Storm Witch

by Alys West

  “Fuck off!” Jenna spat the words out. “You know nothing about us. You’ve never done anything to help. You didn’t even come to Mum’s funeral.”

  “Seeing as she was trying to destroy me before she died, I thought it might be a little hypocritical.”

  “She what? Why would Mum want anything to do with you? You’re just–” Jenna screwed her face up as she sought an insult bad enough “— a useless trophy wife.”

  “I’ll have you know an awful lot of effort goes into playing the trophy wife. But I’m a lot more than that.” Felicity turned towards Dad. “What did Nina call me? The power behind the throne?”

  “She actually said you were a scheming, opportunist, manipulative whore but even Nina may have hesitated to say that to your face.”

  “All the secrets are coming out now.” Felicity laughed, high and humourlessly. “Do you want to tell Jenna mine or shall I?”

  “I’ll tell her.” Dad swivelled in the chair to face Jenna. “Felicity’s a spellworker.”

  “She can’t be! Mum would have—”

  “Nina did know. She was trying to stop her before she died.” The door opened and Ewan stepped back into the room. “Felicity’s been manipulating people for Andrew for years. That’s how his business grew so fast. Felicity smoothed the way, used magic to get folk to help him—”

  “Coercion spells!” Jenna shot up from the chair and then wobbled when her ankle protested. “It was you who put the spell on me!”

  “You did what?” Dad said.

  “Not that it did much good,” Felicity straightened her cardigan. “And that’s why we have to have this little chat because if you’d gone quietly to Edinburgh like we planned none of this would have been necessary.”

  “You bitch! You made me hate Winston and give up my job and my flat. I was even going to give up Mansie.”

  “Who on earth is Mansie?” Felicity picked at the chipped polish on one fingernail. “It doesn’t matter. The point is Nethertown cannot fail. We’ve too much riding on it. Andrew’s borrowed against everything we own and without it the whole company will go under. We’ll lose everything. And, as I do not want my children to be homeless and forced to go to some dead-end state school, you’re going to back down from your little speech this afternoon, do whatever you can to change the minds of Pippa Lloyd and her crowd of Nimbies and let Nethertown go through.”

  “No.” Jenna’s chin came up. “Why on earth would I do that after what you’ve done to me? There’s no way I’m going to—”

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t make myself clear.” Felicity tilted her head. Ewan took a step towards Dad. The knife was in his hand and he pressed it against Dad’s neck. “If you don’t do what I say, either I or Ewan will hurt your father. Ewan’s got rather more direct methods but mine, as you know, are equally effective.”

  Ice spun through her veins, her head swam and, unable to steady herself, she sat down heavily. “Don’t hurt him. I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him.”

  Chapter 53

  Rachel heard a muffled conversation on the other side of the door but it was too much trouble to move. She was perched on one of the work surfaces, her bare feet dangling over the edge, two inches from the surface of the water. She’d taken her shoes and socks off and they sat on the bench next to her. A shiver ran through her. She was soaked to the skin, every scrap of clothing she wore completely drenched.

  “Rachel?” Grace tapped on the door as she spoke. “Hal’s here. He’s going to look for some tools to help get you out of there.”

  Rachel tipped her head to the side. Kenny’s cousin Hal? Why had he come back? She was pretty damned sure he didn’t know anything about magic. She slid down to the floor. Reaching the door she said, “Hal Skebister? Why’s he helping?”

  “Because I asked him, of course.” There was a brief conversation on the other side of the door. She caught the words ‘garden shed’ ‘garage’ and ‘crowbar’. Her eyebrows rose. Hal was planning on breaking the door down? Someone had to tell him that wasn’t going to work. She banged on the door. “Grace! You have to tell him—”

  “I know, pet, I’ll tell him to be careful.”

  Rachel stepped back, frowning. That wasn’t what she’d meant. What was Grace up to? Was she wrong? Maybe she couldn’t trust her. Nina died six years ago, had Grace changed in that time?

  “He’s gone now Rachel,” Grace said. “I don’t actually think taking the door off will do much good but I needed something to keep him busy and stop him haring off to Birsay after Jenna.”

  “He cares about her, doesn’t he?”

  “He’s completely head over heels about her from what I can see but that’s a problem for another day. I don’t know how long we’ve got before he comes back. Now pet, I think there’s another way to get you out of there which doesn’t involve crowbars or breaking the door off its hinges. But it’s going to be down to you. I can tell you what to do but only you can do it.”

  “I can’t do any spells.” Rachel wrapped her arms around her middle. “Except for the protection spell I did at my house but even that didn’t work out as I intended.”

  “This isn’t a spell. It’s using the elemental forces that are inside you. The barrier Felicity has created around the door is, in essence, air. Only in a very concentrated form. I can’t open it without unravelling the spell she used to create it. But air is one of your elements. I think if you direct the kind of power you put into making the storm at the door then you’ll be able to blast a hole straight through Felicity’s barrier.”

  “But I didn’t set out to make the storm. It just happened.”

  “Because you were frightened.” There was a gentle thud against the door as if Grace had rested her weight against it. “But all of that power is in you, Rachel. Have you ever wanted to make it rain or strengthen the wind?”

  Rachel put her hands over her mouth. Could she trust Grace with this? She’d told no one except Sarah. Her cold hands rubbed her cheeks. What choice did she have? She could wait to see if removing the door did any good but Grace hadn’t sounded very hopeful about that. The other option was to put her faith in Grace and see what happened. She glanced around the room. It felt like she’d been trapped in here forever. Her watch had stopped at some point during the deluge. The hands were stuck at 6.45. Shivering again, she wrapped her arms around her chest. If getting out of here meant sharing her secrets with Grace, she had to risk it.

  “I’ve made it rain and made the wind stronger. I did it at Amy’s wedding but then I couldn’t stop it and I did it again this afternoon when Felicity pissed me off.”

  “The shower earlier? That was you?”

  Rachel’s voice dropped to a murmur. “Yes.”

  “Good! Then we’ve got something to work with.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “Why on earth would I be mad?” Grace said. “I’d cheerfully make it rain on Felicity if I could. A little personalised rain cloud that followed her around.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows rose. Grace was cooler than she’d thought. Much cooler.

  “Okay,” she said. “What do you want me to do?”

  ***

  Zoe strode past the Range Rover and red convertible, the gravel slipping and sliding under her feet as she walked. If anyone asked she’d popped by to see Jenna. Quite how she’d explain that she’d known Jenna was here she wasn’t entirely sure but one step at a time. She’d got to find a way in first.

  There was a gate marked private to the left of the tearooms’ entrance and she headed towards it. She pressed the latch down and pushed. The gate swung open which seemed suspiciously easy. More cautiously she skirted the outside of the tearooms and followed the path to the bungalow behind it.

  The light was fading now. The sun, largely concealed by thick clouds, poked out a few rays of magenta and tangerine. The bungalow sat at the edge of a large garden. Behind it was the spectacular bay she’d glimpsed earlier. Puddles of shadow lurked in corners, behind
shrubs and fence. A dog barked relentlessly from somewhere inside.

  Zoe skirted around the building. A wide window faced onto the bay from the kitchen and the sitting room. Both rooms were empty. Further along, light spilled onto the path.

  Stepping onto the grass she struck out at an angle, sticking to the shadows, until she gained a limited view into the room. Jenna sat in an armchair by the window. A grey-haired man, who must be her father, sat a few feet away. Were Felicity and Ewan with them? There was only one way to find out.

  Scanning the garden, she looked for cover. There was a thick clump of pampas grass in a flower bed a couple of metres from the path which ran past the window. She ducked down low and sprinted towards it. Crouching on the ground, she pressed her hand over her heart and took a couple of breaths before she inched herself upwards.

  Felicity held centre stage in the lighted room with Ewan a step behind her. Jenna leapt to her feet. Her back remained to the window but Zoe could tell something was wrong. Jenna’s movements were constricted. Zoe tried shuffling sideways to get a better view but the chairback continued to hide most of Jenna’s body.

  Sinking onto the slightly damp grass, Zoe ran her hands over her face. She’d insisted she could handle this but now she didn’t have the slightest clue what to do next. She was unarmed and without magic, as no amount of talent as a seer, even if she could do that properly, was going to help in this situation. Her only advantage was that they didn’t know she was here.

  It was nearly too dark to see her watch but by tilting the face she finally glimpsed the hands. Twenty past nine. It was easily ten minutes since she’d rung Finn so they’d be here in another twenty or so. She had to keep Felicity and Ewan here until Finn and Winston arrived and could do whatever druid stuff was necessary. What could she do to make that happen? It had to be guerrilla tactics and it didn’t matter how dirty they were so long as they worked.

  Their cars. She had to disable their cars. She didn’t know enough to remove a crucial part from the engine even if she could get the bonnet up but anyone could slash tyres. They just needed something to do it with. She glanced back towards the house. She’d have to risk the dog. She’d promised Finn she wouldn’t die. If the dog looked scary she’d back off and think of something else.

  Reversing what she’d done before, she dashed back over the grass, straightening when she was out of sight of the window. She put her hand on the door handle, half expecting it to be locked but it opened and she stepped into a cluttered hall. It smelled of bees wax and baking. The barking was even more furious now. She turned into the kitchen expecting the dog to come for her at any moment.

  The kitchen was slightly industrial but immaculately tidy. The scent of baking was stronger, reminding Zoe that she was hungry, really hungry. A knife block stood on the worktop. Zoe selected the largest blade and pulled it out. The barking reached a crescendo. A thump behind her made her spin. There was a door off the kitchen. It banged again as if a heavy weight had slammed against it.

  Zoe’s hand pressed against her pounding heart. She wasn’t about to get mauled to death. But Felicity and Ewan must have heard the dog. She had to get out of here before she was discovered.

  ***

  “Right here,” Finn said as they reached the T-junction.

  “No, left.” There was a black Audi ahead of them. Winston tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for it to move. “Right’s heading east and Birsay’s north west.”

  Finn’s head bowed as he consulted the OS map he’d found in the glove pocket of Jenna’s car. “Right and then left.”

  That made a bit more sense. The Audi moved and Winston rammed Jenna’s car into first gear. It sprang forward like a kangaroo. He should have let Finn drive. He was too tense to handle an unfamiliar car. Especially one that, as he was rapidly discovering, had about as much power as a lawnmower.

  He turned the car onto the main road, passing Unstan Cairn and the end of the Loch of Stenness. Next left took them past the Stones of Stenness, the dig and the Ring of Brodgar. He’d have liked to have stopped at the Ring, drawn all of the awen he could hold but there wasn’t time. He floored the accelerator as the road straightened out. Eventually the speedometer touched sixty.

  “At least when Maeve took Zoe we knew what we were facing.” Finn peered through the windscreen. “Take the next right. We’re going into this blind.”

  Winston changed down the gears and swung the wheel for the turn. “Except for what Zoe’s told us.”

  “Which isn’t much. We know Jenna’s at her dad’s, that Felicity’s there and this man called Ewan.”

  “He’s probably hired muscle.”

  “Doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. And what about Felicity? How powerful is she?”

  “Pretty strong, I’d say. She must be responsible for the coercion spell on Jenna. But whether she’s Maeve kind of dangerous I don’t know. She’s one hell of an actress. Talk about method.”

  “Hide in plain sight,” Finn said softly.

  “Now we know Felicity’s a spellworker, Andrew’s got a rock-solid motive for wanting Nina dead. It’s hard to imagine anyone killing their sister over a planning dispute but if Felicity had been helping Andrew expand his business empire—”

  “Which is against the Tenets.”

  “‘Thou shalt not use magic to further your business, trade or profession’,” Winston quoted. “If the Order had known, there’s a good chance they’d have been interested especially if she was using spells like that one— Christ!”

  “What?”

  “That explains it. It wasn’t dodgy deals or envelopes full of cash. It was magic.”

  “You do know you’re making no sense at all?”

  Winston glanced across at Finn. “Andrew’s good at pushing through developments where there’d been lots of opposition from the community. He’s even won awards for it and they’re bloody eyesores, all of them. I thought he was bribing people but what if it was magic?”

  Finn whistled. “Like coercion spells? The Order would have wanted to know about that.”

  “I wondered why Nina was trying to break a coercion spell before she died, why she’d not taken it to The Order. But if it was Felicity who’d worked the spell then Nina could have been trying to protect Andrew.”

  The cars coming towards them had headlights on. Winston scanned the dashboard until he found the switch for the lights and flipped them on.

  “And he showed his gratitude by getting someone to kill his own sister? God, I can’t imagine it. Cat drives me insane but… ”

  “I could bump mine off.” Finn had been through too much to save his sister and neither of them needed a reminder of the events in Glastonbury now. “Although they’re only half-sisters.”

  “Yeah, that’s what makes the difference! And the fact you never see them.”

  “Perfect recipe for family harmony.”

  The Corsa up ahead was dawdling. Tourists probably. He changed down the gears and roared past them.

  “What you going to do about Jenna?” Finn asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re serious about her. I never thought I’d see the day but you are.”

  “Back off, McCloud.”

  “Have you told her about Amber?”

  “There’s not exactly been time.” Winston flattened his foot to the floor and watched the speedometer climb up to seventy-five. The engine noise increased to a dull roar.

  “How long does it take?” Finn shouted to be heard over the sound of the engine. “My ex was a bit of a bitch and wrote a series of trashy novels about me. See? Two seconds.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “I think it is.”

  “And you told Zoe about your past, did you?”

  “Yep. First time we went out for a drink.”

  “All of it?”

  “I may have glossed over some of the details of why Freya and I split.”

  “Exactly.”

  “B
ut we’re not talking about me. You’re deflecting, Grant. Classic sign.” Finn refolded the map as he spoke. “You’re in deep, mate.”

  ***

  Jenna tensed as cold steel pressed against her wrists. The binding tightened, pulling painfully against the flayed skin as the knife sawed through it. She screwed her face up. With a sharp crack the binding broke and her wrists were free.

  “Don’t do anything stupid,” Ewan said. “Or I’ll put it back.”

  Her muscles didn’t want to work. Slowly she moved her arms, cradled her injured wrists against her chest. “I’ve said I won’t and I meant it.”

  “Good.” Felicity walked across the rug towards the bookshelves. “Now, where are Nina’s grimoires?”

  “You are not…” Jenna broke off. They weren’t here. Grace had them or Winston. She knew Zoe had taken them and Grace had used one to lift the spell but where it, and the others, were now she honestly didn’t know.

  “If it’ll make you go away and leave us alone then take them.” Dad pointed towards the bookcase. “They’re behind the second shelf from the top.”

  “This one?” Felicity rested her hand on it, next to the clay sculpture of Thor.

  “Dad, you can’t let them have them?” Some token argument was needed, if only to delay the inevitable moment when they found out they weren’t there. “Mum wouldn’t want her to have the grimoires.” Jenna poured as much venom as she could manage into the pronoun.

  “Your dear mother isn’t here to have an opinion.” Felicity beckoned Ewan over.

  “Do you want me to find them, Mrs S?”

  “No, I’ll do it.” Felicity removed books from the shelf and handed them to Ewan. “You screwed up the first time.”

  “What do you mean?” Jenna leapt to her feet. “What first time?”

  “Never you mind.” Felicity didn’t turn to look at her. “Sit still and be quiet or I’ll have Ewan gag you next time.”