Always a Witch (15 page)

Twenty-One

HEAT THROBS THROUGH MY
jaw. An answering throb in my temple almost makes me moan, but somehow I manage to stifle it. Keeping my eyes closed, I try to take a quick inventory. I'm sitting upright and what feels like ropes are digging into the skin on my wrists. I seem to be tied to a hard-backed chair. There is a crack and a pop. It sounds like a log has shifted in a fireplace. I have to be in either Liam's or La Spider's study. Risking a quick peek through nearly closed eyelids, I confirm that yes, it's Liam's study, and yes, Isobel is tied up in a chair next to me. I shift my mostly closed eyes to the wall where the clock once hung. It's gone. with a jolt I remember Alistair's gloating words at the dinner. "
You won't succeed. I've made sure of that.
"

Never mind. gabriel can find it again and then—

Gabriel! I'm not there to let him in the side gate and now he's going to be walking into danger at any minute.

Snapping my eyes open, I confirm that it's just me and Isobel in the room. An unconscious Isobel.

"Isobel," I whisper, rocking my chair back and forth until it's closer to hers. "Wake up. We have to get out of here." There's a faint blue shadow forming on her right temple, and I'll bet she has a headache to match mine. "Isobel," I hiss, and this time her eyes snap open. She studies my face, frowning.

"It's me, Tamsin. I'm in Calvin Knight's body, but I swear it's me."

She swallows once as if trying to get rid of an unpleasant taste in her mouth, then nods at me. "I saw what they did, before ... I fell?"

"La Spider got you. I'm sorry. I was too slow. What the hell were you doing out there anyway?" I flex my fingers against the rope. Too tight.

Her eyelids flutter closed, then open again. Color is slowly seeping back into her cheeks as she takes in her surroundings. "Thom, my grandfather, sent me here. To find you.

"Thom sent you? That doesn't make any sense. Why?" Why would he put his granddaughter in danger? Then I decide that since my own grandmother frequently seems to fling me into dangerous situations, it must be a Greene family trait.

Her lips flicker into a wry twist. "Often what he does makes very little sense. To other people." She shakes her head, then winces, seeming to regret that she did that. "Something he read in the book made him send me here. No one else knows. They wouldn't have let me come. The others..."

"Cera and her brothers?"

She nods. "They still don't believe that the Knights will—"

But she stops speaking at the sound of raised voices in the hallway.

"Why?" Someone is sobbing, and after a second, I recognize Clarissa's voice. A steel murmur overrides it. La Spider.

"Hurry," I whisper. "Can you—?"

But I don't need to even finish my sentence. Lightning fast, she's morphed into a crow. Fluttering free of the ropes, the bird hops to the floor, one wing dragging a little. And then as quickly, she turns back into a human. Stumbling to her feet, she kneels behind my chair. Her fingers scrabble against my skin, picking away at the knots in the ropes. Throwing another look at the partially open door, I whisper, "We have to hurry. There's a secret passageway here. Just before we get in there, I think the best thing is for me to come out of Calvin's body and then—"

"What an excellent idea. I believe my uncle would appreciate that," a soft voice purrs.

Both Isobel and I jerk upright. Liam's standing in the doorway. And next to him is La Spider. Her eyes glitter and her white face seems to gleam with a cold triumph. But my eyes can only focus on the small silver revolver that she's pointing directly at us.

Twenty-Two

IN A VOICE LIKE A STEEL
trap, she says, with a nod toward Isobel, "Move. Toward the other side of the room."

Isobel hesitates, then stands slowly, and moves a few steps away toward the fireplace. The muzzle of the gun tracks her progress. "If you try anything. Anything at all, I will shoot her." La Spider says to me. I study her milk white face and decide she's serious, so I nod. Then again, I don't have much of a choice.

"Trust me, she's an excellent shot. As my father could have attested had he lived to tell the tale," Liam says.

"Charming family," I murmur, but La Spider ignores that.

"You will come out of my brother on the count of three. Is that clear? Again, if you attempt in any way to—"

"I got it," I snap, furiously trying to come up with a brilliant plan in all of three seconds that doesn't involve getting shot.

"Now," La Spider says, and she clicks back the hammer on her revolver. "One, two, three."

"Okay, okay," I whisper. Closing Calvin's eyes, I grope upward. It's like reaching for a shaft of light on the surface of water.

"Ugh," Calvin groans as I stumble to the floor. La Spider trains her gun on me.

"Trust me, I felt the same way about you," I mutter, rubbing the side of my face. In the middle of all this, I note that even back in my own body, I still feel the pain in my jaw from when Liam hit Calvin's face with the poker.

"Why am I tied up? What has happened?" Then Calvin's eyes light on mine. "You!" he hisses. "You..."

"It's over, Uncle," Liam says, hurrying forward. With swift fingers he unknots the ropes and helps his uncle stand. Calvin touches his jaw, winces, then starts toward me. But Liam steps in between us and wheels his uncle toward the door. "And now, perhaps it's best if you comfort your wife. She'll be very glad to see you ... returned to yourself, so to speak."

"Lavinia," Calvin says in a tight voice. "What exactly is going on here? Who is this guttersnipe and how did she—"

"We'll speak tomorrow," La Spider says. And even though they're worlds apart, there's something in the finality of her tone that reminds me of my grandmother at her most impassive. Calvin blinks once, touches his jaw again. Then he looks at me one last time before leaving the room. He slams the door shut behind him.

"Don't move," La Spider snaps at me, her gun trained on Isobel's heart. I settle back down from my attempt to get to my feet. Isobel and I exchange glances.

"Why not just kill us now?" Isobel asks, and I have to admire the pitch-perfect scorn in her voice, even though I can see that her lips are trembling.

"Because Liam likes to play with his food first," I answer her.

Liam gives me his lazy perfect smile.

"Agatha," he purrs. "Excuse me. Tamsin. If only I had known you were so ... feisty." Moving briskly to his desk, he presses a small black button that I know will ring a bell through the servants' quarters.

"Rosie won't be coming," I tell him. "If that's who you're calling. She's frozen at the moment." I decide not to tell him that it'll wear off in a week or so. At least according to what my Aunt Beatrice always claimed.

Liam tugs on his lip thoughtfully. "You are going to be such a fascinating creature to study."

La Spider frowns at me.

I pin my eyes on the revolver that La Spider is now holding so steadily on Isobel and gather myself silently. If I can jump into La Spider and point the gun at Liam, somehow we can—

A loud banging shatters my focus. A loud banging followed by the pealing of the front doorbell over and over.

La Spider and Liam exchange glances. Although her gun never wavers, any remaining color drains from her face.

"Whoever it is—" Liam begins.

"It's obviously them," La Spider hisses. "I knew this was not a good—"

"Trust in me, Mother," Liam hisses back. If the situation weren't so dire, I'd be fascinated by this apparent schism between them.

"Sirs," Mr. Tynsdell's voice rises. "This is a most inappropriate hour. No one ... young man, where are you going?
Stop at once.
I
—
"

Isobel turns her face to mine and I can see the question in her eyes.

His voice is cut off as Liam shuts the door, turns the silver key in the lock, and pockets it.

"Gabriel," I scream. "Up here. We're up here." As La Spider swings the gun on me, I duck and pull Isobel down with me just as she changes into a crow and half flutters, half flies toward the window.

With deadly aim, La Spider points her gun at the winging black crow and pulls the trigger. The bullet slams into the wall a second after Isobel banks sharply left and flies directly at La Spider's face. La Spider takes two steps back, flinging up one arm protectively as Liam begins to shimmer and fade.

"No, you don't," I whisper. Reaching out, I pull hard.

His form becomes solid again and he swings his head directly to me. "So, that's what you can do," he says softly. "Oh, how I will enjoy taking that."

"I'd like to see you try," I snarl, shoving myself to my feet.

"Tamsin," Gabriel shouts from outside the room just as there is a tremendous crash against the wooden door. Followed by another. And then a third. At that the door splinters just as Isobel's crow form is suddenly hurtled with an awful speed against the wall. There is a sickening thud and then the bird slides down the wall to huddle at the foot of the fireplace.

"Isobel," I scream, and run to her. Slowly she morphs into her human form again, but her eyes remain closed. Blood seeps from her lower lip.

"Don't move," I hear La Spider say in her chilling voice, and I look up to see Gabriel standing in the doorway. His eyes find mine and I nod. He jerks his chin back at me before turning to face La Spider and her gun, which is pointed directly at his head. Gabriel puts his hands up, but he adopts more of a boxing stance than an "I surrender" one. As La Spider's gaze rakes over him, I notice Mr. Tynsdell hovering in the hallway.

"Sir," he begins. "Shall I..."

La Spider flicks her free hand toward him. "Dismissed," she says almost absently. He scurries away.

Liam looks from Gabriel to me, raising one eyebrow. "And just who is this? Oh, how the puzzle deepens."

Before I can reply, a gentle voice filters through the doorway. "Really, Lavinia. Has it come to this?" And with that Thom steps into the room, shouldering Gabriel lightly aside with his cane. He is dressed in a perfectly pressed dark suit and his hair is combed neatly back on his head, almost as if he has an important appointment.

A chill breaks out across my skull. Thom Greene seems unfazed that he's standing in the Knight house. In fact, he seems determined.

La Spider draws herself upright. "Thom Greene," she says softly. Gabriel begins to inch sideways along the wall toward me, always keeping his eyes on La Spider, but she seems to have forgotten him for the moment.

Thom inclines his head. "Yes. It has been a number of years. And I see that we must meet again under these most unfortunate circumstances."

For once, La Spider seems at a loss for words as an almost panicked expression flits across her face. Her eyes dart wildly to Liam as if seeking reassurance. Again, I wonder who convinced whom to start experimenting on the Greenes. And then Cera's words come back to me:
La Spider called my mother a fool, but she left. More importantly, she left us alone. And we've lived in peace ever since.

Apparently, that peace is about to change, thanks to Liam.

Isobel stirs in my arms and struggles to sit up. "Grandfather," she whispers. At the sight of the blood on her face, Thom's expression hardens.

"What were you planning to do with her?" he says softly. All traces of gentleness have vanished from his voice.

Liam shrugs, smiles lazily. "Why don't you ask her? She's the one who came to this house. In disguise."

Thom nods slowly. "Perhaps. But do you deny that you have been following us, studying us for weeks?" He pauses for a courteous moment, and when Liam doesn't answer, he nods. "Of course you don't." He takes another step into the room, closer to Isobel and me. But he keeps his gaze on Liam's face and I'm suddenly reminded of a professor schooling an errant pupil. "For what purpose, may I ask? Why have you been so suddenly interested in us? Did we not have a pact? To leave each other alone?"

La Spider swallows, her long throat seeming to convulse, but it's Liam who answers. "Times change, old man. We're only doing what you yourself would have done sooner or later."

Thom shakes his head. "I think not. We Greenes are not quite as fixated on blood as you are."

"You Greenes are fools, then," Liam murmurs. "And I for one do not intend to suffer a fool." And with a motion almost too swift to follow he draws a shining silver knife from his coat and plunges it into Thom's side.

Next to me, Isobel jumps as if she herself has been stabbed. "Grandfather," she screams. Thom turns his head to her, gives a long look, and then almost in slow motion begins to crumple and fall. As he does so, he lifts one hand and the lights go out, plunging the room into darkness. At almost the same time, a tingle slips over my skin. Either Liam or La Spider just attempted to use their power on me.

"Tam," Gabriel shouts, but then it sounds as if my name has been abruptly choked out of his throat. In the dim light filtering from the window I see Liam and Gabriel wrestling each other for the knife. A flash of silver, then someone grunts. I struggle to pull Isobel to her feet.

"Come on, we've got to get out of here," I murmur as the gun goes off over our heads and shatters the window behind us.

"Not without my grandfather," Isobel sobs into my ear.

In the dim street light coming in the windows, I see La Spider raise her gun and point it directly at me just as Gabriel and Liam crash into her. Liam's outline suddenly begins to waver and shift.

"Tamsin," Gabriel yells again. This time I reach out and pull hard on Liam and he solidifies again, panting. In the second that Liam takes to catch his breath, Gabriel swiftly kicks his legs out from under him and punches him once, twice, in the face.

With a shriek, La Spider points her hand at Gabriel, and this time I'm not fast enough. Gabriel's body is suddenly flung halfway across the room. With a grunt, he collides into the leather armchair and slides to the floor.

Tugging Isobel with me, I stumble to his side. "Gabriel," I cry. "Are you—"

He snaps open his eyes and I swear they're blazing at me in the shadows of the room. "Don't resist this," he growls, and he clamps his fingers around my wrist so tightly that I'm sure I'll be wearing a bracelet of bruises for days to come. with his other hand, he catches hold of Isobel's upper arm.

"Not without Thom," I cry. Stretching forward with all my might, I lock my fingers into the old man's just as La Spider aims the gun at my chest and pulls the trigger.

But the gunshot never comes. I flinch anyway as La Spider's shriek bursts against my ears. The sound goes on and on even as darkness and light whirl past me in a kaleidoscope until finally it thins out into a hollow keening moan.

I open my eyes. A cold wind whips past my ears and the ground underneath me is hard. Here and there crusts of old snow cover the yellowed meadow like so many scabs. A tall gray house looms before me, but its shutters are broken and banging in the wind against the peeling, burnt walls.

Gabriel keeps one hand locked around my wrist but releases Isobel as she sits up. "Where are we?" she whispers.

"Hedgerow," I say bleakly. I consider the shell of the house in front of me. The last time I saw it, it was full of light and people and life. "What used to be my home."

"It was the only place I could think of fast enough," Gabriel says. "Even though I knew it wasn't ... the way we left it. I couldn't find that." He runs his fingers over his lower lip, dabbing away a trickle of blood.

"Are you hurt?" I ask, checking the rest of his face for bruises, but he shakes his head, so I turn my attention to Thom. With two quick jerks, Isobel has torn off the hem of her petticoat and is wadding the material into Thom's side. But from the expression on her face, she seems to think it's hopeless. Still, her voice is steady when she looks at me and says, "We need to get him back home. Cera can heal him. She knows ... remedies. She can—" Her voice chokes off as Thom reaches up one shaking hand and touches her mouth gently. His eyelids flicker open.

"It's too late for that," he whispers. He shifts and tries to sit up.

"Don't," Isobel cries, her fingers working faster to stanch the bleeding.

"Young man," Thom says, "help me sit up."

Gabriel hesitates, looks at Isobel for a split second, and then puts his arm around Thom's shoulder and props him up halfway. "Sir, I think—"

"Shhh," Thom says, and we all fall silent as he turns his head left and right to take in the meadow and the remains of the house. "This is a good place," he whispers at last. "A strong place. I can feel the elements here."

I stare at the shell of the house. "It was—" I say, and suddenly tears escape my eyes and the pain in my throat is too great for any more words.

Thom looks at me calmly. "And it will be again, Tamsin. You have to be brave. And you have to make a choice. A terrible choice," he whispers.

I rub my forehead with the heels of my palms to ease away a sudden headache. "Not that again," I mutter.

"Always that, I'm afraid."

He turns to Isobel, blots the tears that are streaming down her face with his fingertips. "And you, too, must be brave. Read the book. But do not let it overwhelm you." There is a sharp hitch in his breath. "It is to be used as a guide only."

"Why did you send me there?" Isobel murmurs brokenly. "To that awful place? If you knew this would happen? If you knew you were going to die?"

A ghost of a smile crosses Thom's lips. "Only the very young seem to think that we can avoid death. We cannot. We can only perhaps choose how we meet it." He takes another wincing breath and the lines around his eyes suddenly tighten. "This is a fine place. Bury me here."