Putting on the Witch (25 page)

I felt Olivia enter the room before I saw her.

She breezed in with a laugh and the aura of someone who'd been trapped and was happy to be free. Ghosts are primarily only what's left of our auras, so it was a strong presence.

“Oh, Molly! I'm so glad to be back from that awful place.” She swooped around the room a few times and then came close enough to plant a static kiss on my cheek.

We'd given up hugging because it felt more like suffocating when she came too near.

“I'm so glad you're here.” I wiped tears from my eyes. “I thought you might not be able to come back.”

She stopped swooping and stared at me. “You know, it was the strangest thing. I was in this place. I'm not sure where it was, but I tried to get out and couldn't.”

“Were there other ghosts too?”

“If there were, I couldn't see them. It was so lonely and empty. I thought I might truly die there.” She smiled and swooped a few more times. “Then suddenly it was like the
sun came out in one direction and I followed the light. Maybe that sounds cliché, like when they say don't go into the light. Only this was a good light that led me back to you.”

Drago had taken care of the problem, good to his word, but hadn't involved himself. I wanted to tell her—maybe later when this was over and we were back in Smuggler's Arcane trading stories about Brian's never-to-be-forgotten birthday party. It was certainly bound to be something we all remembered.

“I'm just really happy you're back. We have a problem. After you were sent away, someone sent Elsie to another part of the castle and put a sleeping spell on her. Brian, Dorothy and I tried to break it. We couldn't do it, and she's wasting away.”

Olivia came close to Elsie's face. “Oh no. She can't die like this. It's not her time. We have to figure something out, Molly. We always do. We have to bring her back.”

“I've been looking at these words again, hoping if we could figure out the answer, it would lead us to whoever did this to Elsie. Without knowing the spell, you know how hard it can be to break it.”

“But honey, if that person isn't feeling charitable today, he or she might not want to help anyway. The answer for that could be in our spell book. We have to get it out of the library.” She frowned, a thousand lines dragging her uncertain face down. “You know I always supported our library back home. I can't believe I'm advocating taking something from the best library in the world.”

“I know what you mean. But they had no right to confiscate it. With Sylvia Rose Gold keeping it in her hoard, I don't know what we can do besides appealing to the board. You know how long that could take.”

“I do indeed. But we have to stay positive, Molly. We'll get it back and we'll save Elsie. You look so distressed. I can see a lot of darkness around you. You have to cheer up. I
mean, I thought when I was killed, it was over. And yet here I am. Nothing is ever truly final. We have to remember that.”

“You're right.” I wiped the tears from my face. “We have to focus and figure this out.”

“I know we do.”

“Olivia, did you know that Drago has dragon magic? That's why he's a renegade. The council is probably afraid of him. Dragon magic is very strong.”

She twisted her hands together. “Why do you think I was so afraid for Dorothy? She has that in her too, Molly. I can feel it every time she gets angry.”

I told her about what had happened to Cassandra after she'd banished Olivia.

“Oh no! My poor little girl.” She thought about it. “We have to get her trained better, Molly, so she can learn to conceal it. I don't want her to be an outsider. That's awful.”

“We have to help her learn control,” I agreed. “It won't be easy.”

There was a discreet knock at the door. I knew before I answered that it was Antonio. The witchfinder had his own unique presence that was very strong.

“If I may come in?” He bowed his head. “I feel we are walking in circles, accomplishing nothing. Time is fleeting. We need the answers to the riddle of the words.”

“Come in.” I glanced up and down the long hall outside before closing the door behind him. He was alone.

He nodded to Olivia and stared for a moment at Elsie's prone figure on the bed. “This one does not sleep naturally, I think. She has a powerful spell on her.”

“Yes. I know. We've tried breaking it but without luck so far. Brian and Dorothy have gone to plead our case to have our spell book returned from the library. Otherwise, I don't know what to do.”

He went near her and closed his eyes. It was only a moment when he opened them again. “I'm so sorry. I do not
know this spell, though I can tell you it is very old and unlikely to be in your spell book.”

That riled Olivia. “Our spell book is several generations old, witchfinder. Our great-great-grandparents wrote in it. It may well be older than you. So if you recognize the spell, we might also find it in our book.”

“My apologies for making light of your dilemma. Perhaps it is only my mind stuck on the problems of not only finding Makaleigh's killer but also Hedyle's kidnapper, Drago, who I begin to think might be the same person.”

I wanted to tell him that wasn't true, but I knew he wouldn't believe me, and I couldn't validate the statement without giving away my bargain with Dorothy's father. I kept silent, agreeing without words that it was a shattering problem.

“Our friend is dying,” Olivia pointed out. “Makaleigh is already dead, and there isn't much you can do for her. Hedyle can take care of herself. I think Elsie should come first in this situation.”

“You're right,” I agreed with her. “But without knowing the spell or having our book, I don't know what else to do.”

We pondered the question for a few minutes. Antonio asked to see the words again, complaining of a pesky memory problem. I could relate to that. No doubt being more than five hundred years old and sealed most of that time in a wall made it far worse.

“I understand the point of the weapon, ord.” Antonio embellished his words with flourishes of his hands as he walked about the room. “This is obvious. She was killed with a blade.”

“Although that word also means beginning,” Olivia added. “She could have been talking about a new beginning, which there will certainly be with her death.”

“True.” He continued to contemplate the words. “Have you tried using the words in a spell?”

“Yes. And they led us to Makaleigh's book in the library. Elsie and I were looking at it when Dorothy found our spell book. But I have to tell you that there didn't seem to be anything in there. Makaleigh led a long life. The book meticulously notated everything she did. It might take years to find an answer in there.”

“It might still be worth the effort, Molly,” he said.

“It might,” I agreed. “But it vanished with Elsie. I found her in one of the other rooms, but the book wasn't with her.”

“Aha!” He held one finger in the air. “You see? The book was important, else why steal it? It may even be that your sleeping friend saw the answer and was spelled for it. It is imperative that we wake her.”

I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. “Which brings us back to our problem—we can't wake her.”

He frowned. “Yes. There is that.”

“Maybe we need the runes for those words of power,” Olivia suggested. “That's how I knew about them.”

“That might work, madam,” he said. “Where are the runes to be found?”

“I'm not sure. I might have them in a book at my house.” She glanced at me. “Maybe the library has the book.”

“That's possible.” I got to my feet. “Antonio and I will go back to the library. You stay with Elsie. Don't let anyone in until I get back.”

Olivia nodded. “I can do that. How will I know it's you?”

“We could use a secret knock,” Antonio suggested. “We used them regularly when we were running from the witches after the Inquisition. We just agree that the knocks will come in a certain manner.” He demonstrated. “One knock. Silence. And then two knocks. Are we clear?”

“Perfectly,” Olivia said. “Be careful out there, Molly. Who knows what's going on now.”

I promised her that I would be careful. Antonio and I left the room.

“It is this way,” he said. “It seems you were right about these new times, Molly.”

“In what way?”

“Things are different. Had I tortured you for answers, which was my wont, I might have killed you and lost the words you had in you. Makaleigh chose a strong champion. She was right to give you the words.”

“I think even the Inquisition could have used a lot more persuasion and less torture,” I said as we passed several witches in elaborate clothes. “They must be having another party downstairs. I think we'd all be better off with some sleep.”

“Persuasion.” He rolled the word around in his mouth a bit. “It is my new philosophy. Thank you, dear lady. I have learned much from you.”

Oscar was at the library when we reached its doors. “Molly. Witchfinder. May I be of some assistance?”

“Is there a problem with the library?” I asked, since the room behind him was dark.

“The council has decided to close the library for now. There have been a few incidents recently that they aren't happy about.” His eyes found mine. “I think you know what I mean.”

I thought about the incident between Dorothy and Cassandra. “Yes, I think I know. It was regrettable but so was Cassandra's decision to withhold our spell book and shove Olivia into some nether realm.”

He shrugged. “I'm not saying mistakes weren't made. But the council feels they involve the library, so they're closing it until further notice.”

“I am the council's witchfinder,” Antonio blustered as he raised his chin to stare at Oscar. “I have special privilege. Let me through at once.”

“Suit yourself. If you can get in there, I guess you can do what you want. It's not my magic that closed it. All I did
was put up the sign. If you'll excuse me, I have to get a room ready for what's left of the council to meet shortly.”

“That man is insufferable,” Antonio declared. “Of course I can enter the library.”

He tried both physically and using his magic. The door wouldn't open.

“How can this be? I am empowered to enter all domains in my pursuit of justice. I cannot be stopped.”

I watched him again as he tried to walk through the sealed door. He bounced back from it, even angrier than he had been.

“The council shall hear of this at once,” he shouted passionately. “I must leave you now to find Abdon and demand entrance to the library. I shall find you when I do this. Do not worry. We shall prevail.”

He stormed down the hall. Several other witches came up to use the library. All of them read Oscar's sign and went away. Only Antonio believed he should be able to enter no matter what.

I went back to my room, surprised to find that I was actually beginning to learn the halls and rooms of the castle. It was poorly laid out, and more maze-like than I would have built it, but it was possible to learn its secrets.