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

magickal concentration, Colton’s body bolts upright and begins to quake. Sweat breaks out across his forehead and his arms splay out wide. His fingers twitch, contorting at odd angles in the air.

“Colton,” Cat gasps, taking a step closer to the circle. Her mother reaches out, grabbing her by the shoulders, pulling her back.

Diana narrows her gaze, holding up a hand. “Give him a minute.”

As if suddenly released, Colton bends forward, clutching at the dirt in front of him. When he sits back up on his haunches, blood trickles from his left nostril. It glistens in the dying sunlight as it drops from his lip to the ground.

Mrs. Gilbert cries out, covering her mouth with her hand.

“What’s happening to him?” I ask, my pulse hammering in my ears. The question is for anyone who might have an idea, but no one says a word. “Is this normal?”

Diana’s concerned gaze matches my own and she shakes her head ominously.

Colton continues to jerk, but his eyes remain white and open wide.

“Someone should help him,“ I sputter.

Raising a hand toward me, Colton shakes his head. “No, I have him,” he says breathlessly. “But there’s something—strong magick—that doesn’t like what I’m doing. It’s…difficult.”

“Is it my dad’s Lemure?” I ask, dropping to my knees beside the circle.

Colton drops his chin to his chest and winces. “No, I don’t think so. It’s bigger than that. Much, much bigger.”

“It’s the Moirai,” Diana whispers, turning her palms are upward at her side. Despite not being within a circle, her eyes match Colton’s in a similar glow. “They’ve been punishing him for his insolence.”

“So, they wanted his soul to be displaced? They wanted to make him a Lemure?” I say, my mouth dropping open.

The more I deal with the Moirai, the more I’m starting to despise them.

Diana turns her white eyes to me. “It appears so. And they have a message for you…”

The wind around us starts to pick up, tousling my hair over my shoulder. I shudder from its coolness, eyeing the treetops suspiciously.

“You know, guys, this is starting to seem like a bad idea,” Dominic says, shaking his head and backing away from the circle.

Diana continues to face me, her words coming out slow and deliberate, and completely unlike her. “Until the evils of previous generations are consumed, we are prepared to slaughter the children for the sins of their ancestors. A reckoning is upon you.”

Then, Diana’s eyes fade in brightness, returning to their calculated and brilliant blue.

I stare at her, unsure what on earth to say to something like that.

“Lyle’s remains are on their way to the catacombs. I think I’m past the worst of it now,” Colton says softly. His eyelashes flutter and the glow in his eyes also dissipates. As they return to normal, he slumps forward, dropping his head to the ground, breathing hard.

Cat kicks open the circle of salt with the toe of her shoe and enters the space. Dropping down beside her brother, she wraps an arm around him.

“Are you okay, Colt?” she asks, her eyebrows weaving together.

Remaining in the same position, Colton takes a few slow inhalations before finally saying, “I don’t know. I feel so…drained.”

“Please tell me that’s something that always happens after something like this,” Wade says, narrowing his gaze. “And that it goes away quickly.”

Cat’s face scrunches and she shakes her head like that was the dumbest statement ever. Then she huddles in, whispering in Colton’s ear. He tries to raise himself back up, but slumps over, his forehead touching the dirt.

Even Diana, who’s been the epitome of calm since I met her, looks shaken. Either by Colton or the information relayed through her. Or both.

“Shit, what about the rest of the plan?” Wade says, turning his wide eyes to me. “Do we nix it until he’s better?”

Cat lifts her head, staring at each one of us like we attacked Colton personally. “What if this is permanent? I’ve never seen him like this.”

Dominic snorts. “That’s the least of our worries. Looks to me like we’ve drawn the attention of the Moirai.” His lips press into a thin line and he flicks his wrists, raising his palms to the sky.

“We can’t put the plan on hold,” I say, shaking my head. “If anything, it’s more important than ever to get this finished now.”

“But—” Wade begins.

I cut him off with a swipe of my hand. “If we don’t, we could risk my dad being trapped forever. Especially if the Moirai are sending me warnings now.”

“But if we don’t have Colton to keep you safe, how do you propose we go forward?” he asks with panic creeping across his features.

I bite my lip, thinking. “Wade, I hate to ask you this, but what about your dad? If we call him specifically, would he be willing to take my dad’s soul without the interment?”

“It won’t work,” Diana says, turning her blue eyes on me. “Remember, it’s the Flame of Eternity that separates him from the ties of this world and cleanses it. The Angel of Death won’t want a partial soul.”

I walk away from the group, raking my hands through my hair. “Dammit.”

Without Colton’s protection, how do finish what we started and still keep everyone safe in the process?

Chapter 28

Death Wish

If Colton is down for the count, no one can rely on his gifts to protect us from the Lemure’s destructive power. But I can’t let that be the end of it. We’ve come too far to stop now. There has to be a way to make this work.

My dad’s remains are already on their way to the catacombs, and if the Moirai don’t want that to happen, who knows what they’d be willing to do? We have to make sure he gets laid to rest. Tonight.

“What if we sent in Cat alone?” Dominic suggests, bobbing up and down with anxious energy. “She’s immortal now, right?”

Everyone turns to look at Cat, who looks like she’s just been told to go on stage without knowing her lines.

“She might be immortal,