Genre: YA
Gabriella and Darron thought their magickal battle was over when they
defeated the evil warlock, Richard. When her Aunt Donna seeks
Gabriella’s help in rescuing her catatonic daughter from the Dark Coven,
Gabriella discovers that her cousin holds a power within her that would
be catastrophic in the hands of the evil witches.
Gabriella’s coven sets out on a journey that may be their last. Along
the way, they meet new allies, face devastating treachery, and battle
not only the Dark Coven, but the darkness within themselves. When
Gabriella finally comes face to face with the cousin she never knew
existed, her true destiny is unveiled, and the fate of the mortal world
is in her hands.
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Darron was on the roof of a large building, elevated dizzyingly high
over the road below. Other skyscrapers bordered it, but it was by far
the largest building in the general area, standing several stories
higher than it’s neighbors. The few cars that dotted the street below
looked like insects. Above him, the moon shone full, round, and red in
the night sky. It was an autumn moon, a blood moon. By the light of that
moon, Darron was able to see the practiced movements of six
black-cloaked figures, who swayed to the steady beat of an invisible
drum. Their shapes were obscure in the pale light, and it was impossible
to determine if they were men or women because the dark, hooded robes
they wore hid their features from view.
There was an altar erected in the center of a circle that was
outlined in black charcoal. On that altar sat the normal tools of
ritual: a black tipped dagger, a silver chalice, an incense burner, and
multiple black candles. Darron owned similar items. They weren’t
frightening in themselves. But the altar, like the people who lingered
around it, was outlined by a shimmering black aura. The vibrations they
relayed were no less than evil. Their presence made Darron shudder. He
watched in horror, as a silent and unwelcome spectator to the forbidden
rights.
Four of the cloaked figures took up the elemental corners, preparing
to call the Guardians. The Guardians answered their call, unable to
ignore the summons because magick can’t be divided into good and evil.
It’s both because nature is both, harsh and devastating yet beautiful
and gentle as the need arises. It was just as easy for the dark witches
to harness the destructive forces of nature as it was for Darron and his
coven to call upon its life giving magick. Good or evil was in the
heart of its master, not in the magick that was wielded.
A fifth cloaked figure, the apparent leader of the group, stood in
the center of the circle with the dagger raised high above his head. The
sixth and final coven member groveled at the feet of the leader, his
head lowered in acquiescence. The hood of his cloak hid his face though
he was no more than a few feet away from Darron.
“Brother and sisters,” the leader proclaimed, his accented voice
heavy with his foreboding presence. “Tonight in the wake of the blood
moon, we come together to bring a new brother into our fold. He has
completed the required tasks and proven himself worthy to join us in our
work.”
“So mote it be!”
The four other cloaked figures cried out in perfect unison. Their hands were raised to the sky in honor of the blood moon.
The leader picked up the chalice from the altar. He followed the path
of the circle to all of the elemental corners, stopping at each of the
robed coven members in turn. Each offered their willing hands to their
leader, palm outward. Each welcomed the point of the black edged dagger
as it dug into their open palms without so much as a gasp of pain. The
high priest cut a clean line down the centers of the palms of his
disciples, and they all squeezed their fingers against the open wound to
allow the blood to drip into the waiting chalice.
After collecting the offering from his followers, the leader returned
to the center of the circle and the waiting initiate. With one quick
motion, he sliced open his own palm. He held his hand over the cup,
letting his blood drip slowly into the chalice, until the wound
miraculously healed before Darron’s startled eyes. When the chalice was
full, he carried it to the eager initiate who took the cup firmly into
his hands and tilted it towards his lips.
“As this blood makes you one with our flesh, so your soul follows to become one with the darkness,” the English voice intoned.
As the initiate drained the last of the liquid in the chalice, his
hood fell away, revealing a blonde ponytail pulled back over a pale
white face, made even paler by the outline of bright red blood around
his lips. Darron watched in stunned, horrified silence as his own face
turned to meet his gaze. Eyes turned as black as coals stared back at
Darron with a grim smile of satisfaction.
“Rise Darron,” the leader commanded. And as he spoke, he lifted the hood from his head. Rise brother of the Dark Coven.”
Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her
husband and three children. She has been writing stories for as long as
she can remember. Old high school friends would tell you she was always
scratching in her notebook instead of paying attention in class and the
children she used to babysit for always loved to hear her scary stories
at bedtime. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole
author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active
member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for
close to eight years. She loves writing young adult novels, because it
keeps her young at heart. She is the author of three published works
including Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, and Phantom, and has several more
projects in the works.
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