A Witch's Concern (A Witch's Path Book 4)

by N. E. Conneely

  There was a long moment of silence, during which I exchanged a look with Landa. Whatever we'd expected, Tammy wasn't it. She wasn't blaming us or trying to force ideas upon us, but offering a civil discourse.

  "The minister, well, Gretchen sees in you a chance to reclaim what she lost when she had a falling-out with Nancy. Gretchen is sincere in her offers of an education, a position, and a chance at the ministry, and she truly believes that what she has to offer is worth what you might lose."

  "My parents did an excellent job."

  "I'm fully aware. You have given me a firsthand showing of your skills." There was hint of humor in her voice. "I don't know if Gretchen really believes this, but she claims, forcefully, that Nancy is preventing you from returning to the clan."

  I shook my head. "I have no desire to be involved with a clan. Not even with my father's."

  "I was stating Gretchen's view, not my own. Other problems aside, Gretchen sees in you the relationship she never had with Nancy. You are powerful enough to do her proud, and that's the one thing Nancy was incapable of doing. Gretchen sees you as her second chance at motherhood and a way to keep her family in the ministry, and she knows something about you that makes her want to claim you before anyone else."

  "What does she know?"

  "I have not been given that information, but it's something to do with your clan scar. I wish I could tell you more."

  "It's not that important." I shook my head. It had to be connected to my mark of the Ieldra, but I wasn't going to share that with Tammy.

  "You must be prepared. I doubt very much that this morning's attack was her last plan."

  It was hard to tell if she thought Gretchen was behind the latest attack, but based on Tammy's previous reaction, there was a good chance Gretchen's supporters had planned it without her knowledge. Either way, I was getting warning that this wasn't over. "Can you tell her that I don't want to be a member of her family? Can you talk her out of this?"

  "No, and even if I could, it wouldn't solve the problem, especially when Thomas's death is considered. The entire clan is upset, and our minister is in jail. Some will believe that the only way to solve this is to bring you into the clan." She finished with as much emotion as someone reporting on the status of drying paint.

  "What will the other people believe?"

  "Their view is irrelevant. She's the minister."

  If that was the case, Gretchen wouldn't stop, not as long as a single person was willing to carry out her plan. "Then I hope all of you enjoy your time in orange jumpsuits."

  "You mean that? You want us to be in jail?"

  "What you're doing is illegal. You're criminals. You belong in jail." I meant every word.

  "We have done nothing that violates clan law."

  I locked eyes with her. "Then the laws are wrong. Clan law should never come above the law of the land. Humans can't do this to each other and get away with it. Shifters can't do this to a human, or satyr, or witch."

  "Clan law has served us well for thousands of years, far longer than this country has existed."

  "Is that so? How's it working right now? One dead, several injured, and a bunch of you behind bars." I sighed. "Get out. Get out of my home, and take that book with you. I'll never support a group as morally corrupt as the Wapiti, and as far as I'm concerned, the rest of the witches aren't far behind. Wake up; look at modern laws and see how out of step you are. Most races would consider your rules barbaric. Is that how you want to be seen?"

  "Learn your history. We're the longest-running matriarchal society. We were civilized before humans existed and when shifters fought amongst themselves."

  "You're thugs in skirts. Put my grandmother on a leash, and we can talk."

  "I don't have that kind of influence." Tammy paused in the open door.

  I don't know what she would've said next, because Landa slammed the door shut and threw the bolt. Tammy stumbled going down the steps, but I wasn't sure if I'd shaken her that badly or if Landa had a hand in it. The two of us stayed where we were until we heard her car rolling down the driveway. I took a couple of steps and plopped down in a chair. I think Landa was waiting for me to say something, but I didn't. She patted my shoulder and told me dinner would be ready in twenty minutes before leaving.

  There was a moment when I'd thought we were making progress, that there could be peace, but that hope had been dashed as quickly as it had come. It was just another ploy, a different type of attack. Gretchen wasn't going to give up, and that meant I had to find a way to make her stop.

  Joining Dad's clan was the only thing that might work, and I couldn't see myself as part of a group that was this prone to backstabbing and bickering. If I wanted to deal with that, I'd go back to high school. Not to mention joining a clan came with obligations to attend meetings, be involved, learn about your group, and help out other clansmen. All I wanted to do was to be left alone. Not that I was getting my wish anytime soon.

  I was walking out of the parlor when the book caught my eye. Tammy had left the wretched thing. After a cursory examination, I retrieved the book. It was a history of our clan, and right now it was all I could do to avoid torching the thing. I took it back to my apartment and locked it in my workroom in case I'd missed a spell.

  There was a light rap on the front door and Elron let himself in, a worried look on his face. "There you are. I got your message but you did not answer when I called. Are you all right?"

  I'd left the message after the attack this morning, and his words brought it back. I rubbed my suddenly wet eyes with the back of my hand. "I don't know. They aren't going to stop. They'll do this until I knuckle under or die."

  Elron pulled me into a hug. "But you are not hurt physically?"

  "A few more bruises, but ointment took care of those."

  "What of your emotions?"

  "A man died today. Ty picked him up, tossed him, and gravity did the rest. Why? Why is this happening? It's so senseless."

  "He made his choices. All of the Wapiti have, and their choice has been to support Gretchen. You need to do what it takes for you to survive."

  Elron was right, but it didn't really make me feel better. I wondered what would happen next. Gretchen couldn't continue on the same path now that there had been death. Even she had to satisfy the clan, and they'd want answers as to how one of them had died doing her errands. This would change her approach—it had to—but I didn't expect that change to be in my favor.

  "Did anything else happen today?"

  "Yes, a possessed teacup bit me while I was at lunch with Tiffany and Amber. Then one of the Wapiti came for a visit."

  He stiffened and his voice dropped. "What did she want?"

  "She was supposed to be the pot of honey. Landa was here. Tammy went away without causing any problems." Well, other than telling me that Gretchen wouldn't stop.

  "You cannot catch a break. The demon is hardly cold in its grave when the Wapiti set their sights on you." Elron squeezed me against his chest. "Would you like to continue this conversation over pie?"

  I leaned back enough to look up at him. "Pie?"

  "Landa made pie." He smiled. "I thought you would like that. Let's go."

  When we got to the dining room, Landa and Mander were taking their seats. I was good and got real food before hunting down the pie. Sure enough, there was an apple pie, hot from the oven. When I removed my slice from the pan, steam billowed out. By the time I finished dinner, it would be the perfect temperature.

  "Are we it for tonight?" I asked as I took my seat.

  "Some of the other residents might come down," Landa answered. "We've got two overnight guests, but they are having dinner in town."

  Nodding, I sat down. A small group of friends sounded good to me.

  I was one bite of food into dinner when Elron asked, "So what exactly happened today?"

  Sure enough, he was looking at me. "Well, I got my car, was attacked by eight witches, went to lunch with Tiffany and Amber, was bitten by a Morin
ji-no-okama, came home and disposed of it, and had an enlightening conversation with a witch from the Wapiti."

  Elron shook his head.

  "Oh, you wanted details." Between bites, I filled in the details that I had left out in our previous conversation.

  "Why did they attack you here?" Elron asked.

  Shaking my head, I said, "I don't know. I'm starting to think Gretchen didn't send them. It was more violent than other assaults, and Tammy didn't know it was happening, so I'm beginning to wonder if someone else was behind it."

  "The officer said they were Wapiti," Landa chimed in.

  "Who is Tammy?" Elron asked.

  "That's the witch who showed up a little while ago to try to talk me into joining the clan. She was also one of the ones holding me when I was at the mansion." Elron nodded and I focused on Landa. "I know, but it doesn't make sense for Gretchen to send people to hurt me and send Tammy to woo me. They keep saying things that make me think the clan isn't as united as they would have us believe."

  "You think some members of the clan determined that killing you would solve the problem," Elron said.

  I shrugged.

  "Tammy was genuinely surprised to hear of the assault," Landa said.

  "Did she say anything else of note?" Elron asked.

  "She told a touching, if twisted, story explaining why Gretchen wants me so badly, and she extended an offer to come visit the clan and see what they could do for me. She left a book behind. It's about the history of our clan." I could see Elron's next question so I headed him off. "I haven't read it yet."

  "It could be useful." He paused. "My day was also disturbed by the Wapiti."

  "What? And you didn't say anything?"

  "The events were less serious than what occurred during your encounters with the witches." He gripped my hand. "Worry for your safety overshadowed my encounter."

  "Fair enough."

  He quickly told of the spells at the university and his good fortune in getting a campus security officer who was capable of cleaning up the effects of the spells. I was surprised that the spells hadn't been triggered by someone else, but Elron seemed to think that they had been keyed to him, but he wasn't sure how.

  I didn't voice my concern, but it crossed my mind that Tammy could've done those spells. It would be a Gretchen-like move to eliminate people I was emotionally attached to as a way to usher me into the arms of the clan. If that was her plan, she didn't understand me very well, and she needed to get the rest of the clan on the same page. It wouldn't do any good to make me a member of the clan only to have them hate me because of my part in Thomas's death, or want to kill me as a way to get revenge.

  Elron had been distracted from the other event of my day by things we knew could be linked to the Wapiti, but Mander was focused on something else. When there was a lull in conversation, he asked, "Where did you find a Morinji-no-okama?"

  I held up the still-healing hand. "That's a delightful story of the teacup that bit me while I was having lunch."

  When it was clear that I wasn't getting out of this without divulging the story, I launched into the tale. Relaying the information wouldn't have been so bad, but it wasn't exactly easy to talk and eat. By the time I finished with the story, including how I destroyed the Morinji-no-okama, the three of them had started on their dessert and I was still working on my salad.

  Elron voiced his thoughts first. "I do not like it."

  Landa quickly agreed with him. "Neither do I. It's too convenient for an item related to demons to crop up now. Do you think it's left over from one of Gremory's plots?"

  I shrugged. "Since it isn't really Gremory's style, I've been thinking Gretchen might've planted it. She has to know that anything odd in this town eventually comes across my desk."

  "Perhaps, but if memory serves, a Morinji-no-okama must reside with a demon for a century before it becomes possessed. That tends to weigh in favor a demon being involved," Elron said.

  Gremory had had an inclination for direct action, even if it was through other people. He'd gotten power from a woman who bred magical creatures and tortured a dwarf and from the werewolves through Adder. Gremory had also gifted Carrie with powers, turning the human into a sorceress so that she could help free the trolls. Later he'd sent creatures to hurt me and attack the jail.

  "Michelle, do you think there's another demon?" Mander asked.

  "I don't know." Deep down, I knew the truth. There were more demons, and they had to kill me because I knew how to kill them.

  Chapter 17: Michelle

  "Are you ready?" Elron called through the door.

  "Almost."

  I dropped the lipstick into my purse, tucked down a stray strand of hair, and joined Elron in the living room. Stopping between the two stone lions, I smoothed my hands down the side of my skirt.

  "Beautiful." Elron smiled.

  "Thank you," I said shyly.

  "Shall we?" He offered his arm.

  I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm. "Let's go."

  Elron had volunteered to drive, and we were taking his car. Neither of us had said anything, but we knew the witches would be less likely to look for his vehicle. When we got to the car, I peeked in the backseat to check on my overnight bag and kit. The kit was coming along because I didn't want to be without my supplies if I got called to a case. While we weren't intending to spend the night, we would change our plans if the party ran late.

  Elron held the door open for me, closing it gently once I was seated. While he rounded the car, I traded my dress shoes for loafers. The heels were cute, but I didn't need to wear them for the drive.

  We were on the highway—heading north and enjoying the hills, which hadn't lost any of their beauty during winter—when I said, "I've been meaning to ask you something. Have you been wearing your medallion?"

  His eyes darted in my direction before returning to the road. "Yes."

  "Have you noticed it doing anything strange?" Elron didn't have as many opportunities to interact with suspicious magical objects, so even if his medallion had the same quirks as mine, it might not have done anything.

  "It has not behaved as most metal would. There was an incident I intended to mention but recent events rendered it less notable."

  "I'll share if you will."

  "Your medallion has been active?" Elron asked.

  "You first."

  "While you were experiencing the delights of captivity, I was planting some demon's bane in pots in my apartment. The medallion warmed, and the starts became six-inch-tall plants in a matter of seconds. It also prevented the witch from spelling me when I rescued you." He paused, but I could tell he wasn't finished. "Yesterday it warned me of the spell on the door."

  "Yours has been as active as mine. Remember the Morinji-no-okama? I think the medallion tried to warn me. Before the cup attacked me, the medallion got warm and started zapping me."

  "Zapping?"

  "Yup, like when you get shocked by static electricity. I know yours glowed when it dealt with the spell. Has it done anything else?"

  "Indeed, it has zapped me and warmed."

  "How bright was the glow?"

  "It was soft. If I had not had it in my hand, I would not have noticed."

  "And it did this while you were planting demon's bane?" I inquired. I'd gotten the answer to one question; the medallion did have more tricks up its sleeves.

  "Correct. Varro's notes said that the medallions would aid us. To me it sounds like they are signaling to us if we are in danger or doing something beneficial," Elron commented.

  "Agreed, but what does it say about our future that the medallion got excited when you were planting demon's bane?" I could only think of one answer, and it wasn't a pleasant one.

  "It means that I should take more measures to ensure that we have an ample supply of demon's bane," Elron said grimly.

  "Could one or two of those plants live in my apartment?"

  "Why? You do not enjoy tending plants."

 
; "It would make me feel better."

  "I will see if any of the demon's banes are willing to relocate."

  We lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Elron's voice pulled me back to the present. "How many people did your parents say would be at the wedding?"

  It took me a second to switch my train of thought. "You know, I'm not sure. Mom said it would be small."

  "Ah."

  There was a lull in the conversation. When it was clear that he wasn't going to continue that topic, I asked, "Elron, have you ever been to a clan wedding?"

  "Yes, but not recently."

  "What's it like?"

  "You've never been?"

  I shook my head. "I'm not friends with many witches, and even if I was, they wouldn't invite me to a clan event. No one wants to risk an incident by having the clanless witch around."

  "Each clan has their own traditions, and different types of weddings have different rituals. If two people from the same clan marry, the ceremony is very much like that of humans. It changes as the clan ties become more important. If a witch is switching clans, that will add a portion to the ceremony. If one of them is in a position of power, the ceremony will reflect that."

  Tipping my head back into the headrest, I closed my eyes. "Great. I'm going to be the only one there who doesn't have a clue what's going on, and I'll be the weird witch without a clan."

  "You are worrying over nothing. Your parents know exactly who they are and what you are. The ceremony will be planned accordingly." He reached over and gave my knee a reassuring pat.

  Knowing he was right didn't reduce my worry.

  "Michelle, have you given any thought to joining the Docga?" Elron asked softly.

  "Some." He let the silence stretch until I volunteered more information. "It would change things, and I like my life. Lately it's been hard to keep up with work and family, never mind adding a clan. Dad's nice, but there's no way everyone will be like that."

  "I have met many witches in my years, and they are much like any other group of people."