Witch's Justice

By Renee Joiner

A vigilante witch blackmailed into crime. Can Kai Geller outwit her puppeteer without losing her soul?

Kai Geller, a witch with a turbulent past, carries the burden of a secret – she used her magic for revenge, taking the life of her sister's murderer. Her actions, once a source of grim satisfaction, now entangle her in a web of blackmail.

An unknown adversary, aware of her dark deed, manipulates her into committing acts of magical vandalism across the city. As Kai scrambles to uncover the blackmailer's identity, her investigation hits dead ends, deepening the mystery. Her plight takes another twist when an undercover detective witnesses her powers.

Unlike her blackmailer, he seeks her help with a case eerily linked to her sister's death. Caught between a relentless blackmailer and a detective who could either be her undoing or her ally, Kai must navigate a dangerous path to unravel the connection between her forced crimes and the tragedy that started it all.

Fans of Charmed meets Dexter will be captivated by this tale of magic, mystery, and moral ambiguity.

Step into Kai's world of shadowy magic and complex morality. Grab your copy today and delve into the thrilling journey of a witch fighting for redemption and survival.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Oshun Publications, LLC
• Release date: Feb 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9781950378524

Renee Joiner

Renee Joiner has been in love with the supernatural for longer than she can remember, so it is no surprise that she is an author of paranormal urban fantasy. Although she discovered her passion for writing when she was only twelve years old, she didn’t make her writing debut until many years into the future. Adventurous and fun-loving, she enjoys traveling to new places, exploring new sights and meeting new people. Thus, she delights in creating fantastical worlds that are sure to give her readers an escape from the real world while simultaneously providing thrilling entertainment. Besides her special knack for writing, you'll also find a passion for metaphysics spirituality which she has been nurturing for over four decades. Renee hails from New York and currently resides with her husband in their empty nest—unless you count their three adorable fur babies—in Florida. She enjoys adding to her sea of knowledge and thus spends her free time learning new things.

Book preview

One

A Note

The school parking lot was filled to the brim with preadolescents and young adults, talking and finding ways not to go into the school until the last second. Kai stood at the front steps of the building and stared up at it. The front building resembled a large mausoleum with a tall clock tower stretching up from the very front entrance. There were still three more buildings, not including the building that housed the indoor pool and the gym beside it. This was by far the most prominent school they’ve been to this year.

Riley squeezed her hand tightly, jumping up and down in place beside her. She looked like a squirrel high on caffeine. Kai learned a long time ago never to get too excited or comfortable in one place, but she would never tell Riley to do that. Riley was still young, so Kai wanted to make sure she spent every second enjoying her life.

This place looks amazing! Riley’s voice squeaked slightly when she spoke. She leaned back and opened up the school’s pamphlet. Look at all of these classes.

You’ve read that pamphlet ten times already. You’re not going to find anything new in it. Kai reminded her. She didn’t have any excitement in her voice, but she tried her hardest to sound upbeat.

I can join the swim team, there’s a photographers club, a creative writing class, and this school is famous for having the best science-fairs in the whole country! Riley continued, flipping through the pamphlet without needing to read anything on it. She already knew it back to front.

I am impressed with how large it is. Kai couldn’t find anything else about the school to compliment.

She pulled on Riley’s hand slightly as they began their climb up the stairs. The entrance was as grand as the building itself. It was large enough for a giant to walk through, and the large double doors looked as though they were made of solid oak.

Auntie Kai? Riley muttered while looking down at her feet.

Kai looked down at her, I told you, Riley, you don’t have to call me Auntie. You can call me Kai. What is it?

Kai… Riley paused and took in a deep breath before releasing the rest of her words at a hundred miles an hour, can this be the last school I have to go to this year?

They reached the top of the stairs, and Kai sighed. She knelt down and lifted Riley’s chin up so she could look her in the eye.

Listen, Riley-Kai had a whole speech rehearsed in her head, but Riley cut her off before she could say anything more.

I know it’s not your fault. I understand why we have to move so often, and I know there’s nothing you can do about it, but I like this school. There are so many classes here that I want to take, and it’s the only high school we’ve been to that has a swimming team. Riley took a deep breath. I’m tired of having to go to so many new schools. I think I will finally make some friends here and join all the classes I want to.

Kai smiled, but her eyes betrayed the sadness in her heart. She placed her hands on Riley’s shoulders and pulled her close until their foreheads touched.

I know you’re tired. she whispered. You’ve had to put up with so much since your mother died. I know I’ve only been a part of your life for two years, but they’ve been the best two years for me. You’ve been so brave and helpful. You’ve never complained about me dragging you across the world. You’ve never once told me I was doing a horrible job at being a mom, even though I know I have been sucking horribly at it.

Riley shrugged her shoulders and then nodded. All you really need to do is make sure I’m fed and clean.

Kai giggled. It’s more than that, and I promise I’m going to do my best to keep you happy. I’m going to make sure you stay in this one school for this year. I promise.

Riley placed her finger on her heart and drew a cross. Cross your heart?

Kai copied her movements and nodded, Cross my heart. Now, go before you miss your first day of school.

Riley threw her arms around Kai’s, and she pulled her in close for a hug. Kai held her there for a moment longer than she needed to. She released her, and Riley ran straight into the school. Kai stayed for a little while and watched until she disappeared into the crowd of school children.

Kai turned and walked down the street. She glanced at her watch while she shuffled through her bag. Kai pulled out a small black book with a red ribbon wrapped around it. She flipped through the pages as her heels clicked quickly down the leaf-covered sidewalk. She only had ten minutes to get to her first job interview, but she could walk fast.

She took some time to look around the small town as she walked. It was amazing to see such a large school in such a small place. It seemed like one of those quiet, country towns you only see on shows about gossiping housewives and annoying neighbors. It reminded her of the town she and her sister grew up in.

Kai missed her sister. It was a shock when she got the call from the police. It had been two years, but it still felt like yesterday. She wasn’t a natural mother, but her sister always knew what she was doing, and she wanted Kai to take care of her daughter. So, that’s what Kai was going to do.

She made it to her first job interview with a few minutes to spare. She went in to announce herself, and they sent her straight in. She was used to going to interviews, but her palms still got sweaty when she had to sit and wait for her interviewer.

She reminded herself that she was only interviewing for a job as a store attendant at a hardware store. It wasn’t as if she was looking for a high ranking, high paying position. Kai spent the last few moments calming herself down before the interviewer finally joined her.

Hi, Mrs. He glanced down at his clipboard for a moment, Kai Geller?

Kai nodded. That’s me. It’s nice to meet you.

She stood up and offered the interviewer her hand. He shook it, but he acted as though he was disinterested in the activity. They both sat down.

So, you’re looking for a position as a store attendant?

Yes, that’s right. Kai nodded.

The interviewer flipped through the pages on his clipboard slowly and then shook his head. Kai’s heart pounded against her chest, and suddenly the air in the room grew thin.

Any position will do, really. She added. I’m a fast learner, and I have lots of experience working in the retail industry. I’m happy to take any position that you have available.

The interviewer nodded. That’s great! It will be helpful to have such a versatile employee working for us. I can see you’re eager to move forward with this. We ran you through our system and checked your references. The only thing we’re waiting for is your background check, but we were told we would get it this morning.

Kai nodded slowly and tried to hide her surprise. I didn’t know you were going to run a background check.

It’s standard procedure, I’m afraid. It’s nothing to worry about.

Kai nodded again. The crick in her neck let her know she was nodding too much. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before a young lady walked in and handed the interviewer a file. Kai stared at the piece of paper as if it was food, and she was a starving orphan. She wasn’t sure why she was getting nervous. There wasn’t anything in her past to be ashamed of.

The interviewer only glanced at the paper before putting it down on the table and shaking his head.

I’m sorry, Mrs. Geller, but I’m afraid we don’t have an available position that suits you. He stood up from his chair and grabbed his clipboard. Thank you for coming in today. We’ll make sure to stay in touch in case something shows up.

No, wait! Kai jumped out of her chair and rushed to the other side of the desk. She put herself in between him and the door. You said there were multiple positions available in your ad. Surely not all of them are full.

Mrs. Geller, I am unable to give you a position at our store. He repeated. There are positions available, but the problem lies with your background check.

Her eyebrows raised into her black fringe. What does that mean?

You have an arrest record, Mrs. Geller, and unfortunately, our store has a policy against hiring people with criminal or arrest records.

There must be some mistake. Kai shook her head violently and slurred her words. I’ve never been arrested before in my life. What does it say I was arrested for?

That information is classified, but it does say you were arrested on several occasions. I’m sorry, Mrs. Geller, but there are other stores in town that don’t have the same policies as us. Perhaps you could try one of them.

The interviewer pushed by Kai and left her in the room by herself. She stared down at the file he left on the table. She didn’t understand it. A million thoughts ran wild in her head, and all of them circled around that file. Did they get her name wrong? Was there someone out there with the same name that had an arrest record? Was it a lie because they didn’t want to hire her? She reached out for the file in hopes of having all these questions answered, but she was interrupted before she could get her hands on it.

Excuse me, ma’am, I have to ask you to leave. We need this interview room.

Kai turned to face the young lady that brought the file in not a moment ago. She pulled a toothy grin across her face and left the room. She pulled her little black book out again and scratched the address and time out. She still had two more interviews to go to, so she kept her head up and kept walking.

She had a little more time to get to the next interview, so she walked slower and allowed herself more time to take in the sights. She was in the center of the town now. The center of the town consisted of a large square block. Every inch of the outside was split up between several different stores, and right at the center was a large open park. It had freshly trimmed grass, a few cobblestone paths leading from the corners to the center, and a large oak tree growing straight up in the middle.

Kai stopped for a moment to admire the tree. Its branches spread out over the entire park and provided every bit of it with shade. There were a few benches scattered around the park, and each one was full. Kai had to admit that she liked this town too, and she hoped she could find a job so she and Riley could stay a while.

She made it to the second interview just in time. She was asked to sit and wait for a while, and this gave her a bad feeling. Finally, someone began walking to her. She stood up straight, held out her hand, and prepared her introduction, but the man walking towards her wasn’t interested in beating around the bush.

I’m sorry, Mrs. Geller, but I’m afraid this interview is no longer taking place. He explained and waved her hand away. We tried to call you and cancel, but you didn’t answer. While checking through your details and running checks, we called one of your past employers. He warned us not to hire you and said that he would never hire you again.

I don’t understand. Which employer is this? Kai asked, but the man was already walking away.

"I’m sorry you had to waste your time and come here, Mrs. Geller, but I do suggest you answer your phone next time it rings. That would have saved