Sneak Peek – Chapter 1 of “To Condemn a Witch”

Here is a sneak peek at the first chapter in my new novel, To Condemn a Witch. It’s set in Scotland, 1707 when Fiona (the woman on the cover) is a child. It’s told from her aunt Matilda’s perspective.

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Matilda

Scotland—1707

A hot sting from the executioner’s slap jolted Matilda back to life, the noose still tight around her neck. Now on the ground and gasping, she curled in a ball, wishing she could raise her tingling old hands to her head to stop the earsplitting ringing, but they were tied behind her back.

“Reckoned you’d get off that easy, witch?” the executioner said, yanking her to standing and removing the noose. His hot breath reeked of ale. “Dinnae fash yourself. The noble witch hunter’s got something special planned for you.”

Her blurred vision slowly focused beyond the crumbling castle, where she’d been imprisoned for weeks, to the tar-covered stake awaiting her. Her legs felt weak, and the sound of her heartbeat thrashed in her ears. This canna be happening.

Staring into the crowd, the smear of color refocused and she saw her nephew and nieces. Her nephew stroked his own throat, grimacing, and her older niece did her best to disappear behind her hair, which fell like a curtain over her shamed face. Wee Fiona, barely seven, held her trembling fingertips against her open mouth. Fiona’s amber eyes, stared desperately at Matilda unable to close. For a fleeting instant, they were brave for each other.

Matilda tried to orient herself. Admiral Goring’s manor stood nestled in the forested hills to her right, looming as large as the man himself. Directly in front was the stake, with the entire village, plus neighboring clans, surrounding to watch. To the left were the worn stone steps leading to the water gate, where an older woman leaned against a cane.

Elspeth.

Matilda’s former coven sister hovered on the crowd’s edge, ready to escape. Is she here to comfort or gloat?

The ringing in her ears rose to a piercing pitch, then shifted to a clear and overwhelming rush of villagers chanting, “Burn witch.”

Admiral Goring, in his powdered wig and expensive frock coat, smugly counted eight pounds and four shillings for the executioner, right in front of Matilda, as his pretty wife rubbed the cross round her neck. “Money well spent,” the admiral said with a wink to the mysterious English nobleman—the witch hunter. She’d never seen the witch hunter’s face in the village until her arrest and torture.

“I’m a healer. I’m innocent,” she called out, voice even raspier now than the day of her capture.

The witch hunter’s lips curled into a sickening grin. “I know,” he hissed just loud enough for her ears. Dressed in a dark-colored coat that shimmered when he moved, he gave a nod to Admiral Goring, then immersed himself into the crowd like a snake slithering through tall grass.

Beside her nieces and nephew, as if in mockery, Admiral Goring’s two sons stood tall, laughing and joking, enjoying the display of their family’s dominance over hers. Matilda’s stomach soon churned as she watched the witch hunter weave towards Fiona and realized their plan. “No,” Matilda gasped.

Men in green plaids grasped her armpits, dragging her to the stake as her neighbors spit on her.

Reverend MacDonald, a small, knuckly man clenching a large Bible, rambled incessantly about Christ as he walked beside her. “You’re paying for your sins with your body, as is just…”

Shut up. Have the decency to bless me with silence on my death day. Her breath quickened, watching the witch hunter inch closer to the wee child.

“Fiona,” she wheezed.

Skinny fishwives fingered bits of iron to protect themselves from Matilda’s spells. “She stole herbs from my garden, said they were for ‘healing.’ Lying hag. How many people died from her charms?”

“Matilda’s been a troublemaker since her husband died. I heard she sunk the admiral’s ship.”

“She helped my bairn survive last winter…” whispered a woman in a homespun shawl. “You dinnae reckon she used dark magic, did she?”

The men bound Matilda to the stake, then shoved faggots of wood beneath her bare feet, while the elders of the Kirk lit their torches from within the remaining tower of the castle ruins and started their solemn procession to burn her alive. Her head was spinning.

“Thou has put down many with the fever,” Admiral Goring said, with his wife looking on. “It would have been better for the good people of Kirkhaven if they had knit a stone about thy neck and drowned thee at birth.”

A break appeared in the gray clouds as a murder of ravens flew from the partially collapsed castle roof, and black feathers rained down. Rage bubbled inside her. Was my life not enough? Why kill a child? Did Elspeth use Fiona’s life to pay for her own freedom?

As the torchbearers passed the water gate, only yards away to set her aflame, the witch hunter closed in on Fiona. Matilda’s bound hands curled into fists and her muscles strained against her skin and the ropes as the fury boiled over, hotter than the approaching torches. Raising her eyes, she called out. “Eisd rium a Dhia. Beira, Queen of Winter, first Cailleach, Goddess, Destroyer, Protector.” The price of her soul would be steep, but worth it. “May your rage annihilate mine enemies.”

An icy wind answered from the mountains. Panic swept through the villagers as they stepped back, gaping at each other. The torch bearers abandoned all ritual and rushed forward, quickly setting ablaze the wood beneath her feet.

Spittle built in the corners of Matilda’s mouth as she realized Elspeth had shape shifted into a raven to escape. “Flying back to London, traitor? Losgadh, fear-brathaidh! ” she shouted, and her curse burned a sigil above Elspeth’s heart, forever marking her betrayal to the coven, as the raven cawed in agony and flew haphazardly away.

Matilda’s sight was overwhelmed by the intense brightness of the flame as the fire started to catch. Straightening to full height, her eyes locked on the witch hunter, and she called out to him. “Evil tidings come upon ye. It’d be better for the women of the burgh if ye were castrated.”

The witch hunter stopped mid-step, instinctively cupping himself.

Curling her toes at the intense heat, Matilda cried out as her skin blistered. Loud and constant crackling grew stronger. Each muscle cramped with the intense heat, making her body writhe in a sick dance.

“Enjoy your last dance with the Devil,” Admiral Goring shouted over the murmurs and cries of the villagers, now drowned out by the roars of the flames. “Thy tongue shall never abuse these people again.”

“Witches take your wit and grace from ye,” she screamed.

The left side of Admiral Goring’s face dropped, then froze. The villagers watched in horror as Admiral Goring’s knees gave out and he collapsed, his massive jowls quivering as a dribble of saliva slid down his cheek.

Sunlight flashed against a dagger the witch hunter pulled from his rich damask waistcoat, bounding forward to Fiona. “Run!” she shouted into the chaotic fury.

Fiona stared at Matilda, not understanding all that was going on around her, not realizing how close she was to death.

“Your sons shall die yet, Admiral,” Matilda shouted.

Did they think they could betray me without consequence? That Beira wouldnae demand her due?

“Give it more wood. She’s not dead,” shouted a man running forward with another torch.

Another cold gust blew. Admiral Goring’s oldest son, dark blond, tall and handsome in a practiced way, collapsed at Fiona’s feet. The younger son, pale, freckled, still growing into his limbs, held his brother’s arm before a crimson line of blood wet his own cravat.

Tasting smoke, Matilda’s mouth grew dry. She watched savagely as the witch hunter fled to his waiting horse past the shrieking crowd who dropped their belongings as they stampeded to safety. Her nephew and niece grabbed Fiona’s hand and ran.

For an instant, Matilda connected with Fiona’s devastated eyes. I’d die a million deaths to save ye, dove. Protect your magic.

A coppery taste of blood filled her mouth as she bit down on her own tongue. Exhaling her last, furious breath, Matilda’s vengeful spirit ripped from her charred body, floating above the flames.

Alone.

A trapped ghost, cursed to relive her death for eternity until justice could be served.

***

Want to read more? Pre-order a copy of “To Condemn a Witch” today at Amazon. Official release date is August 11, 2025.

Copyright (c) Lisa Traugott 2025. All rights reserved.