The Most Wanted Witch: Tales of Xest

by Donna Augustine

  He slumped back, almost as if he’d realized he’d lost a war he’d just discovered he was in. “So the rumors are true?”

  “Yes,” Hawk said.

  Marvin’s shoulders fell and he looked like he’d just aged a decade. “There’s a hill, but I don’t know what it is. I stumbled upon it and realized something was different.”

  “Keep going,” I said.

  “I used to buy furs from Bautere and some of his people. Everyone knows they have the best pelts. Sometimes I’d bring another witch or warlock with me to help carry them back. I noticed that the Whimsys I brought with me on these trips seemed to live a bit longer, but only if we went one particular route, by this hill area.” He shrugged. “So, I started only going that way, and maybe I bought more furs than I used to. I didn’t realize there was a problem until things started to get weird in the unsettled lands. I still don’t know if it had anything to do with me, but I stopped then and there.”

  He slumped in his chair, looking as if he had no fight left in him at all.

  I might never get a better chance to ask.

  “Did you know Jossi Tudor? She was a Whimsy witch here. Did you bring her to this place?” I asked. It would tie it all together. Had she somehow gotten this magic and then passed it on to me?

  His head jerked back as he stared at me for a second. “No. I never took her there. I found her too irritating to be around. Why? Who’s she to you?” Marvin took a hard look at me as if trying to connect this with the present.

  “No one,” Hawk said, stopping me from answering.

  If Marvin believed Hawk or not, he didn’t have any desire to fight. “That’s all I ever did, and I stopped before things got crazy.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure you stopped the very second,” I added.

  Hawk stood and nodded to the door.

  I stayed put as he made his way out and then stopped, waiting for me.

  I looked at Marvin and then back at Hawk before joining him outside the office.

  “That’s it? We’re leaving him?” I asked, as he took another few steps away.

  “Yes.” He kept walking.

  After a few seconds of debating, I followed him.

  I waited until we were away from the building before I said, “As far as an interrogation goes, that sucked.”

  “He was telling the truth.”

  “So? I think he deserved a few punches anyway.” I might have to consider trading Hawk in for Bibbi.

  “I’d rather leave him alive in case we need him for something later.” He kept walking.

  Alive? I hadn’t planned on killing the guy. Only rough him up a bit.

  “Well? What do you think? Any thoughts on our next move? Because that didn’t seem to help matters.” I hoped he had something, because I had zero ideas of where to go from here.

  “Other than I think there’s a connection? No. But maybe we should at least confirm there is a connection with the hill.”

  “Bibbi style? We bring the stone to there?” I pulled my jacket closer as the few people out and about crossed the street a few blocks away. The buffer zone had definitely grown in the last month.

  “Yes. We bring the stone to the hill as soon as I get it back,” Hawk said.

  Back from where? Did he really need to lend it out? Did he not know it was sort of important?

  No. It was his stone, and I was not telling him how to use it because no matter what anyone said, I wasn’t controlling, not the way he was.

  “Is there a problem?” He stared at my crossed arms and fisted hands.

  “Of course not.”

  He smiled, as if he knew I was lying. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of saying a word, and it was killing me.

  Bibbi glared across the room at where Gillian had taken a seat next to Hawk on the couch, who was reading over some papers.

  “She never stops,” Bibbi whispered. As much as I wanted to stay and commiserate with Bibbi, I’d rather pull my eyeballs out of my head than remain here. How long was I going to deny it? The disgusting truth was that I had a thing for Hawk. Some messed-up part of my brain wanted him, and there was no getting past it. I’d have to bear it while waiting for the feelings to fade away. It would definitely happen next time he did something else high-handed, but I’d had enough torture tonight.

  I got up and grabbed my jacket off the hook.

  “Where are you going? Do you need a buddy?” Bibbi asked.

  Hawk’s attention shifted to me. I pretended not to notice him or Gillian.

  “I’m going to do a perimeter run. I’m not going to be long, and it’s better off if I go alone.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” she asked.

  “Where are you headed?” Oscar asked, walking in the back room.

  “Just going for a walk,” I said, trying not to let the desperate need to escape leak out into my voice. It was hard when I couldn’t get out of the building without having to answer to every person in the place.

  “I was heading to Zark’s. I’ll head out with you. It’ll be a nice little moonlight stroll,” he said, smiling at me as he put on his act for the room.

  “Sounds lovely,” I said, not caring how it sounded as long as I got out of that room.

  I felt Oscar’s hand on the small of my back as we walked out. “Where are we heading?” he asked. His hand dropped as he switched back to friend mode when we hit the streets.

  “Anywhere but there.” I walked, not caring where I ended up right now. “You know, if you keep going with this little charade, people might start to believe there’s something going on with us.” At the moment, it seemed like a nicer reality than being the girl who was always watching Hawk with someone else.

  “That’s the point. I hope he does. He’s being an idiot, and I’m enjoying this. Did you see his face when we left?” He smiled like a man who’d tasted triumph.

  “No.”

  “Good. It’s even better that you didn’t look back. But just so you know, it was burning him up.” Oscar laughed. He might’ve been the only man in Xest who found it amusing when Hawk was annoyed with him.

  “Trying to drive us together isn’t a good idea, because I don’t want him,” I said.

  Oscar laughed harder. I glared at him. He kept laughing.

  “Fine. I’m attracted to him, but I don’t want to be.”

  “You want him and he wants you, and I want you to be with him. It’s got to be you. There’s no one else like you. He can’t be with someone weaker than him, especially not from Xest. They’d idolize him, and he’d eventually run roughshod over them because it’s who he is. If you don’t stand up to Hawk, that’s what happens. It’s not to be mean. His tendency is to run the show and call the shots.” Oscar shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

  I picked up my pace, wishing I’d gone alone. “So I get to be the lucky person because I tell him to go to hell?”

  “It doesn’t hurt that he wants you more than I’ve seen him ever want anyone.” His voice had lost every shred of humor.

  “That’s not true.” I picked up my pace even more.

  “I know him. It is,” he said as I left him standing in the street behind me.

  28

  Hawk walked toward me with a purpose, not stopping for any niceties with the rest of the room as they finished breakfast.

  “You ready?” he asked.

  I still had a half a cup of tea and a full biscuit left. For what needed to be done, and I was certain it was the hill, I’d finish later.

  Gillian was calling his name and rushing over before I had a chance to stand. Bibbi glared across the room. Someone needed to take the butter knife away from her.

  “Hawk, you’re not walking me to work?” Gillian asked.

  “Zab will do it.”

  “But—”

  “It’s fine. He can handle it.” Hawk walked away from her before she could continue her damsel-in-distress act.

  Gillian was frozen in her spot. I made my way around her, trying to
not look in her direction.

  Zab was slumped in his chair, looking as happy as Gillian was as I left the room.

  We stopped in front of the hill as if planned. I had clear reasons to be nervous about walking on it. Last time hadn’t been bad exactly, but not normal. Hawk’s issues weren’t as obvious. He was staring at it like he’d been the one that had been nearly stuck to it.

  We both continued to watch it for another few minutes of silence.

  He was still staring at the hill when he said, “I’ll release you from your work agreement if you leave Xest. I’m not sure I’ll be able to hide you, not even in Rest, but I’ll try if you go.”

  Shoved out again. The guy was trying to make a career of getting rid of me. What he wanted didn’t matter. It didn’t. He was a stupid man, and an ass to boot. What did it matter what he thought?

  But I couldn’t keep it all buried anymore. I turned and swung at him. I missed and swung again as he kept dodging my strikes. I struck out another handful of times.

  Worst part was that when I finally stopped, he was eyeing me as if I were crazy.

  “Are you done?” he asked.

  Just for that, I swung again. Damn he was quick.

  “Stop trying to get rid of me. I’m not going anywhere,” I screamed.

  “I’m not trying to get rid of you,” he replied, the veins popping in his neck.

  “Except you are at every turn.” I swung again, and this time he caught me in his arms.

  The only good thing about him holding me was my arms were still free and I was able to hit his back, although not very effectively.

  “You know, I’m beginning to understand why you lose so many fights,” he said, then held me firmer as I renewed my attack on him.

  Or tried. It was a pitiful effort. Good thing Bautere wasn’t watching, because this was not my best showing.

  I stopped hitting Hawk and pulled away. He didn’t try to stop me.

  He watched me for a few moments as we both went to our proverbial separate corners. He tilted his head back and let out a sigh.

  He was acting like he was having a bad day? I didn’t say anything. If I talked, I’d argue. Then I’d start swinging again.

  “You think you know the way things should be, but you don’t even know the way they are,” he said.

  “Please spare me the condescension. Stop trying to turn this into you trying to be the good guy when clearly you just want me gone. I didn’t arrive in Xest yesterday. I’ve been around the block a few times now, and you know damn well I can handle myself…most of the time.”

  “I don’t think you realize the risks.”

  “Yes, I believe I do. I’m not saying that there might not be some surprises here and there, but show me a life lived fully that doesn’t have a few. And stop trying to turn this around into something it isn’t. This isn’t about me. It’s about you. Why don’t you tell me why you’re so obsessed with getting rid of me?”

  He shook his head, nearly as angry as I was. He took a few steps away from me before rounding back, as if he were ready to hash this thing out. Good. I’d been ready for months.

  “If you put our recent disagreements aside, just going by when you’ve been in a tight spot, would you say I’ve been one of your strongest allies here?”

  “Recent disagreements and hazy future to the side?” I waited a few seconds, letting those parameters sink in. “I say we’ve both helped each other out a fair amount.”

  “Have I ever put you in danger or not tried to keep you alive?” he asked, ready to fight the point.

  “Yes. You seem to want me breathing. Very gracious of you.”

  He reached into his pocket and drew out the box that held the stone. He opened the box and picked it up off its bed, then looked at me, holding up between us. I’d lain it in its bed more than once wondering what color the stone would flash if Hawk ever touched it. It didn’t flash anything. It turned matte black.

  “By your own admission, I’m your ally. The way I see it, I’m the best one you have, and yet you don’t even know what kind of threat I am.”

  “Do you think that’s going to scare me? Is that the purpose of this demonstration?” I stepped closer and wrapped both my hands around his. “This proves nothing. Do I know what you are? No. I make no claim to that. Most days I don’t know what I am, and I’d bet it turns out to be a hell of a lot worse.”

  I grabbed the blackened stone from him, and it immediately came to life. If he thought his little trick was going to scare me, he didn’t know the thoughts that kept me up at night.

  He was looking at me, as if something had finally stunned him in his long life of knowing it all.

  “Guess it’s your day to be surprised?” I asked, laughing. He really thought he’d scare me. After what I’d seen, it would take a lot more than a black stone.

  “I won’t ask you to leave again.” He was straight-faced, but sounded relieved, or maybe even happy? It was more likely my own delusions.

  “Good, because I’m tired of that question. You were getting a tad boring about it all.” Gem in hand, I took a step toward the hill before I lit up the entire countryside with my rainbow. “I’ll let go of the gem once I hit the spot.”

  I took another step toward the hill, thinking about how I’d tried to beat up the only backup I had. I stopped walking and turned back to him.

  “You’re ready to pull me off, right?” I waited for his agreement. This wasn’t the hill I wanted to die on.

  “Have I left you for dead yet?” His eyebrows rose, as if my question weren’t worth answering.

  “Say it anyway.”

  He crossed his arms, shaking his head, but then he finally said, “I’m going to get you.”

  I gave a short nod and went back to my mission, walking closer.

  Whatever was brewing here, it seeped out toward me, greeting me, almost. Luring me with a warmth, a strange connection, like I was coming home, but to a home I’d never had. I moved closer, and not because I had to, not because this was my mission or duty, but because I wanted to. I was craving the contact.

  I got to the place, and before I was taken over by whatever this was, I dropped the stone on the ground, so that maybe this thing’s true colors would show through. Then I dropped to my knees, sinking my hands down into the snow until I could feel its warmth wrapping around me.

  When I was yanked away this time, there was no relief pouring through me.

  Hawk, who had just dumped me to the ground last time, kept a hand wrapped around my arm, as if he’d sensed this place’s draw on me.

  I slowly sat up, trying to figure it out myself, and there was no explanation other than feeling like I’d fallen under the influence of something much stronger than myself.

  “I don’t know what’s going on with that hill, but I’m not sure I should go near it again,” I said.

  He paused, not saying anything before he nodded. I didn’t know how I’d appeared when I’d knelt in front of it, but he must have sensed something.

  “What about the stone? What color did it flash?” I asked. I’d been so enthralled that I hadn’t looked. Glancing over where I’d left it, I didn’t even see a glimmer.

  “There wasn’t anything. Once you dropped it, it went clear.”

  Hawk’s gaze shot up and over my shoulder. He straightened, and I jumped up to find Xazier standing not far from us. Why was he here? Had he followed us?

  Xazier looked about the area. “Did someone call me?” he asked.

  I got to my feet. “No one called.”

  “Oh,” he said, smiling slightly. “My mistake. I’ll just be…”

  Lou appeared before Xazier had finished speaking. He scanned the area before he turned to Xazier.

  “What’s going on here? Did someone call me?” Lou asked.

  “Nothing. I thought I heard my name called,” Xazier responded.

  Lou looked at us and then back to Xazier. “So you just happened upon them here?”

  “Yes. That’s
exactly what happened. Same as you, I guess?” Xazier asked, as if leading Lou.

  “Yes,” Lou said, as he kept meeting Xazier’s stare, like they were silently plotting with each other.

  “Well, since no one called me, I’ll be going,” Xazier said, and then looked to Lou again.

  “I will as well,” Lou said.

  Xazier’s hand was by his leg, but I couldn’t help but notice him put out three fingers, then two, then one.

  They were both gone.

  29

  Hawk and I were in the upstairs sitting room, the one that sometimes opened to unknown destinations, sometimes his bedroom, and sometimes a random sitting room, as it was now.

  I slumped on the couch. He was leaning beside a window that didn’t exist if you looked at the outside of this building. Apparently the laws of physics didn’t apply in Xest.

  I’d lost track of how long we’d been in the room, both stuck in our own thoughts, trying to muddle through what had happened, why both Lou and Xazier had shown up. As usual, everything we found out led to more confusion, not answers.

  I was the first to break the silence. “How do you think they knew we were there?”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t the lame excuse of being called. Whatever is in that hill, they’re somehow connected to it. We just don’t know how or why.”

  “Why didn’t they show up the first time?”

  “Maybe because you connected to it a little stronger, on a deeper level this time around. Or maybe not.” He shrugged, still staring out the window.

  I dropped my head back, shutting my eyes as I tried to shut out the world. If everything else went away, maybe the truth would show itself instead of overwhelming confusion.

  “Did it feel anything like Dread? Any remnant or hint of the same magic?” Hawk asked.