First, she needed to free Alexis. Barnaby coasted overhead. He always found her, no matter where she went. She whistled and gave a hand signal. His job was simple: alert Alexis to her presence and distract the Hexer. The owl took flight and circled the arch, gradually descending. Ghoul Jane noticed him first and alerted Min, but they had no way of knowing he was Honora’s bird, so they didn’t seem too concerned.
Alexis’ shoulders lifted, and alertness lit up her face. She’d clearly gotten the message. Her shoulders tensed, her gaze darting around the clearing. All she’d needed was the sign for, without hesitation, Alexis jumped to her feet and threw a series of kicks at the Hexer. His wand went flying across the stone steps, and he took a bad blow to the chin. Using her teeth, Alexis pulled a glowing magical knife from her bodice and sliced through the bounds on her wrists. Next, she slid a small ax from her boot and sent it flying at Min’s face before diving for cover in the woods.
The Hexer spun out of the trajectory of the blade, shooting off spells like a trained combat magician. For a wizard so young, Min was magnificent, but something else was happening to him as he performed the spells. His ears turned pointed, and the skin on his hands grew mottled. His eyes glowed red as a series of strange spells spilled out of his lips. He was using Otherworld magic, but Honora had no sense of how it worked. The witching world had been hidden for so long that they ignored the ways of the others; not understanding their magic put the witches at a huge disadvantage.
Min directed a string of spells into the trees, and the guardian screamed. Honora watched as she spun in pain and moved higher, climbing frantically into the treetops like an acrobat and disappearing from view. Honora generated a glowing ball of energy in her palm and tossed a combat bomb into the trees a few yards over the Hexer’s head, drawing his attention away from Alexis. Ghoul Jane pointed in the direction, and Min took the bait, investigating the distraction. The ghoul grabbed Jonathan and pushed him inside the station for safekeeping.
Honora flew to the treetops where Alexis was hiding. The guardian was gasping, covered in sweat, a pained expression on her face.
“I’m here. Get me up to speed.” Honora wasn’t sure if the witch had heard her. “Alexis, focus. I’m here to help. What’s the deal with the Hexer?”
It took a second for her to recognize Honora, and then a look of relief washed over her. “The Hexer’s too powerful. He’s using Otherworld magic, combining it with ours. It’s terrible. They have the Woodsman.”
“I saw.”
“How did this happen?” Fear and panic filled the guardian’s eyes. “We’ll never hold the wall. The creature has the wizard. They’ll bring it down and then kill him. Without him, the wall is nothing.”
“Never.” Honora refused to accept what Alexis was saying. “It’s our job to stop them. We’ll protect the wall.”
Hazel had built Everland out of strength, magic, and a cunning desire to survive among those who wanted to destroy witches at any cost. Honora wasn’t about to let all her work go to waste. A ghoul and a turncoat Hexer weren’t going to bring down Everland. She would die fighting to prevent it.
“The council trusted the wrong wizard, and they underestimated the power of the Otherworlders.” Honora shook her head. “But they still have us, and I’ve got a few tricks left. We’ll find a way. Trust me.”
The earth witch’s body slumped against a tree, clearly hurt worse than Honora had originally realized. “You have to get the Woodsman’s ax. It’s the strongest piece of earth magic we have. I’m too weak to reach it on my own.” She clutched her shoulder as her brow pinched in agony. “You must spell it to life. The Woodsman left it in the stump. They ambushed us with powerful magic, and he didn’t want them to get to the ax. He sacrificed himself to keep the earth magic safe.” Alexis explained the series of spells to activate the device, and Honora lifted her chest, pulling upward like an arrow.
Within seconds, she flew behind the station and found the stump. The ax was unattended, inactive. A magical object became a part of the witch or wizard who wielded it. The ax belonged to the Woodsman. It was a part of him. She reached down and grasped the handle. Cold as ice. The wood felt empty, not humming with life as it did when she’d seen the Woodsman handle it. As she grasped the ax handle, she whispered the ancient spell. The earth magic was rich, delicate, and flew off her tongue with radiant sound. Her senses opened to the power. Raw energy flowed through her body, causing a cascade of shivers. The handle warmed under her touch, sending a spark up her arm.
The spell spilled from her lips a second time as she levered the ax handle back and forth, forcing it out of the stump. It broke free with a crack and spark. She gasped. The magic flowed through her entire body. Its strength was her strength. Its power was hers to wield. She lifted the ax and set it on her shoulder.
Honora returned to Alexis, who stared at her with relief. “Save him,” she pleaded.
Honora flew through the canopy and hovered a few feet above the stone archway. The cocoon-encased Woodsman had been lowered from the tree, and his wounded body lay on the stone steps. The sight sickened her. The powerful warden didn’t deserve this fate. Ghoul Jane hunched over him, eyeing him like a dying animal—a hungry lioness drooling over her prey. She opened her mouth. Rows of sharp teeth glistened. The stench of rot filled the air in waves.
The identity charm was wavering, her true nature showing through. She pulled off her gloves. Her fingers were blackened, her nails long and curved. She sunk her claws down into the vines that held the Woodsman. He screamed in agony. The ghoul’s eyes went wide and black as she relished the sound of his dying. The wizard gasped, panted.
Honora swallowed hard, a wave of nausea rolling in her stomach. That thing was going to eat him. In a rush of disgust and anger, she jettisoned her body at the vicious ghoul before she could sink her fangs into the Woodsman. Veering upward at the last second, Honora kicked the creature in the face. The ghoul’s head jerked back violently, and she landed with a thud on the hard stones.
Honora sliced through the fibers with one swing of the ax, freeing the Woodsman from the cocoon. Alexis limped across the clearing, reinvigorated, and pulled him to safety. She whispered a spell, and a giant fissure opened in the trunk of a tree. With a wave of her wand, Alexis and the Woodsman disappeared behind the folds of bark in a magnificent show of earth magic. Honora was relieved to see them go, knowing they would be safe, but now she had to stop the ghoul and the Hexer on her own.
Honora spun around as the ghoul slowly rose to her feet. The creature smoothed the front of her embroidered snowsuit, and all signs of her ghoul traits faded away. Her appearance as the docile witch Jane returned. Honora took flight and hovered a safe distance away from the flesh-eating monster. Hexer Min joined the ghoul on the steps. Broad grins spread across their faces. They both looked happy to see her, a little too happy for Honora’s taste.
“She’ll make an excellent addition to our coven. We’ll be unstoppable.” Ghoul Jane’s eyes were wild.
“What are you babbling about?” Honora asked. The ghoul had obviously gone mad if she thought Honora would form a coven with her.
“You’ve impressed us and our masters. We’ll spare your life only if you choose to join us. Be a part of the revolution and live,” the Hexer said. “It’s your only option.”
“If you think I would ever be a part of destroying the witching world, then you’ve got me all wrong. Join you? I will fight you with my dying breath.”
“Dying breaths are a delicacy,” the ghoul said with a devious grin. “I will devour you with pleasure.”
Honora cringed. “Your days of eating witches are over.”
The Hexer stepped forward. “You have no idea what kind of magic exists on the other side of the wall. The council has been hiding the rest of the world from us. We don’t have to be alone. We can join them, bring down this wall that separates us.” The eagerness in his face was both naïve and foolish. He’d been too young when he crossed the wall and h
ad been an easy mark for the Otherworlders.
“We tried that once, and it didn’t work out that well for witches, or hadn’t you heard? Why would we want to go back and live in persecution and fear?” Honora asked.
“It’s not like that anymore. Otherworlders are more powerful. They wouldn’t let that happen to us,” he said.
“She’s an Otherworlder.” Honora pointed at the ghoul. “She killed the real Jane. She’s a lying, scheming, slime-coated ghoul. She would kill you, me, and every witch and wizard in Everland if given the order.”
The Hexer stood firm. “We’re giving you one chance to join us and our army before it’s too late.”
“What do you mean? What army?”
A smile curled up on Ghoul Jane’s face. “An army of others awaits. We will take this world, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
They were prepared to do anything to get the wall down so they could storm Everland with an Otherworld army, and Honora was the only thing standing between them. Her breath came in short gasps. A golden fluttering caught her attention. The glee flew into the clearing. Maybe her luck was changing.
20
A rumbling sound filled the forest. In a swirl of upswept ice crystals, two snowcrafts roared through the trees. The glee had completed its mission to find Ren and Rosalyn at the bar and bring them to the North Woods Station. The magical glee darted to Honora’s shoulder, and when she held out her hand, it returned to a golden ball, which she slipped into her pack.
Ren and Rosalyn jumped off their crafts and advanced, reinforcing Honora’s position within minutes. Rosalyn had brought some of her prized arsenal from the wall of the bar. She held two short-handled axes with glowing, enchanted blades in each hand. The witch nodded in appreciation at the warden’s ax Honora clutched in front of her. Ren advanced with a huge magical ax of his own, looking like he could take a ghoul’s head off in one swing.
“About time you showed up,” Honora said with a wink, relief washing over her. “I thought you weren’t coming.”
“Patience,” Ren said. The cocky grin had returned to his face, and he looked much better since the last time she’d seen him. “I think we got here just in time.”
“I told you the city witch would need our help,” Rosalyn snorted. “You’re lucky I own the place and could take the day off.”
A sharp whip of energy snapped in the air, which Honora recognized as the Hexer’s magical signature. Not a warm welcome.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Min said. “We could form a new council and a new way of running Everland. Think about it. Times are changing. You want to be on the winning side.” His words sounded persuasive, but he held his two wands tightly, magic spooling from the tips. He was buying time, preparing for the inevitable fight.
“No deal!” Honora yelled. “You’re outnumbered. If you surrender, you might just live through the night.”
“Wrong on both counts.” The Hexer shifted his gaze to the station. The door flung open, and the ghoul shoved Jonathan Rainer onto the stone platform near the arch. But it wasn’t the wizard who alarmed Honora; it was who followed—the professors, Marvin and Sky Brassborn.
Honora’s nerves twitched. She should have seen this coming when she’d first entered the illusion room back at Haven Academy. The professors were masters of disguise and had spent ten years in the Otherworld with the Hexer, giving them plenty of time to perfect magical techniques and hatch their devious plan.
“How’d you do it?” Honora yelled as they approached the arch. “The charm for Jane? You can tell me that at least.”
Sky wore a white suede-and-fur coat, and her red hair was twisted up on her head like a bloody crown. “Oh, darling witch. You probably already know. Look closely.” She walked over to Ghoul Jane and placed her hand on her shoulder, tapping a snowflake.
The embroidery? Then it hit her. “You used knot magic.” Really smart, Honora thought. Damn, they were good. Knot magic was an old magical art rarely practiced in the modern witching world. Spells were woven with thread into complicated patterns. It was perfect for a disguise.
“Smart witch. For being a top student, we’ll give you one last chance to join us. Don’t make the mistake your mother made,” Sky said. Cruel excitement danced in her expression. She was enjoying needling Honora.
“What do you know about my mother?” Honora suppressed an aching fear that her mother had died in the Otherworld—accident, illness, or a more sinister death always lingered on the edge of her imagination when Elspeth hadn’t returned.
“She isn’t here. That should say enough.” Marvin’s fleshy neck wobbled when he chuckled. “Join us. Why fight it? We don’t want to hurt you, but I’m afraid we will if left with no choice.” Wearing a thick fur coat, the wizard lumbered around the platform like a trained bear.
“Stuff your offer and your arrogance. You don’t know my mother or me. She would never work with swine like you.” Honora didn’t miss a beat and charged ahead, counting on a split-second advantage. She swung the ax toward Ghoul Jane’s chest, firing a slicing spell through her snowsuit and the elaborately stitched design. The knot magic’s spell exploded in a shower of blue sparks. Time for everyone to see Ghoul Jane for what she really was, and it wasn’t a devoted, loving wife.
The spell dissolved, and the ghoul appeared. Hexer Min stumbled clear of the oncoming blasts, his mouth hanging open. With both hands, Honora clutched the ax in front of her as a shield. The ghoul wore shredded rags that hung around her spindly limbs. Her rotten skin was ghostly pale but mottled, as if it had grown mold from being buried in the earth. Her hair hung in oily, stringy clumps. Blackened fangs crowded her mouth. Her claws were caked with blood and gore. The stench was overwhelming. The sound of coughs and gags filled the forest.
Ugly was an understatement.
The ghoul seethed. “Is this what you were expecting?” Her voice was shrill, her eyes milky gray.
Honora swallowed hard. Hexer Min’s hands flew to his mouth as he choked on the foul air, but quickly composed himself. “This stunt of yours won’t work.” He glared at Honora. “You can’t divide us.”
“Are you really going to side with that thing? She’s a ghoul. She devours flesh. How can you join forces with a parasite of the Otherworld over Everland and the coven of one?”
“You have no idea who we’re working with.” Sky shifted sideways to avoid gore splattering on her coat. “The ghoul is a minion of a much powerful ally.”
“Who’s really behind all of this?” Honora asked.
Hexer Min clutched his wand in his fist and pointed it at Honora. “The most powerful witch hunter of all times.”
“A Mayhem sister would be a great prize,” Sky chimed.
Honora wasn’t about to become anyone’s prize. Ren and Rosalyn had used the time to flank out and take aggressive positions to the left and right of her. The three of them were the ones outnumbered now.
“Give me a name,” Honora demanded.
“The Black Bishop.” Min’s voice was practically a whisper.
Honora’s memory returned to times spent researching in the council archives—the tea-stained parchment rough under her fingertips, the pages antiquated, pulled from a dangerous past before Everland was born. It had been a terrible time, a time of hiding. Witches had to pretend to be human, void of all magic, and worse, they had to strip away anything special about themselves to fit into the ordinary human world. Any signs of intelligence or curiosity about magic and the natural world were frowned upon. Reading was forbidden. Learning was left for wealthy men. A woman who knew things was deemed suspicious. The midwife was especially feared.
The Black Bishop was a tormentor and a ruthless leader who killed hundreds of witches, all but the most important. Hazel had lived.
Honora snorted. “You’ve got to be joking. Don’t you know your history? The Black Bishop was a man who lived in the time of Hazel. There’s no way the old devil goat is still kicking. You fools have been duped.”
“Are you so sure, little bird?” Sky asked. “Are you sure of anything anymore? Have you learned nothing from what we were trying to show you?” She strode forward and smacked Honora across the face with the back of her hand.
Honora’s cheek burned, but it was totally worth it. “The Bishop is dead.”
“His descendant is alive and well,” the Hexer said. “More powerful than ever. He has Otherworld allies with strong magic at their disposal. He’s coming, and when he does, you’ll all be under his command. He doesn’t want to destroy this world, but unite the two.”
A wave of fear like Honora had never felt washed over her. It must have showed in her face before she could stop it.
“I’ve experienced the marvelous world of magic like you’ve never seen,” Min said. “Trust me, Everland is a cage. We won’t let the council keep us in the dark anymore the way Beatrice has kept you. She told you nothing until she needed you. She’s using you.”
His speech was very convincing. The council had its secrets. Had they been keeping witches away from the world outside of Everland because of fear and a desire for control? Or had they been doing it for the greater good? Did the council have the right to decide what was good for the inhabitants of Everland?
“The Bishop’s looking for the strongest witches and wizards to join him,” Sky said. “You’d have immense power in the new world.”
“That’s the problem,” Honora said. “I’m not that into power, never have been. And I hate it when others try to wield their power over me. Call it a pet peeve, but I loathe tyrants. The Bishop sounds like a real scumbag.”
“You’ll be sorry for this. Just remember we gave you a chance and you threw it away,” the Hexer said.
The attack was swift. Ren and Rosalyn advanced, taking on the Hexer and the professors. Magical axes sailed through the air, leaving glowing trails of energy in their wake. Glowing blue energy lit up the forest. Professor Marvin instinctively, and a little cowardly, went to guard Jonathan and make sure no one freed him.
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