by Lorna TedderRites of Passage Trilogy, Book 2

Think: Alice Hoffman meets Anne Rice meets Cheryl Strayed in a Southern Gothic story of magical deception, midlife grief, and the sacred power of reclaiming yourself after profound loss.

About the Book

Lauren, a powerful Southern witch facing a mysterious health crisis and overwhelming grief, finds her midlife anything but peaceful. When a dark magical force begins to unravel her life—threatening her family, finances, and sanity—she believes her mission is to fight back. But in this world of Southern Gothic secrets and supernatural sabotage, nothing is as it seems.

As a rival chaos witch uses glamour magic to deceive those closest to her, Lauren finds herself unraveling—not because her power is gone, but because grief has silenced her inner voice. After years of standing strong as High Priestess, she now faces the quick erosion of everything she’s built. To protect her family and preserve the life she’s forged, Lauren must confront the heartbreak she’s buried and remember how to trust the wisdom that once guided her.

Previously published as Midlife Mirages.

Read It Free — All Chapters

The complete novel, free to read right here.

1. Chapter 1““Mom,” Rhiannon asked me on her most recent phone call from college, “do you think you’re cursed?””
2. Chapter 2“I curl up in my king-sized bed without a king and press my doubled fists into my abdomen just above…”
3. Chapter 3““Ma’am. Ma’am. Ma’am?””
4. Chapter 4“My heart is in my throat, not because I’m staring into otherworldly red eyes but because I know…”
5. Chapter 5“We both walk barefoot through the thick grass, Christabel and I, back toward my house and safety. I…”
6. Chapter 6“Christabel’s phone buzzes, too. We exchange glances. It’s almost as if we walked out of one bubble…”
7. Chapter 7“Jan is waiting on the top doorstep as Christabel and I trudge into view of my house. She frowns at…”
8. Chapter 8“Without a single ring, my daughter’s voicemail answers. “Hey, there! You’ve reached Sonnet. You…”
9. Chapter 9“It takes all of fifteen minutes for me to gulp down my next dose of painkillers, freshly line a…”
10. Chapter 10“By the time I reach the farthest corner of my backyard, I’m regretting living on a one-acre lot.…”
11. Chapter 11“I stiffen. Jan squirms from her seat in the West.”
12. Chapter 12“My baby’s home. Safe. Shaken, but safe.”
13. Chapter 13“Barefoot, I stand on the bottom step of my back porch and gaze across the backyard to the fire pit…”
14. Chapter 14“What no one ever told me though was that any type of surgery, illness, or injury to one of the…”
15. Chapter 15“I smile to myself. My releasing ritual isn’t Dragon’s magick. It’s from outside her teachings, and…”
16. Chapter 16“Servitor. The word itself haunts my dreams. More than a thought-form or an avatar or a messenger.…”
17. Chapter 17“What exactly had my mom said to Quent that he’d twisted into “abandonment”?”
18. Chapter 18“Christabel screams from the passenger seat. I slam on the brakes, almost standing on them, as much…”
19. Chapter 19““Hi, Lisa.””
20. Chapter 20“I can’t shake this jittery feeling. Nor do I want to. I lean into it, wallow in it. I haven’t felt…”
21. Chapter 21“The restaurant is smaller inside than expected. Some of the cars out front must belong to the staff…”
22. Chapter 22““You look like death warmed over,” Jan says as I shuffle through my front door.”
23. Chapter 23“A bubble pops, and I open my eyes. I’m not sure where I am. It’s as if I’ve been traveling through…”
24. Chapter 24“Carefully, I build my fire, then situate my aching body on the blanket as I wait. I do feel better…”
25. Chapter 25“I stare at the words on the last letter from Donna.”
26. Chapter 26““Serv—” I’m barely aware of what I’m saying. “S-s-servitor.””
27. Chapter 27“The bubbles of memory have surfaced in the past. That part isn’t unusual. Always on a onesie-twosie…”
28. Chapter 28““Me? Why? Did I do something to her? I don’t think I’ve ever met her.””
29. Chapter 29“I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling of the living room. Still on the sofa, I don’t move.”
30. Chapter 30“I have the tools. I have the tools. I have the tools.”
31. Chapter 31“I frown at the name. I’ve heard it before. Someone has flagged her account, and that can mean only…”
32. Chapter 32“I’m nowhere in finding out the chaos witch’s real identity. Nowhere.”
33. Chapter 33“My heart is still pounding when I step into the bank. I take for granted that I am more powerful…”
34. Chapter 34““Hey, Mom. Did you grab my glasses from my car?””
35. Chapter 35“Sonnet finally lands on what must be the beginning of the series of video captures of this man. The…”
36. Chapter 36““Miss Lauren, she got really mad that night. Nobody else saw because they went ahead while Jesse…”
37. Chapter 37“For the second time in one day, I make my way down the narrow, overgrown path to the lake.…”
38. Chapter 38“Christabel matches my pace. I don’t mean to outrun her, but I’m in a hurry now. I splay my fingers…”
39. Chapter 39“The sun is low in the sky when I carry an armload of magickal tools to the firepit for the third…”
40. Chapter 40““I can’t be with you again, Wifey. I’ll show you.””
41. Chapter 41“In the next flash of memory, the brunette walks into his reception area right before noon and begs…”
42. Chapter 42“My breath catches in my chest. I remember the other side of this scene. The call from Jesse’s…”
43. Chapter 43““Miss Lauren?””
44. Chapter 44“I park at the abandoned healing center, not far from a couple of quiet teen girls in the last glow…”
45. Chapter 45“I roll my eyes. Naturally, that’s what she wants to do next. Queen of Cups, reversed. Drama queen.”
46. Chapter 46“I stand in the middle of the fish camp and listen to the smooth rush of my own breath. Everything…”
47. Chapter 47“As I pull into the parking space outside the heavy, black, iron gates, I steady the tall vase of…”
48. Chapter 48“We stop in front of a pair of graves that share a matching headstone with the surname DULEY carved…”

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