Of Witches and Warlocks: The Trouble with Spells



  Praise for The Trouble With Spells

  5 out of 5 Stars

  "Wow! I am so impressed! I was IN from the very start. The characters are beautifully written and the story is fantastic. I was on the edge of my chair, turning pages as fast as I could read them! Couldn't get enough of this book! It has all the elements of a must read. It has non-stop action, daring deeds, good vs. evil, danger and suspense, as well as being an all-out love story." Beverly Sharp, The Wormhole

  5 out of 5 Stars

  "The Trouble with Spells has everything needed for the making of an amazing series and has quickly become my new favorite. Vance and Portia will be giving other YA couples a run for their money!!" Lyndsey Rushby, Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory

  5 out of 5 Stars

  "Of Witches And Warlocks: The Trouble With Spells is a definite must read and will have you hooked from the beginning. Lacey Weatherford writes an amazing love story that will leave you addicted and craving for another hit of action, romance and an extra dose of the local bad boy, Vance Mangum." Naomi McKay, Supernatural Bookworm

  5 out of 5 Stars

  "I fell completely, head over heels in love with The Trouble With Spells. The charged relationship between Portia and Vance in this electrifying novel leaves a lasting impression." Susan Mann, Susan K Mann Book Reviews.

  https://www.laceyweatherfordbooks.com

  Of Witches & Warlocks:

  The Trouble with Spells

  by

  Lacey Weatherford

  Book One of the Of Witches and Warlocks Series

  Copyright 2011 Lacey Weatherford

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Moonstruck Media

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This book is available in print.

  Dedication:

  To my darling daughter, Kamery, whose ever-changing hair color first inspired me with the idea. To Connie and Larissa, who loved it enough to encourage me to go for it. To my husband James, who put up with everything else so I could write.

  Acknowledgements:

  Just a quick thank you to everyone who has been so helpful in getting this book out there. To my terrific beta readers—thanks for all your time, effort, input, and encouragement, your suggestions and support are always worth their weight in gold! To my wonderful family—thanks for being so good to help out and take care of running day-to-day things so I can have more time to write. To the awesome “Vance Fans” out there—thanks for everything you do to help spread the word about this series.

  To my business partner and best friend, Belinda—thanks for all your continued encouragement!

  Prologue

  Vance Mangum - Two Years Earlier

  I was sitting under a tree at my new school during lunch, trying to avoid the silly giggles and laughter from the endless parade of idiotic girls who were trying to catch my attention. Pretending to be oblivious worked best for me, so I focused on pulling random blades of grass from the ground while I bit into the apple in my hand.

  It's not like I wasn't interested in the girls—I definitely was. I was tired of not being able to get to know the ones I liked before I had to move again. I already missed the girl I'd been hanging around with at the school I'd just left. Amber was amazing, and she could kiss like . . . well, there wasn’t any point in thinking about her kisses, because I wouldn’t be experiencing them.

  I hated running—despised constantly looking over my shoulder for him, always getting so close to being found. It was totally messing up my life. Sixteen and only a sophomore, I should've been a junior, but being on the run and having to go into hiding put me a year behind in school. Hopefully, this time would be different. I didn't have the same faith in this new coven that my Aunt Marsha did. She seemed to think they might be able to help protect us better than we'd been able to protect ourselves. Deep down, I really hoped they could—I was so tired of running.

  I took another bite of my apple, focusing on the doors to the school as I redirected my gaze away from the group of girls who were twittering together off to my left. That's when I saw her.

  She stepped out of the door, walking next to some other girl, but my attention was instantly riveted on her. Every emotion she was feeling at that moment washed over me. I gasped, having never experienced anything quite like it. This girl was different. She was magical. Literally.

  The warlock inside me lifted his head in curious admiration. She was young, probably only a freshman, but she was beautiful in a totally understated way. I was instantly drawn to her, watching her small, petite form as she moved toward the cafeteria.

  A light breeze caught her black hair, stirring it slightly away from her face, and she smiled at her friend. The music of her laughter carried to me through the air, with the high and low notes blending in my mind in perfect harmony. She was . . . content, happy, secure, and amused about whatever her friend was telling her. She was everything I was not, and I knew I had to know who she was.

  “Excuse me,” I said, turning to one of the girls hovering nearby. She looked down at me with a hopeful expression. “Do you know who that girl is?”

  I glanced back toward the beautiful girl, but not in time to miss the crestfallen look on this one's face before she lifted her head to follow my line of sight.

  “Who? The blonde?” she asked icily.

  “No. The one with the black hair,” I replied, not taking my eyes off her.

  “Her?” she replied with an incredulous tone. I turned, narrowing my eyes cynically. She shrank back for a second before squaring her shoulders and flipping her hair with one hand. “That's Portia Mullins,” she replied, looking away from me to whisper with her friends again.

  Portia Mullins. Oh, the irony.

  I knew exactly who she was. She was the underage daughter of my new benefactor who had sworn to help protect me—the girl I'd been instructed not to interact with because she had no idea she was a witch, or that her family was part of a magical coven. I wasn't to have any contact with her until she turned sixteen and discovered her true heritage. That’s when she’d be inducted into her coven. My coven. The coven I willingly bound myself to and could not betray.

  She lifted her head and looked right at me. I fought for control as I turned my eyes away, with what I hoped was a bored, uninterested glance. But my heart raced slightly when I felt her emotions—her pulse picking up at the sight of me. She felt . . . intrigued, perhaps even attracted, but it was immediately replaced by deflation. She didn't feel worthy of my notice. If only she knew.

  Portia and her friend entered the cafeteria. Even though she was gone from my sight, I could still feel her. Unexpectedly, I became very angry. I’d connected with a person on a level never before experienced, and I couldn't even get to know her. The need to punch something coursed through me.

  Standing, I strode across the parking lot to my motorcycle, knowing full well ditching on my second day of school was going to get me into trouble, but I didn’t care. One thing was for certain, I was going to stay in this place and get to know Portia Mullins . . . even if it got me killed.