Altered Souls

The Witch Avenue Series

Altered Souls

KARICE BOLTON

Copyright © 2012 Karice Bolton

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.

This is a work of fiction.  Names, places, and events either are the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover design: PhatpuppyArt.com

DEDICATION

To my
amazing
husband. I love you more
each and every moment
! It’s been an amazing journey so far, and I thank you for always believing in me.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to say a simple thank you to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all of the other avenues available for the indie publishing world.  It allows the art of storytelling to continue to flourish in unexpected ways!

BOOKS BY KARICE BOLTON

THE WITCH AVENUE SERIES

LONELY SOULS

ALTERED SOULS

RELEASED SOULS (Coming Winter 2012)

THE WATCHERS TRILOGY

AWAKENING

LEGIONS

CATACLYSM

TAKEN (A Watchers Novella: Nov 2012)

TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR PLEASE VISIT HER WEBSITE AT

WWW.KARICEBOLTON.COM

http://Blog.Karicebolton.com

OR

EMAIL

[email protected]

OR

FOLLOW HER ON FACEBOOK
and
TWITTER

@KARICEBOLTON

Chapter 1

“Alienam Imagines ex Anima,”
I whispered, as I hovered over the concoction of herbs I was grinding with my wand. One of the many things I couldn’t let Logan catch me doing. The fragrance of the crushed marigolds, honeysuckle, and lemon grass was almost intoxicating, but the thought of what this mixture might be able to produce was even more so. Eyeing the large, black spider I had captured in the jar gave me the creeps as it wiggled around trying to climb up the glass before falling back down over and over again. I felt marginally bad about the spider’s fate. Who was I kidding? No, I didn’t.

After adding the grape seed oil and quickly stirring the mixture, I needed to release and hide everything before Logan came back to the cottage. I didn’t think he’d approve of this, but I wasn’t looking for his approval, only answers.

Shaking the spider into the herb mixture, I ran down the hall careful to not spill anything as I made my way to the staircase. Yanking on the chain, the ladder released, and I quickly climbed up into the attic. Peeking around the darkened space, it looked as if Trevor was sleeping, which was perfect. I quickly crawled in, and shook out the contents of the container behind one of the wooden rafters.

Taking a deep breath in I whispered once more, “
Alienam Imagines ex Anima
,
”
a
nd headed
quickly back down the steps trying my hardest to push the staircase back up into the ceiling.
Curse my shortness!
Propping myself onto the closet shelves, I was able to give the attic steps one more push and then it locked.

Having just closed the closet door, I heard the click of the front door as Logan stepped inside with the latest bundle of wood for the fire. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. I was finally allowing myself to truly think of a future with him, and I enjoyed what I envisioned, especially when he wore those particular jeans.

“What have you been up to?” Logan asked, eyeing me playfully. His hair was flopped to the side from the storm that was brewing outside. Knowing what I was hiding from him caused me to freeze as the guilt ran through me.

“I’ve got lasagna in the oven,” I replied, kicking myself for lying to him, but it wasn’t really lying just omitting a few things.

“And?” he asked grinning, “did you go check on—”

“
What are we going to do with
him
? We can’t keep him in the attic forever,” I asked Logan, trying to stifle my giggle and avoid what I had just done. “Or can we?”

Logan’s laughter filled the air as he tended to the flames in the fireplace. It was still hard for me to swallow that not only did one my friends from high school try to kidnap me, but my father was the one who sent him. My father was one of the few in the world who would have been able to send anyone through the protection spell that Logan had cast around our property. It did little to comfort me that my father would go to so much trouble to try to steal me away like my mother. I couldn’t fathom his sudden interest in me, considering he had abandoned both my mom and me over eighteen years ago.

I sat on the couch, grabbing our family’s spell book to keep my mind occupied. Flipping page after page, my mind kept wandering to how everything turned upside down in my world. Maybe I would let Logan in on my little secret.

“Are you okay over there?” Logan asked, turning from the flames to face me. His brilliant blue eyes were completely void of darkness, and it was difficult to resist the urges running through me.

I nodded as my eyes landed back on the spell that seemed too perfect to ignore. The one I had just perfected in the kitchen. Should I share it with Logan?

“This might be something we could try,” I spoke softly, tapping the page with my finger and gesturing for Logan to come sit next to me. I knew Trevor couldn’t hear anything up in the attic, but I felt more comfortable discussing his fate in a hushed voice.

“Did you know there were things out there like this?” I asked, as Logan sat down next to me.

Placing the book on his lap, I watched him carefully, hoping to gauge his reaction, and of course he didn’t give me one as he stared at the picture of a spider feeding on someone’s flesh.

“I think we should give it a shot,” I tried again, hoping to let him in on my little secret.

Logan’s lips barely began moving. They looked deliciously soft, but I couldn’t get caught up in that right now, especially with our captive only one floor above our heads. It would be wrong on so many levels.

“Triss,” he began, while closing the spell book and turning to face me. “That’s not exactly what I’d call white magic.”

Looking into his eyes, I saw mischief stirring behind them. I grabbed the book from him and placed it on the couch. Climbing onto his lap, I watched the smile spread across his lips as he wrapped his arms around my waist. It felt so good being in his embrace.

“I wouldn’t
exactly
call it black magic, either,” I replied wryly, “under the circumstances.”

“So you were hesitant about the snake spell, but you’re willing to jump on a spider spell?” he asked, his voice low.

“It’s getting chilly, isn’t it?” I asked innocently, squirming my way deeper into his hold.

His lips were inches from mine and they parted slowly, but not for the reason I hoped.

“It’s really distracting being this close to you,” he whispered, his jaw tightening.

“It is, huh?” I smiled, trying to take control of the situation. “I think this could be a really good spell for me to take a stab at.”

I let my fingers slowly glide through his dark hair, making my way down his neck landing on his shoulders. I couldn’t help but smile, seeing the effect I had on him.

“I know your plan, Miss Spires, and I’m not going to be swayed based on what you’re trying to do to me,” he smiled coyly.

“I’m not trying to do anything to you,” I whispered in his ear.

Propping myself back up I tried again, “I was just thinking since Trevor tried to kill you, it’s only fair. Not to mention his failed kidnap attempt on me. I mean we’ve got to do something with him, and I’d like to get him off our property as quickly as possible. This would get us the answers, and then we could be done with him.”

He was silent.

I plunged ahead. “I think under the circumstances, it wouldn’t be considered black magic. Have you ever used anything like this?”

He shook his head. “No. I haven’t. And Triss, don’t fool yourself. You’re very much on the edge with this spell.” His stare was intense, ensuring I fully understood what he was telling me.

“I know, but I think when people’s lives are in danger it changes things a little bit,” I countered.

“Our lives
were
in danger. They aren’t any more.” Logan’s voice was strained. He was rubbing his eyes, and my guilt was multiplying by the second.

I knew he was right, but this spell was so easy. It was so perfect. No detail, no memory would be missed. It would only take one tiny spider bite, and we’d have so many answers.

“Besides,” Logan continued, “I think Trevor’s coming around naturally. The longer he’s out of your father’s grasp, the more his senses are coming back.”

The fact that Logan was saying these things when only days earlier he wanted to pulverize Trevor made me take notice. Then the panic started to spread. What had I done by releasing the spider up in the attic?

“You know,” Logan squinted his eyes at me, “we could just ask him. I think he’s starting to feel more like himself and guilty for what he tried to do to you.”

I jumped off Logan’s lap, almost falling over the coffee table as I ran to the hallway.

“Where are you going?” Logan hollered after me.

“I already let the spider loose up there. I’ve got to catch it before it’s too late,” I yelled back. My insides were tightening at the thought of the spider reaching Trevor. I never intended to invite black magic into my world so easily. What was I doing? Was this how so many fell into it?

Logan was right behind me, reaching up for the attic stairs, and I refused to look in his eyes. I was so disappointed in myself, and I didn’t want to see it reflected in his as well.

“Where’d you release it?” Logan’s voice was completely calm.

“Right behind the beam to the right,” I whispered. “Here’s the jar.”

“Listen, he might let us use this on him. You never know. If he gives us permission all is not lost,” he said, touching my chin. “It’s okay. I know you were only trying to help get answers.”

Watching Logan climb into the attic began to put things in perspective. I needed to get control of my emotions. If Logan could keep his darkness in check, the least I could do was not unleash mine.

The attic seemed as unfriendly as it did when I was a child. It was like the wonderful memories that Logan and I had shared up here only weeks before had been completely erased. The darkness didn’t lend itself well to trying to find a black spider in the shadows either. The air was cold and musty, which made me feel slightly guilty for keeping Trevor up here — that was until the memories of him attempting to kill Logan reemerged.

“Got it,” Logan whispered, while he attempted to push the spider back into the jar.

“That’s too bad,” I murmured only half joking.

“Got what?” Trevor’s voice startled me.

“Nothing.” I snapped, not wanting to discuss anything with him. “Let’s get downstairs.”

Moving back towards the steps, Logan nodded and followed me carrying the jar of hope that was quickly diminishing.  Putting my foot on the first step, I stopped.

“Trevor, I’ll bring dinner up a little later,” I said.

“Yeah, no problem,” Trevor’s voice was completely defeated, and I tried not to let it get to me as I made my way back down the stairs.

Waiting down the hall for Logan to close up the attic door, I paced back and forth with all sorts of thoughts racing through my mind. I wanted Trevor out of here, but I needed to get the answers first. I didn’t want to waste any more time.

“I think when I bring dinner to him tonight I should ask him to let us perform the spell,” I said, crashing on the couch.

Logan nodded, “I agree.”

“It’s so hard to trust him. It seems like he’s out of the grasp of my father, but who knows.” I sighed. “I never would have imagined that he was capable of the things he accomplished.”

“It wasn’t Trevor’s doing,” Logan replied, sitting down next to me. “That entire evening had your father written all over it. Trevor was just a pawn.”

“Well, he certainly performed well and that’s what scares me. I feel like he’s so weak-minded that the longer he’s around us, the greater the chance that my father will reappear in some way.” As I spoke the words, I began trembling. I had to get Trevor out of our cottage. Logan pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered, pressing his lips against my hair.

“Will you take him to the bus station right after the bite? Just get him out of here?” I asked.

“I don’t want to leave you alone while you go through the process,” Logan said softly.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t want him around when I go through it, and we only have a small window where I can complete the spell. I think it would just be better with him out of here. You’ll probably get back
here before it’s even finished,
” I insisted.

“I guarantee I’ll be back here before it’s finished,” Logan whispered, shaking his head, while the tip of his finger traveled up my arm. “I can’t believe what I let myself get talked into with you. But don’t forget we haven’t even asked him yet. He might not agree.”

“On
that
, I think the lasagna’s done. I’ll go check it, and maybe we should bring him down to eat. Something tells me that he won’t be trying to escape. Maybe he’ll be more helpful if we treat h
im a little less like an animal,
” I said, turning my head quickly away as Logan stood up to stretch. I couldn’t afford to be distracted. Closing my eyes, I tried to corral my thoughts.

I felt the warmth of the flames reach my bones while I let my mind wander to the possibilities that this opportunity could bring. Finding out what Trevor knew about my father and mother was quickly becoming an obsession. Glancing up at Logan, he stood directly in front of me, grinning with his arms crossed.

“Do you know how enticing you look in that shirt?” I blurted.

“Do I?” Logan’s lips spread into a huge smile.

“Yes you do, and we really need to get him out of the cottage tonight,” I muttered, unable to stop myself from looking at how deliciously low his jeans hung.

“And why’s that, Triss?” his lips turned up slightly in amusement.

Looping my finger into his jean pocket, I pulled him closer and looked up into his eyes. He raised his eyebrow with anticipation, and I couldn’t help the smile that was spreading across my lips.