"I wondered how you did it, but never could get anyone to talk." The voice wasn't the same as the one I'd heard when she was in my dreams, but it was identical to the one I'd heard when I saw her at Adder's house. Sylvia's body was here, but Gremory was in control. Gremory stood up and started kicking at the leaves around her, destroying the circles of salt in that area. She continued her destruction, shuffling through the leaves as she moved, breaking all the salt circles I'd laid.
Varro had instructed me to stay put until I had Gremory captured in a smaller circle, but he hadn't included any directions for this scenario. He had specifically recommended that I refrain from casting the containment spell without a foundation. I'd have to find Varro to get any information from him, which was easier said than done considering I'd be looking for a fey in the woods.
Gremory was still kicking leaves and occasionally the shield bubble holding the ghoul. Each time a glare and kick landed on the bubble, the ghoul cowered against the opposite wall. Lucky for us, I'd had enough foresight to anchor the spell to that spot so it couldn't roll around. The demon wouldn't have been able push it into the woods due to the containment spell around the clearing, but we didn't need the distraction of the ghoul rolling around.
The demon was walking around the ghoul to kick a leaf pile when an arrow came through the wall of the containment spell. With a violent jerk to the side, the demon managed to avoid a direct hit. The arrow tore through Sylvia's upper arm, taking a chunk of flesh and leaving blood running down her arm.
That was one of the arrows Varro had laced with demon's bane. I wasn't sure how he'd treated it since I'd been busy prepping spells at the time, but hopefully some of the demon's bane on the arrow got into her.
A harsh laugh escaped her lips. "It will take more than a small wound to stop me."
I watched as a scab formed over the area and the bleeding stopped. That had to be a power of Gremory's because elves didn't heal like that. Wells's expression confirmed that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. Varro had said getting demon's bane into a demon could be more difficult than it sounded, but this had gone well. I vanished my wand since I wouldn't be casting again right away.
Motioning for Wells to follow me, I started moving us closer to where I thought Varro and Elron were hiding. This was a team effort, and it wouldn't do for me to make choices without them, especially when I didn't know what I was doing. Leaves crunched to our left and I froze. The moon cast enough light for me to move around but not enough for me to see what was hiding among the trees.
"Who's there?" I whispered.
Three small shapes charged around a pine tree. Between their size and the hissing, the gremlins were easy enough to identify. Two tackled my legs, and one tried to grab Wells. He snatched it up by the scruff of the neck, got his other hand on it, switched his grip, and broke its neck.
One of the gremlins was trying to gnaw through one of my boots, and the other was scaling my leg like it was a tree, digging sharp claws into my flesh. Snatching the one at my knee, I froze it before dropping it to the ground. Then I kicked the ankle-biter off and froze it too before it could resume its assault.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Yes, but I'm tired of gremlins."
"Me too." As we continued to Elron and Varro, I kept my eyes moving and my ears sharp. There were more gremlins and probably other nasties out here. In Gremory's shoes, I would've brought as many allies as I could muster.
I heard a few wingbeats and ducked, but it was Julius coming in for a landing.
"I found a group of twenty or so gremlins about a half mile away and turned them to stone. There may be more, but I didn't see them."
"We found three. One's dead and the other two are frozen." I shrugged. "We can deal with them in small numbers. Do you know where the men are?"
Julius's ears swiveled and his nose twitched. "They're nearby."
I didn't get a chance to ask another question because something tackled me, pushing me back several feet and landing on me hard enough to knock the breath out of my lungs. While I tried to get some air back in my body, I got a look at the person on top of me. The night and moon obscured the details, but he was a slender, gangly man, with light hair and a beak of a nose.
As I sucked in my first breath, I could hear Wells scrambling forward and Julius taking to the air. The man rolled us away from Wells, bouncing the two of us over rocks, sticks, roots, and a few things I didn't want to identify. Even with multiple layers of clothes, I was going to be bruised and scratched. Jeans and thermal underwear weren't enough to keep pointy branches from finding my legs.
The man sat up, straddling me, and I pushed at him. He grabbed my left wrist, pulled my arm across my chest, and pinned it to my right bicep, limiting the use of my right hand. In the distance I could hear shouts, but when his right hand vanished behind his back, I thrashed harder. The hand reappeared holding a knife.
At least I thought it was a knife. It didn't do anything dramatic like shine in the moonlight, but I couldn't think of another item he would hold with that grip and while on top of me. He glanced around—maybe it was the shouts, or maybe he was looking for someone, but his attention returned to me before I had a chance to take advantage of his lapse.
The hand on my wrist tightened, and I took a deep breath, dug the left side of my body into the ground, and thrust up with the right, twisting my hips. As we rolled, his grip loosened and I pulled my hand out from under his, pushing and kicking him. I landed on my left side with my attacker about a foot and a half away. Before he could react, I scuttled backward, managing to back right into a tree and knock my head.
I blinked, trying to get the stars out of my eyes, and gasped when a dark shape loomed over me. Scrunching my eyes shut and opening them brought the shape into focus, and I could see Julius's blunt nose and curled horns.
"Michelle, cast a containment spell. You have to get up and cast the containment." Before I could gather my thoughts, taloned fingers gently gripped my arms and brought me to my feet. When he got me standing, he held one wing around me, cradling me against his body. "Cast a full containment, quickly, or all may be lost."
I didn't bother to ask why, simply taking him at his word. Off to my right, Wells had his gun out, and the man was sitting on the ground, looking between the firearm and me. The stalemate wouldn't last long.
With a twist of my wrist, my wand landed in my hand, and I was grateful for the hours I'd spent practicing the move. I swallowed hard and began to speak, wishing I'd had more practice at casting this spell. It was a finicky bit of magic, and doing it without proper preparation could be the difference between success and failure. I finished the incantation with, "Obala o sowil en kannu, alkaz a esaz."
The spell yanked power from me, and I would've fallen without Julius. He held me as the spell took the energy it needed, stabilized, and left me trembling against the gargoyle. Julius lowered me to the ground, where I tucked my head between my knees, fighting off the nausea that came with the violent energy transfer.
"Are you okay?" Wells asked.
I was pretty sure the question was more of a formality, because there was no way on God's green earth that I could look okay. I croaked, "I've been better."
Wells rubbed my back. The motion helped the nausea abate, and I nodded my thanks.
"What was that?" I asked. The question wasn't directed at anyone in particular.
Julius held up a finger. "One moment."
Varro and Elron arrived in the clearing without so much as a broken branch to mark their passage. The woods loved me, but I didn't have that talent. Maybe Elron could teach it to me while he was making me practice with the staff. As soon as the thought entered my mind, I dismissed it. He'd once said I danced with mud, hardly a reference to an elegant creature capable of bounding through the forest with nary a sound.
They two of them looked around, and Elron dropped to the ground next to me, carefully tilting my face up so he could examine me. His fingers touched my chee
k and came away bloody. Without a word, he rested his forehead against mine for a moment before getting up and returning to Varro's side.
"He has part of the demon inside him," Julius said. "I believe there was mention that Gremory splits his time between Sylvia and a male host."
Varro's eyebrows shot up, but the surprise didn't color his voice. "We must kill both of them."
Before this had time to sink in, Elron was standing next to the shielded man, blowing dust in his face. The man coughed and sputtered before getting his breathing under control. Elron waited a few seconds, during which the man's posture changed, then Elron was slashing his sword though the air and cutting the man's throat. Blood sprayed, collecting on the shield before dripping down the curved edge to pool on the ground.
"Can you do the second part of the spell?" Varro asked.
I wasn't sure why he asked. There wasn't much choice. Getting up seemed like too much work. Propping my elbow on my knee, I pointed the wand at the shield and said, "Laguz."
The color and texture of the spell changed, putting off more of a white light. When the spell settled down, I said, "Alkaz dagaz."
The body and debris on the ground burst into flames. Since the shield extended below the ground to complete the sphere, there was no danger of the flames spreading to the rest of the forest. The flames were magically enhanced, burning hot and fast. The shield kept everything inside, preventing the odor of burning flesh from reaching us.
"This doesn't need our attention for some time. We need to deal with the main body of the demon," Varro said.
"Should someone stay in case something goes wrong?" I asked.
"I would usually leave a guard, but Elron and yourself are needed to kill Gremory, Julius is needed in the air, and I will not leave Wells alone. It will be fine." Varro waited until each of us gave some type of acknowledgment before turning to move back to the clearing.
Julius helped me up, and Wells lent me a steadying shoulder for the short walk.
We gathered in a gap between two trees, a pine and a maple. Sylvia was moving around the clearing, flames in her eyes. Gremory should be bound to the flesh by the demon's bane and weakened by the death of his other host, making the rest of this rather simple. The ghoul continued to shrink away when Sylvia approached, and I decided right then to kill the poor thing and put it out of its misery at the first opportunity.
"What do we do now?" I asked. Varro's plan had been more of an outline, one that he explained was flexible and I'd call incomplete. Considering he was the only one with any actual experience, the rest of us could've used more direction and contingency plans rather than a conglomeration of associated goals.
"Kill her. There's enough demon's bane in her that the demon can't escape. One way or another, we will kill it tonight," Varro answered.
A whistle cut through the air, ending that debate. Beside me, Wells groaned and pulled out a knife. We knew that sound all too well, having become well acquainted with it just days ago. Julius had found more gremlins and was turning them to stone. Given the number of gremlins Gremory had managed to summon to the jail, I'd hoped there weren't many left in the area.
"Incoming," Julius bellowed as he swooped past us.
It would've been nice if he mentioned exactly what was incoming. I doubted gremlins were the only trick in Gremory's bag. There was some silent communication between the men, and I found myself in the center of an Elron, Varro, and Wells triangle.
"Can you cast another containment spell yet?" Varro asked.
"No, I need a few minutes." A few days would be better, but I could handle the energy transfer as soon as the trembling stopped. Tomorrow wouldn't be fun, but I'd never expected this to be a jolly good time.
"We will protect you. Get the spell up as soon as you can," Varro ordered.
Sylvia stopped moving and sat down in the center of the clearing. From this angle I couldn't tell if the flames were still in her eyes, but the steady attention in our direction was almost more intimidating than the striding back and forth.
I couldn't put up the second spell yet, but I could fiddle with this one to give us something to protect our backs. Taking a deep breath, I thought through my plan twice before I started. It wouldn't do to mess up the containment spell that was working.
"Laguz," I said, prodding the existing spell with my wand. With the slightest pull of energy, it accepted the new command. Even though I could feel the difference, I tested it by tossing a rock at the shield. It bounced off, coming to rest next to my foot.
"The shield is solid, nothing in or out. You can put your back to it," I informed them.
They barely had time to nod before gremlins started pouring out of the woods. The three of them started hacking away as Julius made passes, the high-pitched whistle turning gremlins to stone. Between the lack of light and the trees, Julius was unable to fully use his abilities. He couldn't get low enough to target precisely, and in the dim light saplings looked a lot like a gremlin.
"Michelle." Sylvia's voice came from inches behind me.
I spun around, wand ready, though what I was planning to do I couldn't say. That was one voice I'd never forget after the times it had made its way into my dreams.
Sylvia, with regular eyes, took a step back. "I didn't mean to startle you." She took a several breaths. "You need to cast the second spell and kill me."
"I can't, not yet." There was nothing I wanted more than to be done with this, but I didn't have the energy yet.
"Do it, Michelle. Gremory needs to die." She gave me a smile, equal parts sad and determined.
I couldn't agree more, but until things calmed down, I couldn't do it. Not only did I lack the energy, but I couldn't risk being interrupted by one of our attackers. During practice, Varro had said I was doing well, but this was a different situation, and I needed to be able to focus to make sure I got it right.
One of the men screamed, and I spun back to them. Elron was on the ground, a gash open across his upper chest, with a snarling werewolf over him, blood covering its paw. Before I could think better of it, I shot a bolt of power at the werewolf, knocking it tail over teakettle and off Elron. The wand warmed in my hand, tingling with energy. Energy I should be using to deal with Sylvia and Gremory, but I didn't have it in me to abandon Elron.
The wolf got to its feet, snarled, and backed up a few steps. I growled right back. Wells killed the last gremlin attacking him by cutting its neck, and Varro bisected his last too with one swipe of his knife.
Sylvia's voice rang out from behind me, but it was rougher and sultry. "You can't save them and kill me." The laugh was full throated and calculating. "That spell, the one you cast to bring me here, was good, but it needs some work. I couldn't figure out how the ghoul had only partly finished the job, but the unrelenting need to see for myself wouldn't abate, so I brought friends with me. Some of you are going to die. Maybe you'll take me with you, maybe not."
I didn't turn around this time. That was Gremory, doing his best to get into my head, and looking at him wouldn't change anything that was happening out here. I did take a few steps forward because even with the shield, it wasn't comfortable having Gremory at my back.
The wolf yipped and a second wolf answered with a growl. It came into sight, crouched with hackles raised. The two of them exchanged a look. My wand went from warm to hot, and I shot a bolt of power at each wolf. They stumbled and one of them sat down awkwardly, but it hadn't been enough energy to hurt them. Elron groaned; most of his jacket was wet with his blood. His hand clenched, as if to grab a weapon, but his sword was out of sight.
The wolf with the bloody paw leapt forward, and I threw enough power into the next blast to do some damage. The energy hit him in the shoulder, knocking him away from Elron. He hit the ground limply, the blast having burned through his fur and into the flesh of his shoulder.
While I'd been watching the first wolf, the second one had charged. It was in the air, ready to come down on Elron with all four feet and open jaws, w
hen Varro tackled it, taking it to the ground. Elron jerked his feet to the side, making a sound I never wanted to hear come out of his mouth again, narrowly avoiding being the cushion for their landing.
The werewolf's jaws closed on Varro's arm, and the darkness couldn't obscure the way his arm bent under the pressure. Varro didn't make a sound; his other hand was busy sinking his knife into the creature's gut. Releasing Varro's mangled arm, the werewolf let out a pained howl that was cut off when Varro slit its throat.
The first gunshot echoed in my ears, or maybe the echo was the report of subsequent shots. While I'd been distracted by Varro, the other werewolf had taken the opportunity to attack Elron, but he didn't get so much as a toenail on him because Wells shot him. The first shot hit him in the shoulder, and he stumbled but didn't stop moving forward.
The second shot went into his side, and he slowed, breathing labored, and favoring his right foreleg. The werewolf switched to an easier target, getting a mouthful of Varro's shoulder. This time Varro screamed.
Varro twisted, trying to use his good side to get the knife into the werewolf, but the angle and pain made it difficult. The knife slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground. The werewolf took advantage of the situation and sank down, digging his teeth deeper into the meat where neck turns to shoulder. I didn't need to hear the crunch to know Varro's collarbone was broken.
None of this slowed Wells down in the slightest. While the werewolf continued tearing into Varro, Wells put two more bullets into his side. When that didn't end things, Wells calmly walked up to the werewolf and started aligning his next shot. The werewolf never noticed Wells selecting the best angle, one where the shot would go in to the werewolf's head without hitting Varro. Once Wells found it, the bullet took out part of the werewolf's skull.
Two kicks later, the wolf was clear of Varro, and Wells put two more shots into its head just to make sure. Personally, I never wanted to see that much brain matter again in my entire life. It must not have bothered Wells, because he repeated the process with the other werewolf. I couldn't blame him for wanting to do something less reversible than a slit throat, especially when I saw its chest move, and it attempted to nip Wells.
A Witch's Trial (Witch's Path Series: Book 3) Page 21