by Bella Benz
He felt the magic before he saw it. Slowly a stone was beginning to form around them, and Delsin began to feel a bit of panic at the idea of being trapped in stone. His eyes shot over to the poor woman to see how she was coping with it, but she had her eyes closed, her lips moving without any sounds coming out of them. Even though his body wasn’t actually there, Delsin couldn’t help but feel the claustrophobia settling into his core. He had been through something like this before, and he now avoided small confined spaces as much as possible. Pushing down his own sense of dread, he allowed his spirit to drift outside of the stone. Better to watch the hunters than to be tormented by that cold prison. As soon as he was free, the warlock gave an involuntary sigh, a sense of relief shaking him up a little. He looked toward where the witch should have been, but even with his vision sensing heat, the warlock could not sense her.
A smile passed over his face. “I suppose that is some good thinking. A tree or small hill would have been preferable, but at least you’re safe now.” He turned toward the sound of a dog barking nearby. The creature ran through his legs and began sniffing at the rock, circling it as if looking for a way to get into it. Its small paws began to scratch furiously at the edges of the rock. Amused, Delsin watched, knowing that the dog could not get to its target.
He turned to look at the hunters. They continued calling out to each other, but their voices were getting higher in pitch, indicating that they were beginning to get more desperate in their search. When one noticed the dog digging at the rock, he issued a sharp rebuke and demanded that the dog follow them. The dog’s eyes moved to the rock one more time; then it expelled a huffing breath before running off after the humans. Delsin couldn’t help but feel the dog had a much better understanding of what was going on and was laughing at the people. Its nose could certainly smell the witch. Without any way of verbalizing this to the humans, the dog had simply given up. The warlock watched as the dog continued with the hunters, its motivation clearly gone as it half-heartedly sniffed for the witch. A couple of times, the creature turned and looked at the rock, but it did not return again.
Delsin chuckled as they ran around for more than an hour, constantly moving farther away from their prey. With his senses fine-tuned, the warlock could hear their curses about clever witches and a few seconds of misfortune. He followed them for a while, always keeping his distance so that he didn’t lose sight of the stone. Once he was certain they were gone, he looked around him. Delsin’s eyes moved in the opposite direction that the hunters had taken, and he saw a small village not more than a few miles from his current location. The moment of relief quickly faded. A small gasp escaped his lips as Delsin realized exactly where he was.
They were nearly to the village where he had grown up. He was almost home. Without thinking, he rushed back to the witch, slid through the rock, and knelt in front of her. Placing his hands on her knees, he said, “We are almost to my home. You’ll be safe there because they accept all kinds, as long as they pass a few tests.”
The witch frowned and twisted her lower lip, biting the side of it. Slowly, she removed the rock, her attention clearly on determining if the hunters were still close.
Delsin looked down at his home. “Come on! Come on! The hunters are gone, but they will likely be back this evening. You need to get a move on before then.” His words were impatient, his heart clenching at the idea of getting to see the home as he remembered it.
As if in response, the witch seemed to try to hurry. She dropped the magic holding the rock in place and rolled onto all fours. Delsin watched in horror as she crawled forward. It was only then that he realized that she was not in much better shape than when he had last seen her. Someone had clothed her, but she clearly had new bruises and wounds. One of her legs moved at a strange angle, and he could tell that it was either out of joint or broken. He covered his mouth with a hand, feeling completely helpless at the pathetic sight of the woman desperately trying to escape.
“Hello?”
The voice came out of his own memories. Delsin looked to his left to see a face he had not seen in nearly three decades. His mother was carrying a small basket with a mushroom in her hand. Her husband stepped up behind her. “What’s wrong?” His voice was level and wary.
Reflexively, Delsin looked in the direction where the hunters had gone, his heart racing at the idea that his parents were there, clearly unprepared for a confrontation. When he turned back to see his parents, his mother was moving forward carefully, and his father was trying to stop her.
She gave a familiar laugh. “Don’t forget, dear, I’m the ranking one here.”
The witch had stopped, the terror clear in her eyes. She had fallen to her side and was trying to put up the rock protection again while trying to remain silent. Delsin knelt beside her. “Call out to them.”
The witch looked up at the sky, her eyes searching for something. After a pause, she began to shake her head, her hand trying to drag the stone barrier over her body. At best, only a few leaves shifted around her – she simply didn’t have enough magic to do anything.
Delsin looked back as his parents as they argued playfully about what his mother had or had not heard. He looked down at the witch, an amused expression on his face. “They are the Chamberlins. As long as you can find them, they will help you.” He had no idea why he said it; the witch could not hear him.
The witch paused for a moment, whimpering as she seemed torn about what to do. Finally, she said, barely above a whisper, “Please help me.”
Delsin half believed she was calling to the demon. Given how far along she was, it was obvious that the pregnancy was nearly over. Demons rarely joined in at this point, unless there was a chance that the baby would be killed. Their spawn were not born helpless like humans. Even magic users needed protection in the first couple of years.
The sounds of hesitant steps caused him to look up again. His parents were picking on each other now; they looked genuinely concerned. He could tell by the looks on their faces that they had heard the words and were being very cautious about approaching whoever had called out. Unable to help himself, he began to move toward them.
The witch pleaded, “Please, don’t leave me.”
Startled, he looked down at her, unsure if she was talking to him or the demon. He looked around again but did not see the demon. Yet he could not bring himself to leave her. Giving in to the pity he felt, Delsin knelt beside her. “You should not be able to hear me or sense me.”
Her eyes moved around the area, searching for something.
Frowning, the warlock said, “Call out to them again. And do not lie about what you are carrying. They will kill you and the babe if you are not honest with them.”
A whimper escaped her lips. Then she called out again, this time a little louder, “Please help me. The hunters…” She couldn’t finish the words as pain seemed to shoot through her. Clutching her stomach, the young witch rolled up into the fetal position.
This time, Delsin was not able to watch events unfold. As his parents noticed the witch on the ground and started hurrying to her, the warlock was yanked out of the memory. His arms flailed as he was dragged further toward the center of the spider’s web.
✽✽✽
CHAPTER FOUR
Delsin was screaming as he hurtled into the next memory. At no point in the previous memory had he gotten anywhere close to his parents, thinking he would have time to see them when they arrived to help her. Now he felt cheated, and a bit of anger began to bubble up in him. This wasn’t how webs like this worked, and the warlock began to feel that he might be experiencing some sort of torment. As he progressed past several memories, only gaining a quick glimpse of his parents as they tended to the witch, Delsin began to feel some resentment toward Lilith. This seemed like a completely personal punishment meant to harm him for caring and wanting to help her. For a moment, he was able to believe that she might be too far gone to save.
He slammed into the ground without suffering any har
m, but he couldn’t help but lie still on the ground thinking about the state of his body. He slowly wiggled his transparent fingers before remembering that he wasn’t really there. The warlock’s mind had slipped so far into emotions that he had nearly forgotten that he was watching someone else’s experience.
A soft, familiar voice nearby finally stirred him from his thoughts.
“But it’s a demon, Chase. We can’t just let –”
“I know, Maria, but this isn’t normal, and you know it.”
“On that we agree. But we cannot simply let her run around with the creature. It doesn’t matter that the young woman isn’t looking for power, she –”
Delsin turned and saw his father place a hand on his mother’s shoulders. “I think that it would be best to simply trust that Bernice will do the right thing.”
His mother pulled away. “You want to trust a witch who called forth a demon and only left her coven when they expelled her. I’m sorry, but even for you that seems illogical.”
He frowned at her. “I’m not saying that we don’t monitor them. But I’m not about to track a toddler just because of what might happen in the future.”
“Then you may be dooming future generations.” Maria’s eyes flared, her mouth drawn in a line that Delsin still remembered. “We helped her, made sure that she brought the child into the world safely. That means we are responsible for whatever happens with that child.”
“I’ve seen nothing that indicates that Bernice is going to do anything rash or harmful to the babe. For Fate's sake! You have played with the child. And yet you are harboring these kinds of thoughts and fears. If you cannot see past her being a demon, what hope does the child have for the future?”
“I'm not saying that I don’t trust the child if we can ensure that she is properly raised, able to understand her own powers. But we’ve seen how reluctant Bernice is to stay here now that she knows she is putting us and the village at risk. Her child’s powers are only going to grow, and in a few years it will be impossible to mask what she can do. If Bernice allows her guilt to get out of control, there is no telling what will happen. I want to trust her, but the problem is more about her unpredictability.”
“You make her sound like a wild animal.” Chase's voice was cooler, almost accusatory.
“When we found her, she was little more than that,” Maria shot back.
“Look, Maria, we can’t –”
“You mean you can’t. There was a time when you would understand the problem with letting her and the child run free. The responsibility of your station to ensure that the child didn’t pose a risk to those around her. I hardly understand this reluctance, knowing what the child is, simply because you trust a woman you have known for less than two years. A woman who has told us precious little about her reasons or her life before we found her.”
“And I think that you are feeling jealous that I am spending so much time with Bernice and the child.” The words were no more out of his mouth than Chase seemed to regret them. His hand flew to cover his lips, but there was no way to take the sentiment back.
Maria’s eyes narrowed and her mouth drew into a thin line. “Don’t you dare try to turn this into something that it isn’t. When you married me, you knew that I couldn’t bear children. If you are going to throw that back in my –”
Chase stretched out a hand and tried to pull his wife to him. “Maria, I didn’t –”
She knocked his arm away from her. “Don’t touch me, Chase Chamberlin.”
He took a step forward, but he did not try to reach out to her again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean –”
“You mean exactly what you said.” Maria glared at him. “Unless you are saying that I have a reason to be jealous of an incompetent witch who was foolish enough to call on a demon against the will of her coven, in which case, I will feel perfectly fine with letting you go off with her and protect them on your own. Every day that passes, I begin to understand why my parents didn’t want me to marry you.” Her glare was so intense that Delsin felt the shame and fear of his childhood from that look.
Chase took another step forward. “You know that I didn’t mean to –”
Maria folded her arms across her chest. “What I do know is that you are willing to risk our home, our village, for a woman who has already proven unreliable at best.”
Shaking his head, Chase said, “I can’t believe that you would think we could put a tracker on such a young child. If we can’t see her as more than just a demon, what hope does Bernice have of raising her that way?”
It was obvious even to Delsin that this was his father’s primary hang-up. But from where he was standing, Delsin also knew that it was foolish – his mother was clearly the one who was thinking right. He began to circle the scene unfolding before him. He had no idea that things had once been so difficult between them, that they had at one time been so at odds that his mother could regret their marriage. His eyes moved around his father, looking for something, anything, that could be making him so eager to do something that was clearly so dangerous.
Maria pressed her lips together. “In what way would any competent person see the child as anything more than a demon?”
“She is just a child!” Chase took another step forward, his hands clenched into fists.
“Who blew up a house when the baker told her that he was not going to give her a sweet roll, Chase. You seem to be forgetting everything that you have been taught, falling prey to –”
“I am just as aware as you, but I want to honor Bernice’s wish to raise the child like a child.”
Maria let out a cold laugh. “Yes, because one look at her won’t let anyone know that she isn’t human. You are fooling yourself, and worst of all lying to the witch by leading her into believing that she can raise that child as anything other than a demon.”
“When did you get so cold?” Chase set his jaw.
Maria took a deep breath, closing her eyes. “I need time away from you.” Her eyes flew open, and she looked at her husband. Without saying a world, she turned and created a portal behind her.
As she stepped through, Chase stepped forward. “You can’t run away every time –” The portal shut before he got near it. He cursed under his breath. Running a hand through his black hair, Chase turned around. Standing in the doorway was a small girl with long whitish-blonde hair. She looked scared, and Chase hurried over to her.
Wrapping his arms around the girl, Chase muttered, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I will make sure to protect you. Maria just needs a bit more time to understand.”
The little girl shook her head. “I’m a demon?”
Chase froze, apparently surprised that the girl had not even known this small bit of information. Stroking her head in an effort to help her stay calm, he murmured, “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you are a bad person. It just means you are different.”
“But demons hurt people. They tried to hurt my mother.”
Chase took a deep breath, his thoughts beginning to etch on his face. Delsin smiled wryly. He had seen that look before – his father was coming to the realization of just how wrong he was. It had been a long running joke in their home that Maria was always right, but Delsin had not realized that his parents were not joking as much as he had thought.
It was obvious with every word the child said that her mother had not been properly preparing her for the reality of her own life.
A nearly frantic voice called out, “Lilith?” A few seconds later, the witch that Delsin had been following appeared at the other end of the hall. “Lilith!” The woman sat down in the hall. “I’m so sorry, Chase! I didn’t realize she had slipped away.”
He let go of the girl, but Delsin’s eyes remained on the child as it dawned on him that Lilith had managed to send him back through her own memories. He was seeing life through her eyes.
Chase spoke in a slow, measured tone. “It’s quite all right, Bernice. You know that we love having you both here. But I do have some concerns.
”
Bernice gave him an uncertain smile. “Don’t you always?”
“Yes.” He flashed a smile at her. “But little Lilith has just indicated that she didn’t even know that she was a demon. That leaves me very concerned about the path you are going down.”
Bernice frowned down at her daughter. “Well, I was going to get around to it when the time was appropriate. She’s still just a child.”
He gave her an understanding smile, setting the young witch at ease. “I understand. Just be aware that the longer you put it off, the harder it will be. And while the people in the village may be all right with her, travelers and others will not be so kind. I think it best that you take the time to explain some of the key things before she finds things out the wrong way.”
Lilith looked between them, but she didn’t say anything as they spoke. Delsin sat on the ground, watching the child intently. There was so much that he had not known about her history, including the fact that she had known his parents.
“Why did you never tell me?” he murmured at her.
The little girl turned and looked around the room, but said nothing as her mother took her hand.
Bernice smiled shyly at Chase. “Thank you. I really appreciate all of your help, and I will definitely take what you said into consideration.”
“My recommendation has not changed since we started taking care of you, Bernice. You should be past simply considering it. For the sake of your daughter, please don’t put it off any longer.” He patted the witch’s shoulder and left the room.
Bernice crouched down and looked at her daughter. “You know I love you, right, little one?”