A Witch's Trial (Witch's Path Series: Book 3) Read online

  A quick look around revealed that Shalatar was faster than I'd expected with the daggers. The gremlins around her were forced to climb over her previous attackers, and she was starting to get some space from the group.

  On my other side, Stallings had the sword moving so quickly my eyes couldn't track it, but I heard faint whooshes. There were plenty of pudgy bodies around her feet too, but she was doing quick footwork to stay upright and give herself enough room to use the sword effectively.

  Then there was me, continually swamped by the creatures, sticking my left leg out and shaking it around before putting my right hand in and flinging a gremlin back into the horde. I felt like I was doing the hokey pokey, only deadlier.

  I glanced over my shoulder again. Stallings was a good twenty feet from me, and Shalatar was even farther away than that. Shaking off another gremlin, I smiled. Now I had room to work.

  Taking a deep breath, I contracted my magic into a tight ball where I gave it direction and shape. I forced the spell to expand, pushing it out in every direction as I shouted, "Fehu."

  All around me, gremlins stilled and toppled over as frost encrusted them. A couple were caught in mid jump and crashed to the ground where they shattered. Several other were frozen to the earth, both feet planted solidly enough to keep them upright.

  With the gremlins to my sides and back taken care of, I could focus on the mob in front of me. A few steps forward, and I pulsed the spell in a half circle, catching five or six ranks. The gremlins continued to rush me, trampling their fallen companions in the process.

  At this point, I had a better feel for the area I was affecting and added more power to the spell, solidifying the next nine rows. Not wanting them to gain any ground, I picked my way through the fallen bodies, kicking them to the side when there wasn't a path. This time I froze enough of them that it stalled the progress of the column, which seemed to be contained to the road. The gremlins marching at me from the rest of the jail were under no such constraint and surged over the shoulder, coming at me from both sides.

  The way I'd been tossing power around was taking its toll. A few more spells and I'd be back to doing the hokey pokey.

  Feet planted, I let the gremlins swarm me as they closed in from every direction. When the first one was gathering himself to leap on me, I released another burst of the spell, turning gremlins into Popsicles down the road and onto the grass. Behind the iced gremlins, more of them were descending upon me. The gate was only a hundred and fifty feet away, but it felt farther with gremlins coming at me from every direction.

  "I have had about enough of this. Gremory, they're gremlins! What are they going to do, gnaw me to death? We both know you want the satisfaction of dealing with me on your own," I yelled.

  The gremlins replied in the same hair-raising voice they'd used before, but it had lost a bit of its power. It's hard to sound intimidating when most of your speakers are out of breath. "You are a bug to be squished, hardly worthy of my undivided attention."

  "You think they're going to squish me? They aren't even two feet tall, and I've turned most of them into Popsicles!" I had one more good spell in me, and it had to finish the job.

  The gremlins gathered around, encircling me but not attacking. If the past was anything to go by, they would rush me and that would be my chance to end this nonsense. My bravado dampened when I realized there were more than thirty ranks surrounding me. I'd yet been able to freeze more than fifteen rows, and I was on the waning side of my power.

  "Gremory will have you and your family," they intoned.

  I didn't bother to reply.

  The gremlins charged, and I flung the last of my power at them. "Fehu!" Dozens of them frosted, but I didn't get all of them. The remaining gremlins started climbing over and around their friends, still headed for me.

  From behind me, I heard a loud clap, and a shadow trailed across the ground, moving my way. A high-pitched whistle cut through the air. Panicking, I screamed and ducked.

  "Mother Earth, don't let this be the end of me," I whispered.

  Seconds passed and nothing happened. I wasn't attacked by a single gremlin or whatever was in the sky. Still on my hands and knees, I looked over my shoulder. There, plain as day, was Horst, gliding through the air while whistling. Gremlins scrambled to get out of his way, but everything he directed a whistle at turned to stone.

  I slowly stood up, mouth agape. All around me were statues of pudgy bodies. My eyes trailed over the road, up and down each grassy shoulder and along the fence. There wasn't a moving gremlin to be found. Gray gremlins dotted the landscape, standing, fallen, and occasionally broken. One near me, which was frosted over from a spell of mine and gray from the gargoyle's ability, had fallen over and the arm had snapped off. Kneeling down, I picked up the limb. It was cold enough to make my fingers ache, but instead of seeing flesh and bone, I saw a monotone gray. The gargoyles had turned the gremlin to stone.

  Gargoyles turning creatures to stone was a new one to me. I'd known they would fight evil and had tough hides, but this ability had been left out of my education, and it was fascinating to see it in action. One day I'd have to sit down with a gargoyle and figure out how they did it. It wasn't as simple as hearing the tone, or I'd be a statue too.

  Two more gargoyles flew into view, and I turned my attention to the sky, shading my eyes with one hand. Sure enough, there were four gargoyles circling overhead. It was a relief to see the situation under control. All the credit on this one went to the gargoyles for accomplishing what I couldn't.

  I wasn't very careful as I walked down the road. The gremlins were dead. Being in once piece or several made little difference. It took longer than I liked, but I finally made it past the piles of bodies Stallings and Shalatar had left. Like the rest of the gremlins, these were stone too.

  Stallings and Shalatar were covered with blood, which stood out all the more next to the clean and tidy cops around them. Shalatar was wiping down her daggers with a rag while Stallings uncapped a bottle of water and poured it over her blade before toweling it dry.

  "Michelle, what did you do?" Wells asked.

  "This isn't me. Ask the gargoyles." Over the past few weeks, I'd pulled some pretty impressive spells out of my hat, but I couldn't turn an army of gremlins into stone without preparation.

  I was saved from further conversation by Horst and another gargoyle landing next to us. The second gargoyle was potbellied and clearly female. Her horns were shorter, spiraling a few inches away from her head, but she had an impressive set of talons.

  "Horst, may I introduce you to Detective Wells? Detective Wells, this is Horst, the leader of the flock of gargoyles residing in your park. I'm afraid I don't know his companion's name," I finished.

  "Greetings, Michelle, Detective Wells. This is Octavia," Horst said.

  "It is a pleasure to meet you, Octavia." I bowed my head.

  "Nice to meet you," Wells said.

  Octavia smiled. "It's nice to meet you as well. I must say, it has been years since I've had such fun. Rarely do we have the opportunity to stone people these days."

  I blinked, searching for the right words. "We're grateful for your assistance."

  "Yes, most grateful. We were in a bind before you arrived," Wells added.

  "It was our pleasure. We will continue to patrol the area for any gremlins that escaped, and we will be happy to provide a statement if you come by the park this evening." Horst turned his attention to me. "Michelle, be sure to speak with Julius when you return home."

  "I will. Thank you for helping us. I don't know what we would've done without you."

  "You are most welcome." Octavia smiled at me, and the two of them took off.

  Wells waited until they were on the other side of the jail before speaking. "That was educational. Now, Michelle, what did you do?"

  "I really don't understand the question." He would have to be more specific. It had been a busy morning.

  "One minute the gremlins were peaceful while y'all s
tuffed them in cages, and the next they were threatening you. What changed?"

  "If I knew, I'd tell you." Since it didn't look like we were moving to a more comfortable location any time soon and my feet hurt, I sat down on the pavement.

  Shalatar piped up before Wells could continue questioning me. "She didn't do anything. None of this is normal behavior for gremlins. Whatever had them gathered in a large group and attacking the jail is responsible, not her."

  "Thank you," I said, grateful that someone else saw it that way.

  "Anything you want to add, Stallings?" Wells asked.

  "Shalatar covered it. Can we get this documented so we can clean it up?"

  "What's the rush? It's going to take days to gather up all the gremlins," Wells said.

  Stallings shook her head. "Once it's documented, I can clean it up in a matter of minutes unless you think we need to keep all the gremlins for evidence."

  Wells looked around and paled. I couldn't blame him. There were several dump-truck loads of gremlin-shaped rocks scattered across the road and surrounding land.

  "Before we continue this debate, what happened to the gremlins inside the jail?" I asked. Officer Brown hadn't sounded good when we were on the phone.

  "They captured the gremlins that were in the jail. Turns out the inmates weren't overly fond of them and assisted the officers. It's under control, and they're doing one last sweep of the building," Wells answered.

  "Good, I was worried. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to call my parents while y'all debate what's going to end up as evidence."

  Wells nodded but didn't even look at me as he resumed his discussion with Stallings.

  The walk to the car felt longer without the adrenalin rush. Once there, I retrieved my phone and found three missed calls from my parents. I sat down on the curb and called Dad.

  He answered on the third ring.

  "Hi, Dad."

  "Michelle, where are you? We're hearing reports of an attack on the jail."

  "I'm at the jail. Don't worry. Everything is under control and I'm fine." I could hear him sigh.

  "You're okay?" he asked calmly.

  "I am." This is why I'd called Dad. He might not be happy about the events, but he wouldn't grill me the way Mom would.

  "Good. We were worried."

  With the gremlins' words fresh in my mind, I changed topics. "Is Mom with you?"

  "Yes, why?"

  "Well, Gremory made a threat against you. It would be good if you could come to the lodge for a few days. You'll be safe there." I held my breath. Maybe he would say yes without an explanation.

  "What kind of threat? Did he threaten you?"

  "Dad, I told you, I'm fine. The threat wasn't explicit, but I'm worried about you."

  "We've taken precautions."

  "I know, but I'd still feel better if you stayed at the lodge for a day or two." The situation was bad enough without worrying that Gremory was going to harm my family.

  "You owe us an explanation."

  "I know, and you'll get one at the lodge." With the way things had been going, I needed a better strategy when it came to Gremory. Maybe there was a book that could help. 10 Tips for Dodging Demons, or 6 Ways to Outsmart Evil would be good.

  "We'll meet you there, and Michelle, we need answers."

  "I know, Dad, and I'll tell you everything, just not over the phone."

  He sighed. "Stay safe. We'll see you soon."

  "Be careful," I whispered, but he'd already hung up.

  Phone in hand and purse over my shoulder, I trudged back up the road. Each foot was twice its usual weight and the hill seemed to have gotten taller and steeper while I was on the phone.

  Two gargoyles were still circling the jail, and several groups of police were exploring the area outside the jail. There were six officers with cameras, snapping pictures of everything. I pitied them. They would be at that for days.

  Ahead of me, Stallings stomped her foot and pointed to her right. From this angle, there were several small pine trees between me and whatever she'd pointed at. Wells nodded, and she spun away from him, her green braid inches from hitting him. Stallings took a deep breath… and nothing happened. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shalatar sit down.

  Frowning, I kept walking. One foot was in the air when the earth trembled under me. Tumbling forward, I managed to stay upright, bracing my feet to ride out the quake. Wells was kneeling and an officer next to him had fallen, but the rest of the police were oblivious, continuing to take pictures and explore the fence line. To my right, three stone gremlins sank into the ground, leaving nothing behind. The shaking stopped, and I hurried over to Wells and Stallings.

  Now that I was closer, I could identify the fallen officer. Wells helped Hill stand, and Stallings stood there with a slight smile. Shalatar stood up and shoved a cage of live gremlins into the truck before latching the back of the vehicle.

  "What happened to the gremlins?" I asked as I joined the group.

  "Stallings was demonstrating her method of disposing of the gremlins," Wells answered.

  I kept a bland expression while I tried to figure out how get useful information without being overly blunt or rude. "I can see that, but I don't understand the sequence of events."

  Stallings crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. "The gremlins are truly stone. They cannot be returned to their animated form. Since stone is from the earth, I returned them to the earth."

  Nodding, I kept my thoughts to myself. Sure, it made sense when she put it like that, but it wasn't simple or easy to return something to the earth. That was a powerful piece of magic and well beyond the abilities of most fey. I didn't have to know what kind of fey Stallings called herself to know that she was both powerful and favored by the earth.

  When I found the right words, I spoke. "That would be an efficient method of removing their remains from the area. Wells, if you don't need me, can I get a ride back to my car? I'm out of spells, and I don't think I'll be much use at this point." Documentation and cleanup weren't in my job description.

  "I don't see a reason for you to stay." Wells clapped the officer next to him on the shoulder. "Hill will take you back to your car."

  Hill paled. I guess he wasn't looking forward to being trapped in a car with the woman who'd been threatened by an army of gremlins. I couldn't blame him, but with any luck, it would be a long time before I saw another one of those creatures.

  Chapter 9: Elron

  As soon as the door clicked shut behind Michelle, I was off the couch. She had been my rock, keeping me balanced and steady. Without her, it would be all too tempting to slide back into the despair that had held me captive for days. There was much to be done, and I could not afford more time wallowing. Adding urgency to my actions was the persistent itch of the Call.

  I briefly visited my apartment to wash and change clothes, but I did not linger. The wall held too many memories. Every corner had some piece of me, from joy to sorrow, from laughing with Michelle to reminiscing over Sylvia. In a few days it would simply be my home, but for now it was filled with memories I did not wish to relive.

  On the way out the door, I snatched a muffin from the dining room. The drive to work was pleasant, and my Call subsided into a gentle whisper in the back of my mind once I arrived at the school. I settled into my office, shuffling through the papers that had accumulated on my desk. With nothing needing urgent attention, I took a walk through the greenhouses. The students who were assisting had done well enough with most of the plants, but some of the more contrary greenery had been bothersome enough that the students had been forced to abandon their care.

  Satisfied with the plants' condition, I retreated to my office and pulled the diary out of my bag. The Call had been pushing at me, trying to get me to read the book again, but I needed to do it away from Michelle. There was something I was missing. As frustrating as the Call could be, it had yet to send me on a wild-goose chase.

  Paging through, I was again struck by the i
nconsistencies in Sylvia's signature. Any time she wrote a note to me, it was signed "Yours, Sylvia." When she sent notes to others, the signature was simply "Sylvia." There was consistently a single word and her name, but the word before her name was different and often illogical. From the first entry, the signatures read dearest, earnestly, mostly, only, normally, sincerely, blessings, always, now, and eternally before repeating in that same order. The signatures continued to repeat until the last two entries, the one that she did not complete and the entry written for me.

  As out of character as it was, the signatures did not hold a meaning I understood. With a sigh, I pocketed the book and returned to the garden. The plants did their part to sooth my soul, but they couldn't quiet the Call. It kept urging me to return to the book and continue examining it for clues. I did my best to ignore it, giving my full attention to each plant.

  "Sir?"

  I turned away from the Radiant Bleeding Heart to the young centaur who was one of my best students. "Luke, please call me Elron. It is not disrespectful if I've asked you to address me thusly."

  Luke bowed his head, the blond of his hair matching his palomino coat, and scraped the ground with a hoof. "I'm sorry, Elron. I forgot."

  "All is well. How may I assist you?" I said gently. Luke was the most sensitive of my students, both to the needs of the plants and in his response to a roughly spoken word. The last thing I wanted to do was bruise his feelings.

  He looked up at me with big brown eyes. "The hidden tulip has been missing you. It's been invisible for the past two days. I stayed away, not because I wanted to, but because I was afraid I might step on it." A blush crept up his face.

  His physical attributes were alternately a blessing and a curse in his mind. Whilst he could get to remote locations, he could also destroy a plant with a single slip of the hoof. I explained that it was equally easy for a human or elf to crush a small plant, but thus far he had not accepted my logic.