Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge 01 - Spell Bound by Jacob Z. Flores Read Free Book Online Page A

bad, there is good. For despair, there is hope. For pain, there are moments of pleasure. For all that falls, there is the chance to rise again. May we find balance in our lives as we find it in our hearts.”
    “And so shall it be,” we all answered.
    The candles flickered out, and for a moment we stood under the starlit sky. In a few minutes, the candles would relight and the ritual would be over. We could then eat, commune, and go our separate ways for the evening.
    But instead of flickering back to life, the candles erupted into columns of flame. Loud gasps and low murmurs followed. After the candles returned to their natural state, within the circle stood nine robed and hooded figures. Three were in black, three were in gray, and three were in white.
    The Conclave, the ultimate authority of our species, was here. They never made personal appearances at celebrations. They instead watched all rituals from afar. What had brought them to Havenbridge?
     
     
    S HORTLY AFTER the Conclave’s arrival, the Mabon celebration abruptly ended, and all the guests left. Only the protector covens remained behind, and my father, Mr. and Mrs. Stonewall, and Mr. and Mrs. Proctor met with the Conclave inside.
    I stood in the backyard with the rest of the kids, which is what we were basically considered. The only true children here were Keaton and Kate Stonewall. They were only twelve. It made perfect sense for them to be excluded. But the rest of us should have been in there. We ranged in age from eighteen to twenty-eight and were definitely not children.
    Not that many of us seemed to mind. Keaton and Kate ran around their big brother and sister, Elliot and Edith, who sat cross-legged in the grass, meditating. Adam and Charlotte were carrying on what appeared to be a serious conversation that I couldn’t help but feel involved me somehow. They occasionally glanced over to me while they talked. Not even my brothers seemed bothered by what was going on. Pierce chatted on his cell with someone he was most likely banging while Thad sat on one of the swings, reading something on his phone.
    The only other person who seemed annoyed was Miranda. Like me, she was staring through the back window at our parents. They sat in the Stonewall living room, speaking with nine of the most powerful of us all.
    “This blows,” Miranda said as she crossed to stand next to me. “This is probably about that poor woman on the football field. We should be in there.”
    I nodded. “But that’s not how we do things,” I said, doing my best to mimic my father.
    She chuckled. “Yeah. I hear that from my dad all the time.” She cleared her throat and lowered her voice. “Miranda, why can’t you be like your brother and sister and just do what’s expected of you? Why do you have to be so difficult all the time?” She blew out a quick puff of air. “As if I want to be anyone else but me. I’m a witch with her own mind, and yeah, I’m grateful for what we can do and for our status, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ask questions or voice my opinions.”
    I couldn’t help but gape at her. How could someone I despised so much be just like me?
    “What?” Her usual grimace curled her lips. “Don’t look at me as if I’m a freak, or I’ll warp your sorry ass into the middle of Cape Cod Bay.” Warping was what Miranda called her active teleportation power. It was both uncommon and powerful because it derived from spirit, the most potent element of them all. White magic drew its power straight from the five elements, and most witches tapped into fire, water, earth, or air. Not Miranda.
    “No, thanks,” I said. “I experienced your warping once before, and I was nauseous for days.”
    “Then don’t look at me like that, and we won’t have a problem.”
    Her father was right. She was difficult. “Look, I don’t think you’re a freak. I feel the same way you do.” Even though I had her full attention, she grimaced at me. She clearly believed I