The Witch of Evergreen Mountain: The Lost Witch Series, #2

By Leona Bushman

The McNealy Saga continues with Janus.

Janus moved away, across the country to find peace from the magic which assailed her when her older sister came into power. At 24, she still struggled with her powers, more than her family knew. Plus, she felt the dark calling her. It scared her into hiding away on her remote mountain in Washington State.

Mount Rainier had long been Ian's favorite retreat away from the world. He'd gone up hiking when a freak snowstorm hit. Luckily, when drenched by a mysterious waterfall coming from nowhere, a stranger found him and took him to a cabin to dry off before the mountain chill could seep in. However, though an immediate attraction had him wishing to know her better, the owner of the cabin eyed him suspiciously as if he would make off with the family jewels or something.
But then, he wanted to make off with her heart by the end of the first week, and wasn't that even more important than the family jewels?
Only one problem, his magic. He needed to figure out a way to hide while stuck in the cabin with her, but around her, it seemed to be growing, despite his best efforts to contain it.
Then he learned who she really was and met her mother.
The McNealy's were a powerful family. He'd heard of them. But nothing had prepared him for the power they held when all together. Could he stay with Jules, or would he be forced to leave her to protect her from her own father or his?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leona Bushman
• Release date: Jun 21, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393972419

Book preview

This is a work of fiction. Names, Characters, places and incidents are used fictionally, or are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to real places or people are purely coincidental or fictionalized.

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The sisters are blood, the men are not. Each has to find their partner....

Prologue

Kingdom of Alba Early 4th Century

The men rode in with their spears and swords, demanding food and bringing a new religion. They came in blood and fire and force.

The Pictish witches saw the writing on the wall as it magically infused itself on the caves. At the same time, the seers foretold a wash of their way of life, again showing violence and death to those powerful in the ancient ways of magic, so they began saving it on stones, hidden meanings, in stories, in their families. But as time passed, they knew it would not be enough.

Three great families were chosen as the vessels and keepers of the magic. Families already powerful and plentiful to ensure the magic and olde ways would not be forgotten.

One family chosen to hold all the powers in one, dormant unless needed, joined their ranks. The magic sleeping within their ancestors unless the powers called out.

The one family remained secret from all but the three, and the one who performed the magic spell to ensure the continuation of the Earth. They were to call on the ancestors of the one family if their lines became in peril or their magic waned from disuse. History handed down from one generation to the next.

They kept up their way of life, of the blessings of olde magic. The animal callers, the fire and air callers, the earth and water, and those who possessed all. As time passed, fewer believed. More turned to the new religion as the men came. Violence abounded. New missionaries came. Some retained their knowledge and tried to keep the olde ways alive.

But, as all of history knows, these stories become legends, myths, and so people forgot their true calling, the meaning of the symbols lost in time. The magic, dormant except in a few gifted who kept the magic alive.

Until the era of peril, when all balance was lost.

Until then, it lay hidden in time and blood.

Chapter One

Mount Rainier, Washington

Janus concentrated hard at getting things exactly as she wanted and then waved her hands. Suddenly, the small creek became a rushing river. A loud splash from behind her caused her to spin around. A huge waterfall gushed toward her.

She tried to run, but didn't even make it two steps before it hit her full force, shoving her along, scraping her painfully against the mountainous rocks. Her shin slammed against one, and she screamed as pain tripped through her, the shin itself burning until she could grab ahold of a tree and use her hand again. She did a small motion and then squeezed it into a closed fist. The water immediately stopped rushing past her.

But waves of the water which she’d already unleashed slipped past at a more gentle speed as it continued down the mountain and joined up with the nearby creek. A fish flopped from above, smacking her on her head and then dropping next to her. She sighed as she grabbed the silvery fish by its slimy tail and tossed it back into the water.

How unfair that Demeter could do so much and seemingly effortlessly. Then again, she couldn't even control the water yet, her main power. Perhaps this way was better.

A plaintive meow came from behind her. Denny, her grey and black striped cat, sat on a nearby mountain rock, her tail twitching. She meowed again. Yes, it was a lot of water. I did warn you I would be practicing today. Though Janus couldn't understand Denny's words as clearly as Demeter, she still could communicate with most domesticated animals, and even a few of her regular visitors.

The cat licked her paws and cleaned over one ear, but Janus had the sense Denny laughed at her. She gave Denny the stink eye, then stood up and shook her long, forest green Elvin like shirt she wore over comfortable leggings.

Water splayed over the already doused area, some falling on Denny. She hissed at Janus, then turned her back. Janus laughed and swooped up the cat into a cuddle near her face so her familiar's fur wouldn't soak up the water from her shirt.

Sometimes, I wish I could understand you better, but right now, she continued while laughing, I think I'm probably better off not knowing.

Her handmade leather boots squeaked only slightly as she walked. Her wool socks would keep her feet warm enough, but still, she needed to change into her spares before the sun went down. It still got cold up in the mountains at night, though it was middle of May.

As she undressed, Denny went to her small closet and began batting at one of Janus’ favorite shirt dresses. She'd pieced it, adding leather for extra warmth and protection, but it was also the one she put most decorations on. It was by far her prettiest one. She sighed and gave in to the whim of her moody cat. Then she put on new socks and the matching boots. Rather than the gardening she'd originally intended, she decided on a walk. Denny seemed inordinately pleased by her choices and sauntered next to her as if the feline owned the mountain.

You're as pleased as the cat who ate the canary. And all because I put this dress on like you asked.

Denny swerved through her legs, the purrs loud. She laughed at her antics, enjoying the time. However, the moment of levity passed, and her mind circled back to controlling her powers. Annoyance trickled in even as she tried to maintain a semblance of calm. Persephone and Janus all seemed to be getting their magic under control almost as easily as Demeter. Only Janus and Nyx seemed stuck in this same in between mode which frustrated her so much.

With her birthday just over a month away, she needed to get better and fast. The whole family would be there in her mountain home, and she’d already seen what happened to their magic when the sisters were together. And now they had to add a brother to the mix. Rodney’s appearance had Janus wondering about her own twin, where he might be and if she could find him. She’d put a few feelers out on ancestry sites, but it was hard when all you had was a birthday.

Idly, she noted the early blooms. The yellow daisy like coltsfoot, trillium, Calypso orchid, yellow violets, and wild strawberry all danced along the side of the mountains, growing in clumps which made her meadows appear as if a Monet painting had come to life. She loved it here. So different than her native Virginia, the colder weather had brought her a measure of happiness, the mountain and forest, peace and comfort she’d not found anywhere else.

She picked some of the coltsfoot, putting it in her leather pouch she always carried. She’d dry some for later, but wanted to add some to honey to set aside in case of colds. She mentally noted where the largest clumps grew so she could come back with a bucket to pick more for drying.

Absently, she touched the plants and trees as she walked, tuning herself to the language of the forest. The plants and trees spoke to her a lot like the animals spoke to Demeter. They said when she could use them for firewood, when they were in need, even when an animal may need her help. Now they whispered, some in a laughing way which made her think of humans giggling.

She focused her energy to hear them better.

He’s dripping wet from her magic water. And lost to boot, a high-pitched voice which she rather thought belonged to the smaller Douglas Fir next to her said.

He appears dazed and confused, another one said. More titters from the trees all around her had her shaking her head.

You’re as bad as the old biddy gossips back home, she murmured. Does the lost and confused man need help?

That brought out uproarious laughter and the shaking of many limbs. Yes, dearie, one of them finally answered. I think he does.

Tell me where to find him.

Follow the creek down the mountain. He was filling water when your magic waters hit him full on.

Great. So now she’d somehow drenched a poor, lost hiker.