The Moreau Witches Trilogy
Part Two
Healer
by Julien Gregg
Copyright © 2025 by Julien Gregg
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the author by email. The link is below.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Twelve
They drove in silence for a while. Quinn drove them back to the compound and Larry let them through. Then he drove to Henri’s house and introduced Taylor to Henri and left them alone. Then he drove home with Shane in the seat beside him.
Shane walked through the door and Philippe was in his arms. Then Marcel was in his arms. Shane was talking to them about how good it felt to hug them. Then he sat down on he couch and told them to call him Shane because no one could find out that he was now Charlie.
“Got it,” Philippe said.
“Sure thing,” said Marcel. “We’re just so happy that you’re here.”
“I’m happy too,” said Shane with a smile. He looked at Quinn. “It was hard not to get out of the car and hug Henri too.”
“He’d have been confused,” Quinn said. “He was the only one that Pierre didn’t bring over here to hear what I’d done.”
“Well Pierre was probably a bit shocked,” Shane said. “It wasn’t as if this was something in his wheelhouse.”
“Probably not,” said Quinn. “But he said he’s happy that you have a body.”
“That’s a plus,” Shane said. “How did Revanche take it?”
“In stride,” Quinn said. “He was shocked at first but recovered quickly.”
“Yeah,” he laughed. “That’s Revanche. Hey I’m back in the world of the living and I finally have a power of my own!”
“Yeah,” Quinn said. “You can move objects with your mind.”
“Much better now that you’ve done what you did at the hospital,” Shane said.
“What did you do now Dad?” asked Marcel.
“I fed my healing power into his brain until it covered the white lace of power there and fed energy into it,” Quinn said.
“Cool,” said Philippe. “You gave Shane a power?”
“No, he already had the power from birth,” Quinn said. “I just made it stronger.”
“Very cool,” said Marcel. “So the power you have was Shane’s power before he died.”
“That’s right,” said Shane. “As Charlie I was just a lowly human. No power. As Shane I was telekinetic.”
“Awesome,” Marcel enthused. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Going to be some getting used to now that I have a body though right?” Shane asked with a smile.
“That and you look nothing like Charlie at all,” Philippe said. “We’ll get used to it though.”
“We sure will,” said Marcel. “Welcome home Shane.”
“Thanks Marcel Man,” Shane said, getting a grin from Marcel.
“It’s about dinner time I’m going to cook,” Shane said, getting up. He walked into the kitchen and started moving stuff around.
Quinn didn’t know what he was cooking and couldn’t wait to find out. Charlie could cook and Shane was Charlie so it was going to be something good. He’d been walking the boys through cooking this and that.
He was whistling in there while he cooked. Charlie never did that. Quinn was amazed. He still found it confusing that Charlie remembered being both Shane and Charlie. He was going to have to work hard to remember to call him Shane in front of other people. That was going to be difficult for him for a while. He supposed he’d just call him Shane in the house, too.
Quinn heard him open the oven and put something in it. Then he closed the oven and now had something bubbling on the stove. He heard him stir and then drain. Then he heard him getting the bread rolls and heating them in the warmer. He came into the room again and grabbed a hand towel out of the basket of laundry Quinn hadn’t put away. Then he went back into the kitchen and started whistling again.
Then he called them to the kitchen for baked chicken, snow peas, and bread rolls. They went in and gathered around the table. Shane made up plates for everyone and then they were eating. Quinn was happy to have a Charlie meal.
“Some things for me to get used to,” Shane said. “I’m shorter than I was and I look so different.”
“But you’re still sexy,” Quinn said before he could stop himself.
“Go Dad!” cried Marcel.
“Sorry boys,” Quinn said.
“Well thank you for that, Quinn,” Shane said with a Charlie crooked grin. “You’re still sexy too.”
“All right,” Philippe said with a grin.
“Stop it, Sweet Philly Phil,” Shane said and Philippe beamed at him.
They were just finished eating when Revanche and Pierre came into the house. Shane took one look at them and smiled. He called them by name and told them it was good to see them.
“So you know who you are,” said Revanche.
“Yes, I know who I am,” he said. “That’s why I’m at home with my husband and two sons.”
“Good,” said Pierre. “I was worried that the Goddess wouldn’t let you have your memory.”
“Well she smiled at me this time but I wouldn’t push my luck,” Shane said.
“You have no problems with your memory?” Pierre asked.
“I remember being Shane and I remember being Charlie,” Shane said. “I have the life experiences of both men.”
“That’s got to be confusing,” said Philippe.
“It’s not really,” Shane said. “It’s a lucky thing because most of the world has to know me as Shane Macreavy. I can be Shane or I can be Charlie. But I think I’ll probably be a mixture of both.”
“We’ll get used to it,” said Marcel.
“Why is Taylor Macreavy staying with Henri?” Pierre asked Quinn.
“He’s going to petition the coven for initiation along with Shane,” Quinn said. “I’m going to call Jude Rains tomorrow and get Jesse out here on the compound and away from his rotten mother. Or Shane is going to do that.”
“Well all right then,” Pierre said. “I really just came here to see if he remembered who he was.”
“Yes I remember,” Shane said. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes,” said Pierre. Revanche nodded.
“Well we’re just finishing up,” Shane said. “There’s plenty if you want a bite.”
“No not tonight,” said Pierre. “We’ll see you later.”
“Okay, bye guys,” Shane said with a grin.
“It’s going to be the same thing with Lorette and Franklin,” Quinn said.
“Yeah I figured,” Shane said. “But you guys know who I am and that I love all of you so that’s all that’s important. To Taylor and Jesse I have to be Shane. To your coven I have to be Shane so everyone should just call me Shane so there are no mistakes.”
“You got it, Shane,” said Philippe.
“Yeah, we can call you Shane but we know who you are to us,” said Marcel.
And then the boys cleaned up he mess. They put the dishes in the dishwasher and put the food away. Marcel wiped off the table while Philippe cleaned the stove. Shane watched them with pride in his eyes.
“So when do we petition the coven?” Shane asked Quinn.
“Tomorrow after we see the judge and pick up Jesse,” said Quinn. “I’m going to let you borrow one of the coven automobiles to go and pick him up. If you can’t get clothes for him don’t worry the Legacy will buy him new clothes. He’ll start at the school as soon as possible as well.”
“All right,” he said. “What time do you think we’ll get in to see the judge?”
“As early as possible,” Quinn said.
They went to the living room and sat on the sofa together. The boys went to their room to read the book. Shane put his arm around Quinn and Quinn leaned against him. This was new for Quinn but he thought he could get the hang of it. He kissed Shane and then they were sitting there looking at each other.
“Well we did it,” Shane said. “I have a body and you are in my arms once again.”
“Yes,” Quinn said. “I’m so happy about it.”
“Me too,” he said. “So when I petition the coven do I tell them that my power is telekinesis?”
“Yes,” Quinn said. “Just tell them what you can do and give them a demonstration. You’ll have special consideration because you come from Starlight. Taylor will have the same consideration.”
“That’s good,” he said. “We have to keep my mother off Moondance land.”
“She’s not welcome here,” Quinn said. “None from her coven are unless they’re running from it.”
“We’ll Taylor and I are running for it,” Shane said. “We were thinking about appealing to you for help with Jesse before the accident. Of course we thought of you then as the Mighty Moreau Witches.”
“Don’t ever say that again,” Quinn laughed. “It makes us sound like a cartoon or something.”
“You are the strongest witches that I know of,” Shane said. “None in Mother’s coven can match any of you in raw power.”
“Well you and Taylor will now,” said Quinn. “I did the same thing to Taylor that I did to you.”
“Oh you’d better tell him before he uses his power and blows himself up,” laughed Shane. “He calls lightning out of the sky and directs it to strike where he points.”
“That’s a bit like what Giselle did,” Quinn said softly.
“Yes, it is,” Shane said. “I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Well I’ll call Taylor in a little while,” Quinn said. “I don’t think he has a reason to use his power tonight.”
“No I wold hope not,” Shane said.
“Well one thing we know is that the coven will vote to let both of you in,” Quinn said. “How old is Jesse?”
“Sixteen,” Shane said.
“Well he can be initiated into the coven when he gets here,” Quinn said.
“Starlight waits for eighteen,” Shane said.
“Moondance waits for sixteen,” Quinn countered.
“All right then initiate him then,” laughed Shane. “It’s so good to laugh with you again.”
“It’s so good to do almost anything with you again,” Quinn said.
“Yes,” Shane said. “This was impossible when I was a ghost.”
“Yes it was,” Quinn agreed.
They went up to bed after the eleven o’clock news. They made love with each other and Quinn didn’t even bat an eye at the fact that the body in his arms wasn’t Charlie’s body but Shane’s.
The next morning Quinn was on the phone to Judge Rains explaining the situation to him. Judge Rains was a solitary witch himself. He understood the problem with Starlight going dark. He issued the order an hour later when Shane was standing before him in court.
They talked with Taylor and he wanted to ride with Shane to pick up Jesse. Quinn saw no problem with that. A police officer was driving out there with them to make sure there were no problems. Judge Rains had given temporary custody to Shane pending a social service investigation into Maggie Macreavy.
While they were gone Quinn talked with Lorette and Franklin about housing Jesse. They talked it over and called him back to let him know that they were on board. He told them he had no idea what traumatizing things Jesse had been put through but to expect a little reaction. They asked about Shane and he told them the truth but warned them that Charlie was now living as Shane Macreavy.
Shane and Taylor came back with Jesse and Quinn took them to Lorette’s house. She was there waiting for them. Jesse seemed to like Lorette on sight and was happy enough to be left in her company.
Then Shane and Taylor went before the elders. Quinn was one of them and they voted in secret to allow Shane and Taylor to join the coven. They were given their initiation dates. Quinn also told them that Jesse Macreavy was now sixteen and could be initiated into the coven. They gave a date for that as well. Quinn told them that Lorette and Franklin were fostering him.
Then they went out for a bite to eat in Buffalo. They ran into none other than Maggie Macreavy and Ryan Mack. When they noticed them sitting a few tables away Maggie made a scene.
“You’re stealing my sons, Moreau,” she yelled “First Shane and then Taylor and they came and took Jesse from me this morning. Said I was an unfit mother.”
“Are you?” Quinn asked. “This had nothing to do with me. Shane and Taylor wanted out of Starlight. Jesse wanted to be with his brothers and Shane decided that Jesse wasn’t safe in your care. None of that was my idea or my doing.”
“You’re behind it,” she said, pointing at him.
“Don’t point your finger at me, Maggie Macreavy,” he spat. “You don’t want a showdown with me. Ask Ryan what I’m thinking.”
“He’ll kill you, Maggie,” he said. “You know he can heal just imagine what else he can do with that power.”
“It’s a double edged sword,” Quinn said. “I can kill or I can heal.”
“This isn’t over,” she spat as they got up to leave.
Quinn was aware that the other customers in the restaurant were looking at them. They got their food to go and left the building. Maggie and Ryan were long gone which was to the good because Quinn was in the mood to kill her.
“She means it when she says it isn’t over,” Taylor said.
“I’m not scared of the likes of her,” Quinn said. “Come on. We’ll eat these in the car.”
“You should be scared of her,” said Taylor. “She has a book of dark spells at her disposal.”
“And I have a dark power at mine,” Quinn said.
“But that doesn’t make you invincible,” said Shane. “Trust us when we say take our mother seriously.”
“I did take her seriously,” Quinn said. “But I won’t come to the fight alone. I’ll have those Mighty Moreau Witches beside me.”
“That’s seriously scary,” Taylor said. “You have no idea how scared she really is of the Moreau witches.”
“She has a healthy fear of us then,” Quinn said. “I can kill but the others are no slouches. If we come united she doesn’t stand a chance.”
“She has an amulet that won’t let magic touch her,” said Taylor. “She’s been making it for years. It’s made out of the bones of our ancestors.”
“That’s just sick,” Quinn said. “If I have to I’ll cast the Soul Spell.”
“Oh wow,” Taylor said. “You really aren’t scared of my mother are you?”
“Why should I be?” Quinn asked.
“The Soul Spell!” Taylor breathed. “I’ve never even heard of it being cast.”
“The witches in Starlight aren’t powerful enough to cast that spell,” said Shane. “It would take one of the Moreaus to cast it.”
“And you’re the most powerful of the Moreau witches aren’t you?” Taylor asked Quinn.
“The most powerful? No,” he said. “Marcel can do exactly what I can do.”
“Oh Christ,” he said. “Two of you?”
“That’s right, and he’s fully initiated,” Quinn said.
“But he’s only fifteen,” Shane said.
“He’s fifteen and initiated because there was nothing left to teach him and Philippe in advanced magic class. They’ve graduated from high school, too. They learned that fast as well.”
“Damn,” said Taylor. “Smart and deadly.”
“Philippe manipulates and controls the weather,” Quinn said. “He could drop a tornado on your mother.”
“I get it okay,” Taylor said. “You are the Mighty Moreau Witches.”
“I’m starting to get that,” Quinn said with a smirk.
They got back to the compound and found it in an uproar. Apparently Maggie and her crew were casting spells. Quinn and is crew cast them right back at them. It took a while to cast them but once they were out there in the ether Quinn went home.
They had to put up with it for a few days and then it died down. They got Shane and Taylor initiated into the coven. Taylor went out to use his power after the initiation and found that it was exponentially more powerful. Jesse was initiated the following night and he was a happy kid. He knew that this meant that Moondance would protect him no matter what happened with his mother.
By June it was decided that Jesse was better off in the care of Lorette and Franklin Moreau. The judge usually set it at six months and then a review but he gave them a year and then a review. He told Maggie that he didn’t believe that she would make the changes necessary to have her son returned to her custody.
She left the court house telling Quinn that he’d be sorry. Quinn just waved at her. It was really silly. She’d start casting spells again soon. She had to know that they had counter spells to send them all right back to her. It was a rat race and he was tired of playing in the game.
Their circles were on different nights every week now. So far nothing prevented them from having a circle. Then Quinn started to notice that the flowers were dying. The vegetation all over the compound was dying. He put two and two together and figured out what was happening.
“Your mother has cast an obscurité,” Quinn said.
“How much time do we have?” Shane asked.
“Not long the vegetation on the compound is already dying,” Quinn said. “We have to get everyone off this compound in the next few days. We’ll go to the hotel in Buffalo. We’re going to have to double up with other people I think this coven is too large for a Buffalo hotel.
They got everyone moved to the hotel just in time. The obscurité killed everything in it’s path. The trees, the grass, the flowers, the gardens, the birds, even the insects were all dead by Friday. This was war.
It took thirteen witches who weren’t initiated to ignite it. You had to murder them violently to ignite and obscurité. How many children had died at the Starlight Compound? Quinn couldn’t even think about it. Then Ryan Mack was among them and he was about to kill him when he heard what the man was saying.
“Just take him,” Ryan was saying. “Find a suitable home for him among you. The obscurité is over now. You can go back to your compound but nothing will ever grow there again. Just get Danny out of this. She’s killing kids now.”
“Of course she is,” Quinn said. “It takes thirteen of them to ignite the obscurité.”
“I know it,” he said. The man was crying. “I know that I’ve done too much to be one of you but my son is innocent. Please take him.”
“I’ll take him,” Quinn said. “He’s Philippe’s best friend.”
“Thank you, Quinn,” Ryan said. “I’m getting out of town away from here.”
“That’s a good idea,” Quinn said. “We won’t leave this unanswered.”
“I was afraid of that,” he said. “Be careful of Maggie. She’s got an amulet made from the bones of her family. It prevents magic from touching her.”
“That’s the second time I’ve heard about that amulet,” Quinn said. “We’ll get her don’t worry. It doesn’t take magic to touch her if we drop a house on her.”
“That’s dramatic,” he said. “But I have to go. My wife is waiting for me. Goodbye Danny. I love you.”
They watched him walk out. Danny was crying of course but Philippe had him in hand. Quinn went back to the planning session. Taylor and Shane had made a map of the Starlight compound labeled with names of who lived where.
They didn’t know what they were going to do yet but they were planning something. They were talking to those with telekinesis about throwing boulders. Quinn had done the thing he did to Shane and Taylor to a few of the witches in the coven. Now they could lift boulders and throw them with their minds. There were seven telekinetic witches in the bunch counting Shane.
Then they told him that he and Marcel should take point as they could kill with their minds. He wasn’t so sure that he wanted Marcel out there killing people with his mind but he supposed it was inevitable. Philippe would be with Taylor so he could make sure there was lightning in the sky for Taylor to channel. Plus he could give them fog cover and the like.
He disliked using his sons in this battle but they were part of the coven and the coven was fighting back. It was an extermination there was no other way around it. Throwing boulders at people would kill them. Quinn and Marcel would kill. Philippe could kill with his power, and so could Henri who had figured out how to enter the minds of people when they were awake. It just required a spell. His power could be changed slightly with that spell.
And so they plotted and they planned. They were running out of daylight and the dinner that they’d had carried in was all gone. They went up to the rooms they were renting and went to bed. The next day the plotting and planning could go on. They were waiting for Quinn to say he was ready. He knew it and they knew it.
The next day they went over the map carefully. Some of those people were scared and only staying on the compound out of fear. It was told to Quinn that six of the children used to ignite the spell had been the children of coven members. The other seven were abducted off the street. It made Quinn sick to his stomach to think of what those parents had gone through.
“I think we’re ready if everyone knows what they’re doing,” Quinn said. “Marcel will be with me and Philippe will be with Taylor. Henri will be with Lorette and Franklin. I say we have breakfast and lunch and then head out there right before dinner and catch them unaware. Philippe can give us fog.”
“If you’re sure,” said Lorette. Sheryl nodded.
“I’m sure,” he said.
They had their breakfast and then they plotted and planned a bit more. They were refining the plan now that they knew when it would be carried out. Quinn moved from group to group to listen in on what refinements they were making. He liked what he was hearing. This went on until they broke for lunch.
That was eaten in the conference room. A lot of money from the Legacy had taken care of the hotel and restaurants in Buffalo. They’d upended people who had reservations and were already staying in the rooms. They needed the entire hotel and all of it’s amenities.
No spells were cast on unsuspecting mortals either. Quinn had insisted on that. They would not stoop to Maggie’s level. They left the hotel right before dinner as the sun was beginning to set. They arrived at the compound and found no one outside. Quinn called out to Maggie Macreavy and called her out. Others came out of their houses and attacked but they were swatted away with boulders. Philippe gave them fog but they cast spells to see through it.
Taylor was casting lightning at specific houses and telling the people to flea. These must have been the innocents. They walked around the compound killing all who attacked. Marcel had been killing for exactly an hour before he started to cry. Quinn felt for him but they were doing this.
They found the pile of dead children and Quinn groaned in pain at the sight of them. Lorette rubbed his arm and told him that they’d get them taken down and to their rightful places for burial. He shook it off and headed toward Maggie’s house. They got there and found her on the porch.
“You’ve come to kill me have you?” Maggie said.
“You destroyed our compound,” Quinn said in reply.
“Well come on then,” she said.
Suddenly a boulder flew at her. She stepped out of the way of it. She started to laugh. Quinn looked at the amulet on her chest and sighed. He took his hand out of Marcel’s and stood in the moonlight.
“I call forth from space and time Moreau witches to stand beside me. Help me fight a soul so black and take her back. Lend me your power on this night and in this hour. I beseech you. I invoke you,” he said in a loud, clear voice.
Then suddenly light pierced his body. They were fanned out beside him. Maggie’s eyes grew large with fright at the sight of them. As Quinn moved so did the spirits at his side. He understood it when they merged with him. He channeled electricity like Giselle. He cast fire like one of the witches in his family line. He raised the roof off the porch of Maggie’s house with his father’s power. Then she was standing before him.
“I have a bone charm that keeps you from using magic against me,” she said haughtily.
“You have their bones,” he said. “You stole them. I have their souls that they give me freely.”
He raised his hand and moved it in a waving way and the charm on her chest broke apart and fell on the ground. He moved closer to her and shoved his power into her head. She screamed as he slowly burrowed a hole in her brain. She begged and pleaded for her life. He finally killed her by crushing her brain.
He stepped back and took Marcel’s hand again the boy was shaking. He looked at him and Marcel wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He threw his arms around his father and cried into his shoulder, “Killing sucks.”
“Yes it does,” Quinn agreed. “Step back I have to undo this spell.”
Marcel stood back and watched as his father stood a few feet from him. He raised his arms and said, “Blood of my blood, souls of my soul I release you.”
He was thrown to the ground in a spread eagle position. One by one they left him but he felt them in his bones. He was crying now as they left him he felt such love and cooperation. They loved him. Giselle, his father, Lisette, even Josephine and Maria had lent their powers to him. Now they were gone and he lay there on the ground rubbing his hands up and down his torso crying like he’d never cried before in his life. Oh how wonderfully horrible. To have felt them all and to feel that they were proud and loved him was such torture.
He stayed there on the ground for a long time just crying. Marcel stood before him and wondered if he should say something. He’d watched the spirits leave his father’s body one at a time and had been struck in wonder. So this was what the soul spell did. He would never cast it. He didn’t think he could take what his father had just gone though.
Finally Quinn sat up. He got to his feet and hugged Marcel. He was still crying. Then Philippe was with them and it was a three-way hug. Then Shane was with them and hugging all of them as Quinn cried.
They finally got out of there and went back to the hotel. They took showers and went to bed. Quinn cried himself to sleep. The next morning he was up and having breakfast with all of them but he was very quiet. He understood why no one would want to cast that spell. To feel your ancestors and loved ones flowing through you like that was agony. It was beautiful but agony.
They drove to the Moondance compound and found that not only would nothing grow there, nothing worked there either. There was no gas for the stove, no power for the lights. They packed all of their clothes and personable items. Then they called a moving company and all of the boxes were labeled with names and put on the truck. The furniture stayed put. They were moving and he told them to take the boxes to Moonlight Bay, California.
Then they bought plane tickets on several different airlines. They boarded planes and flew into California. They rented cars and drove into Moonlight Bay. Quinn went straight to the manor and found his boxes had been delivered there. He told the boys that the staff was not there to make their lives easy. If they wanted something they would ask politely until they knew where things were.
Shane and Quinn walked into the lounge and there was the painting that Giselle had painted of Quinn and Charlie. Shane told him to leave it up. He said it didn’t bother him. He went to the kitchen and talked with the cook there about having people in the house again. She was happy to have more than just the staff to cook for. Quinn was happy about that.
It took some doing but there were houses for everyone in Keller Village. Doctors, lawyers, and other professional people had stayed in Buffalo to work out their notices. They were also letting the clinic open in Keller Village. It would take all of the doctors that were moving to the bay. The law offices welcomed Lorette and Franklin back. Quinn had meetings with Joseph to talk about the state of the coven now that nearly two hundred people had moved back to Moonlight Bay.
Then they were just living in the house. Food was bought and meals were cooked. The boys had their rooms. Taylor, Jesse, and Henri were living with Quinn and Shane. Taylor and Jesse took Shane being with Quinn in stride. He was their brother and they loved him.
Quinn happily went back to shopping in the store there in Keller Village. They were happy to see him again. The townspeople weren’t happy with the influx of witches. They had no choice in the matter as the Moreau family owned most of the town of Moonlight Bay.
Pierre bought another house boat and docked it at the marina. Revanche and April moved into the house where Maria had lived and soon after welcomed their son, Parker to the family.
Things in town were tense but they had stores in Keller Village to frequent. They bought flowers at The Flower Pot. They held parties at the Family Fun Center. They banked at the Moonlight Bay Bank and Trust. They did all of this and didn’t seem to care that they weren’t wanted.
It went on like that for a while. But then many people left Moonlight Bay. It turned out they didn’t want to share the town with witches. That was fine with Moondance. They were no stranger to being with each other. It worked out.
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