The Witch's Daughter (The Witch's Daughter, #1)

by Paula Brackston

Imbolg is my favorite time of year to find a new home, signifying as it does looking forward to rebirth and renewal.

There is comfort to be had in the company of wild things and delight to be found in their trust.

It is the cruelest of the torments of my great age that grief does not abate, not beyond a certain level. It merely continues, my only companion across oceans of time.

“That’s what Mum says. But then, how can I learn anything if I don’t ask questions?”

“And how long have you been carrying a torch for this paragon?”

Holly is one of the most protective plants to set about a garden, and I would not be without it.

There was lavender oil for treating scars and burns; rosemary and mint to fight coughs and fevers; comfrey to knit broken bones; fruit leaf teas to ease the pains of childbirth; garlic powder to purify

the blood; and rose oil to restore the mind. Pots of honey from John’s bees sat fatly, waiting to treat wounds that were slow to heal or save the lives of infants following sickness.

there is no courage in being fearless. Do you not know that? A person who knows fear and yet can still think of others, well, he be a brave man.”

“We have to keep her alive in our hearts, Bess. That is where she truly dwells now, not in the earth, in our hearts. In us.”

secrets are dangerous. They start small but grow with every evasive answer or outright lie that protects them. Nevertheless, I confess to finding the closeness such conspiracy breeds irresistibly delicious.

Bel is the god of light and fire. We celebrate the fact that the sun has at last come to free us from the bondage of winter. We will collect the nine sacred woods for our fire and smudge our faces with the ashes. We keep vigil all night. Some believe the dawn dew at Beltane carries blessings of health and happiness. I suppose you could take your clothes off for that bit if you must.”