Hexed and Bitten

Prologue Part 1

October 31, 1912



“Can you feel it?” An older woman stepped forward, breathing in the crisp autumn air with a small smile on her face.

“The veil is down on this sacred night,” she continued as she lifted her arms up, hands raised to the sky. “Can you feel it?”

A young woman stepped forward, her violet eyes raised to the sky. “I can,” she finally spoke, eyes turning to her mother. The two of them looked so similar and yet different. The older woman stood gracefully, her long pale blonde hair pulled back in tight plaits, where the young woman had wild midnight-colored hair like her late father. She had her mother's high cheekbones, fair skin, and like all the females in their line blessed with gifts, her eyes shined a brilliant violet, but unlike her mother or sisters, she had her father's dimples. They were both gorgeous women in different ways. Her mother had a regal beauty, sharp and dangerous, where she stood with a wild gracefulness, an untamed beauty that beckoned even the darkest of creatures. She was like a beacon in the night, luring men and monsters alike. She wanted to smile and bask in it all like her mother, but that gnawing feeling pulled low in her stomach. Something telling her to run, to hide, to get them all to safety. Something was coming, but what?

“Mama,” her voice wavered with hesitation. Her mother wasn't a woman who liked to be interrupted, especially on a night like this, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from speaking.

“Oh Arabella, do not start,” dropping her hands, her violet eyes locking onto Arabella with a scrutiny that made her want to shrink back. She knew that look all too well, the look that said not another word if you know what's good for you, but Arabella wasn't one to back down, not when her intuition clawed in her belly as if trying to rip itself out of her.

“You always tell me to trust my instincts, my magic.”

“Arabella!” Her mother snapped, her hand raised a silent command to stop. “You are just feeling the veil's absence. You have always been more sensitive than your sisters, that is all this is.”

Sighing, Arabella snapped her mouth shut, having learned long ago that there was no point arguing with her mother. She was the head of the family and stubborn as an ox there was no point in trying to reason with her. Her mother would not listen to her. There was nothing more Arabella could do but nod her head and fall in line.

“Okay mama.”

“Good, now go help get the last of the ceremony ready, it is almost time.”

Nodding, she left her mother, heading back inside. Soon the rest of the coven would be there, and they’d begin. With the veil being dropped, their power was more heightened. Tonight was the night her mother would step down, and the new leader would be blessed. As one with the coven, they would perform their first act. Each new leader must cast out their magic and fortify the wards protecting the small village of Hallows Peak to keep their coven, the humans and peaceful creatures safe. Tonight they would come together as one and connect their magic to keep the village and their coven safe for another turn. The last time they had all come together was when her mother had named the successor of the coven, Mary.

Although Arabella’s gifts surfaced earlier than her sisters, having manifested in infancy, she hesitated. Unlike her eldest sister Mary, she didn't embrace her power, she held back. Her sisters flourished, unafraid to explore their powers and grow, but something in Arabella made her cautious. It is her fear of her own power that has kept her from surpassing her sisters, even Mary.

Truthfully, Arabella longed for a human life, a life boring and uncomplicated filled with the mundane. She wanted to be ignorant of what truly lurked in the dark, to not see ghosts or to worry about her power. She wanted to be blissfully boring. But, alas, she was not born a normal boring human, she was a Blackwater, a witch, and her destiny was not to live a simple, mundane life.

"Arabella!" Mary's voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. "It is almost time," Mary was the spitting image of her mother, a younger version. "Come we must go get dressed." Unlike her mother, Mary didn't look at Arabella with annoyance or disappointment. She looked at Arabella with kindness and love. Her eldest sister was strong and powerful, but she was also kind and understanding. Arabella knew she would make a great leader of their family and coven.

Nodding she looped her arm around Mary's letting her older sister lead them back into the house to get ready. Torches flared to life around the perimeter, illuminating the altar at the center of the sacred circle where Mary would stand with her mother and the seer. The hollow was primed and everything stood ready. Soon under the harvest full moon they would come together as one coven once more and Mary would take her place as the new head.

"Mary?"

"Hmm."

Biting her bottom lip, Arabella's eyes dropped to her feet, her hands nervously playing with the silk of her ceremonial gown. She didn't want to upset her sister or distract her from preparing for what was to come, but that gnawing feeling had returned. The sinking feeling that something was coming, something they needed to be ready for. The urge to run, to get everyone to safety, but from what? What was her intuition trying to warn her about or was this just nerves? Being the youngest out of five, she has never seen a ceremony. She was never allowed to join in, always having to stay inside. Now, at the age of twenty two, she was allowed to join in.

"Arabella," Mary's hand gently gripped her shoulder, pulling her from her tumultuous thoughts. "Do not be nervous. Tonight I will become our new leader, and you, my little sprite, will officially become a member of the Blackwater Coven. Tonight we take our places, but I promise nothing is going to change. You will always be my little sprite, and everything is going to be fine. Okay?"

"Okay." Arabella smiled, giving her sister a reassuring nod even though deep in her heart she didn't really believe what her sister said. It was silly, she needed to shake these ridiculous feelings away and focus on tonight. Her sister was taking her rightful place as the head of the Blackwater coven, and Arabella was going to become an official member of the coven. She would join the coven like her sisters, like her mother, and every woman of the Blackwater lineage. This was her destiny, and the feeling clawing deep in her gut was nothing but silly nerves. That had to be it, just nerves tricking her into thinking danger was near.

Letting out a nervous laugh, she shook her hands out, pushing any lingering thoughts of any sort of danger or worry out of her mind. Reaching out, she put her hand into Mary's waiting one. Fingers intertwined, Mary's hand gently squeezing as if to silently say it would be alright. Smiling Mary turned gently pulling Arabella behind her leading her back out and to the ceremony. It was time, their ceremony was beginning, soon everything would change. She just hoped it was changing for the better.

"Tonight we join as one under the harvest moon on All Hallows' Eve to welcome our new leader and a new member. Mary, eldest of the great Maharet, leader of the coven of Blackwater, step forward."

The seer's commanding voice boomed over them, her power gently sweeping over Arabella's skin like a warm breeze. Arabella watched as her sister took the oath, slicing her palm with the sacred dagger and joining her bloody hand with their mother’s before drinking deeply from the chalice. Around them, the coven members joined hands, chanting as waves of magic swayed through the air, solidifying Mary’s new leadership.

"Welcome Mary, head of her name and new leader of Blackwater." The chants rose to a crescendo as they rejoiced.

"Little sprite," Mary's whispered words broke through Arabella's haze.

Blinking, Arabella looked up to find Mary standing directly in front of her, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"Arabella, youngest of Maharet," Mary's voice now boomed, crackling with raw power with each word. "Do you swear to uphold the values of the Blackwater coven, to covet and protect your sisters, to protect the innocent, and to honor your lineage?"

Arabella licked her dry lips, clearing her throat to find her voice. "I, Arabella Blackwater, swear to honor, protect, and covet the Blackwater coven."

A sudden, sharp sting in her hand made Arabella flinch. Her focus broke from her sister as she looked down to see her mother slicing the sacred dagger across her palm. Maharet stepped back. For the first time in Arabella's life, she didn't see annoyance or disappointment in her mother's eyes. For the first time, she saw love. She saw pride.

Blinking back the hot tears that threatened to spill, Arabella looked away, refocusing on her sister. Mary raised her hand, clasping it tightly with Arabella's. Their blood mingled, but that wasn't what made Arabella gasp, it was the sudden spark of power zipping straight up her arm. A true connection. She was finally becoming one with her coven.

Letting Arabella's hand go, Mary raised the chalice, holding it out. Inhaling a deep breath, Arabella took the heavy cup with shaking hands. This was it. All she had to do was drink, and she would officially be a Blackwater witch, no longer a fledgling on the outside looking in.

But as she raised the chalice and her lips brushed the cool edge, that gnawing feeling pierced her belly like a knife.

Ice shot up her spine, stiffening her posture as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Mary watched her, brows pinching together in confusion as she whispered, "Drink up, little sprite."

Arabella wanted to. She wanted to so badly. But the unease exploded into pure panic, a sense of dread washing over her unlike anything she had ever felt before. Frantically, her eyes darted behind her sister, scanning the dark tree line for the invisible threat stopping her from taking her place.

That's when she saw it. A shadow deep in the forest. Then another. And another. Shadows moving with terrifying, inhuman speed.

And she knew.

"Vampires!" she screamed, just as chaos burst from the trees and descended upon them.

That one word was all she could manage, but it was already too late.

Chaos tore through the hollow. Screams of terror and frantic shouts shattered the night as seasoned witches fought with all their might. Arabella watched in horror as her mother’s immense power wildly struck down the creatures of the night, and Mary blasted blinding light from her fingertips. Everyone was battling for their lives, but Arabella couldn't move. Her feet felt glued to the earth. Something clawed deep in her gut, her intuition tearing through her with a terrible, absolute certainty. This is our end.

Suddenly, she was violently thrown to the ground. Mary had shoved her out of the way just as a vampire lunged. Before Arabella could even blink, her sister was pinned to the grass, one of those monsters ripping savagely into her throat. Mary's eyes locked onto Arabella's. As the light slowly dimmed from those beautiful violet eyes, she gasped out a final, desperate plea, "Run."

Arabella wanted to run. But as she watched her sister drained of life, something deeper and darker ripped forth from her soul.