The Witch's Kitchen: Sameera The Queen Witch

By Jerrimiah Stonecastle

A war is brewing in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

It started when a Black Witch was rejected by a handsome warlock. Filled with rage, she made a deal with the Dark Angel and caused him and his wife, who was 8 months pregnant to die in a car accident.
But the baby survived and was born on All Hallows' Eve, a night that gives a witch special powers.
Now the coven must protect the young witch from the Black Witch until her 21st birthday. On that day she will be strong enough to defend herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stonecastle Publications LLC
• Release date: Nov 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201838430

Jerrimiah Stonecastle

Jerrimiah Stonecastle was born and raised in the South Bronx, New York to a single parent. His mom is a retired New York City educator who always pushed him to reach for excellence in all that he did. In 2002 he retired from New York City civil service and relocated to North Florida. There he started his writing career with a trilogy series called UC 630 Cop or Criminal:The Crack Wars. In 2016 he formed his own Indie publishing company Stonecastle Publications whose slogan is "Throwing Stones At A Glass House". He now has published 4 books and is currently working on his 5th which is due to be released in January 2018.

Book preview

The Witch’s Kitchen

Jerrimiah Stonecastle

Stonecastle Publications LLC

Boca Raton, Fl 33488-0576

USA

[phone]

Copyright © 2021 Jerrimiah Stonecastle

All rights reserved.

DEDICATION

To pumpkin lovers everywhere.

If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? - Act III, scene I

William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice

CONTENTS

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Joanna Penn, your YouTube videos were so informative and inspiring for me. I discovered the difficulties of this career through your experiences.

Bob Proctor’s speeches changed the way

I viewed my world as a writer and businessperson.

My friend and Editor, Ms. Elaine McCarthy.

Special shout out to

Julie Broad

Of Book Launchers

Your inspirational videos were valuable to me.

1 the darkness

T

he New Bedford, Massachusetts mansion of Harlan and Maria Ricci was the location of this year’s All Hallows’ Eve celebration. Every year, on this night, all the local witches and warlocks gather together to celebrate their escape from the Salem witch trials over three centuries ago. 

New Bedford was a small fishing village at the time of the Salem witch trials. The site was first settled by the Plymouth colonists in 1652. When the colonists moved on to other parts of the state, the witches and warlocks who came over with them stayed. A few of the women colonists who remained unwittingly intermarried with them. The first to establish a coven there was a fisherman by name of Walter Canter.

Walter was a young warlock of a Norwich coven in England competing for leadership with another warlock. The way leadership was decided was through combat if there was a tying vote. These combats were frowned upon by the Witch’s Council because they would bring unwanted attention from the mortals. At that time, a group of colonists was departing for the new world and the Council wanted one of the warlocks to go start a new coven. Walter gladly volunteered when he found out that 18-year-old Mary Brewster was going to be one of the passengers.

The Brewsters were one of the wealthiest colonists leaving for the new world and hoped to establish a shipping route upon arrival. Mary’s father, Josiah Brewster was well aware of Walter’s attraction for his daughter and was not happy about it. He had other plans for her hand, and it was for a young banker by the name of Clinton Mills. The only problem with the plan was that Mary only had eyes for Walter.

The night before they were to relocate to Salem, Mary, and her father were having an intense argument at the dinner table.

No, Father, I will not marry Clinton and I will not move away from here.

Josiah’s slapped Mary’s face so hard, she fell out of her chair. When she touched her lip, she saw blood on her fingers.

Josiah, Mary’s mother, Sophia shouted.

Stay out of this, Mother. What evil has possessed ye child that you would defy your father’s wishes?

The same evil that would possess a father to trade his daughter like broodmare for a financial gain, she spat back.

You are an unholy spawn of the devil, Josiah said, reaching for a horse strap. I will beat the evil out of you.

Sophia pleaded with Josiah to stop once she saw blood seeping through the back of Mary’s dress, but when he raised the strap menacingly at her, she backed away. Mary stared at Josiah with defiance, refusing to cry out with each blow, until she passed out. 

Are ye trying to kill her? Sophia asked grabbing the bloodied strap.

If she dies it will be God’s will for her disobedience, he said releasing his hold on the strap.

I will fetch the healer.

No, leave her be. Let the master she serves and obey heal her.

Josiah, will thee help me carry her into her bed?

No, let her lie on the floor like the disobedient dog that she is. Thee will render no aid. Now come to bed.

Sophia glanced back at Mary to make sure she was still breathing. When she saw her breasts rise and fall she sighed with relief and followed Josiah into the bedroom. A few hours later, the door to the cottage opened by itself. The moonlight streamed in and illuminated Mary’s pale white face.

Walter materialized out of a mist that enveloped the entrance of the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw the state that Mary was in. With the speed of a mongoose, he crossed the threshold and scooped her in his arm.

What have they done to you, my love?

Walter floated back into the mist. The door closed as he and Mary disappeared into the void. When Mary opened her eyes, she found herself being tended to by the women of Walter’s clan.

Where am I? What happened?

Don’t try to sit up, dear, one of the women said. You’ve lost a lot of blood.

My back...why doesn’t it hurt anymore?

We’ve put some special medicine on it, dear. You must rest, now.

My father, I must return to my home, she said sitting up.

You are home, Walter said, stepping out of the darkness.

The women gathered up Mary’s bloodied clothes, bandages, and potions and walked out of the cottage with their heads bowed. Walter, although he was only a year older than Mary, had a commanding presence that made the older colonist feel intimidated. And if the air of seniority wasn’t disarming enough, his 6-feet 4-inch stature was enough to give the bravest of men pause. Walter’s hair was jet black and hung below his shoulders like a lion’s mane. But the feature that made Mary and other women weak was his emerald eyes.

Walter, what are we going to do? she asked sitting up. My father will surely kill us both.

Does thee wish to be my wife? Walter asked kneeling on the side of the bed and taking her hand in his.

With all my heart.

Then I will reveal myself to thee.

Walter sat on the side of the bed and leaned his face close to Mary’s. He stared into her eyes and whispered the incantation, intrabit in mundum (enter my world). His eyes began to glow bright green and within seconds Mary knew everything about Walter.

Does thee still wish to be my wife?

Thou does desire only to become one with thee in the eyes of God, my love. But what of my father? Surely he will come for us.

I can cast a spell that will erase all memory of you in his mind and the minds of mortals, Walter said. You will have no family other than the one that you and I shall create. All you need do is ask.

And the other choice would be to kill him?

Yes, my queen.

And that would expose us. Then make him forget me, my lord. You are my family now. My bloodline begins with thee and ends with thee.

*_*_*_*

This has to be the best Halloween party ever, Harlan, Adrian Canter said. You and your wife must have spent hours on the decorations.

No, just the wife, Maria said. He sat on his rump and watched.

I was supervising her, Harlan snickered. 

In other words he was useless, Maria quipped. And how are you doing, Dominique? You’re about due aren’t you?

Maria gently rubbed Dominique Canter’s swollen belly.

I have another two weeks, Maria. Thanks for asking.

It’s a pity you couldn’t deliver tonight, Dominique, Maria said. This would truly make it a special All Hallows’ night.

There hasn’t been a witch or warlock born on All Hallows’ Eve since I was born, darling, said Angelina Dimora.

Everyone at the party stopped talking when a tall woman walked in wearing a low-cut dress that exposed her navel and more than half her breasts. The slit in the front of the dress was cut so high enough that her blood-red panties were exposed. Her long shapely legs had every man’s eyes focused on them. A witch’s hat sat on top of her jet-black hair that was tied into a ponytail and ended at the base of her back. Her shoes were the same color as her panties and had little bats on the tips of the toes.

I’m not sure I want my baby born tonight, Angelina, Dominique said.

Ah, so you know of the legend that a baby born on All Hallows’ Eve will either turn out to be a white witch, a black witch, or a dead baby.

Wasn’t your ass born on All Hallows’ Eve, Angelina? Maria asked causing a hush to come over the ballroom.

No one ever talked to Angelina the way that Maria just did because she was born on All Hallows’ Eve. But Maria wasn’t afraid of the legend. She wasn’t afraid of anything, especially Angelina.

The legend had it that a child born on All Hallows’ Eve would either turn out to be a white witch who was of a pure heart. A white witch could do no harm unless it was against an evil person possessing a black heart or a black witch. If the child turned out to be a black witch, it would possess powerful black magic. It thrived on harming others through curses and black demonic spells. A warlock was never born on that night. Any male child born on that night would die shortly after birth.

Yes, I was, Maria, and I would suggest that you tread lightly because you don’t know if I’m a white or a black witch.

Or a male child that didn’t die, Maria said, causing the ballroom to break out in raucous laughter.

*_*_*_*

The feud between Maria and Angelina started five years earlier when they both were seeking the affections of one of the most handsome warlocks in the coven. That bachelor was Adrian Canter. Every witch wanted to be the wife of the founder’s heir. It would automatically give them prestige, authority, and elevate them to a position in the coven equivalent to that of a queen.

It was during their graduation party from New Bedford High School that Maria and Angelina had their first encounter. Several of the female seniors were waiting for a chance to dance with Adrian. He had given a number to each girl who was sitting on the bench inside the gymnasium. Maria was next in line to dance with him when Angelina jumped in front of her and planted a hot tongue kiss on him.

It was my turn, bitch, Maria said. I have number 6. You jumped the line.

My dear Maria, you better have your eyes checked. I have number 6 and you have number 9.

Angelina turned around and began dancing with Adrian. Maria looked at her ticket and saw that the 6 had changed into a 9. She realized then that Angelina had changed the numbers.

Maria went back to her seat and began to recite an incantation. When the waltz ended the sprinkler system activated shooting a gush of water into Angelina’s face. The force of the water knocked her off her feet and out of her shoes. The gymnasium broke out into laughter as Angelina fell several times when she tried to get to her feet.

There would be several more such encounters between the two battling sorceresses. At first, the coven thought it was amusing, but when one of Angelina’s spells caused an explosion in the diner that killed a mortal, the Council ordered the feud to end and for Adrian to choose a wife. They did not want to risk being exposed by a confrontation with the mortals.

The night of the choosing, Angelina wore the most attractive and sheerest dress she could find. It was so thin it left nothing to the imagination. This type of behavior was not shocking to the coven as it was a tactic that they had used to capture the hand of both warlock and mortal men over the centuries.

Maria didn’t participate in the choosing. Several weeks before, a young warlock who she had never noticed, tapped her on the shoulder during a coven meeting and asked her to step outside. Harlan told her how long he had been in love with her and finally got up the courage to talk to her when he heard of the upcoming choosing. When he told her he’d rather lose his life than lose her to Adrian, she fell in love with him.

That night they walked into the Consummation Circle. It was a circle in the woods with a pentagram in the middle. There was a little red candle on each point of the star. On the outside of the circle sat the Council and members of the coven.

The betrothed would shed their clothes before entering the circle. Once inside they would recite an incantation causing a mist to envelop the couple’s bodies. After consummating the marriage the mist would fade and the couple would emerge clothed in red robes.

Angelina assumed with Maria out of the way, she had no competition because all the other eligible witches feared her. Now she had a clear path to being chosen by Adrian. But he had spurned her affection on several occasions before and that night he made it clear that he didn’t want her by choosing Dominique who was sitting next to her outside the circle.

Maria, who was outside the circle with Harlan, let out a shrill laugh that cut through Angelina’s black heart. That was the last time anyone saw Angelina at a choosing because that night she swore never to attend one unless it was for her and Adrian. She lit three black candles that night and prayed to the Dark Angel that something would happen to give her a second shot at Adrian’s love.

The annual All Hallows’ Eve ball was the only time of the year that Angelina came down out of the hills to be seen. It was at this time of the year that her powers were the strongest. A gift from the Dark Angel in exchange for the price of her soul.

*_*_*_*

Angelina snapped her finger, and a black wand appeared in her hand. The sound of thunder shook the walls when Maria pulled her wand out of her sleeve. 

C’mon, bitch, I’m not scared of you, Maria screamed.

Stop! Harlan shouted, clapping his hands. It is forbidden to challenge on All Hallows’ Eve, and it certainly won’t be done in my house.

Name the time and place, bitch, Angelina screeched.

Angelina, you know the rules, Granny Canter, Adrian’s mother said. No witch’s duel may occur without the approval of the council. And to get that approval, you must be able to show cause for the request. Other than your feelings being hurt, I doubt we would approve it.

Granny Canter was the eldest of the New Bedford coven. No one knew how old the Grand Witch was, but she had been a member of the council long before any of Harlan’s guests were born. A Grand Witch differed from both the white and black witch in that as they age their powers weaken but their knowledge of spells and foresight increased before they faded into the darkness.

"Come on, everyone