High Witch Next Generation (Generations Book 1)

by Mona Hanna

  When they broke apart, Gareth looked at her intently, then gently kissed her on her forehead. “I adore you,” he whispered.

  Erica looked at him fondly, then became acutely aware that Julia was in the room. She looked over.

  Julia had a soppy expression on her face. “Awww,” she said softly.

  Erica blushed, looking down. She put her hands in her lap and knew the time had come to plan. She had to fix this mess everyone was in. “Alright, we have to sort out what to do. Gareth, you aren’t safe—not you or your father. Is there anywhere else you both could go where this man can’t find you?”

  “We don’t have the money to leave. Besides, I have a feeling he watches us and would follow us wherever we went. Oh, that’s right—he watches your family too, Erica. He told me he does. Whatever happens within your home, he potentially could know about. I think we’re safe in this moment, but whatever happens from here, he could find out about. How can we plan without him knowing what we’re doing?”

  Erica sat for a long moment, trying to figure out what to do. The thing that haunted her was her vision—the blond man said she had failed the test. Her dress had been ripped and bloody. Didn’t that mean she would definitely go through the test? The visions of a High Witch always came true, although they didn’t always give the entire picture. Hallie had seen Mother being stabbed in a vision all those years ago, but she survived—in fact Mother had used the vision to achieve the result she wanted. Was that what Erica was meant to do with her vision? And Julia had had the same vision. What did that mean?

  “I need time to think,” Erica said. “Gareth, we have to go now, but I’ll be back for you. I just have to hope this man doesn’t hurt you or your father in the meantime. Maybe… maybe tell him you’ll go along with him. Just tell him that to keep safe until we can figure out what to do. Alright?”

  Gareth nodded. “Okay, if you think that’s best. But how will you and your family and friends stay safe?”

  Erica half smiled. “We’re High Witches. No one man could defeat us. But he could still do a lot of damage, so we need to plan carefully. Don’t you worry about us, Gareth—take care of yourself. We’ll sort this out, I promise you. Stay safe, my love.” Erica quickly kissed him once more, then hurriedly rose to leave before she changed her mind and stayed in his arms all night. She walked up to Julia and took her hand, and when Julia stood, Erica imagined her bedroom back at home. Within an instant they were standing there.

  There were candles lit within the room. Merilyn was sitting crosslegged on the floor, the note Erica had written in her hand. “Tell, or I’ll call for our parents right now.”

  Erica and Julia simultaneously groaned.

  Chapter 12

  “Open that mouth of yours, and I’ll kill you. And your cat.”

  “Not Penny!” Merilyn whispered. “Now I’m really calling for our parents! Mother said you can’t threaten me with your High Witch magic.”

  “Mother says a lot of things,” Julia growled. “Say one word and I’ll—”

  “Hush, both of you. I need to think,” Erica said. “There’s so much I need to figure out, all without that beast of a man finding out.”

  “What man?” Merilyn said. “Oh, please tell.”

  “He wouldn’t be watching now, right?” Julia said. “In the middle of the night?”

  “I don’t know. Gareth just said he watches us. I don’t know how or when he does it. I just need to sit down and sort all this out—I can’t even think straight right now. I’m going to sit in the kitchen. I’ll talk to you both later.”

  Erica left Julia to threaten Merilyn with various methods of bodily harm if she didn’t keep her mouth shut. She went to the kitchen to gather her thoughts. She sat in the dark room trying to comprehend it all. A horrible, unnamed man threatened both her, Gareth, and Gareth’s father. Why this man wanted Gareth to put Erica through the test was beyond her, but he wanted it all the same, and she had to stop him. But how?

  It was really a matter of finding him. What man could stand up to a High Witch when it was just him and her? Julius trapped Mother because he’d taken Father’s mother. Nicholas brought Hallie and Mother to him because he had Sean. But Gareth was safe for now, so if Erica could just get to this horrible man, then she could stop him. She knew she could. But how could she find him?

  The obvious answer was to keep watch of Gareth’s home, and when the man went to Gareth, Erica could get him. She didn’t know if she should just do that—go to Gareth’s home and somehow keep hidden and just watch. She couldn’t interact with Gareth, not when she knew the man might be watching his home. But should she just go there, make herself invisible, and look out?

  Erica wasn’t sure if that would work. But wasn’t that how the man was watching both Gareth’s house and her own, by making himself invisible and observing them, maybe from a window? If he could do it, so could she. But maybe her absence from her home would alert the man. It was all so much to think of, so much to deal with. Erica didn’t know if she could do it on her own.

  She knew one thing for sure: this was going to end soon. One way or another, it would all come to a head. Did she want to face it by herself? Did she want to go forth into the worst experience of her life without her family by her side? Erica had never kept anything important from her parents before. She trusted them, she loved them. So why was she hiding this? To keep them safe? Partly. But she suspected it was partly to have control, to somehow keep the situation small and within her hands, as if that meant it wouldn’t become beyond her, wouldn’t overtake her life.

  But Erica knew she was kidding herself if she thought this situation was within her control. It wasn’t and never could be. She would be mad not to confide in the most powerful witches in the world. Julia needn’t keep Merilyn silent. Erica would tell the adults herself. She would just wait until morning.

  ***

  Erica nervously stood in the doorway of the front room of the house, watching her family and friends sitting and talking together over breakfast. Everyone was there: all the parents, her brothers, the twins, and Julia and Merilyn. Erica had gone back to her room last night and told the two girls she would make a speech to everyone that morning. She had lain in bed restlessly unable to get a wink of sleep, then had sat in her room until that moment. She was so nervous. She didn’t know how this was going to go.

  Erica walked into the room and stood by the settee where her parents and Hallie were sitting. They all looked up at her.

  “What is it honey?” Mother said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, uh… mother there’s something I have to tell you. It’s…uh…”

  “What’s wrong? Is this about Gareth? Do you need to talk?”

  Erica took a deep breath. “It is about Gareth, but it’s not what you think. Mother, Gareth’s mixed up with the man from my vision who wants me to go through the test. The man wants to hurt me, but Gareth and his father are also in trouble. It’s a big mess, and I don’t know how to fix it. Please listen to the story, but don’t be angry. Please listen before you judge Gareth.”

  Mother stared at Erica with wide eyes. “Gareth… wants to turn you?”

  “No! Well… he was told… wait, let me tell you the story. I promise it will become clear.” Erica sat on the ground before her parents and spoke. It was the longest, most difficult story she’d ever told.

  ***

  Mother stood with her fists clenched by her sides. “You are not to ever see that boy again! He was going to turn you, Erica. No matter his reasons, that’s inexcusable! I… I can’t even—”

  Erica rushed to her feet. “Mother, I can’t abandon him! We’re in love! Besides, you didn’t listen—Gareth wasn’t going to go ahead with it. Even though his father is going to die, he chose me. Now you want me to leave them both to be killed by that horrible man? And there’s the fact that this man isn’t just going to give up on his plan if I stay away from Gareth.”

  Mother shut her eyes for a long moment. “Thi
s is too dangerous. I’ll handle it from now—Hallie and I. You need to stay out of it. I’m serious—you can never see Gareth again.”

  “I’m a High Witch too! I’m not a baby! Hallie was only a year older than me when you both went up against Nicholas and Innes. You can’t keep me away from him!”

  “Erica, no! You don’t understand how horrible this is! You couldn’t possibly imagine how horrendous going through the test would be. I’m serious. All the children are to stay here while the adults handle this.”

  “I’m not a child! You don’t understand!” Erica shut her eyes, and even though she knew it was wrong, she pictured Gareth’s house and transported herself there. She opened her eyes and hoped to see her love. But she wasn’t met with what she expected.

  Gareth was there with his father. But the blond man was there also.

  The man looked at her, narrowed his dark blue eyes, rushed over, and grasped her arm. “I don’t know how you came to be here, Erica,” the man seethed, leering down at her. “This wasn’t what I planned. But plans can change.”

  Erica glared at him. Now was her chance. She had to kill him. She just had to do it. She held out a shaky arm. She’d never hurt anyone before. She hadn’t even come close. She gulped loudly and tried to make her magic come out.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” the man said. “I didn’t get this far to have you destroy me.” The man held out his other arm and opened his hand. A large knife appeared within his hand. He pointed the knife towards Gareth, who was standing next to his father.

  Gareth’s eyes widened.

  “No!” Erica cried, but she was too late.

  The man threw the knife at Gareth, and the blade struck him in the chest.

  “No!” Erica screamed again. She hurried over to Gareth’s side as he fell to the ground. She knelt over him, tears falling from her eyes as the one she loved lay dying. She could barely see as she wept, wondering desperately how to save him. She felt the man kneel beside her, and a shiver went down her spine.

  “Now, my dear, it’s time for a little test.”

  Chapter 13

  Erica didn’t know where they were. After his last words, the man transported them both to a wide, barren space on the edge of a cliff. He dragged her towards a large contraption, the wind howling around them.

  “My name is Sebastian,” he said. “You should know the name of the man who is to own you. Oh, this isn’t what I expected. I set up everything for the test some time ago, but I wanted Gareth to turn you. Unfortunately, you forced me to change things.”

  Erica sobbed as she was dragged along. Part of her couldn’t understand why Sebastian killed Gareth, but deep down she knew. She was now so grief-stricken she couldn’t even think straight. She had no energy to fight back.

  You should still fight. Don’t let him do this to you.

  But she’d never killed before, and when the moment had come, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Her mother was right—she should have left this to the older High Witches. They could have defeated Sebastian. Now he was going to win.

  “It’s alright, Erica. Once you’re turned, all your sadness will be gone. I’ll be your heart’s desire, the one you’ll want more than anything. You won’t have an ounce of regret.”

  Erica bit back more sobs.

  Sebastian straightened her when they reached the device. He stood over her, then held her with one hand as he prepared the machine for her torture.

  Erica stood there limp, just wanting the ground to swallow her. She hated herself for being stupid enough to get herself into this mess. She hated herself for getting Gareth killed.

  Sebastian lifted her up and placed her on the wooden bed of the contraption. She finally noticed her surroundings more thoroughly. The device consisted of the large bed she lay on, with three half-circle strips of metal coming out of it. Sebastian moved his hands to the metal strip at Erica’s neck, then firmly fastened it over her throat. She could barely swallow. He moved to the metal at her waist and fastened that, which also held her arms down. Finally he lowered the strip at her ankles to finish binding her to the platform.

  There was a blinding flash of white light from the metal. Erica screamed as a brief but fiery heat flowed from it.

  Sebastian looked over at her and smiled. “No chance to hurt me now, dear. The metal prevents you from using your magic on me while I have this.” Sebastian reached into his pocket and took out a silver stone, the sunlight reflecting off it making it glimmer.

  Erica sniffed loudly, her tears flowing down the sides of her face. She blinked, trying to make out the roof of the device, but her crying blurred her vision. All she could do was lie there and wait.

  “I’ll be back in a moment,” Sebastian said, and magically transported away.

  Erica lay there quietly, contemplating her last moments as a free woman. She couldn’t believe she’d just let herself become trapped like that. But her and Julia’s vision was consuming her. She knew what was going to happen—she would fail. There was no way out of this. She would be turned, which meant Sebastian would indeed own her. What horrible things would he make her do? What terrible things would she be willing to do in the name of her infatuation? Was her life as she knew it over?

  Sebastian returned, Erica alerted by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. “Look over, Erica,” Sebastian said.

  Erica could only just turn her head, but she could see enough. Her tears had dried enough for her to make out an elderly man tied to a wooden chair with thick rope. A cloth covered his mouth. The man had torn clothes, and matted hair and grime covering his skin. Erica guessed Sebastian had captured a homeless man for her to kill as part of the test. Sebastian cared nothing for the man’s life, but Erica knew the man was just as worthy and valuable as anyone else and didn’t deserve to be murdered.

  Just hold out. If you can last during the torture, you’ll be resurrected. That’s what happened with your mother.

  Erica knew that was the truth. Her mother had been magically brought back when she sacrificed herself for Father. Could Erica do the same? Could she withstand the pain, therefore saving this man and herself?

  But when Sebastian returned to her side and turned a wheel on the machine, Erica finally saw what would be hurting her, what this machine actually did.

  She began to weep once more.

  ***

  Gareth lay on the ground, trying desperately to hold on. His father pressed a cloth to his wound. He’d been stabbed on the right side of his chest. His father had removed the knife and was trying to stop the bleeding. Gareth was in agony, but his heart was broken over Erica. The man had her. He was going to hurt her.

  There was suddenly a chorus of voices in the room. Gareth lifted his head to see Julia standing there with Erica’s parents. Ariel and Julia were frantically arguing.

  Ariel looked over at him and rushed to his side. “What happened? Who did this? Where’s my daughter?”

  Gareth coughed in an attempt to speak.

  His father intervened. “Don’t know how much you know. The man who’s been running things hurt Gareth and took Erica away. Don’t know where they’ve gone now or how you’ll find them.”

  Ariel gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, and she looked over at her husband. “I have to save her! Brayden, how do we find her?”

  “I know!” Julia shouted. “The vision. I saw Erica standing with the man who wants to turn her. I think I saw enough of where they were to transport us there.”

  “Oh, thank heavens!” Ariel said, getting to her feet. “Take us there immediately!”

  “Wait. We need Gareth,” Brayden said. Everyone looked at him. “It just clicked, why the man wanted Gareth to put Erica through the test. Something else clicked too, but it may only be a vain hope. But we need to bring Gareth, in case the worst happens. You’ll just have to trust me for now.”

  Gareth didn’t have the foggiest idea what Brayden was talking about, but he was willing to do anything for E
rica. He struggled to sit up, but could only barely manage it.

  “We’ll help you,” Brayden said, then gestured for Julia to join him.

  Julia carefully helped him up from his left side where he had his broken arm, while Brayden took most of Gareth’s weight on his right side. Brayden put Gareth’s right arm across his shoulders to help move him, and Julia took the cloth from his father to hold over Gareth’s wound.

  “We have to go now,” Ariel said, holding onto Julia’s arm. “Please.”

  Julia nodded and closed her eyes.

  Gareth watched her closely. Suddenly there was an odd feeling in his stomach and the sensation that he was being pulled somewhere. His vision blurred for a moment, and then they were somewhere else.

  They were met with Erica’s blood-curdling screams.

  Chapter 14

  Gareth couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Erica was strapped to a machine that was hurting her in the most unimaginable way. Enormous metal screws, the length of long swords, were boring into Erica’s stomach from the roof of the device. It was being controlled by the blond man, his hands at a wheel. Gareth could only imagine the pain she must be feeling. He almost fell to his knees.

  “Erica! No!” Ariel screamed, and then she held out her arms at the blond man.

  Gareth’s heart pounded in his chest as he wondered if Ariel would save Erica in time. But the most horrible thing happened far too quickly.

  As they watched on in horror, as Ariel was about to strike the evil man with her magic, Erica gave a heart-wrenching scream, and a stream of light poured from her hand, striking an elderly man tied to a chair nearby. He was destroyed in a blaze of light instantly.

  “No!” Ariel screamed, falling to her knees. She knelt, wailing. The only thing louder was Erica’s sobs.

  Gareth stood there, being held by Julia and Brayden, everyone crying at once.