Page 1 of The Soulless Witch

Chapter 1

Celeste

Nomatterhowmanytimes I go through this, I always hate this part the most.

Gritting my teeth so the dirt wouldn’t go into my mouth, I pushed my hands through the damp earth, clawing my way up. The light beckoned and, while part of me didn’t want to go through it all over again, I still climbed toward the promise of life with everything I got. Lungs burning and muscles crying from the effort, I kept going until my fingers broke free and cold air kissed my skin.

I balled my other hand into a fist and punched through the last layer of soil, digging my nails into the ground and pulling myself up. My head finally broke the surface, and I took my first gulp of air, filling my empty lungs with that delicious, exhilarating sensation I had missed so much. The ground shook as if it was about to rupture, and the world echoed with the sound of thunder—or maybe that was just my body adjusting to the new reality.

To being alive.

Collapsing on the ground, I reveled in the way the cold air caressed my skin and the stones beneath me dug into my flesh. Rolling over, I locked my eyes onto the starry sky above, onto the full moon that welcomed me back.

Memories poured in, several lifetimes’ worth of experiences, and a myriad of emotions that had me trembling like a leaf. When silence finally settled over my mind, I wondered how long I had been dead this time. It was just over fifty years before, but it felt like every time I died, it took longer and longer to return. Maybe my next death would be final. Maybe…

No. That would mean dying again, and I was sick of that.

Even after all this time, they still hunted me. Hunters, witches, all those supernatural beasts that had bones to pick. They were always after me for one reason or another, no matter how many times they killed me.

I winced as the memory of my last death unraveled before my eyes—of the hunters that cornered me in these same woods; of them cutting me to pieces that they promised to scatter across the earth; of a slow, painful end and a life full of unfinished business.

Foolish mortals, they didn’t know the first thing about death—or magic.

When they come for me again, I will show them no mercy.

After all, I was just another monster to them. The evil witch who sold her soul for revenge. A villain that could never be trusted, never be loved, never be redeemed.

The evil incarnate. Neither mortal nor immortal, cursed to live and die forever.

Shuddering again, I pushed myself into a sitting position. I had no idea where and when I was, but judging by the temperature and the stars above, it had to be late autumn. Before I died, this place had been werewolf territory, but the pack that occupied it…well, they were probably all dead.

Pushing myself to my knees, I hissed as a sharp stone dug into my flesh. I was fully naked again—not that it was a surprise after waking up like this so many times—so finding clothes and transportation was my first priority.

I tried to summon my magic, and I felt it slither beneath my skin, just a spark for now. It would take time to fill me up and, before that happened, I was…I was going to need protection.

I swayed on my feet but managed to stay upright. My muscles protested against every step, but I didn’t stop. I kept walking until the earth gave way to something smooth and hard, not exactly stone, but not soil either. It was hard to see in the dark, but judging by the way it dipped and curved between the trees, it looked like a road.

I gazed at the sky to orient myself, when a bright light appeared behind me, making me turn. A loud screech tore through the quietness of the forest, sending a few birds into a flying frenzy. The vehicle was similar to the cars I remembered from my previous life, but bigger, sleeker. Judging by how quickly it stopped, it had to be faster and more powerful, too.

The driver’s door opened, and a figure stepped out. The light coming from the inside of the car was too bright, so I could hardly see anything but a human outline.

“Hey, young lady, are you insa—” a male voice started as the figure moved toward me. He trailed off and swallowed loudly as his eyes lowered to my body—my naked body that was covered with dirt and nothing else. My hair was falling over my breasts, covering fairly little, which seemed to make him uncomfortable. “What in the world…? Were you attacked? Where are your clothes?”

Before I could utter a word, he was draping his jacket over my shoulders. He pulled the front closed, avoiding looking at me while his face turned a bright shade of red.

Standing this close, I could see him better—he seemed to be in his late forties, with dark hair that was starting to turn bald at the front, and a light stubble where gray was taking over the black. He was rather plain by human standards, but his eyes were kind and full of worry.

Just the type I needed.

“Please, help me,” I said, my voice coming out appropriately hoarse and fearful. His face paled, but he nodded, wrapping a protective arm around my shoulders while leading me to the passenger door. He helped me inside, then hurried to the other side of the car. I allowed myself a quick look around the vehicle—beige leather covered the seats, with something like a TV screen on the headboard. Lights were blinking and words were flashing on it, while quiet music was coming from the walls.

Just how long had I been dead for the world to progress this far?

He slipped into the driver’s seat, pulled some retractable piece from the side of the car, and crossed it over his body. He looked at me expectantly, but I just stared, unsure of what he wanted me to do. A deep line formed on his forehead, and he leaned closer. I reached for my magic, desperately grasping for the power that kept evading me when he caught something by my head and pulled it.

“Safety first,” he said as he clicked the piece over my chest and hips, pinning me against the leather.

“What is this?” I asked, wiggling my body to find a more comfortable position. Was this some kind of restraint? I couldn’t feel any magic in it and he had put one on himself, too. From what I could tell, it didn’t serve any purpose other than to keep me in the seat.

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