Escaping the Coven: Becoming a Witch Book One, page 1
Escaping the Coven
Becoming a Witch Book One
RENEE MARSKI
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental..
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Escaping the Coven; Becoming a Witch Book One
Copyright © 2022 by Renee Marski
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
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Copyright © 2022
Published by Renee Marski
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
OTHER TITLES BY RENEE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
I sat in Grandmother’s office, a cup of tea warming my hands, the steam rising to my nose as I waited for her to come in and tell me about the upcoming mission – the mission I hoped to bring my young sister on. Thinking of Zoe made me smile, but I quickly wiped it away. Grandmother saw things like that as a sign of weakness, a distraction. I couldn’t be distracted going into this. Zoe was young, but she was skilled and strong. She’d be fine. I’d seen to that. I wouldn’t let Grandmother see that I worried about Zoe. No sign of weakness would leak through.
Grandmother stepped into the office and shut the door quietly behind her. She walked around me and stood in front of her desk, her hands resting on the papers on its wooden surface. Her violet eyes – the same shade as mine, my mother’s, and my sister’s – took me in, from the top of my blond head to my black boots. She smiled, then sat across from me, picked up her own cup of tea, and took a small sip. “Everything is in place. You’ll be taking more people than we’ve ever sent before, but they’re a large coven. It’s going to take everything we’ve got to stop them.”
I nodded, holding my cup between my hands. Grandmother loved to be in control, loved to plan everything down to the last detail. It was her way, the way she ran things. Sure, she could be impulsive, but with age, that impulsiveness had diminished. “About Zoe going along. She’s ready. I’ve trained her myself. She follows orders. She knows what to do.”
Grandmother nodded, setting her cup down. Her blond hair, lighter than mine, contained strands of grey. She refused to dye it, wearing the grey as a badge of honor. Given that we didn’t age like other people did, it was a statement for her, one I could respect. “I trust your judgment. She’s young, but I think she’ll do fine.”
I nodded, standing to my feet. Of course she’d do fine. She was my sister. “We leave tonight.”
Grandmother nodded, waving me out of the room.
I couldn’t keep the bounce from my step, excited to be leading my first mission, and one of such large caliber. I wished Grandfather were here to see, but he was off on another one of his missions, the kind that took him away for long periods. I suspected he did it on purpose. He loved Grandmother, that much was obvious. But I wasn’t sure how much he could actually stand her. She had a suffocating way about her – a way that most people had a hard time tolerating.
I turned a corner only to be grabbed and shoved against the wall. Instead of squealing or crying out, I grit my teeth, punched my assailant in the stomach, and enjoyed the grunt he gave before I smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. He responded, wrapping his arms around me, crushing me harder against the wall. As his lips molded to mine, I reveled in the feel of him, the scent of him, like salty sea air on a bright summer day. He pulled back, gazing down at me with his golden eyes. “So, how did it go?”
“I’m leading the mission. Zoe’s part of the mission. And we go tonight.”
We walked down the hall together, bumping shoulders, but otherwise not touching. We cared for each other deeply, even Grandmother knew that, but we were also cousins – something most people would frown upon. Grandmother told me once that cousins marrying in her time, her original time, wasn’t unheard of and was even encouraged, so she didn’t see anything wrong with our relationship. Others did, though, especially my mother, so we kept the affectionate stuff to a minimum when we could. “Of course you’re leading. You’re the best there is.”
I snorted, knowing that he really wanted to say I was the best there was after him. He was just being nice – something he did only with me.
I chewed on my bottom lip, trying to push aside my worry. “And Zoe? Do you think she’s ready?” He was the only person I’d let see my worry.
He paused, making me stop and turn him to face me. The corridors were stone, but had electricity, which Grandmother had insisted on. The outside could look rundown and old, but the inside wouldn’t. He sighed, trying to smile. “She’s young. Younger than you were on your first mission. Well trained, but I worry that she might do something impulsive. And that you might do something impulsive to stop her.”
I shook my head. “No, she wouldn’t. She knows to obey orders on the mission. She knows the cost.”
He nodded, resting a hand on my lower back. “I know she knows in her head. But in her heart? In her heart, she wants to impress you, make you proud. Just keep that in mind.”
I knew he was right, even as I chafed against it. Zoe would do as I told her, mainly because she did want to impress me. I could use that to my advantage. I knew I could. I continued walking down the corridor, Trevor following. “She’ll do just fine.”
He rested a hand on my shoulder, pulling me to a stop. “I know. I know she will.” He gave me a quick hug before opening the door we had come to and stepping out into the afternoon light. The drizzle that had been falling earlier had disappeared, leaving the air muggy, but not unpleasant. We crossed over to the barracks, which from the outside looked decrepit and derelict. When Grandmother had picked this place as her base of operations, she’d had it bespelled. That way, it still looked like a prime tourist spot, but on the inside, it was the perfect place for us to hide. The barracks housed the living quarters: four bedroom compartments per suite with one living space and bathrooms. It wasn’t much, but when your life was all about training and fighting supernatural creatures, you didn’t need much.
Trevor walked me to my door, stopping before it to lean in and kiss my cheek. His dark blond hair brushed my cheek, tickling my face as he pulled away. I’d begged him a million times to cut it, but he refused, claiming it made him look dashing. I smiled at him before slipping inside and closing the door behind me. Shutting my eyes for a few seconds, I gathered myself before walking farther into the room, preparing to be bombarded.
Stepping into the common living room, I found my mother sitting in one of the chairs, patching a shirt. A basket of clothing sat at her side, indicating she’d probably be at this for a while. She hadn’t been out on a mission in years, choosing to raise me and Zoe instead of fighting. She glanced up, her violet eyes wrinkling at the corners as she smiled at me. “Veronica, welcome home. So, what did my mother have to say?”
I took the seat across from her, crossing one leg over the other. She might not fight anymore, but she certainly loved to talk about it. Bouncing my plans and strategies off her had been a big help over the years. “She agreed to all of it. We head out tonight.”
Mother nodded, her blond hair cut in a short pixie style. “Good. Even to Zoe going?” There wasn’t a hint of worry in her voice. Mother knew as well as I that Zoe was well trained. She’d be prepared for tonight.
I nodded, my smile widening. “Even Zoe is going. She’ll be so excited.” I glanced around the common room, looking toward the four bedroom doors. “Is she here? I want to tell her myself.”
Mother sighed. “Unfortunately, no. Your sister is training, as usual. She was worried she’d be told no, so to take her mind off it-”
“She went to punch something.” I stood, brushing imaginary lint off my clothes. “That’s our girl.”
Mother gave me a knowing smile, tilting her head. Her meaning was cl
ear. I should go tell Zoe before she wore herself out so badly she wouldn’t be able to fight tonight.
I left the room and headed toward the center of the barracks, where the meal hall and the training room were. Outside the training room door, I could hear her, punching at a punching bag we kept in the corner. Not many used it, as most preferred hand to hand with a partner, but Trevor and I had put it up because sometimes you just wanted to punch something without worrying about hurting it. It had come to be Zoe’s favorite thing to use to de-stress.
I pushed open the door, leaning in to smile at her. She stood all of five feet tall, her blond hair – the same color as mine – matted to her forehead. She had wrapped her hands in tape as a buffer against the bag. At twelve, my sister was one tough cookie. “Hey, shrimp! You up for a challenge?” I asked.
Zoe swung around, her braid flying behind her. She looked at me, hope shining in her violet eyes. “Of course. Whatcha got?”
I stepped fully into the room, glancing around. We were alone, which I suspected was on purpose. Zoe liked to go when no one would be there. It was easier to work out when people weren’t watching your every move. While being the leader’s granddaughter had its perks, it also had its downsides. “You’re going tonight. Grandmother gave the green light.”
She squealed, clapping her hands as she jumped up and down. Then she slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” The blush spread from her neck to her cheeks. “But really? I can go?”
“Yes, you can. But you’re gonna need to get cleaned up. We don’t want them to smell you before we strike.” I gave her a once over, noting the sweat staining her shirt and pants.
She grinned, looking down at herself and unwinding the tape from her hands. “Yeah, I guess I better go change. Meet you at dinner?”
I nodded, patting her shoulder as she walked past. Small she might have been, but my little sister was mighty.
She stopped at the door and turned back to me. “Hey Vee?”
I looked at her.
“Thanks.” She stepped out, leaving me alone.
Blowing out a breath, I walked over to the punching bag and took a couple of hits of my own before heading back out again. Grandmother had a strict rule about meals. If you weren’t there on time, you didn’t eat. Tonight was one night I didn’t want to miss a meal. I would need all my strength for the battle ahead.
Pushing into the meal hall, I rushed over to a table full of girls my age. As I took my place, several stopped to stare at me. I smiled at them, not receiving many smiles in return. It didn’t matter that we had grown up together; they had put up a wall years ago.
Before I could get sad about it, a brown-haired girl with sparkling blue eyes slid in next to me, a smile on her lips. “Ignore them.”
I looked over at her, smiling back. “I’m just trying to be nice.”
She snorted, shaking her head. “You scare them.”
I scrunched up my nose and moved to the side while one of the children spooned food onto my plate. “How do I scare them? I haven’t even done anything.” Though we’d had this conversation hundreds of times, we still always circled back to it.
“Vee, your grandmother is the Big Kahuna around here. Of course they’re scared of you.”
“And you aren’t? Why is that, Katrina?” I took a bite, frowning down at my plate. Gruel again. Grandmother was stingy when it came to food. It didn’t have to taste good to nourish you. I looked up at the head table, where she sat, my mother seated next to her. At least she ate the same thing we did. No special treatment for her.
Katrina smiled. “Nothing scares me.”
I snorted, but secretly I believed her. The daughter of Simona’s youngest, Katrina was fearless. When we were five, she’d sat next to me and introduced herself, ignoring the shocked looks and gasps from the rest of the girls. We’d been inseparable since. She gave me an impish smile, accentuating the dimples in her round cheeks. Where I was tall and lean, thanks to my father’s side of the family, Katrina was short and curvy. When she walked by, boys noticed. Not that I wanted any other boys except Trevor to notice me. She’d pulled her dark hair into a ponytail, which swung as she ate. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Something was always going on in Katrina’s brain.
Tonight was no different. “So, she gave the green light?”
I nodded, scooping up another spoonful. “She did. Zoe gets to go, too.”
Katrina let out a breath. I glanced at her, confused. Katrina had never said she didn’t agree with me. She had trained with Zoe as much as I had, helping me hone my sister’s skills. She knew that Zoe was ready.
Setting down her spoon, she looked at me. “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, Zoe has the training. But Vee, do you think she really has the maturity? She’s twelve. She’s a child.” She pointed to the kids standing near the tables with baskets of bread. “Two years ago, she was doing that.”
“Two years is a long time.” I opened my mouth to continue my argument, but Katrina held up her hand.
“No, I get it. You think she can do this, that she’s ready. You want her to be ready. Why? Why is it so important that she’s ready now?”
I shook my head, unsure what to say. How could I tell her that it was just a feeling? That something inside me was saying I needed to prepare my sister, see her in action? That something bad was going to happen and I had to be sure I had prepared her as best I could? I took another bite, not saying anything. No one would understand, so I never mentioned it. Not even to Trevor. Katrina took my silence in stride, not pushing me. That was the thing about our friendship: We knew when to back off. It had served us well all these years.
Grandmother didn’t make a big speech at the end of dinner. She didn’t even mention the mission. She stood, nodded, and left the room, leaving Mother alone on the dais. Mother watched her leave, her mouth in a tight line. Their relationship had been strained for as long as I could remember. Mother didn’t agree with half the things Grandmother wanted to do, but she felt that voicing her opinion wouldn’t change anything. So, she said as little as possible to Grandmother. I suspected there was more to it, something deeper, but I could never get Mother to tell me what it was.
Today, she waited until Grandmother was gone, then stood and clapped her hands together for our attention. She took in the whole room, smiling. “Today, we send many of our fighters off on a mission. Wish them luck and let’s be ready for them when they return in victory.”
A cheer rang out across the room, many arms pumping in the air. I smiled my thanks at her. She gave me a nod, and then headed out of the room. I stood, signaling the others to join me. We headed out, me at the head, Zoe at my right shoulder, and Katrina on my left. We had some witches to take down.
CHAPTER TWO
W e used two of the tourist vans to shuttle the whole fighting group to where we knew the witches were staying. Reports had been coming in for weeks about strange things happening in this old monastery. After some surveillance, Grandmother had determined that a strong coven of witches had taken it over. We were tasked with taking them down. There were so many of us because there were so many of them. And they had magic on their side while we had to use our fighting skills to take them on. Even with the extra strength given to us by the fairies, fighting a coven of witches would be hard.
We surrounded the monastery, positioning ourselves at all the entrances. The first wave grappled up the walls, climbing over the sides to invade from above – something the witches wouldn’t see coming. Once they were in position, we headed in from the ground floor. This was one of the older monasteries in Scotland; it hadn’t been torn down or renovated. A renovation had been planned years ago, but then had been abandoned, with the decision made to leave it as a landmark instead. It was the perfect place for a coven of witches to hide.
We stalked through the corridors, our boots echoing off the walls. Stealth wasn’t really our goal. There were so many of us that we didn’t expect to take them by surprise. Not by our ground forces, anyway. Zoe stuck close to my side, a dagger in each hand. They were part of a set I had given her for her birthday last year and she never went anywhere without them. She knew how to use them, too. Zoe caught my glance and gave me a wicked smile, looking excited. At least one of us was enjoying this.
