A Witch's Magic

by N. E. Conneely

  I had to give Susanna that point. Splitting power between Mom and me because of my age didn’t work. It left the clans without a true leader. “Before we can move forward, we must honor the past. This week, we will hold memorials to honor Premier Ethel leading up to her funeral on Friday. The services will be televised on the Witch Network for those who can not be there in person.”

  The text literally told me to pause for effect. I followed the order, but it didn’t feel like enough of a transition when I resumed the speech. “Next week, I will present myself before the ministers and be sworn in as premier. Moving forward does not mean forgetting those who came before and their contributions. Ethel will stay in my heart, and my time with her will guide me as I adjust to the responsibilities of the office.”

  With the compulsion still guiding my actions, I continued to the questions. They were as lame as the rest of the speech, but the three of them did a good job changing their voices. If they added in a little crowd noise, it would sound like a real press conference to the viewers.

  As soon as the recording stopped, Susanna resumed giving orders. “Marquette, remove her makeup and put her back in her street clothes. Zach, get the recording ready for broadcast.”

  I followed Marquette back to the bathroom. The compulsion tried to glaze over my thoughts, but this time, I pushed back. It was me against one witch, and I had to put a stop to this before that interview aired. Once it was out there, nothing I or even Ethel did would undo the harm of that announcement.

  The door closed behind me. I let Marquette remove my makeup, return my hair to a sensible ponytail, and order me to change clothes. While she hung up the dress, I made my move, throwing everything in me at the compulsion spell.

  Once I’d been able to break these easily, but now, I fought to remove its hooks from my mind. It’d been attached long enough for them to sink in. Pain lanced through my mind as I dug enough of them out. They tried to stick, but I cut myself free. The last hook took the most effort, and some of my magic with it as it went.

  I blinked and found myself free of the spell, standing exactly where I’d been before my rebellion. If Marquette had noticed, it didn’t show as she put my dress back on the rack.

  “Mannaz.” I pointed at her. The sleep spell took more power than usual because I was wandless, but it worked.

  Marquette slipped bonelessly to the floor, her head narrowly missing the toilet.

  I couldn’t remember if Susanna would’ve felt me dig out the compulsion spell. She might know, she might not. Or if the spell had snapped back, she could be out cold. Not likely given my luck, but a girl could hope.

  I found a few pairs of stockings and used them to tie up Marquette. The bonds weren’t elegant, but they should hold if she woke up before I got back up. Given how potent of a sleeping spell I used, I didn’t expect her to wake up before morning, but with Elron’s and Ethel’s lives on the line, I wanted to be careful. I shoved her in the corner behind the clothing rack. If anyone came looking, they shouldn’t see her from the door.

  Marquette’s wand had fallen to the floor when I moved her. I stared at it for a moment. This fight would be so much easier with a wand, but they could be fussy. My hand hovered over it. Susanna had enough control and power to hold compulsions on several people. I could use the focusing and amplification properties of a wand.

  My fingers brushed the pine handle.

  Electricity arced up my arm. My hand spasmed, and the wand fell back to the floor.

  “Be that way.” I nudged it under the clothing rack with the toe of my shoe.

  My arm ached, and my fingers tingled. “Great. Just great.” Now I would get to fight Susanna wandless and with sensory-deprived fingers.

  I eased the bathroom door open enough to peer out. What I could see of the hall was empty, which I took as a good sign. If any shred of luck blessed me today, Susanna wouldn’t know I’d shattered the spell, and Elron would be as safe as he could get while I dealt with her. My tingly fingers didn’t want to work, so I shoved the door open left-handed.

  The hallway was empty. I eased the door shut. Elron and Ethel were a few feet away. It wouldn’t take long to check on them, but it wasn’t the smart move either. Right now, Zach could still be working on the video, and Susanna might be alone. Since Zach wasn’t exactly the brains of the operation, if I dealt with Susanna he might surrender.

  With one regretful look back at the cell door, I turned away. With each step, I gathered my power, first forming a shield around myself to reflect spells, and layering a second one inside to absorb power and feed it back to me. Both spells took a chunk of magic, but they’d be worth it.

  I shoved the door open with a sleep spell readied.

  “Michelle, sit.” Susanna didn’t look up from the paper on her desk.

  “Mannaz!” I flung the sleep spell at her.

  She looked up at me, blinking slowly. “Unlike some foolish witches, I don’t leave myself open to cowardly attacks.”

  The sleep spell oozed off a shield.

  It didn’t matter. I had other spells. “Algiz.”

  The ropes tugged her arms off the desk. “Obala fehu…” The bindings muffled the rest of Susanna’s spell.

  Carpet surged around my feet, twisting around my legs and solidifying. Not the most worrisome attack since I wanted to be here. I stayed on the offensive. “Isaz.”

  Ice encased Susanna.

  I tried to take a deep breath, but it felt like I couldn’t get any air. My eyes locked with Susanna’s. That witch was still casting spells. I’d have to knock her out.

  My lungs ached. I wouldn’t be doing anything to her until I could breathe.

  Stretching out probes in every direction, I found a boundary through which air didn’t cross. It would take too long to unmake the spell. If I could reach it, I could break it. Focusing on my feet I softened the floor and put it back to where it belonged. “Obala orzu fehu.”

  With my feet free, I formed my power into a blade. Kneeling, I shoved the magical blade through the spell and ripped it all the way up to the top of the sphere and back down to the other side. The spell collapsed.

  I sucked in breath upon breath of air as I turned to face Susanna. Two spells ricocheted off my outer shield. I ignored them with a smile.

  Water poured off Susanna. Rather than looking vulnerable, it drew attention to the hard set of her jaw and the anger in her eyes. “You still haven’t learned, have you?” Her mouth continued to move, silently casting a spell.

  My knees buckled, and once again, I was face down on the ground, struggling to move, struggling to breathe.

  The crowd screamed, and the lights dimmed.

  I was back at the convention, in the Trial by Magic, and didn’t have enough magic to fight back.

  Spells hit my shield, one after another. Sleep, bindings, another compulsion spell. With each strike, the shield eroded a little more, until it was as delicate as paper. Another hit and it would be gone.

  If I could just get a breath, I could think. I could find a way out.

  The crowd screamed louder.

  Where is the audience? I forced my eyes open. The gray carpet was nothing like the mats from the Trial by Magic. It’s not real.

  This wasn’t the trial. I wasn’t in front of thousands of witches, and I wasn’t facing Isadora.

  But I had fought Isadora, and I knew how to counter this spell. “Nazid.” The pull against my body lessened, but I stayed on the floor. I needed one good spell, one that could incapacitate Susanna or at least throw her off her game.

  I shoved off the floor and flung my hand out toward her. “Dagaz!” I doubled the magic I’d usually use for the spell.

  A fireball two feet in diameter barreled into Susanna. It sizzled as it hit her shield, burning through. The shield fell, and it shot forward.

  Faster than my eyes could follow, it hit another spell, and came hurling back at me.

  Not again.

  It tore through the pathetic remains of my sh
ield and I closed my eyes, knowing this would hurt.

  Through my eyelids, I saw a bright yellow glow surround me before fiery hot magic poured back into me.

  My eyes snapped open. I’d forgotten about the second shield, the one I didn’t have during the challenge.

  Susanna’s mouth gaped.

  I marched up to her and punched her, knocking her jaw shut.

  Susanna’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she slumped over.

  “Mannaz.” The sleep spell should have been over kill but I didn’t like taking chances.

  I shook my hand, like that would reduce the ache. Retrieving the nullifying cuffs from the desk, I locked them around her wrists before pocketing the key.

  A door squeaked.

  I spun around.

  Zach dropped the laptop he’d been holding in his haste to put his hands in the air. “Please don’t hurt me.”

  “Back in the conference room.”

  He bobbed his head and scurried.

  I scooped up the laptop as I followed him. “Sit.”

  Zach sat.

  “Is the ‘press conference’ set to air tonight?”

  His throat worked, but he couldn’t manage a sound. Zach nodded.

  “You’re going to make sure it doesn’t. In return, I’ll tie you up and put you to sleep in a cozy spot next to Marquette. How does that sound?” I gave him my fiercest smile.

  He bobbed his head and tugged the computer closer. “Good.”

  “Then we have a deal.” I split my attention between watching him and the main part of the office. “How many of you are there?”

  Zach’s fingers paused. “Not sure. She only recruited me two weeks ago. Not many, I don’t think.”

  “And how many people at Regional Disposal are on her side?” I leaned over to look at his screen. I wasn’t a computer whiz, but as far as I could tell, he was doing exactly what I’d asked and deleting the video from the thingy that would play it.

  “None, as far as I know. From what I heard, she only had a compulsion on the owner at first, but then others got suspicious, so she expanded. And fired people.” Zach turned the screen so I could see it. “I took it down. It won’t air.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Y–yes.” He nodded.

  “I hope you’re right, or instead of telling the police how helpful you’ve been, I’ll make sure you come out of this sounding like you’ve played a very pivotal role.” I locked eyes with him.

  He lowered his gaze. “It’s down. I promise.”

  “Good. Now, to the bathroom.” I followed him, a sleep spell ready, but he didn’t cause any problems. He held the door open while I levitated Susanna into the bathroom and sat still as I tied him up. Since he cooperated, I let him use some of the clothing to form a pillow. “Any other helpful tidbits before you nap?”

  “I think your wand and bracelet are in her purse. It’s got some spells on it.”

  “Where is her purse? I don’t have time to tear this place apart looking for it.”

  His brow wrinkled. “In a drawer at that desk she liked, I think.”

  “Thank you. Now, get comfortable.” I touched a finger to his head. “Mannaz.”

  Zach’s eyes drifted closed, and his body relaxed.

  I shut the door. Even though my heart told me to go to Elron, I turned to the office. With other bad guys on the grounds, a magical barrier to take down, and a fiancé to heal, I needed my wand.

  Susanna’s purse was right where Zach had said. It took some finagling to break the spells on it. Even I didn’t have three layers of spell protection on my stuff. Mostly because that meant recasting those spells every week or two, and I had better uses for my magic.

  Once I got through the spells, my bracelet and wand were on top. I fitted the bracelet back over my wrist and tested it out. My wand summoned into my hand just as it should. The first bit of luck I’d had all day.

  I eyed the phone before snatching it up and dialing Rodriguez’s number. It rang and rang, before clicking over to his voice mail.

  “Narzel’s knees.” I hung up the phone. Elron needed medical attention, and as much as I wanted to be his witch with shining magic, my healing spells weren’t the best. I had other police contacts I could call, but none of them would be able to get through the magical barrier or fight the employees high on magic.

  I picked up the phone again and dialed 9-1-1. As quickly as I could, I relayed the pertinent medical information and location. When they said an ambulance was on the way, I thanked them and hung up.

  The trip to the cell felt longer this time. I tried the door, but it wouldn’t open. A quick tap of my wand. “Purisaz.”

  The knob turned, and I shoved the door open. My hand felt along the wall until I found the switch and light flooded the room.

  My stomach clenched. With only the light from the hall, I hadn’t been able to see just how much blood covered the floor or the silver strands of his hair turning brown as it dried. Zach had followed Susanna’s orders and chained Elron where I’d been. From the way he lay with his arms at an awkward angle to attach to the chains, I doubted he’d awakened since I left. Under the blood, his skin was pale.

  “Are you under your own control?” Ethel asked, still chained where she’d been when I left.

  I took the key to the nullifying cuffs out of my pocket and set to work on her bonds. “Compulsions have never been terribly effective on me.”

  The corner of Ethel’s mouth turned up, and her eyes brightened. “Susanna never did believe you were as talented as rumored.”

  “She can contemplate that when she wakes up on the bathroom floor wearing a pair of these.” I forced the key to turn, and the cuffs released.

  Ethel rubbed her wrists. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.” The cuffs on her ankles were of the mundane variety. A quick tap of my wand, and they released.

  With Ethel free, I dodged around as much blood as I could to get to Elron. Up close, it was even worse. Blood coated the floor under his head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. If not for me…”

  I unchained him as carefully as I could and checked his pulse. To my inexperienced touch it felt, well, there. His chest rose and fell with what looked like normal enough breaths. “Thank the earth elves are tough.” I lifted my wand to try a healing spell.

  “Halt.”

  Ethel settled to the ground next to me. “For your many talents, healing has never been one.”

  “I have to.” I sucked in an unsteady breath.

  “No. You need to take down the barrier. I will watch over him until a true healer arrives.” Ethel scooted around so she could watch the door too.

  “You won’t heal him?” I didn’t take my eyes off him.

  Ethel’s lips flattened. “If he gets worse, I’ll do everything I can to aid him.”

  I closed my eyes. “Because you might have to protect both of you.”

  “Yes.”

  My heart ached, but I knew what I had to do. Eyes open, and seared with the image of his tattered scalp, I leaned down and brushed a feather light kiss across his forehead. “I’ll come back with help.”

  “Close the door behind you, and if you send anyone, tell them to announce themselves before they come in.”

  “Yes, premier.” Closing the door behind me was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. The latch clicking sounded final.

  Mother earth, don’t let this be the end.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I walked out the office door before I remembered I could’ve checked the camera.

  “You.” A scruffy man in coveralls pointed at me. A fireball flew out of his finger.

  Too late.

  I dodged to the side, and it hit the building, scorching the paint.

  He jumped back, started to look at his finger, but swore and hurriedly pointed it away.

  “Orzu,” I said.

  He stepped onto the softened ground and started to sink. He flailed around, shouting and shooting fireb
alls in every direction. The more he struggled, the faster he sank. When he was chest deep, he plunged his hands toward the ground. They sank in like the rest of him, and he screamed.

  “Fehu.” The ground solidified. Now he wouldn’t be casting any more fireballs, though the ones he’d already spread around were more than enough to attract the rest of the newly enhanced employees.

  A shrill siren drowned out stuck-in-the-mud’s screams.

  That would be my fiancé’s medical chariot, right on time. I had enough magic to take down the barrier or properly shield and defend myself. Like that was a choice.

  I took off down the road. I had to get my hands on that fence to undo the spell. From here, several dumpsters were between me and the gate. Gravel slipped under my feet as I pushed myself faster. For the first time in hours, the tightness in my chest started to ease. One more spell stood between me and help.

  Something smashed into me. My feet slid across the gravel, and I fell, a heavy weight on top of me. Air whooshed out of my lungs.

  “Got her!”

  I sucked in a breath. Dust coated my mouth. I lost precious seconds coughing.

  My attacker flipped me over and grinned down at me. His bald head glistened with sweat. He wiped it away with his sleeve and grinned. “Boss’ll give me a reward for catchin’ you.” He grabbed my left wrist.

  It went numb. I couldn’t feel his hand on my skin, wiggle my fingers, or bend my elbow.

  “None of that magic.” He touched my right hand.

  My arm went numb all the way up to my elbow. Of all the abilities for one of these guys to get.

  He hauled me over his shoulders in a fireman’s carry, touching both of my ankles while he did it. “Can’t have you going anywhere.”

  I could cast spells without a wand, or moving my hands, but if I did this, I might not have enough power left to fix the gate. Not seeing another option, I tried to relax. Supposedly falls hurt less that way. Closing my eyes, I focused on him, his shoulders, and used my favorite sleep spell. “Mannaz.”

  His grip loosened, and he crumpled under me.