Lodestone, Book 1 Witch-Hunt Series.
Excerpts Lodestone – Lauren
Me bones ached as I dragged the wooden box off the top shelf of the cupboard and I nearly keeled over with dizziness, when I lowered the box onto the kitchen table. Stuffed amongst the jumble, looking abandoned and forlorn with her missing eye, I found Mary-Lou; Adorabelle’s rag doll. I’d promised to fix her doll after we went to the next market day, where we would barter fresh eggs with Maisey Flannagan for a couple of shiny blue buttons. She’d be missing her dolly.
Since being zapped by the witch I’d missed two market days as I’d been laid up in me bed. Never in me life had I ever been unable to scrape meself off me mattress and do a day’s work. A month I lay there with Daphnee spooning soup into me, wiping me chin, and me arse like an invalid. Too weak to stand up while me insides seethed, as I relived the moment over and over when Adorabelle was snatched away from me.
A crisply folded piece of paper lay on top of the box. I plucked it up and me knuckles grew white and me hand shook as I held it. I didn’t need to unfold it. I knew its hideous contents by heart.
#
By the power of the Council of Witches, a representative has appropriated your child for duties. A one-off compensation of ten silvers can be claimed by presenting this voucher at your nearest C.O.W. branch.
#
I wanted to rip it to shreds or shove it down the throat of the next witch I encountered, but it was the only fragile link I had to Adorabelle so I tucked it into me pocket.
The outside door cracked open, spilling a splash of sunshine into the dim kitchen and framing Daphnee’s disapproving glare. “What are ye doing out of bed?”
I saw the moment the shock registered on her face, that I was dressed in me dead husband’s clothes and her voice rose an octave as she said, “What are ye doing?”
I dinna answer her, but grabbed Mary-Lou and stowed her under me belt. Daphnee rushed to me side, fair shrieking, “Ye canna go! They will kill ye!”
“I must go. She’s me only child, she’ll be wanting her ma.”
Me sister loved me. I could see it in every worry etched line on her face. I rested me hand on hers, looked her eye to eye, and said, “If it was one of ye bairns, ye’d go too.”
She held me gaze for a moment, and then nodded. “What will ye do?”
“Find Adorabelle and bring her home.”
“But what will ye do if the witches won’t allow it.”
I hauled the small sack I’d previously packed onto me back and me muscles groaned, but I ignored the pain and squared me shoulders and headed out the door. “I willna be asking them.”
Outside the bairns were tearing around the yard and I could hear Kellvyn out the back chopping wood. Daphnee smothered me in a hug, openly weeping, and I had to forcefully disengage her circling arms. “I dinna want a fuss so you can say me goodbyes for me.”
Still sobbing, Daphnee finally let me go and it nearly took all me strength to stand tall and walk the short distance out of her sight. As I disappeared from her view she called out, “Ye give wee Adorabelle a kiss from her Aunty and ye take care, Lauren. We’ll be waiting here for ye both when ye come home.”
Salty tears pricked me eyes and I scrubbed at them with me sleeve, but I dinna turn around, just kept taking one shaky step after another.
Excerpt Lodestone - Sabrina
A snort from the far stalls reminded Sabrina she had other charges to attend to, but as she neared the back of the stables, she heard someone singing. She paused and listened. The voice was melodic, just on the lower reaches of her hearing and she felt drawn to its pleasing tones. Trance-like she took a step forward and peered over the stall.
A shirtless youth, with his back to her, hummed as he brushed a dark horse. The horse was standing perfectly still as if the boy’s song had lulled him to sleep. Sabrina silently observed the prospect as he worked. He was tall with a slender build, but she could see the muscles in his tanned back and arms ripple with each stroke. His brown hair was caught up in an intricate knot threaded by two long feathers; one red, the other purple. She’d never met anyone like him before.
She shuffled forward to get a better view, but her brush whacked into the wooden partition. He whirled around and she found herself staring into the brownest eyes, framed by the longest lashes she’d ever seen. They gawked at each other for a moment before Sabrina rediscovered her tongue. “I … I was sent to care for your horses.”
He pointed with his brush, to the horses behind him and said, “I’ve finished the others. Only Alloni, the brown and white, needs attention.”
Sabrina scurried to the indicated stall. Where was his shirt? As if reading her thoughts, he casually reached down and grabbed a white shirt. Slowly, he pulled it over his damp shoulders and Sabrina hastily focused on the horse. Her strokes were a bit shorter and harder than she normally applied and the horse shifted beneath the brush. Before she could correct herself, strong fingers, radiating warmth, slipped over hers and a voice laced with musk, breathed into her ear. “Not so firm. Alloni likes long, languid strokes – like this.”
Heat blazed into spots on her cheeks as she followed his movements. After several strokes he said, “That’s it, you’ve got the knack of it now.”
He released her hand and stepped away. Sabrina felt as awkward as a newborn foal so she kept her eyes averted and silently busied herself with the horse. From outside, a muffled yell filtered through the stable and the boy said, “Deakon wants me. Will you be all right finishing up?”
She didn’t trust herself to speak. “Ah-ha.”
He lingered. “I’ll come back later to check on the horses.”
When he eventually moved away she stopped brushing and propped her forehead against Alloni’s side, cursing herself for acting like the village idiot.
Above her, the boy’s head popped up over the stall. Startled, she nearly dropped the brush as his hand reached over and snagged hers. With a warm squeeze and a smile, he said, “I’m Micah.”
He raised his eyebrows and gazed at her until she stammered out her name.
Finally he released her hand and strode away humming a cheerful tune. A strange heat flooded through Sabrina and when she was sure Micah had gone she blew out the breath she’d been holding in.
Me bones ached as I dragged the wooden box off the top shelf of the cupboard and I nearly keeled over with dizziness, when I lowered the box onto the kitchen table. Stuffed amongst the jumble, looking abandoned and forlorn with her missing eye, I found Mary-Lou; Adorabelle’s rag doll. I’d promised to fix her doll after we went to the next market day, where we would barter fresh eggs with Maisey Flannagan for a couple of shiny blue buttons. She’d be missing her dolly.
Since being zapped by the witch I’d missed two market days as I’d been laid up in me bed. Never in me life had I ever been unable to scrape meself off me mattress and do a day’s work. A month I lay there with Daphnee spooning soup into me, wiping me chin, and me arse like an invalid. Too weak to stand up while me insides seethed, as I relived the moment over and over when Adorabelle was snatched away from me.
A crisply folded piece of paper lay on top of the box. I plucked it up and me knuckles grew white and me hand shook as I held it. I didn’t need to unfold it. I knew its hideous contents by heart.
#
By the power of the Council of Witches, a representative has appropriated your child for duties. A one-off compensation of ten silvers can be claimed by presenting this voucher at your nearest C.O.W. branch.
#
I wanted to rip it to shreds or shove it down the throat of the next witch I encountered, but it was the only fragile link I had to Adorabelle so I tucked it into me pocket.
The outside door cracked open, spilling a splash of sunshine into the dim kitchen and framing Daphnee’s disapproving glare. “What are ye doing out of bed?”
I saw the moment the shock registered on her face, that I was dressed in me dead husband’s clothes and her voice rose an octave as she said, “What are ye doing?”
I dinna answer her, but grabbed Mary-Lou and stowed her under me belt. Daphnee rushed to me side, fair shrieking, “Ye canna go! They will kill ye!”
“I must go. She’s me only child, she’ll be wanting her ma.”
Me sister loved me. I could see it in every worry etched line on her face. I rested me hand on hers, looked her eye to eye, and said, “If it was one of ye bairns, ye’d go too.”
She held me gaze for a moment, and then nodded. “What will ye do?”
“Find Adorabelle and bring her home.”
“But what will ye do if the witches won’t allow it.”
I hauled the small sack I’d previously packed onto me back and me muscles groaned, but I ignored the pain and squared me shoulders and headed out the door. “I willna be asking them.”
Outside the bairns were tearing around the yard and I could hear Kellvyn out the back chopping wood. Daphnee smothered me in a hug, openly weeping, and I had to forcefully disengage her circling arms. “I dinna want a fuss so you can say me goodbyes for me.”
Still sobbing, Daphnee finally let me go and it nearly took all me strength to stand tall and walk the short distance out of her sight. As I disappeared from her view she called out, “Ye give wee Adorabelle a kiss from her Aunty and ye take care, Lauren. We’ll be waiting here for ye both when ye come home.”
Salty tears pricked me eyes and I scrubbed at them with me sleeve, but I dinna turn around, just kept taking one shaky step after another.
Excerpt Lodestone - Sabrina
A snort from the far stalls reminded Sabrina she had other charges to attend to, but as she neared the back of the stables, she heard someone singing. She paused and listened. The voice was melodic, just on the lower reaches of her hearing and she felt drawn to its pleasing tones. Trance-like she took a step forward and peered over the stall.
A shirtless youth, with his back to her, hummed as he brushed a dark horse. The horse was standing perfectly still as if the boy’s song had lulled him to sleep. Sabrina silently observed the prospect as he worked. He was tall with a slender build, but she could see the muscles in his tanned back and arms ripple with each stroke. His brown hair was caught up in an intricate knot threaded by two long feathers; one red, the other purple. She’d never met anyone like him before.
She shuffled forward to get a better view, but her brush whacked into the wooden partition. He whirled around and she found herself staring into the brownest eyes, framed by the longest lashes she’d ever seen. They gawked at each other for a moment before Sabrina rediscovered her tongue. “I … I was sent to care for your horses.”
He pointed with his brush, to the horses behind him and said, “I’ve finished the others. Only Alloni, the brown and white, needs attention.”
Sabrina scurried to the indicated stall. Where was his shirt? As if reading her thoughts, he casually reached down and grabbed a white shirt. Slowly, he pulled it over his damp shoulders and Sabrina hastily focused on the horse. Her strokes were a bit shorter and harder than she normally applied and the horse shifted beneath the brush. Before she could correct herself, strong fingers, radiating warmth, slipped over hers and a voice laced with musk, breathed into her ear. “Not so firm. Alloni likes long, languid strokes – like this.”
Heat blazed into spots on her cheeks as she followed his movements. After several strokes he said, “That’s it, you’ve got the knack of it now.”
He released her hand and stepped away. Sabrina felt as awkward as a newborn foal so she kept her eyes averted and silently busied herself with the horse. From outside, a muffled yell filtered through the stable and the boy said, “Deakon wants me. Will you be all right finishing up?”
She didn’t trust herself to speak. “Ah-ha.”
He lingered. “I’ll come back later to check on the horses.”
When he eventually moved away she stopped brushing and propped her forehead against Alloni’s side, cursing herself for acting like the village idiot.
Above her, the boy’s head popped up over the stall. Startled, she nearly dropped the brush as his hand reached over and snagged hers. With a warm squeeze and a smile, he said, “I’m Micah.”
He raised his eyebrows and gazed at her until she stammered out her name.
Finally he released her hand and strode away humming a cheerful tune. A strange heat flooded through Sabrina and when she was sure Micah had gone she blew out the breath she’d been holding in.
