3 Spells at Midnight: Moonlight Cove, #3

By Hargrove Perth

A deceptive calm has settled over the sleepy little town of Moonlight Cove, Massachusetts. When Seth realizes that Annanakara will not rest and will stop at nothing to enact her revenge, he sets out with Oscar to find a way to help her cross over into the Duat where she can face Anubis for her final judgement. Shortly after their departure, a black cat takes up residence with Anise Pywackett and she welcomes the company in her now empty and lonely Victorian home. As the truth surrounding Llewellyn slowly unfolds, the immortals of Moonlight Cove realize that Annanakara and Osiris will stop at nothing to gain what they want... immortality in the mortal world and will use every trick in the Book of Dead to get what they want. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hargrove Perth
• Release date: Mar 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215798690

Hargrove Perth

A perpetual night-owl and lover of all things paranormal related, Hargrove spends a great deal of time researching the larger than life characters of history to formulate characters unforgettable and strangely adored. She writes horror, dark romance, fantasy, and paranormal in the Adult, New Adult, and YA categories. When asked why paranormal, she said, "I'm the girl who cries at the end when Frankenstein is misunderstood, who wants Dracula to keep Mina in his arms forever... I see the humanity in them that others cannot." 2014 Author of the Year by Double Decker Books in Historical/Horror Dark Days Remy Broulette. DDBA 2015 Author of the Year YA Fantasy Miss Crabtree's School for Unnaturals, DDBA 2015 Nominee YA Fantasy Chronicle:Dark Sea Triad, and DDBA 2015 Author of the Year Horror (comedic) Coven Wives.

Book preview

Chapter one

Love returns

PECULIAR MORTE COULD not remember ever being as nervous as she was at this moment. Rory was coming home... for good.

She stood in front of her closet staring at her clothes, wondering what to wear to greet him when the noon ferry arrived. Nearly all her clothes had been pulled from the closet and laid out on the bed three times already and still nothing seemed appropriate to welcome the love of her life home.

The name of Graves had faded, and the residents of Moonlight Cove returned to calling Peculiar by her true last name of Morte without a glitch. It was as though the name of Graves had never existed, and she was looked on favorably by all who passed her on the street.

Peculiar smiled, thinking how the children used to run from her and hide, how all the teenagers would cross the street to avoid passing in front of her house. Now they collected there, hanging out on the porch with her two lovely nieces, and talked about all the things that she had missed out on experiencing in her own life.

Now, here she stood, just as nervous as she was the fateful night when Rory had kissed her under the stars and she had learned what love really meant without knowing it.

Julia stood in the doorway watching her aunt as she fussed with everything from her hair to her clothes, still unable to decide what to wear.

What did you wear on your first date? Julia asked after standing in the doorway for nearly five minutes watching her aunt.

It seems like such a long time ago, Peculiar said as she smiled. I was your age, only sixteen, when all of this happened. I can still remember that kiss like it was yesterday. The world faded away when I was in his arms. Now here it is nearly twenty-five years later. I still look the same but I’m not.

Peculiar sat on the edge of the bed as tears welled in her eyes. Immortality is a curse when you can’t be with the one you love. All these years apart, what if he doesn’t love me the way he did then?

She felt silly, discussing the life she once had with her beautiful niece. I shouldn’t ask you these things. I’m sorry.

Sorry for what? You don’t have anything to be sorry about Aunt Peculiar. You gave up everything, including the love of your life all so Lorelei and I could embrace our destinies. If anyone should be apologizing, it should be us. I can’t even begin to imagine what it was like to have to live without the love of your life for all those years. I don’t know what I’d do if Oscar had to go away. Probably dissolve in a giant puddle of my own tears, I guess.

Julia offered a smile and raised her eyebrows while trying to make her aunt laugh.

What were you wearing the first time you saw Rory?

Peculiar blushed while laughing. Oh, I was very much like Lorelei with my funky clothes and strange dressing habits. I always wore little black skirts with striped socks and boots. I think I am a bit old for that now.

Who says? You might be forty-five, Aunt Peculiar, but you only look like you’re maybe twenty, at best, and I mean, you’ll look that young for all eternity, so why not embrace it? Be yourself. Who cares what anyone else thinks. All those stuck up self-righteous jerks didn’t care when they should’ve stepped up to save you from Sebastian. Be who you are. That’s who Rory will expect to see.

Julia walked over to Peculiar and kissed her on the cheek then slowly walked from the room, leaving her aunt nearly beaming as she sat at the white washed dressing table, and picked up her hair brush. Peculiar brushed her long raven hair before braiding it and twisting it into a bun on the back of her head. She leaned forward, looking at her reflection in the mirror – something she had not been able to do for nearly the last thirty years, and pulled a few strands of hair free on either side of her face.  She dabbed a bit of rouge to her cheeks and lips before standing to look in the closet again.

She pulled a short black skirt from the closet, something that would touch just above the knee, a black silk shirt, and a soft white scarf with blue flowers on it. Then Peculiar walked to her dresser and opened a drawer that had been untouched for the last twenty-five years, pulled out a pair of baby blue tights and dressed.

When she came down the stairs in her short skirt ensemble with a pair of knee high black suede boots, Julia and Lorelei were waiting for her.

You look beautiful, Julia said, hugging her aunt.

Rory is going to flip, Lorelei added and winked, curling up the right corner of her smile as she did.

Peculiar blushed. Goddess, I hope so, she whispered as she picked up her purse and walked to the door. Wish me luck, girls. Love you, she said and opened the door then disappeared into the morning mist.

As she walked to the pier, Peculiar could not slow how fast her heart was beating. She felt it would jump out of her chest as she tried to breathe slowly and deeply with each step she took. All the letters they had sent across the years through encrypted magic had kept them close to one another despite the distance.

Rory had ascended to the position of High Priest inside the Salem Coven and was also a high-ranking member of the Witches Council of Magic. He spent every free moment he had attempting to find a way to free Peculiar from the curse placed on her by Sebastian Williams. Much to his sorrow, Rory could never find anything, using magic, that could reverse vampirism. Only Sebastian’s death could assure that.

Early morning risers out for their morning strolls smiled at Peculiar as she walked past them, each with it being genuine and warm. It still surprised her how many of the residents of Moonlight Cove had felt horrible over what had happened to her, but were left powerless to do anything about it. Now she was just Peculiar Morte, the witch who lived in the old Victorian House at the end of the lane that overlooked the cove. She was no longer ‘that poor girl.’

The sun was just beginning to rise as Peculiar stepped onto the final street of her journey to the pier and the Moonlight Cove Ferry docking house. Her hands nervously smoothed the lines of her skirt as she walked with determination. She wanted Rory to be the first person he saw when he stepped off the ferry and came home.

When Peculiar reached the pier, Captain Jergins was waiting for the ferry to arrive. The mist was heavy and dangerous like a thick blanket covering the cove. Fog often rolled into Moonlight Cove in the spring and fall that could leave a person so disoriented they wandered into the bay. Her eyes were drawn to the blue beacon of the lighthouse as it slowly turned until she heard the fog horn of the ferry sound. Rory was only seconds away from being home.

Peculiar took a deep breath as the ferry docked, and she watched all the passengers step onto the pier. She stepped side to side, searching for Rory.

I’m right here, Rory said as he appeared behind her and his arms slipped around Peculiar’s waist.

Her eyes closed at his touch and at the warmth of the love she could feel radiating from Rory as she turned in his arms to look in his eyes.

Rory said nothing as he took in every tiny feature of her beauty. It was exactly as he remembered.

May I kiss you, Peculiar Morte, he whispered as he wiped the tears away with his thumb and then cupped her cheek in his hand. Peculiar pressed her face into his hand, closing her eyes as she felt his lips touch hers.

Twenty plus years of separation and longing disappeared in a single kiss. The love of her life was finally home.

Chapter Two

A new immortal arrives

THE END OF THE SCHOOL year arrived without much excitement. Julia could hardly believe how much had changed since she arrived in the sleepy little town of Moonlight Cove. She had arrived as a young woman who thought the paranormal world was just some stupid thing her sister believed in, that it just happened in romance books and movies. Now she knew the truth.

Julia, Lorelei, Aunt Peculiar called from the kitchen. Rory is making pizza. What toppings do you want?

It had been the strangest event to ever happen in Moonlight Cove, what had happened to their Aunt Peculiar. There was no explanation for it. Even the council elders were at a loss to explain what had happened. All traces of their aunt’s bloodlust were gone, yet all her vampire gifts and powers remained. Anise was at a loss as was Wilhelmina. Neither witch could explain why, Peculiar was by all accounts human now that Sebastian Williams was dead but had retained every gift the vampires possessed. Her power as a witch had increased three-fold, something else no one anticipated either. Then there was the immortality, which could not be explained. It didn’t come from Peculiar being a witch, because that spell had not been cast. All they could assume was that somehow her immortality remained after she had served the justice needed to free herself from Sebastian’s grasp.

Lorelei, what do you want, and please don’t say cheese, Julia said as she leaned against Oscar.

Cheese, Lorelei said and smiled, turning up the corner of her mouth slightly. Julia smiled back at her. It seemed impossible that her sister had returned to her, yet here Lorelei was – sitting on the couch with Seth, now a Goddess in her own right.

Anybody else want something different? Julia asked.

Mushrooms, Oscar said and looked to his brother.

Black Olives, Seth said and waited for Lorelei to cringe but she didn’t.

Aunt Peculiar, can we just do a veggie? Julia yelled then turned to look toward the dining room as she heard Rory pulling pans from the cupboard.

Of course, thin crust like usual?

Yes, please, Julia said and returned a quick smile before Rory turned around and walked back to the kitchen.

I just can’t get over it, Lorelei said and shook her head.

What? Julia asked.

How normal this seems to you, the one who was always telling me that vampires, werewolves, and witches weren’t real is sitting here with a smile on her face. This doesn’t seem to bother you at all. I mean, here I am, an immortal Egyptian Vampire, sitting here with you and it’s like it doesn’t even phase you in the least. What happened while I was gone that made you realize it was all true?

Well, first off, it wasn’t too hard to figure out that Aunt Peculiar was a vampire when she wouldn’t go outside when the sun was really bright, and especially with everyone in town telling me about it. Julia laughed. I mean, it’s my first day at school, and it’s pretty much the first thing that Avery said to me. After that, I learned Avery and Loren were werewolves, and I just went with it. I sort of didn’t have a choice at the time.

My sister, the cynical non-believer, you know this was all about you all along, don’t you? If you didn’t embrace your destiny, then nothing would have changed, and this would never have happened. Lorelei laughed as did Seth and Oscar when she lifted her hand into the air and made a little cloud appear and disappear.

What about mom and dad? Julia asked as her left eyebrow rose slightly. "Do they both know, did they