Family Feud: The Witching Hour Series Book 5

by Joanna Mazurkiewicz

  "Ella!" I shouted. Luckily, she was alive, disoriented and most likely charmed, but alive. She must have noticed me in the circle.

  "Julia? Oh, my God…what’s going on? Why are we here?" she asked, panic in her voice. Jasper must have hit her or used a spell, because she suddenly dropped to the ground.

  "She was supposed to be quiet. You told me that you took care of everything," a voice said from behind me. I turned abruptly, seeing Tron walking towards me from the other side of the field. He looked different. His hair was white, and his powers felt much more defined, overpowered with darkness.

  "Tron, I'm so glad you’re here," I said. He must have followed Jasper from the station.

  He didn't even look at me but walked right past. The circle was lighting the space. I stood there wondering what was going on. He approached Ella, grabbed her elbow and spun her around. Taking something out of his pocket, he brought Ella closer to him and then slashed her throat with a small shiny knife.

  I was lost in my own terrifying scream, when I realised what he had done. I ran towards him, grief searing through me. I didn't get anywhere, as the pain blinded me for a good few seconds. I must have fallen on the grass, screaming and holding my head. I wanted it to stop. I couldn't breathe. It felt like someone had opened my head and was pouring red-hot lava inside. This lasted no more than a few seconds. When it finally stopped I was crawling on the grass, repeating to myself that Ella was still alive, that she wasn't dead.

  "She isn't needed anymore. Now let's begin."

  Cold sweat dripped down my back as I tried to gather my bearings. Tron didn't just murder my best friend. He was always on my side. He was my mentor, the elf who I looked up to.

  The pain was gone as fast as it appeared. I lifted myself off the ground, hissing for breath.

  "Why…why did you kill her? She was no one, just a human girl."

  Tron looked at me then, brushing the excess blood from the knife over his coat. His eyes shined in the flames, and they weren’t blue anymore, but dark brown.

  "I had so much respect for your grandmother. She tried so hard to keep me away from you, hid the truth from me for years. Tonight, this whole thing will finally end."

  I didn't understand what he was saying. Ella was just lying there, gasping for breath as the blood was pouring away. Within minutes she stopped moving. Her eyes were open. They’d let her bleed to death. I couldn't take this, couldn't understand why he needed to do something so terrible.

  "We need to begin. There isn't much time," Jasper reminded him.

  "Are you capable of putting your emotions aside and performing the ceremony?" Tron asked him.

  My ex smiled and winked at me. "Of course, I don't know, but there was something about her, and for some reason I wanted her to love me. I get it now—the power—that’s what it was."

  "Ready for what? Tron what’s he talking about?" I asked in desperation, wondering what sick thing they were planning. "Why am I here?"

  "Your great-great-grandmother signed a contract with my great-great-uncle. Your family didn't honour it. I’ve waited long enough to be recognised as the true patriarch. Today you’re going to marry me, so what’s yours will be mine, and what’s mine will be yours."

  "Tron, this doesn’t make any sense. The contract is about blood. Why would you even care about it?" I asked, calling for my magic that was still deep inside me. I had enough strength to fight with their power.

  "Because I have been searching for ways to stay in this world forever, my dear Julia. In your family there had never been any boys, your father being the exception, and when you were born, no one paid attention to a half-breed like you. No one cared that you were marked at birth. Your grandmother’s efforts were very impressive. In the end she failed, and she had to die. And I had to kill Alex. He showed up begging me to help him to find his daughter. He blinded me for a moment, but everything is going to be fine now.”

  I couldn't move, my heart jackhammered in my chest.

  None of this made sense. Sid had sent her the warning; he was the one who murdered her in cold blood.

  "No, the royal fairy—he killed her. I have a proof."

  "I'm sorry, Julia, this probably hasn't been easy. She was a remarkable woman."

  "But why? Why did you show up two years ago claiming that you wanted to help me?"

  "She was protecting you. She wanted to take her secret to the grave. Besides, you weren’t very careful. People started talking about you, about your disruptive power. When I found out you were Barbra’s granddaughter, I knew that I needed to get closer. The silly lessons were just excuses to find out more…”

  Tron started telling me that I was supposed to be the child from the prophecy, but rather than a boy they got me and that my grandmother had known about this since my birth. I didn't want to listen. He was crazy. My abilities were disruptive and useless. He believed Nathaniel was interfering with my power, that he limited me in some way. He mentioned Craig, Kelsie’s ex, who’d attacked me in my parents’ home.

  "He overheard me talking about you during one rainy evening. When he vanished I didn't care, until years later, when he nearly killed you in the fire. He obeyed me and didn't tell Barbra about our special meetings, and I was pleased by that. You see, Julia, I told her to stop lying, to let the family know who you really were. Instead she defied me, tried to stop me. She went to the king, and then things got complicated. I needed to disappear, wait for another moment."

  My jaw was hanging open. I didn't want to believe in all this. Tron wasn't the person who I’d been looking for all this time. How could I have been so stupid to believe him, to let him into my life?

  "The king… but I don't understand. Sid, the royal fairy, sent the letter to Grandma. The king’s nephew. You’re lying," I shouted. Jasper smirked and shook his head. I didn't understand why he was here. This had nothing to do with him.

  "I never liked that name Sidheart. It was a shame the king didn't see my potential and didn't care for my ideas. I was bored standing on the side, being just "royal." When I rebelled against the rules that were set, our king didn't like it. Fairies were talking, but no one had the guts to do what I did."

  "What? You’re Sid… the fairy from the letter?"

  He bowed to me then and smiled.

  “That's me.”

  "But you’re Ella’s father. You just killed your own daughter!" I shouted, shaking my head. He was tricking me, trying to hide the real truth. He must have found out about Karina.

  Tron laughed and stepped over the circle. I had to stay where I was; otherwise the pain would come back. The energy around it was charmed with lethal magic.

  "Ella?" Tron asked and then looked over to the side where my best friend was lying dead. "I'm not her father. Alex snuck into your world after me and seduced her mother. He then came to me, asking for help, thinking I had no idea. He wanted it all to go away, to cover it up. It's was such a shame that I had to kill her, the same way I killed her useless father a few months ago."

  "Why? What did she ever do to you?"

  "She knew more than she was supposed to. I couldn't let her family find her and reconnect. This wasn't part of the plan."

  The man in standing before me was delusional. Ella was innocent ; she didn't need to die.

  "I don't have any special powers, Tron or Sid… whatever your name is, you’re wrong about me."

  I wished that I had all these powers he was talking about, because then I could have killed him, torn him apart for everything he had done to me and the people who I cared about.

  “Barbra's spells started getting weaker two years ago, when your abilities were evolving, and you started blacking out. I knew that I had to find the right moment to step in. And you were so willing, so desperate to stop hurting others. I watched you for months, watched how that vampire blocked your real potential. You see, when you mix lust with magic, your mind becomes unfocused and you stop developing as a paranormal. I told you to stay away from him, but you didn't listen.
He limited you and your magic. Your grandmother knew you were the child from the prophecy. She used her talent to cover your abilities, to mask it with clumsiness and the inability to perform basic spells. Why? Because no one would pay attention to someone like you, the half-breed who couldn't perform basics spells," he said, sounding so happy and excited. "Today we will become husband and wife. I will get what belongs to me and then I'll claim the crown."

  "Don't forget about me, old man. None of this would work if it weren’t for me," Jasper said, winking at me.

  "Oh yes, I recruited your past lover because of his knowledge of dark magic. He was supposed to bring you to me a couple of weeks ago, when you went up north, but he failed miserably. That was straight after you found poor Dolores. I wished she didn't have to die. I was convinced that she had some sort of influence over you because of Barbra. Shame, a real shame," Tron muttered, sounding unhappy. Of course, now everything was clear. Tron had murdered her, too, because she failed to help him.

  "Seven years, Jasper. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?" I asked my ex, in an attempt to stall him, playing on his feelings for me.

  "Of course, darling. In the beginning I loved you, truly, but I never knew you were so valuable. A couple of months ago, Sid gave me a new opportunity. I was down, and you failed to deliver on your promise. For some reason I still believed you would come around."

  "Your grandmother wanted to kill me," Tron said. "She thought the king would protect her, and when he didn't she went to that potion maker, the wizard. She was complicating everything and had to die. She must have seen it coming." Tron proudly looked back at me. "Don't be sad, Julia. You’ll be a queen soon, filled with power and luxury. Your life will change dramatically."

  I threw up my hands, concentrating on my power. It was inside me; I knew I could defend myself. I just had to bring it back. I gritted my teeth, sweating, as I began to unravel the power that shaped the ground. There was a way for me to connect with nature; I had read about this kind of magic before.

  "Don't make this difficult for yourself, Julia. We got rid of the vampire, so we could control you better."

  My thoughts rushed to Nathaniel. The change, the sudden hatred, all that he’d done to me in the past few days.

  "What do you mean, you got rid of him?"

  "He was a problem, so I dealt with him, injected him with a potion of possessiveness, jealousy and vengeance. Without him, your power is clean, and I can finally get what I have been waiting for—for over thirty years."

  Chapter 29

  "I have always loved you, Julia."

  I couldn't breathe. I fell to the ground, clasping my hands over my chest. All of a sudden everything was so clear. Nathaniel was under the influence of black magic. He was cursed, because he interfered with Sid’s pathetic plan. I had been so stupid, believing that he changed, that he suddenly hated me.

  Jasper had made him forget me years ago, a few months after we met. Jasper used black magic then, too. He was jealous over the fact that I had moved on, so he used black magic to make Nathaniel forget I existed. God, how could I have missed all the signs?

  My heart pounded furiously as thoughts about that dinner at my parents’ home and our conversation in his boardroom began moving swiftly through my head. I should have suspected that Nathaniel wasn't capable of being so cruel and indifferent.

  There was no way I was going to submit to Tron and marry him. I needed to do something, anything to stop this nonsense. Tron and Jasper were as bad as one another. I couldn't be the child from the prophecy. My mother was a human, and I had half of her non-magical genes. They made a mistake, believing in this mass delusion.

  "Let me get this straight," I said, my voice vibrating with anger and bitter disappointment, "You murdered my grandmother, labeled her a cheater, and cursed my fiancé because you believe I was born with some special abilities, magic that can make you immortal?"

  "Finally, we’re getting somewhere," Tron said, nodding to Jasper.

  "Then you’re one fucked up son of a bitch. No one can become immortal; it's impossible, and once I gain my power back, I’ll kill you for what you’ve done to my family, and the people I truly care about." My words were calm and steady. I wouldn't waste my strength on empty words.

  Tron shook his head and waved his hand. The pain came back, and before I knew it I was on the ground, screaming in agony. I heard Tron’s voice in my head, telling me he was planning to torture me until I came to my senses.

  "First, you will become my wife, and then we will become king and queen. You should be happy. No one has ever been given such a privilege. Your grandmother did a lot of damage covering up your abilities, but in the end, I was victorious. I’ve already won and now I need to claim my prize."

  I was trembling, cold sweat dripping from me. Tron was in the circle with me. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back to my feet. Jasper approached, and the flames began burning higher with an intensity that made me wince because of the light. More clouds shaded the moon and my skin buzzed with strong currents of magic. Tron looked proud, almost trembling with excitement. I couldn't show any weakness in front of him, but his expression was making me sick.

  His obsession with immortality turned him into a murderer, the royal who fed his ego with hatred. The magic I felt wasn't mine. Jasper was using our connection, penetrating my system. I felt him in my head, rummaging through my thoughts, my fears and desires. He was the reason I was so powerless.

  "Let's just get on with this, you know, the usual. I don't have time for any drama," Tron said, and almost burned me with the sparks shooting from his arm.

  Jasper waved his wand and a book appeared in his hand. Years ago, he was good. Maybe that part of him remained somewhere deep inside him, but at this point I doubted it. Tron must have promised him something very special. My ex didn't do anything out of the generosity of his heart.

  "With the power of the air, with the power of all the creatures on this earth…"

  He was mumbling the spells, but these words weren’t powerful. Then he closed his eyes and started talking in a different language. Latin or French, I couldn't tell. I needed to do something, attack Tron or hit him. All at once, I started smelling cinnamon, apples, freshly cut grass and mint leaves. I now heard my heartbeat, the wind, my erratic breathing and the animals nearby, hiding behind the trees; their euphoric excitement was apparent.

  Jasper was still talking, but his eyes were closed, and his magic was still harvesting mine. He was forcing me to move my mouth, to tell the world that I was accepting Sidheart as my husband. My head pounded, pumping way too much blood into my veins. I didn't want to accept it; I needed to fight.

  "Will you, Julia Taylor, take this man to be your husband. Will you …"

  My head moved, so I was looking directly at Tron. His eyes were filled with empowering darkness. The moon was completely shaded by thick black clouds. My fear and hopelessness was shading my mind, the rotten magic scorching throughout my body. It felt like snakes were slithering beneath my skin, injecting their poisonous power with their fangs. I fought with him, shutting down, wanting to scream.

  "Don't fight him, Julia. It's in the contract. You’re obliged to carry it through. As my wife you will have the whole world on their knees."

  I heard Tron talking, broadcasting the images of us together in the future. Jasper’s power forced me to open my mouth and agree to whatever Tron wanted. I was marrying a man who was a killer, that poisoned the man I love and broke my family, because he was afraid of death.

  Then out of nowhere the connection was cut. I heard a shot. Jasper was out of his magical trance. A second later he was on the ground, breathing hard, like he couldn't move. Birds broke through the trees, flying above us. It was a shotgun; someone must have fired it. The flames in the circle fizzled out; the wind picked up. The darkness shadowed the space all at once. My own power rushed back to me, igniting the fire in my stomach, quickly and out of the blue, like it was finally awakened. I started crawling away
, when Tron shouted orders to Jasper, but my ex wasn't moving; he just lay there motionless. They were both disoriented and maybe injured. A sudden rush of my power was like a breath of fresh air. They couldn't see me, and Jasper must have still been on the ground. I heard their hissing gasps.

  "Light! The light, you fool."

  The tar-like darkness surrounded us, but Jasper’s charm was broken. Whoever fired the gun was near us, probably hiding between the trees.

  "Let go of her or this time I won't miss!" an unknown voice roared.

  I saw a stream of purple magic flying through the air. It crossed the lake and then it vanished. This sudden distraction gave me enough time to gather my strength. Sweat was running down my face, and then Jasper was in my head, using his black spells to gain control over me.

  I heard him and screamed as loud as I could, launching the combined forces of my magical energy and anything I could pull from Jasper to wreak havoc on the men near me. I had never experienced this before. My voice, loud and clear, was hurting them both. They were writhing on the ground, holding their ears. Tron fought, using his magic, trying to charm and spell bind the source of my power, but I overpowered him, my voice, my anger and my grief giving me strength. I kept screaming, until he howled in abject misery, levitating above the ground, sobbing his defeat.

  I lifted my hands connecting with the magic around me. I felt it deep in my core giving me strength to finish whatever I started, to gain my revenge for my grandmother. Jasper was doing something with his wand, using his own spells to protect himself from mine.

  Soon I was drunk with the power of magic, filled with the euphoria of controlling everything around me. The clouds started moving away and the moon cast her pale light as my power seeped into the world around me. I was controlling them both. My screams faded, and I was breathing hard, fighting to stay in control.

  Tron was still on the ground, clutching his ears, mumbling words that didn't make sense. I didn't know how long I was lost in the wrath of my broken heart, intoxicated by my own power.