“I need to go find the witch. He said she would know what to do.” Jasper sounded like he didn’t agree, even though he tried to sound convincing.
“A witch? You want to bring a witch around our dying leader? Have you lost your mind?” His eyes grew wide and he took a step back. “If he asked for a witch, he is worse off than I thought.”
“The cave opening had a foul-smelling haze. Do you have anything that I can breathe in? Just long enough to clear the opening, twice?” Jasper looked toward the guard, who coughed and spit liquid that was now tinged with blood.
“He’s done.” The healer grabbed another blanket and tried to comfort the man.
Only seconds later, the guard lay still.
Jasper calculated the time that passed since they arrived, and his knees grew weak. “I have to go now. If Alice can help him. Time is running out. The day is coming too. That coven house is deep in the woods. I can’t be anywhere near it when the sun comes up.”
“You would go to the coven?” The healer’s pointed nose bunched. “That’s suicide.”
“Letting him die means we all perish. Do you have something to breathe in?” He watched the elf rummage around his supply shelves.
“An oracle isn’t a warrior. Witches have powerful magic.” He warned as he handed Jasper a face mask. “This keeps out illness. Without knowing what is in the air, I make no guarantees to your safety.”
“I’ll do my best to refrain from inhaling, until I am outside. Don’t let anyone follow, and if he dies, wait for me to return before you alert anyone.” Jasper had no idea what he could do to prevent a riot, but at least he could get in and get some supplies before the pilfering started.
“Careful who sees you go. If word gets out that we are trapped between his father’s barrier and toxic air, the death of a leader will be the least of our concerns.” His pointed ears twitched with apprehension.
“I’ll return swiftly and with answers.” Jasper sounded stern, even though he was already questioning his own sanity.
Walking into the coven’s magical range was the most reckless thing he ever did. Had Decker not specifically asked him to go get Alice, and had he not seen her and Decker at the water source in his visions still, he wouldn’t have gone.
Jasper wasted no time after he left the infirmary. He hurried to his workroom, and grabbed a few things before leaving. As he headed toward the exit, he muttered, “may my predictions be correct.”
At the opening, he hesitated, first making sure he was alone, and second pulling up his mask. He put his hands on the wall, and chanted. The illusion dropped, and he cleared the entrance in two steps.
He turned and chanted again. The illusion, along with its barrier, popped back in place.
Jasper’s lungs protested as he cleared the distance to the exit without breathing. The images of dead guards kept him from drawing in another breath. He welcomed the sight of moonlight that he usually thought blotted the beauty of the night as it pierced the darkness. Almost there.
Haze hung in the cave, giving it an unnatural glow. Would it stick to his skin or clothes? Had they breathed it in, or absorbed it? He froze in his tracks. Would he die now?
Keep moving. His steps turned to stumbles as his chest ached for air. With his back rested against the rock, he pulled the mask down and took a full breath. There was a crisp odor in the air. A twinge of pain raced across his forehead.
“Damn it.” He moved further away. How much would it take to make him sick? He’d smelled it, that meant he inhaled it.
He shoved the worries to the back of his mind. The fresh air will have diluted it enough. Decker needed him to hurry. He walked toward the thicker woods, and the coven. Was he walking toward his death?
ALICE RAN THROUGH the woods as fast as she could. Slivers of moonlight filtered through the trees. Full moon rites wouldn’t last long. A coven of witches would be pursuing her soon.
The sound of her heart beating in her ears drowned out the crunching of the undergrowth she trampled. Her mouth dried. Witches who betrayed the coven were burned alive. Could Chester hold them at bay long enough? Would he? Not if it risked his own life.
The hairs on her arm prickled and her muscles tensed.
Witches would be… She slammed into the ground. Blackness with streaks of white filled her mind. Her breath whooshed out of her lungs. Her thoughts fragmented.
Chanting. Casting. Caught.
The struggle to draw in a breath made her already racing heart, pound harder. Pieces congealed.
Alice willed her eyes to open. They did not. “Gretchen, please,” she said as the last of her air was pulled away.
Someone was casting against her. Was she dying? Memories of her childhood didn’t play. There was no frenzied look back on what she had or could have done. Resignation settled in and the blackness ceded to light. Peace replaced the panic.
JASPER FOLLOWED THE fear, and pulsing magic. He ran until he saw the witches. How keen were a witch’s senses when she was distracted with casting? Best not to take chances.
He camouflaged himself in the shadows, pulled his dagger, and cast a masking charm. The faintness of Alice’s presence added urgency. bolstered his bravery, and stifled his better judgment. If Alice slipped away, the consequences could send a ripple through his clan.
Killing wasn’t new to Jasper, his dagger saw flesh as often as any other elf mage. His comfort with taking life didn’t stop his hand from trembling as he slunk from the shadows toward the witches.
Chants grew louder and faster.
Alice wheezed. Tears streaked down her face. Her fear no longer filled the night. The slow rate of her heart told him why. Death approached, tugging the half-light away.
He took one more step. A twig snapped. The chanting stopped.
With his empty hand, he gripped the witch by her hair, craned her head, and sliced into her throat.
Gretchen reached up, her hands gripping the blade. The sharp edge sliced into her fingers as she used more force.
Jasper pulled the blade across her neck. As the warm blood traveled down his blade and dripped on his hand, he held his breath. Pure witch’s blood could be toxic.
He waited a beat. There was no sting, no burn, no immediate signs it was as dangerous as they were led to believe. He flung her body to the side and knelt beside Alice. “Can you hear me? Alice?” He repeated her name and tapped her face.
Alice shivered. “Decker?”
Jasper cradled her, and used one hand to rub her back.
With her eyes still closed, she rested her head on Jasper’s chest as he stood with her in his arms. “Decker?” The question whispered so soft he barely heard her.
Jasper closed his eyes. No witches were in the woods near them. There would be. If she had betrayed her witches, they wouldn’t play games. It would only get worse once they found the dead witch.
With her in his arms, he headed back toward the cave. Her heartbeat was steady, and her breathing returned to normal. Something was wrong. The shock of being kidnapped and attacked? Once they were safe he could determine if the was anything left over from whatever the witch cast. “Stay with me, Alice.”
Alice wiggled in his arms. “Wait. Books.”
He shushed her and kept walking.
“No.” She opened her eyes and pushed at him. “The book I stole to fix the water.”
He stopped. “What books? Where?”
“Grimoires from the witch and elf that cursed your water. They were in my bag.” Her heart raced again. “They will be coming after me. We have to hurry.” Her eyes grew wide as she looked past him.
He sat her down. “Where is the bag? I can move faster.”
“I had it when you…” Alice looked at the blood on his hands. “She attacked me. You? Is she?” She kept her eyes on him as she took a few steps back. “Where is Decker? We have to go. Now.”
Jasper didn’t move closer. “I will explain. Please, wait here while I get your bag. If they are giving chase, I can elude
them.”
Alice pushed him away. “Hurry.”
The word hung in the air as Jasper rushed back the way they came. Without Alice in his arms, it didn’t take him long to find the bag and return.
Jasper slunk from a shadow, handing her the bag. “We need to go. Now. We can talk at the cave. I feel something approaching.”
Alice put her arm through the strap, flung the bag over her shoulder, and nodded.
The path Jasper took from shadow to shadow was littered with underbrush. Alice tripped a few times, always managing to stay on her feet, but not moving as fast as him.
“Faster. Just a little more.” While he tried for encouraging, his own doubts about if they had made it in enough time to help his leader, put a sharp edge in his voice.
“Why did you come for me? Did he order that?” Alice slowed.
Jasper took her hand, tugging her along. “Yes. He is dying, and asked for you.”
“Dying.” She repeated the word as if trying to give it meaning.
When they neared the clearing, he stopped. He used his eyes and senses to scan for presences or changes. “Don’t dawdle when I drop the illusion. The air is toxic to me. Perhaps you.”
Alice opened her mouth to say something, but he slipped a mask over her head. “What is this?”
“Something in the water made the air poison. I only have one, and you are needed to save them all.” His lips pressed tight. It was a last-minute decision, and one he was already doubting. His life for a witch? These were grave times.
Alice pulled the mask off and held it toward him. “The water didn’t hurt me. Don’t waste time. Let’s get to Decker.”
The name still sounded odd, but she seemed to have the ruler’s blessing to call him that. It wasn’t the most pressing thing, so he left it.
After taking the mask, he pulled it over his mouth. “Stay close, be ready to go when I open the system.”
She wrapped the fingers of one hand around her bag, and put her other hand on his back.
A soft light hung in the air like fog made of illuminated droplets. The scent of fresh rain drifted on the haze.
Jasper dropped the barrier, clamped on her arm, and flung her inside.
A soft cry escaped as she slammed into the wall.
After he pulled the illusion back in place, Jasper turned to her. “You must not use magic. Try to make yourself small. When we enter the healer’s chamber, stay unthreatening. The elves in this cave fear witches. They will kill you on sight to save themselves. My commands don’t hold the same weight as his, and he can’t give orders in his state.”
Her mouth dropped opened. A myriad of emotions played out on her face. Uncertainty, fear, and finally bravery. “Take me to Decker.”
Chapter Ten
ALICE STOOD SILENT in the doorway, straining to hear while Jasper talked with the healer. The silvery skin of the two elves flashed in the darkness, but there was not enough light to make out any features, or what they were doing.
Words formed with clicks and syllables in an aggressive, yet melodic rhythm. The strange dialect made her wonder why elves used human words at all. They must have been living close to the surface for a long time in order for the language to blend. Words held power, Did they use a human elf hybrid around her on purpose, afraid that as a witch she could use their words against them?
If the spell was elf and witch, that was exactly what had happened. Chester said this clan and coven had been in contact, and that wasn’t the normal circumstances. Decker also said they had a long history. Could the hatred be because they didn’t like sharing space?
They moved closer. Their speech went back to more human. Was the secret part of their conversation over now?
Jasper glanced toward Alice. “Her heart is racing and she smells of fear. She means no harm. If you prefer, I will take responsibility and you can wait in another room.”
The healer looked toward the door. His face bunched as his eyes narrowed on Alice. “No. That thing isn’t afraid. I won’t leave a witch alone in my infirmary. Do you know what witches could do with my supplies, and his ears?”
Jasper shifted his weight, rocking back on his heels. “Hold in mind that he asked for her. In his condition, we don’t have time to debate his orders.”
“The request of an elf on death’s door must be considered in that light. Had he been lucid, he would have asked for her parts, not her presence. The only witch in this cave should be a dead, dissected witch.” His tone filled with venom.
Jasper straightened his posture. “He will pull through. I wouldn’t want to be remembered as denying him anything while he was unable to back his demands.”
Decker’s soft groan ended the argument.
After the healer gave a halfhearted agreement, Jasper walked back to Alice. “He’s dying. Be swift and mindful.”
She tried to peer past him, into the room, but couldn’t see in the darkness. If Decker were that ill, she didn’t want to pull out the stone. She took her bag off her shoulder, and handed it to Jasper. “Please, be careful with this. The answers to your water problem are in there.” Her eyes hardened as she considered this might be a trap. “Only I can open the grimoire that keeps those answers.” Adding that should keep her alive.
Jasper took the bag in one hand and stepped to the side. He put himself between her and the healer as he guided her into the room with his other hand on her back.
Alice couldn’t see the two dead bodies, but death and suffering lingered in the air. Dread blanketed the darkness, offering another layer to her growing anxiety.
“No magic without explanation first,” Jasper whispered the plea. “Remember what I told you about other elves.”
She swallowed and took a deep breath. With her next step, they were close enough that she could make out Decker’s pale form. Her fear vanished. Decker was dying. Her concern manifested itself in a gasp.
Decker’s eyes moved under the closed lids. His lips parted. First, he groaned, and then soft sounds came as he tried to speak to her.
Come here. Even the voice in her mind held the struggle of a dying creature.
Alice couldn’t make out all of what he was saying, only that he wanted her closer. She looked back to Jasper.
Jasper nodded, indicating she could do whatever was needed to help.
She put her hand in Decker’s, squeezed, and leaned down to listen. “What can I do? Why did you send for me? What do you need?”
He muttered again, and again it was too soft. The magic coming from him was too faint to warm her hand in warning, as it had every other time they touched or stood close.
Blood, sweet.
Alice frowned, and ran her thumb over the top of his hand as she pressed in, whispering in his ear. “I’ll do what I can. I’m so sorry.”
She wasn’t sure why, but she knew he was pleading for her blood and that it would help. In the cave they stopped in during their trek, she didn’t hesitate. It was for her survival. Here in his cave, with him dying, she paused to give things more consideration.
What would it mean for Decker to die? Would the war between the coven and clan fizzle if both him, Gretchen, and her aunt died?
As he slipped in and out of both his and Alice’s consciousness, his hand moved in hers, the grip didn’t tighten, his aura didn’t warn her of danger. Was he a danger to her still? Yes. Even so, could she let him fade away and live with the guilt of knowing she could have helped?
Decker whispered something she couldn’t hear.
Alice leaned in, skin brushing his, still unable to make him out.
With his other hand, Decker held her head, his lips slightly parted, and hot breath blew on her neck. The tip of his tongue touched her skin before his teeth tore the tender flesh of her earlobe.
Alice’s scream pierced the silence of the room. She pushed away. The smallest effort would have broken his weak grip, but her thrust sent her stumbling back.
When she pulled away, Decker kept his mouth closed, tearing off
a small chunk.
Her hand went to her ear, blood ran between her trembling fingers. She took another step away. “You monster! You dirty, vile creature. I came to help you. You can’t imagine what I’ve done for you.”
The healer and Jasper kept a distance.
Decker swallowed some of her blood, but kept chewing the flesh as he said, “Alice.”
Hearing her name as he continued to chew, sent a rush of revulsion and anger over Alice.
Jasper let out a long sigh of relief. “Sir, what else do you need?”
“Need?” Alice walked to the door and turned to Jasper. “Those books are useless without me. The witch you killed is the one who enchanted the water. I was your last hope. You will all die in here. And that suits me just fine.”
The look on his face said he understood his position, though his stance didn’t soften. “He needed your blood. Trust he was desperate. A witch’s blood is feared and revered for its power amid our kind.”
“How do you know that? You knew when you brought me he wanted to bite me?” She wiped her bloody hand on her jeans. She was about to say he could have asked, but hesitated. He did, didn’t he? Confusion swirled in her thoughts.
The healer was busy getting Decker to drink something. Decker looked past him toward Jasper and Alice. “Don’t hurt her.”
They both stopped arguing and turned to him, mouths opened.
“Of course, sir. What do you need?” Jasper looked from him back to Alice. “You see, safe.”
“Him? You order him not to hurt me? You are the one who…” Alice wiped more blood from her ear and held her hand toward Jasper. “Does this look safe to you? Give me my bag, I’m leaving. I hope you choke on the air.” When she flung her hand toward her bag, a drop of blood landed on Jasper’s face.
Jasper dropped to his knees, his hands clasping his throat. He wheezed as his skin turned into a darker shade of gray. The shimmer in his black eyes faded.
The healer sat down the glass and turned.
Decker held his hand. “Don’t hurt her.”
The elf eyed him a second. “Sir?”
Tainted Waters: A Dark Paranormal Fantasy Novel (Paranormal Peacekeepers Book 1) Page 10
