The Path of Blood and Betrayals (The Blood Witch #1)

Prologue

The cold breeze nips at my face, turning my pale nose a bright red, matching the fiery locks twisting around my shoulders and my blood red lips.

A chill is in the air, which is unusual for behind the Veil. And when things become unusual, I listen.

Wrapping the shawl tight to my shoulders, I lift my skirts, stepping over a black root as a distant call of an animal beyond our boundary shakes the stillness.

Freezing, I glance to Baris, who does the same.

“A call,” he murmurs, black eyes scanning the woods to our southern side. Our village is hidden behind a thick wall of fog— dangerous to cross if one does not know the way. It keeps us safe from enemies.

“They don’t make such noises,” I respond, dusting hair from my eyes. Baris, taller than most Humans, peers down at me, hair tied into a bun on top of his head. The barest peek of a point in his ears is the only clue as to his ancestry, though he usually hides it.

It’s not common for someone of Fae blood to marry, love and procreate with a Witch. But Baris has never been one to follow societal rules.

“No. They don’t.” He scans the grounds again, eyes seeing more than mine can. The beasts that roam the Eternal Night Forest are kept at bay by a shield, making us safe but those in their territory are prey. If they’re making such noises, then something is in there.

Something dangerous.

“We need to get back to the village.”

Dropping my basket of herbs, I grab my husband’s hand, running with him to the boundaries of our home. Tall stone cottages, built from the weathered grey rocks of our land and thatch roofs, are all silent with our people sleeping peacefully within.

But I feel it, in the air—a disturbance. Something is coming and my people are unaware.

“Wake them,” he directs, pushing me forward, turning toward the armory. He doesn’t look to see what I do, how I react—Baris trusts me to lead.

I am the High Priestess of Enyo, the Matriarch of this village. It is my job to protect everyone here.

Going to the center of the village, I stand on a few boulders we use for meetings and close my eyes to focus. In my mind, I see the hearts around me, everyone minus one – my Heartbond. My husband.

The hearts are a steady thump, heavy with sleep and my fingers rise, twisting into odd angles, the sight unnerving but painless. I give a hard tug, as if pulling strings, and feel all my villagers awaken with a start.

No one screams. No shouts of alarm. They all know to rise with the action, knowing it’s me calling them without my words.

Bodies start to come out, grabbing weapons, the women’s hands already bright red.

Only females can control blood in our village and they are our best chance of defending our home.

They remain silent as I put a finger to my lips. Within seconds, I feel it, hear the hearts in my ears like battlefield drums. Hearts, many of them; too many for us to effectively fight.

Meeting their eyes, every woman nods. They hear the same as me. It’s an army.

The Crimson Threat has braved the forest, finding us in our protected sphere. I knew they would—but I thought I had more time.

The fight ensues quicker than I can comprehend.

Soldiers dressed in red and evil break through our boundaries, swords held high.

The men parry them with blades of steel and our women—our warriors— stand back, fingers swaying in the air, calling upon the blood magic in our veins to wipe out our enemies.

For a time, we look to win.

But then, arrows fly, taking us down in horrifying numbers.

My fingers rise, wiping out soldiers without a flinch. I have no compunction to stop the menace that they are. This is my home, my people, my family. They will not harm another one.

Calling on Enyo for strength, I push through the battle, ducking under attacks, stepping out of swords and hits. My fingers are black by the time I reach the edge as flaming arrows stab into our defenseless roofs. Fires erupt and I smell the charred scent of cedar in the air.

Baris meets me, sword in his palms. He’s fast—faster than a Witch, than a Human. Face streaked red, lips snarling, he’s a warrior fit for battle.

Glancing to the fight, my heart breaks. This is it. The moment I prepared for.

“Get her to safety,” I tell him, voice grim.

He stills, head tilting. It’s the only time he looks like his people.

“You’re not—”

“I am.” I nod once, mind clear, resolve strong. “I will do anything I can to keep her safe.”

“Then come with us—”

“No,” I cut him off, sadly. Holding his face, I will him to see me—hear my words. “You know as well as I do, what she is. What she is meant to do. If we allow the army to get her, she will never win. The world will never heal.”

“She needs her mother,” he whispers, leaning into my touch. It’ll be the last time I feel him and we both know it. My heart aches as my body trembles. “She will be alone.”

“Not if she has you,” I murmur. Gently, I kiss his soft lips, the sound of battle loud and frightening around us. “Get to her. Get her away. Take her to Nessa.”

“Nessa,” he growls, upset. He’s never trusted the Blackwoods Witch. “She is not our friend. She won’t help us.”

“She will,” I insist. “She is my friend. She will protect my family when I am gone.”

My throat clogs with tears as he wars with himself, torn between his want to protect me and his need to protect our daughter. But ultimately, she is more important than either of us. That was the choice we made when we discovered her true path all those years ago.

“I will see you again,” Baris promises, words dark. “Seti will tell me when you pass and he will keep you safe until I meet you in the afterlife.”

“I will wait until we are together again,” I vow, tears gathering on my lashes. “Until then, tell our daughter how much I love her. Make sure she knows she is never without me.”

He steals one more kiss, his fingers digging into my hips to crush me to his lean frame. It’s a stolen moment of passion and loss, and I sink into it, allowing him to hold me for a bit longer as my tears stain us both.

Then, I’m pulling away, unable to look back at him as he rushes to our cottage, far back from the village center, where our daughter sleeps. Feeling Baris’ drift away, his heart hammering in his chest, I sense as he closes in on her tiny one. Exhaling, I say a prayer to Enyo for their protection.

He’ll get to her. He’ll keep her safe. Now, it’s my turn.

Grabbing more arrows, I shout for my people to flee, to disband and toss them into the brushes beside our village. The Veil is wet, but the woods are always dry and they catch like kindling, igniting into a roaring wildfire.

The smoke curls heavily around me, white smoke hiding everything around us. As if blessed by the Gods, the village warps into a burning inferno, everything turning black and ashen under its hungry flames.

I stand, watching my people flee, soldiers running for the safety of the cool woods. There are more bestial noises and I know the monsters are feasting.

My people will be safe, but not the army. And that’s all that matters.

A cold blade rests against the small of my back and I still, body tense.

Turning, I do not show fear. In fact, it’s anger that greets the soldier’s face. Soot mars his cheeks, a bloody cut along his cheek. His uniform is torn, my people making a dent in his forces and body. I’m proud.

“You,” he seethes, eyes heated. “The High Priestess.”

“You’ve attacked a Coven. This is an act of War,” I remind him, voice tight. “For what? For bodies to sell?”

He sneers. “I’m looking for someone. Someone who has the power of Enyo herself.”

My heart pounds in my chest and he pushes me to my knees. But I don’t break, don’t respond to his wordless demand.

“We all control Enyo’s magic. We are all her children.”

“No,” he rages, kicking at a rock. “The one who was born more powerful than all. The child of life and death. Where is she?”

Without thinking, I focus my magic, find the glimmer of her life force in the dark. It’s further away, back by the woods. My heart breaks, but relief, so powerful, nearly knocks me to the ground.

She got away. Baris saved our daughter. She will save everyone.

“Here,” I say, patting my chest. “I am the child born.”

His face twists, morphs into something unpleasant.

“Finally,” he mutters, lifting his sword. It glistens with wet blood and I inhale, accepting my fate.

The sword rams into my stomach, a sickening, slicing pain that vibrates out, a horribly agony as I gasp. Blood dribbles from my mouth and the magic I once felt, evaporates. Gone on the wind, like the ash around us, I mourn the loss.

That hurts more than the wound. A piece of my soul is gone.

He leans close, breath as acidic as the fire consuming my village.

“You’ll never be able to stop her.”

Laughing, more blood bubbles from my lips, dripping down my chin.

“Neither will you.”

He hears my threat, and steps back, light eyes wide. Then he’s gone, racing against the flames, looking for the one who can truly stop her. I just hope I gave them enough time to flee.

Closing my eyes, I wait for Seti to take me home, thinking of my child in my arms and my husband at my side.