A Witch's Journey Read online

  Table of Contents

  Excerpt

  Praise for Tena Stetler

  A Witch’s Journey

  Copyright

  Dedications

  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

  A word from the author…

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  She hopped out of the truck

  and took a deep breath. The ocean breeze brought a mixed scent of brine, sand, sun, and kelp. Seabirds whistled and screeched through the air diving into the white crested waves, proudly emerging with dinner. Turning her attention to the land, she noticed beyond the barn the pond was still there, even a bit bigger than she remembered. Caught up in the smells, sights, and sounds, she didn’t hear someone approach.

  “Ms. McKay?”

  “Sssshit,” she yelped and whirled around to see a muscular man, well over six feet, with surfer blond hair nearly to his shoulders, tousled by the ocean breeze. Rounding the corner of the cabin, he waved at her as he approached walking with a slight limp. Deeply tanned, he appeared to spend a lot of time outdoors.

  “I’m Lathen Quartz. Glad you made it before dark. The road up here can be treacherous at night if you don’t know where you’re going. I finished up the enclosed aviary and was getting ready to leave. But now that you’re here, I’d be happy to show you around. Help you get settled.”

  “Pepper McKay, call me Pepper.” Extending her hand toward him, she met his gaze. His large aquamarine eyes were mesmerizing, set above the high cheekbones, full lips, and a butterscotch five o’clock shadow. She gave her head a shake. “Wait. You built an aviary?”

  He shook her hand and smiled, shoving his hands in the pockets of his jeans and rocking back on his heels.

  Praise for Tena Stetler

  “I totally enjoyed [A DEMON’S WITCH] …fun paranormal romance, with enough sizzle and suspense to keep those pages turning, rooting for that Happily Every After.”

  ~Author Katie O’Sullivan

  ~*~

  “I’m always surprised when I come across a paranormal romance [CHARM ME] that I like, so the fact that I loved this romance was kind of a shock to my system. But you simply can’t help but be drawn in by the simmering electricity between Devlin and Summer.”

  ~Lauren, reviewer at Romance4thebeach

  A Witch’s Journey

  by

  Tena Stetler

  The Lobster Cove Series

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

  A Witch’s Journey

  COPYRIGHT © 2016 by Tena Stetler

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by Kristian Norris

  The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Black Rose Edition, 2016

  Print ISBN 978-1-5092-0820-3

  Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-0821-0

  The Lobster Cove Series

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedications

  To my family and friends, who are so supportive.

  My husband, Bruce, who rocks!

  And my editor, Lill,

  who makes my books the best they can be.

  To my readers, thanks so much!

  Chapter One

  Sometimes You Have to Slam a Door

  Before Opening a Window

  A loud knock on the apartment door broke her concentration. The scrying crystal connected to a delicate gold chain that seconds before floated in the air, dropped and bounced once, then came to rest on top a dog-eared map of the United States. Pepper cursed, shoved at the map spread across the glass-topped, oak coffee table, then closed her eyes as her mind’s third eye opened. At her apartment door stood a stocky young man with short dark hair, dressed in business casual attire. He shifted from one foot to the other and held a large white envelope along with a business card.

  He leaned his ear to the door, listened, and knocked again, louder this time. “Ms. McKay…Pepper McKay are you in there?”

  Not wanting to acknowledge the visitor, Pepper sat still, opened her eyes, and rested her head in her hands. The last thing she needed tonight was a visit from another process server with more legal papers telling her she was no longer welcome in Salem. Or at least in this quaint, cozy apartment building she’d called home for the last ten years. It was within walking distance to the wildlife rescue she worked for as a licensed rehab specialist. The rescue was more than a job. It was her life’s work. But her continued employment now endangered the grants and funding the center depended upon to stay open. Even though Gwen protested, Pepper resigned, came home, packed up her apartment, and prepared to leave by week’s end. All thanks to the landlord who had a vendetta against witches. Gee, imagine that, discrimination against witches in Salem, Massachusetts.

  In her heart, she knew she could win a lawsuit against the manager and the corporation that owned the building. But she was also aware a legal battle against a large corporation would take money, lots of it. The costs would gobble up the small inheritance she’d received from her paternal grandmother and probably cut into her modest income from the rescue. But it was a moot point, she had resigned.

  All this happened due to the magic storm that hit the town a month ago on the anniversary of a Bishop witch’s burning during the Salem Witch Trials. The magic climate was always unstable around the anniversary, but this year, buildings were damaged, sidewalks buckled, mortals became disorientated, and chaos reigned for almost forty-eight hours. She had put up a magic barrier around the rehab center, so there was no disruption, but it had drawn attention and couldn’t be explained away. If she had it to do over again, she wouldn’t change a thing. Her boyfriend’s big mouth didn’t help matters. She’d given him the boot shortly thereafter. Bad taste in men, her downfall.

  She shook her head and blinked away the tears. She wouldn’t cry anymore. Straightening her shoulders, she pushed up from the couch, swiping at the crumpled eviction notice next to the map, which went flying across the room. Her elbow caught the edge of the lampshade sitting on the end table beside the couch, send the lamp crashing to the floor. Great. Now whoever was at the door knows I’m here.

  In the darkness she stumbled over one of the boxes, and fell against the oak table, hitting her head on the floor. She sat up, flicked her wrist, and a ball of light hovered in the center of the room. Getting to her feet, she rubbed the bump on her head, walked to the end of the couch, and turned on the other table lamp. What a mess. Where the hell did I pack the dustpa
n?

  Another series of knocks on the door pushed Pepper’s temper to the end of its tether. All the hurt, anger, and frustration of the past weeks boiled over. She flung the door open and screamed, “What the hell do you want? I’m leaving.” Her cheeks warmed as she stared at the stranger.

  The young man took a step back, eyes rounded, he looked through the doorway into the room stacked with boxes and said, “I think you have me confused with someone else. My name is Jack Kelly. I am a private investigator for the Fairbanks Law Firm in Bar Harbor, Maine.” He extended his hand, with the white envelope in it, toward her.

  Pepper stared at the envelope and business card attached. Was this some kind of joke? What would a law firm in Maine want with me? She took the envelope and gave the young man a rueful smile. The heat in her cheeks continued to burn. “I’m sorry, I’ve had a rough week or two.”

  “That’s all right, I think your luck is about to change. Have a good night.”

  As Jack turned to walk away, she leaned against the door frame and let the envelope flutter to the floor, too tired to care anymore.

  Just before Pepper closed the door, Jack turned around and asked, “Did you know an Ashling Connor McKay or Colleen Denton?”

  Pepper’s eyes went wide. Ashling was a favorite aunt. She’d loved spending summers in Maine working with her aunt rehabbing harbor seals that had gotten caught in boat propellers, fishing nets, or worse, barely escaping the jaws of an orca. Her aunt had been instrumental in helping Pepper get her certification, once she graduated from college with a degree in Marine Biology.

  After the funeral, Colleen, Ashling’s companion for over twenty-five years, was devastated. Pepper’s mom kept in contact with Colleen, but Pepper threw herself into her work trying to fill the void her aunt’s death left. She’d talked to Colleen by phone on holidays, but hadn’t returned to Lobster Cove since the funeral.

  “Ms. McKay?” Jack asked, jolting Pepper back to the present.

  “Yes, Ashling McKay is…was…my aunt. She passed away five years ago. Why? What does this have to do with her?” Pepper wanted to know.

  “Well, I don’t know all the particulars. I was only hired to find you.” Jack peered through his wire-rimmed glasses, his forehead wrinkled, and paused for a couple of beats. “But it’s my understanding that Colleen Denton gave notice that she would be vacating the premises she had shared with Ms. McKay and moving in with a brother and his family.” He shrugged. “Guess upkeep of the place got to be too much for her. That terminates the life estate Ashling set up for Colleen.”

  At Pepper’s quizzical look, he explained. “A life estate is where Ms. McKay’s Last Will and Testament allowed Colleen to live on the property they shared until she died or chose to relocate. At that time, the property reverts to the estate. Therefore, since you are the sole beneficiary as set out in Ms. McKay’s will, the property and the rest of the estate now go to you. It’s all explained in the letter.” Jack nodded toward the floor where the letter had fallen,

  “What? Are you sure?” Pepper gulped in air as her heart thundered in her chest, hoping the room would quit spinning. She put her hand on the wall beside the door frame to steady herself and closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, the room was stationary, and a trickle of sweat ran down the side of her face.

  “You didn’t know?” Jack asked raising an eyebrow. “Maybe you should sit down. You don’t look so good.”

  “I’ll be fine,” she said taking another deep breath and feeling better. “Just give me a minute or two.” Pepper directed her gaze toward him. “Now you were saying?”

  “I’ve probably said too much. Anyway, Mr. Fairbanks asked that you call him right away. All his contact information is in the packet. Mine is the business card attached to the outside.”

  “Thank you.” Pepper bent over, scooped up the envelope, ran her fingernail under the flap and turned her attention to the contents. She pulled out the papers and glanced over them. “Appears I’ve all the information needed.” She looked at her watch. “He’s probably gone for the evening. I’ll contact him tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Jack said and started down the hallway, then pulled his cell phone from his coat pocket.

  Pepper watched him put the phone to his ear, closed the door, and leaned her back against the solid surface. If the PI was to be believed, at least now she had a place to go. She considered calling her parents and decided against it. A better idea was to finish packing her stuff in the trailer she’d rented, then drive up to Lobster Cove. See what the attorney had to say and take it from there. She tapped the envelope against her leg, thinking.

  As she started out the door with the last box, her knee caught the strap of her backpack sitting on the little table beside the entrance.

  “Shit.” She’d left it unzipped, and her wallet, keys, phone, and pepper spray skittered across the floor. Setting the box down, she stuffed all the items into her backpack, and a membership card to the gym fluttered to the floor. Although she spent long hours at work, hitting the gym afterword seemed to ease the day’s stress and helped her sleep better. She picked up the card, tore it up, and tossed it in the trash. Crap, I was paid up for three months.

  When she bent over to pick up the box again, her phone rang. She pulled her cell out of the backpack and checked caller ID. “Hi, Gwen.”

  “What ya doing?”

  “About to put the last box in the trailer. I’m headed to Lobster Cove in the morning.”

  “Lobster Cove? What’s up there?”

  “The strangest thing happened tonight,” Pepper said and proceeded to tell Gwen about Jack and the conversation they’d had.

  “That’s great news. I hate to ask, but would you be willing to take Kaylee with you? She’s been out of control since you left yesterday. Kept the other birds up all night with her sharp whistles. This morning she wouldn’t eat and continued with her frenzied noise.”

  “Won’t relocation stress her?”

  “Not any worse than she is right now. We can crate her for you and pack fish on dry ice for the trip.”

  “No—don’t crate her, I’ll do it when I get there, but appreciate the fish. I’d planned to leave before dawn tomorrow, but I can wait. What time will someone be there tomorrow morning?”

  “I’m staying the night, to try to calm everyone down. So the earlier, the better.”

  Gwen’s jaw-popping yawn came over the phone, and Pepper paused. “How about I come over right now? That should calm her down and in turn the others, so everyone can get to sleep. I’ll stay tonight then feed and crate Kaylee at first light, and we’ll be off when you arrive.”

  “I’d be grateful. See ya soon. “Gwen blew out a breath and disconnected the call.

  Pepper tucked her phone in the backpack, picked up the box, and took one more look around, then closed and locked the apartment door. A few minutes later her truck rolled to a stop in front of the center. She hopped out and sprinted toward Kaylee’s enclosure. The sound was deafening. Kaylee had all the birds in an uproar.

  Gwen waited at the gate, her short dark brown hair wild as usual, sporting new pink highlights. She unlocked the enclosure. Pepper did a double take at her friend’s new color and slipped her arm in the leather protector. On the way through, she grabbed a portable perch made for Kaylee, stepped inside the area, and raised her arm. The four pound, twenty-four-inch-tall osprey wobbled through the air and touched down gripping tightly to Pepper’s arm. In a quiet voice, she calmed the bird and transferred her to the perch. With the ringleader quieted, the rest followed suit.

  Gwen shook her head. “She’s a far cry from the nearly dead osprey chick from eight years ago. She was your first rescue and rehab, wasn’t she?”

  “Yeah, vet said with Kaylee’s busted-up wing and mangled foot, if she survived, she’d never fly or perch well. Yet, she is doing both. The vet did a good job putting her back together.”

  “Yep. Thanks for coming. It’s almost like she knew somethin
g was wrong.”

  “Seems everything is going to be all right. Go get some sleep.”

  Pepper crashed on one of the cots used for emergencies, Kaylee’s perch positioned next to the bed.

  The horizon was a magnificent yellow with orange tentacles spreading across the dusky sky before Pepper said her goodbyes with promises to keep in touch. Kaylee’s crate was secure in the back seat of the truck with her cooler of fish on the floor. After five and half hours on the road, Bar Harbor’s welcome sign came into view.

  Pepper followed the navigator’s directions to the Law Office of Fairbanks and Fairbanks. With the prevailing winds, the spring day was cool, and dark clouds threatened an afternoon storm. During her early morning call, Brandon Fairbanks said he could meet with her early afternoon to discuss the estate and answer any questions she may have. He was reluctant to discuss the case over the phone, which she felt was understandable.

  She locked the doors, but left all four windows cracked in her maroon crew cab pickup, covered Kaylee’s crate, and hoped she’d be quiet. Before pushing through the sparkling glass doors to the upscale law firm, she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Once inside, her steps were hushed on the plush tan carpeting as she walked to the circular desk in the center of the lobby. The receptionist greeted her with a smile and put a call on hold.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I have a meeting with Brandon Fairbanks,” Pepper said quietly, noting from the name plate the receptionist’s name was Pam.

  “Oh, you must be Pepper McKay. He is expecting you. I’ll let him know you’re here. Just have a seat. There’s hot beverages on the table and bottled water in the little fridge.”

  The furnishing, décor, and a few clients seated all spoke to the wealth of the firm. Dressed in her black jeans, red striped sweater, and work boots, she felt a bit uncomfortable, but settled into a tan and brown upholstered chair and picked up a magazine. A young man stopped at the receptionist desk, then smiled over at Pepper putting her at ease as he walked toward her.

  “Ms. McKay, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand. “Ms. Denton told me all about you and your rehabilitation work in Salem.”