Witch Family Values : An Urban Fantasy Novel (Red Witch Chronicles Book 10) by Sami Valentine

Author:Sami Valentine [Valentine, Sami]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pocketmaus Press
Published: 2025-10-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 18

August 1st, Afternoon

Laurelwick, Pennsylvania

On the Road

The sleepy town of Laurelwick nestled in a valley where the Allegheny plateau and the Appalachian Mountains met. It looked like a postcard, as if taken straight out of a Grant Wood painting or a dream of 1950s Americana. But there was more to this town than met the eye. Much like Charm in Oregon, Laurelwick had its secrets. However, it had the benefit of not being at the center of a mystical convergence point.

There was still a lot of magic if you knew where to look.

When Red was a child and visited Laurelwick, she’d always felt like the town had grown at the feet of her grandmother’s manor. It seemed like a safe haven nestled in the trees, its old-world European charm adding to its allure. Once upon a time, there was no place that made her feel more secure.

Even now, as an adult, her body seemed to know exactly where to take her. She drove down the main street of Laurelwick, which seemed unchanged except for a few modern storefronts and an unfamiliar café on the corner. A new celestial mural on the side of the art deco library added a pop of color.

The town was known for being home to witches, with the St. James Coven among the most prominent. The locals lived and worked in the open, fully aware that nearly everyone in town possessed some magical power or ability. They also lived in the shadow of the St. James family estate on the edge of town. Without even reading the street sign, she instinctively turned onto Melpomene Way. Her jeep passed the old willow tree on the corner, near a spacious park by the school, and then up the hill to her grandmother’s house.

Instinct drove her, except this time, she wasn’t exactly on the guest list. She didn’t even know if she would be allowed through the front gates.

Wards and more guarded the estate. Opening her third eye, a quick scan confirmed that countless sigils glittered like Christmas lights around the property. Indecision seized her momentarily, but her desire for secrecy took over, and she opted for a less obvious route. Her parents had usually parked in a side lot away from the main gates. They did it because her father always liked walking through the gardens. She had her own reasons to avoid the imposing ornate barriers now.

Red parked her car and approached the back gate. As a child, it had seemed so big. She remembered walking hand in hand with her parents, happily skipping with joy to see her grandma and her cousins. For a moment, she could almost feel them with her. Grief seized her heart so hard that she wondered if Kristoff could feel it. The years since her parents died had been long, but seeing the manor again made it feel like time hadn’t passed at all.

A groundskeeper rolled a wheelbarrow full of leaves behind the iron-wrought fence. “Fred?” she called, still recognizing his face despite the many years.

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