Euann stopped, breathing hard as he looked around at the endless trees. There were eighty acres of property owned by his family, and more land beyond that. He couldn’t search it all by foot.

Euann closed his eyes, trying to sense Cora. Instinct told him to turn around, so he listened. He felt she was in the woods. His magick tingled as if to warn him. He ran faster. When the tingling subsided, he stopped running and looked around.

More damned trees.

He closed his eyes, again trying to find her. His senses told him to turn around once more. He did, running slower in case he might’ve missed something. Again his magick tingled, and again it subsided. He turned around once more, heading back toward the house. Whatever this sensation was, it was sending him on a wild goose chase.

“Cora,” he yelled, willing her to hear him. “Cora!”

A few birds lifted from the trees, startled by the sound he made.

“Iain,” he called. “Iain, are ya there?”

An eagle landed on a branch and gazed down at him.

“Have ya seen her?” Euann asked. “I feel her near.”

Iain’s eagle form glided down to the forest floor. His winged body shook. Skin stretched, the feathers parting as Iain pushed to get out. The bird body extended and contracted before finally exploding to release Iain from within. His naked brother knelt on the ground.

“What did ya see?” Euann reached down to take his brother’s hand to pull him to his feet.

“Something isn’t right with the forest. I tried to pull magick from a tree as I soared, and it blocked me. When I dove down, I could perch on the branches, but I couldn’t pull energy from it.” Iain lifted his hand toward a tree, sucking the life force into himself. The tree began to wither, and Iain pushed the life force back. “My powers work here. There is something wrong with that spot in the forest. Something there is holding the energy hostage. We have to get back to the house to tell the others.”

“I can’t. I feel Cora out here. I have to find her.” Euann started to run the path yet again in search for her. Maybe this time he’d be lucky.

“Euann, stop! If she is trapped in the dead spot, we need help. I have never seen anything like this before.”

Euann turned back to his brother. “Ya go. I will keep looking for her.”

“I can’t leave ya out here alone, not when we don’t know what we are dealing with. If ya want to find your woman, then we need the others’ help.” Iain nodded toward the mansion. “The faster ya stop with your stubbornness, the faster we can be back here.”

Euann growled in frustration because he knew his brother was right. “Fine. Hurry.”

He ran with his brother toward the mansion. Iain leapt into the air and cried out. Euann heard his brother’s bones snap as feathers sprouted over his shrinking body. His feet cracked apart into talons. Iain flew ahead faster than Euann could run.

Euann willed himself to transform, desperately wanting the speed of the fox. It wasn’t to be. His body wouldn’t shift. It had forgotten how.

When he finally arrived at the house, Iain had already filled everyone in on the situation.

“We have to go,” Kenneth said.

“Yes, to the forest,” Angus commanded. He waved his hand and, the furniture disappeared from the front hall.

“No, I mean Jewel and I.” Kenneth went toward the stairs. “I know the kind of spot you’re talking about—where the trees are alive but contain no energy to borrow. They’re called hollows. There were pockets of them when I was with Geneva in the forest. It’s mountain magick. That’s all I know. I don’t know if they’re left over from using magick, or if they are meant to hide something or are dimensions to another realm. All I know is Jewel can’t be near them. I knew we shouldn’t have stayed here. The magick in this place is too great. Magick calls to magick. It’s hard enough hiding Jewel when we are on our own.” He turned to yell up. “Jewel, honey, come down here.”

“Running away is not the answer.” Margareta’s voice held a hint of desperation. She could not lose her son, not again. Euann didn’t think she’d be able to take the heartbreak.

“We think they have Cora,” Iain said. “Euann feels her in the forest, but we can’t get to her. I think she is in the hollow.”

Euann went to Kenneth and pleaded, “Ya know more about this kind of magick than all of us. Please, ya have to help me.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t. I have to protect my daughter.” Kenneth wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“But I love her,” Euann pleaded. “Please. I need your help. I’m begging for it.”

“I’m sorry,” Kenneth denied.

“Kenneth Raibeart Aloysius MacGregor,” Margareta scolded. “I have tried to be patient with ya—mostly because your da asked me to—but I have had enough of this tomfoolery. You’re family, and family does not abandon family. Your brother Euann needs your help. Your daughter needs our help. I am your ma and an elder. I command ya to pull your head out of your ass. Now, do ya understand me, lad? And before ya answer, remember you’re not too old for a petrifying spell. I’ll freeze ya in that spot, so help me, until the end of time. Jewel will grow up with a statue for a da.”

Silence met her anger.

“I said, do ya understand?” Margareta repeated with more force. The hum of energy snapped around her body in warning, twinkling like little angry red fireflies.

“Yes, Ma,” Kenneth answered, his voice small like when he was a boy in trouble.

“Good. Now that leaving nonsense is settled.” Margareta turned toward the stairs. “Raibeart, we need ya!”

“I’m not sure ya want to see—” Erik started to say when Raibeart appeared in his pink tutu. “Never mind.”

“Playtime is over.” Margareta took Raibeart in stride. “Take off your princess wings. Ya need to come with us.”

Raibeart motioned his hand over his body. A kilt and a t-shirt replaced the pink outfit. “What’s happened?”

“Cora is in trouble,” Iain said. “We think she’s in a hollow. It’s mountain magick.”

“Where’s Malina?” Rory asked. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”

“Oh, um, Jewel wanted to play sleeping beauty. Malina is fast asleep in her room.” Raibeart said. “Want me to have the child wake her?”

“We need to go.” Euann bounced on his feet with nervous energy, trying to will his family to move faster.

“No,” Margareta answered Raibeart. “Let her sleep.”

“Ma.” Erik frowned.

“Fine, yes, wake her,” Margareta amended. “She can stay here with Jewel.”

As Raibeart went to find Jewel, Angus held out his palm. Silver amulets appeared. “We do not know what we’re dealing with here, so everyone put these on. It won’t stop the magick completely, but it will help lessen the blow.”

“How old are these?” Rory asked, blowing at his to rid it of dust.

“Older than ya, that’s for sure,” Angus answered. “We haven’t had much cause to use them. Most witches we encounter are a good sort. Let’s hope we don’t need them and whoever is out there can be reasoned with.”

Euann grabbed one and slipped it over his neck. The medallion hung in the center of his chest. He hurried toward the door, trying to get them to follow. “I need to find Cora.”

“Jewel jumped out the window.” Raibeart hurried down the stairs.

“Is she hurt?” Angus asked.

“What happened?” Kenneth demanded. “Where is she going?”

“She’s unharmed. She heard Cora is in trouble and said she was going to find her friend.” Raibeart nodded at Euann and grabbed his nephew’s arm as he passed. “She’s in the back garden. Hurry.”

“She’s running right toward them.” Kenneth followed them into the gardens. “Where is she? We have to find her. Do ya see her?”

“The evil sorceress has taken Princess Cora, Princess Jane, and Princess Lydia hostage,” Jewel said, stepping from behind a bush. Her eyes glowed with a fiery light.

“Lydia? No, she’s at my house with Jane. She…” Erik shared a panicked look with Iain.

“My army will save her!” Jewel thrust her hand into the air, waving them forward.

“Jewel, no—” Kenneth’s words were cut off as Jewel’s power overtook them.

Euann felt Jewel’s magick curling around him, starting at his toes and working its way up to his mind. Their clothing changed into the red and green uniform of a traditional nutcracker. A miniature unicorn appeared beneath Jewel, lifting her off the ground as a uniform also materialized on her.

Euann saw Kenneth’s anxious expression as they marched into a formation, lining up by twos behind their unicorn-riding commander.

“Jewel, how are you doing this?” Kenneth struggled to be free.

Jewel smiled. “Uncle Raibeart showed me a trick. Now you can play, too, Daddy.”

Euann understood his brother’s desperation. He felt it for Cora. They couldn’t speak, couldn’t break free as Jewel made them march behind her. All Euann wanted to do was run to the hollow and find a way to get to Cora. Jewel wouldn’t let him.

The march seemed to last an eternity, and Euann worried about all the time passing, but they finally came upon the area where Euann had sensed Cora. Jewel stopped. Her unicorn mount disappeared. She turned to the trees. Euann felt his head forced to the side so he could watch.

Embers erupted in front of Jewel, burning in a circular pattern as it cut a hole in the hollow, exposing what the barrier hid. Campfire light glowed over the area. Two men looked at them from where they sat by the fire, their eyes wide with surprise. They began to scramble.

Euann found Cora hanging by her arms from two vines as two more gripped her ankles in midair. Jane and Lydia were on either side of her. A vine grew from the ground to wrap Jane’s free ankle as if they had just arrived. Jane and Lydia struggled violently against their bindings, but Cora hung limp, her head slumped forward.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lydia demanded of her two captors. “What do you want with us?”

Whatever was going on, it looked like Jane and Lydia had just arrived at the campsite.

Euann’s heart leapt in his chest as he willed Cora to move. He fought with all his power to be free.

“Let go of my princesses,” Jewel demanded of the branches. “First two, attack.”

Euann felt his body regain some freedom.

“Not you, Daddy, Uncle Chicken can go.” Jewel stopped Kenneth mid-action.

Iain came to Euann’s side. The second Euann could run, he did, charging the two men.

The delay had given the men time to prepare for the attack. They stood in front of their prisoners and joined hands. White light burst from them. Euann blocked his eyes as it nearly blinded him. When he looked, light spots clouded his vision, and he didn’t see the fist coming at him until it was too late. The force of it knocked him on his ass.

“Iain,” Jane screamed. “Watch out!”

He reached for his chest, but the amulet was gone. When Jewel put them in costumes, she’d taken away their protection. Euann swung blindly at a blurry figure. His fist met with what felt like a thigh. It was all he needed to find a target. He pushed forward, leaping on someone. He punched, not knowing which man it was.

“Euann, Iain, stop, you’re fighting each other.” Jane’s words caused him to recoil and let Iain up. He tried to see past the light blocking his vision.

The warmth of the fire caused him to look up to get his bearing. A blur of feet dangled over his head.

“Jewel, stop this,” Jane ordered. “They need their powers. Let them go. This isn’t a game.”

Euann held his breath. If anyone could get through to Jewel in this state, it was Jane since she was immune to Jewel’s magick.

Euann felt a weight on his neck as the medallion returned. His vision cleared. Cora hung above him. Her hair fell toward him. She did not look well. Her skin had taken on a sickly cast.

“Something is wrong with Cora’s magick,” Jane said. “She tried to do something to the brothers down there and it backfired.”

Able to see, he pushed to his feet. Iain automatically put his back against him. He waited for the sound of his family joining them. They didn’t come.

“Where did they go?” Euann moved in a circle with Iain at his back, ready to fight.

“To the family,” Lydia yelled.

Euann and Iain went to the opening of the hollow, still glowing from Jewel’s magick. The others were locked into place.

Jewel screamed. The men had her lifted off the ground. Each held a wrist.

“Gotcha,” one exclaimed, as he tried to clamp something on Jewel’s arm.

“Stop squirming,” the other ordered, trying to do the same to the other side.

Euann lifted his hand, letting magick ball in his fingers. Iain did the same. They both threw, striking the men in the chest. It was enough for Jewel to be set free. The brothers crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

“Who broke my hollow?” A woman appeared from within the forest. The wind stirred with her anger, kicking up dust. The fire sputtered.

Euann and Iain turned and together they faced the new threat.

“Who are ya?” Iain asked.

“That’s Trina. She disguised herself. She’s the witch,” Lydia cried. “Stop her!”

The woman didn’t look like Lydia’s helper. Regardless, it was clear who had the real power out of the three. It emanated off Trina, pulsing in invisible waves.

“Let them go,” Iain demanded.

“Or what?” Trina laughed. “What are you going to do—ah.”

Trina’s eyes found Jewel. She started to reach for the child as if her arms could stretch the distance.

Euann threw a magickal ball of energy. It struck the witch, and she stumbled. Her hand slipped into her jacket, and when she withdrew it, she threw seeds at them.

“Don’t let the vines touch you,” Jane warned them.

Euann and Iain ran toward the path. Giant vines like the ones holding the women twisted, coming at them. They threw magick at them. It slowed the growth but didn’t stop the vines. Euann had never seen such raw power.

“It’s okay, baby,” Trina soothed as she went toward Jewel. “I’m not going to hurt you. Come to Mama.”

“Daddy!” Jewel ran toward her father. Her need for him broke Kenneth free.

The vine twisted around Euann like a vice, but as the medallion touched it, the vine withered.

“The amulet kills it,” Euann informed Iain. “Touch it with the amulet.”

Euann managed to break free of the vine’s hold.

“No, don’t go to him. He’s not your family. I am. We’ve been looking for you,” Trina insisted.

“Ya will never lay your hands on her,” Kenneth promised.

Euann and Iain ran to the vines. Euann pressed his amulet by Cora’s ankles. Her feet dropped free of the vines. Liberating the arms proved more difficult. With her body suspended over the ground, he wrapped his arm around her legs to hold her as he killed the vine. The one remaining vine wasn’t strong enough to support her. Her weight dropped, and she slid against him. He held her tight. When he freed her completely, Jane slipped her arm behind Cora to support her.

Euann joined Iain in freeing Lydia. Cora moaned. Her eyes fluttered, and she couldn’t stand on her own.

“Get her to safety,” Euann told Lydia and Jane.

“Erik.” Lydia ran toward the others.

“Jane?” Euann begged.

“Go,” Jane said. “I got her.”

Euann crept up on the fight. Trina faced Kenneth. Her hands glowed. Most of his family still stood like soldiers. Jewel cried, covering her ears with her hands.

“Get out of the way, baby,” Trina said, her voice soft. Her two cohorts lay unconscious on the ground. “Mama will protect you.”

“Mama?” Iain repeated. “Kenneth? That’s Jewel’s mother?”

“No,” Kenneth denied. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

Jewel fell to the ground, curled in a ball. The magick in Trina’s hands turned to fire, she screamed, a low and throaty sound, as she threw the flames toward Kenneth over Jewel’s head.

Euann and Iain instantly dove to stop her, hitting her with their shoulders.

The witch fell, and they pinned her arms with their knees, holding her to the ground.

A ball of light circled Kenneth. His shirt fluttered into ash around him, but he was unharmed. Jewel stood in front of him. Her eyes glowed briefly with firelight, and then her arms dropped to her sides.

“I’m tired. I don’t want to play anymore, Daddy.” The girl looked exhausted, more so than Euann had ever seen. Usually she was a bubbly ball of excitement. Now she appeared as if all her magick had been drained from her.

“No.” Kenneth fell to his knees, catching Jewel as she collapsed. Her skin burst into pink flames, swirling like sparkling dust as it pulled into the air over Kenneth’s head. And, as it rained back down upon the earth, a baby formed in Kenneth’s arms. The infant began to cry.

“No, Jewel.” Kenneth fell back, cradling the baby to his chest. Tears streamed down his face.

The phoenix had been reborn.

“Let go of my daughter.” Trina struggled beneath them. “She belongs with me. Let me have her. She needs her family.”

“She has a family,” Euann said. “We’re her family.”

“Euann?” Cora’s voice was hoarse. She touched his shoulder as she fell to the ground beside him. “I have to tell you.”

“Cora, ya can’t be here. Go with Jane back to the mansion,” he ordered.

She ignored his command. “Euann, wait, please. They don’t want to harm Jewel. They think they’re helping her. When I watched McCoy and Hatfield something happened. I saw their intentions.”

“McCoy and Hatfield, really?” Euann arched a brow at Trina.

“Strong fightin’ names for my strong boys.” Trina rocked violently to throw them off.

“Euann, I can’t tell you how I know, but I know,” Cora insisted, breathing hard. He felt the magick blooming inside of her. “They only want to protect Jewel. They think she’s in danger from us.”

“I believe ya,” Euann said.

The frozen soldiers slowly came to. The uniforms faded into their regular clothes. They gathered around Kenneth.

“Is that…?” Margareta asked as she reached for the reincarnation of her granddaughter.

“Ma, take her.” Kenneth gave the baby to their mother.

“Well done, lads.” Angus beamed with pride to see them holding down Trina. He pointed at McCoy and Hatfield. “Erik, Rory, take care of that mess.”

“They look taken care of to me.” Rory nudged one of them with his foot. They didn’t rouse.

“Ya burnt her out.” Kenneth stood over them, his hands balled into fists. “I should have had another four years with her.”

“What do you—?” Trina’s eyes went to Kenneth’s chest. “Where did you get that?”

“It was a present.” Kenneth lifted his hand, magick forming in his palm.

“Geneva performed the death ritual? She chose you to father her child? You really are the phoenix’s father.” Trina’s body lost its fight. Tears slid down her cheeks. “When I found Geneva’s bracelets, I thought you stripped her of her form and forced her to be reborn so you could kidnap her for her power. But if you have those marks that means my daughter is dead and that…” Trina gazed in the direction of the crying baby. “That’s my granddaughter.”

Kenneth clenched his fist, extinguishing the magick. “Geneva was a phoenix too? When she died in a fire, I wasn’t sure what had happened. She just said her family would never let her go.”

“The only way a phoenix can stop their cycle is to pass the magick on to their child with the death ritual,” Trina said. “I never thought Geneva would go through with it.”

“Euann, she’s telling the truth,” Cora said. “Look in her eyes. Don’t let Kenneth hurt her. She’s been hurt enough.”

“She attacked ya.” Euann peered at Cora’s pale face.

“She thought I was Malina. That doesn’t make it right, but she thought you all kidnapped her daughter. If it were my daughter, I’d fight like hell too.”

“Iain.” Euann sighed. “Let her up.”

They let her go. Euann pulled Cora into his arms. “How are ya such a good person to forgive so easily? How can I ever deserve ya?”

“Who says you have me?” Cora gave a weak laugh.

“I guess I’m just an optimistic kind of guy.” Euann kept her next to him, not intending to let go. Ever.

Cora closed her eyes and rested her head against him. “Mm, but don’t stop holding me. I feel better when you’re near.”

“Can I see her?” Trina asked. “Can I see my grandchild?”

“You’re not coming near this child.” Margareta bounced the baby in her arms.

Trina looked up at Kenneth. “Her curse will never let her live past eleven without help. We know this magick.”

“Why should we trust ya?” Angus demanded.

“Ask this one. She’s been marked by the phoenix. She’ll be able to tell if I’m lying.” Trina nodded at Cora. “I saw how her aura glowed when the phoenix transformed. My granddaughter must have had a strong love for you.”

“Cora, tell my family what ya see,” Euann said.

“She’s telling the truth.” Cora nodded. “I think she can help the baby.”

“Och, give her to me.” Raibeart eased the crying baby out of Margareta’s arms. The baby instantly settled. “See. She still knows me. I’m taking her inside. She shouldn’t be out here.” As he walked away, he said, “Don’t ya worry. Uncle Raibeart is going to see to it ya get a princess room, a pony, and all the ice cream your little heart desires.”

Trina moved so she could watch the baby being taken away. When Raibeart was out of sight, she reached into a pouch and threw dirt on her sons. “McCoy and Hatfield. Wake up. We’re going home.”

The men obeyed, moaning as they came to.

“Yes, Mama,” one of them mumbled sleepily.

Trina turned her dust on Cora, blowing it on her. Euann started to stand in defense, but Cora’s color instantly improved and she took a deep breath.

“What was that?” Euann asked.

“Dirt from home.” Trina dusted off her hands. “Cures almost anything, if you know how to use it. Figured she vouched for us, I could at least ease the transition of her magick.”

“Thank you…is it Trina?” Cora asked.

“It’s Katrina Castelaww,” Trina answered. “But everyone calls me Trina.”

“Thank you, Trina,” Cora said.

“Boys, where did you put Geneva’s bracelets?” Trina held out her hand as her sons looked on the ground. They found them, running them to her. She offered them to Kenneth. “When she starts showing signs of magick, the very first moment, even if it’s just a glint in her eyes, put these on her. She must wear them at all times. It will keep her powers tempered. It will also even out her personalities, bringing them into one form. Without them, you never know which version you’re going to get. Before we found a way to temper her power, Geneva had one version of herself that had a hell of a temper. Kept blowing up my curing shed. We went without jerky for seven years. Every time she was reborn, I prayed it wasn’t that handful. Now I’d give anything to have her back, irritability and all.”

“Thank ya.” Kenneth took the jewelry.

“I know you have no reason to trust me, but I would like to see her. I can help. You know where to find us when you decide.” Trina leaned to the side as if to see Raibeart and the baby. They were long gone. “Come on, boys, we need to go home and plan a memorial.”

“Who died?” McCoy asked.

“Your sister. We’re twenty-five years overdue.” Trina waved her hand.

“But, I thought they stole her,” Hatfield said, confused.

“That’s your niece, not your sister.” Trina slapped her hand against the back of her son’s head. “Now stop asking questions and clean up this campsite. I can smell that moonshine jug from a mile away and don’t try to tell me it’s only water. Respect the land, boys, and she will provide. But cross your mama, and she’ll throw you in a pit of snakes.”