All charactersin this publication are fictitious, any resemblance to realpersons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A LyingWitch
Book One
Copyright ©2016 Odette C Bell
Cover art stockphotos: Attractive woman in black dress © Fotolit2, The Night ©Majorgaine, Abstract background 3D © cobalt88, Fire ring © Trinity,and Four Vintage Frames © mcarrel. Licensed from Depositphotos.
www.odettecbell.com
A Lying Witch
Book One
Chi McLane likes tolie. It's part of her job. She's a fortuneteller and will happilylie about your future for a fee.
Then she encounters aproblem. She's just inherited her grandmother's house. That's notso bad, right? Wrong. Because the house comes with a book, and thebook comes with a curse.
Suddenly Chi findsherself thrust into the gritty world of a seer. Yeah, because magicexists, and it ain't pretty.
Oh, and there'sanother problem. One with broad shoulders, a deep Scottish accent,and a killer smile. Turns out he's her magical bodyguard, and he'shere to stay.
Chi is pushed into arealm of violent magic, petty lies, and a curse that will haunt heruntil the day she dies.
Pro
logue
The storm raged overhead, pounding throughthe yard, shaking the trees that stood sentinel by the house, andrattling the windows.
Joan sat at her kitchen table facing Max. She stared down thebarrel of his gun and didn't flinch.
Max sneered, his lips curling up hard, accentuating his strongjaw. “It’s time to pay your dues. Joan, you turned from your power.For that, you will die.”
Joan didn't react as the man lifted the gun, as a massive boltof lightning struck the street outside and lit up the kitchen in ablast of iridescent light. As it spilled through the room, it litup the man’s massive form. Just as the light receded, ithighlighted the shadow behind his left shoulder. A shadow from thepast.
She shifted her gaze from Max and lockedit on his shadow. As her eyes readjustedto the gloom, she picked out the long broadsword slung at theshadow’s side, the tanned leather hides strung across his back, theglint of power and domination in his eyes.
“Yes, I turned from the future,”she replied. “But only so Icould create a better one. You cannot understand that, McCane, buttrust me – it’s far more important.”
The real man – Max – stood, pushing up from his chair, hisperfectly formed shadow following him – pulling him up, in fact, asit kept a dark hand locked against Max’s shoulder.
Max’s camel-coloredleather boots groundinto the polished floorboards, his bones creaking with a sound nonormal human would make, as his shadow – McCane – smiledmirthlessly.
Joan stared fromMcCane’s enraged gaze to the muzzle of the gun.
“I'll come for your granddaughter. And markmy words,” McCane controlled Max’s mouth, “she will fall tome.”
“And mark my words,” Joan pressed her old, stiff hands into theedge of her table and rose, “she will not. She will realize whatyou are. She'll realize whatthese powers cost. She won't allow you to turn her into a husk soyou can finally end your loneliness,McCane. Not my granddaughter. She will not see your future – shewill create her own.”
“No. She’ll be mine. I will finally have myperfect seer. I will force her to use her powers until they consumeher.”
“No,” Joan’s voice punched high and rattled with a blast. “Shewill break your curse and save what’s left of you.” Joan’s eyesshifted off the shadow and locked on the real man as he stoodopposite her.
And that real man? He fired.
The bullet ripped from the gun and plungedthrough the center of her chest, disappearing in a flash oflight.
Joan was dead before her lifeless old body struck the polishedfloorboards of her kitchen.
The shadow remained for severalseconds, sneering at theold woman’s lifeless, dead body. But McCane could not remainforever. The past would call him back. He would not be capable ofremaining in this time until she opened his door.
In the time that remained, he turned andstared upon his other self. Max. The scrap of McCane’s soul that was not locked in the past – his onlyhope that the future would finally be his.
In a flash of light, McCane disappeared,his shadow shattering apart like a mirror dropping ontoflagstones.
Max rocked back on his feet, confusion swamping his body,tearing at his fragile memories like wild animals toflesh.
He dropped the gun as a haze floodedthrough his mind. The gun struck the polished, blood-stained blackand white tile with a clatter, immediately disappearing in acurling wispof black smoke.
He staggered towards the open French doorsand fled into the night.
He would return, for McCane was not doneusing him yet.
Chapter 1
It was windy. Wet. Wild. The biggest, mostviolent, ugliest storm I'd ever seen tore down the street, themeteorological equivalent of the apocalypse.
I lifted my head up, fringe scatteringmadly over my forehead as I tried but failed to shelter under theprotection of my collar.
I'd made the mistake of parking on theopposite side of the street. Now I fought against the gale as Irushed over and threw myself onto the pavement.
The weather was so damn violent that itmust have taken out the electricity along the entire block. Ijerked my head up and cast my nervous gaze over the swaying trees.I heard their branches creak with such ominous force it sounded asif they were seconds from flying off and pinning me to theground.
I didn’t like storms. Never had.
Call it a stupid phobia, but I’d alwaysassumed storms were out to get me. Punishment for when I didsomething wrong.
And little Chi always did wrong.
Not on purpose. And only ever to make aliving.
I hadn’t always been likethis. As a kid, I’d beenthe kind of irritating moral upstart to tell onthe other first-graders for swearing.
Now? Now I pulled my phone from my pocket,protecting it with my sleeve as I checked for any messages.
Yep – another fortune request. As soon asI got somewhere dry, I’d have to respond to it.
I instantly began rehearsing the crap I’dspout this time.
You should stay away from people whosename starts with K. You should stay indoors on Friday –otherwise you’ll suffer a terrible accident. If youjoin a local dating site, you’ll finally find your dreamman.
It was always the same stuff.
I shoved the phone back in my pocket, notingthe battery was almost empty.
Great. Or
