The Sisters of Salem Read online

  The Sisters of Salem

  by

  Tish Thawer

  * * * * *

  The Sisters of Salem

  Published by Amber Leaf Publishing

  Copyright 2020 by Tish Thawer

  Smashwords Edition

  www.tishthawer.com

  www.amberleafpublishing.com

  Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography

  Edited by Laura Bruzan and There For You Editing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, organizations, events and incidents portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Any use of name brands herein is done so under the Fair Use Act.

  Praise for The Witches of BlackBrook

  “Tish Thawer's intriguing story line is weaved and crafted into a magical and spellbinding web that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning biting my fingernails and cheering for the sisters. Strong story line and well-developed characters that will sweep you away. I was completely floored by this amazing book and I recommend it to everyone!” ~ Voluptuous Book Diva

  “Tish Thawer is an amazing wordsmith. I have devoured several books by her and she never disappoints. The blend of history with contemporary is just genius, and I can't wait to see what this author will come up with next. Add this to your list as a must-read recommendation from me! An EASY 5 out of 5 stars!” ~ NerdGirl Melanie

  “Overall, The Witches of BlackBrook was a grand slam for me. I was so enchanted by this spellbinding tale of hope, love, and a bond that can’t be broken. There was something special about it and I honestly think it had something for all different types of readers. Whether you’re into romance, historical, paranormal, new adult, etc., the author effortlessly weaves so many elements together to create a flawless experience for whoever picks it up. If you’re looking to be enchanted and escape your mind for a couple hours, I highly suggest picking up The Witches of BlackBrook and diving on in!!” ~ Candy of Prisoners of Print

  Praise for Raven’s Breath

  “… this was an addicting, thrill ride of a read which kept me turning pages and cursing real life that kept interrupting me … A new take on a tale that is literally as old as time, I would challenge anyone to predict the ending. Brilliant!” ~ NerdGirl

  “The plot is wonderful. The characters are amazing and fun. Tish Thawer's Raven's Breath is unique story. Meet the only female Grim Reaper … There are so many things that I love about this book but my favorite is the twist at the end.” ~ Goodreads Reviewer

  “… I now rate this story as one of my all-time faves. Raven is the first female Grim Reaper. One would think that would make for a dark, sinister story line. Well, it does, but not in the way you'd think. Ms. Thawer also breathes humor, light, and romance into this [Urban Fantasy] novel. I love Raven's character, with her spunkiness, gumption, and self-deprecating humor. The scenes are lushly drawn, and the other characters grab your interest and add so much to an already wonderful story. If you've never read [Urban Fantasy] before, read this as your first. If you love a great plot, read this. If you haven't finished it by Sunday evening, call in sick to work Monday morning. You'll be glad you did. I am so looking forward to reading the next in this series!” ~ Amazon Reviewer

  Praise for Scent of a White Rose

  “Thawer managed what I thought was an impossible feat. She was able to put yet another new spin on the age-old vampire tale.” ~ The Bookshelf Sophisticate

  “… everything about Scent of a White Rose was such a fresh new concept when it came to vampires, actually it was just a whole new concept in general for the paranormal genre! This is a read any paranormal lover should read!” ~ YA-Aholic

  “Scent of a White Rose is not the plain Jane girl meets vampire and falls in love story … I will tell you that you should add this book to your TBR list.” ~ The Book Nympho

  “Tish Thawer crafts a seductive vampire tale with her eloquent writing style and keen sense of romance that simply entrances.” ~ Romancing the Darkside

  Praise for Aradia Awakens

  “Tish Thawer is one of those authors whose works are marked by something incredibly special. With each book she writes, I am awed by the magickal elements in each novel.” ~ Author Rae Hachton

  “The author skillfully weaves a tale so intense that you can't help but want more.” ~ The Cover and Everything in Between

  “Once more, I was overwhelmed by the creativity and imagination that comes from this author …”

  ~ Proserpine Craving Books

  “I really, really like the world of Ovialell. The world is unique, complex, and full of all sorts of paranormal species. There are werewolves, vampires, amazons, goddesses, there are so many interesting elements to the world.” ~ The Book Savvy Babe

  Table of Contents

  Contents:

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Epilogue

  A Note from Tish Thawer

  Excerpt from Aradia Awakens

  Also by Tish Thawer

  About the Author

  Excerpt from TS901:Anomaly

  Dedication

  For my family.

  For my readers.

  And for all the true witches out there.

  “I am the witch you could not burn.”

  –– Tish Thawer

  the

  Sisters

  of

  Salem

  Chapter One

  SCARBOROUGH, MAINE

  1703

  A wicked wind cut through the trees, frigid and mean, like an invisible giant pushing his way through the forest. “You are my chosen three, Sisters of Salem forever you’ll be. Follow your heart, your path is true, trust in yourselves, for I believe in you.” The Goddess’s words floated through the air, piercing deep, and straight into the sisters’ hearts.

  Caris, Kennedy, Jason, and Trin all stood outside of the cave from which Ann Putnam and her seven sisters had just escaped.

  “We have to go. We have to follow them, now!” Trin’s voice edged toward panic as she fell to the ground, clawing at the charred remnants of the portal through which Ann had fallen.

  Jason’s hazel eyes softened and met Caris and Kennedy’s grief-stricken stares. “Karina … honey.” He used her original name and his normal term of endearment as he reached forward, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I know we need to go, but I think we should return to our current time to restock our supplies and make an actual plan.”

  The warmth of her soul-mate’s hand penetrated her skin but did nothing to alleviate the
coldness seeping into her bones. Trin shrugged off his touch. She needed to embrace the cold—harden her heart against what was to come. “What plan is there to make? Ann’s father now has powers and has taken our mother captive. If we do not return to our original time and save her,” she waved a hand without looking up, “all of this will no longer exist. We will no longer exist.” Her breath hitched on a sob.

  With blackened, soot-covered fingers, she doubled her efforts to clear the area. Dark magic radiated from the remnants of the portal, confirming her suspicions. The Putnams were tapping into something tainted and perverse—definitely not magic from the Goddess, which made the urgency of their next move even more pertinent. Trin pushed a hand to her chest. The red cord of the twisted bond she shared with Heinrich had been destroyed, but it was almost as if she could feel it flaring again from deep within her soul. Her worst fear would be for Ann to return to their previous life and once again pledge her soul to the demon who’d spent centuries trying to destroy Trin and her family, setting in motion another round of time-altering circumstances. Goddess, no. She couldn’t let that happen. They needed to move now, fall back through time and risk it all to save their mother and secure the future they worked so hard to achieve.

  Trin struggled to stand as she prepared to cast the spell that would reopen Ann’s portal and transport them back to 1685––one year before their mother was originally cursed and fell ill.

  “Trin, wait.” Caris—aka Kara, her middle sister—approached, kneeling down until their eyes locked. “Please think about this. I know we need to go back … that’s not in question here. But Jason’s right. We need a plan.”

  Trin peered up at Jason—Jeremiah, her beloved from their original time, who was pulled through the centuries by the spell she’d cast … along with her sisters and any other true witch in the vicinity that night. He was strong, handsome, and always worked from his heart and his head to protect them all. “You’re right,” Trin conceded. Standing, she wiped her hands down the front of her native dress, the soft deer skin reminding her of the two Indian maidens who accompanied them here on their quest to stop Ann this night. Kennedy—aka Kenna, her youngest sister—was standing protectively in front of the girls. “Kennedy, will you please take Nadie and Tawni back to the village, then meet us by the portal trees?”

  Kennedy nodded but stood still when Nadie approached Trin, her long, dark braids falling forward as she dropped her head. “Thank you for saving my Madame Kate and correcting our timeline.” Gratitude shone brightly in Nadie’s doe-eyes as she addressed the entire group. “I will work with our shaman to erase any memory of you and your family being here. History will be set right once more.” Nadie reached for Trin’s hand. “The Daughters of Maine will not let you down.”

  “Thank you, Nadie. I will never forget you.” Trin tilted her head to look upon the young maiden still standing behind Kennedy. “Or you, Tawni. We couldn’t have done this without you.”

  The young, caramel-skinned girl lifted her chin, proudly accepting Trin’s praise. “I’ll miss you all.” She reached for Kennedy’s hand. “Especially you, Ketnu.” A shimmer of tears lined her eyes as she peered up at Kennedy.

  Kennedy squeezed the girl’s hand, acknowledging her newly-given Indian name. “I’ll miss you, too, Tawni. Thank you for aiding us with your natural magic. May the trees here always protect you and come to your assistance whenever needed.” Bending down, she placed a quick peck on the girl’s cheek.

  Tawni beamed as they finalized their goodbyes, then waved to Trin, Caris, and Jason as she and Nadie followed Kennedy into the forest and back toward their village.

  Once they were out of sight, Trin returned her focus to the cave. “We need to explore the area before we go. Look for anything Ann and her sisters could have been using to channel their magic here.”

  Set to task, Jason entered first, followed closely by Trin and Caris.

  Scouring the floor and ledges of the rocky burrow, they each searched for anything Ann may have left behind, but found nothing of significance. Discouraged, Trin cast a weary glance to the seven singed rings marring the dirt floor. “Let’s go. There’s nothing here, and I want to reach the portal tree before night fully falls.” Pausing at the cave’s entrance, she turned back and whispered, “Don’t worry, Mama, we will find you and set things right.”

  Taking Jason’s arm, Trin clung to his familiar sturdiness as they exited the cave. “Thank you,” she offered as he guided her around a puddle. Ann’s angry deluge had soaked the area, making their slog back through the hidden grove even more tedious than expected. However, as soon as they entered the surrounding forest, the ground was soft and dry, as if a certain young nature witch had cleared the way. Trin smiled at the thought of little Tawni and hoped she would remain connected to the forest and the magic of this land.

  “I’m so grateful for you all and everyone who’s aided us in this fight so far,” Trin confessed aloud. “I just hope that our presence here didn’t alter things for the tribe too much. I know Nadie will work with Aranck to restore this timeline, but knowing what we have to do—what we’re going to be facing—it makes me nervous to think about how even the smallest misstep could change our current lives.” Trin took a deep breath, tightening her hold on Jason’s arm. “I couldn’t bear to lose any of you again.”

  Twigs and leaves crunched under the trio’s feet as they walked on in silence. There was nothing else to be said. In their hearts, they all felt the same. This was going to be risky. Running into one’s self in a previous lifetime was never a good idea. Even here in 1703, Trin had seen the former version of herself (Madame Kate) while in the Indian village, but thankfully had avoided contact by hiding behind a tree. It was clear to everyone, however, that Kate and Trin had felt one another’s presence. The identical magic coursing through their shared lifelines held a strong pull in such close proximity. And now, considering they’d be returning to their original lifetime in 1685, when their powers were at their peak, there was no doubt the pull of their presence would be felt even stronger there. They needed to avoid all contact with their former selves while trying to save their mama. The weight of the task seemed impossible considering all the details involved.

  Wild scenarios continued to plague Trin’s mind as they made their way through the forest. Thankfully, when they arrived at the portal tree, Kennedy was already there.

  “The girls are back safely and have already started gathering items the shaman will need to restore this timeline,” Kennedy confirmed.

  “Are you sure he’ll aid them? Will it even work?” Jason directed the last part of his question at Trin.

  “Yes. With us leaving, he’ll want things to return to normal as much as we do. Questions about our magic or whereabouts would only cause him grief. So yes, I’m sure he’ll help for that reason alone. And as you’ve seen firsthand, the tribe’s magic is strong. It’ll work.”

  The sound of creaking wood pulled Trin’s attention to the three portals. Appearing again exactly as they had the first time—one massive trunk split into three distinct trees—each contained a portal to a different time and place. The energy of the adjoined roots surged beneath their feet. Trin’s magic pulsed in her veins as she eyed the left portal. It would be so easy to step through and race back to 1685, but Jason was right, they needed a solid plan. Returning to their past was a risk of epic proportions. Not only for the obvious reason of needing to dodge their previous selves, but the idea of facing Heinrich again and dealing with Ann and her family … there was simply no way to downplay the severity of this situation.

  “Everyone ready to go home?” Kennedy gestured to the right portal.

  Trin nodded and watched her sisters step through first, then reached for Jason’s hand to follow. The energy of the portal enveloped them, hugging tightly like a second skin as time swirled around them all. Emerging on the other side, they stepped out into their basement, safe and sound and back in the present day.

  “Oh, thank Goddes
s that worked.” Kennedy raised her arms above her head, stretching her back.

  “Why, did you think it wouldn’t?” Caris’s eyes grew wide.

  “I didn’t want to say anything, but yeah, I was a little nervous about where we’d end up. I hoped it would work the same as before, but with everything going on …” Kennedy shrugged, letting her words trail off.

  Ignoring her sisters’ commentary, Trin’s attention was pulled to their shared altar—bits and pieces of crystal and herbs still littered the top of the wooden surface. She ran a finger around the edge of the mortar, swirling the pestle in the bowl; snaps of peridot and anise crunched beneath the tool. She turned to Jason. “You were trying to reach us on your own, weren’t you?”

  His eyes held hers as he stepped forward, pulling her close and wrapping her in his arms. “Always.”

  A somber silence filled the room. Caris and Kennedy quickly said their goodnights and walked upstairs, leaving the two alone.

  They’d spent centuries searching for one another, and after finally being reunited only six short months ago, the idea of being pulled apart again was devastating to think about. “I thought I’d lost you.” Jason kissed the top of Trin’s head.

  “I know. I was scared, too.” She paused, tightening their hug and taking in the feel of his strong body against hers. “And things are only going to get worse.”