All Chapters of Hayle Coven Novels: Chapter 281 - Chapter 290

I went alone to the rendezvous. Stupid? Yeah, probably. I knew I was walking into a trap. I could have recruited help. But in this Mom was right. I needed to distance myself from the family as much as I could if I was going to follow through on my plans to kill the Dumont brothers.As I steered my bright blue Mini up the hillside on that long and lonely drive, choosing mundane means over magic so I'd have time to gather my thoughts, my hands clutched the wheel so tight I was losing feeling in them. I wondered when I'd become so bloodthirsty, this craving for death as ordinary as pressing the gas pedal. There was a time when I wouldn't have even considered harming someone else, at least not physically. I could only guess accepting my demon completely now fed that side of me.Luckily, I had Shaylee in balance. She soothed me with earth magic while my demon paced and raged inside my head, demanding retribution. My very own devil/angel combo, only mine had minds of their own.So much ha

I struggled to my feet, Quaid supporting me as Liam and Galleytrot rushed toward us, Ameline's shields gone with her consciousness. I leaned on the big dog, my arm around Quaid's waist as Mia hovered near us, looking suddenly guilty."Thank you." I shuddered as pain slid over my insides. Green magic flowed from Galleytrot into me, healing the damage enough I was able to straighten and face my friend. "You saved my life."Mia's hands trembled as she clasped them together in front of her, eyes locked on the fallen Ameline. "She will never lead my family."Good to know. Though I doubted very much Mia was a match for Ameline when it came to cunning.Mia hesitated a moment as I tried to think of something to say, a way to persuade her to come with us. She finally gestured beside her, a shimmering barrier falling to reveal the still unconscious form of Sassafras hovering next to her."Take him." She eased him to the ground while Liam moved forward, lifting Sassy into his arms. "You need

Blood poured outward, thick, red, gushing over his hands, over the blade, running out over the crystal as Sassy clutched at his heart where the knife entered. The family magic reacted instantly, surging upward, repelled by the demon shield. Liam acted before I could think, a thick green ward forming around the bubble of amber.The family magic fell back, stirred to anger, but unable to find its quary, circling slowly around the pentagram and the macabre scene unfolding before us. I didn't care now if our house was flattened, if the Dumonts came, the Enforcers. My friend was dying, falling to his knees, toppling over on his side, lying across the feet of the effigy of my father."A willing sacrifice," Liam whispered. "The greatest source of power."I whipped my head around, tears pouring from my eyes. Liam winced, but went on."If your father had succeeded in killing himself," Liam said, "he would simply have just died. But Sassy giving himself, his existence... Syd, he may have jus

Graduation was rapidly approaching. Good thing I was a quick study. I was able to recover from my almost week of crash and burn enough I knew I'd at least pass. Not like I needed good marks to get into the college I'd be attending. Being a witch was all I needed. Still, I'd always been a good student and the thought of not making it, especially in my last year, rankled.Liam was a big help on the studying front. Fortunately, he and Quaid had formed some kind of truce during my absence into grief and now seemed like pretty good friends.When Liam broached the prom subject, telling Quaid he was happy to step aside and let my boyfriend take me, I kyboshed it immediately. And even though I knew it made Quaid jealous, he was great about it. I guess he knew better than to push me after what he'd put me through.Smart boy.Theridialis popped in far more regularly, and Sassy seemed happy about that. When I taught him to ride the veil, my demon cat acted like he'd known all along even thoug

I gaped at her, not knowing what to say, eyes scanning the faces of the other two Enforcers.Settled on Pender Tremere. Who refused to look at me at all, a shadowed and guilty expression on his face.Bastard. He'd betrayed us? After I rescued him when he was attacked by the Dumont brothers? My mother saved his worthless life, the jerk. And here he was, standing with another Enforcer, clearly of Dumont blood from her brilliant blue eyes and European features.Now I wished I'd just let him die.My demon roared her rage and surged forward, power glowing around me as my vision took on a tint of amber. "You have no right to be here, past family wards. Get out."The female Enforcer sneered at me. "We are Enforcers of the High Council, girl. We can go wherever we want."I was about to show her the door in the most violent way possible when Mom appeared from deeper in the house. "What is the meaning of this?" She was all coven leader, the family magic wrapping around her in a twisting co