The Crockworthy Sisters Box Set - Parts 1-3

by Marcus Brown

  With a wave of her hand, Tamara and Talia were thrown into the wall, leaving Abigail to deal with Bridget alone.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  “I hate you,” Abigail hissed, edging forward, fists clenched. Her well-aimed punch hit Bridget in the nose and blood gushed out, running down her chin.

  Bridget didn’t flinch and wiped the blood away with the back of her hand. Through narrowed eyes, she snarled. “I’m not interested in the opinions of a murderer.”

  “You always did stick your nose in where it didn’t belong, you bitch.” And with a twist of her head, Bridget was blasted off her feet, sent crashing into the wall with such force, the plaster cracked and sections of it dropped to the floor.

  It didn’t deter Bridget. “Subvolo,” she cried, rising into the air.

  “You die today,” Abigail screamed, as she shot bolts of lightning from the palms of her hands, but they missed their mark as Bridget easily deflected them.

  “We’ll finally see which of us holds the most power.” Seconds later, Bridget stepped back onto the floor and returned a volley of lightning bolts.

  Abigail batted them away with her hand as Tamara and Talia jumped up and fought alongside her.

  “You’re just like your mother,” Bridget screamed. “But you’re no match for me. I have the Goddess on my side.”

  Abigail, Talia, and Tamara fired stunning spells at Bridget, but her power was immense and no matter what they did, she kept coming.

  “Grab my hands, girls,” Abigail ordered. They did as they were told and blinked to Tabitha’s side.

  Bridget twisted and in her fury, charged at the united Crockworthy’s, screaming profanities.

  “Talia,” Abigail ordered. “Grab hold of Tabitha, now.”

  Talia grabbed her sister and together they blinked into the basement corridor at Moonlight Manor.

  “Don’t let go – not yet” Abigail added. She closed her eyes and cried, “I return what was taken from you.”

  “What did you do, Mother?” Tabitha asked, finally able to move.

  “I returned your immortality…”

  “I don’t feel any different,” Tamara stated, casting a glance at her sisters. They shrugged their shoulders.

  “Give it time,” Abigail insisted.

  “You need to unseal that door. It’s the only chance I have of escape. I know you’ll never forgive me, but my child deserves to live, and whilst I know I’ll one day be held accountable, the child must not suffer for my actions. Let me go, please,” she begged. “I want the chance to know this baby.” She put her hand across her stomach. “Please. If you love me, let me go.”

  Tabitha opened her mouth to speak as Bridget blinked into the corridor.

  Chapter Thirty-two

  “You think it’s that easy to escape me?” she shouted.

  “Stay back, Bridget,” Tabitha warned.

  “Talia, Tamara, unseal the door, now,” Abigail ordered.

  “Do it,” Tabitha instructed. “Let her go.”

  Bridget charged forward, throwing spell after spell, in an attempt to stop Abigail from escaping as a door at the end of the corridor opened and the Grimoire zoomed into Tabitha’s hand.

  “Book,” she said, caressing it, unable to believe it had returned to them. “Help us, please.”

  The book opened on the spell she needed.

  “You will not pass,” Tabitha shouted, a smug look on her face. A mist like substance appeared between Bridget and Tabitha. Nothing would get past the magical barrier.

  Bridget screamed, launching a volley of spells against the seemingly indestructible force-field. They bounced back upon her, causing Bridget to dive out of the way.

  Talia and Tamara unsealed the door and pushed it open. Tabitha rushed toward them.

  “You know,” Abigail added. “By allowing me to escape, you’re going against the Goddess and she won’t forgive you, or forget.”

  “I think you’ll find Bridget has made this her own crusade,” Tabitha replied. “The Goddess would never sanction the murder of an unborn child.”

  “I won’t forget this, or any of you,” Abigail said.

  “Where will you go?” Talia asked, her voice cracking.

  “Somewhere far away, where I can start again and hopefully find a way to atone for my sins,” Abigail answered. “Carrying this child restored a part of me I’d believed was lost, and now, I feel like my old self again. I know you’ll find it hard to believe, but I love you all very much and one day, I hope to find you again.”

  “We’d like that,” Tabitha added. “Wouldn’t we?”

  Her sisters nodded in agreement.

  Tabitha turned to look at Bridget, still trying to smash her way through the force-field.

  “You need to go. She’ll find a way through eventually,” Tamara said. She threw her arms around her mother and kissed her cheek. “I forgive you.”

  Abigail squeezed her daughter, returning the kiss. “Thank you.” She broke away from Tamara and hugged her other daughters in turn.

  “We forgive you too,” Talia said. “Don’t we, Tabi?”

  “Yes,” Tabitha replied, tears welling up in her eyes. “We do.”

  With a final look, Abigail stepped across the threshold and turned. “Blessed be, my beautiful daughters.”

  Then, she was gone.

  “No,” Bridget screamed, throwing spells as though she were possessed. “Don’t let her escape.”

  “It’s too late, Bridget.” The sisters spoke in unison. “You’ve lost.”

  “I’ll find your mother and cut her and the child’s throat.” Bridget screamed, throwing a spell and finally managing to break through the force-field. “Ha,” she cried as the mist dissipated and she stepped forward, firing more spells. “Abigail will keep, but the three of you will do for now.”

  “Book, go,” Tabitha said, and it zoomed out of her hands, the door at the end of the corridor slamming shut once it was safely inside.

  The sisters split up, firing spells back at Bridget, but she fought valiantly, deflecting their spells with ease.

  “You’re no match for me,” Bridget taunted as she threw a lightning bolt. It hit Talia in the stomach. She cried out as she hit the floor.

  Tabitha jumped in the way, trying to protect her fallen sister, but Bridget was too fast and volleyed a spell, aiming it for Tabitha’s head.

  Tabitha screamed as the force of the spell sent her crashing back into the door at the end of the corridor.

  Bridget stepped over the wounded Talia, charging toward Tamara as she sent her own volley of spells.

  “I had high hopes for you. Tamara,” she said, deflecting the spells. “You were the one I believed in most. But you’re all the same –selfish and motivated by your own lust for power.”

  “It’s not too late to stop this, Bridget,” Tamara stated.

  “I bind you,” Bridget replied.

  “No, you ca…” Tamara was cut off mid-sentence as her moth clamped shut.

  With a wave of Bridget’s hand, Tamara rose from the floor, suspended in mid-air, unable to move.

  Tabitha and Talia were struggling to get to their feet, but they were too badly injured to do anything to help.

  Tabitha cried out. “Please, Bridget. Don’t hurt her.”

  Bridget twisted, seemingly annoyed by the distraction, and blasted Tabitha again. The blast struck in the centre of her chest, rendering her too weak to say or do anything else.

  Bridget turned her attentions back to Tamara. “You’ll pay for allowing your mother to escape.” She stepped back and turned to face Tabitha and Talia. “Say goodbye to your sisters, Tamara.” She smiled.

  But Tamara couldn’t speak.

  The sisters’ eyes met for the final time.

  Tears streamed down Tamara’s face.

  “Please, no,” Tabitha and Talia cried in unison.

  “I want you to watch this.” She twisted to address the fallen sisters. “And remember what your betrayal cost you.” R
eturning her focus to Tamara, she waved her hands dramatically in the air and cried, “To stone.”

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Tabitha and Talia cried out as they watched the life drain out of their sister, and bit by bit, she turned to stone.

  Bridget cackled and with another wave of her hand, the statue of Tamara lowered to the floor.

  She walked around it, pleased with herself, before stroking the cold hard face.

  “Such a waste,” she said.

  “Don’t touch her, you bitch,” Talia shrieked.

  “Touch her like this, you mean?” Bridget replied, smirking, as she poked at the statue gently. “To dust,” she said, clearly, before filling the dimly lit corridor with high-pitched laughter.

  Slowly, the statue of Tamara began to disintegrate, and their fallen sister was reduced to dust particles floating in the air.

  Tamara Crockworthy was no more.

  “You see what happens when you go against the Goddess?” Bridget teased, facing the sisters.

  “Now, it’s your turn. Which one of you shall I kill next?”

  “You will cause no more harm, Bridget Bishop.” The unfamiliar voice echoed along the corridor.

  Bridget and the remaining two sisters turned, surprised, as a young and beautiful, pale skinned, red haired woman dashed out of the unsealed room Abigail had used to escape from.

  A look of surprise flashed across Bridget’s face as the woman ran at her, plunging a silver dagger straight into her heart.

  Bridget looked the stranger in the eye. The face of the young woman familiar

  “No, it can’t be,” she gasped.”

  “Believe it, bitch,” the stranger said. She pushed the dagger further until the tip of it exited through Bridget’s back. “Give my regards to the Goddess.” The young woman pulled a small serrated edged knife from her belt and swiped it across Bridget’s throat.

  *

  The stranger watched with fascination, a faint smile etched across her beautiful face, as Bridget gurgled and clutched her throat, before collapsing to the floor. Blood gushed from the deep wound.

  Satisfied the witch could do no more harm, she silently conjured a glowing fireball in her hand, throwing it directly at Bridget.

  Bridget raised a hand, her desire to survive stronger than before, but seconds later, the fireball hit its intended target, and she was incinerated.

  The silver dagger dropped to the floor.

  “Ta-ta,” the young woman said, brushing her hands together as though wiping dirt away.

  She turned to look at the two women lying injured on the floor.

  They stared at her with confused expressions.

  “Who are you?” Tabitha asked.

  “Don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” She approached Tabitha and pressed a finger lightly against her forehead. “You’ll feel better in a jiffy.”

  Obviously feeling stronger, Tabitha climbed to her feet and rushed toward Talia.

  “Help my sister, please,” Tabitha begged.

  The young woman nodded, approached Talia and pressed her finger to her forehead. Seconds later, Talia was also up on her feet.

  Tabitha and Talia rushed into an embrace – both in tears.

  The stranger looked on, and even though she had an idea how they were feeling, she was unable to offer any words of comfort. Their grief would be over-whelming for a time. They would never get over the loss of their sister.

  She didn’t want to intrude on their private moment, but there was little choice -- she needed their help. Coughing lightly, she caught Tabitha and Talia’s attention.

  *

  “Who the hell are you?” Tabitha asked, clutching Talia’s hand.

  Both sisters were poised for another attack.

  “Yes, who are you and where did you come from?” Talia interjected, her face tear stained.

  “It’s so good to meet you both at last,” the stranger replied. “I’m just sorry I was too late to save Tamara.”

  “Stop waffling and tell us who you are.” Tabitha wasn’t in the mood to play guessing games.

  “My name is Summer Crockworthy and I’m your sister.”

  To be continued…

  A message from Marcus…

  If you enjoyed this novella, please take the time to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads.

  A review is the best gift you could give an author.

  Thank you!

  THE NIGHTWALKER MYSTERIES

  PARTS 1 - 4

  BOX SET

  PROMISED LAND LANE

  All available now in eBook / Kindle / Paperback

  from Amazon stores worldwide.

  Acknowledgements

  A HUGE thank you to the following for their help and encouragement with various aspects of this project.

  All of the people who have supported me and taken the time to read my books.

  Tammy, Netta, Pamela, Serena, & Liz – My beta readers and critique partners. Thank you once again for the invaluable help.

  Helen – Thank you for your help and support. It means a lot!

  Gloria – Thank you for everything you do. You’re invaluable to us all at Junction.

  Rebeca – For the amazing work on the cover art.

  The team at Junction Publishing – You’re the best!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Marcus Brown lives in the North West of England with his partner, Jon, their cat Tobias, plus their two dogs, Sammy and Sally.

  For more information or just to touch base with Marcus you will find him at:

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  Or drop him a line at

  marcusbrownpll@outlook.com

  Copyright © 2017 Marcus Brown

  All rights reserved.