being dragged by Samuel. Astrid strode ahead, Ben’s hand clenched in hers. We passed through the horde of toppled mannequins and ghostly glowing pumpkins as we made our way from the mall.
The light in the dawning sky over the parking lot revealed the extent of the blood on Astrid’s cloak. From what I could tell, none of it was hers. The cold air revived me a little and cleared some of the fog from my mind. I glanced round and spotted a cluster of black vehicles parked in the lot. They were just like the ones I’d seen in Copperwood Falls. “Over there,” I said.
We walked to them and I asked Samuel to smash open a window.
“What for?”
“So we can take it.”
He jerked back his cloak and delved into his pockets, pulling out several rings of keys. “I had a quick rifle through the witch’s effects before we left. Found some interesting things, and these.” He handed them to me, I tried each set until one worked, then I opened the door and slumped into the driver’s seat.
“Here.” Astrid held out a small wooden flask.
“What is it?” I asked.
“A potion of reanimation. It will help you. For awhile at least.”
It tasted like spiced wine. A moment later I snapped forward, as a surge of warm energy rejuvenated my shattered body. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” Samuel snickered as he slipped into the passenger seat. “We better get going. You’ll be feeling like shit again before you know it.”
I slipped the key in the ignition and started the engine as Astrid and Ben climbed in.
We drove in silence through the city, its glassy towers glowing scarlet in the dawning sun. A few people staggered through the streets, some still dressed in their costumes.
I pulled to a stop at an intersection and looked out the window. A lanky man dressed in black pulled a red bandanna up over his face as he stood pissing on a coffee shop window. Then he glanced my way and made ape-like noises as he spattered a steaming line across the sidewalk.
“Are they really worth saving?” Samuel asked.
“Yes. But there are times I’ve asked myself the same thing,” I said, as I pulled away, leaving a trail of exhaust in our wake.
I drew up outside the hospital. “Come on Ben,” I said. I handed my sword to Astrid and helped Ben from the car, his tiny hand in mine. It didn’t take long to find Haskins. The door to his room was ajar, but I knocked, anyway.
“Yeah?” Haskins glanced over his newspaper before slowly lowering it. “What the fu-” he stopped as he peered at Ben and then back to me. “What the hell happened to you?”
“I don’t have much time. This is Ben. Please, get someone to see to him and find his mom and dad.” I leaned down and released Ben’s hand. “Stay here with detective Haskins and he’ll call your parents. Okay?”
He looked from Haskins to me, his brow wrinkled. “What about…the bad lady?”
“She’s gone,” I said, taking some powder from my pocket and softly blowing in into his eyes. “They’re all gone.”
I nodded to Haskins as he picked up his phone and called Ben over. “Take care,” I said.
“You take care too,” Haskins said. “And take a break, maybe. You look like shit.”
As soon as we got home, I stumbled to the coffeemaker and filled it before glancing to the picture of Willow. “I got her,” I whispered.
“You did,” Astrid stood behind me and began to lead me to the sofa.
“What are you doing?”
“You’re going to need something a bit more potent than coffee. Something that will properly revive you. You’ve been badly cursed, Morgan.”
“What about him?” I asked.
“He’ll be healed too. It’s not like there’s a choice.” I could tell by the tone in her voice that she knew exactly who I was referring to.
“He saved me you know,”
“He saved himself.” Astrid pulled her cloak up from the armchair, rifled through it and removed a handful of tiny pouches.
“Oh you’re in for a treat.” Samuel plopped down and raised the cup of coffee he’d poured for himself. “I’ll just enjoy this in the meantime.”
Astrid took a mug from the cupboard, filled it with boiling water and came back to sit next to me on the sofa. She took a pinch from each of the pouches. Some of the ingredients were powdered, some looked like colored sand. There were crisp flakes of green herbs and minuscule blue mushrooms with grey fleshy gills.
I watched for a moment as she prepared her concoction, before blacking out.
When I came to, Astrid’s hand was on my forehead and the pain and exhaustion I’d been carrying for so long was lifting. The relief was bittersweet as I saw the agony she was doing her best to conceal. She was taking away my pain.
“Here.” Samuel’s usual smile was gone as he handed her a large quartz crystal. She thanked him and clasped it in her hands as she channeled the curse and my pain into it. Slowly a swirling, bile-colored smoke streamed into its core and the suffering in Astrid’s eyes began to fade. She laid the crystal down on the table and sat back, nodding to the cup before me. “Drink.”
The brew she’d prepared was revolting. Like a salted fishy lukewarm soup that had a livery, camphorous taste. I did my best not to gag as I swallowed it.
Moments later I began to feel its effects as a mild remedial zing passed through me like a wave. I was still exhausted, and I’d need sleep and plenty of it, but I felt healed. Almost new.
“There he is,” Samuel said, as he drank the rest of his coffee. “Right as rain, as they say. Although why rain would be wrong or right is a puzzle I can’t be bothered to solve. I hope you enjoyed that ghastly drink. Those herbs and spices are rare, highly prized and very, very expensive. Which makes me glad I didn’t pay for them. Now, are you ready for an adventure?” He asked, rubbing his hands together.
“I will be. Once I’ve slept. Are we going after Endersley?”
“We are,” Samuel said. “And then Stroud.”
“Where do we start?”
“Back at the magical quarter where Endersley was hiding, along with the bloodsuckers who were shielding him before he fled to the Hinterlands. We should go and see if we can find out what he was doing there.” Astrid said.
“Sure. But we’ll have to be careful. I’ve still got the Council on my tail, and the Organization now, for all I know.”
“Then we’ll step quietly,” Samuel said. He grinned at Astrid.
“And strike from the shadows,” she added, a slight smile dancing on her lips.
“Yes, that’s what we’ll do,” Samuel said. “We‘ll create a new order. A secret order. An order of shadows.”
THE END
BOOK FOUR - COMING THIS AUTUMN!
Sign up here to get a notification the moment Book Four of The Order of Shadows is ready!
HOW TO KILL A WITCH
Have you read How To Kill A Witch yet? Download the explosive prequel that started The Order of Shadows series & receive bonus content and updates for Book Four!
Click here and start reading for FREE.
AFTERWORD
Thank you so much for purchasing A Game of Witches, and I really hope you enjoyed the adventure! If you did, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as spreading the word to friends and fellow urban fantasy fans!
Thank you & kindest wishes,
Kit Hallows
ALSO BY KIT HALLOWS
The Order of Shadows Series:
How To Kill A Witch (A Free Prequel)
Dark City
Midnight Falls
A Game of Witches
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kit Hallows was born in London, England and now lives in the United States. Kit spends most his time sitting before a jet-black typewriter (that looks suspiciously like a laptop) dreaming up tales of urban fantasy, occult horror and adventure. Currently Kit is busy writing the Order of Sh
adows series with Morgan Rook, as well as planning new adventures in darkly magical worlds.
Join him at kithallows.com and sign up for exclusive reads and further journeys to fantastical worlds and lost, mysterious places.
For more information
kithallows.com
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Copyright
Free Offer
Dedication
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
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Book Four - Coming This Autumn!
Free Offer
Afterword
Also by Kit Hallows
About the Author
