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

  I stumbled over to Elron, activating a healing charm before I got a good look at him. When I set the charm on his chest, he winced, but the moon wasn't casting enough light for me to see him clearly. Glaring at a pinecone dangling from an overhead branch I hissed, "Wonho."

  It brightened instantly, making me see spots. When my eyes adjusted, there was enough light for me to see Elron clearly. His shirt was coated in blood, and the charm was partly in a deep laceration that went into the muscle of his chest. I moved it to a less injured part of him and picked the cloth out of the rest of his wounds. The slashed-open flesh and muscle tissue I could see were bad enough, but what really bothered me were the bits of bone.

  When the cloth wasn't in danger of impeding any healing the charm managed, I kissed him on the forehead and went to Varro. Wells had arranged the fey's left side into a more natural posture, but there was no denying the damage. My remaining healing charm went to Varro. I doubted it was strong enough to repair the damage, but it did help with the pain, and I could see him relax as it took effect.

  Looking at Wells, I mouthed, "Thank you."

  He nodded. I hoped he understood. What little energy I had left had to go to killing Gremory. Even if I'd been fast enough to cast spells that could've saved Elron and Varro, we would've been stuck with the demon in a cage and no way to kill him.

  I hoped I could remember that tomorrow. This pain wasn't my fault. The main part of my job was yet to come, and I would need every bit of strength left in my body to accomplish those tasks.

  "Michelle, call Julius back, finish it. Turn me so I may watch," Varro gasped.

  "Of course." I kissed his cheek, and Wells and I shifted him as he stifled grunts.

  "You have fire." Varro smiled.

  "Shh, let me finish this, then we can talk."

  "There won't be time. Don't lose the fire."

  "I won't," I promised. Varro looked like death would be coming for him. It wasn't just the wounds, which were bad enough, but the texture of his skin, the fatigue in his eyes, and the yearning in his voice. I sent the magical equivalent of a flare into the air in case Julius hadn't heard the gunshots.

  Varro's eyes drifted closed, and I hurried over to Elron. As I knelt next to him, I asked, "How are you doing?"

  "The charm helped. Thank you." His wound, which stretched over his heart to his gut, didn't look much better.

  "I need to finish this. Do you want to watch?" Part of me hoped he would decline, but I knew that wasn't going to be his answer.

  "Yes, help me…" He sounded weak, but between his own pained movement and a helping hand, he was quickly propped up against the tree trunk.

  Julius came down through the trees, taking in the carnage as he landed. The pinecone was still emitting a bright light, and we looked all the worse for it, including the gargoyle. His wings drooped, and the lines around his eyes were deeper than before.

  "Can you tell me when the demon is dead?" I asked.

  "Yes," Julius answered as he turned his attention to Sylvia.

  It made me feel better that he didn't ask if we were okay or spend precious time assessing the wounds. He put his attention in the most vital area. The faster we dealt with Gremory, the faster we could tend Varro and Elron. Wells probably had some injuries too.

  Turing to Sylvia was harder than it should've been since I knew the stakes. It hurt to take my eyes off the men; part of me was afraid that I'd turn around and they'd both be dead. The rest of me knew Varro would be dead.

  Sylvia was standing inches from the shield, hand raised as if she could reach out and touch us. At my movement, her attention shifted from Elron to me. "I need a moment, then it's time."

  "I won't wait long." The truth was that I couldn't wait. While my power would regenerate over time, I was fighting fatigue, stress, and sorrow, which would sap my strength and weaken my control.

  She focused on her husband. "Elron, do not mourn. This was always going to be my path. I regret nothing but the pain it has caused you." Her eyes were clear, free of Gremory's flames.

  "If I had kept my vows, gone with you, it could have been different," Elron rasped, tears running down his face.

  "You have never broken a vow to me."

  Elron's eyes darted to me.

  Sylvia followed his gaze and smiled softly. "Oh, Elron. We were done long ago; do not harbor guilt on that count. If you had come with me that day, you would've died."

  Flames stole her eyes, and the tone of her voice changed. "Poor Elron, always one step behind and too slow."

  Elron tensed, and Wells stepped closer, flanking Julius and me.

  Sylvia's own eyes returned, and the hard lines on her face softened. "Don't listen to him. You've done well, and there is more to come. You need to be ready."

  "Ready for what?" I asked, trembling with the effort of maintaining the spell.

  "Ready. The Call will help, but both of you need to be ready." Sylvia started to tremble. "Take the diary apart. It explains."

  The shaking intensified until she couldn't stay on her feet, limbs twitching uncontrollably. Sylvia stilled and made it to her feet in one smooth movement before tossing her head back and laughing.

  The sound made the few hairs on the back of my neck that were still down stand up. That wasn't Sylvia.

  "Michelle, do the next stage of the spell," Varro ordered.

  I didn't argue. I gave the containment spell new commands so it would take the energy, growing stronger and creating a void where the demon had been. When the spell was complete, I set the clearing ablaze with a cleansing fire that would purify as it burned.

  "Do you think this will be the end of me? We are eternal. We have been here since the beginning, and we will be here in the end. This isn't over. It's never over. Your actions won't be forgotten, Michelle. We won't forget." The smirk was what did it. Gremory honestly believed this wasn't the end of this fight.

  "What do you mean we, Gremory?" I screamed.

  "Exactly what you think," he shouted back.

  "Are there more of you? Do other demons still walk this earth?" We would've been nose to nose if the shield hadn't been between us.

  The blaze picked up, burning through Sylvia's leather boots, smoke filling the air. Gremory took several steps back. "We are eternal."

  "You aren't eternal if you can die." I fed power into the flames, making them burn hotter and faster. It was time for Gremory to understand the difference between hard to kill and immortal.

  The smirk faded from Gremory's face and the flames faded from Sylvia's eyes. The next words were in Sylvia's voice. "This is my path."

  Not knowing what else to do, I gave a cautious answer. "Yes, it is."

  The flames found a new layer of organic matter to burn, and the smoke began to obscure the view. Behind Sylvia, the flesh and clothing had burned off the ghoul, leaving bones behind. Most fires might not hurt the bones too much, but the magical fire would turn them to dust.

  Sylvia stepped into the heart of the flames and stood there, flesh burning, a smile on her face. I didn't know if the smoke or pain got to her, but I was relieved to see her pass out and drop to ground. It was hard enough to watch her burn while she was unaware, but it would've been unbearable if she'd been awake.

  The fire slowly died down, leaving nothing inside but ash and dust. The shield continued to gather energy, glowing more brightly. The light was intense enough to make looking at it difficult, and I was forced to look away before I damaged my eyes.

  Elron's face was as soaked with tears as his chest was with blood, and he was squinting through his lashes in an effort to keep his eyes on what was left of Sylvia. Varro had closed his eyes, but I knew he'd observed the most important part.

  Inside the shield felt empty. It didn't have a taste of power, life, or anything else. It had become an empty shell, holding the last remains of Sylvia, Gremory, and the ghoul.

  "Gremory is gone," Julius said.

  "Are you sure?" I asked. I didn't feel anything over there, bu
t I couldn't see demons the way he could.

  "Yes, you can do the last part," he answered.

  I had the spell narrow along ground level, scooting the ash and dust into a pile. With a few words, the spell went down, feeding the energy back into the earth. Air swirled around us as it rushed to fill the vacuum. The force of the air pulled and tugged, dragging me forward. After a few steps, I planted my feet and the wind abated. Julius moved forward to look around, and I dug in the bushes until I found my bag, grabbed a couple of large mason jars, and a followed the gargoyle.

  Inside the clearing was different than I'd expected. It didn't have a smell, and any life that had been stuck in here with Sylvia was dead. At the pile of ashes, I dumped out the mason jar of salt, mixing it in with a finger. I scooped up as much of the ashes as I could, filling the jars.

  When I finished with the clearing, Julius and I marched through the woods to the site where we found the now cool remains of the man. This shield wasn't as bright and quickly flowed back into the earth. His ashes were also sown with salt and shoved into another jar. All the jars were returned to my backpack, and I was grateful that I'd overprepared for cleanup.

  Back at the clearing, I found Wells pocketing his spent brass, Elron unconscious on the ground, and Varro taking ragged breaths. I sat next to Varro, holding his good hand in mine, but the icy feel wasn't encouraging.

  "We did it… we killed the demon."

  His lips moved in a slight smile.

  I cleared my throat, trying not to cry. "It wouldn't have happened without you. You've given us the ability to fight back. I won't forget that, and I'll make sure the knowledge is preserved so it can be used in the future."

  "You'll do. That boy, Elron, will do too, he just needs to sort through things." Three ragged breaths later, Varro was gone.

  Elron was awake, looking at the two of us and crying. I sat there, clutching Varro's hand like it would bring him back, tears running down my face.

  Chapter 20: Michelle

  The three of us couldn't figure out how to get Elron and Varro back to the lodge without making two trips. I didn't have it in me to cast any spells, and I had to take the backpack full of demon ashes with me, which didn't leave a lot of me to help move Elron. Wells could help with one of the men, but he couldn't take both of them. Julius was strong enough to carry Varro, but he couldn't do it walking on his hind legs.

  In the end, Julius flew back to the lodge to get help. He returned with Landa, Mander, and surprisingly Paxton, who was braving the first hints of dawn. Mander gave me a hug and took the backpack from me. After Paxton picked up Varro, Wells and I got Elron on his feet.

  It was a slow walk home that felt like a funeral procession, which was appropriate given the circumstances. Landa and Mander led the way, frequently looking back to check on us. Paxton walked behind him, with Varro's broken body in his arms. Julius soared overhead, keeping an eye on us.

  The trees dipped their branches to touch Varro and tucked their roots under the soil to give us a better path. Even the rocks moved to the side, and we traveled a smooth path, always wide enough for three abreast, through the woods.

  I lost track of time, vacillating between sorrow, despair, and detachment. The last one was the best because I didn't have to feel the slew of emotions the night had unearthed, and I could simply be in the moment. It was too much to take in at once, and there was more to be done before I could rest and start to see what was left of my life now that Gremory was gone.

  When we got back to the lodge, Elron stayed awake while Landa cleared off my altar and Paxton laid Varro on the stone. The two of them arranged him into a position that masked much of the damage. They stepped back, and Mander moved forward. He took a small handful of dirt and sprinkled it on top of the fey. The wind picked up, clearing the earth off him, and the trees swayed. The protections snapped to life, keeping Varro's body cool and untouched until we could return for the funeral.

  Under Landa's orders, Paxton took Elron from me. Mander held the doors open as the four of them vanished into Elron's apartment. I picked up the backpack Mander had left at my feet and motioned for Wells to follow me. In my apartment, I set the backpack in my workroom and tried to find the right words.

  Wells shook his head. "We can talk about it later. By then both of us will have had the time to process."

  "Thank you. Not just for being understanding, but for everything you did tonight." It was the best I could do.

  "You're welcome. Get some rest." Wells tipped his head in my direction and slipped out the door.

  For a moment, I stood there, trying to figure out if I'd said the right things. Fatigue and the nasty smells clinging to me forced me into action. My shoes were the only thing I removed before getting in the shower. My clothing got a light wash on the floor of my shower, and I scrubbed at myself until I couldn't see a speck of dirt or smell anything but soap.

  I was naked when someone knocked on my door. Yelling for them to hold on, I hurried to pull on my favorite pajamas, the ones that seemed to keep the world at bay when life had been mean. My slippered feet were quiet as I crossed to the front door.

  "Landa, what do you need?" My words were directed at her, but my eyes were stuck on Elron, who was clean and wearing pants, thick socks, bandages, and a robe loosely tied around his middle. Paxton was smiling slightly as he held up Elron.

  "Can he stay with you? He shouldn't be alone with a wound like that." Landa motioned in Elron's direction.

  "Um, sure," I stammered. Stepping back from the door, I tried to figure out why Elron would need to stay with me. There had to be a better person to watch over him.

  Landa came in, bedding floating behind her, and Paxton slowly guided Elron forward. Landa went to my sofa, moving pillows and tucking sheets over the cushions. When it had been prepared to her satisfaction, Paxton helped Elron lay down. Landa quickly stocked the coffee table with water, crackers, nuts, dried fruit, and two biscuits.

  While this was going on, I stood off to the side, baffled at the turn of events. The elf whose wife I'd just killed was on my sofa with my neighbor and landlord offering snacks. It was one more turn of events that I didn't know how to manage.

  "He'll be fine. You did the right thing with the healing charm, but it will take some time for him to be back to his normal tricks." Paxton patted me on the shoulder and left.

  I walked over to the sofa and got good look at Elron. He looked better than he had in the woods, but the silver hair and white bandages didn't do anything to help his skin tone.

  "He's ready to nap, which is what you should be doing. I'll come check on both of you at lunch, and I'll bring food. Michelle, don't poison the poor boy, and Elron, you need to stay in bed and rest." Landa went from lightly scolding to somber. "We'll be holding Varro's funeral this afternoon."

  "We'll be there." I answered for both of us because I didn't have to ask to know Elron would want to pay his respects. On the sofa, Elron nodded.

  Landa patted Elron's hand. "I know you will. When the two of you feel better, I'd like to know when you were blessed by Leshy Apalchen. Eat and get some rest."

  I gave her a funny look, but she didn't see it as she hurried out of the room, probably to go cook breakfast for the rest of the residents and guests. Life at the lodge didn't grind to a halt because of a death and a few injuries.

  "Are you sure you don't mind?" he whispered, taking shallow breaths.

  "I don't mind at all. You're always welcome here." It was true, but I couldn't help but wonder why he wanted to be around me right now. There had to be someone whose presence didn't bring up painful feelings.

  "Thank you. I needed to be here."

  I sat on the floor next to his head, afraid that perching on the edge of the sofa would hurt him. "Why here? Why now?"

  Elron sighed. "I need time to settle my feelings, get past what has occurred, but I need to be with you. I had to be here because it's always been you. If I remember correctly, I owe you a date. It will have to wait, b
ut it will be special."

  To keep my hands from trembling, I clasp them together. My voice wobbled. "You remember?"

  He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand. "Every second."

  The rest of my questions could wait. I grabbed his hand and held on as I cried happy tears. When I dried my eyes, he was starting to drift off, but he was alert enough to smile when I scooted the coffee table to the side and made a pallet next to him. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but I had the most important thing next to me.

  We didn't awaken until Landa knocked on the door, lunch tray in hand. Lunch was quiet, the morning joy overshadowed by the night's events. Not so deep down, I knew Elron had been serious when he said he needed time. He needed lots of time and space, and so did I.

  Last night I'd killed a person and a demon. The demon didn't bother me, but I couldn't un-see Sylvia burning. That was something I needed to find a way to live with. It wasn't as simple as having done the right thing, which I had, but being able to accept the consequences of that choice.

  Taking a life shouldn't be easy, even when the person begged you to kill them, but I'd done it, and the truth was I'd come close to killing before and stepped back. Elron or Liam had been there to do it for me, saving me from making the decision. It was a position I never imagined I'd be in, one where that death was the best choice, not because it saved me but because it saved other people.

  Sylvia had to die for Gremory to die. Gremory had to be killed so I didn't have to look at the body of another child and know that I had allowed their death. For a split second, I was back in that morgue, with all the bodies around me, looking at children who should've been playing in their tree house or racing their bike.