Witch, p.1
Witch, page 1
part #2 of Mage Saga Series
© 2022 by Kenneth H Warner, II
All rights reserved.
Map by Zenta Brice
Chapter One: Séance
Chapter Two: Kissing Cousins
Chapter Three: The Necromancer
Chapter Four: Wayfarer
Chapter Five: Magic
Chapter Six: Violation
Chapter Seven: Quest
Chapter Eight: Borders
Chapter Nine: Honor
Chapter Ten: Transformation
Chapter Eleven: The Ferry
Chapter Twelve: The Black Dragon
Chapter Thirteen: Raphael
Chapter Fourteen: Departure
Chapter Fifteen: Dredmort
Chapter Sixteen: University
Chapter Seventeen: Escort
Chapter Eighteen: Highgate
Chapter Nineteen: Looking Glass
Chapter Twenty: Mountain
Chapter Twenty-one: Nargûn
Chapter Twenty-two: Old Ones
Chapter Twenty-three: Binding
Chapter Twenty-four: Northern Hills
Chapter Twenty-five: Northcoast
Chapter Twenty-six: Clues
Chapter Twenty-seven: High Seas
Chapter Twenty-eight: Full Circle
Chapter Twenty-nine: Dilemma
Chapter Thirty: Allison
Chapter Thirty-one: Long Shadow
Chapter Thirty-two: Princess
WITCH
By Ken Warner
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Chapter One: Séance
Jezebel crept down the hall as quietly as possible, her cousin right behind her. The house was pitch-black; Jezebel’s small candle provided the only light. She opened the back door slowly, cringing when the hinges squeaked. The candle fluttered in the sudden breeze. Jezebel froze, holding her breath as she listened for any noise from her parents’ bedroom. All was quiet.
“Go,” she whispered. Allison walked past her, out the door. Jezebel followed silently, pulling the door closed behind her. For an instant, Jezebel had second thoughts: maybe this was a bad idea. But she was nearly a woman grown; gone were the days when her parents could punish her for sneaking out in the dead of night.
They walked around the side of the farmhouse, toward the barn. The yard was awash in the light of the twin quarter-moons. Behind the barn, Jezebel squatted down. She picked up the torch and the small bag of salt she’d left there earlier. She handed the sack to Allison and lit the torch with her candle.
They set out across the cornfields, Jezebel leading the way. For this part of the journey, at least, she was confident she knew the way. She’d lived on the farm her whole life; she couldn’t count the number of times she’d played hide-and-seek here as a little girl. Her friends could never find her. She led Allison through the maze, up one row of corn stalks, along the path between fields, and down another row.
But when they emerged from the far field, Jezebel wasn’t sure where to find the trail. She’d ventured into Devil’s Wood only a few times in her life. Her father’s land ended here; going into the forest had always been strictly forbidden.
Jezebel hesitated, looking back and forth along the wall of trees before them.
“I thought you knew how to get there,” Allison said.
“I do,” Jezebel replied. “It’s this way.”
Allison followed her a quarter-mile along the perimeter of the cornfield. Finally, Jezebel found the path. They set out into the woods. The trail was narrow and not well-trodden. Jezebel had trouble following it at times. More than once, they had to retrace their steps to find it again.
“This is impossible,” Allison cried in frustration. Jezebel turned to find her cousin desperately attempting to untangle her hair from a web of low-hanging branches.
“Hold this,” she said, handing Allison the torch. “I warned you to tie it back.” She went to work liberating Allison’s flaxen locks from the twigs. She removed a tie from her own bushy mane and pulled her cousin’s hair into a ponytail.
“Thank you,” Allison said apologetically, turning to face her. Jezebel couldn’t believe how pretty Allison looked, even with her messy hair and work clothes. People often commented that they could pass for sisters. Despite her curly brown hair, Jezebel supposed this was true; they shared the same hazel eyes, high cheekbones, and narrow lips. But there was a halo of beauty about the princess that Jezebel knew she’d never possess. A life of hard work on the farm had endowed Jezebel with a darker complexion and stouter build.
They resumed their course. The path wound its way up a rocky slope. Jezebel slipped and scraped her knee. Soon, they found themselves crossing a bog.
“This is disgusting,” Allison muttered. Jezebel could feel the water seeping through her shoes.
Before long, they entered a thicker area of trees. Suddenly there was a noise—it sounded like a branch breaking somewhere behind them. Jezebel turned, holding the torch in front of her.
“What was that?” Allison asked.
Jezebel shook her head. “I don’t know. Let’s keep moving.”
“Is it much farther?”
“I’m not sure.”
But a few seconds later, there was a crash. Jezebel thought she heard something growl. Allison screamed; Jezebel turned again, waving the torch around. “Who’s there?” Allison cowered behind her.
The forest was silent.
“This is stupid,” Jezebel said. “We should go back.”
“No. I want to do this.”
“There’s something out there, Alli—it might be a wolf. This is too dangerous.”
“Don’t be silly. Wolves haven’t lived in this area for ages,” Allison replied, but didn’t sound so certain. “You promised we’d go.”
Jezebel swallowed her objection. She had promised. “Fine.”
They walked along, listening intently for any more noises. After a few minutes, Jezebel lost the path again. They doubled back, but couldn’t find it. But it didn’t matter; she knew they had to go north, so she pressed ahead through the trees. Several minutes later, they stumbled upon a new trail, much wider than the path they’d been following before.
“We must be close,” Jezebel observed. They headed east.
But before they’d taken three steps, there was a bang in the woods. This time, something definitely growled. Allison screamed again.
“Let’s go!” Jezebel yelled, grabbing her cousin by the hand. They ran down the trail. Crashing sounds followed them in the forest, punctuated frequently by snarls.
Suddenly, Jezebel stopped short: someone was on the trail in front of them. It looked like three people, one carrying a torch. The forest fell silent.
“Who’s that?” Allison whispered.
Jezebel opened her mouth to reply, but one of them called out: “Who’s there?” Jezebel knew that voice. “Will?”
“Jez?” The three figures approached them. Jezebel recognized them immediately. Will, Edward, and Zeke worked for her father—they were farmhands. Will was the biggest; his muscles bulged out of his shirt. Zeke was new; he’d only been on the farm two weeks.
“What are you three doing out here?” Jezebel demanded.
Will regarded her with a smirk. Jezebel noticed the blue bottle in his hands. He was probably drunk. “We might ask the same thing, little lady. Does your daddy know you’re sneaking around the forest in the middle of the night?”
“No, and I forbid you to tell him,” Jezebel declared. “Now, tell me what you’re doing out here.”
“I don’t work for you, darling.”
“We’re going to Rockhedge,” Edward told her. “What about you?”
“Rockhedge?” Allison asked, stunned.
“Why are you going there?” Jezebel asked.
“We’re meeting some of our friends from town,” Edward said sheepishly. “They’re bringing… uh… booze.”
“You mean there’s a party at Rockhedge?” Allison asked.
“That’s where we’re headed, too,” Jezebel stated. “You know the way?”
“Where do you think this trail leads?” Will asked sardonically, walking away.
Jezebel and Allison followed the boys.
“Did you… hear anything in the forest?” Jezebel asked Edward a minute later.
“No, it was quiet except for you two,” he replied. “Why?”
“Something was chasing us,” Allison told him. “We heard growling.”
“You sure it wasn’t just Tess? She follows me around the farm all damn day. She probably would’ve been curious if she saw you two wandering out in the woods.”
Jezebel hadn’t thought of her dog. That probably explained it.
“It sounded way bigger than Tess,” Allison replied skeptically.
“No, he’s probably right. Little noises always sound bigger in the night,” Jezebel said.
As if on cue, a large shepherd dog bounded out of the woods onto the path. Allison squealed in surprise. The dog stood on her hind legs and put her front paws on Edward’s chest, trying to lick his face.
“Told you,” he said to Allison. “Get down, Tess!”
The dog walked to Jezebel and nudged her leg. Jezebel patted her head once, and Tess ran back into the trees.
They continued along the trail for several minutes and finally emerged in a large clearing. The area
A small group was huddled around the back of the wagon; it was loaded with green bottles. Jezebel picked one from the top of the pile and uncorked it. She took a swig and handed it to her cousin.
“That’s my uncle’s mead,” she said to nobody in particular. Allison took a long drink.
“Uh… yeah,” Edward said shiftily. “One of my friends works at Trey’s. He usually supplies the alcohol for our… get-togethers.”
“He’s stealing from my uncle?” Jezebel asked.
“Uh… I don’t… maybe…” Edward stammered.
Just then, a short girl came running over to them. “You made it!”
Jezebel pulled her aside. Allison followed.
“Prudence, you didn’t tell me this was a party!” Jezebel hissed.
“Well, it wasn’t at first. But Anabel told a couple of people and… you know how it goes.”
“I suppose,” Jezebel replied. “Is she here yet?”
“No, I haven’t seen her,” said Prudence.
The three girls walked across the clearing, away from the crowd, and sat down on a slab of rock. Jezebel pushed the butt end of the torch into the soft ground. She took a drink from the bottle. Her uncle produced the sweetest mead in Spanbrook; none of the other innkeepers could figure out his recipe.
Jezebel didn’t recognize many of the people here and assumed most were townies. A small group had gathered around a boy playing the lute. A plump girl was dancing to the music. The top of her dress had fallen around her waist. A boy in the crowd reached out and fondled her breasts; she didn’t seem to mind.
Will, Edward, and Zeke were milling around behind the wagon; Jezebel thought they were staring at her. She handed the bottle to Allison. Zeke left his friends and headed across the clearing to the girls.
“You’re the princess, aren’t you?” he said to Allison as he sat in the grass in front of them.
“Yes,” Allison replied nervously.
“I apologize—I didn’t recognize you in commoners’ clothes. I’m Zeke,” he replied, holding out his hand. Allison shook it delicately. “You’re a little young for this sort of thing, aren’t you?”
“I’m two months older than Jez,” Allison replied indignantly. “You don’t seem to think she’s too young.”
“True, but she grew up on a farm,” Zeke said with a shrug. “The rules are different for highborn.”
“Hmph,” Allison replied, taking a swig from the bottle.
“I hear your father’s been trying to find you a suitable mate,” said Zeke.
Allison snorted. “Unfortunately, his idea of ‘suitable’ differs from mine. I think…”
She didn’t get to finish her sentence. Will stumbled over, Edward close behind.
“We told you, Zeke, you’re wasting your time,” Will scolded him. “The princess doesn’t like boys.”
Jezebel was on her feet in a heartbeat. “That’s a lie, you stupid oaf.” She stood only inches from him. Despite a height advantage of at least a foot, Will backed away, seemingly intimidated.
“Then explain why Her Highness has rejected nearly a dozen suitors in less than a year,” Will replied with a smirk.
“Her standards are higher than yours,” Jezebel told him. “She’s not going to bed down with the first thing that walks by on two legs. She’s waiting for the right man.”
Edward and Zeke laughed at her.
“Maybe she’s not waiting for a man,” said Will. “In fact, you should know better than anyone. From what I hear, you two aren’t just cousins; you’re kissing cousins.”
“Maybe you should watch your mouth,” Jezebel retorted. “Or I’ll speak to my father and have you kicked off the farm.”
“You’ve been missing out, darling,” Will said, ignoring her. “Come here and let me show you what a man’s touch feels like.” He grabbed her by one arm and kissed her full on the lips. Jezebel could taste liquor and chewing tobacco in his mouth. He squeezed her breast with one hand.
Jezebel wrenched herself out of his grasp. She grabbed him by the shoulders and drove a knee into his groin. Will doubled over, groaning in pain. “You stupid bitch!”
Edward helped Will walk away. He looked over his shoulder and seemed to apologize with his eyes. Jezebel glared at him.
“Uh… I’m sorry about that,” said Zeke. “He’s stupider than usual when he’s got some drink in him…”
Allison got to her feet and walked farther away from the fire.
“Get out of here,” Jezebel said to Zeke.
“I’m sorry,” Zeke repeated, backing away.
“I need more mead,” Prudence announced, getting to her feet. She’d been sitting there watching the exchange unfold, her eyes wide. She followed Zeke to the wagon.
“Come and get us when Anabel arrives,” Jezebel called after her. She approached Allison.
“Is that what the whole princedom says about us?” she asked, turning to face Jezebel. A tear was streaming down her cheek. Jezebel wiped it away with one finger.
“Of course not—Will’s only letting his fantasies get the best of him,” she said. She thought she knew exactly what had given him that idea, but she didn’t want to tell the princess. “He’s an idiot; trust me, he doesn’t speak for the rest of the populace.”
They walked around the edge of the clearing, sharing the rest of the bottle. More people arrived at the party. The girls sat on their rock again, but a moment later, Prudence ran over to them. A taller girl with big teeth ran up behind her, clutching a board to her chest.
“Anabel’s here,” Prudence told them needlessly. “Where do you want to do this?”
“Not here,” Jezebel replied. She plucked her torch out of the ground. “We need some privacy. Follow me.” She led Allison, Prudence, and Anabel across the clearing. She stopped at the wagon to grab another bottle of mead. Then she walked past the stone obelisk.
She’d been to Rockhedge only once before. It had been the daytime then. But she thought she remembered the layout well enough to navigate by torchlight.
There were a dozen tall obelisks spread out in a giant circle. Smaller stone beds lay between them, along the perimeter. Within the ring, nothing grew; the ground was packed dirt. A smaller group of stones lay in the center of the circle. It looked like they’d once stood in some sort of pattern, but had long since toppled over. Jezebel walked past these to the opposite side of the circle.
Jezebel had no idea what this place was. But it felt ancient—much older than anything else in Spanbrook. They approached one of the stone beds. The trees grew close on the other side.
“Whoa!” Prudence shouted.
Will was lying on the rock with his trousers down around his ankles. The plump girl who’d been dancing earlier had her head between his legs; she was completely naked now. Will opened his eyes. When he saw them standing there, he scrambled to get to his feet and pull up his trousers. The girl made no attempt to cover her nakedness.
“I… uh… What are you doing here?” Will demanded. He seemed so drunk, Jezebel was surprised he could stand.
“Get out of here, Will,” she ordered.
“Hey… I won’t tell your dad you were out here if you promise not to say anything about… before.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever—just leave,” Jezebel replied impatiently. She knew he’d never remember anything about this night.
Will walked away with his nude friend.
“Let’s do it here,” Jezebel suggested. “Do you still have the salt?”
“Yes,” Allison replied, handing her the sack.
“What’s that for?” Anabel asked, looking at her askance.
“Protection,” Jezebel said simply. She walked around them, drawing out a circle of salt.
“From what?” Prudence asked.
“What do you think?” Allison asked sharply. “That’s a shadow board—we’re using it to call upon the dead. We don’t want anything… unwelcome coming to visit.”
“Oh, right,” Prudence replied, looking scared. “Of course.”
“So, what is this place?” Anabel asked.
“Nobody knows,” Allison replied. “It’s much older than the princedom.”
“I heard that there’s an old necromancer who lives in the Devil’s Wood,” said Prudence. “He comes to Rockhedge to summon his demons.”
