by K E O'Connor
Olympus stumbled over, clutching the wounds on his chest. He held a large clump of moss over his groin.
My cheeks grew warm, and I looked away. “Yes! Definitely. Among other things.”
“Then I wish you every success.” Bumble gestured at Olympus. “And here is your reward. I hope you use him well.”
“I, um, I have no plans to use Olympus for anything,” I said.
“You should. He’d make a fine stud. And since you’re the last of the Ash witches, you must have plans to continue the family line. Make use of this strapping warlock, and you’ll have incredibly powerful children.”
Olympus grunted as he staggered past me. “Let’s get out of here, before they turn me into a pin cushion.”
I raised a hand to the gnomes. “As soon as I’ve sorted your mead delivery, I’ll get it sent over.”
“We’ll be waiting,” Bumble said. “And if you don’t deliver, we know where you live.”
I had no doubt the gnomes would descend on my house in their full fury if I didn’t bring them their booze.
I turned and hurried after Olympus, gesturing for my familiars to follow. I kept my gaze on the back of his head, not wanting to leer at his bare backside, even though it was a fine view.
“He must work out,” Hilda whispered.
“Shush! Or he’ll think you have a crush on him.”
She jiggled on my shoulder. “I’m not the one with the crush.”
Olympus ducked behind a tree and pulled out his clothes. “Give me a minute.”
“You’re injured. Do you need treatment?” I said.
“Good idea. Then you can get a closer look at his muscles,” Hilda said.
I glared at her. “I’ll offer you to the gnomes if you don’t quieten down.”
She simply waggled her legs at me.
“I’ll be fine. I’ve got healing potions on me.” Olympus emerged from behind the tree a moment later, adjusting his jacket. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a bottle of purple liquid, and downed it. He shuddered as he was engulfed in a pale purple mist. It swirled around his torso for several minutes.
“Feeling better?” I asked.
“I’ll live.” He glanced over my shoulder at the gnomes. “If you hadn’t shown up, I’d be dead by now. You could have left me. Why did you help?”
“Because... I’m not actually sure. I guess it’s because you helped me when I went before the Magic Council. You spoke up for me.”
“Because it was the right thing to do.” Olympus shrugged. “Although I’m puzzled as to what you’re doing out here. Aren’t you supposed to be in the house investigating Ursa’s hex?”
“Oh! I was. But it was quiet, so—”
“You decided to sneak off. You were planning to come back, I hope?”
“Of course. I will help Ursa.”
“Then let’s go back to the house. We can deal with Ursa’s issue together. I’m done with these gnomes. And I’m not convinced they won’t try to blood let me again.”
“No! I need to find Luna. The house is quiet. Ursa’s hex will wait until the morning.”
He shook his head. “We had a deal. We’re going back in the house. But you won’t be alone, since I’m coming with you. We can work on this together. After all, aren’t I your new stud partner?”
Chapter 12
I blushed and turned away, but not before missing the gleam of amusement in Olympus’ eyes. Was he flirting with me?
“Bumble didn’t mean that. He got confused when I said we were partners. He thought...” I waved my hand in his general direction.
“I know exactly what Bumble thought. And why not? You’re an attractive witch with power. That will get you noticed by many warlocks.”
“Sure it does. I’m chasing the suitors away with a flaming broomstick.”
He laughed. “Are you saying you’re not interested in me as a potential stud?”
I turned back to him. “Stop calling yourself that. It’s weird.”
“No weirder than being stripped naked by a bunch of marauding gnomes and having beetle dung symbols painted on my chest.” His smile made him too handsome for his own good.
“Yeah, that is odd. So... shall we go inside?”
“In a minute.” His smile turned sly. “I haven’t heard of you bringing anyone special back to the village.”
Was he for real? Olympus was asking about my dating life? Had he forgotten I’d been locked up most of the time I’d been away from Witch Haven? And then I’d hidden in a hovel of an apartment, not wanting anything to do with the rest of the world.
“Does your silence mean there is someone special? Or is it complicated?” Olympus said.
“My silence means it’s none of your business. Let’s not focus on my love life.” I had to get control of this situation. “I’m more interested in finding out why you want us to work together? You don’t have to help me with Ursa’s problem.”
The gleam in his eyes faded. “I do. This is business, and the Magic Council expect results.”
“And that’s all?” Olympus’ flirting had me flustered, and that was something I wasn’t used to. But I couldn’t lose sight of who he really was. He may be good-looking, but he wanted to take me down. A few kind words and a nice smile, wasn’t changing how I felt about him.
“You already know Ursa is a problem for the Magic Council. We need her dealt with. We have other business to deal with other than her myriad problems that plague us on a daily basis.”
“Like the darkness Bumble mentioned?” I said. “It seems every magic user in Witch Haven is struggling. Is that true?”
Olympus brushed dirt off one sleeve. “He spoke the truth.”
“And what has the Magic Council been doing to deal with it?”
“Tracking you. We thought you were the source.”
“But you’re having doubts?”
He nodded slowly. “I was as convinced as everyone else that when you were taken out of the equation, things would settle. I believed you were the linchpin.”
“So kill me and you remove the power source,” I said. “Why don’t you do just that? Test your theory.”
“Because... I’m not so sure, anymore. You were different to how I expected. You’re not the young, headstrong witch who was arrested all those years ago. I’d just joined the Magic Council when you were caught, but I read all the files on you, and everything I heard had me convinced.”
“And now we’ve met, you think I’m a white witch personified?”
He snorted a laugh. “Hardly. But I’m less certain. And I don’t like feeling uncertain. If you’re not the cause of this darkness, then there’s something else out there that we’ve yet to discover.”
“I’ve discovered it. You should believe Magda’s journal entry,” I said. “There’s no reason she’d lie to me. You need to look for this dark witch coven. Find the witch behind the magic that ruined Magda and me.”
He nodded again. “If they are the problem, then we need to move quickly, before the darkness becomes too great to control.”
“We? You’re suggesting we work together?”
“I’m not your enemy, Indigo. But I am on the side of justice. I follow the clues, and at the time, they led me straight to you. However, now I’ve gotten to know you and learned of the coven’s possible interference, I don’t mind admitting I could be wrong.”
Once again, he’d stunned me into silence. Not many people could do that.
“Perhaps we could work together to solve this mystery.” A slow smile spread across his face when I still didn’t speak. “Would that be so terrible?”
My familiars had remained silent until this point. Hilda did a tap dance on my shoulder, while Russell cawed and flapped his wings as he swooped down from a tree. Nugget made no comment.
“I guess it could work,” I stammered. “Although I don’t completely trust you. What if this is a trick?”
“It’s not. Let’s say we trust each other fifty percent for now. That�
�s a good base to begin with,” he said. “And since we half trust each other, there’s something you need to know.”
“Another problem in Witch Haven?”
“It’s another problem for Witch Haven.” Olympus’ lips thinned. “The Magic Council is considering removing the village from existence.”
I squinted, not sure I’d heard him right. “How do you remove an entire village?”
“This area has become tainted with darkness, and it’s spreading at an increasingly rapid rate. We have to contain the menace. It can’t be allowed outside the boundaries of the village. If it gets out, it’ll contaminate other magic communities.”
“What are they planning to do, drop a magic bomb on the place and pretend it never existed?”
“Something like that. It’ll be a combination of erasing memories, relocating villagers, and then razing the place to the ground. The Council is taking an initial vote on this matter soon. If the majority are in favor of erasing the village from the history books, it could all happen by the end of the year.”
“That’s not fair. The whole village shouldn’t disappear because of one hexed apple.”
“We’re talking about lots of very hexed, toxic apples. This darkness could contaminate anything it comes into contact with. The issue hasn’t been decided yet, but it’s one option. One of very few.”
“Do you approve of this option?”
Olympus shook his head. “I’m certain we can save this place, but we’re up against the clock to do so.”
“Then we’re in agreement for once. We must save Witch Haven.”
“And we can do it better together,” he said. “If you’re willing, I’ll work with you. And I’ll make sure the Magic Council stay off your back, so we can continue to hunt this darkness.”
“Does that include making sure I get time to find Luna?” There’d be no deal if he wanted me to focus on his interests first.
“Of course. She’s been caught up in this. It wasn’t her fault. We’ll have time to find your friend. But first, we tackle Ursa’s problem. Let’s go inside and see how things stand.”
I hesitated, but only for a second, before nodding. An ally on the inside of the Magic Council couldn’t be rejected. Having Olympus on my side would make things much easier. He had access to huge amounts of resources, powerful magic, and contacts.
“Lead the way, stud,” I said.
He chuckled as he headed to the front door of Gravesend Manor and entered.
I followed close behind with my familiars. There were no lights on in the house, and it was still before dawn, so the place was gloomy and unwelcoming.
We both cast light balls over our heads and spent a couple of minutes looking around.
A high-pitched giggle emerged from the shadows. It was followed by small running feet tapping across the wooden floorboards.
“The creepy dolls sound like they’re on the loose and feeling feisty,” I muttered. “Watch out for them. They may be small, but they’re deadly. Almost as bad as those gnomes.”
“Don’t remind me about them,” Olympus grumbled. “I’ll be having words with Bumble. He knows who I am, but he intended to sacrifice me, anyway.”
“They must have been desperate to grab you.”
He let out a sigh. “They were. That’s why I didn’t have anyone arrested.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Is that the real reason? Or is it because you realized twenty angry gnomes with knives were too much to take on alone?”
Olympus gave a soft snort. “That was also at the back of my mind.”
Something hard and smooth brushed the back of my leg. I yelped as a sharp pain flared up my calf. I hopped around on one leg and turned, glimpsing a white petticoat fading into the shadows.
“Are you okay?” Olympus grabbed my elbow as I continue to hop.
I lifted one hand and inspected it. Blood had seeped through my jeans. “They’re trying to hobble us. Crouch down. We need to know where these little terrors are coming from. And watch out for the one named Mary-Sue. I’m not sure if she survived, but she’s leading this gang.”
“What does she look like?”
“About two foot high, with red curls, a white dress, and an evil look in her eyes, like she’s thinking about chewing off your arm the second your back is turned. She may be a bit charred around the edges.”
“Got it.”
Russell flew around, hunting out dolls, while Hilda remained on my shoulder.
Nugget mooched off into the shadows, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world.
“Nugget, be careful, or you’ll find yourself saddled up and the dolls riding you like a show pony,” I whispered.
He flicked his tail in response and disappeared.
There was the sound of more small running feet, and something clattered to the floor above my head.
“I think I’ve seen Mary-Sue,” Olympus whispered. “She’s up ahead. She went in a room on the right-hand side.”
“Let’s get after her. If we can grab her, we can question her to find out what she wants.” I crept along on my tiptoes behind Olympus.
He reached the reading room and inched the door open. He ducked back and nodded. “She’s in here.”
“We’ll go in and shut the door, so she’s trapped and backup can’t get to her.”
Olympus nodded. We ducked into the room, and I shut the door softly behind me. He reached for the light switch on the wall and then nodded at me.
I gave him a thumbs up. I crouched, ready to lunge at Mary-Sue the second I saw her.
The overhead light flicked on. Mary-Sue stood in the middle of the room, a snarl of rage on her face. Her tiny hands were in fists as she lunged toward me.
I met her head on, grabbing a handful of her silky red hair and yanking it hard. “Not so fast, Bride of Chucky. You need to tell us why you’re here.”
The doll squeaked and writhed, trying to get away from me, but I had her in a tight grip. She flailed her legs and pounded my hand with her cold fists.
“I’m not letting you go until you talk. I know you can. Why are you harassing Ursa?”
Mary-Sue stopped struggling. She turned her creepy face my way and blinked her eyes. A single tear ran down one cheek. “I’m trapped.”
“What are you? Did a hex bring you to life?” I was unmoved by the fake waterworks.
Olympus walked over and joined me. “Magic users sometimes utilize dolls to confine other supernatural creatures.” He ran his hands over Mary-Sue.
She giggled. “That tickles.”
Olympus frowned. “I don’t get a sense of what she is.”
“Has a supernatural been hexed and placed into the body of this doll, or has someone hexed this doll so she comes alive and causes chaos?”
“It’s impossible to tell.” He stared at the doll. “Tell us your name. We may be able to release you once we know who you are.”
“I’m only young. I died when I was a child.”
“Stop lying,” I said. “You’re not a child. Or if you are, you’re the daughter of a demon. You’re making Ursa’s life miserable, and mine.”
“I’m lonely. I want to play. Ursa never lets us play.”
“You’re not playing. You’re messing with people’s lives. It ends now. Reveal yourself, and we’ll set you free so you can leave this place. You’re going, whether it’s by your choice or we have to force you out.”
“Maybe she can’t leave if someone forced her into this doll,” Olympus said. “Are you trapped? Tell us who you are.”
The doll went limp for a second, before her head turned to Olympus. “My name is Bloom.”
He took a step back, and the color drained from his face.
“Does that name mean something to you?” I said.
Olympus shook his head, but his hand was trembling as it went to his mouth. “Why did you use that name?”
“It’s my name. It’s the name my parents gave me. I was such a good girl. And I loved my daddy. I miss him.�
��
Olympus sucked in a breath, and it came out shaky.
“Do you know who this is?” I said to him.
He was staring at the doll, his eyes full of tears, but he didn’t answer.
I shook my head and focused back on Bloom. So much for working as a team. “It does feel like a hex has been put on this doll. This isn’t a haunting. Someone with a grudge against Ursa could have arranged this. They knew she collected old dolls and planted this one for her to find. Ursa said it was the first time she’d bought a doll from this particular seller, so maybe the whole thing was a setup. I imagine she rubs a lot of people the wrong way, so our list of suspects could be long.”
Olympus grunted and cleared his throat. “You... you could be right. Although...”
“What’s wrong with you?” He was still pale and shaky.
“Why aren’t you saving me? Why aren’t you looking for me anymore?” Bloom said.
Olympus stammered a few unintelligible words, before reaching for the doll. “I am. And I’m sorry. I’ve never stopped looking.”
He was freaking me out almost as much as Mary-Sue. “What’s going on? Who is Bloom to you?”
“Give her to me,” Olympus said. “I’ll take her somewhere safe.”
“Mary-Sue doesn’t need to be somewhere safe. She needs to be interrogated.”
“She’s a child. An innocent.” Olympus went to stroke the doll’s cheek, but I moved her out of the way.
“No, you’re not taking her anywhere. And you’re being weird. You should get out of here. Maybe this doll is influencing you. The hex could affect the people around her, although I feel fine. You, however, are acting crazy. Back away from the evil doll, Olympus. I’ll deal with her.”
“No! You don’t know what you’ve got. Give her to me, now.” Olympus made a grab for the doll, but I dodged out of his way.
“Get a grip of yourself. She’s messing with you. You’ve fallen under Mary-Sue’s power. This thing is evil. Leave the room. I’ll get rid of her.”
“You’re not touching Bloom. She belongs to me. She’s mine.” He grabbed for her again.
Russell squawked and dive-bombed Olympus, who ducked to avoid being scratched.
I backed away until the couch was between me and Olympus. “We should destroy her. She’s not doing you any good.”