by Diane Story
“No, I am innocent of being a witch.” Please, find my child. My mother knows not that I know she is still alive. She needs your protection.”
“Have you not heard that some others have confessed to witnessing your witchcraft?”
“No, I have not.” Mary pulled her eyes from Fern’s briefly to look at the judge. “Who accuses me other than Sarah Nichols?”
“Your mother has accused you.”
Mary turned slowly back around to look at the woman in the back. “I know you hear me, it shows in your eyes. My mother doth love me, but she will hurt me, and my child. Go tonight before it is too late.”
“Where is your child?” Fern spoke in her mind for the first time. She was still afraid to acknowledge she’d heard the words, but the fear and panic in Mary’s voice compelled her to respond. Mary’s response was immediate.
“I know not. My mother took her at birth. Go to the sisters first, if they know where she is they will help you.” Mary knew she could trust the woman. The man sitting next to her was the one she wasn’t sure about. “Go alone, it is only you I trust.”
Fern frowned, “How, I don’t know where your sisters are?”
“Go to the village Haverhill. Just east of it you will find a hill covered with Wild Magnolia trees covered in whites, yellows and greens. On the other side there is a rocky knoll the color of gray and amber wine. Climb to the top, then down through the center. There you will find a door. Knock twice and you will be allowed entry. Tell the sisters you are there at my bidding. They will help you find my child. Go now, before my mother acts. Do not stay here and witness my sorrow, go.”
“Rowen? Let me pass. I need to step outside for a moment.” She felt the urge to get up and run out of the building and not stop until she’d done as Mary asked. But her words were clear, she had to go alone.
Rowen didn’t let the way Mary was staring at Fern escape him. Something just took place between them and he wasn’t about to let Fern out of his sight. “I’ll go with you.” He prepared to get up but stayed put when her hand came down on his shoulder.
“That isn’t necessary, Rowen! I’ll be right back, I promise.” Standing, she pushed past him. “I just need some air. This whole thing is making me sick to my stomach.” She looked down in his face and knew he suspected something. If last night had done one thing for their relationship, it had given her a better understanding of him. She’d been working hard to forget last night, but even the smallest things brought the memories back. Like the way he was looking at her right now.
Rowen watched her walk to the door and debated his reason for staying. Especially when Fern and Mary exchanged glances again before she left. He already knew the outcome of this trail, but he had to make sure it was proceeding correctly, according to history.
Jonathan wouldn’t even look at Mary during her questioning. All the books from the past about him that Rowen had read, repeated over and over again how he was a strong man, loyal and moral. But today, Rowen didn’t see these qualities in him, and had to wonder if they ever did truly exist. When a hush fell over the room, it became apparent that the judge was getting ready to come to his decision. The verdict was ready to be heard.
“Mary Wilds, you here stand convicted of sundry acts of witchcraft, done and committed upon the body of Sarah Nichols.” He looked down at the papers on his desk to keep from being drawn into the darkness behind her eyes, lest he be pulled into one of her spells. “You are hereby condemned to death.” He slammed his mallet down with the outbreak of voices. “On the evening of our Lord, the seventeenth of June 1692, you shall have a rope placed around your neck then you will be hung in the center of our village for all to see. May our Lord have pity on your soul.” He addressed Jonathan then. “Take this witch from my presence. Lock her away until said time that her judgment be carried out.”
Rowen noticed the smile on Sarah Nichols’ face. How could he have come from such evil, malicious blood? All this time he’d read books about his past that told of the heroic sacrifices of these ancestors. He’d grown up with pride knowing he was part of them. Today, he felt only shame.
He sat and waited for the room to clear out before leaving. Elizabeth sat in her chair without breathing one remark in defense of her daughter, not even one tear fell down her pale wrinkled cheek. Rowen watched as Mary reached out for her, crying for the comfort of her mother’s arms, as she was dragged from the room. The old witch didn’t even acknowledge her. When they were the only two left, he sat waiting for her to leave. Wishing for her to leave, so that he could go in search of Fern.
“Rowen Nichols?” Elizabeth screeched from deep within her throat.
“What do you want of me, Elizabeth?” Rowen wasn’t afraid of her. She was wicked for sure, but he didn’t fear her.
“Where hath Fern gone?” The man made her so pale with fear that she couldn’t face him. She could never allow him to see it or he would use it against her.
“This trial of your daughter’s was too hard for her to witness. She has gone outside for air.” He watched her shoulders shake with laughter.
“She hath not gone outside for air. She is searching for Mary’s child.” Stupid man, if he were here to keep the promise of her curse, he would have to try harder. Trust would be his undoing.
“How do you know this? Besides, it was written that Mary’s child died at birth.” Rowen didn’t know how many more surprises he could take.
“Mary spoke to her with her mind, fool. She told her to go and find Rose, to keep me from her. Do not let this happen, Rowen Nichols, or I will bring the curse upon Jonathan’s generation instead of his seventeenth. Jonathan will die and you will never be born.” She felt the bones of her back creak as she stood to leave. “Go, now. Keep her from my granddaughter, or face your doom.”
Rowen watched her leave in silence. He didn’t doubt her ability to make good her threat. How could he have not seen it coming? Fern was acting so coy that he didn’t realize what had taken place between her and Mary. The old witch didn’t give him a clue as to what direction she’d gone. How would he find her?
* * * *
It took Fern all afternoon to find her way to the village Haverhill. She’d thought of Rowen often during her walk, and wished he were with her now, but Mary’s instructions were specific and they didn’t include Rowen. She would find the child then get back to him as quickly as possible. Then what? She didn’t know. It seemed like they’d been playing this whole thing out by ear ever since they got here.
Once she made it to the outskirts of Salem, she pulled the Vizard cloth from her face to cool herself. It was nearing dusk by the time she found the hillside covered with magnolia trees. Their beauty took her breath away. What a fantastic place for witches to hide, no one would ever expect beauty and evil to go hand in hand. Or what they perceived as evil, anyway.
The rocks were just where Mary said they’d be. With her skirts pulled up and tied beneath her bosoms, Fern began her climb. They were higher than she expected, and since she had a fear of heights, she climbed the rocks as quickly as possible. When she finally made it to the top, she took a deep breath and looked down. The magnolias surrounded the rocks as thick as a carpet. She could see a great deal from this point, including the buggy approaching from where she’d just come. It was still far away, but she could see well enough to tell it was the old woman. Her silver-gray hair blew in the wind behind her. She must have heard Mary speaking to her. Turning, she quickened her pace.
She slid between the rocks so quickly that the palms of her hands bled from the scratches she picked up along the way. The door was there just as Mary told her it would be. She didn’t have time to debate her fear. With her fist clenched tight, she knocked, twice as instructed. There in the darkness between the rocks she saw light as it emerged from around the cracks of the door. Backing up, she braced herself against the rocks behind her, waiting for the green face of the wicked witch to show herself.
Her imagination ran away with her; would
she have a giant hairy mole on the end of her nose? Would she be perched on a broom with a black cat ready to pounce on her to protect his mistress? Her eyes widened when the cast iron hinges creaked against their built-up rust. With her knuckles pressed against her lips, she suppressed the scream that had built up in the deepest, darkest hollows of her lungs.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Come in, Fern! We’ve been expecting you.”
Fern pulled herself from the rocks and breathed a sigh of relief. The woman was stunning. Not only was she beautiful, but almost angelic. The torch she held above her shined down on her head, radiating what looked like a halo. But that wouldn’t make sense, would it? Angels and witches didn’t get along, right? She followed her after the door was closed and locked down a long tunnel until it emerged into a large room. There was a wooden table with chairs and three tiered candles lit in the middle. When the woman stopped and turned, Fern felt all remaining fear leave. This place didn’t scare her at all. It was almost as if she’d been there before. Oddly, it was familiar and warm.
“Sit in one of the chairs, Fern, I’ll get Rose and bring her to you.”
“Wait! What is your name? Why do I feel like I know you?” Fern smiled back when the corners of the woman’s mouth rose, showing her perfect white teeth. Not black rotted teeth like Elizabeth.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” Abigail’s brows creased in puzzlement. “My name is Abigail, Fern. But we haven’t time to talk right now, sister Elizabeth is close by.”
Fern watched her leave then went and sat in one of the chairs like she was told. She was wondering why she would have known Abigail. She said she didn’t remember her, why would she? She was still thinking about it when she heard the soft whimpers of the infant as Abigail returned with her.
“This is Rose. As her mother has requested us to do, we will hand her over to you for protection from Elizabeth. But be warned, Fern, do not let anything happen to this child. You must protect her with your life if need be, your future depends on it.” Gently she laid the little girl in Fern’s arms then held her arm in a fixed grip to make sure she listened to her every word. “Mary fears the man you are with, don’t let her fear get in your way, Fern. Mary’s fears are ill founded; now go, I hear our sister coming. Go!”
“But, where am I to take her? What am I supposed to do with her?” Fern looked down. The child was precious, with reddish gold curls encircling her face and soft hazel eyes as perfect as the morning sky. The chubby little cheeks puckered upward in response to her smile as she cooed.
“As I already said, Fern, she is more important than you can imagine. Now please, go.” Abigail made certain Fern got away before Elizabeth arrived. She could only hope that Fern would not only know, but understand the importance of the child. The sisters were strong, but when it came to love, the strength had to come from the bearer of that love. Fern had much to learn from Rose, namely love.
Fern held Rose close to her chest as she descended the rocks. Abigail had her leave through an entrance in the back just as Elizabeth got there. She was trying to keep the baby from crying because she didn’t want them to be heard, but it really wasn’t difficult. Rose lay sound asleep in her arms with her small cheeks pushed against the blanket she was wrapped in. She had no idea how she would care for the child, with no food, no clothing. What was she supposed to do when she wanted to eat?
She’d just dropped down from the last of the rocks when Rowen stepped out from behind them, nearly scaring her to death. “Rowen, how… how did you find me?”
“I followed Elizabeth, Fern, thank God I’ve found you. Why didn’t you tell me where you were goin…?” He was suddenly silenced; the little girl in Fern’s arms had woken up and was staring at him. A perfect little face looked at him in a quiet, calm way that helped him to forget his anger with Fern for the time being. Reaching out, he let his finger run over her plump cheek. “My God, Fern, she’s beautiful!” He looked up into Fern’s eyes. “She looks a lot like you. She has your eyes.”
Fern smiled at his response, it was much like her own. “There is something special about her, isn’t there? I have no clue what to do with her, Rowen. Mary asked me to protect her from Elizabeth, but I don’t even know how I’m supposed to feed her.”
“Come on, let’s get back to the cave, Fern, we’ll figure it out from there. Here, let me take her for a while, it’s a long walk back.” Rowen took Rose and cradled her to his chest. Her little face was still looking up into his as they walked, and try as he might, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. What should he do? If Elizabeth knew he had the child and had no intention of handing her over to her, he would die. Or maybe he’d just go up in a poof of light. How does one disappear when they are suddenly erased from existence? The thought made his insides churn. He couldn’t save himself by letting this child die. Hell, he couldn’t even stand the thought of Fern dying for the sake of his precious existence. All of his reasons for coming here were slowly beginning to fade away in importance.
Fern watched Rowen holding Rose and marveled at how she disappeared in his muscular arms. Her mind went back to last night when he held her in his arms and how they made her feel. He was a ruggedly handsome man, almost barbaric in a way. Funny, but she hadn’t really let herself realize how much she really was attracted to him. He was incredibly sexy with his hair tied back, and his now darkened chin from the lack of razors in this century. She must’ve been staring, because the look in his eyes when he caught her looking at him made her blush. “Maybe we can find a cow along the way, Rowen, do you know how to milk one if we do?” She thought about his long fingers wrapped around the teat of a cow and blushed again. If last night were any indication, he’d have no trouble with a cow.
“I haven’t a clue, like you I grew up in the city. I’ll go to the village once we get back and see if I can purchase some. Maybe there will be some clothes and cloth for diapers as well.” Fern’s inspection of him didn’t go unnoticed; he was still amused with the blush in her cheeks, and the way she tried to get out of it. “So tell me, Fern, what were you thinking just then when you were undressing me with your eyes?”
She did blush then, from the roots of her hair, to the tips of her toes. “I don’t kn…know what you’re talking about, Rowen. I was only admiring the way you were holding Rose. You do it so well, I’d have thought you were a father.”
“You can’t fool me, Fern. After last night, well, you have to admit, it wasn’t all that bad.” Rose had gone back to sleep, so he decided to have a little fun. Her blushing made him want to dig deeper, maybe he could get to know her a little. Get her to show him a little of what was hidden inside that beautiful body of hers. Not that he should, it would be hard enough to leave her as it was. But her game of acting innocent was too tempting. “Come on now, admit it! You wouldn’t mind another round with me, would you, Fern?”
“You’re acting like a complete ass, Rowen, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I am not attracted to you. So get that through your stubborn conceited head.” How dare he even hint that she would consider having sex with him? What remained of her innocence would stay put, no matter how much the thought intrigued her. “Do you want me to take Rose now? I could carry her for a while.”
“No, she’s asleep and doing just fine.” There was so much about her he would love to know, to actually get inside her head and see what made her tick. “You really are good at avoiding things you don’t want to talk about, aren’t you, Fern? Don’t worry; I won’t pester you about it, much. But mark my words, one more look like that and I’ll make sure you know exactly what you missed last night, what we both missed.”
She looked at him through lowered lashes and didn’t trust herself to speak. He was being obtuse for some reason and was making her feel uncomfortable. “Looks like we’re almost home.” She chuckled, “Home, wouldn’t it be nice to be in our own bed instead of a hole? I could really use a soft mattress and about two days of real sleep.”
“I can think of
a lot of things I’d like to do in bed with you, Fern, and sleep isn’t one of them.” Ducking down in front of her, he entered the cave with Rose still sound asleep in his arms.
“Can’t you just drop it, Rowen? I am not interested in having sex with you. If I wouldn’t have done it on my own last night, what makes you think I would now?” Oh God, she was such a liar. The thought of him touching her again made her tingle from head to toe. She had no doubt lovemaking would be extraordinary with him. She watched his full lips curl into a sardonic smile and looked away when she remembered the way they felt on her skin, heated and tempting.
“Alright, I’ll drop it for now, Fern. But remember, you still have to tell me what you were thinking back there.” He smiled at her frown and bent down to leave the cave. “I’ll be back as quickly as possible, I’m going for that milk. Don’t leave this cave, Fern. Once I know Elizabeth is back home, then we can figure out what to do with Rose. Surely Mary has something she wants you to do with her besides hiding her out in this cave.”
Fern watched him leave then laid down beside Rose on her blanket. She gazed at the child as if she were her own. Gently, she kissed her soft cheek and smiled when the little lips puckered into a frown. Lying down on her side, she let her eyes close. She was tired; a little rest would do her good before Rowen’s return.
She thought about his words. Sure, she was attracted to him, and she knew she would battle for her innocence every second while they were together. But, she wouldn’t give in. Love was more important to her than a few hot nights of sex. But still, it would be unbelievably fantastic. Worth it? Maybe!
* * * *
“Abigail, you will fetch my granddaughter this instant.” Elizabeth had waited long enough; it had been almost two hours since they sat her down. The sisters fed her and told her stories of their new spells and chants, forcing her to look at their cheery faces. She’d had enough.