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

by N. E. Conneely

  "The voice of parental experience?" Dad sucked in enough air to go on a tirade, but he never got the chance.

  Liam came up on his elbows to get a better look at the room. "No, I've been that kid. We may not have faced the same challenges or the same potential consequences for failure, but it wasn't easy to leave my father's pack. Neither of my parents were happy, even though we all knew it was the only way for me to be an alpha without competing with my father. I still haven't told them that I took over a pack that had been used by a demon, one where the previous alpha was known for brutalizing everyone weaker than himself. There are more than a few youthful adventures I've done my best to keep from them. If werewolves weren't sturdy creatures, I wouldn't be here today."

  "How does that help us?" Mom demanded.

  Liam sagged back into the sofa. "It doesn't, but it does tell you that you're not alone. This is her chance to be an adult. Don't clip her wings."

  My parents reclaimed their seats without a word. Mom chewed on her lip, and Dad studied Liam more closely than I liked.

  Finally, Elron disrupted he heavy silence. "I know why Gremory tried to kill me."

  "You do?" I asked.

  He nodded. "The logic is strange, but yes. Do you think it was Gremory or Sylvia who tried to kill me?"

  "Gremory wearing Sylvia's body, but Sylvia dropped the book. When the flames are in her eyes, Gremory is in control or trying to be in control," I answered.

  "I had not noticed the eyes."

  Shrugging, I didn't offer an explanation. This wasn't the time to go into the dreams I'd shared with Sylvia and the time they'd given me to study her behavior.

  Elron shrugged. "Gremory knows or suspects that I have a Call. From the demon's perspective, an elf with a Calling is there to stop him and help Sylvia. Neither option is in his favor. If those thoughts did not occur to him, another would cross his mind: my understanding is that demons cannot reproduce or be created at this point, which makes the demon old enough to remember the Hunters. Any elf with a Call would be drawn to seek out any remaining Hunters and their knowledge. Killing me was the easiest way to prevent access to that knowledge."

  "Why would the demon think Hunters, or their knowledge, still exist?" Mom asked. "Both have been absent from the world long enough to pass into myth."

  "In the stories, the Hunters disband because they killed all the demons. The logic is missing. How would they know they had killed every demon? By nature, demons excel at hiding and deception," Elron said.

  I picked up where he left off. "If you think about it, it's more likely the Hunters stopped looking for demons in hope that any remaining ones would draw attention to themselves. That doesn't explain how they would still be around. If I was a demon, I'd hunt down the Hunters and destroy all their knowledge. Do the Hunters still exist?"

  "I believe so," Elron answered, eyes fixed on a lamp behind Liam.

  Landa flicked her fingers, and the parlor doors shut and locked. "If we are going to speak of such things, it should be done in privacy."

  "May I?" Dad inquired.

  Landa nodded, and I felt a spell wash over the walls, blocking any sound from escaping the room.

  "Thank you," Elron said.

  Julius stretched his wings, casting dark shadows across the room. "Perhaps it is my turn to contribute to the conversation. Gargoyles worked closely with the Hunters; after all, we were created to fight evil, and demons are the greatest evil among us. When the Hunters disbanded, we returned to our homes and continued to battle the lesser evils of the world. The secret to killing a demon went with the Hunters, though, and is presumed lost, just as the Hunters are presumed dead."

  "You think some of the Hunters are still alive?" Liam asked.

  "It is possible that they walk among us, but identifying one would be difficult. Even if you could find a Hunter, you would have to get that person to admit to being part of a group that's existence depended on secrecy. They were careful and didn't mark themselves with a tattoo, brand, or scar," Julius finished.

  "How would you identify one?" I asked.

  "Like recognizes like." Julius looked at Varro.

  Well, that didn't help me. I needed to find a demon hunter to tell me how to kill a demon, but unless I had whatever they look for in a fellow Hunter, I wouldn't be able to find them. Good news would be a refreshing change. A map with a Hunter at the end would be a nice.

  When the silence had stretched on longer than was comfortable, I spoke. "Could someone fill me in on what happened after I passed out?"

  Elron answered. "Absolutely. I caught you as you passed out, and seconds later your parents arrived." He covered everything from the moment he held me in his arms until I rejoined the land of the conscious.

  "Thank you. That does clarify a few things," I said when he finished.

  "You are most welcome."

  Landa cleared her throat. "If we're finished with the current conversation, I need to prepare dinner. Nancy, Greg, I have a room for you if you would like to stay here for a few days." They exchanged a look and nodded. "Varro, I don't know what plans Elron has for your lodging. I have a room you could use."

  "Thank you, Landa, but I would like Varro to stay with me if he is comfortable in my apartment," Elron said.

  Varro dipped his head. "That would probably be best."

  Landa smiled. "Let me know if you need anything. Barring any significant interruptions, dinner will be ready in about an hour. Greg?"

  "Oh, yes." The spell on the room dissipated and the doors opened.

  "Thank you." Landa hurried out of the parlor with Mander at her heels.

  Mom looked at me and patted my foot. "How are you feeling?"

  "Um, I'm good, considering what happened."

  "Your color is better. If you don't need anything, we're going to get settled into a room. Greg and I have a few things to discuss. We'll catch up with you later tonight."

  "I'm fine, Mom." I tried to give her an encouraging smile, but when she frowned, I figured I'd missed the mark. She patted my foot one more time, took Dad's hand, and left the parlor.

  Julius exchanged a few words with Varro. Their voices were soft enough that I couldn't follow the conversation, but from the look on Elron's face I doubted they were speaking English anyway. On his way out, Julius nodded at me. I returned the gesture and had a feeling we weren't finished talking. Horst hadn't wanted me to mention the gremlins to Julius just to pass information.

  The ivy encasing my hand and wrist was still firmly attached, with green leaves covering the vines. It wasn't showing any signs of wilting or yellowing. However, a sickly-looking plant being grafted to my skin might be more disturbing than a healthy one. I poked it a few times before giving up. It would come off when it wanted and not a moment sooner. If I were lucky, the plant and I could go our separate ways before I was called out on a case.

  "Michelle?"

  I stopped studying the ivy and gave Elron my attention. "Yes?"

  "Would you like help getting to your apartment?"

  "Please. I don't think I'll be steady on my feet."

  "It would be my pleasure to assist you." He picked me up again, and I settled against him. "Varro, could you come with us?"

  Elron carried me down the hall, and Varro trailed along behind us. With the excitement of the witch's attack and my lengthy explanation of my day, Elron had gotten away without discussing Varro's story. From this direction, I could see the microexpressions cross Varro's face. If the conversation about his linguistic leanings was any indication, Varro had managed to miss many of the advances of the past several hundred years. The rough weave and simple cut of his clothing spoke of a level of isolation that was uncommon in today's world. Varro was a mystery I was looking forward to solving.

  Chapter 14: Michelle

  Dinner was a quiet affair, and even without Elron and Varro, it was a crowd. The little conversation that did happen was forced, but Dad did tell me he'd been unable to find any references to demons in his book. I
escaped to my apartment as quickly as possible. Even if the conversation had been fun, I wouldn't have wanted to stay. My right hand was still covered in ivy, and I struggled through dinner using my left hand. Dropping food was better than having everyone focus on my newly acquired greenery.

  I looked tired enough that no one questioned my desire to get some sleep. The events in Ellijay had been tiring. With the addition of the witches and the endless discussions, I was done. As frustrating as it was, I knew tomorrow would contain even more conversations.

  My parents and I had spoken long enough to clear the air and clarify a few points. Mom didn't recognize any of the witches who'd shown up today, but given the time she'd been away from the clan, that wasn't surprising. The primary concern at this point was how far my grandmother was willing to go to bring me back into the clan. Mom's view was that if Grandmother was already launching this type of a retrieval effort, the sky was the limit as long as she got me.

  On the bright side, my parents had gotten much freer with information now that the cat was out of the bag. They'd even retold the story of Mom's escape and their decision to live apart without being shady with the information. The story didn't change much, but I had fewer questions, and having seen Mom's clan in action, I didn't question their paranoia. In this case, someone really had been out to get them.

  Elron wanted to speak with me in the morning, and my guess was that it had something to do with Varro. That was one mystery I was looking forward to solving because I suspected there would be a silver lining. Elron wouldn't show up with a guest when his wife had returned from the dead, a demon was causing trouble, and the clans were after me without good reason.

  Back in my apartment, I tucked myself into bed. After a day like this, I needed my sleep. I was still low on energy and sore from head to toe. The night passed in a blink of an eye, and I woke up feeling better than I'd expected and ready to face the day as long as it didn't include anyone trying to kill me.

  There was a knock at the door as soon as I walked into the kitchen to start breakfast. I opened the door to find Elron on the other side. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

  "We need to talk."

  "It's two hours before we agreed to meet. I haven't even had breakfast."

  "I brought food and tea." He motioned to a cart sitting in in the hall.

  "Well, in that case…" I stepped back from the door, and Elron rolled the cart in. Varro stepped into the doorway and paused before following Elron.

  "I brought him along. He is part of this conversation." Elron waved him inside.

  "Fine by me." I closed the door behind Varro, who stood stiffly by the kitchen counter as Elron and I set the table. Elron had done his usual impeccable job selecting food, and in minutes we were sitting down to eat.

  Varro ate slowly, his eyes darting between the two of us and his plate. It wasn't until Elron abandoned his cutlery to eat a muffin and I used a fork to eat mine that I understood. Without saying a word, I set down my fork, picked up my muffin, and bit off a chunk. Varro quickly mimicked my gesture.

  From the way Varro held a fork and knife, it was clear that he'd used them before, but the rules of etiquette had changed, and he was trying to match our manners. For the rest of the meal, I kept an eye on Elron's eating habits, making adjustments to ensure Varro had a pattern to follow.

  After we finished the meal, I helped Elron clean up and poured a second cup of tea for each of us. I moved a pitcher of water to the table too. If this conversation was as long as I expected, we would want a plenty of fluids.

  "I am not sure where to start," Elron said.

  Shrugging, I said, "As long as it makes sense, it doesn't matter to me."

  "I found a clue in the diary. The salutations were different than what she had done in the past. The first letters spelled out demon's bane." He continued to recount how he spent yesterday morning. "Varro wished to come back with me, and we returned to the lodge. He insisted on relaying his story to both of us."

  Varro nodded. "It's easier this way, and I needed to make sure I had the right people. Elron's visit to my woods was no accident. The Call pushed him there because the two of you need my knowledge. I am, to the best of my knowledge, the last Hunter."

  Elron hardly twitched, but my jaw dropped. "How? I thought they were dead. The Hunters have been gone long enough to pass into myth for someone Elron's age. Wouldn't old age have killed you if nothing else did?"

  Varro nodded. "Under normal conditions, yes. If you let me explain my journey, it will make more sense."

  I nodded, as did Elron. After all, he'd found the Hunter we needed in a rather fortuitous series of events, and that warranted an explanation.

  Varro's eyes unfocused as he looked at something we couldn't see. "I joined the Hunters long ago. As a boy, I'd planned on tending the forest as my parents had done. But in an unexpected turn of events, I ended up assisting the Hunters as they rid a town of a demon that had done terrible things to the residents. After seeing the effects of a single demon, I couldn't turn away from the innocent people who needed me. For years we hunted down demons. It was a difficult task as we often traveled, searching for signs or word of their evil.

  "Demons were never plentiful, but after a time, we saw fewer of them until we simply stopped finding them. When years turned to decades without a sighting, the Hunters gathered together. It was a breathtaking sight; we were so seldom in the same area that seeing us together has remained with me for all this time. I make it sound like there were a great many of us, but we never numbered more than a hundred. It seemed like many more since we worked in groups of ten or less.

  "We agreed to unofficially disband and go about our lives for the next century. Less than half of us made it to the second meeting. All of us had news of a comrade's passing. Several died of old age, and the rest of common maladies, but not a one from anything that could be traced back to a demon. The meeting was difficult because of the decisions we faced. Although the remaining Hunters came from long-lived races, time was not on our side, as demons didn't die from old age. By the end of the meeting, we had agreed that our knowledge couldn't be forgotten but was too sensitive to be written down. It took more than a year, but a particularly sharp witch perfected a spell that would ensure our knowledge continued until a new generation of demon hunters was educated."

  Varro drew a ragged breath and tears fell from his eyes. "Fey are long-lived, but not long enough. All my fellows died that day to ensure my survival and the preservation of our knowledge. It was the price of the spell. I burned their bodies and tried to return to my life. When I went home, people wanted to know what had changed, and I couldn't answer without betraying my vows. I moved to a different town, and then two more, with each stay shorter than the last.

  "I retreated to the woods where I felt closest to my mission and limited my contact with the world to a few trusted sources who would bring me information of unrest and potential evil. From time to time, I made forays to investigate problems, but for the most part I kept to myself."

  My own tears hit the table. The pain in his voice was undeniable, and all the more tragic because, in his own way, he'd become a victim. I couldn't imagine his pain. The closest I could come was picturing Elron, Amber, and Tiffany dying to help me. If that pain wasn't enough, he had endured the years since never knowing when or if he would be called to action. And over time doubts had to have set in, making him question if there were even any demons left. If he'd been a lesser man, the deaths and uncertainty would've broken him.

  "Elron's Call would've forced him to find me, no matter the cost, because I am the only one who can teach you how to kill the demon. From what I've been told, the demon has made several attempts on your life, Michelle, and you need to be ready when he makes the next one. That's how you're going to get him."

  "Me?" I squeaked. He had mentioned teaching us how to kill demons, but I'd assumed we would be learning by example. This was turning into a learn-on-the-job situation.

 
He focused those pain- and hope-filled eyes on me. "You are the most important part."

  "I do not like how that sounds," Elron said.

  Me either, but I'd made my peace with facing down a demon before Varro showed up.

  "It must be her."

  "Why? Why not another someone else?"

  Varro sighed. "Michelle feels like a Hunter, is a witch, and the demon is after her. It's the ideal combination."

  I jumped in before Elron could continue questioning the fey. "Could you tell us more about killing the demon? Elron and I don't know anything about the process, so he's confused as to why it needs to be me versus any other witch."

  The way Varro had phrased thing didn't enthuse me. Feeling like a Hunter, whatever that meant, didn't speak to my odds of being able to return to a nice quiet life after things settled down. I had zero desire to roam the world looking for evil that needed to be squished.

  Varro eyed Elron. "You won't like this."

  Elron shrugged. "It has not been a time for pleasant things."

  "The basic method sounds simple, but in practice it can be rather tricky. First, you must get the demon alone. This is where Gremory's obsession with Michelle helps our cause; he will attack her again, and if we're prepared, we can use that attack to draw him out. Once he arrives, we will capture him in a specially constructed spell. After that, the demon's bane is used to bind Gremory's spirit to a body. The host must be killed, and the spell transitioned into a new phase where it absorbs and purifies all the energy."

  That last part did it for Elron; the color faded from his skin and his hands trembled. He clasped them together and moved them to his lap, but I could see his arms twitch.

  "To whom must she bind the demon?" Elron whispered.

  Varro kept his eyes focused on Elron. "Generally the one the demon is already occupying. In this case, I believe that would be your wife. It is possible to encourage the demon to move to a different host, but tracking the demon's movements can be difficult. Either way, the demon must be bound to the host, and the host must be killed to slay the demon."