A Witch's Path

by N. E. Conneely

  I jumped when Elron touched my shoulder. "Come back inside with me so we can get the writing off your ceiling," he said.

  "Have I thanked you for helping me?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh. . . Thank you again."

  "You are welcome. I'm sorry the circumstances of this evening haven't been better."

  "It's not your fault, unless you sent the spider after me as some stupid joke and aren't willing to confess that it was a prank."

  "Nope, something truly scary isn't my style."

  "Right, you're more of a crazy plant kind of a guy." He smiled but didn't say anything. "How did you kill that thing?"

  He stiffened. "I twisted the gifts the Mother gave us. That is all you need to know."

  Translated out of elf talk and into normal language, he was saying he had used power given to elves by the earth in a way the magic wasn't intended to be used.

  "You know, the earth kills too." I didn't want him to feel guilty. He had saved me from having to find a way to kill the spider, and prevented my magic from touching it.

  Elron gazed into my eyes. "You are correct. Now, how would you like to remove the web?"

  "Did you feel anything strange when you killed the spider?"

  "No, but I doubt it would be able to affect my magic."

  "I'm worried about it doing something to my magic. Could you try to remove the web? It is a natural fiber."

  A green glow of elven magic surrounded the web and it slowly peeled off the ceiling and rolled into a ball. He picked it up with a paper towel. Outside, he tossed the web and the paper towel in the fire. Once the silk had burned, he used a stick to spread out the wood so the fire would burn out more quickly.

  While we watched it burn out to ensure nothing strange was going to happen, we reassured Ty that everything was fine. He'd been worked up when we came out of the Lodge. I guess he heard my scream. Once the fire died, we gathered up all of the ashes, and took a short walk to the stream bordering the lodge. I dumped them in the running water and watched them separate as they floated away.

  "Elron, do you still want that glass of wine? I don't want to be alone."

  "Yes." He took my hand in his, and guided me back to the lodge.

  "I'll be back in a moment," Elron said before vanishing into his apartment.

  I went inside and pulled a sweet red out of the fridge. Elron returned with a tray of food in his hands. He set it on the dining room table. I set two glasses of wine next to it.

  "I thought you might like some food," he said, uncertainty lacing his voice.

  "I'd like to have dinner with you," I said as I laid my hand on his, promptly losing myself in his eyes. A moment later, I shook myself out of the trance. "What did you bring?"

  "Lucky for us, Landa gave me leftovers earlier today. We have meatless lasagna, mushrooms sautéed with lemon juice and pepper, seasoned grilled okra, delicata squash roasted and glazed with brown sugar, and cranberry orange muffins." He named the dishes as he set them on the table.

  "It looks amazing." I grabbed plates, utensils, water, and the wine bottle. We were quiet while we loaded our plates. The food was as good as it looked.

  "Michelle, did you know the forest saved your life the night you captured the trolls and sorceress?"

  I swallowed my food without chewing it, hastily drinking water to wash it down. "The earth did give me that impression. How did you know?"

  "The forest told me when I asked it to protect you."

  "Oh, did it tell you anything else?"

  "Naught related to the current issue. It does care for you greatly."

  "I'll have to spend more time in the woods. I usually say my thanks at the altar." My voice trailed off. If the woods were being this proactive, it was only right to give thanks.

  Several minutes passed before I thought of a way to continue the conversation.

  "I know you have a job, but I've forgotten what you do. Would you mind telling me again?" I asked. We hadn't been on the best of terms when he moved into the Lodge.

  He carefully wiped his mouth. "I'm helping Kennesaw University set up an exotic garden. They want magical and rare plants that require an elf to tend them."

  "It must be beautiful."

  "The plants are lovely, but the space incomplete. It will be some time before it is as lovely as it should be."

  "I'd love to see it." Magical plants were difficult to grow, and many were beautiful.

  Elron stiffened, and then relaxed. "It isn't ready for visitors yet, but when it is, you will be the first."

  We didn't speak for several minutes while we ate. He had mentioned knowing about my clan and witches. It would be good to know something before I talked to Cage. "Elron, you once mentioned that you could tell me about my clan. Would you mind explaining? Could you explain my clan scar?"

  "May I see it?"

  I turned my back to him, pulled my hair over my shoulder, and tugged my shirt down until the markings were visible. Elron leaned close and studied it. Twisting my neck, I tried to see him, but couldn't focus enough to see his expression. The basic shape was a curvy X. On the outside of the top left side of the X, where two lines that joined the rest of the shape at a sharp angle. The top of the X and the top line formed a point. The other side, two quarter circles came off the outside top portion of the X. They ended even with the top of the X.

  "You may straighten your clothes."

  Pulling my shirt up, I turned to look at him. There was a crease between his brows and his mouth was pinched. "So?"

  "Although I can read many of the clan scars, I do not recognize the one you bear. My apologies, I did not intend to mislead you when I said I could read them."

  My fingers brushed his cheek. "It's ok. As it turns out, I'm something of a mystery. Can you tell me anything about my clan or parents?"

  "I do have some information about that. It is vague, and may be less than satisfying." He seemed uncertain. I tore my eyes away from his silvery hair, to study his face.

  "Please? I've had a few strange encounters lately." I needed answers, and strangely, I trusted Elron. Plus, I had a better chance of getting the truth from him than I did from my parents, Landa, or Cage.

  "I don't know the entire story, but I'll tell you what I do know. Your mother, Nancy, was the daughter of a very powerful witch in her clan. Nancy's mother became the clan leader, but your grandmother was never happy with your mother because Nancy wasn't powerful. Your grandmother was determined to force Nancy to mature into a powerful witch and find her a good match in their clan, or an allied clan.

  "Nancy didn't want to be her mother's pawn. She had found love on her own terms, and at Nancy's insistence they kept the relationship a secret. When Nancy's mother tried to force her away from her job and into a clan position, Nancy refused. Nancy's pregnancy was where the real trouble began. Your grandmother wanted to know who the father was, and Nancy refused to say. Greg's clan was progressive, and hated by Nancy's clan. If Nancy's mother had found out who she was dating, it might have started a clan war.

  "Since Nancy wouldn't say who the father of her child was, her clan assumed she'd been dating a human and cast her out of the clan. Your parents went to great lengths, mundane and magical, to make Nancy vanish. Since your mother's clan would be looking for a couple with a baby on the way, they decided to stop seeing each other. Because of this separation, Greg didn't see your birth. In fact, it was six years before Nancy heard that the clan stopped looking for her. To prevent suspicion from falling on them, they continued to see each other secretly."

  "Alright, I understand that, but what does that have to do with me?"

  "Your grandmother is growing old, and wants the clan to continue down the maternal line. Your mother and you are her only descendants, and she wants the clan leadership to stay in the family. Without you or your mother, the line will pass to someone else."

  "And my father's clan?"

  "They couldn't accept the two of you into their ranks without starting a war." />
  "How do you know this?" I asked. This was information I'd never heard.

  "Elves hear things."

  I rolled my eyes. "Be serious."

  He sighed. "I am. I cannot tell you more without breaking the trust of the elf who gave me the information.

  "Fine, I get it. I don't like it but I get it." I settled on asking about the clans. "Why aren't you telling me what clans they belong to?"

  "I'm a forgetful old man." He winked.

  "The feeble old man trick is getting stale." I smiled.

  "What? You don't think I'm a crazy old coot?"

  "Nope. You are a perfectly sane, cantankerous man, playing the senile-old-man card every chance you get."

  "Ah, but I am an old man. I've already lived more than three of your lifetimes."

  "When you came here you had trouble driving, using a cell phone, and talking to people."

  "Your point?"

  "You haven't lived in this century. You have lots to learn about the world."

  "I should experience as much of the modern lifestyle as I can." He emptied the glass of wine. "In that endeavor, would you like to go on a date?" He stumbled over the word.

  "Why?" I promptly turned bright red, and wished myself anywhere else. I'd wanted to be more tactful, but my brain stopped working when I heard his question.

  As he spoke, the vulnerability I'd seen glimpses of came back, allowing me to see the man behind the snark. "I like your company. You're more vibrant and real than anyone I've met in many years."

  "What about our age difference? Or our races? Why date someone who's a child compared to you?"

  "We have had different lives and experiences. You are correct, I have little experience in the modern world. While you are young, you are an adult, and I like what I see in you. If I thought you were a child, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

  "As for our races, it's very uncommon for people to date cross race, but it isn't unheard of. I want to get to know you better, and my feelings aren't strictly platonic."

  "I'd enjoy a date with you." I said. Seeing his shoulder drop, and the lines around his eyes smooth out, I realized how much of himself he'd let me see.

  "Thank you, I'm honored."

  I grinned. "You might be less honored after the date."

  *******

  I fell asleep dreaming of Elron. Images of his charming smile, and silver hair danced through my head. We were at a campfire; laughing, smiling and happy.

  The dream changed and I wasn't at a campfire with Elron. Now, a woman studied me from across the fire. In the flickering light, I could make out light colored hair and pointed ears, but I didn't know this woman.

  "Be careful," she said is a raspy voice. She must have seen the questions in my face because she explained, "While we are in your dream, now our dream, things we say can find their way to another's ears."

  I nodded. "Who are you? How did you get in my dream?"

  "I can't answer the first question. You'll find out in time. It took a great deal of effort to find my way into your dream. I'm here because I needed to talk to you."

  "How can someone I've never met need to talk to me?" Something felt off. These woods weren't welcoming, but looming, as if they were listening, ready to report back to their master. The fire was doing strange things in her eyes. One moment, she had flames where her eyes should be, the next she had eyes like any other elf.

  The woman picked up a stick and started dragging it through the dirt in front of her. "You need to listen to me because I can help you. Don't ask why you need help, I can't tell you and I'm running out of time."

  I cocked an eyebrow. I wasn't inclined to listen to a woman who'd broken into my dreams.

  "The book. You need to find the book." She continued to look at the ground, pushing dirt around with the stick.

  My tongue was firmly clinched between my teeth. It wasn't worth asking for details about the book; I knew she wouldn't tell me.

  "And there is one more thing." She didn't continue.

  "What?" I asked. The fire that had been blazing moments ago was quickly dying. Behind her, the trees seemed translucent. In some spots I could see furniture. It was as if this area was fading into a room.

  "I don't have much time. If you see me again, you must not give any sign that you recognize me, and you can't trust me. I won't be on your side." The woman tossed the stick into the fire.

  "What are you talking about?" Now my dreams were as confusing as my life. I didn't know why she was telling me these things. The fire was down to softly glowing coals, and the woods behind her were fading into a room.

  She stood up, her eyes normal. "The book will help you. You can trust the book, even if you can't trust me."

  "How can you be here to help me if I can't trust you?" This was a bizarre dream, even for a witch.

  "What I said here was the truth. You can trust these words, and the book. You cannot trust me outside of this time and place."

  "Then why are you here?" The woods behind her were almost gone, bringing an opulent office into focus.

  "Get the book. Do not hesitate to kill me." Her eyes flickered yellow and orange.

  With that, she was gone.

  The office was gone, leaving me at a campfire in the woods. The woods were more welcoming than they'd been moments ago.

  I walked to the other side of the fire, curious about what she'd spent so much time tracing into the ground. The stick she'd used was gone, burned in the fire, but on the ground was a mush of curves, lines, and swirls. Circled by the doodles was the name Sylvia.

  *******

  The dream stuck with me through my shower. Witches were known for having strange dreams, but nothing I'd read indicated that a stranger could show up in my dreams. Most of the literature referred to dreams shared between people close to one another, often spouses. Some witches had prophetic dreams. However, the books suggested that those would be snippets of an event, enough to make you think, but not enough to give you an answer.

  Last night had been different. It didn't follow the pattern of the other dreams. Something changed the dream I was having, morphing from Elron to the woman. The crazy woman who said I could trust what she said in the dream, and in the book, but told me to kill her.

  Then there was the name, Sylvia.

  The name tugged at me. I felt like I should know something about it, but I didn't. It was one more thing I couldn't solve, fix, or answer.

  I growled at my reflection. Setting down the brush, I pulled my hair into a ponytail. I didn't have time for puzzles today. My magic was back, well, significantly improved from last night, and I had things to do.

  In my living room, I sat on the floor beside the bonsai. The tracking spell didn't need any special supplies or safeguards, so I was abandoning my workroom. Taking a few deep breaths, I pushed the dream out of my mind, focusing on Amber.

  I slowly built a picture of her in my mind, only it was far more detailed than any picture. It was her, her face, hair, wearing her favorite shirt and pants. I added her likes to the image; pizza, Mark, her job, her feathery form. Then I added her personality. Her quiet nature, and soft words, her aversion to violence and fighting.

  When I had her, all of her, locked in my head, I focused my power and said, "Radnu." Find.

  The magic formed a tight coil in front of me, as if gathering itself, before shooting into to the world. It raced away, and I could feel it, moving, searching. Then it was gone. The connection dissolved.

  "Narzel curse it," I hissed. There was no point in trying the spell again, without a tie to her, it wouldn't work. Why was Amber so tidy? If only Tiffany had been taken I could've found her that night. Two pairs of her shoes and her blue jogging jacket were in my closet.

  Bad, Michelle, wishing you could swap them was pointless. It was what it was, and ideally I wouldn't be in this situation because both of them would be safe. Dwelling on the failure wouldn't help.

  I texted Tiffany and Mark, letting them know that the trac
king spell had been a bust. Within seconds they had replied, thanking me for trying. It was time to figure out a new plan, but that would have to wait. I needed to eat and get to Ellijay.

  Outside my door I found a small basket with little jars. Careful letters labeled them as calming, energizing, realxing, and morning. I carried them into my kitchen, touched that Elron had taken the time to make them for me.

  Landa was serving breakfast early today because some of the guests and I wanted to get an early start. It may have been days since I had time, or inclination to have a meal in the dining room, but nothing had changed. There was still a sidebar heavy with food, and a big table.

  I wasn't the only one up this early. A group of five guys was taking up the end of the table. The energy of the group surged and pulsed; they were shifters. Rubbing a few sleepies out of my eyes, I hurried to fill a plate. Fluffy eggs, blackberries, bacon, and an orange muffin found their way onto my plate. I balanced the fork, spoon, napkin, and plate in one hand while filling a mug of tea with the other.

  After setting my breakfast, tea, and cutlery on the table, I slid into the chair next to a man with bright red hair. He turned around to greet me, a big smile on his face.

  "Lass, I didn't expect to see you this early."

  The hair hadn't been enough for me to recognize, him, but the voice was unmistakable. "Liam, how are you?"

  Liam was a werewolf who I'd met at this table a couple of weeks ago. I quickly greeted Bobby, the sage, or spiritual leader, of the pack. Last time Liam had been here, was after he'd passed the alpha trial. The other men were less memorable. They could have been the wolves I'd met last time Liam was here, but I didn't recognize them.

  "I'm good lass. How are you?" The Irish accent was delightful. I could listen to him talk all day.

  "As well as can be expected. After this I'm off to look at bodies. Not exactly my favorite way to start the day. What are y'all up to?" I asked.

  "After this, we are going for a long run. The woods in this area are lovely."