Blood Magic (Blood Magic Series Book 1) Read online

  The snow had finally stopped falling earlier today, and I could see the reflections of thousands of twinkling stars on the glassy surface of the lake. The temperature being well below zero, every frosty breath I emitted appeared before me like a ghostly apparition; sitting down on a fallen log to put on my new skates, I was illuminated by a shaft of moonlight from the pale golden spotlight hanging above me.

  As I finished lacing up my skates and prepared to glide out onto the ice, the hooting of an owl in a nearby tree had me almost peeing my pants. I had been afraid of the dark for as long as I could remember, but when my eyes sought out and found the beautiful snowy owl in the forest of pines, I caught my breath. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen, turning it’s head all around in search of its next meal; then, obviously having found what it was looking for, gracefully spreading its wings and disappearing into the darkness.

  I had been so distracted by my bird watching that I didn’t even hear the others coming up behind me. And, of course, I was standing there staring dumbly up at the sky when they arrived.

  “Hey, Allie! Are they sending you some kind of signal from your home planet, girl,” said Matt Turner, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me?

  Wriggling out of his unwelcome embrace, I turned and smiled sweetly saying, “Yeah, we’re looking for unusual human subjects to run tests on, and I naturally thought of you, but I’m afraid the test subjects actually have to possess a working brain. Sorry.”

  “Play nice children; don’t make me have to separate you,” Cassie warned, already attached to the dark-haired, blue eyed Eric Black at the hip. They had been dating for three months and already professed to be “soul mates.”

  “Truce, Allie? You know I love you, baby,” he declared, opening his arms for the hug he was sure I wouldn’t accept.

  “I love you too, Mattie. It’s not your fault you were dropped on your head a lot as a baby,” I said laughingly, allowing him to pick me up and spin me around. There was really nothing between Mattie and me except friendship; I guess most girls would probably find him attractive, with his shoulder length brown hair, dark skin, and matching brown eyes. He was actually my boyfriend for a while in second grade, until I stole one of his Power Ranger’s action figures, and he retaliated by cutting the hair off of all my Barbie Dolls.

  “We all gonna hold hands and sing kumbaya, or are we gonna skate,” asked Eric mockingly?

  “I’ll hold your hand, buddy, if you want me to,” Matt said, as he started toward Eric making kissing sounds.

  “You wish, dude! I could do so much better than you,” Eric laughed, as he pushed Matt face first into the snow.

  While the boys wrestled in the snow, Cassie and I glided onto the translucent surface of the lake.

  “So, did you get any rest after I left?”

  “Let’s just say it was very educational.”

  Cassie groaned, “Oh, no! Don’t tell me you had another one of those dreams today.”

  “It wasn’t the same dream, but I’m pretty sure it was the same guy; anyway, I’d really rather talk about it later,” I said, as the guys finally joined us on the ice.

  We all skated for a grand total of fifteen minutes before the boys were ready to build a fire and roast marshmallows.

  “Anybody know any good ghost stories,” Eric asked, as he dug graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows out of his bag to make s’mores.

  “Ghost stories around the campfire, how very cliché,” I said rolling my eyes.”

  “You got any better ideas, little girl; lets hear ‘em,” said Eric with a lopsided grin that made me see what Cassie saw in him?

  “I just might,” I said, pulling a fancy bottle of wine out of my bag.

  “Allison, where did you get that,” asked Cassie, sternly?

  “From the wine fairy, of course, so much better than the tooth fairy. The only thing I ever got from that cow was a dollar.”

  “It isn’t funny, Allison! You’ll be grounded for life once your dad finds out that you swiped that from his liquor cabinet,” Cassie chimed in again! I was pretty sure her head was gonna explode.

  “He would actually have to be around to notice first! Wouldn’t he?” I snapped.

  “Girls, girls, we have wine, s’mores, snow and no school. That’s a pretty sick combination if you ask me. So stop all the hating,” Matt said, trying to break the tension.

  But I knew Cassie wouldn’t be swayed so easily, so I wasn’t surprised in the least when she crossed her arms and glared stubbornly down at the ground.

  “Come on Cass,” I said pleadingly. ”You don’t have to drink any of it. You can be the designated stick in the mud and supervise the rest of us idiots.”

  “How bout’ we both be designated sticks in the mud,” Eric said, bumping his shoulder against hers?

  And just like that, I could see her frosty resolve melt away, then she turned to me and Matt and said, “All right, but if you fall and bust your heads open on the ice, I’m just gonna leave your bodies out here for the critters.”

  “Cassie, you say the sweetest things,” I told her, grinning. Then, I opened the wine, took a nice long drink and passed it to Matt.

  “Royal DeMaria,” he said, reading the label out loud, “Sounds expensive.”

  “It is,” I replied with a casual shrug, “Bout thirty G’s worth.”

  Matt, who had just taken a big drink when I said this, strangled and spit wine all over me. Eric dropped a whole bag of marshmallows into the fire, and Cassie just about swallowed her tongue.

  “You got some pretty big balls girl! I so wouldn’t wanna be you when daddy finds it missing,” said Eric, shaking his head.

  “If he kills you, can I have your leopard Louis Vuitton pumps?” Cassie asked sweetly.

  “Allie, do you really wanna die a virgin,” Matt asked, sounding so serious, but I could see the hint of a grin playing at the corners of his lips? Cause you and me could get busy and make some freaky snow angels right here and now baby,” he said, throwing his coat on the ground and making a grab for me.

  I surprised him, for once, by not running away. Instead, I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. His lips were almost touching mine, when I whispered breathlessly, “Oh, Mattie, I’d love to, but you’ll always be the little boy who peed on me at that sleepover when we were four.” Then, I pushed him backwards onto his butt in the snow, and took off running for the ice.

  He caught me just as I glided onto the ice, and we twirled around and around laughing like lunatics. We were soon joined by Cassie and Eric, who kept looking at each other like they did want to make some freaky snow angels.

  We returned to the fire shortly thereafter for some graham crackers and chocolate, and, of course, more of my fancy dessert wine. But time, as it often does, passed way too quickly, and Cassie and Eric had to be home for their twelve o’clock curfew. Matt stubbornly refused to leave me after I’d been drinking.

  “So you’re gonna miss your curfew when I know your mother is pacing the floors waiting for her baby boy to get home. Maybe I should reconsider the snow angel thing. Neither one of us should die a virgin,” I said grinning.

  “One of us won’t, smart aleck. If you’re so concerned about my well being, then come with me.”

  “Jeez, Matt, what do you think is gonna happen? Iss not like I’m going to get a WWI on the way home. I only live a half mile away. I might be a little tipsy, but I promise I remember how my feet work,” I said, trying to walk a straight line. I ended up tripping over my own feet and stumbling face first into him.

  “WWI?” he asked, puzzled.

  “Walking While Intoxicated,” I said, giggling. Then I tried to touch the tip of his nose, instead of mine, and poked him in the eye.

  “Wow, you’re a light weight. You’re drunker than I thought,” he said, rubbing his eye.

  “Matt, I promish I’ll leave right behind you. Juss go. I really don’ want you to get in trouble becuss of me,” I begge
d, with my lip sticking out.

  He studied me closely for a moment but finally gave in and said, “Fine, but I’m calling you when I get home, and if you aren’t there, I’m coming straight back here to get you. Understand?”

  “Yessh sir,” I said, giving him a salute.

  “I mean it, Allie. You’re a huge pain in my butt. Kind of like that stray dog I used to feed, but I missed that mutt when animal control finally hauled it away.”

  “You’re comparing me to a dog!?”

  “No, the dog was way smarter and sweeter, but I’d still miss ya.”

  I tried to smack him, but he danced out of reach and ran for his car.

  I’d like to tell you that I was a good little girl and left right after, Matt. But for some reason the thought of him driving back out here to get me was kind of hilarious right now.

  A little more time on the ice seemed way funner than going home right now.

  I skated out onto the ice and started spinning in circles, looking straight up with my arms out at my sides. It didn’t take long to lose my balance and fall on my butt, since my world was already spinning all on its own.

  I hit the ice pretty hard, and as I scrambled up onto my hands and knees and started to push myself up, I heard a sound that had my heart jumping into my throat.

  A loud cracking sound was ringing in my ears as I looked down and saw the spider web pattern of cracks right below my feet. I started crawling slowly towards the edge of the lake, but the cracks were flying across the lake’s glassy surface, so I crawled faster.

  I had almost reached the edge when the world was ripped from underneath me, and I plunged screaming into the icy abyss below. I came up choking on water and fear, kicking and clawing, trying to drag myself out of this frozen hell. My breath was coming so fast, but at the same time it felt like invisible icy fingers were wrapped around my throat cutting off my air supply. A thousand pins and needles were piercing my flesh, but still I struggled desperately, and brokenly called out for help that I knew would not come.

  My legs began to cramp unbearably and my body felt so heavy. I slipped below the inky, blackness of the water several times, each time managing to fight my way back to the surface, until the one time I couldn’t.

  I watched what little light there was above me fade away as I sunk further and further into the void, and finally, into oblivion.

  Chapter Two

  Beautiful Dreamer

  Massachusetts, 1692

  Salem Village

  Respectable young ladies did not run through the woods in the darkness wearing their nightdresses. And they certainly did not meet unsuitable young men in such a state of undress, at night. Goodman Parris would probably accuse me of being the devil’s witch and a harlot. And Mama and Papa would surely disown me, but I had no choice, I was desperate.

  I ran furiously through the forest, barely even noticing the tree limbs striking my face and the thorns snagging my clothes. The evening air barely had time to dry the tears on my cheeks before fresh ones began to fall.

  I had only known Joshua Abbot for a few months and already I was losing him… The first time I saw him was at church. Reverend Parris had been prattling on and on about lust and the sinful nature of man for two whole hours. And I was afraid all of my squirming on the hard wooden pew would, either, give me splinters or leave sores on my backside. I glanced around the room to see if anyone noticed my lack of attention and caught Joshua Abbot staring at me, which was quite a surprise, since he was five years my senior. He winked at me and quickly turned his gaze back to the reverend at the pulpit. I was so shocked; I did not move an inch for the remainder of the service.

  The second time I ran across him was shortly after dinner three days later. I had been squatting in the dirt in front of my house feeding Marmalade—my fat orange and white cat—some salted fish that I managed to steal away from the table when he came up behind me.

  Marmalade was in the process of inhaling his fish, when he said, “I usually feed him scraps of venison.”

  I was so surprised that I toppled over backwards right onto my behind, as I looked up into his smiling face.

  “Pardon me,” I said, looking at Marmalade, who immediately abandoned his fish to rub up against Joshua’s legs and look up at him adoringly with his big golden eyes.

  He laughed at the expression on my face, “How dost thou think he got so fat? I daresay that we are not the only ones who feed the little beast,” he said, leaning down to rub marmalade’s head.

  “Traitorous little ball of fur,” I said, squinting my eyes at Marmalade, who immediately returned to me, crawled into my lap, and began to purr.

  We both began to laugh at that, and then he surprised me again by sitting down beside me in the dirt.

  “My name is Joshua Abbot,” he said warmly, and as I looked into his green eyes, and the wind lightly ruffled his black hair; I thought he was just about the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

  When I finally remembered how to speak, I said, “I am pleased to meet thee, Goodman Abbot. My name is, Annabelle Scott.”

  “A beautiful name for a beautiful creature. I am pleased to meet thee as well, Goody Scott.”

  I smiled and blushed furiously, wondering what was so fetching about my ordinary russet hair and hazel eyes.

  We stared at each other for a full minute, before the front door creaked open and Papa walked outside.

  We both quickly scrambled to our feet as Papa said, “Annabelle, if thy mother is to have the dresses ready to be sold at market tomorrow, she will need thy help,” Papa said, sternly.

  “Yes, Papa,” I replied, quickly, as I cast a brief, apologetic look in Joshua’s direction and ran into the house.

  Papa had not acknowledged his presence at all, other than looking at him with cold, gray eyes, as he shut the door behind him.

  James Scott was a large man with graying hair to match his stony eyed gaze, which was now focused uncomfortably on me. He never said a word–just turned and walked up the stairs of our two-story house, and out of sight–but his message was clear; he did not approve of Joshua Abbot.

  Joshua’s father had been punished twice recently for public drunkenness. The first time he had been forced to go about town with a large letter D affixed to the front of his shirt—for drunkard. The second time he had been placed in the pillory in the middle of town for every one to see. He had stood—all day long in the pouring rain—with his head and hands secured in the wooden framework. The townspeople had stopped to toss rotten vegetables at him and hurl insults as well. Unfortunately, my father believed that Joshua would be nothing but the same.

  This message was apparently not lost on Joshua either, because the next day while on my way to market, he grabbed me and dragged me into the empty town meeting hall.

  “I wanted to make sure you were well. Your father was most displeased to see us together,” he said, earnestly.

  “I am well,” I said, as I self-consciously smoothed the deep blue fabric of my dress and straightened my apron and bonnet. He looked wonderful—as always—in his shirt, vest, breeches and stockings, and the buckles on his hat and shoes were so shiny; I could see my reflection in them.

  “Was he terribly angry?” he asked anxiously.

  “He did not say anything, but I was surprised that smoke did not come out of his ears,” I said, forlornly.

  “Then how am I to see thee, sweet, Annabelle?”

  And when I looked up into his eyes, I realized that I had never wanted anything more than I wanted to be with him. Maybe that is why the next words out of my mouth were so shocking—even to me, “Maybe we could meet at night in the woods,” I said, then gasped, and clamped my hand over my own mouth.

  He was shocked as well; I could see it in his eyes, but then the most miraculous thing happened; the corners of his lips turned up into a smile, and he said, “Why, Goody Scott, art thou trying to lure me out into the middle of nowhere to have thy wicked way with me?” he asked, grinning down at me.r />
  “What? No! I mean, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Please forget that I said that. Thou must not think me a loose woman. I …”

  He cut me off by placing one long finger against my lips, and some lustful part of my brain actually imagined drawing it into my mouth.

  “I would never think badly of thee; I was only teasing you,” he said, grinning even wider.

  “Why is it that I think some small part of thee delights in my torment?” I asked, peeking up at him through long, dark eyelashes.

  “Why is it that I feel as if I am burning inside when you look at me that way?” he asked, but he was no longer laughing.

  I stared up at him with my mouth gaping open like a fish, having no idea how to respond to that. Then, something more wonderful than I can even describe happened; he leaned down and brushed his lips gently against mine. And when he wrapped his arms around me and he deepened the kiss—I was lost. The rest of the world simply ceased to exist. I was floating; I was falling; I was flying. I couldn’t catch my breath, and I vaguely wondered if anyone had ever smothered to death from kissing. My feet were floating above the ground, and I was sinking at the same time. And then way too soon, it was over.

  I stumbled backwards against the wall when he released me, and he followed, bracing his arms against the wall on either side of my head. I looked up at him, gasping for breath; my heart beating out of my chest, as I gently brushed my hand against his cheek. Closing his eyes, he turned his cheek into my hand, and said, “I must see you tonight. Do you think you can get away?” he asked urgently.

  “I … I … don’t know,” I stammered.

  He smiled, seemingly pleased with my flustered state. “If you can, leave a candle burning in your bedroom window. If I don’t see it, I will know that you cannot make it. But if you can, meet me in the woods behind your house at midnight.

  I nodded mutely, somehow, having forgotten how to use my voice.

  “I must go now. Father and I are selling some wild game at market today. Until tonight, my sweet, Annabelle,” he said, kissing me gently on the cheek.