Magick & Moonlight (Magick Series Book 1)

By Marie Lavender

[**New edition, complete with a new scene!]

Love spells are dangerous, even more so for those who cast them...

Ethan Hamilton moves to a lazy little town in Oregon, hoping to escape his demons. Instead, he discovers a woman dancing nude in the moonlight. This woman who claims she is a witch dazzles him with her sensual presence. He thinks she’s crazy, but what if she’s not?

Jessie Anderson has been taught that her kind hides who they really are. And she has a problem on her hands. Someone knows her secret and she must do all she can to protect herself. What other choice does she have? Jessie casts a spell on a good man, a man with whom she can’t fight her attraction. The spell doesn’t work quite as planned.

Messing with free will is always a bad idea.

To top it off, Ethan’s treatment of her is so addictive. Deep down, she knows the effects will wear off, and yet his feelings seem genuine. It’s just a spell...right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marie Lavender
• Release date: Apr 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463322512

Marie Lavender

Multi-genre author of Victorian maritime romance/family saga, Heiresses in Love, and 18 other books. Reached the Top 10 Authors list on AuthorsDB.com for the last 4 years. Featured interview in the January 2018 issue of Womelle Magazine. The Heiresses in Love Trilogy made the TOP 10 on the Anthology category on the 2018 P&E Readers' Poll, and BLOOD INSTINCTS reached TOP 10 status in the Romance category. The Heiresses in Love Trilogy and DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART both reached the semi-finalist round in the 2018 AuthorsDB Book Cover Contest. Voted TOP BLOGGER for 2018 on the Romance Lives Forever Blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2018 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated and made it past the first round in the 2018 Author Academy Awards. UPON YOUR LOVE and THE MISSING PIECE placed in the TOP 10 on the 2017 P&E Readers' Poll. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART was nominated for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards. The I Love Romance Blog became a finalist in StartDating DK's Romance Blog Awards of 2017. ILRB landed on Feedspot’s 2017 TOP 100 Novel Blogs and TOP 100 Romance Blogs. DIRECTIONS OF THE HEART placed in the TOP 10 Books of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. TOP 20 Authors of 2017 on Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews blog. Mystery Blogger Award for 2017. A to Z Blog Challenge Survivor in 2016. March 2016 Empress of the Universe title - winner of the "Broken Heart" themed contest and the "I Love You" themed contest on Poetry Universe. SECOND CHANCE HEART and A LITTLE MAGICK placed in the TOP 10 on the 2015 P&E Readers' Poll. Nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. The Versatile Blogger Award for 2015. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013, 2014 and 2016. 2013 and 2014 Amazon Bestseller Ranking for UPON YOUR RETURN. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 21 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. She writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for children, and has recently started some young adult fiction. She has also contributed to several anthologies. Her current published series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Eternal Hearts Series, The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

Note:

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, places, or events is coincidental.

Cover Art by Marie Lavender

http://marielavender.com/

Image Sources: Photo by João Silas on Unsplash

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

Marie Lavender ©2014, second edition published 2020.

Magick & Moonlight

by

Marie Lavender

Dedication

To my pal Linda – for showing the world that the greatest hero can break the mold. Sometimes the best heroes are a little closer to home.

Magick & Moonlight

Chapter 1

Ethan Hamilton walked along the shore, kicking rocks. Up above the water, the moon looked as big as a saucer. It was a full moon, the kind that people usually associated with werewolves, vampires, and all those silly legends. The kinds of things pop culture made people believe were true. But he knew better. Monsters weren’t real. There were monsters, of course, but instead they were humans who did terrible things.

There was always an explanation for everything. Just as there were reasons he was standing by the shore in Yachats, Oregon, wondering if his decision to start all over was warranted. Could he forget what happened and just move on, move to a different town, and hope that a new life would provide him with better options? Could he forget what had happened in Seattle, the pain and humiliation of it all?

Just as he was getting disgusted with his self-analysis, he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and noticed firelight in the forest to his right. A campfire was burning. He’d been told the forest was usually empty this time of year. That was why he’d chosen the cabin, for the seclusion. He figured it was probably just a couple of kids screwing around. Concerned that they might start a forest fire, he went to investigate. Suddenly, he stopped.

You’re not a cop anymore, Ethan reminded himself gruffly. He shook it off. That didn’t matter though. The last thing he needed on his conscience was a careless accident turned into a royal nightmare.

He grimaced, but went on to seek out the person who’d started the campfire. He walked for a while, before he could see a small stream of smoke wafting up above the line of trees. He eventually neared a clearing yet stopped as he could hear a voice. Stepping closer without drawing attention to himself, he peered around a tree. In the clearing was a campfire. A woman was dancing naked around it. Occasionally, she would stop moving and stir something inside a cauldron hanging over the fire. She chanted low words in another language.

The flames cast light over her nude body, while the darkness of the night partly obscured it in shadow. Her hair, as black as licorice, swung freely about her shoulders in thick waves. Her eyes in the firelight looked nearly obsidian. Her body was magnificent. He felt his mouth go dry as he stared at her. She was slim with just the right amount of curves. The light from the flames danced over her full, white breasts and hips, and did nothing to hide the dark triangle of hair between her thighs. As she turned, he glimpsed her backside and when he felt his groin tighten in response, he groaned out loud.

The sound caused her to freeze. Her gaze was wild, panicked, reminding him of a wounded animal that wasn’t sure of what danger it might be facing. When her eyes met his, the breath escaped him just as she gasped. Dear God, she was lovely. From what he could tell, she was about five foot four and perfect. He could not mistake the pull he felt, the way he was drawn to her sensuous mystery. Instead of covering herself, she crept closer to the fire and before he knew it, she produced a knife.

Her voice called out, startling him. Strong gusts of sweet Nature's Life, soft scented stillness to calm all strife, Blow for me, breathe for me, sweeping all evil away. Blow for me, breathe for me, in dark winter night or bright summer day.

He didn’t understand her words at all, but he couldn’t look away.

Then her eyes traveled back to his. What do you want? she hissed.

The contrast between her ferocity and the carefree, joyous way she’d been dancing made him want to laugh. He