Fangs & Freaks (Shifters of Myths and Legends #1)

Prologue

Calverton, Northern Part of the US 1692

Bellonna

The night air has begun to grow cool as I finish mucking out the barn. Since my father’s untimely passing, it’s on me to handle the work he would typically perform on our farm. Now my farm. My mother passed just mere months after his death, leaving me all alone in this world. Many say she died from a broken heart, unable to live without the love of her life.

The town bishop spoke openly of his disapproval of my living alone on our farm, without a husband. He even tried to bring me into his home, but I’m not without thought. I know very well what he wanted from me. How pious he is in church, but behind closed doors he’s nothing more than a man hungry for sex. Whispers have spread through the village of his wife’s inability to become pregnant since her last daughter was born. His growing desire to have another child by any means possible has spread through the village.

If it were a woman in the same position, she would be ostracized, banished to the far end of the dark forest that lies on the western boundaries of our village. But because it’s a man and the bishop, a blind eye is turned. Typical.

“Bellonna, where are you?” Rebecca Parris, my best friend since we were just babes, calls from outside. She’s the daughter of the local candlemaker and shares the same anniversary of birth as me. Tomorrow, to be exact, we’ll both be twenty and finally old enough to be courted.

“I’m in here,” I call back, brushing away the hair that's fallen in my face.

“Eww, Mary and I will wait out here for you.” Her nasally voice calls back and I can already see the look of revulsion I know is plastered on her face. She’s never lifted her hand to do any menial work a day in her life. She’s doted on hand and foot by her parents, and I truly wonder what skills she has to offer a suitor other than the ability to lie on her back and produce offspring.

I lay my pitchfork against the gate and smooth my hands down over my shirt and pants, attempting to remove any wrinkles before stepping outside.

I’m barely out the door before they’re throwing their hands over their mouths in loud gasps, shifting their gazes away from me.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?” I begin to panic that in my haste to clean, I may have flung animal feces onto me.

“You have excrement on you. How disgusting. Seriously, Bellonna, how do you expect to find a suitor looking like that? The townspeople are already talking about how you live here, alone. It's blasphemous.”

I can’t help the internal eye roll I give her. “Here I thought you were my friend, but it seems you are falling prey to the idle gossip of people who have nothing better to do with their time. Yes, I live alone, but I also have no family, and I refuse to give up the home that my parents worked hard to build. Now that we’ve cleared that up, why am I so lucky to have a visit from you at this time of day, and without an escort? It is nearly dark.” I can’t help but make sure she sees how backwards her thinking is.

“Did you hear the news? Of course you haven’t. William Chandler has made his intentions known, he is ready to take a wife.”

William Chandler is the eldest son of one of the most influential families in Calverton. He’s tall, with a strong jaw and dark hair. He’s admired by all the townspeople and set to take over the bank once his father retires. And yet, for some reason, everyone overlooks what a pompous tool he is. My heart already fills with pity for the poor soul he chooses to court; their life, though one of affluence, will be filled with nothing but pain.

“No, I haven’t.” I choose to limit my words, as I’m already deemed too outspoken for a female. In our town, being a female and voicing your thoughts and opinions is frowned upon.

“Yes, and I have high hopes that come tomorrow, we’ll be announcing our engagement at the town meeting. Can you believe it, Bellonna, I’ll be Mrs. William Chandler, the most revered woman in Calverton, and only twenty? I’m sure my father will be more than pleased with us having a short engagement.”

“The two of you will make such a beautiful couple,” Mary gushes, always eager to please Rebecca.

“And has William made any intentions known that he plans to court you? I don’t recall either of you having much to say to each other.” I can’t help the small pleasure that floods me by pointing out the very obvious point to her.

“How would you know? You stay cooped up on this farm, with nothing but your animals to keep you company. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard the rumors that you partake in bestiality with them. It’s not doing you any favors. You should take the bishop up on his offer to stay with him and his wife.”

“I’m perfectly fine here and I have no time to give any merit to rumors. Let people believe what they wish. I know the truth. Thank you for the visit and the news of your pending nuptials. I look forward to celebrating with you tomorrow, but I must return to my chores.” With a quaint smile, I turn and head back into the barn.

I make my way up to the wood building that alternates between the school and town hall. Mary Louise, the bishop’s youngest daughter, a beautiful blonde with flowy curls and just barely eight, pulls the string, ringing the bell. As I near the building, I see Rebecca and Mary at the corner, along with Eloise, Rebecca’s sister. They’re huddled together, whispering.

I make my way toward them, smiling at the eligible men standing by a buggy. They all give a knowing smirk before leaning into each other and laughing. Odd, but I pay no mind to it, continuing to make my way to my friends.

“Ladies.” I nod my head as I step up beside them.

“We should go, girls.” Rebecca lifts her nose in the air, stepping past me, bumping her shoulder into mine as she goes. The other two snicker, falling in line behind her like sheep.

“Rebecca,” I call to her, but she doesn’t acknowledge me, merely keeps walking, increasing her pace as she steps onto the steps in front of the church and disappears inside.

I’m left perplexed as to what’s going on. Have I entered some weird version of the world I’m accustomed to? Unsure of the answer, I make my way inside. As I step up beside the pew my friends are on to take the empty spot, they spread out, filling the once-free space.

“Sorry, Bellonna, there’s no room,” Mary croons gleefully.

“Very well.” I move up to the next row, not wanting to make a scene, and take a seat. I glance back over my shoulder at the three of them, but they won’t even look me in the face. They keep their heads down, focused on their clasped hands resting in their laps.

I’ll find out what's going on later. Bishop Hale steps to the front of the room, moving behind the podium, clearing his throat before pounding his gavel on the wood.

“Good afternoon, fine citizens. I hope all is well on this glorious day. The birds are singing and the leaves are falling. Before we begin, are there any town announcements that need to be shared at this time?” I follow his eyes, finding where they land on the door as William steps in, his father’s arm on his shoulder.

“My son has something to say,” he announces boldly.

“Go ahead, William.” Bishop Hale extends his arm, gesturing for him to come forward.

“Be strong, son. Tell them everything.” His father steps back, turning his glare in my direction.

“As you all know, I’ve announced my intention to wed. Rebecca Parris has had my eye since we were ten. I headed to her home last night to obtain her father’s blessings.”

“Why, that’s wonderful news. The two of you will make a fine match.” The bishop’s gleeful voice rises.

“There’s more,” William adds, pausing for a moment, swallowing, his Adam’s apple rising and falling with the movement. “As I was making my way to her home, I ran into Bellonna Thorne. She began to chant ungodly words, and my mind became fuzzy as I followed her in a trance. She placed a spell on me. I could see everything, but I had no control of my limbs. She guided me to her barn, had me remove all my clothes, then lay down in the hay. She removed her clothing and then climbed on me, forcing me to have sex with her.”

The meeting hall erupts with angry cries from everyone.

I stand, shouting over all the voices. “W-What are you saying?” I stammer, my hands gripping my chest in shock. “That I— that I used some form of magic on you? How can you say such a thing? Tell such slanderous lies? I never saw you last night!”

“Witch!” My three friends stand and scream before they drop to the floor, bodies convulsing.

“She’s a witch,” more people scream, before heavy hands grip my arms and pull me from the building.

“Lies, they’re all lying,” I cry, tears streaming from my face. Why would my friends betray me with such lies?

“Oh, but we know they aren’t, Bellonna," the bishop interjects as he steps up beside me. “You used your wiles to bewitch William when you discovered he planned to court Rebecca and not you. You are a witch, and it’s time for you to meet your end.”

“That’s a lie. You must let me go. Let me defend my honor against these allegations.”

We come to a stop in the center of town, at the stone block. As I look back over my shoulder, I see the entire town behind me. Standing in the front is my accuser with Rebecca hanging off his arm, and Mary and Eloise standing sentinel at her sides.

“Bellonna Thorn, you have been accused of being a witch. You have demonstrated ungodly behavior, improper use of position and stature, and have used magic for your benefit. Four witnesses have been brave enough to step forward. For your heinous crimes, you are getting the most extreme of punishments. You shall die by pressing.” He waves his arms toward the stone and the two men begin to pull me over to it, lying me on top of it, holding my body in place as large stones are placed on top of me. Only when I’m unable to move do they let go of the hold they have on me.

“Lies, this is all lies. What kind of trial is this? I’m condemned and I haven’t been able to defend myself!” I shout as I gasp for breath.

“Thomas, you and Samuel shall stand guard tonight. Each hour, place a new stone on top of her. We shall meet back here at the first crack of light tomorrow. Be strong, my fine gentlemen, as she will attempt to use any source of black magic she can call on.”

“We will be diligent in our task, Bishop. We shall not fail you. We will rid our town of her evil witchery.”

I lay there, vulnerable to the world as the weight presses against my ribs, pushing them down, forcing my lungs to work harder. I tune out everyone as my body adjusts, and for a moment, I think I can get through this, that it will get easier and the town will realize they are wrong and come release me from this torture.

But then more stones are added — one, two, three. Each one is heavier and larger than the last. The stones press into the flesh of my chest, their cold surfaces digging into me, pushing against the bones of my ribcage, crushing my chest inward.

With each stone added, the pressure grows unbearable. I try to shift, to alleviate some of the weight, but the stones hold me still, pinning me down. My ribs feel as though they might crack, and the air feels thinner. It's harder to breathe now, and each rise and fall of my chest becomes more labored. Each breath I take is shallow, desperate. My lungs scream for air, but there’s no response.

All those accused of witchery end up dead. My only hope is that the bishop sees reason. If I were truly a witch, I would have freed myself and fled this town in the dark hours of the night.

Time stretches and becomes elastic — the minutes feel like hours. Every second is filled with a sense of crushing inevitability. Every shift of my body becomes more painful, the stones refusing to yield. I can’t escape, can’t move my arms, can’t even manage a deep breath.

Eventually, the pain becomes a kind of numbness. My body no longer feels like it belongs to me. It is just something beneath the stones, helpless and immobile. The strength to resist slips away as the crushing weight overwhelms me, the darkness closes in, and all that remains is the deep, eternal pressure that has taken everything from me.

I feel as if I’m pulled from my body, drifting through time and space until I’m kneeling at a throne. Sitting upon it is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. She’s wearing flowing dark robes, and her long, dark wild hair lays in waves against her body. She’s surrounded by shadows, and a hellish monster lies at her feet.

“Where am I?” I ask.

“You’re in my home, sweet child. Your pain called to me; it’s unlike any I’ve ever felt before. You’ve experienced a grave betrayal and I’m here to offer you the chance to avenge yourself, to make all those who’ve wronged you pay with their blood.”

“And what will it cost me?”

“Your service, your soul. To become what you’ve been accused of being,” she says coldly, as if they were just mere objects to give away and not something I hold precious.

“Will I be a monster?” I nod my head at the creatures at her feet.

“No, you’ll be so much more. There will be no boundaries to what you can become. You’ll become a legend that will have the strongest of men cowering at your feet.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then you die, your life will end, and you will have no justice.”

I sit there, biting my lip, pondering my options. My soul is all I have. Surely by morning, this will all be a dream and I’ll be sleeping peacefully in my bed—just a dream.

“Well, child, what is your answer? Your end is nearing.”

“I don’t think I can,” I whisper.

“If you change your mind, call my name three times and I’ll save you.”

I take a breath. “And your name, just in case?”

She lets out a laugh, her head falling back as if I’d just asked something humorous.

“Oh, my sweet child, such a pure soul. Lilith.”

She barely says the name and in a blink, I’m back on the rock under the insurmountable pressure of the weight on top of me.

How I’ve managed to make it through the night, still alive, is a mystery. My body trembles with exhaustion, with the strain of fighting for every small breath, and yet the pressure only increases. As the sun rises, the first rays of light spreading across my body, I’m ready to cave, to admit to any untruth if it will save me from the agony I’m currently feeling, but I know my admittance would truly mean death for me.

I hear the crowd as they begin to converge in the square. All gasping that I’m still breathing. I hear the whispers that it’s only possible because I used witchcraft.

“Bellonna Thorne, do you admit to being a witch?” Bishop Hale asks, stepping up to my side so I can see him as he peers down with scrutiny at me.

“No.” I can barely speak, my words no more than a pained whisper, taking all the energy and breath I have within me.

“Then, since you continue to lie, and your magic is preventing your death from pressing, it's time to burn.” He steps back, and only seconds later, I feel the cool liquid seeping through the stones coating my body, the intense odor of oil flooding my nostrils.

I could fight, but there’s no use. I’ll never win.

“May I address her, Bishop Hale? I want this witch to know that while she may have attempted to darken my soul, she did not succeed, that God’s purity outweighed her evil. I should be the one to enact her punishment, as she has been using her magic on me for years.” Rebecca speaks to him, her voice shaking, but it’s all a ruse.

“Very well, my child. I will approve your request.”

The bishop moves away and my best friend, my betrayer, steps up beside me, leaning over me, her mouth close to my ear.

“He wanted you. There was no way I was going to let that happen, so I told my father you were a witch. How you planned to defile our village and have children to carry on your magic. I even convinced him you had used your magic to seduce William away from me. It didn’t take much for our fathers to convince him of the story we told. Burn in hell, Bellonna.” She lowers the torch, placing it on my oil-covered body as the flames begin to take over.

Time is running out, and I know what I need to do. I thought there was goodness left in the world, but everyone I thought cared for me, betrayed me. Now it’s time for me to rise and show my strength. With my final breath, I call out her name.

“Lilith, Lilith, Lilith.” I utter the last word just as all the pain leaves my body. I’m left numb, and darkness takes over.