The blood witch, p.11
The Blood Witch, page 11
“I’m working with Annalise now,” Madeline stated, purposefully leaving out Trisha’s name.
“Of course...of course...Mistress, why now? Why is she willing to work with you now? What changed? It’s because there’s only one trial left, and if she pledges her allegiance, it ensures her place under your tutelage. She is playing with you.”
“Again, I ask, how?”
“What does she want? What reason could she have to get close to you? It’s the Blood Witch, isn’t it? That’s what she wants! She aims to snatch away your crown!”
“Every Ostara vies for the Blood Witch. It is our continued pursuit that keeps us at a stalemate. I’m trying to tip the scales in our favor.”
“Oh, they’ve tipped.”
“Trisha,” Annalise said softly. “I haven’t seen you this upset since we first acknowledged our friendship, and you told me how upset you were with your husband. What ails you now? Do you doubt your granddaughter that severely?”
“On the contrary, I acknowledge her. She has his fervor. No, what I fear are her intentions.”
“And what are they?”
“If I tell you what I know...the words can’t be taken back. Her fate will be a certainty.”
Annalise frowned. “What are you keeping from me? It’s not like us to have secrets.”
“It appears I must choose,” Trisha said softly.
Madeline felt her throat tighten. She stared deep into Trisha’s eyes as she watched her grandmother’s lips part slowly and then waver.
“Grandmother,” Madeline said softly. Yes, she was threat to her and Annalise, but it didn’t have to be this way. If she could only explain her position without judgment, if they could get past their prejudices and see the bigger picture, they could work together. They could put an end to the Ostara, and wasn’t that the goal for all of them? What was a human to them? What could a powerless human really accomplish?
“Tell me,” Annalise said.
Trisha looked up with teary eyes. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“What are you two doing then? Conspiring against me?”
“Never,” Trisha cried. “I could never. You saved my life. My sanity.”
“It’s because I am not of blood then. I’m not family, is that it?”
“It’s complicated,” Trisha whispered.
Annalise glared at her for a moment and then she turned to Madeline in anger. “I will dig deeper into you if I must, but for now, I am trusting you. You are working with me, yes?”
“Yes,” Madeline said. It was true...for now.
“And I hope you don’t mind if I place a couple traps around you in case you betray me, right?”
“What choice do I have?”
“Exactly. No choice at all,” Annalise scoffed. “And you said that you wanted respect. Laughable. The same goes for you too, Trisha. The fail safes are going back up until you decide to disclose what you’re hiding.”
“Of course,” she muttered.
“I’m happy to know that we’re being consistent. Fear continues to be the language of our time,” she faced Madeline quickly. “Now I feel as if you were trying to disarm me.”
“That wasn’t my intent. I was being—”
“Shut up, Arcana. Know your place.”
“Yes, Mistress,” Madeline sighed.
“Now, let us talk about why we’re here. The Blood Witch. As the Ostara prepare for the fourth trial, we will secure Taylor Garnier for ourselves. They will be distracted, and I have had Ekon map out their traps and security measures.”
“I can do it,” Madeline said suddenly.
“What?” Trisha said in shock.
“I can get the Blood Witch and bring her to you,” Madeline said to Annalise. “You still have to prepare for the fourth trial, and the other Ostara will notice if you’re elsewhere. You’ll be caught.”
“I can accompany you,” Trisha interjected.
“No,” Madeline said. “You’re already not supposed to be on campus. It’s too risky. If I’m caught, I’ll be killed, but you can move on as before. Any other plans you concocted can be carried out. As for me, I’m just an Arcana. I’ll say that I acted alone.”
Trisha grit her teeth, but Annalise nodded. “Use the dream weaver if you like. If she tells anyone about my involvement, she will be killed though.”
“Of course,” Madeline winced.
“You can’t let this all fall upon her,” Trisha laughed.
“She’s your granddaughter, she’s in the Key of Solomon, and she’s pledged her loyalty. What else can I do? It’s time to have faith.”
“Faith,” Trisha chuckled under her breath. “Faith,” she repeated, this time her laughter growing until both Madeline and Annalise gave her a disturbing look. “Oh, the wonders of faith. The power of faith. The evidence of things hoped for. Of things not seen. What a glorious tenet to follow. Why believe in the clear, concise evidence before your eyes when you have lofty faith to guide you?”
“You must have something to say,” Annalise said, folding her arms.
“I can’t allow this,” Trisha said. “Not again.”
“Trisha, what are you—” Annalise’s arms were suddenly forced to close even further, a hex was placed upon them and across her torso. The henna lines and symbols flowing from the hand behind Trisha’s back flowed across the room as if it was riding a gust of wind. Trisha muttered under her breath as the hex tightened around Annalise, taking the wind out of her, and then Trisha threw her Mistress into the staircase on the side, slamming her head against the steps.
Madeline sprinted to the limestone wall and began pounding on it, calling for Hush to transport her away. The sounds of Trisha’s footsteps echoed throughout the room, and soon they ceased. Madeline spun around, and a hex clamped around her throat.
Trisha raised her hand high into the air, lifting Madeline off the ground.
“You had so much potential!” Trisha cried. “Why can’t you abandon him? Why must Grant have everything?”
Madeline kept her gaze away from the staircase in which Annalise had been thrown, as she did not want to give the Ostara’s movement away.
Annalise moved as silent as a serpent, crouching low and stepping behind Trisha. When she was in position, Annalise kicked her hard in the spine, sending Trisha sprawling forward. The sudden impact threw off her concentration, and the hexes were broken from both Annalise and Madeline. Madeline fell onto her knees and cried at the impact. Annalise flicked one of her serpent earrings and waited for Trisha to compile her composure.
Trisha feigned being disoriented, and then she reached out towards Annalise and shouted a war cry. A line of symbols erupted from the tips of each of her five fingers and spiraled towards Annalise. Annalise stood still and confident as the henna lines went through her and into the white door at the end of the hall.
“How?” Trisha said, and Annalise appeared behind her.
“You see what I want you to see,” she whispered into Trisha’s ear, and then she pushed her forward hard. The lines vanished from Trisha’s fingers as she clutched her chest from being frightened. “You’re defeated,” Annalise barked. “YIELD!”
“I yield,” Trisha whined.
Annalise shook her head slowly. “Try that again, and I will kill you. The only reason you’re alive now is because of our history. I don’t know what’s got into you, but you need to cut it out.”
“How did you dodge her like that?” Madeline coughed, standing up and rubbing her throat.
“I can detect deception, but I can also cause it. She fired at an illusion just now.”
“I didn’t know you had that power,” Trisha said.
“Then I guess we’re all dishonest,” Annalise said.
“Not anymore,” Trisha said. Her cheeks were stained with tears and she looked weary, as if she hadn’t slept for days. “I don’t have the power you have.” She turned to look at Madeline. “Or the resources. I’m an old woman trying to make something out of her last days. Something that will give my life meaning. Is that so wrong?”
“We all want that,” Annalise said. “But you have to know where your loyalties lie. You can’t do it alone. I’ve tried, and I lost what I loved most because of it.”
“And what happens when you give your all to another and you lose what you love most? What does that mean, Annalise?”
“It means you move on, and you try to love again. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Oh, Mistress,” Trisha said in disgust. “If only you knew. If...you know what? I’m done with this. I’m ready to play my hand, because despite what just happened, I love you, Annalise. Any steps I’ve taken against you has been for your own good. Listen closely. You cannot align yourself with Madeline, and the reason is because she’s a human.”
Annalise blinked as if she saw a mirage. “You were once human as well. You told me of your time in the war.”
“She’s a human now. My ex-husband, Grant, has plagued her mind, telling her that witches are evil and that we must all be destroyed. I hoped that she had rejected his indoctrination when she accepted the invitation to the Harvest, but I was wrong. I tried to reach her, to persuade her, but she is steadfast in her destruction. She is a human spy looking for a way to cause the apocalypse, and the Blood Witch is the key. I didn’t want to kill her...she’s still my kin, but I see no choice now. Annalise, please listen to what I’m saying.”
“Why would you say this?” Madeline retorted.
“QUIET!” Annalise said. “I’m thinking.”
Trisha put her face in her hands and wept. Annalise’s eyes darted back and forth as she went through her memories of Madeline in her mind, like examining a highlight reel.
“You tried to kill her in the third trial,” Annalise said finally.
Trisha lifted her head. “Yes, but that was because I saw how dangerous she had become, and how close she had gotten to you. I tried to take her down indirectly.”
“If she’s a human, how was she able to pass the second trial?”
“It was merely a simulation. It wasn’t real.”
“But her mastery over hexes...it was breathtaking. I saw the footage myself.”
“From her studies, I’m sure.”
“But that level? That much precision? Do you think books can make her an expert when thrust into the field?”
“She may have some latent talent, that is possible. But if you think on it, when has she ever used her hexes outside of simulation?”
“Like you,” Madeline said. “I don’t reveal everything I have. I have my secret weapons too. All you’re doing right now is trying to get me killed, when we could be working together and retrieving the Blood Witch. What we’re doing right now is exactly what the Ostara do. I thought we were supposed to be different.”
Trisha tried to ignore her. “Mistress...Annalise...please.”
“How about a demonstration?” Annalise asked Madeline.
“What’s the point?” Madeline shrugged. She fought to steady her breath as to not appear nervous. “Trisha will counter anything I do and claim that I lack the power.”
Annalise nodded, and Trisha’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Trisha, forgive me,” Annalise said. “But I think you are mistaken. This girl was victorious in many battles. Her former teacher, Kieran, the trials, the top two Arcana...if a human can do all of this, then humanity is clearly our biggest threat, and all resources should be used towards a swift and thorough genocide. If we have any hope of maintaining our way of life, that is clear. I believe, like most things, the answer is a lot simpler. You are jealous. You don’t like that our relationship has shifted to include another person, and you fear that you are not looking at your granddaughter, but your future replacement.”
“Wow,” Trisha said under her breath. “Well...that was sure something.”
“I’m only speaking harshly because I care. I hope that we can still be friends, and this skirmish did not jeopardize the mission.”
“No, of course not,” Trisha said. “Perhaps I should re-evaluate my priorities. Clear my head. Madeline, you go on and get the Blood Witch. Deliver her to us, and you will have earned my trust.”
Madeline knew it was a dirty, filthy lie, but she nodded anyways.
“And, uh, Mistress, I’ll be going now...to...lick my wounds.”
“Please do,” Annalise said.
Trisha shut the door behind her and immediately, Annalise sighed in relief. “Madeline,” she said. “Why does she want to kill you so badly?”
Madeline stared at the door, feeling as if she had been the one to cause the long-standing rift between her grandparents. A melancholy wave of guilt washed over her as once again, she considered alternatives that seemed far out of reach. She couldn’t tell Annalise the truth, no matter how much she forced herself to believe that it would all work out. With the current trajectory, the end result was inevitable—she would have to eliminate her grandmother. She couldn’t kill her, but she had to be removed from her life, because the woman appeared incapable of letting go...and why would she? She was merely acting as nearly all witches would. A human was a pest, and if a pest was not handled, it would multiply and bring disease of thought.
“I think she still blames my grandpa,” Madeline finally replied, choosing her words. “I’m only related to her by blood, not by marriage. Reminding her of him must be painful.”
“It pains me to see the two of you this way,” Annalise said. “Despite your differences, family is family.”
“But in the hunt to become an Ostara, does family exist?”
“The road can be ruthless, but I hope that once this is over, your feud can come to an end. Family does have its importance. If we can’t go back to a warm, loving home at the end of a war, then what are we fighting for?”
Chapter 62 – The Oldest Among Them
“It’s a go,” Madeline said, leaping into her dorm room. Dinah and Riley picked themselves up from off the floor and Madeline ran over to Riley and hugged her tight. “Riley, what are you doing here?”
“Saving you,” Riley said. “I couldn’t stay home. Eating pie and laughing over board games with my cousins while you and Dinah were missing. It didn’t take me long to figure out that you never left, and I knew that meant trouble.”
“I filled her in,” Dinah said. “Our plan to grab the Blood Witch.”
“Good,” Madeline smiled. “We can use the help. We can head out anytime.”
“I’m surprised,” Riley laughed. “You’re not trying to stop me from coming?”
“We’re all big girls,” Madeline smiled. “And while I am afraid for everyone here, we have to keep growing on our own merits. I’m not your big sister or your parent, and if we’re to form a coven of our own one day, we must all be equal.”
“Hear, hear,” Dinah chuckled. “Then, our sister has a plan?”
“Always,” Madeline said. “I’ve talked to Annalise, and she has agreed to allow me to retrieve the Blood Witch on her behalf.”
“We’re not delivering it to her, right?” Riley asked.
“Of course not. But at least we have one Ostara that won’t be in our way. Dinah, how has the search been going?”
“There’s a dungeon deep beneath the campus grounds, but I haven’t been able to pick up a clear path. I think the Ostara hid it behind a number of barriers and dead ends. Do you think we could use Hush to take us there?”
“I’m wary of using Hush,” Madeline said. “With how many times I’ve been in that room, someone is bound to get suspicious.”
“Yeah, right,” Riley laughed. “That was probably the original plan. But now that you have ME, everything’s changed.”
“Something like that,” Madeline laughed.
“We don’t know exactly where the dungeon is located,” Dinah said. “We can’t just have Riley breaking floors until we reach it.”
“Why not?” Madeline laughed.
“Does anyone have any ideas where it might be located?”
“I might,” Madeline said, cupping her chin. When I was out with Kieran, we stumbled across Jana in the North End. If we go to that location and then begin digging, I suspect we’ll come across the prison. The Ostara are directly on top of it, situated in posh bedrooms that look like they’re part of a hotel.”
“The riskiest path,” Riley said, rolling her eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”
“The Ostara are preparing for the fourth trial,” Madeline said. “They could be occupied, and if we do stumble across any of them, we can say how we’re using the empty campus as an opportunity to explore.”
“I think you’re right,” Dinah said. “Out of all the places I’ve seen in the Arcanas’ minds, what you describe is in none of them. You would think that with all of them taking a risk and exploring, they would stumble across the Ostara’s quarters.”
“But Madeline did,” Riley said. “Should that give us a reason to worry? Could it be a trap?”
“Hush brought us there,” Madeline said. “And I trust him.”
“Then let’s head there,” Dinah said. “It’s the perfect opportunity.”
“Famous last words,” Riley said, rolling her eyes.
“SORRY ABOUT THIS,” Madeline huffed as they arrived at the top of the massive hill. The climb had been brutal, considering they were not able to use the Rising River to get upwards. She supposed that was part of the deterrent for Arcana to wander there. Thankfully, she was quite stubborn.
“I’m going to throw up,” Riley moaned as she clutched her stomach. “I didn’t know I’d need climbing gear.”
“Seriously, Maddie,” Dinah gasped. “I hate you.”
“I know, I know,” she chuckled. It came out half-hearted and breathy as she was still exhausted from the climb.
“We don’t look suspicious at all,” Riley said, coughing afterwards. “And we’re covered in sweat. You don’t think the Ostara will care about us being here?”
“Okay, I didn’t think this all the way through,” Madeline admitted. “It was spur of the moment. I’m used to taking more time to map out what I want to do.”
