Ghast Me Gently (Wicked Good Witches Book 4) by Starla Silver Page A

again.
    The clouded sun faded overhead, and the group was so electrified by the conversation, they hadn’t noticed the fog rolling up over the Cliffside. Or the sudden drop in temperature.
    Charlie took a quick glance at William, looking for some sign.
    The vampire made no movement, but something in his eyes gave Charlie the strength to do what he did next. He stepped forward and held out his hand. “Perhaps it is time to put the past behind us.”
    Melinda saw Riley shrinking as if he’d blown himself up with a huge amount of air which suddenly leaked out.
    Michael allowed his empathy to reach out and read the brothers. They were feeling the same mix of emotions as his own siblings. He didn’t want to believe it. And didn’t trust it. Perhaps his family’s emotions were screaming so loudly he wasn’t properly picking up how the Deane brothers were feeling.
    Lucas stepped up, accepting Charlie’s call for a truce.
    When their hands connected, everyone gasped.
    A ricochet of thunder and lightning exploded overhead.
    The ground shook below their feet as the thunder rolled and the lightning cracked.
    They released their handshake, eyeing each other with distrust.
    Quicker than any of them had ever seen before, the sky turned dark. A mass of swirling clouds and strikes of electricity. Fog came in thick and fast, threatening to make prisoners of them all as their visibility lessened by the second.
    “What’s going on?” panicked Emily.
    “My thoughts exactly,” the sheriff bellowed.
    Michael grasped Emily firmly, throwing distrustful looks toward the Deanes.
    “It’s not us,” Lucas stated, tossing the blame back at the Howards.
    The fog grew thicker still, forcing the group to huddle together. Melinda’s side collided with someone. She looked up to see Riley. He kept a few inches between them, but needed her to be safe. She wanted to reach out and touch him, grab his hand, but didn’t dare.
    “Dammitalltohell!” spouted the sheriff. “I got no idea if this is supernatural or what, but we’re gonna be blind, fast.”
    “To the lighthouse,” ordered William. “We can ride out this storm inside.”
    “Don’t imagine you thought you’d be hunkering down in the lighthouse so soon?” Eva jested, running alongside Charlie.
    “Have to say no .”
    She didn’t know what was happening any more than the others, but was pissed she was stuck in the middle of some old family feud rather than searching for her missing father. However until this freak storm passed there was nothing they could do.
    Upon arrival at the lighthouse, Charlie used the same spell as previously that day to open the locked door and tossed a few magical orbs of light into the air, while William held the door open to let everyone through.
    Once all were safely inside, William slipped through and allowed the door to slam shut. Upon doing so they found themselves plunged into darkness. Charlie’s light orbs had gone out.
    The only sound was heavy breathing as no one dared speak, for fear that one side or the other was about to start a war. Clearly, putting the past behind them was not going to be as easy as a handshake.
    Fingers wove into Melinda’s, gripping tight, needing to know she was okay and near. It was Riley, and she didn’t fight it. Whatever was happening with the weather, with the lights going out, this was neither due to the Howards or the Deanes. This was something else entirely. She inched closer to him, waiting, along with everyone.
    Charlie decided to try the lighting orbs one more time. He lifted his hand to do so but caught his breath when a hazy glow began shimmering down over them.
    Riley let go of Melinda, fearing someone might catch them holding hands. But stayed close.
    Nervous breaths turned to gasps as a figure emerged from the haze, and although surrounded by a glimmering shadow, the figure was dressed in a black lace gown from her chin down to her toes. Her light brown hair floated around her head as if suspended