A Witch's Rite

by N. E. Conneely

  "Patrick said we could set off the PLBs," I relayed to Wells.

  "Tell him yes. We don't know where we are or how to fight the enemy. We need help."

  "Are you sure? I mean, we can't exactly warn them about Ned."

  "I'm sure. Activate yours and tell Westmoreland to send a message. I'll do the same."

  "Got it." Turning to Patrick, I explained what Wells had asked.

  "Sounds good." Patrick smiled a little. "If you hand me yours, I'll activate it."

  I unclipped it from my belt and probed it for magic. Unlike the radios, it didn't have any spells on it, so I handed it over. He got to work on the two PLBs, and I tried not to get my hopes up. Considering what had happened to us today, I needed to conserve what little hope I had left.

  "Michelle." Patrick's voice was brittle. "The batteries are dead."

  "What?" It wasn't that I hadn't heard him but that I didn't believe how bad my luck was.

  "They're dead. We won't get a signal out."

  Snatching one from his hands, I gave it a thorough magical examination. There was the faintest bit of spell residue. I watched as the last of the residue faded away. The batteries had been drained while we were unconscious, and the spell had left so little residue that I hadn't noticed it before.

  "Someone drained the batteries about the time we were put in the maze." I handed the PLB back to Patrick. It occurred to me that I had other battery-powered things in my pack. I grabbed the flashlight. It was as dead as the PLBs.

  He took a deep breath. "Will you tell Wells?"

  I nodded robotically. Help wasn't coming, not anytime soon anyway. We were going to have to rescue Gudger and get out of here on our own.

  "Michelle," Wells bellowed. "Did either of yours work?"

  "No." I wondered if my voice sounded as hollow to his ears as it did to mine. "Our batteries died in the PLBs and flashlights."

  "Same thing over here." There was a lengthy pause. "I guess that means we need to separate, try to rescue Gudger and capture Ned."

  "Let me run it by Patrick." When I looked at him, I could see that he already knew where this was going. "Wells thinks we need to split up and get moving. We'll try to get out of this, rescue Gudger, and hopefully capture Ned. That'll mean leaving this area and losing contact with Wells and Elron."

  He sighed. "I don't like it, but I don't see a better option."

  I nodded and resumed my high-volume conversation with Wells. "Patrick agrees that we should split up. We might have better odds together, but that doesn't look feasible."

  "Elron and I came to the same conclusion. He wants you to be careful."

  "Tell him to do the same. I'll see you guys in a bit."

  "Best of luck, Michelle."

  With that, they were gone. Even with Patrick next to me, I felt very alone. This was the first time I'd been separated from a group and not understood why I couldn't get back to the rest of them. Even though I knew they would be trying to find us, it felt more final than that. It shouldn't have; after all, I wasn't alone. Perhaps if it had been Elron at my side, it wouldn't have seemed as though it was me against the unfriendly maze.

  "Are they gone?" Patrick asked.

  "I think so. Wells said they would try to find us, and if that didn't work they would do their best to rescue Gudger and capture Ned. I told him we'll do the same." I took a drink out of my canteen.

  "We don't have a lot of choices." Patrick looked around. "Down the corridor?"

  "That looks like the only option."

  "I'll lead. I do have gun…" Patrick's voice trailed off as he patted his hip. "No, I don't. I must've lost it in the fight."

  I looked around, but all I could see was dirt, rocks, pine needles, and leaves. Swearing, I said, "That's unfortunate. I was hoping you'd just shoot Ned next time we saw him."

  "Me too," Patrick said glumly.

  "We still have wands." I patted his shoulder. "We should get moving."

  He nodded and started off in the direction of the other end of the path.

  I gave the rhododendrons behind us one last longing look before following him. Elron was on the other side of that wall, and as wrong as all this had felt—from the magic I couldn't identify, the dead snails, Ned's odd powers, our relocation, Gudger's abduction, and the plants Elron couldn't communicate with—the part that felt the worst was walking away from Elron. We'd been through so much together. Not alone but together. I really hoped this separation wasn't a sign that terrible things were yet to come.

  I loved that elf, and this wasn't what I wanted for my last memory of him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Ned

  I strode through my home, set the officer on a bed, and quickly lashed him to the frame. It wouldn't do for him to get loose while I was securing the domicile. With the officer taken care of, I returned to the front door, firmly latched it, and set the bars across the top and bottom. Sprinkling some dust around, I reinforced the door. That would delay the most aggressive assault. With the upgrades I had made since moving in, those nosy police officers would have a dreadful time getting in here, even before the magical reinforcements. However, I still believed in being fully prepared.

  I flipped on the light, then moved past the rest of my pets, safely inside their tanks. Hurrying to my desk, I uncovered a bowl of water, sprinkled some powder, and contacted my benefactor. The image in the bowl slowly cleared, revealing an impeccably groomed man with black hair, hooded eyes, and a frown.

  "Ned, this isn't a good time."

  I bowed. "My apologies, Hayato. I had some unexpected visitors and thought you would want to be informed."

  Hayato shifted his gaze from the bowl of water to something near him. "Out. All of you." After a lengthy pause during which I could hear people moving about, he focused on me. "Is the operation compromised?"

  "Unfortunately, yes. They discovered the stream."

  "Can that be relocated?"

  I nodded. "But it may not be worth the effort. The indoor snails are producing a much higher quality product." It pained me to think of abandoning the snails, but this was business.

  "True." Hayato tapped his fingers on the table. "However, the outdoor snails produce much more quickly. You should relocate the outdoor portion of the operation as quickly as possible. I need that production."

  "Yes, of course." I bowed my head. "There are two additional issues."

  "Oh?" One eyebrow crept up.

  "The intruders may be of interest to you. In addition to the three police officers, there was an elf and a witch." Clearing my throat, I continued. "I took one officer hostage and left the rest of the group in the maze."

  A muscle in Hayato's jaw twitched. "What did the witch look like?"

  "Young, attractive, brown hair, average height." I hoped I had done the right thing. It was difficult to anticipate Hayato's desires.

  He stopped tapping his fingers. "And you took a hostage?"

  "Yes."

  The corners of Hayato's lips turned up. "What else did you wish to tell me?"

  "I sent the rhododendron sample as you requested."

  "Good. Inform me when the hostage awakens. Until then, leave them to the maze." With that, Hayato's image faded away.

  I dropped into my chair and took a deep, calming breath. Hayato simply wanted more information. There was no indication that I had done something wrong. In fact, he hadn't criticized any of my decisions.

  Thanks to my preparations, which Hayato had never fully appreciated, I'd been able to contain the intruders quickly. Though I had never planned on taking a hostage. He was a complication I had not anticipated, but for the time being he was serving his purpose. His coworkers would be too busy trying to get through the maze to cause much trouble.

  Taking another deep breath, I got up and headed back to the hostage.

  In my rooms, I settled into a comfortable chair where I could keep an eye on the officer. The maze should keep those people occupied for some time, perhaps even eliminate a few of them. Thou
gh that wouldn't take care of their associates back in town. Even if they all died in my maze or at Hayato's hand, other police officers would come looking for them. I would need to adjust my defenses.

  There was still the matter of the stream. I needed to relocate the outdoor operations. That would need to move to the top of my to-do list. After all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to the snails. I had a few other locations in mind, but I would need to verify that they were suitable. It wouldn't do to move my snails only to have this happen again in short order.

  Glancing at the officer, I settled deeper into my chair. Hayato wanted to know the moment the officer woke up, which meant I couldn't leave. That was frustrating, but it was time I could put to good use.

  Picking up a pen and notepad, I started making a list of the supplies I needed to relocate my snails. The list quickly expanded, including options for killing the merry band, disposing of their bodies, and a plan for cleansing their current home of any evidence. After all, it wouldn't do for anyone to discover the snail's secret.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Elron

  "Which way?" Wells asked.

  I tore my gaze away from the hedge. My chest tingled, and I rubbed it, feeling like I was missing something. I had not been able to hear Michelle, and continuing to dwell on how close she had been was not beneficial. She was smart and capable. She would be fine. I focused on the two paths. One was the trail I had used to get here, though there were areas I had not explored, or we could continue to move deeper into the maze. "If we must go through the maze to rescue Gudger, then I recommend the path on the right as it should carry us farther."

  Wells nodded. "It seems like a good plan to me."

  "The path on the right it is." We set off with the rhododendron walls towering over us. Wells was not chatty, which I appreciated since I had little desire for conversation. We both knew the situation, and talking was unlikely to change it.

  I kept thinking about the small rhododendron in the greenhouse. I wished I knew more about how it had been discovered. It had seemed as though someone had simply picked it off a plant on the back of their property, but that did not fit with what I was seeing now. These plants were not a natural occurrence. An individual experimenting on the plants would not do so in an area where he might be discovered. Which brought me back to the previous point. How had the sample ended up in my possession?

  I narrowed it down to two possibilities—either some odd series of events had landed the sample on a curious soul's property and they had sent it to me, or the plant's creator had wanted more information about his work and sent it in. Neither sat well with me. One relied too much on chance, and the other spoke to a deeper agenda.

  "Right or left?" Wells asked.

  To my mind, the two options were as identical as the previous intersection I had encountered. "I do not see a difference between them. Do you have a preference?"

  "We've been staying to the right and haven't found anything. Maybe going to the left will be more interesting."

  "It is worth a try." Though, I was not hoping for interesting; I simply wanted to find Michelle and an exit.

  The new path twisted and bent, which was very different from the mostly straight paths I had been on previously. We were turning a corner when I heard faint cries for help. Wells was a few feet ahead of me and must have seen something because he broke into a run.

  A couple of steps later, I spotted it. There was a pond up ahead, and a woman was floundering in the water. She was wearing a white dress, which the water had rendered translucent. My first instinct was to run and help her, but we were in a maze. What were the odds we would be walking by at just the right time to help this woman?

  "Wells, stop," I shouted as I took off after him.

  He didn't even slow down.

  "Help!" The woman screamed between coughing and thrashing. "Help me!"

  "Wells, think about where we are. It's a trap," I yelled. I was catching up to him, but he was still focused on the woman.

  Not seeing another option, I grabbed a loop on his backpack and jerked him off-balance, sending both of us crashing to the ground. The fall stunned me, but I got a hand on his pack as he was sitting up.

  "What are you doing? I have to help her!" Wells looked at me, eyes dilated until only pupil was left.

  "Think about it. How would she have gotten here? And in those clothes?" Whatever the creature was, she had gotten her hooks in him. It was going to be hard to break him out of this. Behind me, the woman continued to scream for help, but I ignored her.

  "I'm an officer of the law. It's my sworn duty to help people."

  I pulled back my hand and slapped him. For a moment his eyes returned to normal. "Think! That is a trap."

  She screamed again, and his eyes returned to their previous state.

  "Must help her." In a fraction of a second, he had shed the backpack and was out of my reach.

  I dropped my own pack and headed after him. Wells charged into the water and got his arms around the woman. She kept flailing about, taking him under the water a few times. I hesitated at the edge of the pond, not wanting to get in the water unless it was necessary. There were any number of creatures who had special talents in the water, and elves were far from invulnerable.

  Wells started talking to her in a low, soothing voice. For a moment it seemed to help and she calmed down, simply clinging to him rather than thrashing. Then her eyes narrowed, and her smile went from grateful to devious.

  I saw the change a moment too late. As I flung myself at the two of them, her fingers dug into his skin and she pulled him under the cold water. I got a hand on Wells's jacket and yanked, trying to get him away from the woman. He made it to the surface, and I got a grip on his arm. It was not a good grip. His jacket was wet, and the waterproof coating was slippery, but it would have to work.

  Giving him a strong tug, I saw her fingers tremble. I pulled at Wells again, and one of her hands broke free. Before I could do anything else, she wrapped both arms around his chest and dove.

  Taking a deep breath, I held on as she pulled Wells deeper and I went under. I tried to get a hand on his belt, but her arms were wrapped around him and she kept dragging him away. He gave me a panicked look and grabbed my forearm. He thrashed and I pulled, but we were still moving away from shore.

  As I went farther underwater, my already-limited vision deteriorated until I was unable to see anything. The water was simply too murky. Feeling around, I grabbed his jacket with my free hand and pulled as hard as I could while I kicked us away from her. I felt him struggle against her, but it was with less force than he had previously. He was losing strength. I pulled and kicked harder, but all my efforts were for naught. The woman pulled us deeper and farther away from shore. I thought about summoning my sword, but I worried that I would injure Wells by mistake.

  My chest ached, and my vision was beginning to cloud, but I pulled at Wells one more time, hoping I could break him free. She pulled him from my hands, and I shot to the surface, gasping for air.

  Sucking deep breaths of air into my lungs, I looked around, hoping she would surface. Around me the pond was still, ripples from our fight fading away. In the distance, I could see a creek exiting the pond. A shallow rocky stream entered the pond, but I knew she wouldn't take him that way.

  Taking a breath, I dove under. He was a good man, and I had to save him. The murky water made it nearly impossible to see anything, but I swam around, feeling for Wells in hopes that lady luck would favor me. Since my eyes were little good, I reached out to the plants, looking for anything in the pond that would aid me. Unfortunately, almost all the plants were at the waterline. While they were happy to report that they had not found Wells, they did not help with my search of the pond.

  I had to surface several times while I was searching, each time knowing it was that much less likely that Wells was still alive. I kept moving closer to the stream in case she tried to escape that way and even explored the mouth of the stream. It wa
s shallow enough that I could walk, and I gazed into the stream, looking for anything that could be Wells. Luck was not with me.

  Returning to the pond, I gave one more pass over the last area I'd been with him. When I grew chilled, I feared I would become ill if I stayed in the water any longer and admitted defeat. Swimming back to shore, I wished I had made different choices before Wells went into the water. There were several ways I could have dealt with him, and I had chosen diplomacy when I should have used force. Knowing that I had tried to save him did not help. I had failed. He had been underwater too long to survive. When I found Michelle and Westmoreland, I would have to explain how Wells had died. Now we had lost two of our group to Ned and his games.

  Wells had been a respected acquaintance. He had treated Michelle and me fairly and had even helped us kill a demon. That was a sad way for a good man to die. The best I could do for him was tell of his bravery and ensure that Ned and this maze were dealt with.

  Onshore, I used an elven trick to pull the moisture out of my clothes. There was still some mud in them, but it was better than wet garments and shoes. I had an additional set of clothing in my pack, but I did not want to use it yet. I could be out here for a very long time.

  For some time I sat at the edge of the pond, thinking about Wells and how he had died. There were many things the woman could have been, but I was guessing she was a nixe. It was a species that could shape change and historically lured people into water and drowned them. These days they refrained from drowning people because their council killed anyone who violated their laws.

  That information would be cold comfort to Wells's loved ones since it was unlikely that I would be able to find the nixe. She would not have displayed her natural face while committing the murder, and I had no other way of identifying her. There would be no justice for Wells. After a time, I turned away from the pond. Wells was dead, and no amount of gazing at the water would change that.