A Witch's Rite

by N. E. Conneely

  I had started in the direction of the right fork when I felt a pain in my chest, as if something had shocked me. Growling, I reached up to see if anything was there, and where before my fingers had found nothing, this time I felt a round disk.

  Fishing it out of my shirt, I blinked in surprise. It was the medallion Varro had left me, and it was pulling toward the left path. The medallion had been helping me all along. Without further thought, I charged down the corridor it indicated.

  I did wonder how I had forgotten that I was wearing it and what had changed that I could suddenly interact with it again. Perhaps when I'd seen the outside of the maze or communicated with the doe, some portion of the magic holding me here was broken.

  A roar, much louder than the previous ones, shattered the quiet night. The medallion let off a tingle, but I did not need the encouragement to pick up the pace. Either Patrick or Michelle was in danger. I had been unable to save Wells, but this time it would be different. It had to be. I couldn't live with knowing that I let two fellows, or Michelle, die.

  The scream that cut through the air had me dropping my pack and running as only an elf could. Even in this maze, a place designed to harm us, each footfall was true, and each stride was as fast as the last.

  I knew that voice. Michelle was in danger.

  A second scream tore through the air. I wanted to call out, let Michelle know I was coming for her, that I would save her, but I did not. I could not risk alerting the enemy to my approach, and I was afraid that she would not be able to hear me. That had been a problem when we were first trapped.

  The corridor I was traversing dead-ended into another path up ahead. I was unsure which way would take me to her, but the medallion pulled me to the right. I didn't hesitate to follow the suggestion. A few feet later, there was an opening, and from the roars and screams filling the air, I knew exactly where to go.

  I turned and quickly stumbled to a halt. Michelle was ahead of me, hunkered down in a dead end. A few feet to my right was the monster, though I was sure it would prefer to be called minotaur.

  The minotaur's gaze was fixed on Michelle. It licked its lips and took a step forward. "Mine. You will be mine."

  Summoning my sword, I stepped between them. "I would not say she belongs to anyone, but she is my woman."

  A deep rumble filled the air. "I will have her."

  Michelle's voice wobbled. "Elron?"

  I did not take my eyes off the creature. "You are safe. I will take care of this."

  Lunging forward, the minotaur swiped at me with a large hand. I dodged, my sword already in motion, opening a shallow cut on his arm.

  Pivoting, he lashed out with a hoof. I rolled to the side, dodging the kick, and regained my feet next to one of the hedges. Without me between him and Michelle, he was rapidly advancing on her. Racing forward, I prepared to hamstring him.

  Michelle screamed, "Don't hurt him."

  At the last moment, I turned the blade, striking him with the flat. It would still wound him, but it should not sever anything important. He bellowed, this time in pain, as he went down. I was almost between him and Michelle when he backhanded me. The blow hit my ribs, and white spots filled my vision as the bones cracked. The maze wall cushioned my landing but also gave me a few more scrapes.

  Forcing my eyes to focus, I looked for the minotaur. He had returned to his feet and was moving toward Michelle. Reaching out to the plants, I found dormant seeds in the earth and summoned them to life. They shot out of the ground, spiraling up his legs as they grew.

  Air hissed though my clenched teeth as I stood up. I doubted the plants would hold him for long, but it would give me enough time to end this. No matter what Michelle said, killing him was the only way to end this fight.

  "Burly's under Ned's spell," Michelle yelled. "He doesn't really want to do this. Help him, Elron."

  Fingers tightening on the hilt of my sword, I wished I could go against her wishes, but I could not. I would have to find another way to solve this problem.

  The minotaur tried to take a step forward, flexing his muscles. For the most part, he kept his eyes on me, but from time to time he risked looking at Michelle.

  If he had been spelled, I might be able to help him. As half bull, the minotaur was as more a creature of my world than he was of the magic that Michelle was adept at using. She might not have been able to fix this problem, but I could. Reaching out, I followed the connection between him and the earth. I reminded the earth that this was one of its creatures. A little energy, a little healing, and this child of the earth could have a much better life.

  Warm energy surged up from the ground, infusing the minotaur's hooves. It slowly rolled through his entire body, finding every trace of the spells that bound him to Ned and eradicating them. The brand on his chest started to morph as the earth magic permeated the scar. Though I did not understand why the earth would change a scar, it knew its child and the best way to help him. For a moment I thought the earth would erase the brand entirely, but instead his skin twisted. He let out a pain-filled bellow.

  When his skin returned to normal, the letters that had been there were gone, and in their place was a hoofprint. The earth had not only broken Ned's spell but reaffirmed Burly's bond with nature.

  Its task done, the magic slipped away, sinking deep into the ground. The vines holding Burly's legs followed the magic. The minotaur mirrored the vine's movement, lowering himself until he was sitting on the earth, his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands.

  Kneeling down, I pressed a hand into the dirt to better commune with the earth. "Many thanks."

  Chapter Thirty

  Michelle

  Looking at him, I wasn't sure I trusted my eyes. "Are you sure you're really here?"

  "Burly, is it?" Elron sighed. "Can you please tell my darling girlfriend that I am indeed present?"

  Burly moaned weakly. "Leave me out of your lover's quarrel. My head hurts, m'skin tingles, and I think I'm about to be ill."

  "All right. You're really here." The words might have been calm enough, but I was the furthest thing from calm when I hurled myself into his arms.

  Elron caught me with an oof and cradled me against his chest. "I was so worried."

  "Me too." I swallowed a sob. "I was afraid I'd never see you again."

  "I'm here now. We'll get out of this."

  "Well, that's lovely," Burly grumbled. "But do either of you have something that will calm my stomach?"

  We both looked over at him.

  Elron sighed. "I will get my pack."

  I peeled myself off him. "Hurry back."

  "Of course, m'lady." He walked back into the maze, and I dearly hoped he'd come back to me. I didn't want to lose him again.

  Since waiting didn't seem all that fun, I went over to Burly. "How do you feel?"

  "Like someone turned me inside out and put me back together again." He kept his head between his knees.

  "Is there anything I can do?"

  "Stop talking. It makes my headache worse."

  Well, that wasn't the answer I'd been hoping for. I sat next to him in silence. While there were a few spells I could try, I had a feeling Burly would like to remain spell-free for a while. The earth magic Elron had summoned had done just that and pulled all the magic out of him. As near as I could tell, Burly had been returned to himself, more or less. Somehow I thought the hoof-shaped scar was the earth's idea. It couldn't get rid of the scar, but it could transform it, breaking any link between Burly and the branding iron.

  The poor guy really had been through enough tonight. Though now that I was close to him, I could see a few other ways in which the earth had helped him. The slash on his arm was gone. In fact, all the injuries he'd gotten during his fight with Elron had healed.

  "Returned, as promised." Elron set his pack on the ground, dug around in it for something, and then offered a couple of herbs to Burly. "Chew on these. It should help."

  Burly didn't even ask what they were. He
just took them and stuffed them in his mouth.

  I went over to Elron and wrapped my arms around him. It seemed more real when I could touch him. "How did you find me?"

  "I followed my ears."

  "But when we first woke up, you couldn't hear me. What changed?" As soon as the words left my mouth, whatever had been zapping my chest did it again.

  Elron smiled and looked at my chest as if he knew what had happened. "The medallions, I believe."

  I reached up to feel my chest. There was nothing there. "The what?"

  Elron tugged at a necklace that had vanished under his shirt. He pulled up a big brass crescent that I recognized.

  "Varro's medallions." Suddenly there was something hard and metallic under my fingers. I lifted up my own medallion, the moon that could fit in his crescent to make a whole. I'd tried to figure out exactly what the medallions did, but they were keeping their secrets. They simply helped out when they could.

  "So that's what's been helping us." I gazed at the maze, and things started to come together. I'd seen the strange magic permeating the area where the snails had been killed before we even reached this mountain. There was a bag sitting in my office that had an extra-large shoe and some of the powder that was the source of all this magic. Not only that, but that powder was likely coming from the snails. After all, I'd felt extra energy in the snails. Ned must've figured out a way to use that power.

  How he'd gotten the magic out of them was something I wasn't looking forward to investigating. Partly because I didn't want anyone to figure it out. Using those snails, Ned had given himself magic on par with being a witch, hedge-practitioner, or sorcerer. His secrets were dangerous. The world had enough trouble without a source of magic anyone could use hitting the market. Witches had rules, and for the most part abided by them. Most magical creatures were that way, and if they didn't listen to those rules… Well, there was always someone there to see that justice was served.

  If magic powder got out, I couldn't even begin to comprehend the problems it would cause. The poor snails would be hunted for their magic, and more importantly, anyone could get their hands on magic. There were a lot of people who would use that power for things that should be left alone. Plus from what I'd seen, Ned didn't have the power constraints we did, which made his brand of magic very dangerous. There was no limiting factor to what he could do. Stuff like that always got into the wrong hands. No matter what else happened up here, I had to make sure the secrets of the powder died with Ned.

  That wasn't only to protect the world from magic run amok—I'd read about the side effects from this type of stuff. It could have mind-altering effects on humans. For witches it was addictive, and with long-term use it did terrible things to the body.

  Taking a calming breath, I started sorting through what I knew of the spells. They seemed to be responsive to my fears and had prevented escape from the maze as well as blocked my ability to remember or perceive the medallion. That meant the magic was connected more to my mind than the physical. As to how I was finally able to see the medallion… Well, I'd been throwing a lot of power around and over time had probably worn through some of the spells. Plus no spells were meant to last forever, and they had to be using up their energy.

  Turning to Elron, I explained my theory about the spells. "And it's part of the reason I didn't see the spells before. Even when I looked to see if we were magicked, I was looking from inside the spell."

  "Your analysis fits with what I have observed." He nodded thoughtfully. "In addition, if you remember the plant sample someone sent to me?"

  I nodded.

  He tipped his head in the direction of the hedges. "It is the same as these."

  My eyebrows shot up. "Really?"

  "Yes, though the small sample was much more interactive." Elron stared at the rhododendrons. "It is almost like the bushes are not really here."

  I eyed them. It was possible, but I was still stuck on a previous point. "I can't believe I forgot about the medallion. It was around my neck the entire time. I mean, it makes sense. Ned's magic worked on our minds, not the medallions. I bet that made it harder for them to aid us."

  "It does more than that," Burly offered.

  Elron and I swung around.

  Elron sounded tired and angry. "What do you mean does more?"

  "Michelle's right—it works on your mind, but it's more than that." He tipped his head to the side. "It obscures your abilities, almost puts you in a trance, makes it hard to think. What do you see when you look around?"

  I narrowed my eyes. "The maze. Big hedges made of rhododendrons and such. But that's not real or not all real. I saw a flying squirrel leap from tree to tree, but my eyes couldn't see the tree."

  "Right. And the trancelike effect makes it easier for him to guide you. I'm sure it feels like you've walked miles and miles, but this whole area isn't that big—five, maybe ten acres."

  "Can you see what's really here?" Elron asked.

  Burly nodded. "It was intermittent before, but now that you fixed me, I just see a wide spot in the trees. There's a big tree to your left actually."

  That gave me a brilliant idea. With the spells damaged, I should be able to see the difference between the magic on Burly and Elron. If I could see the spells affecting us, there was a good chance I could remove them. "If I break the magic, can you help us find Ned?"

  Burly considered. "I've only ever been to his cabin through the maze. I'm not sure I can find it now."

  I shrugged. "Once the magic is broken, I might be able to help with that, but I need to know if you're willing to help us fight Ned."

  Elron must not have thought I had given Burly ample motivation. "Ned's holding an officer. We need to rescue him and capture Ned."

  I didn't have it in me to argue with him, and Burly was nodding in agreement.

  "We need you," Elron continued. "Now that you're free of him, you'll be the only one his magic doesn't work on. Will you help us?"

  "Yes."

  I smiled. Now we were starting to make progress.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  I took a sip of the water Elron had given me and studied the two men. I wasn't sure if they trusted one another, and after the fight, I couldn't blame them for that, but they needed to be able to work together. With Burly on our side, we had a real chance to find Wells and Patrick, rescue Gudger—assuming he was still alive—and capture Ned.

  "Burly," I said softly. "Do you think you could help us find the other two officers?"

  Elron stiffened. "Wells is dead. He fell victim to a nixe."

  "Oh." I closed my eyes and said a short prayer. I wanted to mourn, but I couldn't do that now. "What happened to the nixe?"

  Elron smiled grimly. "She attempted to kill me. I killed her."

  "You did the world a favor," Burly said. "She was a rotten one. Loved killing."

  I gave Elron a one-armed hug. "I'm glad you're safe."

  "And I am most grateful to find you in good health."

  Smiling, I leaned my head against his shoulder.

  A long moment later, Burly cleared his throat. "I might be able to help you find the remaining officer. I have some ideas of where he could be, and if you can break the magic on the two of you, we won't have to follow the maze."

  "I can try, but I need food and rest first."

  Elron pulled away from me and dug around in his pack. Turning back, he handed me a bag. "Eat."

  "What is it?"

  "Jerky."

  "Thanks." I pulled a strip out of the bag and started chewing. It was actually pretty good.

  Elron turned to Burly. "Do you think it's safe to stay here?"

  Burly shrugged. "I don't see a reason why not. Ned has traps scattered all over the place and a few more creatures too. If he wants to get us that badly, he can find us."

  That news didn't really surprise me, though I'd wished for something happier. "Then could we pause the conversation until I can get in a nap? A tired witch is a useless witch."

&
nbsp; Elron glanced at the area around us. "I'll keep watch."

  Burly leaned against the hedge, which I was guessing was actually a tree. "And I too will rest. The earth was not gentle."

  I curled up, using Elron's pack for a pillow, with the sleeping bag draped over me. Elron and I agreed that being in the bag would be an issue if we were attacked. It wasn't as warm this way, but it was good enough.

  I fell asleep with Elron stroking my hair and the knowledge that he would keep me safe. The nap went by all too quickly, and Elron gently shook me awake only an hour later.

  He was quick to apologize. "If we were home, I could let you rest—"

  I finished the thought. "But we're not, and Ned has to sleep sometime, so we should do as much work as we can when he's likely to be resting."

  He nodded.

  With a resigned sigh, I ate another piece of jerky and washed it down with some of the water Elron was carrying. While he'd arrived with plenty, three people could make short work of a couple of canteens. We would need to find a stream soon, or we'd be rationing the supply.

  Burly woke up when we started packing up the sleeping bag.

  Elron offered him a granola bar. "I'm not sure if most of my rations would be suitable for your digestive tract, but I think this would be fine."

  "Thank you." Burly took the bar from Elron. "I would've offered to take you back to my cave, but I know Ned watches that place, and it may be trapped."

  Elron shook his head. "You do not need to explain. I understand our situation."

  When I finished my snack, I turned my attention to the problem of the spells. Having the medallion back was a huge benefit. It might aid my magic, and simply being able to see it told me that some parts of the spells were breaking down. I could find those cracks and use them to completely dismantle the spells.

  Stretching out my power, I gave both Burly and Elron a cursory evaluation. Burly looked to be completely free of spells, which was what I'd expected. Elron, on the other hand, was covered in a sticky mass of magics that had any number of functions. Satisfied that I was once again able to see magic, I pulled my power back into myself.