The Witch's Christmas Catastrophe: A Nocturne Falls Novella by Kristen Painter

Author:Kristen Painter [Painter, Kristen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

The moment the barrier shattered, the air in the cabin turned freezing, as if the very life had been sucked out of the room. The door buckled but for the moment, held.

Holly’s heart pounded in her chest, and her hands tingled with the remnants of her magic, but it wasn’t enough to stop the darkness that surged in like a tidal wave.

“Morgana!” Holly shouted, every inch of her being alight with panic. “Demetrius!”

Alarm danced in Morgana’s blue-violet eyes, her hands still moving in an attempt to salvage the remnants of the spell. But it was too late. The dark energy that had been pressing against the barrier for so long had broken free, and now it was inside, twisting and coiling around the room like a living shadow.

Demetrius sprang into action, stepping in front of Holly as the swirling darkness closed in around them. His eyes flashed a silvery gray, and for a moment, Holly caught a glimpse of the ancient, powerful being that lived within him. He wasn’t just a broody, angsty vampire; he was a force of nature when he needed to be.

“Holly, get back,” Demetrius growled, his voice low and commanding, his body a shield between her and the door.

But Holly couldn’t move. Her eyes were locked on the sinister tendrils of magic that slithered under the door and across the hardwood, creeping toward her and Morgana with ominous intent.

Morgana’s voice cut through the howling wind and the rattling of the cabin walls. “This is it—the magic I warned you about. We need to contain it, now!”

Holly shoved down her trepidation and forced herself into action. The dark magic felt cold and wrong, like it didn’t belong in this world. It wasn’t just ancient—it was malevolent, and it was hungry.

With a surge of determination, Holly ignored her exhaustion, raised her hands, and began to weave another spell, knitting threads of magic the way she did yarn. Her magic flared to life, sparking at her fingertips as she focused on creating a containment field. Morgana joined in, their powers intertwining, but the darkness was fast—too fast.

Demetrius stepped forward, his fangs bared in a way that made Holly shiver. He was terrifying, and she was overjoyed they were on the same side. His muscles coiled as he prepared to fight the shadowy force. “This thing is going to keep coming. We have to stop it.”

“We’re trying,” Holly assured him.

The shadows twisted and shifted, forming into a grotesque shape that loomed over them, its dark form barely recognizable as human. It was as if the magic itself had taken on a life of its own, pulling energy from the very air around them. Its eyes, if they could even be called that, glowed with a sickly green light, and a low, guttural hiss filled the cabin.

“That must be the ghost of Christmas never,” Holly whispered, her voice tight with fear as she tried to pour more magic into the spell. She felt her strength waning, the energy required to hold back the darkness draining her faster than she’d ever experienced.

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