Blood Witch

by Thea Atkinson

  "What is it, Aedus?"

  "I don't know."

  "It's beautiful." Alaysha could hear the wonder in her own voice and reached out to touch the wall. It felt cool, but warmed to her Palm almost as though a vibration hummed through it.

  "Yes," Aedus said. "But something else too." She looked to be working at pulling in air and Alaysha put her arms around the girl's shoulders, hugging her close until the trembling stopped.

  "I'm sorry," the girl said and Alaysha smiled for her, was about to tell her everything was fine when a feeble shout met her ears and she turned to the center, where she thought it had come from.

  "Edulph?" She heard herself saying, but no other sound came back. She nodded toward the dais in the middle, a granite block out of place in the cavern, then she looked at Aedus. "Sounded like it came from there."

  She had to pull Aedus along as she rushed over and climbed the smooth steps of the dais to peer down. What looked rectangular from the door appeared circular from on top of the platform.

  And it was hollow.

  With a quick breath, Aedus leaned over, holding the torch aloft. Below, about a kubit down sat Edulph. His moustache and hair looked singed and the hands he held in front of his face to block the sudden light were scarred and blistered.

  Alaysha felt no pity for the man, but she reminded herself that this was Aedus's brother. It must be painful for her nonetheless.

  Aedus was the one who spit into the hole. "You're a disgrace to our people, Edulph," she said. "You're a shame to us."

  The sly grin, despite the obvious pain and hunger, stole over his face when he recognized his young sister.

  "Aedus," he said, his voice crackling from lack of use. "Get me out of here."

  "You should rot here."

  "I am rotting, can't you see?" He held up his hands to the light. "Throw down a rope."

  "There is no rope."

  "Go get some before she gets back."

  Alaysha pushed Aedus aside. "Who? Before who gets back?" She knew the answer even if he refused to give it.

  "You're as bad as she is, wanting answers, always answers." He began mumbling incoherently, punctuating his words with a few vehement strikes to his face.

  "I won't say anything. To speak is to die." He began to sob.

  Alaysha felt something niggle up her spine. "I won't kill you."

  "The answer will kill me."

  Alaysha scanned Aedus's face, hoping she could interpret her brother's dementia.

  "Edulph, brother, who has you so frightened?"

  Alaysha wanted to hear the name even if she knew whose it would be. She waited, breath inhaled as she peered down, watching Edulph rocking back and forth, holding his hands to his chest like a hurt child.

  "Who?" She pressed.

  When she expected the answer, a voice crept to her from behind that made the fine hairs on the back for neck perk to attention. She knew when she turned around who would be standing there.

  "I asked why you're here, Alaysha?"

  She pushed herself to stand and turned slowly to face Yenic, praying he didn't have a weapon in his hand. She raised her hands in surrender as she faced him.

  Relief swept over her when she saw the only thing he held onto was a bucket and a length of rope.

  "I might ask you the same thing." She took a step toward him, indicating with her palm that Aedus should stay still.

  Yenic looked down at his load. "I've come to feed him."

  Aedus jumped to her feet even as Edulph began squealing in the pit like a pig for its dinner. "You've had him all this time." Her voice trembled with accusation and hurt.

  Yenic nodded. "Of course. You don't think I'd hand him over to the conqueror until we were sure of his intent." He looked at Alaysha. "Alaysha? Surely you can see that?"

  She wanted to believe him. It could be true. She licked her lips, wanting to tell him she understood. "Why didn't you tell me?"

  He had no time to answer. Even as his mouth opened, the tunnel emptied a dozen or more men in the room and it erupted with activity. At least three dozen of Yuri's guard stormed the cavern, spreading out in battle positions, several jumping toward Yenic before he could drop the bucket.

  It was the first time she'd seen him in action except for the one-on-one with Gael. This time, Yenic's movements were fluid and somewhat magical. He ducked and dodged, using the contents of the bucket – hot soup apparently – as the first weapon.

  He was doing just fine until Yuri strode into the cavern, and Bodiccia alongside him. With a short nod, he set the fierce woman on Yenic, and despite his obvious non-compunction to do battle with a woman, she showed her obvious mastery within heartbeats.

  Alaysha had never seen such a method of fighting before. All over the ground, wrapping herself over him, sneaking under him, grabbing for his neck even as he worked to keep her off her feet, Bodiccia showed no mercy and seemed to need none. In the end, it was Yenic who lay on the floor of the cave, Bodiccia over him, her forearm across his neck, the Python thickness of her legs wrapped around his, his chest pinned beneath her hips.

  The others came to her aid and extracted him from her tight grip within moments, pulling his arms behind his back, then bending him forward to wrap a heavy chain around his neck.

  In all the time, Yuri said nothing. Now he moved to the center of the cave and addressed Yenic with something of a victorious air. "It appears as though you have killed my trainer. That's an offense to me that is punishable by death." He sent a scathing glance toward Alaysha, giving her an opportunity for argument, but sending the message that he expected none. She thought he wanted to chastise her but opted against it.

  "Even worse," Yuri said. "Is knowing you have been harboring a man who threatened to annihilate my entire city and those who live in its borders." He looked toward the dais where Edulph's shouts still sounded. "Do not feed him; he doesn't deserve to eat," he said to a few of his soldiers. "And remain here until I decide what to do with him."

  He glared at Alaysha. "You will leave, Witch, and return to your hovel until I have need of you." He turned and went back out of the tunnel, all but a dozen of his men following him. The remainder took stations around the dais.

  Alaysha looked to Aedus whose shoulders had slumped miserably. She reached her hand out to the girl and they trudged from the tunnels quietly, sullen. The only thing that brightened Aedus's spirit was the sight of several small beetles scuttling from beneath a rock she kicked when they exited the tunnel and into the woods around Alaysha's cave.

  "What of Yenic?" Aedus asked.

  "What do you think?"

  "I think you're going to try to free him."

  Alyasha didn't need to provide an answer.

  Chapter 21

  Yenic looked tired and haggard by the time she made it to the courtyard, where she knew Yuri had decided to dispense in justice by the crowd that had gathered.

  It was obvious that the battle between him and Bodiccia hadn't ended in the cave; Yenic's face was bleeding below the cheek, and Bodiccia stood beside him, holding the other end of the chain that was wrapped around his neck. She had escaped battle with the swollen and purple eye. Her nose was a squashed flat piece of broken cartilage.

  It pleased Alaysha to see that he hadn't gone down without more of a fight. She felt proud of him for a brief moment, then anxiety clamped down around her when she saw Aislin step forward from the throng, pulling along the girl from the parapet room, her face still swath in linens.

  "My child for yours," she shouted.

  It took Yuri a moment to respond and even from where Alaysha stood, she could see that his mind was working even if his face gave away nothing. Finally, he rattled Yenic's chain and shouted so loud the entire crowd would be able to hear.

  "Do you think I would give up a killer to save a witch? You offer me nothing."

  Alaysha's heart sank, even if she knew he was merely strategizing.

  Her father's face, normally pale and solemn began to redden despit
e the obvious working to keep his composure. She almost felt sorry for him.

  "Where is my son?"

  Yenic shuffled his feet and Alaysha's eyes went to Aislin's, whose expression turned to something nasty looking. In the moment, she believed the witch would set Yuri to flame and she wondered at Yuri's courage to stand against her.

  "That's a dangerous accusation to make against a woman who can wipe you out within a heartbeat," Aislin shouted.

  Yuri's stance never shifted. "You have Saxon. I know this."

  Aislin lifted the doppelgänger's arm to the air. "I seem to have your witch as well."

  The crowd shouted out orders to kill, and even though Alaysha knew Aislin was merely trying to outsmart Yuri, she still felt the snake of anxiety tingle up her spine. She watched Yuri's face with interest.

  "I want my son and I'm not inclined to show mercy if I don't find him."

  He motioned to Bodiccia, who pulled the sword from her back and took a swinging stance, ready to divest Yenic of his head. Alaysha wanted to shout out to him, but the words choked off in her throat as Aislin pull the linen from the doppelgänger's face.

  The crowd within view of the girl whooped their pleasure, some of them yelled at Aislin to be done with it and kill the witch. Alaysha thought her legs went to water. But for the fact that the girl's chin was a mess of blackened skin and blistering sores, she could have been her true double. She fleeted a glance to Yuri, who remained impassive. Yenic, however, had buckled beneath the sight. He was trying to maintain his feet under the weight of the chains.

  Aislin stepped closer to Yuri, pulling the doppelgänger with her and twisted sideways to address the crowd. "My son, your son. We both want something from the other but neither of these is the true price."

  She dropped the girl's hand, and for some reason, the girl's eyes moved across the crowds and found Alaysha's. Their gazes held, and her memory reeled backward so far her ears were filled with piteous squalls of a hungry infant. She felt again the warmth of another body next to hers for brief moments, realized the sense of a tiny hand grasping her heel.

  Her sister. Her baby sister.

  Alaysha wanted to cry out, and saw her own hand lifting to the air, reaching out to her. How had she let that memory go to, that memory so full of contentment and peace it would have been pleasurable in the dark nights in the caverns to remember it. Alaysha took an involuntary step forward, thinking to rush the space and grasp at her sister, but something was wrong with the girl's face. It was crumpling. Fire leapt from her tunic and danced up her arm. She shrieked with such pain, Alaysha swore she could feel it in her own chest, burning, such searing agony. In heartbeats, the girl was gone, and all that was left was a smoldering pile of cinders.

  After that, nothing made sense. Alaysha noted bursts of fire leaping through the crowd, people screaming, scattering. She thought she saw Yenic collapse to his knees; Yuri's guards stormed the fire witch only to catch flame before they took five steps.

  More fires began to hopscotch through the remaining crowd, dancing from one head to the next. Flames leapt from a man's tunic and danced up his arm.

  All of this she saw but could not process. She watched Yuri draw his blade and push Bodiccia out of the way, as he hefted his own blade towards Yenic's neck.

  Aislin's cold smile was the only thing that did register.

  Alaysha had wanted Yuri dead, but in the moment that he froze beneath Aislin's power, in the heartbeat when she swore she reached out to his heart, it had begun to grow feverish with blood. She thought she felt regret there, grief as well, as she reached out to him, drew her psyche to his sweat and pores and the liquid in his body. She thought of the broad river so deep it had no bottom, so wide it had no banks, and she thought how cold it must be there.

  Then she thought how absolutely she hated Aislin. She had the vague sense that it was raining, that the courtyard had emptied of people, that both Yuri and Aislin were watching her with some odd expectation, and then they just fell, both of them, where they stood. Alaysha felt a prickly tension in her neck. Her hand went to it, not thinking, and came away purple and sticky.

  She thought she was falling and thought it odd that following would feel so much like being scooped up and carried.

  Chapter 22

  She woke to the sound of dripping water. It seemed as though the bed she was lying on was made of stone. The air held so much dampness she could have believed she was sleeping beneath the broad sea except she could still breathe. Each inhale smelled like she was dragging in a dog's breath, but still, she could breathe.

  She rolled over to her side and groaned. A scuffling sound came from behind her and she tried to jump to her feet, ready to face whatever sweating beast was fouling the air. She didn't make it to her knees before she teetered back over.

  "You're awake." A voice came from the shadows, and she felt around in front of her wondering why she couldn't see, then realized she was facing a wall.

  "I am," she said, trying to figure out why she was so disoriented and why the words had such a hard time moving across a tongue that was as thick as it was. Her ears too must have grown excess flesh; she could swear she heard Gael's voice answering.

  She twisted onto her bottom so she could see where she was. There was no panic. That must mean something. A pool of light played with the shadows on the floor. She realized the shadows were tree branches.

  She knew where she was.

  Her little cave in the woods. She was home. That must mean these blurry creatures shuffling about in the half dark were Aedus and – dare she believe it – Gael.

  "How long?" she asked, knowing as she did the skylight told her early evening. The moon loved to dance over that hole. It was why she'd chosen this cave.

  "A couple of hours." Aedus's voice.

  Alaysha leaned back and closed her eyes, trying to create some sense in all that had happened. When she opened them, Gael's furrowed brow had somehow crept close to hers. She reached out to run a finger across it. She thought she saw him ease his eyelids closed, but she couldn't tell in the light.

  "It is you," she said.

  "Yes," he said. "Did you sleep well?"

  She smiled, thinking about the time she'd asked him the same question. "At least I don't snore."

  "The Deities you don't."

  Alaysha tried to stand and felt Gael's hand on her back. "Careful," he said. "You'll be dizzy."

  "Can you walk?" Aedus's voice again. She stepped into the pool of light where Alaysha could see her.

  "Of course." Alaysha took a step and wondered why so many stars had suddenly come out. She heard Gael chiding Aedus.

  "Why did you have to shoot her anyway?"

  "I told you; I shot them all. I had to."

  He grunted and hefted Alaysha into his arms. She felt safe, comfortable, and thoroughly miserable. Her complaints sounded weak even to her own ears.

  "We have to get moving," Aedus explained. "If you're coming around, so are they, and we don't want them – either of them – finding us here."

  By them, Alaysha assumed she meant Yuri and Aislin. For some reason she had the feeling she should remember something and then it flooded into her consciousness.

  "They have Yenic."

  "Bodiccia has Yenic," Aedus corrected her.

  "What was going on, Aedus?"

  The girl shrugged. "I don't know, but none of it looked promising."

  Gael's steady rise and fall of his chest was nearly as mesmerizing as a lullaby; Alaysha had to work to keep her eyes open and her mind focused. She let her head fall into the crook of his elbow.

  "Something isn't right."

  "You're finally talking sense," Aedus said, and Gael murmured his agreement.

  "It didn't look like anyone was going to be living through that."

  Alaysha realized somehow he'd been there. She didn't care how or why. As events began flooding back, she was just relieved they'd both been there. A few heartbeats more and she wasn't sure what would've hap
pened. Just recalling the sense of controlled, but very fierce power slithering from her in tendrils of incredible emotion made her realize how much the energy could take and give. How powerful it really was. It unnerved her.

  "The city –"

  "Is wet but not flooded. I must have got you out in time." Gael gave her a squeeze as Aedus said it, almost as though he was grateful.

  "You were there," Alaysha whispered.

  "At the last, yes."

  Aedus seemed to grow impatient. "We have to move. We're not safe here."

  Thinking made Alaysha's head hurt, but she knew the safest bet was within the tunnels. "There's a tunnel over there. It goes for long time. I've never reached the end but I've never run out of air either." As a suggestion, it was weak and she knew it, but she also figured no one would be interested in following a tunnel very far.

  "I can walk," she told Gael, but he ignored her and forged ahead. In truth, she was still terribly tired, and she welcomed the chance to close her eyes. It was testament to Gael's robust strength that he had been able to shake off Aedus's sleep darts before so easily. It made her wonder what effect they would leave on Yenic or Yuri or Aislin. Yuri and Aislin. They'd wanted each other dead, but there was something more in the undercurrents of that exchange. She just couldn't fight her way through the grief or betrayal to decipher it. She wasn't sure which emotion she should feel, and decided neither was the best choice. At least for the time being.

  She must have dozed because her mind stopped working and instead she dreamed of her seeds. She came to consciousness telling herself she wouldn't forget to collect them, then realized they were no longer walking. Instead of being cushioned in Gael's arms, she was lying between him and Aedus in the deep dark. A draft of air stole its way from the bowels of the tunnel, raising the hair on her arms. Aedus was snoring. Gael was not.

  "Feeling better?" he asked, his lips close to her ear.

  She nodded. "How did you know I was awake?" She realized his palm was on her belly as she asked it.