Black Moon (The Moonlight Trilogy) Read Online Free PDF

with that cinnamon, since peppermint is the preferred.” She looked over at Char and Elliot. “Will y’all go grab those candles?”
    Char and Elliot jumped up from the table, left the room. “Clear the table,” Rowan said, his Scottish brogue drawing out the vowels of the words. The stones, herbs, and remaining dinner plates were whisked away. Simon and Willa moved back, standing near the table. Willa looked up at him with a wonder-what-we-get-to-do-next look. He shrugged. The tests were always a surprise, which made Simon even more uneasy about what might happen with his powers.
    Char and Elliot returned with a large box. Elliot proceeded to place glass candlesticks, about six inches in height, along the table in one long row. Char followed behind, placing a red taper in each one. When thirty candles lined the eight-foot farmhouse table from end to end, they stepped back with the other witches hovering behind Willa and Simon.
    Simon frowned. Candles probably meant Fire; Fire was the most unpredictable element, the hardest to control.
    Rowan cleared his throat, gave his dusty brown beard a stroke, and then said, “You both know how to light a single candle, but this exercise tests your ability to control fire more precisely. Darby will call out instructions and then you must light only the candles she names. Make sense?”
    Simon nodded. Willa said, “Yes.”
    “Okay, Willa, you first.” Rowan motioned for her to step forward. Simon sensed her nervousness; Fire was her weakest skill. Darby nodded to her, and Willa lifted her right hand. Energy sparked on the air as she summoned magic.
    “Two!” Darby called out.
    Willa snapped her fingers and two candles burst to life.
    “Good. That was an easy one.” Darby waved her hand and the candles went out. “Now, five.”
    Willa snapped again; five candles lit in the middle of the row. She smiled and rubbed her hand on her jeans.
    “Eight on the left.”
    Willa did it easily.
    “Two on each end.”
    Another snap, and two lit on one end but only one on the other. Willa’s shoulders tensed, and Simon could hear her berating herself in her mind.
    Darby waved them out. “No problem. That’s a tricky one. Let’s try one more. One on each end and one in the middle.”
    Willa narrowed her eyes and then snapped. Several random candles flared. She dropped her arm with a sigh. Simon wanted to step forward and comfort her.
    “Sorry,” Willa said quietly.
    “Nothing to be sorry for, Willa,” Rowan said. “This skill takes a lot of practice. We didn’t expect you to be able to do them all.”
    “Heck, no,” Darby added. “Even I messed up a few times on this test. Good job, girl.”
    Willa nodded somberly, “Thanks.”
    “Take a break, and let’s switch. Simon, you’re up,” Rowan said.
    Simon’s heart gave a nervous twitch. He put a hand on Willa’s shoulder as they passed. Control it. Just take a deep breath, and control it, he told himself
    “Ready?” Darby asked. Simon nodded. “Ten together.”
    Snap! Heat flowed out of his fingertips, and ten candles on the right end burst to life, just as he’d wanted. He exhaled.
    “Three on each end.”
    Three and three orange flames flickering. Energy stirred in his gut, the magic eager to move out of him. Calm and control.
    “One in the middle.”
    Easy. Darby narrowed her eyes slightly, evaluating him, deciding what to ask next.
    “Okay, let’s go faster. Ready?” she asked. Simon gave an eager nod.
    “Five.” He lit, and she waved them out quickly. “Two on each end.” Done. “Half of them.” Easy. The magic bubbled excitedly inside him, his hand hot.
    “One . . . Eight . . . Two . . . Twelve . . .” Each number was easily executed. The room grew quiet except for Darby’s voice and Simon’s snapping. Darby folded her arms smugly. “All of them.”
    Simon snapped immediately, his fingers giving off a tiny spark. All the candles on the table flared, flames rising high. Someone behind him gasped. He