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    The Witch and the Stag
    The Witch and the Stag
    The Witch and the Stag
    Ebook115 pages1 hour

    The Witch and the Stag

    By Victoria Rogers

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    About this ebook

    As a solitary witch, Maddy McKinley’s job is to ensure her community is safe from paranormal harm. When a routine neighborhood exorcism goes wrong, Maddy finds herself haunted by a poltergeist that has been hounding her family for generations.

    With the help of the hunky godling across the street, Maddy must learn to set aside her family traditions and work with another before the poltergeist destroys her.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChangeling Press
    Release dateAug 20, 2021
    The Witch and the Stag

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      Book preview

      The Witch and the Stag - Victoria Rogers

      Chapter One

      Maddy felt the cool air on her nostrils, and the rising and falling of her chest as she deliberately regulated her breath. In, two, three, four, out, two, three, four.

      Her mind’s eye focused on a circle of light dancing on the backs of her eyelids. With practiced discipline, she kept her focus and her stomach settled as her spirit rushed dizzily up her astral cord and to the astral plane.

      The park was quieter here, in this space. Gone were the sounds of barking dogs that should have been on a leash but weren’t. Gone were the children’s squeals and parents’ plaintive shouts to be careful. Instead, there was a sea of glowing green grass and grayish blobs she knew to be playground equipment. Her inner eye searched carefully for the telltale sign of the poltergeist. This one would be brown. Or maybe red, she thought to herself. Come out, come out, wherever you are.

      In the end, she heard the sound before she saw it. It let out an ear-piercing screech and rushed at her from behind. The poltergeist stopped just short of the circle of salt she had drawn around her, its shrill voice hitting decibels her physical ears would never have been able to detect.

      She winced. I bet every dog within two miles is howling now.

      The thing clawed at the invisible barrier separating the pair of them. Maddy took in a deep breath and pulled on the iron bell she had clipped onto her belt. "Silence now, my wayward soul. Rest, I bequeath to thee. Silence now, my wayward soul. Rest now, so mote it be."

      She rang the bell three times. At each clear ring, the poltergeist screamed into the plane and raked at the salt barrier. She flinched at the ferocity of it. Unconsciously, she reached for the locket filled with protective dill she wore around her neck. She swallowed and firmed her jaw. "Silence now, my wayward soul. Calm, I bequeath to thee. Silence now, my wayward soul. Calm now, so mote it be."

      By the time she rang the bell twice, the poltergeist charged the barrier with such force that Maddy fell backward and out of her protective circle.

      Witch! it accused, throwing itself at her.

      She used the impossible physics of the astral plane to her advantage and pushed off the poltergeist with her feet, flying away from it. She managed to ring the bell for the third time before it was on her again. Its cold talons raked across her spirit form. Down in the grass, her physical body shuddered.

      Silence now, my wayward sou -- Maddy screamed as it slashed at her astral cord. An intense cold radiated through her. She held up her locket in front of her and the poltergeist hissed and backed away. "Silence now, my wayward soul. Quiet, I bequeath to thee. Silence now, my wayward soul. Quiet now, so mote it be!"

      The spirit retreated farther away from her, sneering. Witch! Witch! it cried.

      She rang the iron bell three times, and with each melodious chime, the poltergeist shrank in size until it was nothing at all, its cacophonous wail fading with its form.

      Maddy’s spirit slammed into her body as something bashed against her cheekbone. She blinked back stars and held her face in her hand, shocked more than anything. The poltergeist wasn’t supposed to be able to do that. In all her twenty-eight years of life, she had never been physically hurt by a poltergeist before. What happened? What was that?

      By the gods, are you all right?

      Maddy opened her eyes and saw a bright red Frisbee lying on the ground next to her. A Frisbee? She had been hit by a Frisbee? She touched her cheek and frowned at how puffy it felt. Of all the damn things that could happen while she was putting a damn poltergeist to rest, she was hit in the face by a Frisbee.

      Yeah, she said without looking at the speaker. She picked up the Frisbee and shoved it in their direction. Watch where you’re throwing the damn thin -- She stopped short when she looked up. A shirtless man -- a shirtless muscular man -- crouched next to her. He wore blue Serenity State joggers, silver aviators, and one hell of a smile. His dimples were --

      Ouch, he said, interrupting her thoughts. I really got you there. I’m so sorry. I’ve got a first aid kit in the car, if you just wait here, I can run over and grab it.

      Maddy stared at his plump bottom lip. Uh… What? she shook her head. Get a hold of yourself, Maddy. Oh. No. No, thank you. That’s fine. I’m right around the corner.

      Are you sure? he asked, his brows furrowed in concern. The car is right there.

      It was true. The parking lot was only a hop, skip, and a jump away. She shook her head again. No, thank you. Just… be careful, huh?

      He stood up and offered her a hand. Hesitant, she took it. His grip was firm but not overpowering. For that brief second at the top of the pull, they were so close she could feel his breath on her forehead. She stepped back and held out the Frisbee.

      I’m really sorry, he said. I didn’t mean to --

      It’s fine, she said, waving her hand. It wasn’t fine. Not really. It hurt. A lot.

      He nodded, gave her a small wave, and left her to pack her suede crossbody bag with her exorcism implements. They didn’t amount to much. She had never been one for pomp and ceremony, just like her mother, and her mother before her. The McKinley family was a straight and unbroken line of solitary practitioners known for their efficiency, knowledge, and speaking their minds.

      She put away the rosemary incense, a crystal salt cellar, and her bell. Luckily, it was only a five-minute walk to her shop, Ceridwen, which was situated on a cobbled, pedestrian-only side street smack dab in the center of downtown Serenity.

      The jingle of the wind chimes on the front door alerted Felicity, Maddy’s only employee (she worked half days twice during the week and all day on Saturdays), of her arrival. Felicity was a full head shorter than Maddy but made up for her lack of size with the number of words that came out of her mouth. The sight of Felicity’s gorgeous blonde curls piled effortlessly atop her head made Maddy pull her hair down from its pineapple so it would fall in rich mahogany waves about her shoulders. There. Less rumpled.

      What is that? Felicity said almost immediately coming out from behind the counter.

      Maddy frowned, letting out a hiss from the movement.

      What on earth happened? Did you get mugged? Tell me you didn’t get mugged. She leaned in as if she were about to touch Maddy’s face.

      Maddy waved her aside and continued to the back of the store to her office. She dropped her purse onto her chair, pulled open the bottom drawer of one of the tall gray file cabinets, and grabbed the first aid kit.

      I didn’t get mugged, she said as she flicked on the desk lamp for more light in the windowless room. Got hit by a Frisbee. She finally looked into the mirror hanging crookedly on the wall. By the gods, he did get me, didn’t he? She peered closer and poked at it, wincing.

      Well, what do you expect if you poke at it? Felicity said from the doorway.

      Maddy rolled her eyes and continued to examine her cheek. Just a bad bruise. Doesn’t look like the skin was broken at all. Guess I’ll just look like I was in a fight for a while.

      I bet those kids learned their lesson.

      Maddy glanced up at Felicity. Not kids. Grown man. Early thirties, I bet.

      Oh! Even better. What’s his name?

      Maddy put the first aid kit back in its drawer. No idea. I was too busy trying not to tear into him.

      Oh, come on, Maddy! You need to live a little. You can’t just stay in here or that tiny little box you call an apartment all your life. You shoulda got his number. Felicity arched a brow and shook her head in disappointment.

      Home. I call it home.

      Whatever. It’s a rectangle above your store.

      I own that rectangle. It’s my home, Felicity.

      "I still think you should just rent that place out and get

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