The Devlin magic can bring your heart’s desire - but at what cost? Mary Devlin accepted her fate years ago, to serve Slanaitheoir, the powerful demon and lord of the mountain who saved her ancestors from the Irish Famine. Like generations of Devlin witches before her, the hauntingly beautiful woman submitted to His every caress, His every humiliation. But when His lordship threatened her family, Mary broke the agreement with the vengeful demon and now Mary and her progeny must pay the price. Mary will try and best Slanaitheoir in a battle of wills and magic. But the seductive demon can satisfy a witch as no human lover can. Mary must decide — when part of her still yearns for His touch and love, can she fight Him and win?
The Devlin magic can bring your heart’s desire - but at what cost? Mary Devlin accepted her fate years ago, to serve Slanaitheoir, the powerful demon and lord of the mountain who saved her ancestors from the Irish Famine. Like generations of Devlin witches before her, the hauntingly beautiful woman submitted to His every caress, His every humiliation. But when His lordship threatened her family, Mary broke the agreement with the vengeful demon and now Mary and her progeny must pay the price. Mary and each succeeding Devlin witch — fiery Orla, fragile Fiona, pragmatic Annie and seductive Rita — will try and best Slanaitheoir in a battle of wills and magic. But the seductive demon can satisfy a witch as no human lover can. Each Devlin witch must decide — when part of her still yearns for His touch and love, can she fight him and win?
I am just about to turn around and head down the alley toward the street when I see two shadows step away from the wall a little farther down from where I am standing. I can't see any features, but I can guess from their statures that they are both men. I don't know what species they are though, but given that they just witnessed me kill a vampire I decide it's time to get the hell out of here. At least they aren't blocking my path to the street. Just as that thought crosses my mind, I hear the back door to the club open and close. I don't want to take my eyes off the men in front of me, but I have to see who just walked out. To assess the new danger. Before turning to look though, I pull out my remaining weapon also hidden in my boot. A silver dagger. It's only really good for killing werewolves, but it can do some damage to other supernaturals too. I give the figures in front of me one last look, they haven't moved at all, and then glance behind me. My breath stops for a moment, and it feels like my heart stops along with it. *** Willow is a witch who hunts down and kills other supernaturals. After the Great Massacre of the Wiccan Community, their population had been decimated. So while they try to rebuild their population and plan their revenge, they take out as many supernaturals as they can. But everything changes for Willow when she meets Keaton, Everett, Aizen, and Devlin. *** *This is a fantasy reverse-harem romance novel. It will have mature themes, including but not limited to, violence, sexual themes, sexual scenes (including light BDSM), abuse, and mentions of rape. Please do not read if you feel uncomfortable with any of these things or if you feel they will be harmful to your mental health.
This important collection brings together both established figures and new researchers to offer fresh perspectives on the ever-controversial subject of the history of witchcraft. Using Keith Thomas's Religion and the Decline of Magic as a starting point, the contributors explore the changes of the last twenty-five years in the understanding of early modern witchcraft, and suggest new approaches, especially concerning the cultural dimensions of the subject. Witchcraft cases must be understood as power struggles, over gender and ideology as well as social relationships, with a crucial role played by alternative representations. Witchcraft was always a contested idea, never fully established in early modern culture but much harder to dislodge than has usually been assumed. The essays are European in scope, with examples from Germany, France, and the Spanish expansion into the New World, as well as a strong core of English material.
Ellen Murphy spent her childhood in an idyllic house by the sea. A house surrounded by flower filled gardens and a white picket fence. A house she fled at eighteen. A house full of secrets. When Ellen’s mother Rose, an ex-nun, is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ellen reluctantly returns home to care for her and uncovers a clue to the one secret that has haunted Ellen all her life: the identity of her father. But that is just one of the many secrets hidden behind the beautiful facade of the house on Rose Hill.
A comprehensive account of the rich folk culture preserved in the rural secret societies of the British Isles • Describes the secret rites, ceremonies, and initiation rituals of guilds and rural fraternities such as the Shoemakers, Horsemen, Toadmen, Mummers, and Bonesmen • Explains their use of masks, black face, and other disguises to avoid persecution • Draws not only on scholarly research but also the author’s personal contacts within these still living traditions Centuries ago the remote, marshy plains of eastern England--the Fens--were drained to create agricultural land. The Fens remained isolated up until the nineteenth century, and it was this very isolation that helped preserve the ancient traditions of this area, traditions ruthlessly eradicated elsewhere in the British Isles. These magical folk traditions also owe their survival to secret rural societies, from craft guilds and trade unions to Morris dancers and village bands. Exploring the folk customs and magical traditions of guilds and rural fraternities such as the Shoemakers and Horsemen and the secrets guarded by the Free Gardeners, Witches, Toadmen, and Bonesmen, Nigel Pennick shows how the common working people of the Fens belonged to secret societies based on their specific trade. He details the hidden aspects of rural life that most historians ignore--the magical current that flowed through the lives of working people--and describes the secret rites, ceremonies, oaths, and initiation rituals of the guilds and fraternities to which the folk belonged. Drawing not only on scholarly research but also his personal contacts within these still living traditions, Pennick explains their use of masks, black face, and other disguises to avoid persecution and describes how wise woman healers and witches in rural villages were sought-after for their remedies. He shares the secrets of the toad-bone rite, which gave the Toadman control over animals and members of the opposite sex, and explores the guardian spirits thought to inhabit the Fens, including those of the Wild Hunt. Providing insight into a world that has largely disappeared, one whose magic still echoes in lore and legend, Pennick shows that the rites, customs, and ceremonies of guilds and rural fraternities connect individuals to a wider community and, through collective action, to the power of Nature and the Cosmos.
A Braunach desperate to atone for his sins A woman with the ability to heal lost children He’s certain she can save his son But can she save him from himself? Patrick MacDonald, a Braunach from 19th century Ireland, surrendered to a Banshee’s seduction four years ago. This resulted in a son, and the little boy is troubled and withdrawn. Patrick uses his uncle’s enchanted amber to jump to the future to find some way to save his son. Tara Connor’s work in the behavior lab at the Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis challenges her to reach kids locked inside themselves. When Patrick charms her and jumps with her back to his home, she’s confused and angry. But when she meets his son, she longs to bring the little boy back to his family. She can’t deny her attraction to the boy’s father, either. He wants her too, but he’s certain his sins put her out of reach. Can Tara show Patrick that he’s more than his past mistakes? Or will he let his shame destroy any future they might have?
The end of the eighteenth century saw the end of the witch trials everywhere. This volume charts the processes and reasons for the decriminalisation of witchcraft but also challenges the widespread assumption that Europe has been 'disenchanted'. For the first time surveys are given of the social role of witchcraft in European communities down to the end of the nineteenth century and of the continued importance of witchcraft and magic as topics of debate among intellectuals and other writers>
