The Beacon by Chrissy Lessey

Author:Chrissy Lessey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: southern, magic, family, battle, war, witch, queen, autism, coven, blackbeard
Publisher: Tenacious Books Publishing

Chapter Twenty-One

Stevie

Stevie arrived home early the next morning. Even under the magical protections of a salt circle, a fervently knitted blanket, and gemstones, she felt anything but safe. She sat at her kitchen table, trying to form a functional strategy to combat Susan. She wanted to offer some semblance of hope when she met with her coven on Wednesday.

Once again, she considered her plan to absorb Vanessa’s bound powers—something she couldn’t share with the others. It remained their best chance of defeating Susan. She bit her lip, listening to the whimsical music coming from the television in the den. With Dylan and Charlie just down the hall, she couldn’t go through it with it now. Soon though. Soon.

She slumped against the back of the chair. Exhaustion and stress weaved together in her mind to form a tapestry of dire scenarios for herself, her loved ones, and all of the witches she had a duty to protect. Her lighthouse gambit had paid some dividends, but the involvement of the Wilmington witches remained uncertain. Even if they chose to help, tremendous risk remained. Again and again, her thoughts wandered back to a tangled loop of unanswered questions.

She knew there would be a cost to any victory, great or small, against the combined might of Susan and the amulet. What right did she have to enmesh another group of witches in her problems? They owed her nothing. They certainly did not owe her the lives that would be at risk if they joined her half-formed plan. Did their presence provide any real advantage over the unstoppable power Susan possessed? Would it make any difference at all?

Stevie shook her head as if to pull free from the unending cycle of questions without answers. She immediately regretted the sudden movement. Anxiety had twisted her shoulders into a knot of intense pain, and now her head throbbed as well.

Her own mortality weighed on her mind. The witches of Beaufort had no idea of the darkness that would rain down on them in the event of her death. Eliminating Stevie could not possibly be enough to satisfy Susan. She would always crave more power, more control, more blood. Her need to penalize the coven for her incarceration, along with her innate cruelty, would bring suffering unlike anything they had seen before. The old terror of witch hunts would pale in comparison.

As big as those worries were, her thoughts circled closer to home. How would her father handle her death so soon after the loss of his wife? What would happen to Charlie?

Stevie closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the thunderous ache in her head. She had a closet full of herbal remedies gifted to her by her loyal followers, but she couldn’t recall which plant was best for curing any particular ailment. Basic witch knowledge. How am I supposed to lead these people when I can’t even cure a simple headache?

Charlie appeared in the doorway, his face impassive. He stepped toward the table and hauled himself into a chair.

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