Chapter Twenty One
A droplet of blood dripped onto the page as a voice called commandingly from outside.
‘Knock, knock. Are there any witches in there?’
Everyone froze.
‘How did we not know they were coming?’ Kasha hissed, ‘Aland.’ The wolfhound raised its massive head and whined. Clearly it had no idea and the other animals on watch hadn’t warned them.
‘Well, well,’ Drakon said, a smile on his face, ‘Finally. It’s time to make a stand.’
‘I’m glad someone is happy we have been caught napping.’ Penelope stated as she turned to Alex and Freya, ‘Listen you two must stay in here. After all these centuries I cannot believe we have no time.’
Penelope turned to Freya, ‘You need to find Tobias’s name and write in Alaric’s using the blood then you need to put the book in the centre of the pentagram.’
‘I’m going to say hello to our visitors and buy us some time,’ Drakon said, as he sauntered towards the door, the familiar tap of his cane seeming too loud.
‘I cannot do this Penelope. It’s too soon. We don’t know what to do.’ Freya cried as Alex put an arm around her.
‘I know and I’m sorry, Freya but we have to try and get through this. Alaric has Ali. The only way to save her is to kill him.’
Drakon opened the door and stepped onto the veranda. He sounded calm, as if he was chatting to a friend, ‘Alaric. We meet at last and you’ve brought friends. How nice.’
Dominique’s head snapped up. He nodded to Kasha and they moved to the back door. Aland stayed behind as Kasha snapped her finger and pointed at the floor near the book.
‘Alex? Freya are you in there?’
Penelope grabbed Alex’s arm, ‘I know it’s your sister but you need to stay in here. The only way to keep her alive is to stick to the plan.’
‘Plan?’ Alex growled, ‘You call this a plan? Write a name in a book with someone’s blood and then burn it and this is going to kill this Alaric? Hundreds of years you’ve all been trying to find us.’ Alex gripped Freya’s arm, ‘to create a coven so that you can take this guy out.’
Alex ran his hand through his hair, ‘Jesus. You expect me to stay in here whilst Brad Pitt lookalike with a cane goes out there and faces down Alaric. Who the hell has a name like Drakon and he looks as if he would throw his own grandmother under the bus if she was mildly inconvenient to his wishes.’
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Penelope smiled, ‘I’m sorry Alex. We are out of time. You either stay here and trust us or you walk out that door and kill us all.’
Penelope turned and walked towards the door.
‘I guess that’s the negotiation over.’ Alex said to Freya, ‘what the hell are we going to do Frey? This situation is worse than the time we were high on mushrooms. We just have to accept we are witches and get on with crazy plan?’
Freya felt her hand steady as she dipped the quill into the blood once again. She turned the page and wrote Alaric’s name in the book. She turned to Alex, ‘Let burn this book and get Ali back alive.’
Decision made, Alex turned and pulled the table to the side of the room and rolled up the rug until the pentagram was exposed once again. Freya watched the blood seep into the page as she wrote Alaric’s name and then closed the book, her hands now shaking. She moved over to Alex and placed the book in the middle of the pentagram.
‘Now what the hell do we do?’ Alex asked as they both cried out and fell to the floor as the windows blew out.
Chapter Twenty Two
Alaric grinned as Drakon came to the door. These had had the strongest coven until he’d finally managed to weaken them. He’d tried to get to the others over the years but they’d proved elusive. Now he had them all here but he’d felt the shift when the first full coven had joined in hundreds of years but they were new and Alex and Freya knew nothing about their powers.
Drakon watched as five witches came out of the shadows of the trees. ‘What’s this, Alaric. Have you copied us and created your own little coven from the ones who cannot find their place amongst the proper witches?’ Drakon winked at the woman tied to a tree, her mouth gagged. Alex’s twin sister he presumed. She glared at him but he could see the fear in her eyes.
Alaric sneered as he nodded at the witches who he’d controlled over the years. They were his and would do exactly what he told them if they wanted their loved ones to stay alive.
‘Now, Drakon. I am going to make this easy for you. Just let me inside and give me the book and let’s end this nonsense. There is no point in turning your back on the inevitable. We’ve all enjoyed the cat and mouse games over the years. I’ve appreciated your ineptitude at trying to kill me over the years.’ Alaric grinned and raised his hands, ‘Us mere mortals find it a little harder to navigate a longer life.’
Drakon tracked them all as they moved inch by inch closer to the cabin as Alaric talked. It was one of his skills. Alaric knew how to work a crowd. Knew how to hold the attention, that’s why he’d been the best witchfinder. He had dedicated his life to not only killing witches but finding them. The ones who would do his bidding and extend his life beyond that of a normal human. Looking for their powers and sacrificing any witch who defied him or he had no use of their power.
Drakon knew these witches before him. He knew their strength and weaknesses. He had not been idle in the years since he’d seen Penelope and the others.
He heard Kasha to his right and Alaric turned, eyes wide as the leaves in the trees started to rustle and the ground began to shake. In moments, every branch and ground space was filled. Drakon knew Kasha was able to communicate with the animals but this was beyond anything he’d ever seen. An eeriness settled as every single bird, fox, squirrel, badger, deer and wolf waited silently.
‘Well, Kasha. My dear. This is certainly impressive.’ Alaric nodded to one of the witches.
Kasha cried out as Aland howled in pain at her feet, ‘It’s always a question of what you’re prepared to sacrifice. I’m not sure how many times I need to tell people. Your weakness will always be someone else. Your ability to care and love.’ Alaric scoffed as Kasha held Aland huge head in her arms, his breathing laboured. ‘If one of your creatures move. I will rip his insides out.’
‘Ah, Dominique. Never far from Kasha’s side. It’s hard to know what your biggest weakness is. Would that be our lovely Kasha or would it be your brother. Granted, Kasha is better looking and your brother can be a bit of a snob.’
‘Alaric. Isn’t it time you just died.’ Dominique said flatly as he crouched next to Kasha.
Alaric laughed, ‘Not so different from your brother after all unlike me and Tobias.’
‘We are not so different my brother.’
Tobias stepped out of the doorway.
Alaric stumbled back, his eyes wide. Alaric’s witches looked uneasily at each other. It was the first time they had seen Alaric anything less than commanding.
‘We were made in the same womb. We shared that space, as we share this one. All that you’ve done is to become like me but you’re already like me. You just need to embrace it.’
‘I am nothing like you,’ Alaric spat, ‘you are weak. You’ve always been weak. Not prepared to take your birth right and become more. You settled for being less than everyone else. With your power.’ Alaric shook his head and closed his eyes.
Kasha watched as Dominique concentrated, pushing all his power out to calm everyone in the clearing. Kasha held onto Aland’s mane as he whined in pain. She adjusted her body so she shielded Dominique’s face hoping one of the didn’t see him influencing them, she could see Drakon had his cane pointed towards Alaric. It would take all their powers to hold him. Freya and Alex needed time. They knew so little, they had pinned all their hopes on two people who they had only known for five minutes. It was a crazy plan.
Alaric’s laughter made her look up. He raised his head and started clapping, ‘Bravo,’ he called, ‘for one minute you had me.’ He pointed at Tobias, ‘you have been dead for a very long time. I know that because I killed you and Mary. It’s a shame her father managed to get to the children to safety but it turns out he did me a favour.’
Tobias stared at Alaric. He turned his head slightly, listening.
Kasha watched Tobias’s form shimmered back in to Penelope and she in their mind they all heard one word.
‘NOW!’
Chapter Twenty Three
‘Shit.’ Freya called as a sharp piece of glass sliced through her cheek. She winced at the pain as the book dug painfully into her stomach. Pushing herself up, a drop of blood landed on the book. She knew she should check on Alex but she couldn’t look away as her blood swirled around the centre of the book. She gasped as her vision blurred.
‘Frey.’ Alex was at her side, heedless of the pain as he crawled over the broken glass to get to her, ‘are you hurt? What’s wrong?’ Freya was transfixed by the book. Alex gripped her shoulder as he registered the terrible noises coming from outside. His stomach clenched as he thought about his sister. Freya trusted these strangers and so he had to.
‘Freya. Wake up.’ Freya barely moved as he tried to shake her awake. Unblinking she hadn’t heard him. As he watched her face intently, her features suddenly changed. The deep creases of her frown smoothed out and she looked peaceful. In that moment. In this moment, with everything happening around them he had never seen her look so happy.
Freya finally closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and turning to Alex.
‘I know what to do.’
Chapter Twenty Four
Penelope ducked as a huge wave of energy coursed over her and smashed all the windows in the cabin. She hoped Alex and Freya were okay but she didn’t have time to spare. They were fighting for their lives.
She took a moment to look around the clearing. It was like a scene from Twilight. Except this was witch against witch. Drakon was lashing out with his cane and using his considerable influence to gain the split second advantage over his opponent. The huge grin on his face told her he was enjoying himself. Typical Drakon but she was glad he was on their side.
Penelope changed the landscape once again as a huge bear came crashing through the trees towards Drakon. Where the hell had that come from? She had to protect Kasha who was focusing her mind on commanding the animals to attack the other witches. Penelope thought one of them must have the power to create mirror images of themselves. All very Game of Thrones, she cursed her wandering mind. It was no time for book analogies.
Drakon turned at the roar of the bear. His eyes wide as the ferocious teeth dripping with blood at the woodland creatures it had left dead in its wake. He steeled himself, cane held up and with a flick of his wrist, a sharp blade was in his other hand. Feet planted in the ground, he waited. At the last moment, Penelope cast her spell and a large gaping hole opened up in front of the bear. The witch controlling him stood on the edge of the tree line gasped and gave away her position. The witch didn’t have time to scream as Drakon’s knife pierced her throat and in one fluid motion Drakon leapt into the air and slashing down with his cane, he caved in the bear’s skull.
Penelope cried out and dropped painfully to the floor as a vice like grip seized her. She screamed as the pain increased as she felt her body being crushed by an invisible force. ‘It’s okay. Hold on.’ She heard Dominiques voice. Always calming he used his influence to help her manage the pain. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to relax. The witch’s power would feed on her pain and resistance.
Dominique left Kasha as he moved towards Penelope. He flinched as a wolf controlled by the other witch’s, raced towards him. A flash of fur and Aland’s giant jaws clamped on the smaller wolf’s head and snapped its neck.
Penelope felt the grip release on her as Freya voice entered her head, ‘Be ready.’
Chapter Twenty Five
Freya ignored Alex’s questions as she scrambled over to the desk with the book, praying that there was still some blood left.
‘Yes,’ she cried relieved to see enough blood in the bowl as she heard Penelope scream outside, she had to hurry. Freya willed her hand to stop shaking as she picked up the quill. She took a deep breath and crossed out Alaric’s name. She turned the page and her fingers now steady. Conviction giving her the strength, she crossed out her name and added Alaric’s.
She didn’t know what to expect but she felt a calmness wash over her. Before she lost consciousness she connected with Penelope. It was their last chance. Freya could hear Alex crying and calling her name but she couldn’t answer him. She had left it too late to tell him she loved him. To tell him she’d been scared to lose him as a friend. To tell him she wished she had been braver. That she should have trusted their love would have been enough.
Freya pushed the book into Alex’s hands and slipped to the floor.
***
‘Freya.’ Alex screamed as Penelope rushed into the room.
‘Get onto the pentagram now.’ Penelope shouted grabbing his arm and pulling him up, ‘we need to finish this Alex. You need to help. Now.’
Alex struggled to his feet leaving Freya inert on the ground as he stood his spot on the pentagram, ‘What should I do?’
‘We need to command Alaric to come in and stand in the middle of the pentagram. Use your mind, with us. Do it for Freya.’
Alex found the strength. He didn’t know even what he believed but the sight of Freya’s slumped, still body on the floor. She was so lifeless. He turned away, anger surging through his body as Kasha, Dominique and Drakon crashed through the door, quickly followed by Aland dragging Alaric by the foot. Dominique slammed the door shut.
‘We don’t have much time.’ Kasha called, as Dominique picked Alaric off the floor when Aland let go.
Dominique pushed Alaric into the centre of the pentagram. Throughout, Alex had followed the voices in his head, trying to stay present but flashes of pain meant a migraine was settling on him. He couldn’t keep it up. It was if his brain was about to burst out of his head.
‘Alex. The book. Give it to him.’
Alex realised he was still holding it. He was outside himself somehow. His body and mind felt separated. Alaric glared as Alex stepped closer. Alex could see the fury in Alaric’s eyes as his finger twitched but they were holding them with their minds. How was this even possible? Alex could feel the hatred radiating off this man. Was he really so bad? Was he doing the right thing by helping them? Alex’s face hardened. This man had taken his sister. He deserved to pay.
They willed Alaric to raise his hands. Alex could see he was trying to resist but they were strong now. They had a purpose. Alaric’s hands gripped the book, sweat streamed down his face as he tried to resist.
Alex stepped back and they were all in position. He was chanting words he didn’t know. The air in the room changed and all he could hear were the words.
The heat hit him before the smell. The noise in his head stopped and he staggered back.
Alaric was on fire and making no noise. Alex would think about it many times over the coming years as he woke up from the nightmares. Alaric just stood there and burnt alive right in front of them.
‘It’s done.’ Penelope said, weariness settled in her very bones as they all dropped to the floor their powers exhausted.
Chapter Twenty Six
‘Freya. Can you hear me?’ Penelope touched Freya’s cheek.
‘Yes.’ Freya replied, now feeling unnaturally alert after everything that had happened, ‘How’s Ali? Alex?’ Freya pulled herself up into the chair, glad the fire was blazing. She noticed someone had boarded up the smashed windows and there was a smell of food in the air.
‘Ali’s okay. Her and Alex have matching bumps on their heads. Twins huh.’ Penelope shrugged and smiled.
Freya returned the smile, relieved they were all safe. She woken as Alaric and the book burned.
‘You spoke to Mary?’ Penelope said as she handed Freya a drink. Penelope suspected Mary and Tobias had something to do with it. They said a witch never truly died. Their essence was in every living witch.
‘You could hear her?’ Freya asked taking a sip of her drink.
‘No. But it’s the only thing which makes sense.’
‘I’m glad something makes sense but I can tell you. I have many questions, Penelope. Many.’
Penelope reached over and gripped her hand, ‘I know. I promise we will get through this and we will fill in all the gaps.’
‘What does it mean though. Now our book has been destroyed along with the witchfinder?’ Freya found it easier to separate the two. The evil one and the man burning. She eyed the rug which covered the evidence.
Drakon’s cane tapped on the floor as he joined them around the fire, followed by Kasha and Dominique. Freya smiled at them. Her new family.
‘Just let me see her. I’m okay. Stop fussing Alex or so help me God I will pound you.’
Freya grinned as Ali reached her and pulled her from the chair, hugging her fiercely.
‘Are you okay?’ Ali asked, kneeling down in front of Freya, ‘because if you are then me and you are going to have words.’
Freya heard Alex snigger. Freya grinned at Ali. She couldn’t help herself. Being judged and told off by Ali was possibly the worst experience imaginable. She felt overwhelming relief that they were all safe.
Ali reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks, ‘Okay. I won’t tell you off now but don’t think I will forget.’
Freya hiccupped as Ali reached over and hugged her fiercely, ‘I look forward to my telling off.’ She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Ali let go and stood up. Setting her hands on her hips she glared round at them in turn. Even Drakon’s eye twitched but he sensibility kept quiet, ‘Someone better tell me what has been going on.’
As the hours passed, Freya’s eyes started to droop. She was bone weary and thought she just might sleep for a week the initial exhilaration after she woke had worn off.
‘So, Freya wrote Alaric’s name after crossing out her own,’ Ali almost spat the name, ‘into this book which effectively made him part of your coven. You all did some jedi mind tricks on him. Penelope did some other mind tricks on the other witches and the animals were controlled by Kasha. The bad witches stopped when you had Alaric because he was holding their loved one’s captive to do his bidding. Dominique was the ultimate mind therapist and calmed everyone down.’
Drakon started to say something but Ali held up her finger. This time all the group smirked. Freya could see Kasha in particular was enjoying someone being able to shut him up.
‘So, his name was on the list and because you burnt him and the book,’ Ali shivered, ‘he died. Freya found all this out from Mary who lived many hundreds of years ago and was the guardian of the book who also it seems has some jedi mind tricks from the past but she isn’t actually a witch.’
Penelope nodded. Enjoying the fact she wasn’t the one doing the talking for a change.
‘Mary and Tobias, who was Alaric’s twin brother was a witch and they had twins and me and Alex are related to them. Alex is this Sixth Witch but I’m not a witch.’ Ali pointed her finger at Alex, ‘Not one word.’
‘My question is.’
‘Thank all the Gods she just has one question.’ Drakon muttered under his breath.
‘Is Freya still a witch as she crossed herself out. Why isn’t she dead and what about the other book Alaric had?’
‘That’s more than one question, Ali.’ Alex said and received a look of respect from Drakon as they all smiled.
‘What did you just say?’ Ali turned to Drakon.
He stumbled on his words.
‘You said something in your mind and everyone heard didn’t they?’
Drakon actually blushed.
‘Freya you heard didn’t you?’
They all sat up straighter, the weariness gone as they realised what this meant.
‘Yes.’ Freya said, as the tears threatened again.
‘So, you’re still a witch and part of this coven then?’ Ali stated looking slightly smug.
‘How could that be?’ Kasha asked.
Penelope was about to speak but Ali continued, ‘Your name must be in Alaric’s book. Somehow Mary must have broken the connection between the books at the point you crossed yours out and put his in. I’m not sure how she did that since she’d dead and not a witch but my brain is about to shut down and I need some sleep.’
Penelope stood up and motioned Ali to sit down, touching her arm gently as she passed.
‘I think it’s going to take us a long time to understand everything. They don’t have a manual for being a witch.’
Ali smiled as she sat down heavily in the chair. She winced as she rubbed her head forgetting about the bump.
‘But all I know for now is that we are safe and the threat is gone. We know Alaric used witches to extend his life and held many of their loved one’s captive. It’s our responsibility to try and put everything right and help build the covens back up again but that’s a job for when we’ve had a least a week’s sleep.’
Everyone nodded their agreement.
‘I suggest we go to bed and figure the rest out later.’
‘Finally.’ Drakon said as Ali and his gaze met he winked at her and Ali couldn’t hide her smile.
‘Drakon.’ Penelope warned.
‘That wasn’t my power, just my natural charm.’
Penelope groaned as she set about helping set up the camp beds in the bedrooms. As they all left Freya sighed as she ran her hand over Alaric’s book. It was funny but that was how she would always think of it. She closed her eyes and felt a deep sense of calm descend over her. This cabin was built over the place Mary and Tobias hid all those hundreds of years ago. It still held their love and compassion. Their power and strength. She wondered what the future held for them all now the threat was gone.
‘We can think about that another day, Frey.’ Alex said as he gently rested his hand on hers.
Freya turned her hand over and their fingers entwined. They moved away and blew out the candle.
‘If we are going to get married and have lots of babies we are going to have to talk about this listening in to my thoughts malarky.’ Freya stated as she heard stifled laughter from the rest of the coven.
The End
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C.L. Peache 