By Dawn, A Witch

By W. V. Fitz-Simon

A mystical oath, a jealous god, and a young woman trying to make her mother proud.

 

Deep in the past, before the beginning of history, in a world where a witch's magic can mean the difference between life and death, a deadly summoning ritual starts a war between celestial beings that will echo across the millennia. A young woman must play the gods against each other to save herself and become the first modern witch.

 

By Dawn, A Witch is a 7,000 word novelette set two millennia before Waking the Witch, the first novel in The Witch of Cheyne Heath series. Buy By Dawn, A Witch and step into the deadly and mysterious history of Cheyne Heath today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dedo Press
• Release date: Oct 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201845032

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By Dawn, A Witch

W. V. Fitz-Simon

Published by Dedo Press, 2021.

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By Dawn, A Witch

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By Dawn, A Witch

A shard of bright moon crested above the dale, but Nimuë’s attention was fully engaged by the intricate diagram she and the other girls had been etching into the earth with powdered chalk since sunset. One mistake and the entire ritual would be spoiled. Years of preparation would be ruined. Her hands shook as she dug into the grass to create a new groove for the chalk dust with the small ceremonial trowel Mother Oskela had gifted each of them. She and the other acolytes hadn’t slept in two days, nor eaten in three. Only water had crossed her lips. The lack of food and the constant prayers had left her giddy and seeing things. Was this how Morua, her mother, felt when she walked the twilight path?

Nimuë glanced up at the hill to see two figures silhouetted against the growing white disk: Morua and Aunt Yemu keeping an eye on her from afar. She took a deep breath and shivered from the bite in the spring night air. Her rough woven robes did little to protect her, but after three years of prayer and purification, she was used to it.

Good work, Nimuë, said Mother Oskela, passing behind her as she walked the growing perimeter of elaborate lines and symbols drawn by Nimuë and the other acolytes.

Oskela was a difficult woman to love. Intense and short-tempered, she spent too much time in her private world of contemplation and resented making herself understood by lowly disciples such as Nimuë. But the Goddess demanded more followers, and so here they were, a dozen girls from across the dale lured away from their families by a promise of spiritual advancement Nimuë didn’t quite understand. If Morua hadn’t begged her to go along with it, she would have been happy to stay in her parents’ hut, learning at her mother’s elbow until one of the