Meet Siren McKay. Headstrong, hotheaded, and streetsmart, Siren left New York City and returned to her bucolic hometown of Cold Springs, Pennsylvania, to escape the demons of her past.

But Cold Springs has demons of its own. Smoldering beneath the veneer of domestic tranquility are violent tempers and murderous desires. In no time the town is buzzing with rumors that Siren is a witch. And a recent spate of mysterious fires, threatening phone calls, and alarming psychic visions have Siren convinced that someone wants her dead.

With nowhere to go and few people she can trust, Siren, a descendant of Appalachian witches, realizes that to survive she must rely upon her magickal heritage. In this excerpt from Murder at Witches’ Bluff, Siren formally joins the Craft of the Wise in a very unusual initiation into her family tradition.

Initiation
"For I say unto thee, ‘twer better to rush upon my blade and perish than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart. Say thee again, do you wish to continue?"

And Siren could feel them now. They were all around her. Elementals, ghosts, wraiths, filling the circle. The wind moaned outside of the windows. A low humming sound seemed to rise from the floorboards within. Whispers, like dead leaves, filled her ears. She closed her eyes slowly.

"Yes, I will go forward."

Margaret smiled, those teeth glittering wetly in the soft light. She raised the blade to Siren’s throat, the sharp edge glittering in the candlelight. "Your first oath has been witnessed by the Gods, but the challenged is yet to come." She thrust her arm toward the north window. "The hunted turns to hunter!"

One moment the thunder seemed to split the universe, the next a bobcat crashed through the window, screaming and prowling the perimeter of the circle.

"Take the beast into yourself and acknowledge your power!" screamed Margaret. "If you do not, you shall die this very day, and she shall feast upon your flesh!"

The bobcat screamed again, swiping a paw over the circle boundary, slicing through her blue jeans, catching the meat of Siren’s calf and drawing blood. She crumpled slightly, but regained her balance.

"Be the hunter!" cried Margaret. "Welcome the animal into your arms!"

They gazed at each other, cat and human. Time stood still. Siren opened her arms, turning her neck for the vicious bite.

The cat turned in a circle, howled, then jumped, spitting and clawing into Siren’s arms. She fell, spinning backward, her head slamming onto the flagstone circle.

Silence.

She opened her eyes.

The window again was in perfect order. Not a pane broken, not a bit of rain upon the carpet. Siren’s eyes felt like they would pop out of her head.

"You have bravely passed the test," said Margaret, standing over her. The woman reached down and grabbed Siren’s left hand with her right. As she pulled Siren on her feet, Margaret’s left hand went to the small of her back. "Welcome home, my sister." She let go. Siren teetered, but kept her feet. She looked at her arms. Not a scratch on her skin.

"Now. Place your hand on the blade," commanded Margaret.

She held the blade of the knife horizontally between them. Siren placed her shaking hand on the blade. Margaret covered Siren’s hand with her own. "Do you swear by your mother’s womb and all that you hold sacred that you will respect and honor the Gods?"

"Yes."

"That you will strive to serve the Gods and to learn the Craft of the Wise?"

"Yes."

"That you will not use the knowledge that you gain through this initiation to cause harm to your people?"

"Yes."

"Turn your hand over, please."

Siren did as she was told. With a flick of the wrist, Margaret waved the knife over the palm of Siren’s hand. The natural lines in Siren’s palm melted and swirled, changing into a crescent moon and seven stars.

"Your oath has been witnessed by the Gods. There is no turning back now, either in this life or in those to come. So mote it be."

JJJ

Written in the style of magickal realism by one of America’s most famous witches, authentic magickal techniques and the rich folklore of the Appalachians combine with spine-tingling suspense for a chilling tale of betrayal and murder.