Bound In Blood (The Adams' Witch Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

cologne clinging to his long, black robe smothered the wood smoke that had filled my nostrils.
    I peered at him. He turned away and pulled his hood up. He was the exact match of the person on stage.
    I sat with a wizard. I talked with a wizard.
    Still, I inched closer to him. The fire, the reddish sky, the grim reaper, the witches, everything. It got to me. An eerie feeling tangled itself within every thought, like something hidden watched from just beyond sight.
    On the stage, the figure in the dark cloak threw back the hood. The fire glow cast the face in shadows, an ever-changing kaleidoscope of orange, red, and black. The speakers thumped, thumped, thumped as the black hooded figure tapped the front of the microphone. The hollow sound echoed throughout the open park and bounced off the surrounding buildings. No one talked. They barely even moved. Only the slight ripple of the crowd as everyone inclined their heads and inched forward, awe-struck.
    The wind picked up, fueling the flames. The blazed erupted, flaring up, lighting the figure’s face. I gasped.
    The grim reaper wasn’t a guy. It was Rose.
    Drake peeked over at me, his eyebrows knit together. “You okay?”
    “That’s my aunt,” I whispered loudly, still trying to comprehend it myself. “What is she doing up there?”
    “She’s the leader.”
    “Huh?” Uneasiness squeezed my chest, like the time I went to see that stupid Ouija board movie with friends. They all laughed through the scary parts while I spent most of the movie with my heart trembling and one second away from closing my eyes. “Leader of what?”
    “This.” Drake opened his arms wide and twisted his body, scanning the corners of the five-sided park. “She puts all this together.”
    I took it all in. Giant banners announced “Adams Colonization”, eerie witch posters and mannequins with stringy green hair and large, red eyeballs stared back. The guards along the stage dressed in old brown suits and hats I guessed were supposed to be replicas of what the first settlers wore. The costumes reminded me of pilgrims. They stood at attention, faces impassible as they monitored the crowd. The picture sank into my brain, this parallel reality where past met present in a jumbled mesh.
    Drake leaned into me again. “Sorry. I should’ve told you.”
    No wonder why she said she was too busy to hang out with me. I snuck forward a little, caught up in the surprise appearance of Rose. The arm that had been touching Drake instantly chilled. He was so nice. And cute. But the reason why I came here was up on that stage.
    Rose’s voice rang out, low and seductive. “On this day in 1610, our ancestors inhabited a foreign land. Today, we call that piece of land Adams, Virginia.” Scattered applause swelled through the park. “Our ancestors brought with them superstition…and fear from England. Men and women, children—all terrified of one thing.” Rose’s hypnotic voice was mesmerizing and I leaned forward even more. “Witches.” The stare of an old, wise woman lingered over everybody and when her eyes met mine, a pool of black reflected the licking orange flames.
    “They fled here, terrified of the supernatural. They had hoped to start a new life. One without the constant paranoia. They failed. Our ancestors lived in complete, maddening, unrelenting fear their entire lives. Are we like them?”
    Audible no’s rose from the crowd.
    “No. We’re not.” Her voice pitched higher, and louder. “Today, we embrace our history. Today, we stare the supernatural in the face and laugh at it.” Loud cheers erupted from every corner of the park and Rose shouted over them, “Today, we celebrate!”
    Rose motioned to the side of the reaching flames. Two men in the ugly brown trousers and jackets nodded toward each other.
    “During this opening ceremony, we will conquer fear as they did back in the old days.”
    The men pulled at ropes, hoisting a cross into the air. Mounted to the cross beam was