The Windhaven Witches Omnibus Edition : Complete Paranormal Suspense Series, Books 1-4 by Carissa Andrews (graded readers txt) 📕

To my dearest Autumn.

May this guide you to the answers within.

I pull my chair in closer, exhaling slowly. This is it. If the dream with Abigail is true, if it was really a lucid dream, there should be some important details in here. Things that should help me fit the pieces together and hopefully make sense out of all this senselessness.

I turn to the first page, hopeful there will be some enlightenment coming my way. Yet, no matter what lies in these pages, there’s just two questions I need answered above all others.

If everything is true, what was my father doing with that ritual in the woods?

And most importantly, how did he die?

Chapter 20

A Cursed Legacy

I clutch at the pages of the journal, unable to loosen my grip for fear the book will vanish before my eyes. I hope like hell it will clue me in on what Dad was doing and where I can find his remains. The last thing I want to do is bring Cat and Colton into all of this. Especially if I don’t have to.

Taking a deep breath, I read the first few entries. They’re all pretty simple and there’s nothing of value in terms of information about his whereabouts or plans. But they’re still sweet and make my heart hurt. Most of them revolve around wishing me well, missing me and my mom, and hoping one day I will understand why they did what they did. The idea of him sitting down to write these pages brings tears to my eyes, but I know I can’t linger on them right now. I need more to go on so I can put him to rest.

Further in, his words begin to tighten, finding a purpose and resonating with me on a deeper level. The hairs on my arms stand on end and I know I’m on the right track.

Autumn,

If you’ve been reading the pages before now, I’m sure at this point, it’s pretty damn clear our family has a messed-up past. We have a lot to be thankful for, but in my opinion, even more to atone for. After your accident, I had hoped to save you from this life. I never knew just how bad it could be until then. Always looking over your shoulder, always wondering when your time would come due. Even without the kind of powers you and other family members possess, I know the day will come when the Inflexible One will require another sacrifice and it will have to come from me. When I’m gone, I worry about what will happen to you. Your memories may or may not come back and I know even if they do, you’re still not prepared to take on what lies ahead. The protections we had put in place are only bound to you as long as I’m alive. What happens if they come calling sooner rather than later? Your mother doesn’t want to hear it, but I need assurances you’ll be protected—be taught to protect yourself when I no longer can. In all honesty, I worry that there’s no way around this. Only time will tell. At least I can take solace in the fact that should it happen, you will be called home. Windhaven Academy is prepared to do what it must to teach you and keep you safe. It’s the best I can do for now.

Dad

Atone for? Sacrifice?

My eyebrows tug in and my heartbeat thumps loudly in my ears. I clearly skipped ahead a bit too far. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I try to calm my nerves. I need to find information about what Dad was doing. Even in his lucid, human state, he’s brought up the Inflexible One. I don’t know who this person is, but I’m getting the distinct impression if I don’t figure it out, there are far worse things coming for me.

Turning the page, I read the next entry.

Autumn,

I’ve begun to see the signs again. For the longest time, I had hoped that perhaps the Moirai had forgotten us. Or perhaps they had been sated by our desire to bind your gifts. But today, I found a red thread outside my bedroom door. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but it caught my eye. The moment I picked it up, I knew exactly what it was. There was power emanating from it that even I could feel and it was exactly like the ones I’d seen before your accident. I hope you never have to go through this sort of terror, my sweet girl. It’s time I put an end to this. The only question is…how?

I promise you, I’ll find a way.

Dad

I stare at the entry, my eyes locked on one word. Moirai.

Goosebumps flash across my skin and a creepy sense of deja vu envelops me. Wade and I were so close when we did our presentation weeks ago, practically tiptoeing around information tied directly to my own life.

The Moirai are the Three Fates—supernatural sisters who choose a person’s lifespan and, more importantly, when and how they die. One sister spins the thread of life, one measures it, and the final sister cuts the thread.

But why would they be after my family?

Shaking my head, I read it again and this time, something different stands out. Suddenly, images of my own findings tumble through my mind. Red threads have been following me since I moved to Windhaven—at grave sites and other locations. I had no idea they were really tied to something more. Something far bigger…

But what?

A terrible feeling twists in the pit of my being. This is what my dad was doing when he died. He was trying to appease the Fates somehow. And lost.

Terror washes over me and I drop my gaze to the journal. I can only hope he explains why. I flip to the last entry, searching for anything to help