Tainted Waters: A Dark Paranormal Fantasy Novel (Paranormal Peacekeepers Book 1)

by Lucretia Stanhope

  “Good.” He waved long fingers toward himself. “Come closer.”

  Compelled by his words, she moved toward the door. Again, it took all her will to utter a single word. “Alice.”

  “Death is best for her. There is no place in any reality for a creature that should have never been.” The tips of his fingers brushed her forehead when she neared. “That’s good, relax.”

  Warmth seeped from the pads of his fingertips into her mind. Joy and peace filled her, blotting out the pain of his invasion. When he withdrew, he took his comfort with him. The loss of his presence brought tears to her eyes.

  “Alice is not dead.” The melodic tone of his voice did not match the disgust on his face.

  “Gretchen.” Samantha could form one-word responses again, now that she was free of his touch.

  “I see. Incompetence can get one killed.” His head tilted, eyes still holding her in a spell. “Heal Davina. Stop sedating her. Tell her Kheelan wishes her company.”

  “Davina.” She shivered as the words fought to stay inside, still coming out as strangled incomplete thoughts. “Cursed.”

  “Yes, I saw that as well. Vile Dökkálfr, that one. Stay here.” With a liquid motion, he turned, disappearing into his cabin. When he returned, he extended his hand, holding a small jar toward her. “Take this, heal her, send her to me.”

  “Yes.” Her fingers wrapped the jar of their own accord. She hesitated. He hadn’t helped her with Alice. “Alice?”

  His laughter danced across her like a warm embrace. “She won’t leave his cave alive again.” The twinkle in his blue eyes flashed with his blinking. “You may go now.”

  She kept her eyes on him. “Yes, thank you.”

  The spell that held her in place and limited her words, lessened with each blink. “Scurry away, witch.” He flicked his fingers in her direction, and gracefully backed into his cabin, pulling the door shut as one fluid movement.

  Samantha found herself staring at the closed door of the cabin. The encounter faded in her mind, feeling like a dream. She had the urge to run to the coven, heal Davina, and deliver his message.

  The jar in her hand hummed, drawing her back to a stable reality. She turned and started back. Each step away from him cleared her mind. Had she not followed Davina and Gretchen there, and heard them argue about the light elf in the woods, she would have thought he was an angel, divine.

  CHESTER WAS STILL crawling toward the door when the witches returned. The injuries from Alice left him worse off, and in more pain than he intended.

  Matilda, who was first through the door, gasped, seeing him struggling on the floor. She turned from him, back to the group. “Brandy, help me get him to his bed. Someone check Davina. Everyone else check the house.”

  He peered up at them. “Gretchen?” The grimace as they pulled him to his feet was real. Even though he asked for it, he couldn’t help but cuss the dirty elf for causing him so much pain.

  “Easy, let us get you in bed. Gretchen is in the woods, tracking Alice.” Another witch, Brandy, put an arm around his waist, taking some of the weight off Matilda.

  Chester shuddered and coughed. “No, she’s dangerous. Go stop her. They have no idea what she is capable of.”

  “Walk. Gretchen and Samantha can more than handle a novice half-elf.” Matilda moved forward, forcing him to walk. “The sooner you get in your bed, the sooner I can pull away some pain and see what has been done to you.”

  Chester gritted his teeth as they navigated the hall, not offering any more protest. He didn’t want his behavior to seem out of character. “I hope they make her suffer.”

  “She will.” Brandy held the door. “A witch who harms witches is dealt with swiftly and without mercy.”

  In his room, he stretched out on the bed while Matilda ran her hands over him. “She flung elf magic at me. I should have been expecting that. I knew she was trouble the moment she arrived.”

  Matilda snorted. “We all did. I tried to tell Davina.” She stopped her rant. “She knows best. If she weren’t hexed, this wouldn’t have happened.” Her tone changed as if she were afraid to get on Davina’s bad side if she got better.

  Another witch appeared in the door. “The basement is a mess. Alice took all her things as far as we can tell.” Her gaze ricocheted over the three of them. “Gretchen’s room is unlocked. We didn’t want to search it without her permission.”

  “Davina?” Brandy asked. “Did someone tend to her?”

  “She’s still not well, but it doesn’t look like she was attacked this time. I bet Alice had a hand in what happened to her though.” The witch put her hands on her hips. “Do you need anything for him?”

  “No. This is minor. The elf burns might sting to pull out, but he’ll be okay, at least until Gretchen gets here.” Her eyes narrowed on him.

  Chester knew he had some form of punishment coming. Letting Alice get away was a calculated risk. Nothing he did, that they knew of, was a burnable offense. The dark elves wanted answers, and he didn’t have time for a better plan.

  The witch in the door seemed happy with the dismissal as she hurried away.

  Chester clenched his hands while Matilda worked on the busted knee. Magic was beautiful in that it could take away pain and injury. However, with the amount of damage Alice inflicted, pulling it out was excruciating.

  While Brandy worked at his burns, amusement danced in her aura. Each of his groans added to her smile, until it reached her eyes.

  When they finished, he stood and stretched. “Thank you. I should go help Gretchen. I’m responsible.”

  Brandy put a hand on his shoulder. “She said to wait here, guard the house. If you want to be useful, help in the basement.”

  None of them made it out of the room.

  Samantha rushed in, her face flushed. “Chester, you look… fine. But, Alice.” She turned her attention from him to Brandy. “It’s Gretchen, I need your help, all of you.”

  “I wasn’t fine, a dirty elf attacked me. They’ve been healing me since they arrived.” His protest met with hard eyes from them all. “Where is Gretchen, has she detained the monster? I’d like to light the pyre myself.”

  “She’s dead. We separated to search and she must have been ambushed.” Samantha slumped as the words left her. “They slit her throat. I couldn’t get her back on my own, but we need to do rites.”

  Brandy gasped. “Gretchen is dead? What does that mean for us? She was Davina’s only apprentice. I knew that was a dated custom.”

  “It means we have to get her back and give her the treatment she deserves.” Matilda straightened her back. “Save the theatrics. You’ll panic everyone. Davina will come back to us. When she does, it might be prudent to set up a more far-reaching hierarchy.”

  “Yes,” Samantha agreed. “Right now, Chester, and all of us will bring her back for rites. I need to grab something before we go. Can you three spread the word that we are going out to finish the search? Don’t tell anyone else she is dead just yet.”

  “Clever idea, we don’t want a battle for power to break out while we are gone.” Matilda smirked, and eyed Samantha.

  Chester cocked his head. The rivalry between the witches hung in the air, thick and tangible. For the sake of the coven, Davina needed healed. Those two were not priestess material.

  “PRIESTESS, I HAVE a potion.” Samantha took a few steps and stopped. “Davina?”

  Davina didn’t move.

  Samantha held a cup in her direction. “Priestess, it’s from Kheelan. He says this will heal you.”

  “Alice?” Davina turned her head. “Did he take Alice?”

  “No, Alice is, she’s gone back to the cave.” Samantha handed her the drink.

  Davina lifted it and sipped slowly, pausing between sips. Clarity returned to her thoughts. “Kheelan knows she is here?” That was bad. Very bad.

  “Yes, he says the elves will kill her for us. He asked to see you.” She paused, and her gaze drifted to the floor.

 
; Davina saw the indecision. “I’m better.” She stood, smoothing her shirt. “What is it? Tell me so I can go deal with Kheelan.” Kheelan? Her eyes narrowed, pinning Samantha in a suspicious glare. What had been going on? “How do you know about Kheelan? Are you the one who sent Alice to die in that cave?”

  Samantha drew in a sharp breath. “Me? No, I didn’t send anyone anywhere. I followed Gretchen to Kheelan.”

  “Gretchen.” The name came out low and angry. Davina suspected as much when Alice vanished. The timid creature wouldn’t have set out on her own for supplies, as everyone assumed, and she certainly wouldn’t have run to dark elves, if she even knew they were there to begin with. “I’ll handle her.”

  “Alice is, I need to tell you a few things.” She took a few steps back.

  “Talk.” Davina reached up absentmindedly to hold the quartz she always wore. Her fingers tapped her empty chest. “Who took my necklace? What has been happening?”

  “We will find it. Maybe someone took it off while you were resting.” Samantha told her everything from when she arrived frightened, to that moment.

  Davina paced while she listened. Interjecting with her disgust at points. “It’s disheartening that with my years of training, this place still falls apart if I am ill for less than a day. Less than a day!”

  “Priestess, Gretchen, she.” Samantha stopped when Davina stepped into her space with a sneer.

  “Gretchen evidently can’t be trusted. I will assume she is who sent our sister, Alice, to die? My wishes on welcoming the poor dear were clear. Her power could have been beneficial. Now we have betrayed her. That will be why she turned against us and attacked Chester and Gretchen.”

  “Priestess, Alice is…”

  “I’m aware of what Alice is, more than you or anyone else.” Davina waved a hand in her face. “And you, seeking the help of an outsider? What were you thinking?” She stepped deeper into her space, realizing that any nostalgic ideas she had about saving Alice died with Gretchen, and she needed to vent her anger at the loss.

  “I wasn’t thinking. I’m so sorry. It’s just, he’s like her, one of the elves of light. He did give me the potion that healed your mind. Whatever those dark elves did to you, must have been awful.” She cowered, and used a hand to shield her face.

  “Kheelan can’t be trusted, you and I are the only ones who know how to locate him. I trust you will not do that again.” Davina thought over everything, making decisions as she went. “Bring back the body as planned. I’ll give her the rite she’s earned. After the house quiets for the day, I will slip away and see what Kheelan wanted. You will cover for me. If I have any reason to doubt your trustworthiness, you will need rites.”

  Samantha visibly struggled to swallow. “You have no need to worry about my loyalty. Alice, she broke into Gretchen’s room, so I hear. They didn’t see anything missing. It’s safe to assume she was looking for something.”

  Davina chewed her lip. Alice would know about the water after being in the caves. Could it be her and the elves decided Gretchen was capable of such a complex spell? Had Alice come back to spy on witches for the nasty cave monsters? A frown filled her face. “I’ll determine what is missing tomorrow. Lock it up for tonight.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  Chester strode in and stood in silence a long moment. “Davina,” he finally said.

  “That’s priestess to you, or did you rank up while I was feeling unwell?” Davina again reached up out of habit to twirl her necklace. Her gaze fluttered around the room, not seeing it laying around. “Go help with Gretchen, we will talk about what happened with Alice when you return.”

  Chester lowered his eyes. “Yes, priestess.”

  Together Samantha and Chester left.

  Davina closed her eyes. The truths she sought from Gretchen that started this whole mess would never be had now. If Gretchen were seeing Kheelan, the pieces weren’t hard to fit together. A smile filled her face, death at the hands of Alice and her elves would have been more pleasant than the punishment for a failed attempt at her rule.

  What would Kheelan want with a lesser witch? Their spell worked. The rats were pinned in the cave, separated from their resources and dying the slow death Kheelan craved for them. Was it all about Alice? How did he even know? She hadn’t visited him for months before Alice unexpectedly arrived.

  Thinking of Kheelan confused her, as it always did. Had he not used his magic to control the way she felt about him, she would have sliced him up and stored the parts on her supply shelf. His control lessened with distance, and with their long absence, she considered eliminating him. A creature with his nature in her woods, so near, wasn’t best.

  “Maybe I worked with the wrong elves.” She laughed at thinking of even standing near a dark elf. They were too much like witches, and clashed with their mistrust and malice for other mages. After her experiences, and the pain of getting close to Kheelan, she would never let another elf near her heart. Not even Alice.

  Alice. Even if the poor child tried to help the dark elves, Davina knew what her fate would be. Part of her was glad. With an assault on her coven, she would have to have killed her if the elves didn’t. She should have, twenty years ago, like she told Kheelan she did.

  A single tear spilled from the corner of her eye. She reached up, wiping it away. There were things to do. Crying over a treasonous half-elf, no matter who she was, was not one of them.

  Chapter Twelve

  ALICE WAITED FOR Jasper to stop mixing liquids before she asked, “how long was I sleeping?”

  “A little while. Much longer and I would have woken you.” He motioned toward his mixtures. “This is pressing. It won’t be long before the next shift of entrance guards wonders why they haven’t been tapped to duty.”

  “Has the sample given you any new answers?” She used her forefingers to wipe away the sleep from her eyes, and dragged her hands through her hair to tug out the tangles.

  “No. I haven’t worked with the small one, for obvious reasons.” He nodded toward the glowing vial off to the side, before moving a transparent glass with some water toward her. “Start with the less toxic one.”

  “I dreamed of the water.” Her gaze flicked down, and when she spoke again her voice was a defeated sigh. “And witches. They haunted my sleep. They hate me now, and will try to kill me.”

  “I would venture they hated you from the start.” Jasper stared at her a few beats before he turned his attention back to his work. “Tell me about the water dream. Witch dreams and intuition are legendary.”

  “How did you learn so much about witches?” She moved closer and swirled the water in the glass. Words swirled with it.

  “I told you, I studied them. With a coven so near our cave exit, it seemed prudent to employ a mage with witch casting ability. Oracles are easy to find; witch adept elves are not.” His posture straightened and tone held pride.

  Alice found the size of his mouth and sharpness of his teeth as a grin filled his face disturbing. “I understand that, but I don’t imagine any witches volunteered to teach you. Plus, you all act like I am the first witch you’ve ever seen.”

  “I have texts. Before grimoires, witches of ancient times kept records that were similar, with castings, recipes, and even journal entries.” His lips pursed as he watched more questions forming in her eyes. “We don’t have time for history or witchcraft lessons. Elves will die. Decker could die. If things get too far out of hand, we all die, you and me as well.”

  “I understand the severity of your predicament. My death has been seconds away since I arrived at the coven, and even more imminent since I stepped into your cave.” The questions that lingered pushed out as she edged closer. “Are the texts relics from the witches of ancient times who lived and learned with elves like you said? They hold the knowledge shared from your kind? Can I read them? When we finish with the water, will you teach me?” After the queries stopped, she swallowed back a dry lump. “I have no one.”

  She watched
as a range of emotions played out across his face, ending with something that appeared to be compassion. That must be new to elves.

  He looked away. “Concentrate, please. Tell me about the swamp.”

  Alice filled in the unspoken words in his features. His compassion was because he knew her fate. “If I fix this for you, he’ll still… I won’t have earned his trust.”

  “You can’t stay here, Alice. You know that. Question is, does he let you go? I can’t say that I know that answer. Since your arrival, nothing has gone as I anticipated. My visions say you do fix this, with him, not me.” He continued to look everywhere but her eyes.

  “I’m an elf. I could stay.” She looked around the dimly lit room, her guess was he only sat out glowing rocks for her benefit. “I would get used to the light. You have the glowing rocks.”

  “You are the kind of elf we eat, and use to begin our festival. I’m not even sure with your witchy parts, if you would be useful for…” His gaze left her and drifted back to the water. “Can we work? Tell me what happened at the source.”

  She let the topic drop. Hearing that he thought she was going to be chopped up wouldn’t help anything. Her blood could take dark elves to their knees. To their death, if need be. Hopefully that wouldn’t be needed. “I dipped my hands in it. The words rushed over me. Some were human, others elf. The water changed. It got the haze. I think my touching it caused the problem you have with the air now.”

  His chin shifted from side to side and he made a clicking sound. “Touch it.”

  She peered at the glass he held toward her. “But the air. You will get ill, if I am correct.”

  “You still worry for us, me? You did hex me. Would have killed me, I’ve no doubt, if he hadn’t intervened. Take it.” After he handed the glass to her, he fished around for the mask he’d used before, pulling it on. “Touch it.”

  Alice gestured for him to put the water down. “Why? I will just mess up your room. We should read the grimoire I stole. I found it spelled-shut in a chest protected by elf and witch magic. These are the spells Gretchen used with a light elf to charm your water. If we can decipher them, with your arcane knowledge, you can make a counter spell that I can cast.”