Just a little longer. The spell was almost complete.
Dad patted my shoulder before removing his hand and dropping the link.
Almost. Hayato’s was the last fire still burning.
Ethel removed her hand. I had enough energy left; I could finish off Hayato and still fuel the last of the spells.
I shoved more magic through my wand. Something inside me shattered. Stabbing pain filled my head.
So close. I was so close.
The darkness didn’t care. It swallowed me up.
Chapter Twenty-One
Elron
Michelle’s scream was the last thing I heard before nothingness closed in around me. Almost immediately, I could feel the trees so vividly they were almost visible. I walked around a large pine and deeper into the nothingness.
I doubted Michelle knew what was happening, but I knew what had tainted the magic coming from the earth, and I had a good idea where I could find it. After all, what could be hiding in the forest and spreading negative energy in a way we could not identify? A Japanese black pine, perhaps even the one that had caused such trouble in my greenhouse. We would never notice the needles, not in the mass of needles from the local pine trees.
Unlike in the greenhouse, the trees here did not try to injure me. Grateful for small blessings, I leapt over a downed tree and sprinted in the direction of the area Michelle had cleansed. We never had determined the source, so in the area we had found the majority of the negative energy last time was my guess for where the black pine was hiding.
I darted around a large tree and skidded to a stop. The shapes ahead of me no longer looked like plants. They moved and walked like gremlins. The creature in the lead stopped, turned its nose in my direction, and sniffed.
With a twist of my wrist, I felt the familiar weight of my sword settle into my hand. I charged forward, sword slicing through the air, and cut the first gremlin in half.
The rest of the gremlins threw themselves at me. I killed two of them, but the third one latched on to my leg and bit down. I hit it in the head with the pommel of my sword, knocking it unconscious. The gremlin fell off my leg, and I kicked it away.
The five remaining gremlins were closing in. I swung my sword, bisecting two of them and injuring the third, which faltered. I leapt back as the remaining two hurled themselves at my legs.
Quick footwork kept one of them off me. The other managed to get its teeth into my calf above my leather boot. Twisting, I stabbed it in the chest. It released my leg and I quickly beheaded it. Glancing around, I did not see the two remaining gremlins. I slowly pivoted, trying to distinguish their outline from the bushes, but they were gone.
I kept my sword in my hand as I continued moving in the direction we had first discovered the taint. While I wanted to track down the gremlins and ensure they were not harming Michelle or the others, my first task was to rid us of this nothingness so I could then deal with the source of the negative energy.
Ahead of me the outlines of trees, bushes, and rocks became lighter, as if the trees were countering the effects of the black pine. I slowed down, choosing my footing more carefully. Eventually all the outlines faded away.
I opened myself up to the forest and land and was pleasantly surprised when I had a distant sensation of the trees and earth. They urged me to move forward, find the tree responsible. Whilst I appreciated the suggestion, it was hardly the helpful information I needed.
Taking a deep breath, I focused all my power on the part of the woods around me, the area where the trees could not communicate with me. At first I could not identify anything useful. I narrowed my focus, looking only at the darkest parts up ahead. An oval patch of earth stubbornly did not wish to be examined.
Having found my target, I moved forward. Somewhere in that patch was the tree responsible for the nothingness that had crippled us. I was less than certain that my previous method of striking the tree with my sword had been effective or if the damage to the teapot was what had halted the tree. However, it was worth attempting again.
When my feet were at the edge of the oval, I paused. Taking a deep breath, I raised my sword and swung. The tip glanced off something, sending vibrations though my hands and up to my shoulders. For a fraction of a second, I could see normally. There were two trees in the oval, one larger tree, close to ten feet tall, and tucked under the large tree’s branches was the Japanese black pine that had been stolen from the university.
Then the nothingness consumed me again. Clenching my jaw, I stepped forward and swung at the small tree again. The hit was direct. The sword lodged into the tree, ripping free of my hands. The nothingness was slightly less oppressive. I extended every bit of my elven powers, and I could see the faintest of outlines, like spiderwebs catching the sun.
Now that I could see the two trees, I could attempt a different method of neutralizing them, one I had learned long ago but seldom practiced. Squaring my shoulders, I moved closer.
Reaching out, I rested both my hands against the trunk of the Japanese black pine. Perhaps it was due to the sword sunk into its trunk or my previous removal of the teapot, but unlike the last time I tried to interact with the plant, I could feel its energy. It was nearly buzzing with it, using its roots to draw energy from the ground to create the nothingness and feeding negative energy back into the earth. It was also sending energy to the larger tree.
I narrowed my thought and will, focusing on nothing but the command. You will die.
The black pine shivered.
Die.
Leaves wilted and fell from the branches.
You are an unnatural abomination. Die and remove your blight from this earth.
Bark began to flake off the trunk.
The black pine frantically shoved energy at the larger tree. I did not stop the motion, because everything it sent to that tree was filled with my command, and a weakened enemy was easier to fight.
The last of the plant’s energy drained away. It was quiet under my hand. Dead, which was enough for now, though later I intended to burn it. The nothingness still surrounded me, but it was less than it had been before. Perhaps I had freed Michelle and the others.
One finger at a time, I released the tree. Moisture drained from the wood as it quickly aged past mere death to old and dead. My sword came free with a mild tug.
If killing the black pine had not ended the threat to Michelle, I knew what would. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the trunk of the large tree with both hands. Suddenly the nothingness was all consuming. Without the memory of having grabbed the Japanese pine, I would have believed my hands were holding nothing but air.
I forced my grip on the tree. My hands were on it. I should feel the bark, feel the energy moving through it, know what type of tree it was and be able to interact with it. The tree was still as substantial as air.
My hands stayed clenched around the tree as I repeated those words to myself. After the fourth repetition, I felt something rough under my hands. When I completed the fifth repetition, I was sure it was a tree, though the bark was different from that of the black pine.
Stop what you are doing.
The tree did not reply. That left me with only one option. Die.
Seconds went by. As far as I could tell, nothing happened.
I tried again. You are harming people and will not stop. You must die.
The tree shuddered, and the nothingness eased enough that I was sure my fingers were digging into a tree.
What have I done? the tree asked.
I was so surprised by it communicating with me that I almost lost my grip. You have created this nothingness. It is hurting people. You must stop.
A long moment went by before the tree replied. I was told bad people lived here. I had to hide the two of us so the forest would not warn them and the bad people could be killed.
No. You are assisting a bad man who has killed a great many people. You must stop. The tree had relaxed enough for me to connect with it, and I could see the tree more
clearly.
This time I did not get words from the tree but a surge of confusion. It did not know who was good or bad, and it was unsure how to make a decision.
Would you speak to some of the trees? I would have to facilitate the conversation to prevent the tree from contaminating the others with negative energy.
Yes.
The nothingness eased yet again. I could sense other trees and even see their outlines. Reaching out, I asked if any trees were willing to speak to this one, explain our side to it and help it understand.
Several trees agreed, but I waited until they had decided which ones would communicate with the confused tree. When three informed me they were ready, I created a bridge between those three trees and the one I was trying to convince of our innocence. I kept myself as the go-between of the conversation, wanting to control what passed between the groups. What this tree had done was bad enough. I did not need it to transfer its agenda to the rest of the forest.
The initial exchange was a flurry of information with passionate emotions. Whilst they were debating who was in the right, I took the opportunity to examine the tree more closely.
It was an odd creation. I could feel it generating the nothingness, but I could also feel it making itself invisible. While the Japanese black pine was the only tree I had encountered that could create the nothingness, it had never demonstrated the ability to cause invisibility. I did know of a plant with that skill. In my greenhouse, the hidden tulip tree could make itself look like a normal tulip tree or it could become invisible.
I continued my examination, tracing where the energy came from and where it went. All of the nothingness was coming from the top of the tree. At the same time, the magic that rendered the tree invisible was originating from the trunk. Two magics, one from each part of the tree.
The top of the tree, all the parts that produced the nothingness, had been grafted on to the trunk of the hidden tulip. That explained how this tree was able to do both spells. Whilst I was still unsure if the black pine’s ability was natural, I knew exactly how the budding tulip’s ability functioned.
I turned my attention back to the conversation between the trees. The trees native to this forest seemed to have won the argument because they felt happy and the tree under my hands had become both quiet and regretful.
The nothingness faded away, leaving me standing in the woods, holding on to a tall tree that was spewing apologies as fast as it could.
Peace, I told it.
The tree quieted.
The death commands were still at work, though slowly. Whilst I was tempted to remove them, I hesitated. Although I had little desire to kill the tree, I was having trouble finding a better solution. I could not simply leave it here and hope it would not attack us again.
We will contain it. The three trees who had converted it answered as one.
Are you sure?
I am sure. The voice of the old, towering oak boomed through me. And if it proves itself, you will help repair its health.
All the nearby trees were in agreement, and if they thought they could control this one, I was not one to argue, especially when I was needed elsewhere. Agreed.
After one last check to ensure everyone was satisfied with the compromise, which the forest was, and the smaller tree was terrified but generally amenable, I retrieved my sword. After removing the death spells, I started running back to Michelle and the others.
As I ran, I listened for signs of the battle. I hoped it was going well, but from here I had no way of knowing. Instead of worrying about the outcome, I focused on each footfall, running faster, and reaching them as quickly as I could.
Heavy footfalls and cracking things reached my ears. I slowed, trying to find the person responsible. None of our side was supposed to be out here. They were all needed with Michelle, to protect her and keep the magic going.
A twig cracked sharply to my right. I darted after the sound, the earth cushioning my footfalls. Moments later I spotted a man with dark brown hair. I sprinted forward, closing the distance between us. My fingers curled, my wrist rotated, and the comfortable weight of my sword settled into my hand.
I lifted it and started to swing. This fight should be over before it began.
The man spun around, moving with faster than human reflexes, and blocked my attack with a rifle. Sparks flew through the air as my sword skidded down the metal.
Pulling back, I rebalanced and attacked again. I had to knock the gun out of his hands. Not only did I want to avoid being shot, but should he escape, I did not want him to be able to use it on Michelle or the others.
He danced back, working on bringing the gun into position. I darted to the side, slashing at him and opening a shallow wound on his arm. He swore, jerking back and lifting the muzzle of the gun.
The first bullet ruffled my hair as it passed. Another took a layer of skin off my shoulder, lighting my nerves on fire. The third bullet hit the flat of my sword, ripping it out of my hand.
I pivoted and found the man yanking on part of the gun as he mumbled. He glanced at me, began backing up, and tugged even more forcefully at the gun.
Without hesitating, I leapt on him. One hand knocked the gun to the side, sending it through the air and far from the two of us. I pushed him to the ground, hearing the breath whoosh out of his lungs when I landed on top of him.
He snarled and swung at me. The punch landed on my jaw. It hurt, but I suspected the punches I made to his jaw and chest hurt more.
He swung at me again. His fist slid along the bullet wound.
I grimaced and threw the next punch as hard as I could. I heard two ribs crack. He gasped for breath and tried to scramble back, but I had him.
His eyes darted around, looking for somewhere to go, something to use as a weapon, but it was just the two of us. He swung at me twice, missing both times. I hit him in the chest and gut, almost enjoying the way it felt when my fist thudded into his flesh.
He started swinging wildly, arms flailing in every direction. A blow to the bullet graze had me rocking back, my vision fogging over. By the time it had cleared, there was no way to avoid the two hits to my face. I heard a slight pop when he connected with my nose, and felt blood start to trickle down my face.
It was time to end this. Michelle needed me. Narrowing my eyes, I waiting for an opening. He swung at me again.
I let him land the punch on my shoulder and leveled a strong punch of my own at his chin. His teeth knocked together, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he went limp. I rolled him on his back and lifted him up. When he was reasonably balanced, I cupped his chin with one hand and the back of his head with the other. One swift jerk to the side and lightly up. The cracking of his spine reverberated through my hands. I let him crumple to the ground.
There was no remorse in me. This man had been in these woods, intent on harming my loved ones. He could have left us alone, and we would have done the same. Now we were in the final battle of a war, and I would not let one man come between us and victory.
Standing up, I paced around until I found my sword. With it in hand, I sprinted to Michelle. If there was one man in the woods waiting to kill her, there could be more. I had to protect her.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Back at the lodge, people were everywhere. The containment spell was still up, but the still head lying on the ground and the pool of blood were sure signs that the demon was dead. Rodriguez, Wells, and the government witches were taking pictures and scribbling down notes. Witches and some of the lodge’s residents were milling around. Two witches were tending Julius, who was lying on the ground with a gash to his ribs. It likely extended farther, but the witches were blocking my view.
What I did not see concerned me the most. Michelle was nowhere to be found. Ethel, Greg, and Nancy were absent as well.
My heart pounded faster. Where was Michelle?
A group of witches dispersed, and I spotted Nancy sitting on the ground, cradling someone in her lap.
My feet were moving, carrying me closer.
Please, not Michelle.
Ethel was lying down, quietly speaking to the witch leaning over her. That left Greg and Michelle.
Not Michelle. Please, let it be anyone but Michelle.
There was Greg, leaning over the person in Nancy’s lap. He lifted his hand off her forehead, sending a lock of brown hair tumbling down her cheek. I would know that profile, that color of hair anywhere. Michelle. I slid to a stop and dropped to my knees next to Nancy.
Michelle was lying in her lap, pale as the moon. Nancy’s tears dotted Michelle’s face.
Her chest moved. She wasn’t dead. I carefully rested my fingers against her wrist. Her pulse was sluggish and weak, but there.
The pain in my chest eased, and for the first time since I’d returned to the lodge, I breathed a full breath. She was alive. That was all that mattered to me. “How badly is she injured?”
Greg cleared his throat, but that didn’t stop his voice from being thick with emotion. “She handled too much magic. The part of her that allows her to use magic has been damaged.”
I would love her, and love to spend a life with her, even if she could never use magic again, but Michelle had been born a witch. She had used magic nearly every day of her life. Taking a deep breath, I hoped for her sake she would be able to use magic again. “What is the extent of the damage?”
“It’s too early to say…,” Greg said, looking helpless.
“She’ll never use magic again.” Nancy’s voice was empty.
Greg looked at me, tears gathering in his eyes. “Ethel is bringing in a specialist.” He swallowed. “It doesn’t look good.”
I brushed my knuckles down her cool cheek. She would be devastated. Magic was not only part of her identity but also her career. She was a witch, from spirit to skin to bone. However, to me, nothing had changed.
I’d fallen in love with the woman, not the witch. I would be at her side while she adjusted, and when she was ready, I would eagerly marry her.
A Witch’s Demons (Witch's Path Series: Book 6) Page 20
