A Witch's Trial (Witch's Path Series: Book 3) (21 page)

"Ok, so I'll be safe at work, and not even close to safe at home. Perfect." It would be a delightful change to get real, no-strings-attached good news.

"Full memories or not, when they make another attempt, they will be sure to guard against what they think happened today. Sheer numbers will win the day for them at some point." Mom's voice wavered. "I don't know how to protect you."
 

I looked at Mom and spoke the truth, knowing it would hurt her. "You can't protect me. Not you, Dad, Elron, Ty, or anyone else can keep me safe from these threats. If the Wapiti are going to be this way, they will send enough witches to counter anything we can bring to the table, or they will wait for the moment when my guard is down and take me then.

"If the clans don't get me, the demon is going to give it his best shot. There's nothing you can do about that either. The best thing you can do is stay safe so I can deal with him, because I will. I will find a way to rid us of that evil."

"It's not your fight, Michelle. That's a job for people with experience in those matters." Mom was pleading with me now.

Swallowing tears, I finished saying things she never wanted to hear. "You made it my fight when you asked me to look into the suicides. I looked at the bodies of children and found them contaminated with his energy. If that didn't make it my fight, Gremory would've brought the fight to me. The trolls and sorceress were part of his plan, as was an animal breeder, and Adder, all of whom I've helped bring to justice. Tell me, how was I going to escape this fight?" We both knew she didn't have an answer. There wasn't one that would bring her peace of mind, and I wouldn't lie to make her feel better this time.
 

She walked out of the room, tears running down here face. Dad glared at me as he hurried after her.
 

"Why did you do that, Michelle?" Landa scolded.
 

I rubbed moisture away from my eyes. "Don't. I know what I did, and you should know why I did it."

"That was cruel," Landa countered.

"I couldn't lie to her."
 

Baden cleared his throat. "This was enlightening, but I need to be going. Thank you for the tea. Be careful, Michelle. Liam, let me know if you need help." He scurried out of the room with more haste than was needed.
 

Landa waited for his footsteps to fade down the hall before resuming her guilt trip. "You hurt her."

"Yes, but do you remember what you told me?" She didn't answer. "You told me I was strong, smart, and could solve impossible situations."

"That isn't an excuse to lash out at your mother."

"Would it be better to hide the truth from her? I'm at the center of two difficult situations."

"Hurting her won't help with either problem. She is your mother and deserves better, child."

"I can't do this anymore. She wants to swaddle me in Bubble Wrap and pack me away where I can't be hurt. That's not reality. The clans know I'm here. It's time to deal with them head-on. Even if they weren't an issue, Gremory has taken my interference in his plans personally. That's a fact at this point."

She didn't look any closer to relenting.
 

"Look, when the sorceress died, and I'm assuming he killed her, there were threats written on the wall of her cell in blood that were directed at me. One of those threats ended up painted on my window. A really big spider got into my apartment and started spinning a web that spelled out a death threat. The ghoul was after me. The gremlins threatened my friends, my family, and myself. The only time I wasn't the target was at Adder's house when Sylvia aimed a death spell at Elron."

"What?" Dad's voice echoed from the door.
 

Twisting around, I found my parents standing there, giving me a look I hadn't seen since I was a teenager. "Narzel blast it. Maybe I left a few other things out."
 

Liam broke in, saving me from what looked to be a fierce scolding. "Cut her some slack. This is what kids do—they leave the nest, find their own way, get into trouble, and only tell their parents a fraction of their mischief."

"The voice of parental experience?" Dad sucked in enough air to go on a tirade, but he never got the chance.

Liam came up on his elbows to get a better look at the room. "No, I've been that kid. We may not have faced the same challenges or the same potential consequences for failure, but it wasn't easy to leave my father's pack. Neither of my parents were happy, even though we all knew it was the only way for me to be an alpha without competing with my father. I still haven't told them that I took over a pack that had been used by a demon, one where the previous alpha was known for brutalizing everyone weaker than himself. There are more than a few youthful adventures I've done my best to keep from them. If werewolves weren't sturdy creatures, I wouldn't be here today."

"How does that help us?" Mom demanded.

Liam sagged back into the sofa. "It doesn't, but it does tell you that you're not alone. This is her chance to be an adult. Don't clip her wings."

My parents reclaimed their seats without a word. Mom chewed on her lip, and Dad studied Liam more closely than I liked.

Finally, Elron disrupted he heavy silence. "I know why Gremory tried to kill me."

"You do?" I asked.

He nodded. "The logic is strange, but yes. Do you think it was Gremory or Sylvia who tried to kill me?"

"Gremory wearing Sylvia's body, but Sylvia dropped the book. When the flames are in her eyes, Gremory is in control or trying to be in control," I answered.

"I had not noticed the eyes."

Shrugging, I didn't offer an explanation. This wasn't the time to go into the dreams I'd shared with Sylvia and the time they'd given me to study her behavior.

Elron shrugged. "Gremory knows or suspects that I have a Call. From the demon's perspective, an elf with a Calling is there to stop him and help Sylvia. Neither option is in his favor. If those thoughts did not occur to him, another would cross his mind: my understanding is that demons cannot reproduce or be created at this point, which makes the demon old enough to remember the Hunters. Any elf with a Call would be drawn to seek out any remaining Hunters and their knowledge. Killing me was the easiest way to prevent access to that knowledge."

"Why would the demon think Hunters, or their knowledge, still exist?" Mom asked. "Both have been absent from the world long enough to pass into myth."
 

"In the stories, the Hunters disband because they killed all the demons. The logic is missing. How would they know they had killed every demon? By nature, demons excel at hiding and deception," Elron said.
 

I picked up where he left off. "If you think about it, it's more likely the Hunters stopped looking for demons in hope that any remaining ones would draw attention to themselves. That doesn't explain how they would still be around. If I was a demon, I'd hunt down the Hunters and destroy all their knowledge. Do the Hunters still exist?"

"I believe so," Elron answered, eyes fixed on a lamp behind Liam.
 

Landa flicked her fingers, and the parlor doors shut and locked. "If we are going to speak of such things, it should be done in privacy."
 

"May I?" Dad inquired.
 

Landa nodded, and I felt a spell wash over the walls, blocking any sound from escaping the room.

"Thank you," Elron said.

Julius stretched his wings, casting dark shadows across the room. "Perhaps it is my turn to contribute to the conversation. Gargoyles worked closely with the Hunters; after all, we were created to fight evil, and demons are the greatest evil among us. When the Hunters disbanded, we returned to our homes and continued to battle the lesser evils of the world. The secret to killing a demon went with the Hunters, though, and is presumed lost, just as the Hunters are presumed dead."

"You think some of the Hunters are still alive?" Liam asked.
 

"It is possible that they walk among us, but identifying one would be difficult. Even if you could find a Hunter, you would have to get that person to admit to being part of a group that's existence depended on secrecy. They were careful and didn't mark themselves with a tattoo, brand, or scar," Julius finished.
 

"How would you identify one?" I asked.

"Like recognizes like." Julius looked at Varro.
 

Well, that didn't help me. I needed to find a demon hunter to tell me how to kill a demon, but unless I had whatever they look for in a fellow Hunter, I wouldn't be able to find them. Good news would be a refreshing change. A map with a Hunter at the end would be a nice.
 

When the silence had stretched on longer than was comfortable, I spoke. "Could someone fill me in on what happened after I passed out?"

Elron answered. "Absolutely. I caught you as you passed out, and seconds later your parents arrived." He covered everything from the moment he held me in his arms until I rejoined the land of the conscious.

"Thank you. That does clarify a few things," I said when he finished.
 

"You are most welcome."

Landa cleared her throat. "If we're finished with the current conversation, I need to prepare dinner. Nancy, Greg, I have a room for you if you would like to stay here for a few days." They exchanged a look and nodded. "Varro, I don't know what plans Elron has for your lodging. I have a room you could use."

"Thank you, Landa, but I would like Varro to stay with me if he is comfortable in my apartment," Elron said.
 

Varro dipped his head. "That would probably be best."

Landa smiled. "Let me know if you need anything. Barring any significant interruptions, dinner will be ready in about an hour. Greg?"

"Oh, yes." The spell on the room dissipated and the doors opened.
 

"Thank you." Landa hurried out of the parlor with Mander at her heels.
 

Mom looked at me and patted my foot. "How are you feeling?"

"Um, I'm good, considering what happened."

"Your color is better. If you don't need anything, we're going to get settled into a room. Greg and I have a few things to discuss. We'll catch up with you later tonight."
 

"I'm fine, Mom." I tried to give her an encouraging smile, but when she frowned, I figured I'd missed the mark. She patted my foot one more time, took Dad's hand, and left the parlor.
 

Julius exchanged a few words with Varro. Their voices were soft enough that I couldn't follow the conversation, but from the look on Elron's face I doubted they were speaking English anyway. On his way out, Julius nodded at me. I returned the gesture and had a feeling we weren't finished talking. Horst hadn't wanted me to mention the gremlins to Julius just to pass information.
 

The ivy encasing my hand and wrist was still firmly attached, with green leaves covering the vines. It wasn't showing any signs of wilting or yellowing. However, a sickly-looking plant being grafted to my skin might be more disturbing than a healthy one. I poked it a few times before giving up. It would come off when it wanted and not a moment sooner. If I were lucky, the plant and I could go our separate ways before I was called out on a case.
 

"Michelle?"

I stopped studying the ivy and gave Elron my attention. "Yes?"

"Would you like help getting to your apartment?"

"Please. I don't think I'll be steady on my feet."
 

"It would be my pleasure to assist you." He picked me up again, and I settled against him. "Varro, could you come with us?"

Elron carried me down the hall, and Varro trailed along behind us. With the excitement of the witch's attack and my lengthy explanation of my day, Elron had gotten away without discussing Varro's story. From this direction, I could see the microexpressions cross Varro's face. If the conversation about his linguistic leanings was any indication, Varro had managed to miss many of the advances of the past several hundred years. The rough weave and simple cut of his clothing spoke of a level of isolation that was uncommon in today's world. Varro was a mystery I was looking forward to solving.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and even without Elron and Varro, it was a crowd. The little conversation that did happen was forced, but Dad did tell me he'd been unable to find any references to demons in his book. I escaped to my apartment as quickly as possible. Even if the conversation had been fun, I wouldn't have wanted to stay. My right hand was still covered in ivy, and I struggled through dinner using my left hand. Dropping food was better than having everyone focus on my newly acquired greenery.
 

I looked tired enough that no one questioned my desire to get some sleep. The events in Ellijay had been tiring. With the addition of the witches and the endless discussions, I was done. As frustrating as it was, I knew tomorrow would contain even more conversations.

My parents and I had spoken long enough to clear the air and clarify a few points. Mom didn't recognize any of the witches who'd shown up today, but given the time she'd been away from the clan, that wasn't surprising. The primary concern at this point was how far my grandmother was willing to go to bring me back into the clan. Mom's view was that if Grandmother was already launching this type of a retrieval effort, the sky was the limit as long as she got me.
 

On the bright side, my parents had gotten much freer with information now that the cat was out of the bag. They'd even retold the story of Mom's escape and their decision to live apart without being shady with the information. The story didn't change much, but I had fewer questions, and having seen Mom's clan in action, I didn't question their paranoia. In this case, someone really had been out to get them.
 

Elron wanted to speak with me in the morning, and my guess was that it had something to do with Varro. That was one mystery I was looking forward to solving because I suspected there would be a silver lining. Elron wouldn't show up with a guest when his wife had returned from the dead, a demon was causing trouble, and the clans were after me without good reason.