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

by Lucretia Stanhope

  “I’m no hero. I also have no desire to die, which is why I am staying with you. We need you.” Jasper gave her hand a squeeze. “It’s in you. Your soul is old and mighty powerful.”

  Alice wasn’t sure if he was saying that to make her feel braver, or if it were true. It didn’t matter. She chanted and slipped so deep into the act of casting magic she wasn’t aware of anything aside from the air particles. While she recited the spell, the vapors drifted toward the cave ceiling, where a draft caught them, whipping them toward the exit.

  At her eye level, some of the infused fog hung tight, refusing to easily disperse. She closed her eyes, remembering their practices and what it felt like to pull deeper from her soul.

  The mist wiggled, grew hot, and blew in her face.

  As the water fought to retain her blood, so did the air. This should have been the easy step. All they were doing was funneling air away. It wasn’t easy.

  The air pulled against her efforts. The malicious nature of the origin spell, made the toxic air sentient and targeted toward the elves.

  Her fingertips tingled, breathing grew deep, and mind refocused.

  Alice repeated the chant.

  Twinges of pain raced across her forehead, making the last words hard to concentrate on. After getting them all out, she started the spell once more. Her voice echoed as it grew more commanding.

  The air swirled around her face. Dense fog blocked her field of vision. The elves needed her to do this. Jasper needed her.

  When the last words left her mouth, she breathed in, remembering Jasper said he didn’t want to risk taking it into himself. Could she take it into herself?

  She drew more mist into her lungs and blew out as hard as she could. Blood flowed from her nose as the spell she countered offered more resistance.

  Alice drew in as much as she could at the conclusion of the spell and blew it toward the exit. Her blood dripped past her lips and down her chin. Small spatters fell to the ground.

  Now that she connected to who she was, her inner strength multiplied, giving her the will to stay upright, focus and repeat the process until all the haze cleared.

  It was done. Her magic vibration lessoned. Her focus returned to the room around her. Where was Jasper?

  Her gaze flicked around the room and landed on Jasper’s unmoving body on the ground in the light of the opening.

  “Jasper!” Alice ran toward him, dropping to her knees at his side. “Please, be okay.”

  She rested her head on his chest. Movement. A heartbeat. Alice looked over her shoulder. What now? He needed out of the sun.

  Her bottom lip pulled between her teeth. “You are a witch. A mighty powerful witch, so he said.”

  She put her hands under him, rolling him a little to slip her arms beneath him. Once she had a grip, she gathered him as close as she could, while focusing her intentions on having the strength to lift him. At the same time, Alice repeated in her mind that he was light as a grocery bag.

  With a confidence so new it still felt foreign, she knew it would work and stood.

  Jasper groaned as she jostled him.

  “Relax. I’m going to get you to someone who can help.” She made her way back to the entrance and sat him against the wall, not sure if dropping the barrier would be too much of a distraction and change the ease of holding him. They practiced it enough in case something like this happened, but Alice didn’t want to take a risk by trying to do two things at once.

  Her hands rested on the illusion and she closed her eyes. Alice said the opening words. Something changed. Her eyes opened. She hadn’t finished the spell.

  The illusion dropped.

  Two elves appeared.

  Alice stepped back.

  “Witch!” One of them shouted.

  The other ran at her, and grabbed her arm, throwing her to the ground. Before she realized what was happening, he pinned her with his knee. “Get backup.”

  “Look, she killed the oracle.” The elf took a few steps back, fear in his eyes. “I’ll get more men. A mage!” He turned and ran into the cave to get more soldiers.

  “You fling magic at me, and I’ll pierce your heart with my sword.” He pressed his knee harder into her spine. “What did you do to him? You cast your filthy magic on an elf. You will regret that, witch.”

  “It was the water. Please, he needs inside. The sun.” Alice couldn’t get out full sentences, because his weight prevented her from getting a breath. “I’m with Decker.”

  “Decker? What is that, a witch clan?” The point of his blade poked at her back.

  Alice didn’t get a chance to explain. The other elf returned with three more elves to carry Jasper, and the healer.

  The healer knelt beside Jasper. “Take him to my room. Orders are she comes with me, and you two are to perform your shift as usual.”

  “You want it? She’s a witch. You realize, she did that to him?” The guard kept Alice pinned.

  “Orders are that she comes with me.” The healer’s voice held doubt.

  The elf removed his knee from Alice and stood, taking a step back. “Do you want her bound? Do we have anything strong enough to restrain witches?”

  “She’ll walk with me. Won’t you?” The healer leveled a scowl at Alice. “Get up, witch. He’s asking for you.”

  The guards didn’t question orders further. After everyone but the guards cleared the opening, they pulled the illusion back into place. Three of them carried Jasper, while Alice and the healer walked behind them.

  “I’m not sure if this is all from the same thing that happened before or the sun.” Alice didn’t say what happened before, not sure what the other elves had clearance to hear. “Maybe both, he was laying in the sun when the, when I…”

  “I’ll determine that.” He turned his head toward her. “You fixed the problem, it would seem.”

  “Not entirely. I quartered it off to a safe space.” When he looked at her with narrowed eyes, she added, “I can fix it.”

  “What you do will be dependent on new orders.” The pointed features of his face did not hide his disapproval and the blame he placed on her for what happened.

  “I didn’t hurt either of them.” She walked fast to keep pace.

  As they rounded the corner, Decker strode toward them. “Take care of him. I have the witch.” The fingers of his right hand wrapped tight around her upper arm. “Talk.”

  “Ouch. Let me go. What the hell is wrong with you now?” She wiggled against his hold. “I saved your life.”

  “No, let’s recap, now that I’m better. You poisoned my water, took me to the source, where you changed the water and made me ill. While I was down, you escaped, got new orders, and now you’ve taken a shot at my oracle’s life. Tell me why I let you live, witch.” He shoved her down the hall away from the others. “Talk fast, I’m listening and that is a small miracle in your favor.”

  Alice’s mouth dropped. “That’s not true and you know it. You were there. I didn’t poison the water. I was trying…”

  “I don’t know what you spelled me to see. What I do know, is before you touched it, and got in it, things were not this bad. I also know you are a witch. A disgusting light elf too.” He snatched her when she stumbled, dragging her toward the questioning rooms. “I will find out everything. Why did you give me blood? You know that letting me die would have been another way to reach your end goal of chaos in this clan.”

  “I have no end goal. Ask the oracle. The entrance is clear. We did that. Together!” She took a swing at him. “Be reasonable. Think. You have been in my mind. I gave you the means to hurt a witch.”

  The hate in his eyes flickered. “You cleared the air?”

  “Yes. We’ve been deciphering spells day and night. I stole witch grimoires to help you. Do you know what that means for me?” Angry tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back.

  “It means you can’t even be trusted by your own coven. It is a dark thing to turn on your own.” He raised his mouth into a sne
er.

  “You want to find fault in me? Why? Because you can’t cope with how it makes you feel that I have helped? I saved you. Is that it? You don’t want to owe a witch?” Now she was shouting, and stood in his face. “You are a little man. A frightened little man, who uses his position to bully people.”

  “Little man?” He smacked her, sending her to the ground. “I am a creature you will respect.”

  She looked up with a new revulsion in her eyes. “Let me help Jasper and then I’m leaving. I’ll take my chances with the witches. You can explain to your people why I’m not fixing your water.”

  He reached down and yanked her to her feet. “You are fixing my water.”

  “I am not. You bit my ear off, and I still gave you blood to save your life. I’ve risked everything to save your clan, and because Jasper breathed too much air helping me, you will, what, pretend like I did none of that.” She didn’t let him respond. “You don’t have to thank me. You don’t owe me. I was foolish enough to think we would help each other. I no longer hold any silly notions about where we stand, Decker.”

  He started with a chuckle and ended up laughing. “It would seem while I was ill you found all of your spunk.” The laughter vanished and his tone grew serious. “Put it away. It might have suited you with my oracle, but I have no patience for it. You won’t intimidate me, ever. I don’t owe you. You saved my life because you are the reason it was in danger. Fix my water and I might owe you. I might let you get away with how you’ve talked to me, with your tongue still in your mouth.”

  They turned, heading away from the questioning room. He dragged her to the entrance.

  The guards gave him a respectful greeting, neither questioned him about where he was going or the witch he had in tow.

  Alice knew better than to argue with him in front of his men. She knew Decker long enough to know that would instigate a display of authority.

  He walked to the new illusion, sniffed the air, and started back into the cave, with a firm grip on Alice.

  “Well?” Alice asked once they were out of earshot of anyone. “Have I done enough to earn any of your trust yet?”

  “Alice, really. You must understand the elves in this cave, in any cave, are superstitious when it comes to witches. If I don’t have you in hand should we pass one, you will again find yourself pinned down with a sword in your back. The next time I may not get there in time to spare you.” Decker pursed his lips. “I don’t trust you entirely, but you are not in danger from me. Not at present. You also must understand that what you are and what you have done are in contradiction of one another.”

  “You manhandled me for my protection?” Her tone held shock.

  “Yes, though I added some to the needed display to drive home a point, sweet witch.” His black eyes shimmered and his smile dropped. “Don’t ever insult me again. Behave yourself when we visit Jasper.” He stood staring at her. “Why did you give us names? Is that to hold some magic sway over us?”

  “No. You are going to have to trust me, if you and I have to do the spells together.” She followed when he started walking. “I’ll help him, however is needed. Just as I would for you.” She watched for a reaction.

  Decker remained rigid. “Yes, I trust you would.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “A HYBRID?” MAXWELL’S right leg rocked over his left under the long boardroom table. His loafer hung on his toes in a relaxed ease, while in contrast his large golden eyes flickered with irritation. A faint blue perspiration shined on his forehead under the glow of the special lighting designed to accommodate light-sensitive species. “A light elf and a witch seem a very unlikely pair.”

  “Yes, she…” Chester started to answer, but Maxwell cleared his throat.

  “Whatever you are about to say changes nothing.” Maxwell gave one long blink before he continued. “You should have brought her in. The policy is clear, is it not? Two mage-class humanoids mingling could be a real problem. Unacceptable. I expect better. You’ve been with me long enough. I shouldn’t need to explain the laws anymore.”

  “Sir, she is placating the elves. Things are much worse than we initially anticipated.” Chester rubbed at his temple with one hand, fighting off a headache. The other hand rested on the gray surface of the table.

  It annoyed him that with all he reported, including that light elves were involved, the one issue Maxwell locked in on was Alice. The last thing he wanted was another write up so near his last.

  “Dare I ask why a witch hybrid is placating dark elves? You are aware they eat light elves? You’ve sent them a snack, not a mediator.” Maxwell shook his head and rubbed a finger on his chin.

  “She has earned the trust of the elves. Pulling Alice out of the equation at this point in the investigation, would have been detrimental.” Chester drew in a breath, there was no arguing with Maxwell. He simply did not tolerate the disrespect. “It’s complicated.”

  “No, this assignment is not far as complicated as you imagine. There is no excuse for deviating from protocol.” Maxwell scribbled something on the tablet sat in front of him. His gray pen matched the grays used on the walls, floors, and furniture. The drab shade adorned everything because it was least offensive to the many creatures who had problems with various shades of the color spectrum. None seemed bothered by the dull grays. “Your species was supposed to be beneficial to a fast resolution in this matter. Don’t let it become a liability.”

  “Light elves are involved.” There is such a fragile peace between the elves.” How could Maxwell not see the severity about that. History said that when the two elf species clashed, humans died.

  “No, they are not involved like you think. If I were a gambler, I would wager the elders haven’t a clue what goes on in the lowland. We are aware of the elf who lives exiled in the area. There is a personal grudge that leaves me no doubt who we are dealing with. You say the witch, Davina, has him in agreement to undo his spell?” Maxwell looked up from his notes, the shimmer in his eyes returned to a less threatening speed.

  “Yes, I have a meeting with him in two days.” Chester rubbed his eyes with the butt of his palm, as twinges of a headache threatened to deepen into a proper migraine. “Like I reported, the priestess is as eager as we are to have this resolved.”

  “Good, if he misses that meeting, I can dispatch a tracker. I will have a bounty issued for Alice, if she survives the elves and flees from you.” Maxwell made another note and glanced up again. “Was there anything else? Casualties you need to tell me about? Aside from the guilty witch, that is. You seem nervous.”

  “No, not that I am aware of. When I spoke with Alice about her time in the cave, she didn’t mention any dead elves. Alice isn’t a flight risk. If she manages to get away from them again, I have no doubt I can bring her in. She is alone and afraid.” Chester met with a hard glare, when he focused on Maxwell. “Her mother may have known about the law, but she didn’t.”

  “Alone and afraid? Ignorance of the law has never been an excuse. There is no room for misinterpretation. No hybrids. No exceptions.” Maxwell sat his pen down and sipped his coffee. His leg continued to rock. “If there is no resulting trouble, I might dispense with reprimands for aiding a fugitive.”

  “Aiding? No, sir. The coven wasn’t aware. Alice’s mother is dead. She left the coven before anyone knew. Alice only arrived recently. It was after I did. They were genuinely startled by her and what she was.” Chester felt a compulsion to protect the coven and Davina, even though he knew it wouldn’t change how she saw him. To her he was a bad omen, and a spy to boot. That made him mistrusted like Alice. Was that why he wanted to protect her?

  “Yes, and I am sure they would have turned Alice in too, had you not sent her away.” There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. Maxwell tapped the pen on the rim of his cup. “If you wish to remove the coven of liability, that makes you solely responsible should she flee. No exceptions, Chester. As an ambassador, the punishment will be swift and extreme.”

&nbs
p; “I understand. Is the elf who was exiled a danger?” Chester hadn’t thought too much about a rogue light elf. The meeting was something he anticipated would go easily, thinking they would be eager to help since they had strict elders. An exiled elf didn’t have much left to lose. He wouldn’t fear the elders.

  “All beings with the sort of power they have are a potential danger. I can send you with a small, armed mage compliment.” Maxwell sat his pen down, tented his fingers, and rubbed his thumbs together. “That might be prudent with a witch-elf to bring in.”

  “Alice? No, sir, believe me, she is harmless.” Chester sat stiff, shaking his head. “I promised the priestess no military, if she cooperated. We can’t afford to lose that cooperation before the water is un-spelled. She is my link to the light elf.”

  “Very well, for now. I expect results quickly on this. The dark elf clan elders grow impatient.” Maxwell took another longer sip of his drink. “Anything else? I’m afraid I am needed to mediate another dispute with Amarok and Matthias.”

  Chester left his opinions on that matter unspoken. The constant disputes between that wolf and vampire would never resolve.

  Most supernatural species lived in clans or groups of some sort with a definite leader, alpha, be it female or male. Chester never understood the alpha mentality, but whatever it was that caused it, Amarok and Matthias had it in spades. They were the two ambassadors who fought the most for territory and rule, despite the undeniable fact that Maxwell ran things, at least on this wing.

  “Were there any negotiating points the elders wanted added since I have been away?” Chester veered away from talking about Alice, and Davina.

  “No, his father wants you to deal directly with him. As leader of that branch of the clan, it is him due the retribution.” Maxwell made one more note and capped his pen.

  While he waited for Maxwell to dismiss him, he thought about Davina and what the coven stood to lose. Chester couldn’t let the retribution remark go. His intention was to mediate it to something trivial. “Retribution? The witch is dead. Davina had no hand in this. I should have some evidence to that for the elves.”