Putting on the Witch (21 page)

“You killed her,” Elsie accused. “I knew we shouldn't have let you take her. What was her crime? Helping that rogue, Drago, who got her in here? I can't believe it.”

“Please.” Antonio took my hand. “It was not I. I did not kill the cat woman, Molly. You must believe me.”

Too stunned to do anything else, I invited him into the room and closed the door. “Sit down. Tell us what happened.”

He sat on the embroidered seat of one of the hard-backed chairs. His face registered no emotion, but his voice was anguished. “I did not touch the girl,” he said. “Oscar had her taken to a room for interrogation. I thought about what you said—that using pain accomplishes little when questioning a suspect. I had determined that I would simply talk to her and find out what her role was in Makaleigh's murder, if any.”

“And what happened?” I asked.

“She was dead when I got there. Oscar said the door was
locked and spelled. No other beside myself should have been able to enter. And yet someone did. The girl had the same ceremonial knife in her heart as Makaleigh. I swear to you that it was not me. Look at her. There are no marks of torture on her. Yet was she in my charge and lies dead still. I have failed to reciprocate your kindness.”

Elsie was softly crying. I wiped a few tears from my eyes. This was a needless death and clearly seemed to be Drago and Hedyle acting to tie up their loose ends. “You should have questioned Hedyle and Drago instead,” I remarked in a bitter tone.

“It would be difficult to demand anything of Hedyle. She commands a position of extreme power and influence on the council as one of the founding members. As to questioning Drago Rasmun—we have yet to find him. Even then, though I possess magic greater than many witches, it is doubtful that I could hold him for interrogation.”

“I don't know what to say.”

“I do.” Elsie's voice was angry. “We shouldn't have let them take her. We should've known better.”

I sank down at the desk again, staring at the words that seemed to have no meaning. “What now?” I asked the witchfinder.

“We start anew.” He shrugged his lanky form. “We search all avenues until the spell is lifted from the castle. If I have failed to perform my duty, Abdon has promised me a painful death.”

“More painful than living in a wall for hundreds of years?” I asked.

“Just so.” He bowed his head.

“Well, we have to gird our loins and ask Hedyle directly about her involvement,” Elsie decided. “What's the worst she could do?”

“Kill us,” I replied. “Turn us into slime. Make us a septic
tank for the rest of eternity. Hundreds of things. Whatever she can think of.”

Antonio agreed. “I have seen such punishments with my own eyes. You cannot imagine what it is like to be still living, still thinking, for hundreds of years with no reprieve. To feel the ache of hunger and the pangs of pain. Not ever able to stretch one's self, relieve one's self or even to scratch an itch.”

“It was just a rhetorical question,” Elsie replied. “I know they can do terrible things. I know Hedyle is one of the most powerful witches in the world. But there has to be something we can do to prove she and Drago killed Makaleigh and now Kalyna. This can't go unanswered.”

Elsie's voice kept getting louder as she spoke. Antonio and I said nothing while she ranted. No one really needed to be reminded that this was a difficult position. I was getting worried that someone from the council might hear her outside the room. I started to shush her, but that was when it happened.

The closet doors blew off. They shot across the room, barely missing Elsie, coming to rest against the wall on the other side. Olivia followed behind them with a low moan that slowly became one of the most horrendous noises I'd ever heard. It was something between the squealing of brakes on a car and a hurricane.

“
Madre de Dios!
” The witchfinder leapt to his feet and ran to the door to get out of the room.

Olivia's eyes were glowing circles as she followed him. Her ghostly raiment seemed to grow in size around her as though the winds of hell were beating against it. “Leave now while you still can.”

“It's okay, Antonio,” I told him. “This is Olivia. She's a friend of ours.”

“A friend? She must certainly be a demon. I will banish her for you.” He drew his sword.

“I don't think so!” Elsie said, holding the tiny sword that represented her power around her neck.

“She's not a threat,” I said. “She won't hurt you.”

Elsie and I stood between him and Olivia's new, frightening presence.

To make matters more unsettling, Dorothy and Brian came back from their snack. Dorothy took one look at her mother and started screaming. Not just any screams—but long, noisy ones that had to be heard up and down the halls and around the castle.

“What in the world is that thing?” Brian demanded, his arms around Dorothy.

Olivia resumed her normal ghostly form. “It's just me, Dorothy. It's just your mother. I was trying to frighten the witchfinder and get him out of here so I could tell Molly something really important that I just realized.”

“How the heck did you get yourself to look like that?” Brian asked. “You even scared the crap out of me.”

Olivia smiled and patted her hair, an old habit from when she was living and her hair got out of place. It hadn't moved since she'd died. “That's high praise indeed. Thank you, Brian. I've been working on it for weeks. I knew it would come in handy sometime. I can do so many things now. You won't believe it.”

“I was not frightened by your charade, undead one.” The witchfinder dismissed her new appearance. “I have faced the demons of the night that fly through the air and dig beneath the earth. I fear nothing.”

“Then why were you running?” Elsie laughed.

He held his head high and shoulders straight. “I was leaving to bring help, attempting to protect you and Molly.”

Even I had to smile at that.

The room was tight with all of us in it, but Olivia clearly had something important to say to make such a dramatic entrance.

“I think I figured out one of those crazy words Makaleigh said to you, Molly. It came to me while I was in the closet hearing about the terrible news.”

“What terrible news?” Dorothy asked. “What happened now?”

We had to go through the explanation of Kalyna's death again, including our personal recriminations and guilt.

“How could something like this happen?” Brian demanded. He glared at the witchfinder. “Oscar should be held responsible. I'm going to talk to Abdon and my parents. This has gone too far.”

Before we could stop him, Brian was gone, the door closing behind him.

“Should I go after him?” Dorothy asked. “I mean, I don't want Brian's parents to really notice me. I sure don't want Abdon to decide he should talk to me or something. What should I do?”

“Stay right here,” Olivia said. “Let Brian deal with his parents. He knows them and knows how far he can push them. Everyone is stressed right now. You shouldn't get in the middle of it.”

Dorothy sighed and sat down on the chair. “So what did you realize while you were in the closet, Mom?”

“I realized that I knew one of those words—and it truly is a word, not just gibberish as we kept thinking.”

“Maybe we should wait until Brian gets back,” I said, giving her the hand slicing across the throat sign.

I tried to get her to back away from whatever she was planning to say. Antonio was there. Anything she said might be something he'd take back to the council. I wasn't sure if that was the best idea. Hedyle could finally know what she couldn't get me to tell her. It may be nothing, but it could also mean the key to her and Drago getting out of this without any consequences.

“Don't keep us waiting for the punch line, Olivia,” Elsie
said. “Does everything have to be a dramatic entrance for you?”

Dorothy picked up on my cue, but Elsie and Olivia were still falling behind. “I think we should wait for Brian,” she said. “He'll be angry if we say it before he gets back.”

“Make fun if you want to.” Olivia frowned at Elsie, ignoring me and Dorothy. “None of you could figure out what those words meant. You're just jealous that I could.”

“That's right.” I glanced significantly at the witchfinder. “We've all worked on it together. That's why we should wait for Brian!”

“Olivia,” Elsie blurted out. “Just tell us what you know.”

“What is this you are speaking of?” Antonio finally asked. “Are you referring to Makaleigh Veazy's last words?” He stared at me. “Molly? Did you realize what she told you but did not tell me?”

Too late, Olivia and Elsie figured out what Dorothy and I had been trying to tell them. No one said a word. We stared at one another, waiting to see what would happen next.

“Oh, we might as well tell him now. What harm can it do?” Olivia was proud that she was the one who'd discovered the secret. “I recognized this word from an ancient text I'd seen years ago while I was shopping for new runes for my staff.” She floated to the desk beside me and pointed a spectral finger at the paper where I had written the words.

The witchfinder moved with her. I didn't even have time to cover the words. He peered down at them. “Mho,” he said aloud. “What does it mean?”

“It means to shed or molt. You know, like a snake,” Olivia revealed. “Some have used it to mean change. That's what I took the rune to be.”

“Really?” Dorothy came to look too, as did Elsie.

“Are you sure?” Antonio pondered the words.

“Quite sure,” Olivia replied. She appeared to be very well pleased with herself.

I wish I could have said the same.

“If that is true,” he said, “then these other words must have meaning. We must concentrate on them. They could hold the key.”

“I don't see how they can hold anything,” Elsie said. “They don't make any sense.”

Better late than never, Elsie's gaze told me as she tried to get rid of the witchfinder's attention.

“Witches today have beautiful, poetic spells,” Antonio said. “Not so witches from the past. The fewer the words, the better. Some words were found to have power in simply saying them. Mho is one of them.”

“He's right,” Olivia agreed. “Just like the rune symbols. Mho has a vibrant power that can be used for good or evil magic.”

“Look at the other words again,” Antonio urged. “Perhaps you can understand what they are too, undead one.”

I tried to think of any way to get Antonio's attention away from Olivia and her explanation of the words. I even hoped she'd end up being wrong. It was too late to take back what he'd already heard. Our magic wasn't strong enough to stop him.

“Wait!” Olivia shouted. “Aba. To make amends or atone. I know that one too. I have that rune on my staff. It's an important one.”

“Indeed it is,” Antonio agreed. “Few know that better than I.”

Dorothy sank to the floor. “It's very warm in here, isn't it? I'm feeling faint. Maybe we should all go to the main hall and get something to drink. If these words have any power, I can't tell it. Anyone else?”

“You go.” The witchfinder stared at her. “I shall stay here with the ghost. She can explain the other rune to me. Once we have these meanings, we may well understand why Makaleigh was killed.”

“I don't feel any power from the words,” Elsie said. “I think we're grasping at straws here. Dorothy's suggestion is excellent. We should go downstairs for a while and look at them later.”

Antonio shook his head. “I stay. The words have meaning. These are not random words or gibberish. They are the most powerful of runes arranged in a certain order to enhance their magic. We must surely decipher the last word.”

There was a brisk knock at the door, and we all jumped at the sound.

“Now what?” Elsie asked. “I'm exhausted. I thought this was supposed to be a party.”

“Witchfinder! Are you in there?” Abdon yelled through the closed portal. “Get out here now!”

“What's happening?” Elsie whispered. “What can we do?”

“We could all disappear into the closet like Mom,” Dorothy suggested.

Antonio bowed to us, said, “Allow me, ladies,” and opened the door.

Abdon looked at the group assembled in our room. “What's going on in here?”

We all looked at one another. It wouldn't have been possible to look any guiltier.

I replied, “We're trying to figure out what happened to Makaleigh. And it would be nice to know what happened to Kalyna.”

“I don't care what the rest of you do. I didn't summon the witchfinder to play games in your room. There's been an attack on Hedyle.” He scowled at Antonio. “Either get out here and find the person doing this or I'll put you back in the wall where you belong—maybe permanently this time.”

Antonio was immediately contrite. “I believe we are doing that, sir. Take a look at the ancient words that Makaleigh spoke to Molly as she perished.”

“No!” I called out. “No, Antonio.”

But it was too late. Abdon pushed his way to the desk and snatched up the paper where Dorothy had written the words.

His cold eyes turned on the list. “I see.” He flicked that glance on me. “I thought you couldn't remember, Molly? I thought the words were too difficult for you to understand? What happened to your pitiful excuses?”

“I couldn't remember or understand them.” I defended what I'd said. “My friends helped me with a discovery spell as Hedyle threatened to use.”

“Perhaps this could be useful.” He put the paper in his jacket pocket. “I'll take it with me. The three of you, stay out of it.” He shot a look at Olivia floating on the ceiling. “And get that thing out of here. Come with me, witchfinder.”

Brian showed up at the door as he was leaving. “What's going on?”

“Come along, Brian.” Abdon led the way out of the room.

Antonio went without another word. Brian shrugged and followed them.

Elsie and I fell back on the bed. Dorothy slumped.

“I guess we were wrong about Hedyle,” Elsie said. “Someone has gone after her too now.”

“Not necessarily,” I said. “She may have done this to throw us off. Obviously everything is pointing to her and Drago as Makaleigh's killers. Even though she is powerful, she probably doesn't want everyone looking at her and making accusations. This was probably an act of desperation.”

“That could make sense,” Dorothy added. “All she and Drago have to do is stall for time until the castle doors open again. The council probably can't do anything to them after that. They'll never find them.”

“There's no doubt about it, baby girl,” Olivia agreed. “But there's one more thing—I recognized that last word before Abdon took the paper. It was ord. It's the old word for either the point of a weapon or a beginning. Now what do you all think Makaleigh was trying to say with that?”

None of us had any idea. I kept repeating the words and their meanings in my head as we agreed to go downstairs and find out what happened to Kalyna. We all felt guilty over our part in her death. The least we could do is demand some answers on her behalf.

The ballroom was strangely empty as we got there. The food, music and games were gone. No one lingered in the hall talking or making demands on the council. It may have been due to the attack on Hedyle.

“I think we should ask around about what happened to her too,” I whispered.

“Good idea,” Elsie muttered back, her eyes darting quickly around the room. “Maybe we should split up.”

“No way,” Dorothy decided. “Brian's gone. I'm not walking around here by myself. If we don't stick together, I'm locking myself in the bedroom until the castle doors open. There are too many strange things going on, even for a
bunch of witches. Haven't you two ever watched a horror movie? Everyone always splits up, and it makes them easy targets for the killer.”

Elsie frowned. “I haven't watched many horror movies, but I guess you're right. It might be better if we stay together. Safety in numbers and all that.”

“Look. There's Oscar. Let's ask him,” I suggested.

I didn't think Oscar looked happy to see us. He had a tea service on a silver tray and was about to rush up the stairs.

“What can I do for you, ladies?” he asked impatiently.

We told him our predicament and what we needed to know.

“I'm on my way to Hedyle's room right now. I'm sure she won't mind if you accompany me.” He started back on his way up, leaving us to follow or not.

“He's probably wrong. I wouldn't want to see us,” Elsie said in a low voice. “But what the heck. It might be the only way we're going to hear about her being attacked that isn't gossip.”

“What about Kalyna?” Dorothy asked. “Are we just going to forget about her?”

“Unless you want to split up,” I reminded her. “One thing at a time.”

“I don't want to be alone. You're right, Molly.” She smiled nervously, tugging at the bracelet she wore even though Olivia wasn't inside of it. “One thing at a time.”

We followed Oscar up two flights of stone stairs until he reached a door and quietly tapped on it. The whole way there, the halls were empty and quiet. Was everyone afraid to come out after hearing the news that Hedyle had been hurt? After all, if she could be attacked, with her strong magic, the rest of us might as easily be killed.

“Why don't these people get elevators?” Elsie struggled to catch her breath. “They have magic galore and plenty of money. I'd get an elevator if it were me.”

“Abby's daughter, Sunshine, has an elevator in her home office in Norfolk,” I said by way of conversation. “She's doing very well there.”

“Is she a witch?” Dorothy asked. “What does she do?”

“She's a private investigator and a witch,” I told her. “She mostly deals with magical creatures but not always. She has a
bean sidhe
working with her now.”

“Wow.” Dorothy smiled. “I'd like to meet her.”

“No doubt she'll be down for Mabon or one of the other festivals,” Elsie replied. “That's when all the witches go back home.”

The part of the castle we were in looked older than the areas we'd been so far. There was brown and green lichen on some of the damp stones where water leaked from the roof or walls. The substance that held the stones together, some kind of older mortar, was brown. In the other parts of the castle it had been bleached white. The windows were smaller too and covered with bars as though to protect from arrows. The doors were rounded at the tops and made with coarser wood.

“I guess Hedyle doesn't like her comforts, does she?” Elsie whispered.

“I told you what she said about living on her island with more goats than people,” I responded.

“You think she's really gonna be okay with us popping in like this?” Dorothy asked.

The door to Hedyle's room swung open with a grating sound as Oscar pushed it. He had to bow his head to get into the room.

“I don't think I'd be,” I answered. “But maybe she's used to it. She is a member of the council. Maybe they get callers at all times of the day and night.”

“Another reason I wouldn't want to be on the council,” Dorothy replied. “And I hope Brian isn't going to be either.”

“But surely that's the least of your worries,” Elsie suggested.
“You also get people trying to kill you, and you make unpopular decisions. Not to mention that everything you do could put in jeopardy the entire fate of all witches.”

“
Shh
,” I warned. “She can probably hear us.”

There was another man there as well who seemed to have actually opened the door for Oscar. He had masses of thick white hair and a long, scraggly white beard. He was dressed in a plain gray robe and held a gnarled staff in his hands. He reminded me more of Gandalf in the
Lord of the Rings
movie than of Santa Claus.

It was unusual to see a witch dressed like this—as people without magic would expect us to look. It would be a little like Elsie, Dorothy and me wearing black dresses and pointy hats. Those same people would call Brian a warlock, even though that was actually a slur against a male witch.

There was something about the healer that teased my senses. I couldn't put my finger on what it was exactly. It was one of those things like the stairs and hall where Hedyle and Drago had met. Something was just not as it should be.

As if the man in the gray robe sensed my question about him, he nodded and smiled amiably. “I am a council healer,” he said. “I was attending Hedyle after the attack against her.”

“That's very nice of you,” Dorothy said. “I'm Dorothy Dunst Lane. I work at the library in Wilmington, North Carolina. I'm not sure if you know where that is, but nice to meet you.”