Cursed Witch

by September Stone

  And I hate her for it. Something inside me has shifted, and there’s no telling when—or if—it’ll ever get put right again. When all this is over, she’ll ride off into the sunset with both her boyfriends while I go back to the elders to do their bidding for the rest of my miserable life.

  I slide out of her way at the last second and stick out a foot to trip her. As she pinwheels toward the ground, I clamp an arm around her middle and stick out the other one in front of us so our faces don’t slam into the ground on impact.

  She squirms beneath me, but I’m too big for her to dislodge. I’d much rather have her writhing in pleasure than frustration, but right now her anger is like a balm.

  “Still not fast enough,” I growl into her ear.

  “Get off me!”

  “How many times do we have to go over the same lessons? It’s like you don’t even want to get better.” I press my chest harder against her back and she coughs at the additional weight.

  “Am I interrupting something?”

  Kari’s voice hits me like a bucket of icy water, dousing the flames of anger licking at my veins. I crane my neck until I can see her walking toward us, her eyes tight with confusion.

  I’m on my feet in the next second. “Nothing to be concerned about.”

  “I don’t know about that,” Kari says, her tone even and her eyes on Bryn as she stands. “From where I stand, that position looked rather concerning.”

  Bryn’s cheeks turn pink, although with anger or embarrassment I’m not sure. “Oh, no—it’s nothing like that. We were sparring.”

  Kari’s eyebrows arch. “Sparring?”

  I don’t like the way she’s looking at us. “Yeah. Ever hear of it? You all can spend your days chanting and praying, but out in the real world, you never know what you might come up against. She needs to be prepared for anything.”

  Kari tilts her head. “And anything necessarily involves violence?”

  I lift a shoulder. “It’s a violent world, sweetheart. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “And if I do mind?” Kari asks.

  My irritation from moments ago rekindles. “Do you have any rules against fighting on your grounds?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Kari says. “But I’ve been watching you for a while now—first from the meditation chamber, and just now from beside that tree. I’m not sure how you expect Bryn to learn anything from the drills you’ve been doing. When you see a student isn’t grasping the objective, you change the method. And, I’m sorry to say, your method isn’t working.”

  I don’t bother disguising a snort. “You think you can do better?”

  She lifts her robe daintily and takes two steps forward. “I do, in fact.”

  A laugh escapes me. “Now that’s rich. How’s some hippie priestess supposed to teach anyone how to fight?”

  “Acolyte, actually,” she says, removing her gray robe and laying it across a short stone bench. Her clothing beneath is simple—a light brown tunic dress reaching below her bare knees. As she speaks, she gathers up her skirt and passes the length of it between her legs. “I haven’t ascended to the level of priestess yet.” She wraps two corners of the tunic around to the front and ties them at her waist, leaving the garment looking like a bulky diaper.

  “Did you just gird your loins?”

  Kari nods, looking proud of herself. “How else am I supposed to fight?”

  I glance at Bryn, ready to be let in on whatever female joke is playing out in front of me, but she only shrugs. “Who are you planning to fight?”

  “You.” She widens her stance and holds up her hands defensively. “If you win, you can keep training Bryn in whatever way you see fit, and I won’t say another word about it. If I win, I’ll take over as her trainer, for however long you remain here. And you can’t give any critique on my methods.”

  If the phrase “taking candy from a baby” came to life, it would be this situation. I almost want to turn her down because I’m not sure what the punishment around here is for kicking the ass of one of the priestesses—or acolytes, or whatever she wants to call herself. But Bryn is my witness here, and if Kari wants to dance, who am I to say no?

  A grin spreads across my face. “Deal. How do we determine the winner?”

  “You seem to like pinning people. How about the first one of us to pin the other wins?”

  The challenge is almost laughably easy. I’ll have this woman pinned in a second flat. Part of me wants to suggest something else—something that might afford her the slightest chance at succeeding—but this is her call. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Should I step out of the way?” Bryn asks.

  “Maybe move back a few feet,” Kari suggests. “And tell us when to begin.”

  Bryn’s eyes go round, but her surprise is short-lived. Once she’s retreated several steps, she shouts, “Go!”

  I haven’t mapped out a plan in my head, but I don’t exactly need one to pin down a peace-loving monk-ette. I’ve got several inches and at least fifty pounds on Kari. All I have to do is wait for her to come to me and use her own momentum against her.

  Like I did with Bryn.

  But Kari watched those matches, too, and she doesn’t rush me. Keeping her distance, she begins circling me like a boxer in the ring. She’s biding her time, looking for the right angle of attack. I’ll give her points for that, at least.

  She darts forward with more speed than I would have given her credit for and aims a series of punches at my torso. I parry each one, but if I’m frustrating her plan, her serene expression gives nothing away.

  Her first attack over, she retreats out of reach and begins circling me again. I turn my body in time with hers. Her second foray forward is as quick and precise as the first, but no more successful.

  On her third strike, I can’t help laughing. “Is your plan to lull me to sleep?”

  A corner of Kari’s mouth quirks upward. “Why? Are you feeling tired?”

  “No. Just bored.” This girl has lasted longer than I anticipated, but I’m done playing games. Before she comes in for her next attack, I mount one of my own. I’ve pinned countless people in the past—both in the sparring ring and on missions. I’ve given her more than enough of a chance to best me, and it’s clear she can’t. It’s time to end this.

  I rush forward, opening my arms like I’m about to embrace her. But when I’m within a step from her, she smashes the heel of her hand into my solar plexus.

  I stumble backwards, doubling over as the breath rushes from my lungs. I attempt to gulp down some air, and the next thing I know, I’m flat on my back, staring up at Kari, who straddles my chest and pins my arm to the ground.

  As much as I want to throw her off me, the fight to breathe takes too much of my focus. I should’ve seen the move coming. Better yet, I shouldn’t have given this chick the opportunity to make the move in the first place.

  “Do you yield?” Kari asks, exerting just enough pressure on my ribs to ensure I couldn’t take in a full breath if I wanted to.

  I try to suck in as much oxygen as possible and succeed only in coughing so hard my eyes start to water. “Yeah. Yield,” I choke out.

  With a smile, Kari stands and backs away, giving me enough space to sit up.

  Bryn is at her side in a moment. “Wow! How did you do that?”

  Kari beams at her. “I’ll show you.”

  I push myself to my feet, feeling the weight of Bryn’s expectant gaze on me. “Yeah, good job.” The words don’t come from kindness. I just don’t want to look like a dick for losing.

  “Thank you.” Kari holds my gaze, her smile stretching until it looks uncomfortable to hold. When she turns to Bryn, realization washes over me.

  “I guess I’ll be going.” It comes out more like a question than I would have liked.

  But if Bryn notices the hesitation in my voice, any concern she might have is smothered by the excitement that practically streams from her face. “I’ll check in with
you later, Poe.”

  I mutter a goodbye as I turn back toward the main building. I still can’t believe I lost the match to Kari. She’s a peace-loving hippie. How was I supposed to know she had the skill to take me out?

  And, more importantly, why would she know how to fight like that? Something about this place doesn’t sit right with me. The sooner we find the staff and get out of here, the better.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bryn

  Training with Kari is entirely different from training with Poe. Where he’s all about brute force and intuitive learning through mistakes, Kari spends the first hour of our time talking me through scenarios and demonstrating moves that could be useful in different situations.

  When we finally begin sparring, I can feel difference immediately. Although her fighting style is different from Poe’s, she’s no less a badass. And yet I spend far less time on my ass when I’m versus her.

  We spar until dinner, breaking only to eat a picnic lunch on the grounds and for me to change into one of the Order-issued tunic dresses she wears. Kari says it’s important to be able to fight no matter what you’re wearing, and I can see her logic. Plus, the long tunic has the advantage of being much lighter and airier than my jeans and tee-shirt.

  By the time we head to the cafeteria for the evening meal, I’m bursting to talk to the guys and find out how they’ve spent their day, but Kari follows me to the table the guys and I shared this morning, effectively cutting off such discussion before it starts.

  Poe stares resolutely ahead when Kari settles down at our table, and I fight grinning at his discomfort. I’m sure he’s still upset Kari got the drop on him earlier, and for some reason, I find that fact very amusing.

  Taj smiles at Kari. “Sister,” he greets with a nod of his head. “How did our girl do under your tutelage?”

  Kari beams. “She’s a natural. Her style is still unrefined, but she’s got some real talent inside her.”

  “I was walking the grounds earlier,” Silas says, his eyes dancing. “I saw you put Poe on his ass. Were you some kind of soldier before you came here?”

  Kari snorts. “Spirits, no. I’d never so much as thrown a punch before I came to the temple.”

  At this revelation, Poe’s head swivels in Kari’s direction. “So you learned to fight here?”

  Although the accusation in his tone is unmerited, I can’t help wondering the same thing.

  But if Kari is bothered by his question, her face doesn’t show it. “We practice several martial arts here as a way to keep our bodies and minds sharp. It’s not out of a thirst for violence, but a desire for discipline.”

  When Poe opens his mouth again, I ask the first question that pops into my head. “How long have you been here?”

  “About eight years now,” she says.

  “And what brought you to the temple?” Calder asks. “Were you seeking enlightenment?”

  She shakes her head. “No. Healing. I was cursed.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Cursed?”

  She smiles, covering my hand with hers for a moment. “Nothing so dire as what afflicts you and your friends. It was a negative energy curse that manifested in bad luck following my every step. I tried everything I could think to have it lifted. I visited mystics and witches, tried dozens of tonics and tinctures. I even ventured to Twin Rivers.”

  “Twin Rivers?” I ask, my throat tight.

  She nods. “I sought an audience with the great mage Elowen, but even though I spent a week in her forest searching, she never showed herself.”

  I can’t help glancing toward Calder and Taj. Elowen didn’t bother showing up when Kari looked for her. Is it possible Kari simply didn’t go to the right place? According to Valor, Elowen prefers certain spots in the forest to others. Or maybe there’s a different reason entirely for the mage’s lack of interest in helping Kari.

  Taj nods empathetically. “How’d you end up here?”

  She offers upturned hands. “Guided by the spirits, I suppose. Elowen was my last hope. When that lead fell through, I went to the library in Twin Rivers, hoping to find something else. I actually stumbled on a book about the Order because it was shelved in the wrong location. It didn’t say anything in the book about healing, but it did speak of peace. And at that point, I would do anything for even a hint of peace in my life, so I came.”

  “And did they? Heal you, that is?” Taj asks.

  She nodded. “Yes. The spirits answered their requests and gave them the means to cure me. Since then, I’ve devoted my life to this Order, and to the spirits who saw fit to save me.”

  Kari’s story spins in my mind throughout dinner, but I don’t give voice to my thoughts until we’re safely tucked inside Poe’s tiny bedroom. The Order provided us each with identical rooms to sleep in while we’re here, and the tight quarters are barely more spacious than my cell back at Mona’s compound.

  “Maybe we should let them try to heal us,” I say as Poe and Taj pore over the map Silas spent the day compiling.

  Calder, who sits behind me on Poe’s mattress, pulls me onto his lap. “What’s that?”

  Poe and Taj glance up from where the map is spread on the floor, and even Silas turns his attention from the bare wall he’s been staring at.

  With all their eyes on me, I almost lose my nerve. But I take strength from Calder’s embrace and explain. “Instead of stealing the staff from these people, maybe we should stick around and let them lift the curse.”

  Silas’s eyebrows knit. “Who says they can?”

  “You heard Kari. They broke her curse.”

  “Yeah, I heard her,” Silas says. “And a negative energy curse is nothing like a death mark. It’s like treating a wound versus curing a flesh-eating bacteria—one’s a lot more complicated than the other.”

  Calder shifts me in his arms. “Besides, there’s no telling when the ‘spirits’ will speak to them—if they do at all. The Order isn’t made up of powerful witches or shamans—it’s a hodgepodge of supernaturals whose main goal is wisdom and enlightenment. They’re trying to reach higher planes of consciousness, not study spell craft.”

  I twist against him. “But they healed Kari.”

  “Did they, though?” Poe asks. “I know you two are best friends now, but did you ever stop to think she’s feeding you a line? What’s the proof she was ever cursed? She would’ve been in her teens when she got here. Maybe she was just in a clumsy phase and convinced herself someone hexed her. Besides, we already have someone lined up who we know has the power to break this curse. We just need to bring Elowen the staff.”

  “If she’s such an all-powerful mage, why can’t she just get it herself?” I hold Poe’s gaze, waiting for him to answer. “You’re telling me she’s strong enough to break our death mark, but not strong enough to take on a group of priests?”

  “I don’t pretend to know why the mage does what she does,” Poe says. “And as much as I don’t trust her, I’m willing to throw my lot in with her over these freaks.”

  The word chafes. “They’re not freaks.”

  Calder combs his fingers through my hair. “I think I know what this is about. You’re getting cold feet, aren’t you? Now that we’re here, you don’t know if you can steal from these people.”

  I press my lips together, hating that that he knows me so well. He’s right. I knew before we came here that we would be taking the staff from the Order, but now they’re not just a faceless group of people. Now, I’m stealing from Kari. And that was before we heard Kari’s story—before there was another option. “Look, we still have two weeks until the full moon. It took us less than a day to get here. We’ve got time before we have to leave. I’m just saying that we might as well see if the priests…”

  “We’ll stay here as long as it takes to come up with an actionable plan,” Poe says. “Now that they know we’re here, it makes stealing the staff a little trickier. This won’t just be a smash-and-grab like we expected. But as soon as we fig
ure out how to get that thing, we’re taking it and getting out of here. End of story.”

  His dismissal makes my skin prickle. “Don’t I get a say in this?”

  Poe crosses his arms over his chest. “Depends. Are you going to keep saying ridiculous things like we should trust our fate to these hippie freaks?”

  Biting back a grunt of frustration, I turn my attention to Taj. “Tell me you’re on my side.”

  He purses his lips. “It’s not that I necessarily disagree,” he begins tentatively. “It’s just that I think Elowen is our best bet. In all the research Calder and I did on the Order today, there was no mention about their healing abilities. And none of the texts at the cabin said anything about it either.”

  Calder runs his fingers down my forearms, but the would-be comforting motion only serves to boil my blood. I pull myself out of his embrace and onto my feet. “Fine. Since my opinion clearly doesn’t matter here, I’ll go to my room. Let me know when you have the staff. Wouldn’t want to stick around and mess up your grand plans.”

  My words settle around the room like a fine dust, and I wait for someone to break the stillness. But after a few seconds, it’s clear no one is going to speak. There’s nothing left to say.

  Eyes burning, I stride to the door. Maybe I’m not part of Mona’s collection anymore, but I’m still not free. If I’m not able to make my own decisions, I’m not sure I ever will be.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Taj

  Poe keeps us shuttered in his room for nearly an hour after Bryn’s dramatic exit, and my stomach is in knots the whole time.

  She can’t really feel like she has no worth to the team, can she? Just because no one sided with her on the whole let-the-Order-heal-us thing?

  Calder and Silas disappear down the hall toward their own tiny bedrooms, but my feet don’t carry me toward my door. When I find myself outside Bryn’s room, I hesitate. After the way things shook out, will she even want to see me?