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

by N. E. Conneely

  "I know, and that's the problem. It's not like I'm going to be able to find a clan where I get along with everyone and they all understand my past."

  "If any clan could do that, it would be the Docga."

  I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, I know."

  He got that patient tone in his voice. "Then why have you been so reluctant to entertain the idea?"

  "I don't know," I snapped. "Maybe it's because I don't understand the point of a clan, or maybe it's because feeling cornered makes me ornery. Or… or maybe it's because I don't want to join Dad's clan just to fix a problem with Mom's former clan. Assuming it would fix it. Gretchen could decide to start a war. I don't know how far she would get, but I don't want to be responsible for any more deaths."

  "Of the people responsible for that dead witch, you are at the bottom of the list. He chose his actions that day. Never forget that, Michelle. He made his own choices. He could have left, or used a different spell, or attempted conversation. After him comes whoever sent him to attack you. Then comes a combination of Ty, you, Landa, and me. Ty was protecting you, which he has always done willingly, but Landa and I have encouraged his protective instincts." He cleared his throat. "We never limited him to nonfatal actions. Perhaps that was our oversight, but I could not handicap your protector."

  I studied him, noting the tight grip on the steering wheel, the exacting posture, and his frown. "You don't feel like it's your fault, do you?"

  "The death was unnecessary and should have been prevented; however, I am confident that I made the best choices with the information available to me. I have taken what steps I can to prevent the event from reoccurring. Ty has been assured that his actions were justified, but he will be slower to escalate to that level of response in the future."

  His hand found mine and gripped it tightly. "I would not trade Thomas's life for yours. Had you been injured or… I could not have forgiven myself. However, you are here, and that is what matters to me."

  When he released my hand, I said, "You matter to me too."

  After that the silence was comfortable, but something kept nagging at me. "You think I should join the Docga, don't you?"

  Elron glanced at me and shook his head. "Do you desire my opinion, or do you want to convince me that you are correct?"

  "Hey, I haven't said you're wrong." He didn't say anything. "Fine then. I solemnly swear I will not argue with you."

  "I suppose I can take your word." He winked before getting serious. "Your father's clan is the best choice, and there is a small chance that being a member of the Docga would prevent further actions from Gretchen. Besides, there may come a time when you no longer have a choice."

  "You make a compelling argument, elf. I'll think about it."

  Elron guided the car off the road and carefully followed the directions down a narrow but well-maintained gravel road. On our right were trees, the pines still holding on to their greenery, and on our left was a wall of red clay. The hill continued above that, with trees towering overhead and casting long shadows.

  He found the gated driveway to my dad's house and punched in the code. The gate swung open and we rolled through. Through the trees I could see a sizable house, but that wasn't what caught my attention. On my right were half a dozen small cabins. From here they looked to have one or two bedrooms with gardens in the back. A small, less-traveled drive branched off, dead-ending in a circle near the cabins.

  The main portion of the driveway turned away from the cabins, and the house reclaimed my attention. It was an imposing log home. Make no mistake; there was nothing cabin-like about this place. The part that I could see was three stories, with wraparound decks and large windows.

  The driveway, which circled a garden in front of the house, had several cars parked along the outside of the loop. Elron pulled in behind the last car, pulled the key out of the ignition, and looked at me.

  I smiled as I wiggled my feet back into my dress shoes. After a quick check to make sure my phone wouldn't ring, I took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready."

  "Do not worry. It will be fine." Elron patted my hand.

  Nodding, I stepped out of the car, not waiting for his help. As soon as I was on my feet, I wished I'd let him help me out of the car. I'd never really gotten the hang of walking on gravel in heels. As far as I could tell, you got lucky and stayed on your feet or hoped that someone else had a more impressive slip than you.

  My foot skittered six inches to the side, and I was sure I was going down. Elron came to my rescue, holding me upright until I got my feet under me and firmly tucking my hand around his arm.

  "Thank you."

  "Of course, milady."

  We went up the staircase, and Elron's finger was hovering over the doorbell when the door was opened.

  "Come in, come in." An older woman with tightly curled hair and a big smile greeted us.

  Stepping forward, I offered my hand. "Hello, I'm Michelle Oaks and this is Elron."

  "Martha. It's a pleasure to meet you." She shook my hand with a soft grip and then Elron's. "We've been expecting you. Nancy wants to see you before the ceremony—not you, Elron, just Michelle. She's been so worried with what happened last time."

  Martha paused long enough to take a deep breath before continuing. "Let me take those coats for you. Now, this way. It's so good to meet you. I mean, I heard all about you, but, well, with everything that was going on, it really wasn't safe for you here. Until now, that is. And Nancy and Greg couldn't be happier. It's about time, too; they've spent enough time apart. If that dreadful Gretchen would leave them alone, those two would finally get a chance to be together. Horrible woman, bless her heart. But this isn't the time for that. It's a happy day. Oh, Marti told me to say hi for her. She'll see you after the ceremony."

  While she talked, she ushered us down the hall. The house was as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside, with original art hanging on the walls and ornate lighting. Through one door, I caught a glimpse of the dining room, where two golden chandeliers illuminated a long table that had to be set for twenty or more.

  If there'd been a little less going on, I would've questioned her about the clan because she was a fountain of information, but as things were, I had a wedding to distract me.

  "Elron, this will be you. The guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin. It'll just be a couple of minutes, so make yourself at home. There's a seat in the front row reserved for you." Martha unlatched, but didn't open, a door. Soft voices floated out, but I couldn't discern the individual conversations.

  I gave him a weak smile. "Go on, I'll be fine. Could you take my purse?"

  "And so the job of bag holder begins," Elron teased. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek before taking my clutch and vanishing into the room. As the door closed behind him, I got a look at rows of white chairs with ribbons on the backs, bouquets of flowers, and small groups of people in their Sunday best.

  Martha was smiling at me, but I couldn't tell if that meant something because she'd been smiling since we walked in.

  "Up the stairs. Both your parents want to see you. You do look lovely. That pink is a great color on you. Greg wanted to see you first."

  She ushered me up the steps. Unlike the hall, the stairs were carpeted. I gave silent thanks to whoever had that foresight. Wooden stairs and dress shoes didn't mix.

  Martha scooted me through the first door on the right, closing it as soon as I was inside.

  Dad turned away from a full-length mirror and smiled at me. "You look beautiful."

  "Thank you, Dad. You look very handsome. The lavender shirt is a nice touch."

  "Nancy wanted me to wear it." Dad put his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

  "What is it?"

  He frowned. "Are you sure this is okay?"

  "The wedding?" I asked.

  Dad nodded.

  "I can't say it's something I expected, but the two of you deserve to be happy. You've waited long enough."
>
  "You're sure?"

  "Absolutely," I said firmly. After what Elron had said in the car, there was one question I had to ask. "Do you think I should join your clan?"

  He gave me an assessing look and I squirmed a little. "Do you want to?"

  Shrugging, I said, "I'm not sure."

  There was more to it than that. Even if I didn't want to join a clan, one seemed to be in my future, and if that was the case, I didn't want to be in the Wapiti.

  "You're welcome. You know that, right?"

  I nodded.

  "Nancy and I would be thrilled if you joined the clan. She worries about what Gretchen would do, but there's a chance it would end these attacks." He saw the face I made when he mentioned Gretchen. "I know. On a more personal note, it would make me very happy, and there are a lot of people here who want to get to know you. I could be a good thing, Michelle."

  "What about my responsibilities to the clan?"

  "Mom and I would do everything we could to make the transition easy for you. We know it would be a difficult change." After checking his watch, Dad said, "You need to get moving. We're going to start soon, and Nancy wants to see you before the ceremony."

  He pulled me in for a bear hug. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears where they belonged. Dad gave the best hugs, something I hadn't known until he came back into my life.

  "I love you," he whispered.

  "I love you too, Dad." I smiled at him with overly bright eyes and retreated. He'd given me plenty to think about, but right now we needed to get this wedding going. A twenty-six-year delay was plenty.

  Martha blasted me with chatter as soon as I got into the hall. "Here you go, have a tissue. You might want to grab a few more before the ceremony. They are going to be so happy, and they're lucky to have a daughter like you. All the way down the hall. It's the last door on the left. In you go. I've got things to do downstairs. If you need me, I'll be in the back of the room."

  She came close to pitching me into Mom's room. If I'd been less steady on my feet, I would've gone down in a tangle of skirts and heels. As it was, I stumbled right into Mom's outstretched arms.

  "Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Martha is a dear, but something of a whirlwind."

  "I've noticed," I said dryly. After a hug, I gently separated myself from Mom.

  If Dad had been exceptionally human in his dress, Mom was doing the opposite. Her dress was unlike anything I'd seen outside textbooks. The bodice of the dress was white and fitted, with cap sleeves. A wide black belt sewn into the dress accented the natural waist. The skirt fell gently from her hips, and its centerline was the tip of alternating blue, yellow, and orange chevrons. From reading about clans, I knew that the colors signified the cardinal directions—white for east, blue for south, orange for west, and black for north. There was a delicate circle of small blue flowers holding her hair away from her face, and a thick silver chain with an emerald pendant was around her neck.

  "Mom, you look amazing," I said reverently.

  "Are you sure? It's traditional. I always saw myself wearing this at my wedding, but with everything that's happened, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing—"

  I cut her off. "It's perfect. I hope I look half as pretty as you on my wedding day."

  Mom laughed. "You'll look beautiful, and you look beautiful today."

  "Thank you, Mom." I'd had my doubts about this wedding when it was first mentioned. While I was in favor of my parents being happy, I couldn't see this as a happy occasion when the motivation was removing Mom from Gretchen's reach. The theory was that with Mom married into a different clan, Gretchen wouldn't risk a war to get her back. Especially since she really wanted me. Being here had changed my mind. This wasn't a wedding out of desperation, but joy.

  "Mom, I asked Dad something, and I'd like to ask you." I pressed forward before she could worry about the question. "Do you think I should join the Docga?"

  She didn't hesitate to answer. "They would love you. They've wanted to know you for years, but ultimately it's your choice, and I value your happiness over anything else."

  I nodded and refrained from pointing out that she'd left out any mention of Gretchen in her logic. It could've been omitted because Mom saw my clan membership and Gretchen as different issues, but I suspected a different reason. Mom didn't want to think about the lump of a witch that had given her life.

  "Michelle, would you do something for me?" Mom asked.

  "What is it?"

  "Would you walk me down the aisle?"

  "Of course." Blinking furiously, I kept the tears at bay. Martha had been onto something with those tissues.

  Mom gently dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. I wouldn't be the only one shedding happy tears today. She glanced at the clock. "It's time."

  I folded my one tissue, holding it in my palm with a thumb; it would have to do.

  She held the door open for me, and I went down the hall and stairs in front of her. We didn't see anyone, but that was to be expected. Martha was standing outside the door, a big smile on her face, but she wasn't chattering.

  When Mom was standing next to me, Martha asked, "Are you ready?"

  "I've been ready for years."

  Martha nodded and slipped inside the room.

  I stood with Mom on my right and took a deep breath. This was the start of good things for our family. They would have the perfect wedding and could start a life together without the clans hanging over them. The honeymoon I'd insisted they take would be stress-free and a rare chance for them to get to spend time together without hiding their relationship.

  The music started softly, a simple wooden flute that was joined by a quiet drumbeat. Mom nodded at me, and I magicked the door open. We took a step forward, and the perfection of the moment settled over us.

  Mom had said small, and by wedding standards it was, but there were still twenty people in there. As we walked into the room they stood to watch us walk down the aisle. Through the crowd I could see Elron, and while everyone else was looking at Mom, his eyes were locked on me. At the end of the aisle, Dad looked positively enraptured. In that moment, I would've given anything to turn back the clock and give them this wedding twenty-six years ago.

  Nana was beside Dad, wearing a solid red robe. Next to her was a short pillar holding a strip of cloth and a wooden cup.

  When we reached the end of the aisle, I turned to Mom, kissed her cheek, and said, "It's about time."

  I stepped back to stand in front of the empty seat next to Elron.

  Mom smiled at me. Then she turned to Dad, still smiling, and held out her hand. "Would you like to get married?"

  Dad put his hand in hers, and they took the last steps to Nana together.

  I joined the rest of the guests in sitting down and wished that there was a row in front of me since I didn't know what I was doing. Elron seemed to have a grasp on the situation because, from the sound of it, he was one of the first people to sit. Now that I was out of the spotlight, I unfolded my tissue so it would be ready when the tears came.

  The music faded away and Nana started to speak. "It's a pleasure to have you here to witness the union between Nancy Gretchen Oaks, outcast, and Greg Patrick Nelson of the Docga. As the lot of you have had twenty years to protest this union, any complaints you have now should be kept to yourselves."

  That got a hearty chuckle from the guests. When everyone settled down, she continued. "For the few of you who don't know or have forgotten, my name is Mari, and I have the privilege of performing this ceremony. Nancy and Greg are thrilled that you are here today to share in their joy."

  The drum returned, with a soft but steady beat. "Blessed be this union with the gift of the east, fresh beginnings with each turn of the earth and rising of the sun. Blessed be this union with the gift of the south, the light created between the two of you to lighten the darkest times. Blessed be this union with the gift of the west, a refreshing and cleansing rain. Blessed be this union with the gift of the north, a stable home to which you
may always return."

  From there they went on to exchange traditional human vows. The tears I'd been holding back escaped, and I dabbed my eyes. Elron took my free hand, squeezing it, and I looked away from my parents long enough to smile at him.

  Nana smiled at my parents before focusing on the rest of us. "As the officiator and as Greg's mother, it is my pleasure to bless your union."

  Behind me, the guests were clapping and whistling. The amount of noise such a small group could generate surprised me, but after a moment I joined in. It really was about time for my parents to be official.

  Grinning, Nana motioned with her hands for everyone to settle down. Mom and Dad were smiling as much as everyone else, and I couldn't help but beam back.

  There was a buzz of excitement when Nana continued. "Greg, as Minister of Docga, do you invite Nancy to join the clan?"

  I was again reminded of how different the Docga were from most clans. After I'd learned of his position in the clan, I'd done some research and couldn't find mention of any other clan in the rest of the world run by a man.

  "I do."

  "Then join, and be joined."

  I would've been confused by the phrasing, but the next part happened so fast that I didn't have time to think about it. Dad raised his right hand, holding it at shoulder height, palm facing Mom who was mirroring the gesture. At first nothing happened, then I saw a shimmer of magic around Dad. I blinked, and the shimmer had turned into a mass of swirling colors circling Dad. A strong, though less substantial, glow surrounded Mom.

  Dad nodded, their hands met with an audible crack, and the swirl of magic concentrated on their hands. Nana quickly knotted the cloth around their hands, but how she could see what she was doing was a mystery to me.

  Dad spoke, with Mom echoing his words. "You are blood of my blood and bone of my bone. I give you my body so that two might become one, and one a part of many."

  The magic shot into the air as a column of light before shattering and showering everyone in sparkles that tingled when they touched skin. They pulled their hands free, and Dad caught the cloth in his left hand. What had once been undyed cotton was now covered in swirls of color. Dad untied the cloth and handed it to Nana, who tied it around Mom's waist.