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

by N. E. Conneely

  "It's barely above freezing. We should do it inside," Dad said.

  "My workroom is too small. What about the room the lodge created after the witches attacked?" I asked. "There's not much furniture, and it's warm."

  That sparked a flurry of movement. In seconds, Elron was off to check in with Landa to see if any residents needed to be warned and if she had any requisitions. Dad was headed to my workroom to find a wand he liked. Mom was out the door, but I wasn't sure what she was doing, and I was left alone with Nana.

  "Bathroom or room where we'll be working?" I asked.

  "Bathroom. Always best to do these things with an empty bladder."

  "That's the truth," I muttered. "This way. There's one around the corner."

  I showed her the bathroom and the room where we'd be working before hurrying to my apartment to make use of my bathroom. While I was in there, I took a hard look at myself in the mirror. For weeks I'd have to explain what had happened to every police officer. Under the yellows, greens, and purples were tired eyes and frustration. I kept looking, hoping to see past them, and after a couple of seconds I could see determination, strength, a woman I could be proud of.

  Somewhere deep down, I found the woman who'd escaped a clan of witches. The same one who'd beaten back an unruly greenhouse, dodged a murder attempt, turned would-be murderers into geese, and embraced her family and the clan that came with it. That was a girl I could admire.

  Chapter 27: Michelle

  With that in mind, I returned to the room. I was the last to arrive. They'd rearranged to give everyone access to the bed I would be occupying. I lay down and tried to relax. When my hand found Elron's, I was able to get comfortable. It would've been nice to get more details, but this was going to be a lot like disenchanting, and I seldom knew what I was going to do until I dug into the spell. Hopefully, once they got in there, it would be easy to undo the spells.

  Dad's hand rested against my forehead, and I felt him get to work. Nana followed his lead and started working on a tangle of spells. Mom was serving as an anchor, holding bits of spells for them and feeding them power.

  I couldn't get used to them working on me. I could feel their power brushing against me and meddling with the knot of spells attached to me. If you'd asked me before they started, I wouldn't have been able to pinpoint where the clan ties attached to me. With them tugging at it, I could tell that it was draped around me like a web. When they were done, I'd have to ask how clan ties usually attached, because this didn't seem right.

  They did something, and fat raindrops started hitting me. I opened my eyes to see a cloud hovering over all of us, doing its best to give us a shower. After a raindrop landed in my eye, I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore it. By the time they'd dealt with the rain spell, the front of my clothing was soaked.

  One of them patted my shoulder, and I took that to mean that they were sorry about my impromptu bath. Even if they hadn't been in the midst of spell-work, I wouldn't have complained. They were as wet as I was and couldn't be enjoying it either.

  After that, things got interesting. They severed part of the spell, and there was a brief moment where I rejoiced. When the wind picked up, I opened my eyes to see a twister in the corner of the room. Surprise more than anything else kept me from moving.

  Dad looked at the twister and frowned. A moment later, it vanished. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but I was past that. So far, we'd had two natural phenomena, and those were the more friendly spells the witches had tossed around last night.

  Elron squeezed my hand, and I returned the gesture.

  Lying still sounded easy, but my nose itched and I wanted to look around. I was sure they would trigger more spells, and I wanted to be watching for them, not studying the ceiling. When the gong sounded, I came up to my elbows, hunting for the cause. There wasn't one, and Dad pushed me back down.

  With nothing else to do, I started breathing exercises and was as relaxed as I was going to get when I felt something pin my ankles to the bed. The greenery around my feet was reassuring—this was one of my spells—but not comfortable. The vines pressed against my skin, pencil-sized chains holding me in place. As they worked their way up my calves, the pressure only intensified, and I knew they would be leaving bruises. More accurately, they would be leaving bruises on top of the ones I'd acquired at the hands of the Wapiti. The vines made it up to my knees before Elron got them under control. They retreated to an orderly line along the footboard of the bed. Knowing Elron, he'd find a nice spot for them in the garden.

  When the bed frosted over, freezing me in the process, my panic reached a whole new level. I tried to suck in a breath, but my mouth was frozen shut and my nostrils were blocked by ice. Thrashing didn't help. I didn't even try to open my eyes. Under different circumstances, I'd get myself out of the ice, but I couldn't use magic while they were working on me.

  "Hold on."

  "We're going to get you out."

  "Hurry." That last one was Elron, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

  The ice vanished, and I took deep breaths as everyone apologized for not getting me out sooner.

  "Sorry! It was a tricky spell."

  "I'm good. Get it over with already," I said.

  "Trying to," Dad said.

  I lay back down and gave up any pretense of being relaxed. I wanted to see the next spell coming. If I'd been uncomfortable before, I was miserable now. Wet was bad enough, but now my clothes were wet and defrosting. Hardly the highlight of my day.

  Elron rubbed my hand between his. I smiled my thanks.

  Dad grunted. "That should be the last of the spells. We're on to the clan ties now."

  "Be patient. They're wretchedly tangled," Nana said.

  "I don't have a surplus of patience at the moment," I grumbled.

  Elron didn't look much happier than I felt. I squeezed his hand. Hopefully the rest of this would go smoothly. If balls of fire or flaming twisters came for me, I was going call this whole thing off. I'd rather be tied to two clans than burned to a crisp, even if Mom could put me back together again.

  Dad and Nana got back to work, and I felt a gentle tugging at the clan ties surrounding me. It felt like they were pulling at my skin. I bit the inside of my lip and did my best to hold still.

  All of a sudden, I could feel portions of my skin being lifted off the underlying tissue and set back down. I screamed. At any time, there were three or four spots trying to separate from my body.

  There were voices, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. If I had any luck, they were figuring out how to fix this problem. When I was back to normal, I'd tell them that enough was enough. No matter what threats I'd made to Gretchen, it wasn't worth dying to avoid being attached to two clans.

  A searing pain shot through my head, going from one temple to the other. The pain blocked out everything. When it didn't relent, I curled up, trying to protect myself.

  After what felt like an eternity, I passed out.

  *******

  I awakened slowly. The first thing I noticed was that my head didn't hurt the same way. The all-encompassing pain was gone, and in its place was a wretched headache. My body ached, but my ears worked just fine.

  "Utter foolishness. I put her back together, but I can't vouch for the outcome if you muck about with the clan ties again." I knew that voice, and I'd been hoping I wouldn't hear it anytime soon. More importantly, what was the premier doing here?

  "If you'd done your job in the first place and kept Gretchen on a leash, none of this would've happened." That was Mom or Nana, and either way, they were voicing my view.

  "She was going to end up a member of both clans. Now, later, what's the difference?"

  "You can't know that," Dad said.

  The premier didn't say anything.

  "You said there was a prophecy attached to her clan scar." That was Elron. "Prophecies do not work. Even short-term foresight is risky. There are many possibilities and no way to distinguish the correct path from t
he rest."

  "They worked once, long ago, and this is an old prophecy."

  "All the more reason for it to fail. Prophecies haven't worked for thousands of years. Even if this one was correct, it must be properly interpreted. That is a trick no one ever mastered," Elron said.

  Ethel made a noise but didn't comment. When the silence had stretched to an awkward length, I opened my eyes. The low light of the room was enough to increase the throbbing in my head, but that was to be expected. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't tell where everyone was standing, but I could see a couch, so we had to be in the parlor.

  "What is she doing here?" I croaked. Turned out I'd screamed enough to make my throat raw.

  With that, I was mobbed by Mom, Dad, Elron, Nana, and Ethel. They were all talking, wanting to know something, and I couldn't separate out who was saying what. The noise kicked my headache into overdrive. I closed my eyes and tried to block out their voices.

  Mom's voice cut through the commotion. "Enough. You're making her worse."

  They stopped talking, but that didn't help my head. A cool hand rested against my forehead, and my headache retreated to a more manageable level. Healing was a fantastic use of power as far as I was concerned, and I was lucky to have a mother who could put me back together when I was injured.

  "How does that feel?"

  "Better." Since that was the most positive thing I could say, I didn't elaborate.

  "It'll have to do. Your system needs to do as much of the healing as it can naturally."

  I took that to mean that I wouldn't get more than minor pain control out of her. Since beggars couldn't be choosers, and I was in rotten shape, I didn't protest. Truth be told, I could do with a vacation from magic of all types.

  "Water?"

  Elron lifted me up, and I got a good idea of just how weak I was, which wasn't encouraging. Mom helped me with the cup while Nana adjusted the pillows and Dad watched, occasionally shooting angry looks at Ethel.

  "What happened?"

  "When we tried to sever the clan ties, we figured out that they were connected to you in abnormal ways. Nancy was able to knock you out. While we were figuring out how to fix you, the premier showed up. She set you to rights, more or less." Dad patted my shoulder. "You're stuck with the clans."

  "Clans? Both of them?"

  Mom and Dad nodded.

  I muttered a couple of nasty words. One of these days, I was going vacation somewhere that didn't have magic. Just last week I'd seen an article about eight resorts that fit the bill.

  "Enough of that," Ethel said. "You're in both clans, and that's how it's supposed to be."

  Elron snorted. I was as skeptical as he was about the meant-to-be nonsense, but debating that issue could wait until I was feeling better. However, Ethel's abilities were in question. "Or is it because you were unwilling to break the tie with the Wapiti?"

  Ethel shook her head. "Believe me or not, but I couldn't remove those bonds, only correct them."

  She was right, I didn't believe her, but that didn't change the reality of the situation. I was stuck with them, and it was time to make the best of it. "What are you doing here?"

  "There is the matter of the Wapiti ministry," Ethel said.

  "What does that have to do with me?" My new goal in life was to be the invisible clan member, one who was so seldom seen that people forgot about me.

  "There is some debate as to Gretchen's replacement. She was a popular leader for most of her tenure, and many people want to honor that legacy. The clan will have to approve the candidate."

  "I still don't see what this has to do with me," I said.

  Ethel closed her eyes for a moment before returning her attention to me. "The elders and the majority of the clan have voted. They would like to consider Gretchen's wishes."

  "And Gretchen's wish was me?" Even saying it out loud didn't make it real.

  "Gretchen's will states that she would like a blood relative to be her successor. You were her choice."

  This was something I could fix because I knew a candidate with better qualifications. "If you need a blood relative of Gretchen's, you're standing next to her."

  Ethel gave me a surprised look before swinging around to study Mom. Tapping her fingers against her hip, she said, "Perhaps. Nancy could be the minister and Michelle the heir apparent. Well, Nancy, what do you have to say?"

  I didn't even protest the presumption of my involvement. I wasn't getting away from the Wapiti at this point, and it would be a long time before Mom had a reason to step down.

  Mom spoke up. "I hadn't considered the possibility in years. I never thought the minister needed to be an exceptionally powerful witch, and the job itself appeals to me. I'd want to keep healing, but that could be worked out."

  "The clan always liked you. Very few had Gretchen's prejudice. It could work," Ethel said.

  Mom looked at Dad. "What do you think?"

  "If you want to do this, I'll support you. The distance will be a challenge, but we can make it work."

  "Unless things have changed, almost everyone works for the clan business." Mom glanced at Ethel, who nodded. "I could move them. We would still be able to live together."

  "The elders would need to approve the move." Ethel thought for a moment. "There's a good chance they'll agree. A lot of people have bad memories at the clan house."

  "I would have to give up my connection to the Docga." She thought for a moment. "I think we can all agree that my priorities will be my family and then the Wapiti."

  Ethel nodded. "You have my support. I'm willing to present this to the elders tonight."

  Dad closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I'm sure he wasn't looking forward to seeing more of the Wapiti, or to the long drive. No one would be willing to misbehave with Ethel in attendance, so the meeting should be significantly more civil. Then again, maybe he was just irritated that they'd completely hijacked the honeymoon.

  Mom pulled Dad to the side. After a moment Nana joined them, and whatever she said seemed to be getting through to Dad. I took the time to wiggle into a sitting position.

  Elron knelt down next to me. "How are you feeling?"

  "I've been better." My head hurt, and I was covered in bruises on top of bruises.

  "I am sure of that." He sighed. "I wish you would not worry me so."

  "Sorry. I don't do it on purpose."

  He snorted. "That may be, but you end up in a remarkable number of dangerous situations."

  "It's a dangerous job, but someone has to do it," I joked.

  "This is not related to your work."

  "Well… that's not exactly true. The Wapiti noticed me because of what I did at work. You could say that my job caused this little misunderstanding." As true as that was, I had a feeling the Wapiti would've found me even if I was working in a library and had sworn off magic.

  "One of these days, you will sustain a significant injury."

  "That thought has crossed my mind. I told my parents, and I'm telling you, I don't go looking for trouble. It finds me."

  "There will come a time when that trouble will not be in a package you can handle."

  "And that's why I work with the police. I don't lone-wolf it."

  Elron sighed, and our conversation was cut short when Dad turned to the premier. "It won't work. I've planned for years to offer her my position when I step down."

  Elron grunted, and I eased my grip on his hand. That was news to me. Sure, Dad's clan had been welcoming enough, but that didn't mean I wanted to be their minister.

  Ethel shrugged. "I don't see the issue."

  "She can't be in line for two ministries, can she?" Mom asked.

  "Of course she can. We don't have any rule preventing it, and even if we did, rules do need to change. Witches have spent the past two centuries living in this country but trying to keep to the old ways and old laws. Hardly fair to our fellow citizens."

  Dad frowned and studied Ethel.

  "Excuse me. Have you considered that I d
on't want one ministry, never mind the trouble that would come with two?"

  Ethel waved her hand dismissively. "It would be years before you had any responsibility, and you will be in a position of power."

  Dad knelt down in front of me. "I think Ethel is trying to say that you have a chance to do something that will help many people. If the police could get involved in internal race issues, Amber would've been rescued days before you found her. Liam wouldn't have needed to kill Adder, and Ethel couldn't have gotten Gretchen out of jail."

  "I don't see how being minister does that."

  "As minister, you can facilitate change. You can strongly encourage your clan to view men as equals, and put the laws of this country before clan law," Dad said.

  "Had these changes occurred, you wouldn't be in this situation," Nana said.

  "Michelle," Ethel said, drawing my attention away from Dad, "if you do this, you can merge the Wapiti and Docga and then work on disbanding clan structure. It's an archaic system from a time when it was often one race against the other. This system hurts us now."

  "That's why you got Gretchen out of jail, to show me how damaging it could be when clan rules usurped the law." All at once, Ethel's plan clarified. She'd wanted me outraged at her behavior so I'd be motivated to be minister. With my experiences, she'd guessed correctly that I'd want to demolish the system that had been so quick to abuse me.

  "Your parents will start the process. Unless I'm greatly mistaken, they believe in this cause." My parents nodded. Ethel continued, "They'd put the little pieces into place, grow the clan, make it powerful, arrange treaties, and forge alliances. They will plant the seeds. Once you gain the ministry, I'll name you my successor, and what you can't do as minister, you will be able to do as premier."

  I sighed. I wanted to be shocked, but I'd known Ethel was after something from our first meeting. With the way she'd been gunning for me to join a clan, this wasn't the shock it could've been. Though the woman was crafty. "What's in it for you?"