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    Family Magic
    Family Magic
    Family Magic
    Ebook351 pages5 hours

    Family Magic

    By Patti Larsen

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    ***WORLD'S BEST STORY 2014***

    Magic? Check. High school cheerbullies? Check. Impending evil? You betcha. She’s so doomed...

    While Sydlynn Hayle might be her coven's heir, her reluctance to accept her power puts their fate at risk. But when a mysterious evil infiltrates the collective and comes for those she loves, she has to choose--either turn her back on her destiny or step up and save her family's magic.

    · "A great, inventive plot, a deeply flawed, self-deprecating, heroine, many wondrous sub-characters and a constantly-evolving world of madness and magic (with a goodly side order of teen angst thrown in!). What more could you want?" -- Amazon reviewer Hobbitual
    · "Thank you Ms. Larsen, for an excellent read....please please please tell me there will be more about these characters!" -- Amazon reviewer Michelle William
    · " ...this book was incredible. I was sucked in from the very beginning. I fell in love with the characters. The plot twists and the way it was written kept me turning pages well into the night." -- Amazon reviewer Misty Harvey

    Don't miss the exciting sequels in the Hayle Coven Novels:

    Witch Hunt
    Demon Child
    The Wild
    The Long Lost
    Gatekeeper
    Flesh and Blood
    Full Circle
    Divided Heart
    First Plane
    Light and Shadow
    Queen of Darkness
    Dark Promise
    Unseelie Ties
    Ancient Ways
    The Undying
    Shifting Loyalties
    Enforcer
    Coven Leader
    The Last Call

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPatti Larsen
    Release dateOct 15, 2011
    ISBN9781465806871
    Family Magic
    Author

    Patti Larsen

    About me, huh? Well, my official bio reads like this: Patti Larsen is a multiple award-winning author with a passion for the voices in her head. But that sounds so freaking formal, doesn’t it? I’m a storyteller who hears character's demands so loudly I have to write them down. I love the idea of sports even though sports hate me. I’ve dabbled in everything from improv theater to film making and writing TV shows, singing in an all girl band to running my own hair salon.But always, always, writing books calls me home.I’ve had my sights set on world literary domination for a while now. Which means getting my books out there, to you, my darling readers. It’s the coolest thing ever, this job of mine, being able to tell stories I love, only to see them all shiny and happy in your hands... thank you for reading.As for the rest of it, I’m short (permanent), slightly round (changeable) and blonde (for ever and ever). I love to talk one on one about the deepest topics and can’t seem to stop seeing the big picture. I happily live on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with my pug overlord and overlady, six lazy cats and Gypsy Vanner gelding, Fynn.

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    Reviews for Family Magic

    4/5

    29 ratings8 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Almost seemed liked two books - one about a demon witch who wants nothing to do with her family; and one about a new witch at school trying to be normal and fit in. The first storyline is definitely the better.
    • 5/5
      What did you think of the ending? Most series rush to an ending where you'll have to reread at least some of the book to make sure you got the open ending right. This book was different. The ending was good and although it was open ended in some ways, leaving room for the next book, most characters and issues were concluded without any questions.

      What did you think of the story structure? Some parts of the story dragged for me. Even as the emotions and settings changed, it took me till at least quarter of the book to be drawn into the story. I would love to know what inspired the idea of Sassafras.

      Is the overall POV consistent? I've read quite a few YA books that switch POV and then forget to switch them back so it becomes confusing and leaves the reader clueless. Patti Larsen did an excellent job making sure her characters' voices were not overshadowed by hers.

      Disclosure - As a Quality Reads Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book from the author via Orangeberry Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.
    • 5/5
      Family Magic is most definitely my genre of book, with witches, demons and vampires. Syd wanted out of the family coven, she hates the way magic makes her feel physically. she also has trouble at school she is lonely, always the new girl with no friends, she just doesn’t fit in.

      Things turn out very differently when she learns that someone has it in for the Hayle Coven and she seems to be the only one that may be able to stop them.

      I loved Syd’s character and her grandmother was a hoot.

      This is an exciting, funny at times, magical read that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

      I can’t wait to read the other books from The Hayle Coven Novels.
    • 3/5
      When I was younger, I was a huge fan of Sabrina The Teenage Witch. I imagined this book would be something like that. In some ways it was (they had a cat that was turned into a cat as punishment, which obviously reminded me of Salem the cat from the show), but in others it wasn't. The main difference to me was that the heroine, Syd, was nothing like Sabrina. For about the first half of the book, I was very annoyed at her. She kept complaining that she didn’t want her powers but she had no reason and no idea why she wanted it so badly -so basically "just because." I also didn't understand why she had to be so mean to her mother all the time and the constant arguing and fighting over nothing got old pretty quickly. I suppose this is teenage behavior, a sixteen year old's way of rebelling, but it was just boring to read through it. Anyway, I soldiered on and the second half got better as the element of the attack on the coven was introduced. In my opinion, this is when the story picked up and I got interested in what was going on. Even though some things didn't make sense to me and I didn't fully understand this whole world of magic, I couldn't help but speculate about who was behind the attack, etc... *I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
    • 5/5
      This is a story about a sixteen year old girl. She wants what everyone wants. To fit in. To find her place. But being a teen, she’s dealing with all of that angst, those hormones. Being bullied at school, responsible for her insane grandmother, and clashing with her mother have Syd all torn up inside.She must find herself. Discover what she wants. She thinks she doesn’t wanted her magic. Doesn’t want to be a witch. And she keeps her demon half locked down inside her. All of this frustration and anger find a way out sometimes, like a pot boiling over.It seems like every time Syd makes up with her mother, something else happens and she’s screaming how much she hates her, the family, the coven, her powers, and witches. She wants out and doesn’t want to wait until she’s 18 to give up her power.After a huge blow out with her mother, Syd’s dad is waiting for her. When she enters the basement, both of her parents are there, but her uncle butts into the family meeting. He insists they stop lying to Syd. Tell her the truth. She needs to get control of her demon now more than ever.Syd’s never whiney. She grows strong as she learns more, faces herself and her demon. Embraces her power. The author keeps her in character, genuine and believable. She’s a teenager and stays one, showing her growth, her confusion, her determination, and her doubts.As the end of the book drew near, I became worried. I couldn’t see how it would all work out. I was worried, afraid for the characters.The very first sentence in the last chapter is to telling and true. I wish I could share it with you, but you’ll see what I mean when you read it. So insightful. So powerful. As strong as the characters and magic displayed in this book.
    • 4/5
      Link to book: AmazonDescription: Her mom’s a witch.Her dad’s a demon.And she just wants to be ordinary.I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. My heavy velvet cloak fell in oppressive, suffocating folds in the closed space of the ceremony chamber, the cowl trapping the annoying bits of puff I missed. I hated the way my eyes burned and teared, an almost constant distraction. Not that I didn’t welcome the distraction, to be honest. Anything to take my mind from what went on around me. Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds.Sydlynn Hayle’s life couldn’t be more complicated. Trying to please her coven, starting over in a new town, and fending off a bully cheerleader who hates her are just the beginning of her troubles. What to do when delicious football hero Brad Peters–boyfriend of her cheer nemesis–shows interest? If only the darkly yummy witch, Quaid Moromond, didn’t make it so difficult for her to focus on fitting in with the normal kids. Add to that her crazy grandmother’s constant escapes driving her family to the brink and Syd’s between a rock and a coven site. Forced to take on power she doesn’t want to protect a coven who blames her for everything, only she can save her family’s magic.If her family’s distrust doesn’t destroy her first.**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased an honest review**Review: 4 starsGeneral: Magic is always a popular topic in any age group right now. Patti Larsen takes it to a completely different level that I haven’t seen since a series called Circle of Three from about 15 years ago. She displays the way of the world from both the Wiccan standpoint as well as some little extra magical touches to get in touch with the fantasy lovers. From the beginning I was hooked and curious about Syd and her life. The craft was extremely well done and a great addition to YA, I’m excited it is a long series for me to sit back and enjoy the characters. The plot followed along 16 year Syd in her journey to fit in with the magic she wielded and try to save her family from negative magic that could kill them all. There were wonderful slices of life in the book that helped fuel the overall plot forward and the overall plot was large indeed, perhaps too much so.The reason I’ve only give 4 stars is two fold. The first is while I completely enjoyed the book it appeared to have two plots, to me that should have been separated into two books. The first half seems to focus specifically on Syd’s world as a teen in her coven. It was perfectly interesting and had a climax of it’s own. The second half appeared to be about a threat to the coven, which also had it’s own climax. Reading two different complete plot lines in one book caused it to feel very long and drawn out, despite my enjoyment of it. Each was a wonderful storyline but from a reading standpoint it would have been more enjoyable to have linked the two books together. The second are the characters.Characters: Sydlynn Hayle is a teenager who suffered with a lot. There were moments where I thought se was brilliant and others were I wanted to smack some sense into her- not unlike a teen so it was perfect. Until it became an every other page activity. She was trying to fit in, headstrong and seemingly intelligent with a desire to be independent. However, every other chapter she was telling her mom she hated her, and then how much she loved her. Sometimes she flipped multiple times in a chapter. For me, it was too much and had me questioning if I could believe anything that she told us she felt and as a narrator that makes an issue for the reader.Brad Peters: Bra’s character was extremely flat and unbelievable. He’s your traditional all american jock in looks and extra curriculars. But to make him more loveable he has been given a soft side that’s extremely to soft. Everything appeared to be a wounding offense to Brad and he did not come across as realistic in the way she wrote him, but perhaps an idealized version of how Syd saw him. With first person narration there is nothing wrong with it but I am unsure if that was the goal so it took the book down a bit for me to be bothered by what I’m being led to believe in a main character.Quaid Moromond: There is unfortunately not much I can say about Quaid. He appears to be nothing more than a snarky teen who doesn’t get on to well with his parents. There is a very interesting power scene between the two of them and I look forward to seeing him expand as a character. However he makes 3 of 3 listed characters on the back of the book that felt unrealistic or under delivered so it lowered my overall rating of the book
    • 5/5
      Sydlynn just wants to be an ordinary girl, but it is kind of hard when you’re half witch and half demon. She is also the sole heir of her entire coven. Can she figure out why magic makes her physically sick before having to take on this huge responsibility? Or will she be able to rid herself of her power and have a normal life on her own?
      This book contains a lot of believable characters and plot twists that will keep you turning pages. I liked how the demon father kept calling his daughter Cupcake. Sydlynn's mother really did try hard to balance being a coven leader and a normal-ish mother to her confused rebellious daughter. The crazy grandmother who can only be quieted by tequila or chocolate will make you smile. Sydlynn, herself, starts out being a big whiner, but really pulls it together as she finds her own path.
      I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt out of place and lost in the great sea of humanity. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy, mystery and witches. This is a wonderful YA book and I enjoyed reading it very much.
    • 4/5
      The world of All’s Fair in Vanities War is one of the most interesting I’ve read about in awhile. Drawing heavily on ancient Celtic mythology and what we know of druidic tradition, Marx has combined this with the American historical accounts of the Salem witch trials to create a rich backdrop full of depth and context. For generations Salem, Massachusetts has drawn powerful magic to it creating a behind-the-scenes division between ExtraOrdinary beings and Ordinary individuals as well as a magical hierarchy of Druids, Vates, Bards, witches and many other magical creatures. Salem’s magical pull comes from the Leyline that runs beneath it feeding the magical energies of the town’s inhabitants. I became so curious about all the mythological elements that Marx used to craft her story, that I ended up spending a lot of time on Wikipedia to see just what was well-known lore and what was all Marx. I must say I’m impressed with how many mythological details she worked into her story to fit her own plot and how smoothly she accomplished it. The two main characters of Vanities War are also extremely intriguing. Keleigh, the orphaned Vate and female protagonist of this story is a great character. She’s someone who has lost much to this magical world and now wants only to live a normal, non-magical life. And yet, that doesn’t appear to be her destiny. Keleigh is on a search for what she is – Vate or Ordinary – but even amidst her turmoil she has a confidence, strength, courage and kindness that defines the core of who she is. She also has a good head on her shoulders and a quick tongue, which makes her encounters with Locke all the more entertaining. When we first meet Locke, the good-looking, sweet-talking druid, he has lost his longtime girlfriend in a tragic car accident that has also scarred his beautiful face. Long vain and used to getting his way by using his looks, charm and innate power Locke must learn to discipline his use of magic, and begin to heal from the tragedy. Post-tragedy, he’s still a very charismatic character and still makes good use of his charm. He’s got an infectious confidence and an annoyingly endearing swagger. His accident does mature him and realign his priorities; his losses and mistakes have sobering him a bit… but not too much. The thing that really makes him so likeable is that under all the bravado, he really is a decent guy who really does care. Another major character in the book worth mentioning is the Seer. Killed in the same accident that scarred Locke’s face, she is reborn a Seer – one with the ability to traverse the nine worlds, witness to great events, and a keeper of secrets. She’s of particular interest to me, because although she is omnipresent and the narrator of the story, she really is only a secondary character. The reader sees the entire story through her eyes (she is after all a kind of story keeper), but she plays a slightly less important role in this novel than Locke or Keleigh. It’s an intriguing plot device, one that struck me as pretty unique, and, for the most part, it’s a device that Marx utilizes well. The Seer herself comes across as a very lost character. In fact, we’re never given her name throughout the entire book, a fact which adds to her mystique as well as plays to her uncertainty about herself. The Seer is unsure of her intended purpose. She’s lonely. She clings to shreds of her human existence unwilling to shed it completely and embrace her new reality. I look forward particularly to more development of her character in subsequent novels. Story. As I just mentioned, the unique narration style set this book apart immediately, as does the interesting relationship dynamic is creates as you begin to watch Keleigh and Locke’s friendship develop, as you keep in mind that the Seer was formerly Locke’s girlfriend. It just creates some interesting moments and perspective. As far as the mystery goes, as Keleigh and Locke search for the relic, it is very interesting and well-paced, and Marx does a fantastic job of building tension throughout their search. The climax of the novel, in particular is pretty dark, gripping and terrifying. The villain is truly frightening, and the final showdown of the story is just as intense as the climax. Though I thoroughly enjoyed All’s Fair in Vanities War, there were just a few things that kept it from a full five stars. First, though I love the world Marx created, I wish that there had been a bit more clarity closer to the beginning of the book explaining the structure and rules of this world. Before reading this book, I knew next to nothing about the mythology and lore behind Keleigh and Locke’s world. But it’s almost written as if it’s assumed that the reader has a cursory knowledge of Celtic lore. Don’t mistake me, I love the world, I was just reading in a state of confused fascination for a bit there. However by the end when it all falls into place, I felt as though I had a pretty good handle on things worked. Second, I love that the Seer plays the role of narrator, and though she does add her own commentary from time to time, I wish that there had been just a but more of it – a little more insight into the Seer and more opportunities for character development. Third, not a fan of the “absent parent” device, but that’s a personal preference, and Marx makes it work for her story. And finally, I don’t normally make mention of this, but there are a few glaring grammatical and spelling errors. Not a lot, but just enough to jar you out of the story. So if that really bothers you, Dear Reader, just be aware. Also be aware that this is a truly great story, and should you decide to pass over this one because of a few errors, you’re definitely going to be missing out. Overall, with a complex, fascinating world based on Celtic tradition, fantastic characters, intriguing relationship dynamics, compelling romance and an exciting fast-paced plot, All’s Fair in Vanities War is a wonderfully gripping paranormal read that has me eagerly anticipating the next installment.

    Book preview

    Family Magic - Patti Larsen

    Book One of the Hayle Coven Novels

    Patti Larsen

    Smashwords Edition

    Copyright 2011 by Patti Larsen

    Find out more at www.pattilarsen.com

    ***

    Smashwords Edition, License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    Cover art (copyright) by Valerie Bellamy. All rights reserved.

    http://www.dog-earbookdesign.com

    Edited by Annetta Ribken, freelance Goddess. You can find her at http://www.wordwebbing.com/

    ***

    Dedication

    It might be odd to dedicate a book to the main character, but so be it.

    Syd, sweetie, thank you. I’m doing what I love because you told me it was okay.

    ***

    Chapter One

    I batted at the curl of smoke drifting off the tip of my candle and tried not to sneeze. My heavy velvet cloak fell in oppressive, suffocating folds in the closed space of the ceremony chamber, the cowl trapping the annoying bits of puff I missed. I hated the way my eyes burned and teared, an almost constant distraction. Not that I didn’t welcome the distraction, to be honest. Anything to take my mind from what went on around me.

    Being part of a demon raising is way less exciting than it sounds.

    The bodies of the gathered coven pressed close, shrouded in the same black velvet, the physical weight of their presence making it hard to breathe. I struggled to censor my clichéd thoughts and focus on the task at hand. The glow of other candle flames floated around me, barely lighting faces, enough for a serious case of the creepies. A low hum sounded from every throat, filling the room with an almost physical presence. I participated half-heartedly, wishing I was anywhere but here, knowing despite my personal preferences I had no choice whatsoever.

    The group swayed as one as the hum grew in volume. The first hint of power made its way around the half-circle. I felt my own power being drawn away, connected and shared despite my reflexive attempt to pull free. As much as I suppressed my magic from day to day and refused to use it at all, the draw of the coven and my attachment to it made it impossible to deny.

    Totally crappy. Especially since anything to do with magic always made me feel slightly nauseated and off balance.

    I wiped a smoke-laced tear from the corner of my eye and blinked at the pentagram etched in the stone at my feet. The lines of the star began to glow faintly blue, the candles at each point flaring as though with the heartbeat of the whole, the breath and life of each and every soul in the room. I wondered if anyone ever checked to see if our hearts really did beat in sync. Wouldn’t that be special?

    I stifled a sigh as a tall, elegant form flowed forward from the circle to the center of the pentagram. She swept back the hood of her cloak, her long, thick and perfect black hair a flawless halo around her gorgeous face. Her eyes glowed with joy, cheeks flushed from the rush of energy coming from the coven, her coven. Miriam Hayle was everything every woman wanted to be. Beautiful, graceful, commanding, the perfect witch, the perfect leader, the perfect everything.

    My luck? She was my mother.

    I blew on the smoke from my candle as subtly as possible while barely managing to still the jiggle starting in my left knee. Somehow I always ended up in exactly the spot where a tiny little breeze pushed the white vapor the wrong way. A part of me was sure it was somehow contrived that way as an extra level of punishment piled on to my particular little corner of hell. And forget the sacrilege of blowing the candle out. It’s not a whole lot of fun being the center of the displeasure of fifty-odd witches of varying power, so I suffered.

    Oh believe me, I suffered. Every day, every moment, every breath. I, Sydlynn Hayle, sixteen-year-old All-American girl, was a witch. My mom was a witch. My grandmother was a witch, if a crazy one. My sister, my mom’s best friend and every single other person in my life, much to my disappointment, fell in that category, with a couple of exceptions. Lucky me. Except I spent my entire life wanting nothing more than to be normal, average, ordinary and just like everyone else.

    Hard to do in a family like mine.

    So there I was, another Saturday night, no friends, no social life, just the stupid coven and another stupid coven ritual. Could one girl’s life really suck that much?

    I glanced down at my little sister as she stared at our Mom, in rapt attention, beaming a smile. Meira glanced up at me, red-tinted skin and amber gaze aglow as the power in the room built, triggering her demon blood. In the ‘real world,’ Meira had to disguise her unusual coloring, her overlarge eyes and cute little horns peeking out of her silky black curls. Within the safety of the family she was free to be herself and I know she loved it.

    I always envied my eight-year-old sister her eagerness to embrace her birthright while I simply did everything I could to ignore it. Easier for me, I suppose, with my plain, dark brown hair and ordinary blue eyes, my white skin and handful of freckles. I did what I could not to look the part, to forget our dad was a demon.

    Meira grinned at me, her candle’s trail curling perfectly upward toward the ceiling in an endless swirl. I waved at my smoke again, the tickle in the back of my throat and nose getting worse. Meira watched me struggle like she always did. With laughter wrinkling her upturned nose, she waggled her fingers at my candle. I felt her power reach out, the thin film of it forming a delicate tube around the wick. My smoke immediately behaved. She winked before turning back to Mom.

    I felt stupid. So that’s how they did it…! Sixteen years of this crap, and it took my little sister taking pity on me to finally get the joke. Of course, if I ever paid attention or agreed to do magic, maybe I’d have known about it a long time ago. But the fact my suspicions were so dead on, that Mom obviously instructed the others to let me figure it out on my own or continue to suffer, made me grind my teeth in frustration. She would do anything to get me to use my talent, short of putting me in danger, and I even wondered about that.

    I tried to focus on the stupid ceremony and not my urge to throw the dumb candle in her flawless face.

    Yeah, that would go over well.

    Mom, either unaware or not caring about my present state of mind, raised her arms, robe falling into a perfect puddle at her feet, revealing her model’s figure in a black satin gown, polished silver jewelry at wrists and throat. She positively glowed with power, vivid blue eyes in rapture. How pathetically stereotypical. I wanted to throw up.

    I felt the strength flow out of me in a rush and struggled as I always did to control the weakness in my knees and the slow roll in my stomach. I tried to catch my breath as secretly as possible, furious this always left me on the verge of passing out. Of course, no one else showed any discomfort, just little old me. I guess knowing how to use your magic and being willing to share made the whole transfer easier. That’s me, fight tooth and nail, even to the point of pain.

    Sometimes I wondered why I was even invited.

    At least I had the diversion of being responsible for my grandmother. She stood next to me, as usual, about as into the whole thing as me, but for different reasons. She hummed softly under her breath, her watery blue eyes crossing and recrossing as she studied the tip of her protruding tongue. She turned to me, wisps of white hair escaping from the edges of her black cloak, fanning back and forth with a life of their own. Her powder white skin fell in crumpled folds, but her expression was pure childishness. She cackled, winning me a silent warning from my mother. I rolled my eyes at Mom before sneaking a caramel out of my pocket and slipping it to Gram. She made a face. Chocolate was her favorite, but I hadn’t time to track some down. Okay, honestly, I forgot and raided the candy dish on the way. I prayed the offering would be sufficient.

    Ethpeal Hayle had once been an influential witch. When I was just a baby, an evil coven challenged our family. She stood against them alone, cutting herself off to protect the rest of us. The Purity coven fell thanks to her, but the fight scrambled her sanity. So, I waited for the old woman to make up her mind about the candy and tried to be patient. It wasn’t her fault she was nuts.

    I saw the flicker of rejection as her wrinkled old mouth puckered and knew if I didn’t act right then the scene she could create would probably level the house. The fight with the Purities may have left her one fortune cookie short of a combo plate but it did nothing to reduce her power. Knowing I only had one chance, I curled my fingers and started to pull away.

    Her hand shot out, dagger-like nails brushing my palm as she snatched the sweet and stuffed it into her face. She grinned at me, nose wrinkling, eyes full of mischief. I tried not to react, knowing yet again we were saved by careful manipulation of my crazy grandmother.

    I returned my attention to Mom with some relief as, oblivious to the disaster I averted, she turned slowly, pivoting on manicured toes. I made a face at her fuchsia piggies, just in time to catch her disapproving frown. I could practically hear her whole body screaming at me to pay attention, the little hairs on my arms vibrating from it. I flashed her a half-grimace, half-smile so she would stop. Her expression softened. She turned away. Thankfully. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep up the whole fake happy thing without bursting into flames.

    She faced the altar at the back of the room and the life-sized stone effigy of an impossibly perfect and handsome man with large muscles and tiny horns on his smooth forehead. She pushed magical force toward it.

    Haralthazar, she glided closer to the statue, we summon you this third night of Power, nine days and nine nights from Samhain Eve, to tighten our bond with you and your realm. She knelt at the foot of the altar, the picture of the submissive handmaiden. Could she be any more ridiculous? Seriously. My love, come and be welcome.

    The blinding flash leaping from her to the statue continued to pour out of her in a deep blue rush of light. I turned my head slightly to the side, squinting against the glare, grateful for the edge of the cowl and the shadow it made. The whole room started to thrum, the floor vibrating with condensed magic as Mom used the energy we gave her to make the doorway permitting my father through to this plane.

    When it happened we all felt it rather than seeing it. The power swirled around us, drawing us all closer, forming us into one entity, one spirit, a seamless conduit to the other dimension. I always hated this part, the total and utter lack of self that came with the opening of the door. Every time I went through it I tried to pull back, but my own demon blood wouldn’t allow it. Even more so than the other witches in the room, my being was tied completely and without choice to what was happening at the altar. I was always helpless, tapped into, taken, and ended up on my knees behind my mother, Meira at my side, as the effigy of my father came to life.

    The blue flared to gold and Haralthazar, Demon Lord of the Seventh Plane of Demonicon, flushed and filled out. Still with the properties of stone but the appearance of flesh, he materialized from a burst of light as the gateway to his plane slammed open. For a heartbeat he stood there, haloed in the back glow of his dimension before the power propelled him the rest of the way forward and he stepped through and into his statue.

    ***

    Chapter Two

    There was a certain presence to my father, a weight, a physical feeling to being around him that always made me uncomfortable, especially when the door first opened. I hated to admit it, but I think it made me feel that way because I was afraid it could be me someday traveling between worlds.

    Haralthazar took the time to look over us. His chiseled face creased in a soft smile, gentle even, welcoming. Hard to believe, but true. My dad was a nice demon. Forget the whole pit of burning despair thing. Demons simply come from another plane, a different realm of existence. There are good guys and bad guys like here on Earth. Lucky for us, when my Mom decided to go unconventional even before the attack left her own mother crippled, she fell in love with Dad.

    He raised one arm over Mom. She stiffened as the energy rippled out of her in visible strings of light, flowing over the pentagram and back into each of us. I flinched as the thread hit me, out of breath and more than a little dizzy. Dad always gave back more than he took, at least to me.

    My love, well met. He bent and took my mother’s hand, helping her to her feet. Miriam, rise and stand with me.

    She took her place beside him. Emotion swirled between them. Dad beamed at us.

    I am well pleased, my friends, he said. Our coven grows and is strong. I offer power to the bond and love and protection to you all.

    Our thanks to you, the crowd murmured, my voice joining slightly late.

    He turned to me.

    Sydlynn Hayle, he held out one hand, come to your father.

    This part always made me feel like I was being dissected by all the eyes staring into my back. I despised being the center of attention. There was a definite slouch in my stance as I climbed to my feet and dragged myself unhappily to my parents.

    The first gift of our joining, welcome and my thanks for the sharing of power. With you, our light grows.

    You bet. My father frowned for an instant, enough to make me feel like a spoiled rotten little kid. How did he do that? I was happily cynical with my mother but Dad could reduce me to a child with one raised eyebrow. I guess he was mostly a great father and a really good guy and I hated disappointing him.

    I drew a breath and tried harder.

    My light to you, I said, louder.

    He smiled secretly. I smiled back as he bent over me and touched his lips to my forehead.

    Hi, cupcake, he whispered through the official kiss. How’s soccer going?

    Seriously. Cupcake. Fine, thanks, I whispered back. And you can stop calling me that.

    He grinned pure evil.

    Whatever you say. Cupcake.

    Ooh. Dads.

    Don’t piss off your mother, he said.

    Doing my best. I rolled my eyes.

    Dad straightened up and addressed the group.

    This is my child, truly born, a member of this coven. Who speaks against her?

    In the silence that followed, I half-heartedly hoped someone would kick me out.

    All is well, he said. Our love to you, Sydlynn Hayle.

    I made a face at him for the whole stupid thing.

    Thanks, I said. Dad dropped a small wink as I stepped back.

    Meira Hayle, come forward.

    My sister stepped up eagerly. I heard her soft giggle as our father repeated the kiss he gave me. I’d ask her later what he said to make her laugh. Not that I’d ever admit it, but we didn’t get to see our father all that often and I was a bit jealous of her time spent with him.

    Dad straightened over her.

    This is my child, truly born, and a member of this coven. Who speaks against her?

    Meira must have said something cute because our dad struggled not to laugh in the silence.

    All is well, he repeated. Our love to you, Meira Hayle.

    Meira stepped back, her little hand slipping into mine. She grinned up at me as the ceremony continued.

    I tried not to laugh when Gram, up next, planted a wet, sticky one on him. He had the good nature to hug her back and smile at her with real warmth and love. She tottered back to us, so pleased with herself she wriggled like a little girl.

    I struggled with a case of the fidgets as the validation process continued but couldn’t help the impatient shift from sneaker to sneaker making its way through my defenses. Witch after witch, male and female alike, professed their undying love and loyalty to our family, etcetera, and so on, ad nausem. It took forever. And to think we had to go through this twice a year. According to Mom, with the dying of the summer at Samhain and its rebirth at Beltane, the connection between our plane and Dad’s was closest. It made the bonding easier and more powerful.

    Blah, blah, blah.

    The only problem? It was the epitome of boring. Besides, I had homework to do. I could hardly explain to my science teacher I didn’t get my chemistry done because I was helping my coven renew its bond with my demon father. Who knew? Maybe Mr. Sinclair would give me a better mark if he thought I packed that kind of firepower.

    Finally, and I do mean finally, the ceremony ended with the last of them stepping back from Haralthazar. He turned to my mother. The love in their eyes as they gazed at each other was, if I have to be totally honest, sickening and way over the top.

    My love. He held her hands to his chest, the top of her head reaching his chin, the flawless, perfect lovers, channeling a bad romance novel.

    Meira poked me. I knew I was making faces in disgust. It was just so embarrassing. Normal people didn’t do that kind of thing in public. Meira and I exchanged a knowing smirk and I pretended to gag.

    My life, Mom said with bated breath.

    Another grimace. Meira giggled.

    Our circle is whole. Our power is renewed, and our love. Even Dad was in on the nonsense.

    Yours always, my love. Mom stretched up on her tiptoes.

    I quickly found something else to look at, horrified by the open attraction my parents had no problem sharing with the rest of us. Didn’t they get public displays of affection were the height of icky? I’m sure if it were me, I’d be grounded.

    Meira sniggered and made a little kissing noise. I choked on a laugh and had to struggle not to cough.

    Dad winked at us.

    My people, my family, I embrace you with my love. I felt the warmth flow through me as his presence wrapped around us all. It made me want to fidget again but this time I won.

    Love to you, we all said at once. I hated this part, too, and did my best not to battle against the power flowing in a great circle from one witch to the next, passing between us like a hug, connecting us in ways too personal for my liking. I shuddered when it was done, skin crawling. Personal space meant nothing to them.

    Joy and peace to you all.

    And to you, I murmured along with the others. I glared at my candle and fought the urge to run away.

    We are one, he said.

    And the same, the coven answered.

    Power to blood. Dad raised his arms.

    Blood to power. The coven swayed.

    Family for eternity. I scowled at him.

    Family forever, I stared him down, but this time he wasn’t smiling. I didn’t like the serious expression on his face but shrugged at him. He finally looked away.

    Joined together, my soul to your soul, my heart to your heart, past, present and future, one and the same.

    The coven sighed as a whole as the warmth slowly left. Dad lowered his arms and embraced Mom. She turned, a light sheen of sweat on her cheeks and a huge smile on her face.

    Thank you all.

    The crowd murmured and started blowing out candles. My stomach slowly unclenched as I extinguished mine with relief and tossed it at Meira.

    Thanks, Meems.

    She blew delicately at her own, leaving behind a heart in her smoke. I poked it with my finger, but couldn’t break it. We looked up together at our parents and for a heartbeat the four of us connected, just us, in the remains of the power in the room.

    I actually felt like I belonged.

    ***

    Chapter Three

    Someone had to switch on the light. I found the sudden brightness oddly offensive. And, what’s worse, the slender thread holding us snapped and I shivered in my robe, empty and cold. It bothered me I could get so wrapped up in the illusion of candlelight. When it broke and reality came back it was always disappointing to find myself in an ordinary basement.

    Not that the magic was a sham, quite the opposite. In fact, it was way too real for me, always had been. Ever since I could remember I resisted who and what I was. Moments like the one I just shared gave me the creeps, even if they felt good at the time. What was I thinking? Normal. The ultimate goal was to be normal. My parents might be able to force me to do this song and dance for a couple more years, but eighteen here I come.

    I winced as one of the men stumbled against a cardboard box marked China. A soft tinkle whispered of something delicate shattering. I guess it was fitting.

    The crowd dissolved into a group of ‘just folks’, shedding their robes, revealing jeans and business suits underneath, as conversation started.

    …had a chance to try out the new babysitter? She’s a pet…

    …was sure the boys would pull their socks up this year, but so far they’re still at the bottom of the league…

    …love your new shoes! What's the name of the store…

    It amazed me they could simply shrug off the residue of power, the huge and scary stuff we did, and go back to an ‘ordinary’ life without even a hint of the truth showing through.

    I, on the other hand, was terrible at it, like most everything else in my screwed up life. It seemed like after every ceremony I attended it took me a couple of days to stop dropping bits of magic here and there. Nothing major or the coven would take steps, but enough to reinforce my absolute resolve to get out of this crazy life forever.

    I shucked out of my robe with relief. The only things keeping me from leaving it in an unruly puddle on the floor were my mother’s eagle eyes and her crooked finger summoning me closer. I was so tempted to do it, to see what would happen, what she would do, say, to piss her off. I was in that kind of headspace, a mother-baiting mood usually starting so innocently and ending in punishment and tears. But, instead, to keep my father happy, I slouched toward them as Mom addressed the crowd.

    Snacks in the kitchen. Erica, will you open the wine, please?

    Erica Plower, my mom’s best friend and second, waved as she left, shiny blonde bob swinging. I ignored the pointed glare she shot at me before leaving, knowing I would have her smart comments to deal with later. At least Mom had a good friend, but because Erica knew us all so well sometimes it felt like I had two mothers.

    Personally, I figured the one I had was more than enough.

    The crowd followed Erica, moving to the stairs, talk getting louder as the real world finally took over and the hungry horde made its way out of the basement. Gram, her ears perked by the mention of food, dashed from my side before I could stop her and pushed her way through the rest of the crowd. She disappeared through the door and I heard her badgering Erica for chocolate. Meanwhile, Mom slipped her arm around my shoulders and hugged me a little harder than necessary as she smiled at the exiting group. No escape for me. Meira hovered near Dad, as if she knew something was coming but was too young to realize it would probably dissolve into a mess she shouldn’t witness.

    In fact, from the expression on Mom’s face I was sure Meira should leave before we tore into it. But as I drew a breath to make that very suggestion, the last of the coven vanished up the stairs and Mom turned me bodily toward her, a frown creasing her perfect face.

    Thank you for your enthusiastic participation, young lady. She tried very hard to be stern, but my mom didn’t do stern very well. It came across as huffy.

    You're welcome.

    Her eyes flashed fire, normal Mom fire, not the magic stuff. Dad chuckled. She spun on him. He held up his hands for protection.

    Miriam, he started.

    Harry! She finished.

    It dissolved into them sweetly gazing at each other. Would my time in family hell never end?

    Can I go? I glared back and forth between them. I have homework.

    Mom crossed her arms over her chest.

    You would think you didn’t want to see your father, Sydlynn.

    Mom…

    Of course she does, Dad said, don’t you, Syd?

    I love seeing you, Dad. I really meant it.

    Mom softened a little, but I knew the dangerous stuff was still to come. The crying and yelling stuff. To be honest, it was getting to the point where I hardly listened anymore. The same old, same old. And yet, there was obviously more ammunition on the way. I braced myself for the guilt trip and held on.

    "This

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