WIXLIB

Nora RobertsHOT ICESACRED SINSBRAZEN VIRTUESWEET REVENGEPUBLIC SECRETSGENUINE LIESCARNAL INNOCENCEDIVINE EVILHONEST ILLUSIONSPRIVATE SCANDALSHIDDEN RICHESTRUE BETRAYALSMONTANA SKYSANCTUARYHOMEPORTTHE REEFRIVER’S ENDCAROLINA MOONTHE VILLAMIDNIGHT BAYOUTHREE FATESBIRTHRIGHTNORTHERN LIGHTSBLUE SMOKEANGELS FALLHIGH NOONTRIBUTEBLACK HILLSTHE SEARCHCHASING FIRETHE WITNESSWHISKEY BEACHSeriesIrish Born Trilogy

BORN IN FIREBORN IN ICEBORN IN SHAMEDream TrilogyDARING TO DREAMHOLDING THE DREAMFINDING THE DREAMChesapeake Bay SagaSEA SWEPTRISING TIDESINNER HARBORCHESAPEAKE BLUEGallaghers of Ardmore TrilogyJEWELS OF THE SUNTEARS OF THE MOONHEART OF THE SEAThree Sisters Island TrilogyDANCE UPON THE AIRHEAVEN AND EARTHFACE THE FIREKey TrilogyKEY OF LIGHTKEY OF KNOWLEDGEKEY OF VALORIn the Garden TrilogyBLUE DAHLIABLACK ROSERED LILYCircle Trilogy

MORRIGAN’S CROSSDANCE OF THE GODSVALLEY OF SILENCESign of Seven TrilogyBLOOD BROTHERSTHE HOLLOWTHE PAGAN STONEBride QuartetVISION IN WHITEBED OF ROSESSAVOR THE MOMENTHAPPY EVER AFTERThe Inn BoonsBoro TrilogyTHE NEXT ALWAYSTHE LAST BOYFRIENDTHE PERFECT HOPEThe Cousins O’Dwyer TrilogyDARK WITCHeBooks by Nora RobertsCordina’s Royal FamilyAFFAIRE ROYALECOMMAND PERFORMANCETHE PLAYBOY PRINCECORDINA’S CROWN JEWELThe Donovan LegacyCAPTIVATEDENTRANCEDCHARMEDENCHANTED

The O’HurleysTHE LAST HONEST WOMANDANCE TO THE PIPERSKIN DEEPWITHOUT A TRACENight TalesNIGHT SHIFTNIGHT SHADOWNIGHTSHADENIGHT SMOKENIGHT SHIELDThe MacGregorsTHE WINNING HANDTHE PERFECT NEIGHBORALL THE POSSIBILITIESONE MAN’S ARTTEMPTING FATEPLAYING THE ODDSTHE MACGREGOR BRIDESTHE MACGREGOR GROOMSREBELLION/IN FROM THE COLDFOR NOW, FOREVERThe CalhounsSUZANNA’S SURRENDERMEGAN’S MATECOURTING CATHERINEA MAN FOR AMANDAFOR THE LOVE OF LILAHIrish LegacyIRISH ROSEIRISH REBELIRISH THOROUGHBREDBEST LAID PLANSLOVING JACKLAWLESSSUMMER LOVEBOUNDARY LINES

DUAL IMAGEFIRST IMPRESSIONSTHE LAW IS A LADYLOCAL HEROTHIS MAGIC MOMENTTHE NAME OF THE GAMEPARTNERSTEMPTATIONTHE WELCOMINGOPPOSITES ATTRACTTIME WASTIMES CHANGEGABRIEL’S ANGELHOLIDAY WISHESTHE HEART’S VICTORYTHE RIGHT PATHRULES OF THE GAMESEARCH FOR LOVEBLITHE IMAGESFROM THIS DAYSONG OF THE WESTISLAND OF FLOWERSHER MOTHER’S KEEPERUNTAMEDSULLIVAN’S WOMANLESS OF A STRANGERREFLECTIONSDANCE OF DREAMSSTORM WARNINGONCE MORE WITH FEELINGENDINGS AND BEGINNINGSTONIGHT AND ALWAYSA MATTER OF CHOICENora Roberts & J. D. RobbREMEMBER WHEN

J. D. RobbNAKED IN DEATHGLORY IN DEATHIMMORTAL IN DEATHRAPTURE IN DEATHCEREMONY IN DEATHVENGEANCE IN DEATHHOLIDAY IN DEATHCONSPIRACY IN DEATHLOYALTY IN DEATHWITNESS IN DEATHJUDGMENT IN DEATHBETRAYAL IN DEATHSEDUCTION IN DEATHREUNION IN DEATHPURITY IN DEATHPORTRAIT IN DEATHIMITATION IN DEATHDIVIDED IN DEATHVISIONS IN DEATHSURVIVOR IN DEATHORIGIN IN DEATHMEMORY IN DEATHBORN IN DEATHINNOCENT IN DEATHCREATION IN DEATHSTRANGERS IN DEATHSALVATION IN DEATHPROMISES IN DEATHKINDRED IN DEATHFANTASY IN DEATHINDULGENCE IN DEATHTREACHERY IN DEATHNEW YORK TO DALLASCELEBRITY IN DEATHDELUSION IN DEATHCALCULATED IN DEATHTHANKLESS IN DEATH

AnthologiesFROM THE HEARTA LITTLE MAGICA LITTLE FATEMOON SHADOWS( with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne W illman)The Once Upon Series( with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Marianne W illman)ONCE UPON A CASTLEONCE UPON A STARONCE UPON A DREAMONCE UPON A ROSEONCE UPON A KISSONCE UPON A MIDNIGHTSILENT NIGHT( with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, and Claire Cross)OUT OF THIS WORLD( with Laurell K. Hamilton, Susan Krinard, and Maggie Shayne)BUMP IN THE NIGHT( with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)DEAD OF NIGHT( with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)THREE IN DEATHSUITE 606( with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)IN DEATHTHE LOST( with Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan)THE OTHER SIDE

( with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary KayMcComas)TIME OF DEATHTHE UNQUIET( with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney, Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary KayMcComas)MIRROR, MIRROR( with Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, and R. C. Ryan)Also available . . .THE OFFICIAL NORA ROBERTS COMPANION( edited by Denise Little and Laura Hayden)

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUPPublished by the Penguin GroupPenguin Group (USA) LLC375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014USA Canada UK Ireland Australia New Zealand India South Africa Chinapenguin.comA Penguin Random House CompanyThis book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.Copy right 2013 by Nora Roberts.Excerpt from The Witness by Nora Roberts copy right 2012 by Nora Roberts.Penguin supports copy right. Copy right fuels creativity , encourages diverse voices, promotes freespeech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank y ou for buy ing an authorized edition of this book andfor comply ing with copy right laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it inany form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin to continue topublish books for every reader.BERKLEY is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.NR is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.eBook ISBN: 978-1-101-62636-8Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataRoberts, Nora.Dark witch / Nora Roberts.pages cmISBN 978-0-425-25985-61. Americans—Ireland—Fiction. 2. Ireland—Fiction. 3. Man-woman relationships—Fiction. 4.Domestic fiction. I. Title.PS3568.O243D375 2013813'.54—dc232013006292PUBLISHING HISTORYBerkley trade paperback edition / November 2013Cover design by Rita Frangie.Cover images: “House” by PaulKnight / Trevillion; “Horse” by marait / Shutterstock.

Interior cover images: “White Rose” by phloen / Shutterstock; “Brown rust stone texture” bymack2happy / Shutterstock; “Beautiful Horse” Digital-Clipart / Shutterstock; “Chain” AlexanderVevstafy ev / Shutterstock; “Vintage metal pendant” by Taigi / Shutterstock.Text design by Kristin del Rosario.This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of theauthor’s imagination or are used fictitiously , and any resemblance to actual persons, living ordead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

ContentsTitles by Nora RobertsTitle PageCopyrightDedicationEpigraphChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19

Chapter 20Chapter 21EpilogueSpecial Excerpt from The Witness

To the power of family, those born, those made

When shall we three meet again?In thunder, lightning, or in rain?When the hurlyburly’s done,When the battle’s lost and won.—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Macbeth

1Winter 1263NEAR THE SHADOW OF THE CASTLE, DEEP IN THE GREENwoods, Sorcha led her children through the gloom towardhome. The two youngest rode the sturdy pony, withTeagan, barely three, nodding with every plod. Weary, Sorchathought, after the excitement of Imbolg, the bonfires, and thefeasting.“M ind your sister, Eamon.”At five, Eamon’s minding was a quick poke to wake up hisbaby sister before he went back to nibbling on the bannocks hismother had baked that morning.“Home in your bed soon,” Sorcha crooned when Teaganwhined. “Home soon.”She’d tarried too long in the clearing, she thought now. Andthough Imbolg celebrated the first stirrings in the womb of theEarth M other, night fell too fast and hard in winter.A bitter one it had been, crackling with icy winds and blowingsnow and ice-tipped rain. The fog had lived all winter, creeping,

crawling, curtaining sun and moon. Too often in that wind, in thatfog, she’d heard her name called—a beckoning she refused toanswer. Too often in that world of white and gray, she’d seen thedark.She refused to truck with it.Her man had begged her to take the children and stay with hisfine while he waged his battles over that endless winter.As the wife of the cennfine, every door would open for her.And in her own right, for what and who she was, welcome wouldalways be made.But she needed her woods, her cabin, her place. She needed tobe apart as much as she needed to breathe.She would tend her own, always, her home and her hearth, hercraft and her duties. And most of all, the precious children she andDaithi had made. She had no fear of the night.She was known as the Dark Witch, and her power was great.But just then she felt sorely a woman missing her man, yearningfor the warmth of him, the fine, hard body pressed to hers in thecold and lonely dark.What did she care for war? For the greed and ambitions of allthe petty kings? She only wanted her man home safe and whole.When he came home, they would make another baby, and shewould feel that life inside her again. She mourned still the life she’dlost on a brutal black night when the first winter wind had blownthrough her woods like the sound of weeping.How many had she healed? How many had she saved? And yet

when the blood had poured from her, when that fragile life hadflooded away, no magick, no offering, no bargain with the gods hadsaved it.But then she knew, too well, healing others came more easilythan healing self. And the gods as fickle as a giddy girl in M ay.“Look! Look!” Brannaugh, her eldest at seven, danced off thehard path, with their big hound on her heels. “The blackthorn’sblooming! It’s a sign.”She saw it now, the hint of those creamy white blossoms amongthe black, tangled branches. Her first bitter thought was whileBrighid, the fertility-bringing goddess, blessed the earth, her ownwomb lay empty inside her.Then she watched her girl, her first pride, sharp-eyed, pinkcheeked, spinning through the snow. She’d been blessed, Sorchareminded herself. Three times blessed.“It’s a sign, M a.” Dark hair flying with every spin, Brannaughlifted her face to the dimming light. “Of coming spring.”“Aye, it’s that. A good sign.” As had been the gloomy day, asthe old hag Cailleach couldn’t find firewood without the bright sun.So spring would come early, so the legend went.The blackthorn bloomed bright, tempting the flowers to follow.She saw the hope in her child’s eyes, as she’d seen it at thebonfire in other eyes, heard it in the voices. And Sorcha searchedinside herself for that spark of hope.But found only dread.He would come again tonight—she could already sense him.

Lurking, waiting, plotting. Inside, she thought, inside the cabinbehind the bolted door, with her charms laid out to protect herbabies. To protect herself.She clucked to the pony to quicken his pace, whistled for thedog. “Come along now, Brannaugh, your sister’s all but asleepalready.”“Da comes home in the spring.”Though her heart stayed heavy, Sorcha smiled and tookBrannaugh’s hand. “He does that, home by Bealtaine, and we’llhave a great feast.”“Can I see him tonight, with you? In the fire?”“There’s much to do. The animals need tending before bed.”“For a moment?” Brannaugh tipped her face back, her eyes,gray as smoke, pleading. “Just to see him for a moment, then I candream he’s home again.”As she would herself, Sorcha thought, and now her smile camefrom her heart. “For a moment, m’inion, when the work’s done.”“And you take your medicine.”Sorcha lifted her brows. “Will I then? Do I look to you as if I’min need of it?”“You’re still pale, M a.” Brannaugh kept her voice beneath thewind.“Just a wee bit tired, and you’re not to worry. Here now, holdon to your sister, Eamon! Alastar smells home, and she’s likely tofall off.”“She rides better than Eamon, and me as well.”