Witch's Secret

by Emma L. Adams

  I couldn’t be dying. I was a shade, with two souls to boot. If it was easy to kill me, the Hemlocks would never have bothered to bind us.

  “Nah, but you might wanna disappear when the boss shows up.” Lloyd nodded to Isabel. “You, too.”

  “Sure.” Isabel gave the spell trapping the witch’s body a last cursory look. “What does Lady Montgomery have to say about the shade? Does she believe you?”

  “She does,” said Ilsa, who’d entered the cave behind Lloyd. “She’s ordered an examination of every guild member to make sure nobody else is harbouring the wrong soul.”

  Yeah, definitely time to go.

  The witch jerked awake when I walked past the circle of candles, her blue-grey eyes following me. “You’re going to die, Jas,” she said softly.

  A chill ran up my arms, but I stared her out. “Good, because if we didn’t all die, I’d be out of a job. Meanwhile, there’s a first-class ticket to hell waiting for you. So long.”

  I turned heel, leaving the tunnel and the witch-shade behind.

  “Wish I could eavesdrop on the trial,” I said to Isabel as we walked down a deserted side street. “I want to hear the witch-shade confess that it was the Mage Lord who bound her soul to the wrong body and murdered its original owner.”

  “I just hope a dead person’s word is enough,” Isabel said.

  “To your guild, it is.” A dead man wearing a hoodie closed in behind us, speaking with Keir’s voice. “There are more furies on the loose elsewhere. Looks like it’s a problem up and down the whole spirit line.”

  “Ugh.” I turned to Isabel. “What do you reckon? They were summoned?”

  “Not on that spirit line,” she said, her mouth pulled in a frown. “Jas… what happened to you during that fight? You kind of spaced out.”

  “The witch-shade tried to drag me out of my body and banish me,” I said. “Like I was a ghost. Bloody cheek.”

  Also, I fell out of my body afterwards. Maybe I was just shaky from the aftereffects of the witch-shade’s magic, but I still hadn’t heard from Evelyn.

  “Damn.” Isabel glanced at Keir. “When the mages bound the witch’s soul to the necromancer’s body, did they use the same ritual…?”

  “As the one the Hemlocks used to bind Evelyn and me?” I finished. “Yes, they did. And yes, the mages must have started researching as soon as Evelyn told them she wasn’t really me.”

  Which meant there might be resources on the ritual inside the mages’ headquarters right now.

  Isabel’s eyes grew round. “Research? So they might know how to undo it?”

  “I guess they might.” I glanced over my shoulder at Keir’s vessel. “I don’t know what’s best for Evelyn and me in the long-term, but I want the option.”

  Isabel bit her lip. “Uh, Jas. I was going to mention it to you, but I wasn’t sure… I mean, Asher wasn’t. But they kind of stole it from him.”

  “Who stole what?” I frowned.

  “The mages stole the book of ritual magic from Asher,” she said. “It belonged to—the Bloodroot Coven, so it wasn’t his to begin with, but they barged into his shop a few years ago demanding he hand over anything connected to the Orion League. He kept the pens hidden, but he told me he’s convinced that Lord Sutherland must have learned all the ritualistic symbols from that book. Including the binding.”

  I stopped walking. “Lord Sutherland stole a book with the Hemlocks’ ritual inside it from Asher?”

  I’d suspected the Hemlocks weren’t the only people to use that ritual—in order for it to have ended up being banned, someone must have tried the ritual at home, with violent results. Asher, though, didn’t know I’d had the ritual used on me as a baby, so he wouldn’t have thought to mention it to me.

  “Yeah,” said Isabel. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know the book had that ritual in it, and it probably wasn’t the only book they stole.”

  No kidding. But if the book contained a ritual designed to bind a soul into a new body, then maybe I’d be able to disentangle myself from Keir as well as Evelyn. Our bond had come close to pushing him through Death’s gates. The sooner I disconnected us, the better.

  Evelyn, though? She had no body of her own, and she wouldn’t thank me for exorcising her without one. We’d have to find a soulless body lying around which was suitable for a new host to even consider the possibility. But choice… choice was something I’d lacked for a long time. Evelyn, too.

  I turned to Keir—or the zombie he piloted. “I don’t need to get up close to Lord Sutherland to get my hands on a book. I bet he left it in his library. I can’t see him carrying it on him.”

  And if it frees me from Evelyn…

  Did I want that? What if I lost her magic along with her?

  What if it was too late to stop the side-effects from claiming my soul?

  “I don’t disagree, Jas,” he said. “But the mages will doubtless have made a copy of that information now they have it. They’ll keep using the binding spell on their own people.”

  “Maybe, but it’s worth a shot,” I said. “Also, if we’re looking for proof the mages are crooks, bringing that book to the boss’s attention might be the edge we need. Add that to the witch-shade’s confession and they won’t be able to accuse her of lying.”

  And after that? We were one step closer to displacing the mages from the power they’d stolen and gifting Lord Sutherland with a one-way trip to jail. Better yet, if I reversed the ritual, then Evelyn and I would be separate entities. Publicly, at least, neither of us would be a product of illegal magic. The mages would have to remove the price on my head, and the guild would be allowed to let me back in without fear of repercussions.

  It was too easy to come without a hitch, yet for a single giddying moment, I let myself dream of handing the book over to Lady Montgomery and claiming my old job back—and breaking free from the Hemlock Coven forever.

  Keir cleared his throat. “Not to burst your bubble, Jas, but breaking the link with Evelyn won’t stop the war from coming.”

  “I know.” I forced the tantalising images down, to examine later when I had time. I knew the book wouldn’t bring back Keir’s brother’s soul or break the mages’ link with the Ancients… and we never did find out if they’d stolen the mirror.

  “I think we should head over to the mages’ place now,” I said. “Once the witch-shade makes the accusation, the guild will send a search patrol to look for more proof. Not just the book, but if they’re hiding that mirror somewhere as well, the guild will be able to get it back.”

  “And if they have other witch-shades waiting to ambush us?” asked Isabel.

  “So much the better,” said Evelyn, startling me.

  “Jesus, you’ve been quiet,” I told her.

  “Just because you talk all the time, doesn’t mean we all have to,” she said snippily.

  “Evelyn’s speaking to you again?” asked Isabel. “Why can I hear Keir and not her?”

  “Both of them can be selective about who can hear them,” I explained. “One is slightly less antisocial than the other.”

  Evelyn sighed. “Get on with it, then. It won’t be long before the witch-shade’s trial starts, and I doubt it’ll take long.”

  “I know how to get into the mages’ place the back way,” I said. “That smarmy twat Neil won’t be guarding that gate.”

  Reckless exhilaration flooded me, and I twisted the band on my wrist—the illusion spell Asher had given me, which I hadn’t used yet. “Asher mentioned four different stealth options,” I said to Isabel. “Can you fill me in?”

  “The first one’s for invisibility.” She indicated a notch on the bracelet-shaped spell. “That one makes it so nobody can hear you—the downside is that I won’t know where you are, either. The third causes a diversion, and the fourth makes you impervious to most tracking wards.”

  “I’ll use that one to get in.” I walked quicker, my heart racing. “Keir, has the witch-shade woken up yet?”

&n
bsp; “Let me see.” The zombie stopped walking for an instant, the blue-grey sheen disappearing from his eyes. “Ah… there’s a slight issue. Lady Montgomery isn’t there. She’s standing in front of the mages’ place, talking to Lord Sutherland.”

  “What?” I halted. “Seriously?”

  “She went directly there?” Isabel guessed. “We can still go in the back way. I doubt anyone will be paying close attention.”

  “Yes, but why is she speaking to him now? Is she making a direct challenge?”

  Alone? Lady Montgomery was a force to be reckoned with, but Lord Sutherland had made a deal with one of the gods and wouldn’t hesitate to twist the laws to get what he wanted. That made him more dangerous than anyone I’d ever gone up against before. Sure, Lady Montgomery had fought against the Sidhe of Faerie in the invasion, but Lord Sutherland frightened me more than the idea of invincible faeries striding out of nowhere. Maybe because he still seemed so human, despite his depraved actions.

  The three of us neared the mages’ guild, heading for the back gates. My instincts screamed at me to go to the front instead and eavesdrop on Lady Montgomery’s conversation, but if I did, she’d see me for sure. A quick scan told me there were no other necromancers on the ground floor. Nobody stood in my way.

  I’ll find that ritual magic book first.

  “I’ll snoop in on their conversation,” Keir whispered. “And I’ll warn you if they’re coming.”

  “Thanks.” I turned on the stealth spell, switching to the ward-proof option. Isabel vanished, too, employing an identical spell.

  Two mages stood guard outside the back door, but a couple of simple knockout charms took care of them. I had to admire Asher’s technical skill. He could break into the mages’ place every week if he wanted to.

  Granted, it helped that I had an extra way to sense obstacles. I gave the spirit realm a quick scan for potential traps, finding none. Lady Montgomery’s presence was so close, I felt sure she would turn around and spot me, but she remained focused on Lord Sutherland.

  The back door opened with a click, courtesy of Isabel. Then we were in.

  I knew the route into the dungeon by heart, but I suspected the book was in Lord Sutherland’s office or in the library, somewhere easily accessible. Betting on the latter, I crossed the lobby with silent steps. The library door was unlocked, which came as no surprise. He hadn’t expected visitors.

  There were no books left discarded on the table. I gave the shelves a cursory scan, but if he’d used the ritual recently, he’d have the book somewhere closer to him. Then again, he wouldn’t have actually performed the ritual himself. Maybe the book was in the hands of one of his witches instead.

  I made for his office, sensing a flash of blue-white light in the spirit realm. Hang on a minute. The spirit device. He’d left it out on his desk. Speaking of incriminating evidence…

  Sure enough, the small remote-shaped device lay out on the table. I reached for it, then hesitated as the hum of protective spells buzzed against my palm. I pushed a little of my Hemlock power at them, undoing each spell until the device lay bare and gleaming, looking deceptively innocent. A smile tugged at my mouth and I picked it up. Never mind getting him arrested. It would take mere seconds to sneak up on him from behind using the stealth spell to cushion my steps. One click of a button and he’d never hurt anyone again.

  “Jas, what are you doing?” Isabel hissed from behind me.

  “Do you reckon he has the book on him?” I asked. “I can’t see it.”

  “Me neither, but if you use that device and get caught, you’ll be the one arrested.”

  I gritted my teeth. It would almost be worth it. Cordelia and Evelyn would do it without hesitation—which was reason enough to give me pause. I didn’t want my boss to take the blame, in the absence of any other target.

  I tapped into the spirit realm, floating out of my body to listen to his conversation with Lady Montgomery.

  “A shade?” asked Lord Sutherland. “I believe that’s your area, not mine.”

  “Not in the slightest,” she said. “Your laws forbid it, as you frequently remind me.”

  “Yes, but there are some individuals who work for you who are known for flaunting the laws when it suits them,” said Lord Sutherland. “For instance, the Gatekeeper, the person who supposedly guards the gates between life and death. Who was it who chose Ilsa Lynn for that role? Not you.”

  “It’s not my place to say,” said Lady Montgomery. “But I trust her.”

  “Her brother is a psychic,” he went on. “And you’ve taken in another rogue psychic within the last few months, too, who is known to have committed a number of crimes.”

  Oh, damn. I should have expected this. Now the mages had failed to recruit Ilsa, they planned to add her name to the wanted list right next to mine. And I’d bet whatever remained of my nine lives that the rest of my friends would be next. Starting with Mackie or Morgan, by the sound of things.

  “If you define me by the company I keep, you might call yourself a hypocrite,” she said. “The shade confessed that it was you who raised her and bound her to her new body. I would say that’s grounds enough for an inquiry, wouldn’t you?”

  A glow caught my eyes, from his pocket. Bugger. He has more than one device.

  As his hand moved to his pocket, I slid back into my body and shoved the doors open, staggering down the steps to the front entrance. Magic flowed from my hands, forming a shield between Lady Montgomery and Lord Sutherland.

  I marched up behind him, the spirit device in hand. “If you attack her, you’ll have to answer to me.”

  “Hemlock,” he snarled. “Put that down.”

  “I don’t think so,” said Evelyn, and hit the button.

  12

  Kinetic power burst from the device as it exploded. Before it made contact with Lord Sutherland, a rippling current of energy deflected it, shimmering around the Mage Lord. He wore a shield charm—and a powerful one, too. Should have seen that one coming.

  I poured more power into my own shield, drawing it around both Lady Montgomery and me. You won’t hurt her. Not on my watch.

  “Jas,” she hissed out of the corner of her mouth. “Go. He’ll kill you—”

  “No, he won’t.” Evelyn took the wheel, throwing the splintered remains of the device at Lord Sutherland. His shield clicked on again, and the device rebounded, clattering onto the path.

  “Father!” Neil Sutherland ran through the front gates, ducking the erratic currents of energy still pouring from the obliterated spirit device.

  “How many times do I have to drain you before you stay down?” Keir tackled Neil through the spirit realm, grabbing his arms.

  “Ghosts are attacking me again!” he yelled. “Father—”

  “It’s not a ghost,” snarled Lord Sutherland. “It’s a cursed vampire who’s going to be sorry he crossed me—and his brother, too.”

  “What do you know about my brother?” Keir’s grip on Neil faltered. “Answer me.”

  The hesitation cost him—cost both of us.

  Lord Sutherland pulled out the second spirit device, pointing it directly at Keir. “I know enough to be certain that your soul doesn’t have to be attached to your body for me to use it.”

  “Don’t,” I said.

  A smile formed. He hit the button.

  Keir disappeared in a flash.

  “Keir!”

  No. He can’t be gone. He can’t be.

  Lord Sutherland spun to face me, and Evelyn took over, diving to the ground. Hemlock magic burst from her hands, crashing into his shield. His hands glowed, indicating that he was using an active charm to shield himself from damage.

  Two could play at that game. Drawing on my amplifying rune, I twisted the stealth charm and turned on the option to silence my steps. Not only could he not see me, now he wouldn’t be able to hear me either. Nor would Isabel, but she’d gone quiet. Hope she has a plan.

  Silently, I trod around Lord Sutherland from behin
d, inching closer. Then I struck.

  A shield slammed into me, and I pushed back, my Hemlock magic reacting to whatever spell he wore. My teeth chattered, my entire body humming with energy, but I kept pushing. He might have a witch on his side, but my Hemlock magic was stronger. “Break,” I hissed, unsure whether it was my voice or Evelyn’s.

  Lightning flashed inches from my feet, making me freeze. Neil spat out blood, his hands crackling with mage power.

  Before he could attack again, Evelyn punched him in the face. He fell backwards into his father—and the shield spell cracked.

  My next attack hit the spirit device, knocking it out of Lord Sutherland’s hand. I caught it, gritting my teeth against the tremble of restless energy beneath the surface. Shit. It’s going to explode.

  Pushing as much of my own magic as I could into it, I threw the device at Lord Sutherland.

  Neil threw himself in front, his own wrists glowing. That was no ordinary witch charm—both of them were using blood magic.

  The device exploded in a torrent of blue light. Neil and Lord Sutherland ducked for cover, as did Lady Montgomery. Isabel screamed my name, and I steadied myself, flipping head over heels, knocked loose from my body again.

  The spirit realm trembled as a gale-force wind tore through the grey fog. Ghosts floated past, fighting the current, and I fought along with them.

  Beneath me, the spirit line through the heart of the city was fracturing, torrents of energy diverging and colliding in mid-air. The line had split in two, and as I watched, a fury pulled itself out of the gap, its jagged wings beating as it flew over the city. The line passing through the abandoned train station had also split in two, leaving a gaping hole filled with emptiness.

  My magic did that. I pressed a hand to my mouth, horror-struck. The Hemlock spirit line… had cracked open.

  “No,” I whispered.

  If the mages found the Hemlocks’ forest, the war would end before it could even begin.

  Concentrating fiercely, I pushed my way back into my body, pressing my hand against a brick wall to keep from falling over.