The battle is still being won by Blane and Brendan until a plan is put into action by Nathan.

After the battle the wounded are treated and the dead are buried and remembered.

In a different time, Anastasia awakes to find Dougal gone. She then discovers the truth about Dougal and her children.

Karen is determined to see her father again and Samantha becomes part of the coven.

Here is a sample from the novella ‘A Tale of Witchcraft: Afterwards’.

10. AFTERWARDS

PART I

Elizabeth woke up from a restless sleep and she could see the lightning flashing in the distance. It flashed once more and lit up the entire room provoking her to wake up her husband from his deep slumber. She shook his shoulder until he stirred.

               “Stephen, wake up there is a storm in the distance,” said Elizabeth.

               Stephen propped himself up in bed and groggily looked at his wife.

               “What’s the matter? It shouldn’t be that bad,” said Stephen.

               “It’s not just the storm,” said Elizabeth. “You know I’ve had trouble sleeping since Samantha was taken from us.”

               “I know, Elizabeth, but we just have to get on with our lives and realise that she is never coming back to us. The locals would never accept her now after what has happened and because of what she is,” said Stephen

               “She was such a nice girl though,” said Elizabeth lowering her head and starting to tear up.

               “I’m sorry love, but maybe try to get some sleep,” said Stephen placing his head back on the pillow as he laid back in bed.

               The room lit up once more as another bolt of lightning flashed in the distance. Elizabeth stood up in her night dress and opened the curtains of the window to get a better look at the sky.

               “I don’t know, but there seems to be something unnatural about this storm,” said Elizabeth.

               As she looked up at the sky she could see in the distance another fork of lightning descend from the sky and strike the earth.

               “The lightning seems to be striking the same area. The storm doesn’t appear to be moving forward or backwards,” said Elizabeth.

               Stephen could see the look of agitation on his wife’s face. He pulled the blankets from over him before rising from his bed to comfort her. He placed his hand on her shoulder as the sky flashed once more.

               Stephen and Elizabeth weren’t the only ones who had been awoken by the freakish storm so early in the morning. Many of the locals had stirred from their slumber, gotten dressed and taken to the streets.

               The couple quickly changed from their bedclothes into their day clothes and made their way onto the street. They joined the locals who were gazing into the sky at the storm which was some distance away from them. They noted that some locals kept their distance and turned their backs as they approached. They had not forgotten what their daughter Samantha had done to the community.

               “Perhaps we should go someplace where it is safe,” said Stephen.

               As he spoke a man ran towards them out of breath. Either he had some compassion and forgiveness for the couple or in his agitated condition and state of panic he did not care.

               “The tavern owner, Mr Baird is opening his tavern for everyone to congregate. There will be safety in numbers there. Come on everyone, let’s go,” said the man before turning and running in the direction of the tavern.

               Stephen grabbed his wife by the hand and began to run following the man in front of them. About a dozen others joined them as they all made their way frantically towards the local tavern. When they reached it Mr Baird was at the door welcoming them all in. He looked at Stephen and Elizabeth warily for a second but nevertheless allowed them into his premise in this time of chaos. He too looked up at the sky at the lightning which was still hitting the same location.

               “What do you reckon is happening, Mr Baird? Do you think that storm will head in our direction?” asked Stephen.

               “That is no natural storm,” replied Mr Baird. Storms normally move in one direction, pass and move on. Those lightning bolts are hitting the same area every time. I bet that it is the work of witches and wizards. They are using their magic and their evil ways to control the weather and bring destruction down.”

               Stephen turned white as he looked up at the sky as another fork of lightning brightened up the sky in the distance.

               “But what could be happening?” asked Stephen. “What’s going on to provoke such action?”

               “Something unworldly, and I’m just glad that it is happening away from this town and not within it,” said Mr Baird.

               The lightning flashed again brightening up the inside of the tavern. There were many locals in the premise at this time, cowering in fear at the ferocity of nature. Family members and neighbours hugged each other to comfort themselves

               “What it if does come here Mr Baird?” asked Elizabeth. “What if those witches and wizards decide to come here and bring the weather down upon us?”

               “Let us just hope that will never happen to us,” said Mr Baird. “For now we should all stay here together and comfort each other until the weather returns to normal.”

Nathan’s worst nightmares were coming true as he surveyed the battlefield which was in fact his own coven area. The body of Henrietta lay in front of him in flames. Nathan could see the look of agony on it as it burned. He noted that Brendan and Blane were still fully in control of the weather as they brought lightning bolt after lightning bolt down onto the witches and wizards of his own coven. The numbers on his side were now dwindling and the chances of Brendan and Blane claiming victory and annihilating his own coven increased by the minute.

               Dougal continued to fight hard for the sake of Nathan and the coven and any thought of one day seeing his own family, however impossible that may be. He stretched his hand forward and pointed to a rock laying on the ground, with all his magic and his might he projected the rock to a wizard flying above them on a broom. The rock struck him square in the chest stunning him and causing him to fall off his broom and hurtle to the ground. He landed with a sickening thud. Dougal immediately looked for his next victim in the battle area.

No sooner than had Dougal claimed his victim, Brendan directed another bolt of lightning onto a nearby witch. As the bolt struck her and electrified her entire body she writhed and jerked before slumping to the ground.

               Brendan looked round and saw that his and Blane’s coven were in the superior position. They were claiming more lives on the battlefield and getting stronger as Nathan and his coven were becoming weaker. He looked at the bodies strewn on the ground and realised that there more of Nathan’s coven than his own. He yelled for his coven members to fight harder and bring the battle to an end as quickly as they could.

Nathan looked round and viewed another of his coven being struck down. Shards from a cauldron hit the wizard in the back of the head sending blood and bits of skull in many directions as the wizard fell to the ground. Nathan knew that decisive action had to be taken if he and his coven were to survive the battle. Desperately turning his head, he located Dougal who was still fighting hard and valiantly. He ran towards the wizard and grabbed him by the arm.

               “Dougal, I need to get hold of some others,” yelled Nathan. “Where are Devlin, Jezabel and Jessmay?”

               Dougal observed the devastation all around him. Through the fire, smoke and illumination he could see that Devlin was close by. He conjured a large fireball and projected it at a witch on a broom flying above him. The fireball hit her on the back as she screamed in agony as she plummeted towards the ground.

               “Devlin is over there,” said Dougal pointing at the wizard. “I haven’t seen either Jessmay or Jezabel though.”

               “Go and get Devlin and bring him to me immediately,” said Dougal. “I’ll look for Jezabel and Jessmay.”

               As Dougal ran towards Devlin, Nathan scanned the battlefield in all directions. Thankfully, Jezabel and Jessmay were nearby and had so far survived the harrowing battle. He ran towards them and waved to grab their attention. A bolt of lightning narrowly missed him as he caught their attention. He smiled at his wife and looked in her eyes. She had a look of determination but he could tell that she was as fearful as he was in that moment.

               Nathan placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder just to make sure that his wife was there and he wasn’t imagining things in the confusion of the battle.

               “I am so glad that you are still alive, love,” said Nathan.

               “I too am glad that you are still with us,” replied Jezabel.

               Just then Dougal came running towards them with Devlin alongside.

               “Well we are all here,” said Nathan. “Now we have to get hold of Brendan and Blane as soon as possible.”

               Dougal looked round at the carnage which surrounded them. Spirits flew in all directions creating damage amongst the enemy. Witches and wizards fought each other both in the air and on the ground. The bellow of the battle was deafening with a mixture of screams, yells, screeches and roaring fire in all directions. Through the fire and the smoke Dougal could make out the two leaders battling hard and directing their coven members to destroy their enemy.

               “Over there,” said Dougal as he ducked his head to avoid an object which was flying in his direction.

               Nathan squinted his eyes and observed where Dougal was pointing. Sure enough Brendan and Blane were close to each other trying to direct their forces as best as they could in the confusion of the battle.

               “Good, that is them Dougal, well done. Now we need to separate them from the others in the battle field. Pursue them as best as you can and harass them with fireballs, rocks, spirits, spells and whatever you can. We need to cut them off from their witches and wizards,” yelled Nathan. “Everyone stick together and let’s get this done.”

               “Right away,” said Devlin nodding his head. He too had seen Henrietta die in the battlefield and other witches and wizards that he knew well. He put those thoughts behind him as he beckoned some spirits who were close to him

               The spirits flew immediately in his direction ready to carry out any order that was given to them.

               “Look in front of you. You can see two older wizards through the debris. Move through them and harry them as much as possible. Let them know that you have them as a target,” said Devlin.

               No sooner than the spirits had identified their targets they moved in their direction rapidly. Blane turned to see the spirit move through his body. Confused, he twisted his head to see the spirit back track and head in his direction once more. Blane stepped to the side and noticed that Brendan too was being harassed by a similar spirit.

               At this time the pack of Nathan, Dougal, Devlin, Jessmay and Jezabel were also upon them. Nathan and Dougal conjured fireballs and cast them in the direction of the coven leaders, one for Blane and one for Brendan. Both coven leaders slumped back narrowly avoiding the balls of flames. They looked at each other, petrified as they realised that they were being separated from everyone else on the battlefield. They regained their footing only to notice that other objects were being hurled in their direction.

               Blane noticed that the witches and wizards of his coven were preoccupied with the battle. He yelled out to them for their assistance but could not be heard over the distance and the roar of the battle.

This novella is available in both eBook and paperback formats from Amazon.

Kind Regards

Alan

alanrove@hotmail.com