Witch's Memory: Purple Oasis, #3

By Laura Greenwood and Arizona Tape

Reconnecting with her brother's best friend brings bittersweet memories for an empath witch.

 

Since the loss of her brother, Hayley has thrown herself into her work in the medical bay of Purple Oasis, using her skills as an empath witch to help those who have been hurt. But when her brother's best friend shows up, her emotions are pulled to the surface, and it's all she can do not to let them consume her. 

 

Brandon has been looking for his best friend ever since the world ended, only to find his sister instead. With his magic threatening to unleash havoc, he turns to the only person who can understand what he's going through, forging a connection between them that he didn't expect. 

 

Is grief the only thing that unites the two of them, or is there something deeper lying beneath it?

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Witch's Memory is part of the Purple Oasis paranormal romance series. It includes a sweet m/f romance involving two grieving empath witches trying to heal.

If you enjoy light paranormal romances, coming-of-age storylines, post-apocalyptic settings, sweet moments, guaranteed happy endings, and casual magic systems, then start the Purple Oasis series today with Witch's Trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Twin Souls Publishing
• Release date: Jul 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201177058

Laura Greenwood

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set. Laura specialises in quick reads, with healthy relationships and consent positive moments regardless of if she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-heavy urban fantasy, or anything in between. You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in The Paranormal Council Facebook Group. Happy Reading!

Book preview

One

Hayley

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I wrinkled my nose at the stench of the medical bay. For the most part, I was used to it, but there were a handful of days where it still managed to make me grimace.

You're such a wimp, Reese teased me as she tossed me a clean cloth from the other side of the examination room.

You've got your tea magic to dampen your senses so I'm the only one who is braving the smell, I responded, resisting the temptation to throw my dirty rag at her. But only just. And mostly because it was a bad look for us to be seen to be doing something so ridiculous when we were supposed to be working.

My friend grinned, knowing that I wasn't going to do anything about her teasing.

Reese groaned as she stretched her arms, cracking her back in the process. If I hadn't known she was in her early twenties, I'd have guessed older just from that alone. But the apocalypse had taken its toll on all of us, even those of us somewhere relatively safe like Purple Oasis.

I think we deserve a drink. Are you coming to coven night? she asked.

I hesitated, not wanting to feel like I was intruding. The only other single person in our group was Stella, and the shy shifter didn't talk to me much. I'm not sure. Plus your version of a drink means tea. I could use something stronger. Much stronger. It had been a hard week. Well, month. Oh, who was I kidding? It had been a hard five years.

They'll have other things, and I'll have you know I can drink things that aren't tea, she defended herself on our way out.

I quirked an eyebrow. "I know you can, but I also know that you don't want to."

Reese let out a loud sigh. That isn't quite it.

I chuckled. I know. You've gone so long without and now you have it again, it's exciting and you're making the most of it. I dropped my dirty cloth into the laundry basket, glad that I wasn't the one on laundry duty this week.

We left the medical bay and returned to the outside world. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Purple Oasis might not be perfect, it had its own charms, and in certain lights, it was almost possible to forget about all the horrors and grief of the past years. Whereas inside the medical bay, it was something I was faced with everyday.

You know what, I'll come, I said to Reese.

Excellent. She didn't sound surprised. I was reasonably sure she knew that I was going to agree even before I did. Maybe you'll see Brandon again, she added.

I groaned. I don't want to. I've still not decided what to do about him. Not that there really was anything. My brother's best friend was here, and I had no idea how I felt about that.

It's not healthy to run away from your past, Reese responded.

I hate when you echo my own words back to me, I grumbled.

That's what you get for spouting these wisdoms in the first place. There was a hint of amusement in her voice, but it wasn't enough to cover the concern also lingering there.

Her worry was sweet, but it was misplaced. I'd been learning to deal with emotions since I was old enough to talk. I could deal with these. Somehow.

By the time we arrived at the place where coven night normally took place, a small crowd had already formed. Unsurprisingly, it was mostly people our age. A lot of us had lost our late teens and early twenties to the end of the world, and it seemed as if we'd collectively decided that it was time to regain it.

I could feel the emotions rolling off people as we passed, everything from relief, to embarrassment. For a moment, I let them sink in, replacing the pain that I'd gained from working in the infirmary.

Drink? Reese asked, breaking through my more morose thoughts.

Yes, please.

Stronger than tea? she teased.

I'll have what you're having. If I was allowed it. There might be more tea at the Oasis than before thanks to the alliance with the nymphs, but it was still a scarcity and one that was mostly reserved for the tea witches who needed it in order to access their magic.

At times like that, being an empathy witch was a good thing. I tried to remind myself of that every time someone else's emotions nearly got the better of me.

I'll grab us a spot by that barrel, I said, gesturing to a free one. It was funny how some things never changed, even if the setting had.

Reese nodded as she made her way over to the booth that served as the bar. It was quite a simple set-up but it felt like such a luxury to not have to prepare my own drinks.

I headed over, barely paying attention to where I was going and bumping into someone as I did.

Sorry, I said quickly, even as he steadied me.

I looked up, my gaze landing on his face and panic setting in as I recognised him.

Brandon.

I wasn't ready to talk to him yet, not when it would mean having to face the past I wasn't ready to deal with.

No problem. He smiled politely, only a glint of recognition flickering through his eyes.

I tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that went along with the relief."

Do we know each other? he started. You look familiar.

I gathered a breath and my courage, knowing that I had to tell him, even if I didn't want to. This wasn't something I could backtrack on later, and it would be bad if he realised on his own. I'm—

A chilling scream tore through the air and the relaxed atmosphere immediately soured. Heads turned towards the commotion and the masses started moving, crowding the person in distress while others seemed determined to get away. It was certainly interesting how people reacted to a person in need.

The response in the emotions pressing up against me was palpable, the crowd's curiosity pressuring my own. And in the centre of it all, a kind of harrowing pain that was impossible to ignore. Drawn in against my will, I moved towards the source.

I pushed