The Keepers: Sienna (FREE Prequel)

Sienna - CHAPTER ONE

Bennett Estate

Rapid Falls, Canada

The stillness of the forest unnerved her.

The rail of the bridge felt cool against her fingers, damp from the waterfall that gushed beneath them. Thick ferns surrounded them, rocks overgrown with moss and tall trees. The sun had just set, plunging the forest into dark isolation.

Sienna shifted her gaze between two drums on either side of the bridge. Feeling a whirl of gentle energy within, she drew from her centre, making a connection to the one element of nature that would relieve the darkness.

Fire.

Moments later, bright flames sprang to life in each drum, giving their surroundings a dim glow of orange beauty.

“Still not a fan of the dark, my powerful witch?” Archer murmured, a small grin playing on his lips.

She glanced at her Keeper, took in his handsome face and brooding green eyes. With neatly-cropped brown hair, olive skin and a muscular frame, the man shifted parts of her in a way that still unsettled her. “Not after all the stories my Keepers told me of the creepy things in these forests at night.” 

“Those were just meant to frighten you and besides, we were kids then.”

“Maybe, but the stories stuck.”

His grin widened. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.” 

“I know.” She smiled, familiar with those words, and relished the comfort they brought her. Always her fierce protector. 

“Ready?”

“No.”

“Just relax,” Archer said, coming up behind her, his voice a soft rumble against her back. Brushing aside a lock of wavy red hair, he leaned forward to kiss her neck, the motion sparking a thrill of excitement she fought to keep buried. His hands trailed down to her waist, fingers splayed against her hips. “You’re a Beckham witch. This is a piece of cake for you.”

She snorted. “A piece of cake stuffed with dynamite.”

“You’ll be fine. There’s no better place than here for you to practice your magic.”

“What if I set us alight? Or cause havoc with the weather? That’ll ruin the school carnival and the kids will –”

“You’re not going to do either.”

She released a noisy sigh, knowing when to admit defeat. “Fine, but if I lose control and set your hair on fire, then it’s all on you.”

He moved closer, the rigid feel of his muscular chest pressing against her back, reassuring her, offering her a strength she had yet to feel. “Your new powers are a gift.”

“More like a curse.”

“You simply need to embrace them. The rest will follow.”

“I’ve only ever known the element of fire. That’s as natural to me as breathing, but to channel all four at once unnerves me.” 

Mild words, but she refused to admit just how much her newfound powers frightened her. Three types of witches resided in their world. Sienna had been one of the middle witches, with the power of one element. Her grandmother was the rarest and most powerful kind of witch, channelling all four elements at once: Fire, Air, Earth, and Water. Rose’s ability to manipulate them simultaneously was incredible; her connection something Sienna had always envied.

But Rose had felt the need to pass her powers onto Sienna. Since then, they’d become nothing more than an unwanted burden that gnawed at her in hope of receiving the attention they deserved.