Summer Sin (Northern Witch #4) by K.S. Marsden

Author:K.S. Marsden
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: urban fantasy, gay, lgbt, demon, witch
Publisher: K.S. Marsden

Chapter Thirteen

After the day of exams, Mark was relieved to head home. He had another exam in the morning. Sixteen hours and counting. The other GCSE students on the bus were dissecting their tests and various answers, bemoaning their results.

Mark was glad to get off at his stop, with Michelle on his heels.

The pleasant day was getting overcast, and a few icy drops had begun to fall by the time the house was in view. Summer storms weren’t uncommon, but this one was rolling in with unusual speed. The clouds blackened and the wind picked up, as the first flash of lightning crackled along the sky.

Mark jogged through the rain, heading for shelter in Nanna’s kitchen. The door was open and the room empty. The Aga was stone cold, and there was no sign of life.

“Nanna?” Mark called, shrugging off his wet coat.

“Your turn for making tea.” Michelle insisted as she followed him into the kitchen.

Mark snorted. “It’s always my turn.”

“Yes.” Michelle agreed. “That’s how it works, isn’t it?”

Mark grunted at her skewed humour, and headed into the living room. He found Tigger curled up in Nanna’s favourite armchair, but still no sign of her.

“Do you think she’s forgotten our lesson?” Michelle piped up. “Maybe she’s off with her farrier boyfriend.”

“The back door is open...” Mark hovered in the doorway, the large family garden stretched out before him.

Behind the grey sheet of rain, Mark thought he saw a figure.

“Nanna!” He called, a deep rumble of thunder drowning his voice.

Mark ran out into the garden, the rain quickly drenching his school jumper. He was vaguely aware of Michelle following him. The air was oppressive and Mark felt that something unnatural was driving the storm. In response to his fear, Luka appeared. Michelle’s crow spirit flew haphazardly through the rain.

“Nanna!” Mark yelled.

They were close enough to see Nanna walking away from the house, ignorant of the rain that soaked them all. She half-turned at his voice, and hesitated.

“Michael?” Her voice trembled, hard to hear over the storm. Her eyes turned to Michelle. “Edith?”

They didn’t have a chance to say anything, before there was a wave of magic that seemed to ripple through the ground. Nanna’s magic was wild and suffocating.

Luka and the crow stood defensively between the teens and Nanna, their spirit magic working to nullify the spell.

“Nanna!” Mark cried. It felt like there was a barrier through which he couldn’t push. She was still focussed on Michelle – if she was confusing her for Edith, it would explain the attack.

Mark didn’t have time to wonder what could have occurred to affect Nanna, what spell could cause the hallucination; he realised he’d have more chance of calming the situation if Michelle wasn’t there.

“Go back to the house.” He ordered, then added. “Find my mum – she's a nurse...”

He waited for Michelle to disappear towards the house, another flash of lightning highlighting her path.

“Nanna!” Mark tried again.

Nanna looked at him with unseeing eyes. Her usually sharp thoughts were visibly sluggish. “Michael?”

The magic in the air lessened, and Mark felt like he could move closer.

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