The Witches of Dark Hollow Ridge

By Rena Marin

Growing up a witch can be fun. Learning spells, making potions, and discussing the future is all part of that fun for Sadie and her friends Daria, Naomi, and Willa—that is, until tragedy strikes the little town of Dark Hollow Ridge. Sadie's aunt, Vivian, is found murdered. Determined to find out what happened to their mentor and friend, the girls find themselves caught up in a world of secrets and lies, all revolving around the coven they are soon to join and its intimidating leader, Cleo. While their worlds seem to be unraveling, a revelation involving Dorian, a boy from their pasts, leaves them with more on their plates than they can handle. Now the girls must choose who they can trust while trying to piece together the clues to Vivian's murder, all while the threat of war looms over their heads. Will they join a coven they can't trust, or will they stand on their own as The Witches of Dark Hollow Ridge?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crazy Ink
• Release date: Aug 29, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386403159

Book preview

Rena Marin

Acknowledgement

I would like to give a special thank you to Erin Lee and the entire team at Crazy Ink Publishing. Your continued support, confidence, and guidance means more than any of you will ever know.

Thank you so much!

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my main girls Ebony, Danielle, and Pam. You ladies go above and beyond when it comes to being there for me, pimping my work, and helping me navigate the confusion in mind. Thanks for all you do but most importantly thank you for being my friends.

Chapter One

SITTING IN THE BACK of her English Lit class, Sadie James found herself on edge. Her teacher, Mr. Teague, had the unbelievable knack of rendering most everyone in the classroom comatose during his lectures. Today, was no different even though it was the last day for all the seniors. Scanning the room, she noticed most of the jocks were passed out with their heads on their desks, while the girls stared out the window to the darkening sky or attempted to catch peeks at their cell phones. Maybe the coming storm had her off kilter, but she couldn’t find the ease to drift off or the care to look at her phone. No, something had her senses heightened. She felt something was coming. Something she wasn’t going to like.

When the door of the classroom flew open, she and every kid in the room, jumped at the disruption. What stood in the doorway sent murmurs through the room and a chill down her spine. The town’s sheriff, Peter Banks, filled the doorway with his average height and above average weight. She waited, along with the rest of the class, to see what had brought him there. It wasn’t every day the local sheriff paid a visit to the only high school in the county.

Mr. Teague hurried over only to find his tiny body practically pushed aside as Sheriff Banks made his way farther into the room. He held up his hand, immediately hushing the students, as well as the teacher, and grabbing everyone’s attention.

Sadie James, I need you to come with me. I have some questions I need to ask you, he called out.

Every head in the room quickly turned to stare in her direction. Sure, she knew something was brewing, but she had no idea it would involve the sheriff. Standing, she allowed her mind to wonder. Was something wrong with her mom? Her sisters?

Grab your things Sadie, you won’t be back to class, the sheriff added sending yet another wave of worry through her. For the rest of you, an announcement will be made before the end of school today. We are enacting a curfew here in Dark Hollow Ridge that I expect all of you to abide by, he said glancing to a group of jocks that were known for disobeying any rule. Understood?

As Sadie packed her things, she watched heads nod in agreement. It was clear to see the others in her class were just as freaked out by the sheriff as she was.

Let’s move Sadie, he finished as he disappeared out the doorway.

Passing Mr. Teague, she looked at the baffled look on her teacher’s face.

No worries Sadie. I will see you at graduation, he told her with a fake smile plastered on his face.

She knew that look. She used to receive it a lot when she was younger. He thought she’d done something wrong or that her family was in trouble again. She knew she was innocent but hoped the rest of her clan was as well.

AS SHE FOLLOWED THE sheriff, she noted just how quiet the school was. Normally, you could hear people rushing up and down the hallways or teachers talking, even the kids talking over the teachers, but not that day. It had suddenly turned into a ghost town, which made her intuition scream in fear of what was happening.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed Sheriff Banks stop in front of the guidance counselor’s door.

We’ll talk in here, Sadie. Miss Smithers wants to be present as well, he said as he opened the door and waited for her to enter.

Inside the room she hadn’t visited since her freshman year, she took note of the changes. Miss Smithers had redecorated. The room was bathed in lilac purple tones. Everything about the room stressed ease and calm. Before it was a basic office, then, flowers were everywhere with aroma therapy candles, and soft cushions on every seat available. Apparently, Miss Smithers had decided on a new approach when it came to the handling of problem teens.

Hi Sadie, she heard Miss Smither’s shrill voice call out.

Turning, she saw her guidance counselor waiting for her. The look on her face told Sadie exactly what she needed to know. Something bad had happened. Miss Smithers, who had to be in her sixties, was a petite, always cheerful, grey-haired, lady who most kids liked. She always offered a smile and was quick to ask how your day was going. This wasn’t Miss Smither’s cheerful side. This was her dealing with a tragedy side, and it was horrifying.

What’s going on? Sadie finally asked as she hoisted her backpack up onto one of the tables and waited for an answer.

Take a seat Sadie, Sheriff Banks interceded in a tone that showed he was the one in charge of the situation.

With a nod, Sadie did as she was told and once again found herself waiting.

The two adults in the room shared a worried glance, then both looked to her. Sure, she had just turned 18 last week but for the life of her she hadn’t started seeing herself as an adult yet. She wondered idly which one was going to give her whatever bad news they were trying to pass along.

Sadie, Miss Smithers started. Something happened down at Vivian’s Treasures.

As the words came out, Sadie felt the breath leave her body. Vivian Love was her aunt on her mother’s side. She was quite possibly the coolest woman Sadie, or her friends, had ever known.

Sadie, we found Vivian this morning. I’m sorry sweetheart, but she’s no longer with us, the sheriff stated and gave her a few moments to adjust to the news.

She could feel her heart shattering. Vivian had always been her rock, the one she trusted most, her teacher, and her mentor. Feeling the tears begin to run down her cheeks, she shook her head slowly.

What happened to her?

That’s what we need to talk about, the sheriff answered, his voice once again back to the stern authoritative one from earlier. You were at the shop last night, correct?

Yes, my friends and I were. We go by there a few nights a week, Sadie answered, then wiped her eyes. Or we did.

Was Vivian alone when you left?

Yeah, it was closing time. She told us to get home since it was getting late. She said she had a few orders to take care of then she would be finished.

That was the last time you saw her?

Yes. We left after that, she said looking back and forth between the two of them. What happened? She found herself asking again.

Someone murdered her around midnight.

Hearing the Sheriff’s words shattered everything she thought she knew about the world. How someone could hurt a person as sweet and kind as Vivian was beyond her. What was even more shocking was how someone could kill a witch as powerful as her aunt and not be lying dead along side of her.

Chapter Two

STEPPING THROUGH THE door of her home on Shadow Way, Sadie still felt numb. The sheriff had allowed her to go home early, leaving her unable to talk to her friends and tell them what had happened. She had no doubt they’d be at the house as soon as they were able, but she still found herself wishing they were already with her.

Stopping on the cobblestone path, she looked at the house. The James family home was nothing special. It was a two-story colonial that you could find in any part of the world, especially in Dark Hollow Ridge. It was white with yellow shutters, and a large array of flowers to welcome you up the path. Around in the backyard, however, was an herb garden that could make the most talented gardener envious. Of course, all witch families grew herbs, and they all had secrets and talents to help those herbs along the way.

When she opened the door, the smell of a potion struck her almost immediately. Admittedly, it was one she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but the wolfsbane was quite prominent. Making her way into the kitchen, she saw her mother standing over her stove whispering an incantation. She knew better than to disturb her during the making of a potion. As she stood there, taking in the scene, she saw just how frail her mom, Victoria, looked.

Victoria Love was the youngest of the three Love girls, and in ways the most different. She hadn’t wanted a life of witchcraft like her sisters Vivian and Veronica. No, she wanted a simple life and a simple family. When she tried to have it, everything went wrong. She and her husband had three children, Sadie and the twins, Saige and Paige. When the twins were barely a month old, Peter James took all the money they had in the checking account and ran off with a nurse he met at the hospital during the birth. The ordeal had been devastating to Victoria, but her sisters had been quick to lend a helping hand.

Vivian gave the lost family of girls a home. Her shop had quickly become one of the most popular places for witches around the world to order pre-made potions and other items to make their lives easier. Money wasn’t an issue for her. Before long, it wasn’t for any of the Love family. In ways, they’d truly been blessed. In others, it seemed as if a curse had been placed on the family since the onset.

The Loves had always been one of the most prominent families in the Southern Goddess Coven. For generations they had helped teach young witches, both male and female, to find their way to the path of light. They shared their wisdom easily, which quickly became their biggest mistake.

After years of doing as they were asked, Sadie’s grandmother, Savannah, had been asked to take over when the current coven mistress found herself