Witness Enchantment (The Federal Witch Book 4)

by T S Paul

  So much for government secrecy. I would have to tell WITSEC about that when this is all over. "You're the reason they were attacked, Marvin. Every time you call someone, they can find you. I didn't tell anyone we were in that hotel. You did. Don't you see?"

  Marvin scrunched up his face as he thought. "Maybe. Mrs. McGillicuddy wouldn't send people after me. She's my friend."

  "OK, Marvin. I'll take your word for it for now. Please don't call her anymore. Every time you call they find us somehow." All I could think was if WITSEC ever needs help again to tell them I'm busy. He nodded and went back to watching Sunflower Avenue on TV with Fergus. I shook my head and went back to setting the wards. I decided to sleep with my pistol from now on.

  ~~~~~~~

  "You will kill the Witch or face me. Do you understand me?" Ysabel stared down the Missionary Representative from her throne.

  The representative looked far younger than his years. He routinely dealt with governments and their intelligence agencies. His organization no longer just killed the enemy. Corporate espionage and elimination were part of the new reality. Here in Washington, he had a pleasant office with a secretary. The days of contracting business in underground throne rooms surrounded by dead and dying men were gone from this world. He was used to technology and death by remote control. He believed the Strega were a thing of the past, the last remnant of an Empire long gone. "Our treaty with the Strega says..."

  "I. Don't. Care! Screw the treaty. This is my order. Kill the witness, kill the Witch, and kill the thrice damned Magical Crimes Unit! If you come back here without completing my commands, we will kill you."

  "We don't need the Strega to survive this modern world. The days of us obeying your orders are long gone. You're a bunch of relics sitting here in your underground chambers plotting and planning. Come out into the real world for once. We lost some of our best men in the previous attacks. This makes us even. I'll tell my superiors that the Strega are no longer of consequence." He closed his tablet and turned to leave, but found his feet stuck to the floor.

  "I think not. You forget your place little assassin. The modern world just forgot about us. We haven't forgotten about it. As apparently, you have. Who was it that saved the Missionaries from the Demons in the last great war? Do you know? Or has the fact the Strega were there in your organization's time of need been forgotten? Let's ask your Council of Nine, shall we?" Ysabel waved her hand, and a large flat screen TV was brought in and set up.

  The assassin stared in shock as a connection was made and the full leadership of the Missionaries of Death appeared on the screen. "We gave you one job. One. How is it we are talking now?" His superior said.

  "Sir."

  "Silence! You are nothing. It is not your job to argue with our allies. Send the orders." The screen winked out.

  The representative pulled out his cell phone and typed a few messages.

  "Is it done?" Ysabel glared at him from the throne as green wisps of light flickered in the darkest depths of her eye.

  "It is."

  "Excellent." She pointed at him and muttered a curse. He dropped dead with a surprised look on his face.

  "Stupid. Have the head removed and sent to the Council of Nine as proof of our bargain. From now on, the Strega will be their primary weapons supplier. Now follow my orders and kill those who would destroy our way of life."

  ~~~~~~

  "Marcella, what's wrong?" The moon-faced woman at the end of the table was staring at her with concern on her face.

  "I'm not sure. Your grandson might call it a tremor in the fury. He watches those crazy Star Battles movies all the time. I felt something deep in my soul shift." Marcella set her knitting down and gripped the table in front of her.

  "Sounds more like indigestion to me. We shouldn't have eaten that cream pie and the lasagna. Where ever you got that young chef, Marcella. Don't give him back! That was some of the best food I've had in months. Is he going to work in the restaurant full time?"

  Marcella chuckled. If only her oldest friend Dorene knew where Xavier came from. "Not at this time. He wants to try some new recipes and experiment with what he likes to call 'bar food with a twist.' He's going to run my diner for a few weeks. Technically he's on vacation from his own place. They are doing some remodeling at the Bar there, and he can't concentrate. Or at least that is what he says."

  "I agree with DJ. You need to hold on to him. If you don't, I will. He's cute." Her other friend Midge said nodding her head.

  "Midge you try to hold onto just about every new man in town. I thought your last boyfriend broke the land speed record trying to leave town." Another friend, Gracie, chuckled.

  The woman sitting beside Marcella laughed so hard she dropped a stitch. "Dang it to hell. Gracie look what you made me do. Leave poor Midge along. It's not her fault she's a tramp."

  Marcella and all the women at the table laughed. Midge the woman in question just smiled. This was business as usual at the Knit Wise, the town's yarn store. Tuesday night was Knit Night, and this was a very tight group.

  "Could it be related to Agatha? You haven't spoken much about her lately." The woman at the other end of the table was Felicia Raleigh, the owner of the store.

  One of the new members at the end of the table sketched a cross over her chest at the mention of Agatha. Gracie promptly kicked her in the shin. Regardless of how the town might feel about Marcella's granddaughter, the woman was in the room.

  Marcella pretended to not notice the antics of the townspeople. Her daughter Camilla had made a bang up job of trashing Agatha's name and reputation in town. Only a scarce few knew she had overcome her Magickal difficulties and became a force to be reckoned with. "Possibly. She's been promoted to head of Magical Crimes at the FBI and has a team working for her now. They stopped a Were war just last month and broke up a slavery ring. I don't expect to hear from her for a while. She's tangling with some very dangerous people on her new assignment."

  Gracie straightened up. "She was promoted? Already? Didn't she just graduate last year?"

  "She was. I attended the ceremony myself. She took down a Dragon that was hiding inside a museum out west. Froze him in place. It's my understanding that the FBI thought a dragon, a demon, and some Fae were enough of a resume for the job. The Witches Council made a few waves, but the humans really do need her. Very badly." Marcella picked up her knitting project and checked the stitches.

  Felicia nodded. She, like Marcella, knew there was more than met the eye to Agatha. "If she's stressed, you might be feeling her pain then. We will all remember her in our devotionals tonight. Won't we girls?" Felicia gave all the women the eye even Sally, the newest member.

  Sally ducked her head in shame. She was the spy amongst them, and they knew it. Camilla Harvey was Marcella's daughter and a powerful individual in this town. Marcella might lead the Coven, but Camilla led the town. Everyone knew the story of crazy Agatha and how she was run out of town years ago for nearly killing her mother. Or at least that was the story Camilla wanted everyone to remember. Sally was at the supposed event and remembered the Unicorn. She just wanted to fit in, and Camilla had befriended her. Excusing herself, Sally ran to the restroom. None of the women bothered to watch her leave.

  "Thank you. How about we talk about other more interesting things? I hear Cappy has a new girlfriend." Marcella forced a smile and nodded to Felicia.

  "He does? Is it that new woman with the bait shop? Who ever heard of selling bait and Italian food out of the same place..."

  Sally shed a tear as she listened to the old women talk about men, food, and each other. She desperately wanted to fit in somewhere. She was happy here, but everyone knew she belonged to Camilla. Her parents owned the bookstore and allowed her to live upstairs as long as she worked for them. For free. She was trapped and didn't know how to break out. Camilla was a viper. She would get in close and strike when you weren't looking. Sally could kick herself instead of letting Gracie do it. She should never have gotten that close to
Camilla. And Sally should not have gone out with that boy. Some secrets should be allowed to die. She shed another tear as she dialed the number from memory on the cell phone.

  "What!"

  "Uh, Camilla? It's Sally."

  "I know who you are. What do you want?" Camilla was not the nicest person in the world. Her fifth husband Harold died just last month and Peter Harvey her new husband was still learning his place.

  "You told me to let you know if Marcella mentioned your niece, Agatha." Sally held the phone away from her head.

  "OK. What did she say?" Sally relayed the conversation as best she could.

  "Interesting. Good work Sally. A few more of these reports and we can discuss that tape in my possession. I always return favors." Camilla disconnected the call. Leaving Sally sobbing in the bathroom.

  There was a faint knock, and Sally opened the door to let Felicia inside. "Are you OK Sally?"

  Sally nodded her head and continued to cry. "You must all hate me."

  "No, child. We know you are stuck. What does she have over you that makes you do such things for her?"

  Sally shook her head violently. "No. Not telling. My problem. Thank you for dinner." She ran out of the bathroom leaving Felicia alone.

  "Did she say anything?" Marcella sat alone at the table when Felicia returned.

  "No. That daughter of yours has a fierce hold over her. It must be something volatile for her to continue to do this." Felicia motioned to the table.

  "Her and more than half the town. Camilla is the albatross around my neck. I have battled her ambition her entire life. Unfortunately for her, it doesn't work that way. The name Blackmore comes with certain responsibilities, and Camilla would doom the world if she were to gain control of even the smallest of them. Thank you for everything as always Felicia." Marcella got up and walked out of the store.

  Felicia stood staring at the yarn on her wall. Why did this town have to be so difficult?

  Chapter 13

  How in the name of Hades are they finding us? We were on the run again. I think this has been the longest week of my life. I'm exhausted, hurt, and afraid. My Magick is slow to recover this time. Even Fergus is fatigued. His power was severely depleted due to our last escape from the small town in Vermont.

  It was sheer luck that we managed to get away. How they are tracking us now is a mystery. My only guess is someone spotted Marvin at the grocery store, or a neighbor recognized a picture. Who knows? My assumption that the Strega and the mob wouldn't find us in a little out of the way town in Vermont was wrong. I came close to getting all three of us killed and our only transportation destroyed. As it is, the roof is melted just a bit. Now I didn't have a choice. There is only one place I can think of that has the protections I need and resources I can rely on. It's time to go home.

  "You should have just let them take me. It's too much. Too many people are getting hurt because of me." Marvin had his head plastered against the passenger side window. I could see tears running down his face. We almost died back there.

  "Marvin if we don't stop them they will do this again and again to innocent people. Only your testimony has a chance of putting the leaders away." I glanced in his direction.

  "If you say so. I just want to hold Sheila and let her kiss my ear. She always makes me feel better. Where are going to now?"

  Now when he talked about Sheila, I was creeped out. It was one thing to think he cuddled up to a woman. But a big scaly lizard? "We are going to Maine. My Grandmother has a house there, and she can protect us."

  "Oh. Why didn't we go there first?" Marvin pulled away from the window and stared at me.

  "That my friend is a good question. The answer is somewhat long and intricate. I barely understand it myself. My aunt is an evil woman. I think she wants me dead or locked up somewhere. From the little Grandmother has told me it appears the whole town thinks I'm some sort of monster."

  "And you're taking me to this town that hates you to protect me?" Marvin looked at me with wide eyes.

  "Pretty much. Don't worry. We'll be OK. I can take care of myself and you."

  "If the old bat tries anything I'm going to stick her. She gives warthogs a bad name!" Fergus chimed in from the backseat.

  Look out Briarwood. Here we come.

  ~~~~~~~~~

  "Montgomery, you may have been right about the Blackmore girl." Ray Winters reread the report in her hand a second time. The other council members all looked at each other in shock. Monty was right about something?

  Ray looked at the expressions and laughed. "Don't be so surprised. Even the laziest squirrel finds a nut sometimes. This is what I meant by that." She waved the document in her hand.

  The leader of the council, Bethany, sighed and replied to her. "OK, I'll bite. What is it?"

  "The Strega have put out a kill on sight order for her and her little Magical Crimes team. She has in her possession a witness they need to be eliminated."

  "Finally! Someone who hates her more than I do. Are they having any success in getting to her?" Montgomery had a big smile on his face.

  "Not so much. The Strega have involved the Missionaries of Death. So far they have missed twice. My spies tell me Ysabel is practically foaming at the mouth over this." Ray sat down at the large conference room table.

  "It seems we need to make a decision on the use of the Blackmore girl. She has been our one chance at reigning in the World Council once and for all but now we might want to reconsider that." Fitzgerald piped up from the left-hand side of the room.

  "Not so fast, Fitz. Kassandra, this was your prophecy, to begin with. I would like your opinion, please." Bethany looked at the ancient woman at the end of the table.

  "You know my opinion on this already, Bethany. I say leave her be and allow it to play out. We know so little of what drives her. If Montgomery and the others hadn't cocked up their training of her, we might be in more control of her right now. So we have to play catch up. Are we agreed on her prophesy? I just speak them. The interpretation I leave to you people."

  "On that, we agree. What do you say, Katherine? Have we interpreted her prophecy correctly?" Bethany looked at the gray-haired woman to her left.

  "The slightest word or action can change the future. We have avoided tampering with her for this very reason. Here, take a look at what Kassandra saw." The older woman passed out papers.

  "She will become the best of us. Under her leadership, our coven will accomplish great things. She is the linchpin that will make or break relations with the humans. Empires will rise, and Empires will fall. But all will bow to the Maker, the Taker, the Giver, and the Breaker. She will tame the beasts and rise to the heavens. Even the Gods will know their own. Doom be to those who cross her, but love will conquer the world."

  "It's gibberish! We have tiptoed around her over this?" Montgomery stood up and began yelling.

  "Sit. Down!" The leader of the Coven slammed her hand down on the table. "You will listen or so help me I will send you through the door to Tartarus! You can explain to the lost souls you find there how much you pissed me off!"

  Montgomery paled and glanced at the ornate door set into the wall of the Council Chamber. The exact location of the door's destination was one of the Council's greatest secrets, but it did exist.

  Katherine looked at Monty and smiled. She had always disliked the pompous fool and enjoyed watching him squirm. "What we know for sure is this. She has dominion over the unicorn and the squirrels she has Magically tampered with. She has improved our relations with the human government whether it will last remains to be seen. The Gods have been noticed interfering amongst us. As for the rest of it? Only time will tell."

  "What Katherine has left out is the big question. Who controls the World Council if Marcella steps down? It has to be someone with Blackmore blood. Other than Camilla it has to be Agatha or Teegan. Camilla has taken care of Teegan for us." Bethany smiled at the council.

  "And we don't want Camilla why?" Fitzgerald asked.

 
"Because she's a freaking nut job, that's why!" Ray leaned forward her low cut dress exposing her breasts to Montgomery sitting next to her. He got so flustered his face turned a deeper shade of red.

  Kassandra spoke. "What Ray is trying to say is that Camilla is power hungry. She's managed to turn about half the town against Marcella's heir and has been setting up a takeover for years."

  "Marcella is not so easily swayed. She has lived far too long to fall for something such as that." Fitzgerald countered.

  "Yes, but if she wishes for her family to continue to hold power in this world, she will have to choose. Agatha or Camilla, one will rule the Council. I would much rather it be the young one we can control." Bethany pointed out.

  ~~~~~~~~~~