by Donna Grant
Armir reached a hand down and helped Synne to her feet. She gave him a nod of thanks then turned her attention back to Elin.
“What are you afraid of?” Jarin asked her.
Elin’s eyes snapped to him as she gave him a hard look. “How easy it is for you to ask that question. As a man, you can move about as you wish, do what you want without fear of someone trying to rape you.”
“You have magic to keep them away,” Armir replied.
Elin turned her head away. “And I’ve used it when I had no other choice.”
“The Coven has been after her for years,” Asrail interjected. “I helped to hide her, and she helped to hide me when it was necessary.”
Jarin moved his staff to his other hand. “I can well understand all of that, but we’re in a position now where we need all those who oppose the Coven to take a stand.”
“You need to decide now,” Asrail informed Elin.
The witch’s brows snapped together. “Why the hurry?”
“Sybbyl,” Armir guessed.
At the sound of the Coven leader’s name, everyone grew wary. Synne looked over her shoulder to the cottage. She stood on her own, but she didn’t appear steady.
“We need to get moving,” Jarin stated.
Asrail nodded. “All of you.”
“You mean all of us,” Synne said.
Asrail smiled at her, holding out her hand. Synne hesitated only a heartbeat before taking it. “Child, someone has to stay behind to give all of you time to escape.”
“Not you,” Elin whispered.
The Gira shrugged. “Who else? The Varroki need to return to Blackglade. I spent my life ensuring that Synne wouldn’t be harmed, not to mention, Lachlan awaits her return.” Asrail paused, her lips curving into a soft smile. “Then there’s you. I always warned you that one day you’d have to take a stand against the Coven and your sister. That day has arrived.”
“I agree with Elin,” Synne said. “I don’t want to lose you.”
Jarin’s lips flattened. “We could be making headway if we’d stop talking and get moving.”
Armir looked into the distance where Asrail’s gaze kept moving. She felt Sybbyl’s approach. That could come in handy, but Sybbyl used magic to cross great distances. She would catch up with them on foot, even if Asrail remained behind. Armir went through several scenarios as the other four began to bicker.
“Enough,” he said and looked at Asrail. “I appreciate your willingness to sacrifice yourself for your granddaughter and the rest of us, but it wouldn’t do much good. Once Sybbyl finished with you, she’d find us before we could return home.”
Asrail studied him. “I could hold her off for a significant period of time.”
“You know how far we are from Blackglade. You know it won’t be enough. It would be better if you came with us.”
Asrail bowed her head. “So be it.”
“Can you use magic to take us back to where we were?” Jarin asked.
Elin shot him a harsh look. “You have eyes. You can see how bringing you here has affected her. It takes a lot to move herself. But to add others? She’s going to need time to recover.”
“Time we don’t have,” Asrail said.
Synne straightened her shoulders. “We can talk about all of this while we walk, but we need to get moving.” She then looked at Elin. “Did you bring my bow and arrows?”
“Avis already had them at that point,” the witch said.
Synne’s lips pressed together. “Looks like I’ll be getting them back from her.”
32
This was the fourth time Sybbyl had found herself changing directions while looking for the bone. Either someone was moving it, or the staff was intentionally misleading her.
There was laughter in her head, and it wasn’t her voice.
Sybbyl tightened her grip on the staff and said, “Enough! Tell me what I want to know.”
There was no response, which only infuriated Sybbyl more. She was trekking all over Scotland, looking for the bone to grow her power. She had the staff, and it was supposed to obey her. Sybbyl turned in a circle and looked at the mountains surrounding her. Snow flurries swirled, the gray sky threatening a snowstorm at any moment.
This might be her first time in Scotland, but Sybbyl had a difficult time believing that there were no people about. It was like she had been intentionally led away from any villages. Her gaze slid to the staff in her hand. There was no laughter in her head, or even the voice. But she knew it was listening.
“As long as I hold you, I control you,” she stated.
“You control nothing.”
“I have the Staff of the Eternal, which means, I control it. You can try and thwart me all you want, but in the end, I will win.” Sybbyl took a deep breath, then in a voice laced with anger, she commanded, “Now tell me where the bone is!”
The silence that followed only enraged Sybbyl. She threw back her head and released a scream of fury to the heavens. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to go. She had the staff. That meant she was in control. Why wasn’t it listening to her? Why wouldn’t it obey her?
She looked at her hand that was wrapped around the wood of the staff’s handle. The moment she had touched it, the First Witch had gotten into her head. Her bones were supposed to hold great magic, but no one had told Sybbyl what else the bones could do.
The voice in her head chuckled in response.
Sybbyl narrowed her gaze on the staff. She didn’t like the fact that the First Witch was somehow in her mind, but it was a small price to pay to get what she wanted. No matter how much she hated it, Sybbyl would deal with the laughter and comments from the bone. After all, she was the one wielding the Staff of the Eternal. If the First Witch was so powerful, she would bring herself back. Or, she would’ve at least made sure that no one could get to her bones. But she wasn’t that strong. She was weak. And now, others controlled parts of her.
There was a smile on Sybbyl’s lips when the voice remained quiet. She hadn’t figured that the First Witch would appreciate such words. It was time the voice understood who was in control.
“I’m very aware of who is in control.”
“Remember that,” Sybbyl ordered. “Now, tell me where the bone I search for is located.”
“Far from where you can reach it.”
“Tell me!”
“In the hands of a Highlander, who is even now with the Varroki.”
Sybbyl had never felt such rage, such uncontrollable savagery before. She had wasted valuable time trying to find a bone that could’ve been hers had she not been led on a merry chase. Now, it was with the Varroki. But that didn’t matter. She had the staff, and the Varroki didn’t have any other bones. They would be easy to take down. Without them, the Hunters and anyone who might have a bone of the First Witch wouldn’t stand a chance against her.
She lifted the staff and slammed it into the ground. “In which direction are the Varroki?”
The voice was silent, which simply wouldn’t do.
Sybbyl slammed the staff into the ground a second time, harder than the first. A vibration ran through the wood before sinking into her palm and moving through her body. “Which direction are the Varroki?”
“North.”
She shifted north and was about to take a step when the voice stopped her cold.
“South. East. West. The Varroki are everywhere. They are all around you, in people you don’t even realize. They’ve been watching the Coven from the moment it was created. And they’ve made it their mission to stop you.”
Sybbyl took a deep breath before she slammed the staff a third time. It was such a violent move that her hand slipped down the smooth wood. “Tell me!”
Silence filled her mind. Then, in a voice laced with fury, the bone spoke. “Northwest.”
With a destination in mind, Sybbyl began walking. But she wasn’t finished with the bone. “Where exactly is this Highlander?”
“You’ll never find him.”
Sybbyl laughed. “Oh, I know I will. The fact that you won’t give me the answer tells me that he is out here somewhere. The Varroki may be with him, but they aren’t in their hidden city yet. That means I can still get the next bone.”
Her laughter grew and echoed around her when the voice had no pithy reply. It had tried to outwit her, but that wouldn’t happen. It was a remnant of a powerful witch, sure, but one that had been dead for ages. Whatever magic lingered was hers to command. The voice was a hindrance meant for those with weak minds. That wasn’t her.
And she’d just proven that.
“Tell me where he is,” Sybbyl said in a voice laced with danger.
“Headed to the Varroki city.”
Sybbyl ignored the pull of pain in her neck from her wound. It had grown, festering, but the pain was manageable. She would deal with it once she had rid herself of the Varroki and had the next bone in hand. Her neck and wrist might pain her, but they didn’t dampen her power or her ability to do magic. And that’s all that mattered at the moment.
She started to say the spell that would allow her to travel over vast distances, but she stopped mid-sentence. She had wasted time and magic moving around all of Scotland, looking for the bone. The staff could be misdirecting her yet again. However, she needed to get to the Highlander quickly. It seemed she needed more than just the staff right now.
“Avis,” she said, sending out a summoning spell with the name.
When she didn’t get an immediate answer from the witch, Sybbyl remained where she was, waiting for her magic to bring Avis to her. But as the seconds passed, she realized that something or someone was keeping Avis from her. The witch wasn’t strong enough to stay away herself. Besides, Avis was loyal. She would come when called. That could only mean one of two things. Either a Hunter had somehow managed to best Avis—which Sybbyl didn’t think likely. Or…the Varroki had gotten to Avis.
That seemed the more likely scenario, but it did little to appease Sybbyl. She thought back to when she had last been in a forest. The Gira could aid her since they had sided with her. But once more, she paused. The Gira had chosen her because they believed her strong enough. If they saw any weaknesses, they would turn on her. That meant she couldn’t go to them for help.
Sybbyl didn’t trust any other witches, especially those in the Coven. The only one she slightly cared about was Avis, and only because the witch had shown great potential and all but worshipped Sybbyl. It looked as if she were on her own. It was how it was meant to be anyway. Sybbyl had always been on her own, and she always would be. The only person she could trust and rely on was herself.
She began walking in the direction the staff had directed her. Even when the snow began to fall heavier, she kept walking. When night fell, she continued on. She didn’t stop, didn’t rest, didn’t eat. That would come later when she had the next bone.
Every few hours, she demanded that the staff tell her which location the Highlander was in. Every time, the staff told her northwest.
After hours of walking, Sybbyl heard the Gira calling to her from a nearby forest. The moment she entered the woods, she was assaulted by their hurried words. Sybbyl was stunned to hear that there was a half-human, half-Gira walking around—and that same person just happened to be a Hunter.
Fury coursed through Sybbyl. “Where is she?”
The Gira gave her the location. Without another word, Sybbyl used the travel spell.
33
They weren’t going to make it. Synne knew it in her bones. Their small group was traveling quickly, but it wasn’t going to be enough. She didn’t need to ask if they were a significant way from the gates of Blackglade, she could see it on Jarin’s and Armir’s faces.
She glanced at Asrail. The Gira looked better than she had after first arriving, but she still wasn’t strong enough to use magic to take all of them to the Varroki.
Armir held up a hand, and they paused beside a stream to drink and take a brief rest. Synne might have trained diligently but wasn’t used to running for long distances. She drew in gulps of air to try and slow her breathing as she looked around the landscape while Elin, Asrail, and Jarin knelt next to the water and drank.
“Are you all right?” Armir asked.
It was the first time any of them had asked her that, which surprised her, considering that she had needed help getting to her feet a short time ago. Her limbs were still weak at times, but she refused to give in to the feeling. Even the instances where she stumbled, she managed to remain standing.
“I’ve been better, but you don’t need to worry about me,” she told him.
Armir grinned as he held her gaze. “It’s not just your skill with the bow that Edra and Radnar saw in you. They sensed your determination, your loyalty.”
“If I was as good as I should be, Avis wouldn’t have been able to use that spell on me.”
“You can’t blame yourself,” Elin said to Synne as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and got to her feet to face them. “Avis is a master at making others believe she’s vulnerable. As soon as they do, she strikes. She’s as good at it as you are with a bow.”
Asrail shifted to sit on the cold ground. “Elin’s right. Avis is more devious than people first think.”
Synne shifted, uncomfortable that four pairs of eyes were on her. “I’m only here because of Elin. Had she not arrived in time, I’d be dead.”
“Avis won’t be bothering anyone again,” Armir stated.
Synne jerked her head to him. “Did you kill her?” She winced then and shot a look of regret in Elin’s direction. “I’m sorry. That was callous. She’s your sister.”
“She might be of my blood, but she stopped being my sister when she sent the villagers after me,” Elin replied.
Jarin got to his feet and joined them. “I met an Avis when Sybbyl captured me. What does she look like?”
“Blond hair, brown eyes,” Elin said with a shrug.
Jarin’s brows drew together. “Demure. Mousy, even?”
Elin’s face went white. “Always. That’s why I was so shocked when she turned on me.”
“What is it?” Armir asked Jarin.
The warrior gave a shake of his head, his face a mask of disbelief. “She appears to be Sybbyl’s favorite.”
Ice slid through Synne’s veins. “And Sybbyl sent Avis after Lachlan and me. Sybbyl must know that Lachlan has the bone.”
“Sybbyl wouldn’t send a witch after a bone,” Asrail said. “That’s what the elders did with her, and look who ended up with the Staff of the Eternal and in control.”
Armir crossed his arms over his chest. “I agree with Asrail. If Sybbyl knew that Lachlan had a bone, she would’ve come for it herself. I think she just wanted to stop you from getting to us.”
“Maybe.” That made Synne feel a little better, but not much. “Now what?”
Jarin jumped on a nearby boulder and looked the way they’d traveled. “We keep moving.”
“Agreed.” Armir motioned Synne to join him in getting some water.
The moment she put her hand in the icy water, she began to shiver. As out of breath and sweaty as she was, the water cooled her instantly. She drank as much as she could, then got to her feet. Synne dried her hand then fisted it in an effort to keep as much warmth as she could.
Then, they were off again. It reminded Synne of her travels with Lachlan to Blackglade just a few days ago. It was like she couldn’t reach her destination. At least, Lachlan was there. He was safe with his sword that held the bone of the First Witch. Synne couldn’t believe the luck she’d had in meeting him. Had she been looking for him or the bone, she never would’ve encountered him. Yet, their paths had crossed. When she thought about everything that’d had to line up for that to occur, it boggled her mind.
Despite their fast pace and few stops, Synne still didn’t think their chances of reaching Blackglade in time were all that great. Asrail could leave and save herself. She was fairly certain that Jarin and Armi
r could also use magic to disappear. Even Elin could find some spell to hide herself as she had for years. The only one without magic, the only one incapable of saving herself, was Synne.
She came to a stop, the others passing her. It took a few moments for them to realize she had fallen behind. Asrail was the first to halt and look her way.
“What is it?” Jarin asked, his chest rising and falling quickly from exertion.
Synne looked at each of them. “Why are you here? Right now, with me?”
“You know why,” Armir answered. “We came to find you.”
Synne shrugged. “You did. Then you discovered that Sybbyl wasn’t far away and would be coming for us. Or worse, lying in wait as we rush back to Blackglade.”
“We’re wasting time,” Jarin told Armir.
Synne nodded, her brows raised. “You are. All of you. Each of you could use magic to get as far from here as possible. That would put you away from Sybbyl. Why aren’t you doing it?”
“Because we’re in this together,” Asrail said in a soft voice.
Armir glanced at the sky, and the snow that began to fall in earnest. “You think because you don’t have magic that you’re inferior.”
“It’s the truth,” she answered.
Armir’s pale green eyes locked with hers. “But you do have magic. You might not conjure spells, but you are far from magicless.”
“I can shoot a bow accurately. I can communicate with trees. Aye, I can do both of those things. But I don’t have my bow now.”
Asrail walked to Synne and took her hands. “Do you remember what I told you? You don’t need to have a tree next to you for you to hear them. Their roots run beneath us, carrying their message.”
“That’s how I know we won’t make it to Blackglade,” Synne said. She looked from her grandmother to the rest. “You all need to go. Now. Scatter in different directions. Asrail spoke of staying behind to give us time. Now, I’m saying it.”
Jarin stalked to Synne until he stood inches from her. “If you’d seen Lachlan’s face when he thought he’d lost you, you wouldn’t be standing here talking like this. Your arse would be finding a way to get back to him.”