“Thank you, Goddess,” I whisper to the mirror.
It’s horrible to look in the mirror and not recognize yourself, but maybe this is the new me…
Nope. Can’t do it.
I glamor my eyes and give myself one last smile before jogging down the stairs to check in with the fam jam.
“Good evening, Lady Cumhaill. How fare thee this fine November day?”
I giggle at Sloan using my fancy morning address and take my place at the kitchen table with him, Calum, and Kevin. “Did I smell baking?’
“You did,” Calum says. “Sloan made us ham, scalloped potatoes, and honey-glazed biscuits. Too bad you slept so long. You missed out.”
I frown, but Sloan shakes his head. “I had to fight yer brothers off to save ye some, but yer worth the bruises.” He slides an oven mitt on and grabs a plate off the top rack. “Since I was the first up and about, I took liberties in the kitchen.”
Kevin gathers Calum’s plate and takes it to the sink to rinse off. “We told him the first up rule is only for Sundays, but hey, he insisted.”
I break open a biscuit and grab the butter knife. “Who are we to argue, amirite?”
“That about covers it,” Calum says. “Hey, guess what?”
“What?”
“I was chatting with Mark at the mailbox an hour ago, and he said they’re putting the house up for sale.”
I almost choke on my bun. “No way. For reals? I didn’t know they were considering moving.”
Kevin glances back over his shoulder and makes a face. “Apparently, the neighborhood is in decline.”
I grab the teapot from the center of the table and pour myself a mug full. “What does that mean?”
Calum chuckles. “It was his passive-aggressive way of pointing his middle finger at us. He said between the fight in the back lane with the hobgoblins a few months ago, the tussle on the front lawn with the doppelganger a few weeks ago, and losing Skippy to a coyote right in front of our house, they’ve decided this isn’t the place they want to raise a baby.”
“A baby? Is Janine preggers?”
“Not yet, but they’re planning. With the way houses are priced right now, they can sell here and get a huge place with property in the burbs.”
My mind starts whirling. “Wouldn’t it be awesome if Aiden and Kinu could buy it? Then we could take down the fence, expand the grove, and have them right next door.”
Calum’s dark brows rise. “Awesome, yes, but they’d never be able to afford it. They’re asking one-point-six.”
I sigh. “Good point. Even with the death benefits payout from the TDP, there wouldn’t be enough.”
“No, there wouldn’t. You need to wrap that up while things are calm. Charlie Mantle has been calling.”
My third biscuit seems to clog my throat. Or maybe my throat is clogging around my biscuit. “Yeah, I know. It feels wrong to boil Brendan’s worth down to money in the bank.” I blink against the sting of tears burning in my eyes.
“Agreed, but if something happens to any of us, there’s a process that has to be followed. That money can do really good things for our family. It can put Jackson and Meggie through university, pay off a landscaping bill, or maybe buy a new furnace.”
“I get that. Yeah, our furnace is wheezing its last breath. Okay, I’ll pull up my big girl panties and take care of it.”
Sloan squeezes my hand. “How much money would ye be short?”
“For what? A furnace? Oh, there’s plenty for that.”
“No, I meant if ye could buy out the neighbor’s house and expand to include Aiden and his family?”
I frown, not liking his tone. “Too much to borrow. I haven’t spoken with Mr. Mantle, but since Brendan got killed while undercover, I know the payout will be big. Still, it won’t be one and a half million dollars big.”
“But having the house next door would solve more than a few issues. Yer family could spread out more, and ye wouldn’t have to worry so much about pryin’ eyes watchin’ yer backyard when enemies attack and try to kidnap ye.”
I squeeze his hand and smile. “I’m not taking your money, Mackenzie. You save up and buy yourself a castle of your own. Manx and you deserve to rock the bachelor pad life. We’ll find another answer for Aiden and Kinu.”
Sloan shrugs. “If ye change yer mind, I’m happy to help.”
Calum frowns. “How much money have you got, Irish?”
Sloan shrugs again. “More than I need.”
I pat his hand and start in on my ham and potatoes. “That’s awesome and generous, but Cumhaills pave their roads forward.”
Manx trots in the kitchen door with Emmet, and the two of them look suspiciously happy and wind-blown.
“Where have the two of you been?” I ask.
Manx goes to where his bowl is on the floor and laps up water. Emmet drops into his chair and smiles. “I showed Manx the grove and introduced him to the gang. Everyone asked about you, Fi. You should visit them.”
“It’s my first stop after dinner. How do you feel?”
“I haven’t sprouted a tail lately if that’s what you’re asking. So far so good.”
I look him over, and yeah, he looks healthy and normal and not at all like he’s transforming into a fae creature. “Have you heard anything from Sarah? Do we know what she and the goddess did after they left us in Turkey?”
“Yeah, she emailed me.” He pulls out his phone, calls up his email, and smiles. “She’s happy to report that the two of them gathered the witches from the Ring of Rath, and the goddess stripped Jimmy and his crew and all those involved of their powers. Mother Nature visited the coven of the Blarney white witches, and that went a long way in restoring her sisters’ faith that they did the right thing in helping us. She also says that she’s been named the new Magis of the coven and looks forward to rebuilding.”
“Och, that’s good news,” Sloan says. “She’s a lovely lass. She deserves the honor.”
Emmet nods. “Yeah, it’s a good thing. It’ll give her something to focus on beyond the guilt of feeling like it was her fault.”
“It wasn’t her fault.” I finish my plate.
“No. It wasn’t.” Emmet closes the email and smiles.
“So, when do you see her next?” I smile at the lovestruck grin on his face.
Emmet shrugs. “Nikon said he’ll take me after my next block when he picks up Suede.”
“Ohmygawd, Suede!” I stare at Sloan and cup my hand over my mouth. “How horrible are we? We forgot about her and left her behind in Ireland. We have to call her and apologize. Oh, I feel terrible.”
Sloan chuckles. “We’re not horrible…well, I’m not, anyway. I kept in contact with her and chatted with her before we came home. You may have forgotten about her, but I didn’t, and I didn’t let on.”
I shake my head. “Okay, so I’m a horrible person, and you covered my butt.”
Sloan chuckles. “It was my pleasure to cover your butt. Now come, there’s something the boys and I want ye to see.”
Sloan, Emmet, Calum, Kevin, and I slide into our shoes and jackets and trot across what little backyard we have left. The moment we step into the grove, I feel the strength of the ambient magic feeding my soul. Sloan slips his palm against mine as we wander deeper into the trees. I reach out and catch Flopsy in the air and cuddle her against my chest. With a wave, I greet Pip and Nilm, and Mopsy, and my deer.
“And hello up there.” I smile at all the little lights twinkling in the branches above. “What are you?”
“Winnots.” Sloan smiles. “Remember when we set up the lights in the grove and I told you that my grove is lit by tiny faery bugs called winnots? I also said that I would see if any of them fancied the idea of relocating to the new world.”
I blink against the onset of tears blurring my vision. “All of you came to live with us here in our grove? I’m so honored to have you.”
“I told you she’d cry.” Calum pats Manx’s head.
I blink ag
ainst the warm moisture leaking out of my eyes. “Thank you. This is so thoughtful.”
He chuckles and pulls me into a hug. “Today is the first of November, a ghra. For druids, it’s our New Year’s Day. It’s a day of celebration, and it’s customary to give a heartfelt gift to make someone happy. It is my honor and pleasure to make ye smile.”
I gaze into those warm, dark eyes and sink a little deeper.
He gets me. He sees me. He accepts me.
“Then my November first gift to you is a heartfelt gift that will make you happy. It is my honor and pleasure to make you smile. You said all I need to do is say the word, right?”
Sloan’s eyes widen as he stands a little straighter. “And?”
“The word, hotness. I’m saying the word.”
Thank you for reading – A Witch’s Revenge
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A Broken Vow
Irish Translations
a ghra - my love, a romantic endearment
Dia dhuit - a greeting for hello
Maith go leor – all right, good enough
Go raibh maith agat - thank you
A Broken Vow
The story continues with A Broken Vow, coming soon Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Pre-order now to have it delivered to your Kindle on midnight January 31st, 2021.
Author Notes - Auburn Tempest
December 18, 2020
Thank you so much for reading A Witch’s Revenge—I truly appreciate you spending your time with our characters.
Fiona is growing into her druid-y boots, backed by an amazingly supportive family both in Toronto and in Ireland. I heart Clan Cumhaill hard. They feel real to me and are quickly becoming part of my family. The supporting cast of Sloan, Nikon, Patty, Dart, and even the heirs of the Ancient Order of Druids are coming into their own, too.
I’m excited to see where they take us.
Thank you all for loving the series and joining us on the adventure. The fans are amazing, and I read every review to make sure I’m writing what you love to read.
I will continue to focus on family, fun, and of course, fantasy.
Book 5 of the series – A Broken Vow – is up next. It’s written and ready to be polished to perfection by Michael’s LMBPN super team. What a joy it’s been to work with them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know more about Toronto and maybe even a bit about Irish and Celtic mythology. Expect more mayhem and creatures of legend in the books to come.
All the best in these trying times. When you need to leave reality behind for a while, I hope you escape into the pages of the Chronicles of the Urban Druid series and find sanctuary.
Wishing you all lives filled with laughter and love.
Auburn Tempest
P.S. If you enjoy my writing and read sexy steamy romance, my pen name for the books I write Paranormal and Fantasy Romance is JL Madore. You can find me on Amazon.
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
December 22, 2020
Thank you for not only reading this story but also joining me back here for a bit of commentary.
Sometimes I’m funny, sometimes I’m poignant, often I’m confusing.
I have one of the best jobs ever and it only took me something like forty-seven years to start it. As an author and publisher, I get to create or talk about stories all day every day, rain or shine.
Further, I get to collaborate with some of the sweetest and nicest authors on the planet. I absolutely include "Auburn" (Jenny) on my list of amazing and fun authors to talk to. Having spoken to her about the family in the books, I know that she is taking her own siblings and their craziness and placing it into the stories.
I asked if she shared that with her family and she admitted she had. And that once admitted, she followed up quickly with "there aren’t any royalties included with making up characters based on you."
I laughed. I totally see one of Fi’s brothers trying that out on her. Which makes sense, in a roundabout way.
It’s almost like "Which came first, the characters or the siblings?"
Well, obviously the siblings. But, for me it was the characters who came first, so in my own version of reality, are the siblings actually the less real of the two?
Ouch, I made my head hurt.
If you enjoy the stories, tell a friend or two. We would LOVE to keep the stories going on for a few more books if we can!
Happy Holidays!
Michael
About Auburn Tempest
Auburn Tempest is a multi-genre novelist giving life to Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Sci-Fi adventures. Under the pen name, JL Madore, she writes in the same genres but in full romance, sexy-steamy novels. Whether Romance or not, she loves to twist Alpha heroes and kick-ass heroines into chaotic, hilarious, fast-paced, magical situations and make them really work for their happy endings.
Auburn Tempest lives in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada with her dear, wonderful hubby of 30 years and a menagerie of family, friends, and animals.
Books by Auburn Tempest
Auburn Tempest - Urban Fantasy Action/Adventure
Chronicles of an Urban Druid
Book 1 – A Gilded Cage
Book 2 – A Sacred Grove
Book 3 – A Family Oath
Book 4 - A Witches Revenge
Book 5 - A Broken Vow
Book 6 - A Druid Hexed
Misty’s Magick and Mayhem Series – Written by Carolina Mac/Contributed to by Auburn Tempest
Book 1 – School for Reluctant Witches
Book 2 – School for Saucy Sorceresses
Book 3 – School for Unwitting Wiccans
Book 4 – Nine St. Gillian Street
Book 5 – The Ghost of Pirate’s Alley
Book 6 – Jinxing Jackson Square
Book 7 – Flame
Book 8 – Frost
Book 9 – Nocturne
Book 10 – Luna
Book 11 – Swamp Magic
Exemplar Hall – Co-written with Ruby Night
Prequel – Death of a Magi Knight
Book 1 – Drafted by the Magi
Book 2 – Jesse and the Magi Vault
Book 3 – The Makings of a Magi
Connect with The Authors
Connect with Auburn
Amazon, Facebook, Newsletter
Web page – www.jlmadore.com
Email – [email protected]
Connect with Michael Anderle and sign up for his email list here:
Website: http://lmbpn.com
Email List: http://lmbpn.com/email/
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Other LMBPN Publishing Books
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https://lmbpn.com/email/
For a complete list of books published by LMBPN please visit the following page:
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A Witch’s Revenge (Chronicles of an Urban Druid Book 4) Page 27
