Gods of Chaos (Red Magic) (20 page)

I wasn’t sure why I was so angry; hadn’t Dr. Farren offered to help? But the longer I sat in the living room downstairs with those Witches, the more annoyed I became. I splashed water on my face from the pedestal sink, trying to calm down. When the water hit my skin, I shivered. Glancing at the mirror above the sink, I bit back a curse. For just a moment, I thought I had seen another face in the mirror besides my own. When I checked over my shoulder and didn’t see anything, I shook my head. Looking back at the mirror, I only saw my own ragged face.

“Better not start hallucinating,” I told my reflection. I stood there for a minute, studying myself in the mirror. I’d been eating since I came to Scotland, but not enough to make up for the months when I barely touched any food, and my cheeks were still unnaturally hollow. My eyes looked haunted, and I didn’t think that was just because of the start I’d given myself. The people in the car, and then Rochelle, I ticked off on my fingers, feeling guilt rest heavily on me with each death. Sandra and Joan in the vaults, and now maybe Marcus and Izzy? Even though I wasn’t sure Marcus was in any danger, I knew that it was my fault if he were. I’d caused so much disaster since declaring to the Red path; would I ever be able to make it right?

Trying to shake off my melancholy thoughts, I ran the water over my wrists, chilling them until my fingertips felt numb. I couldn’t let myself mourn; I had to keep moving, had to keep trying to do something about the chaos I’d caused. After an extra splash of water on my neck, I headed back downstairs to join the Coven.

The stairs felt much sturdier going down, and I paused. What if the rickety steps were just an illusion, like a glamour? Intrigued by the thought that had popped into my head, I jumped once on the stair I was perched on, and the wood felt solid beneath me. I stared intently at the stairs, and I was finally able to discern the glimmer of magic resting like powder on the steps.

I looked back upstairs, thinking. Why would a Witch enchant something in his home, unless he was protecting something? What was the Coven hiding? I listened for a moment, but the voices in the front room droned on calmly: no one seemed concerned by my absence. Yet.

Deciding quickly, I turned and went back upstairs. Ignoring the bathroom, I passed down a long hallway. The floor looked like it sloped like a cheap funhouse, but if I walked carefully, I found it was flat. Another glamour! I pushed open the door at the end of the hallway and gasped.

Izzy was lying bound and gagged on the floor. Her eyes flashed when she recognized me, and she thumped her heels twice.

“What do we have here?”

I jumped, startled by the old man’s sudden appearance. Firmly, Frederick closed the door and steered me back to the stairs.

“What are you going to do with her?” I stepped away from him, wondering if I could run down the stairs, but he kept his hand on my shoulder. I fought back the rising panic that filled my throat.

He clicked his tongue. “Silly child. Able to see the other enchantments, and not that one?”

I stopped on the stairs and blocked his way. “What are you talking about?”

“Coven secret. But things are not as they seem.”

Forcefully, he prodded me down the stairs and back into the front room.

“Even if Jewel hasn’t arrived yet, we’ll have to do something. The girl has seen the room.”

If I thought I was unwelcome before, I wasn’t prepared for the looks on their faces at Frederick’s announcement. The parrot clicked his beak in agitation.

I sank back down on the loveseat. “I think I deserve some answers.”

They stared mutely at me, but then a rusty voice began to speak.

“Things are not as they seem.” Everyone swiveled around to look at Samuel, the sharp-nosed librarian, leaning against the old brick fireplace across the room. He met my eyes, and I shivered. “What do you know about the siblings you seek?”

I huffed, “Well, one of them is tied up in that room upstairs!”

No one twitched.

“First, she is not.” Samuel’s voice was firm. “Second, answer my question.”

What did he mean? I knew what I saw, but the look on Samuel’s face warned me not to push it. I frowned. “I know Marcus is a Red, and Izzy’s Blue. Otherwise, I guess I don’t know a lot.”

“You know their patrons, I thought?” Dr. Farren’s voice was insistent.

I nodded. “Cerridwen and Isis.”

“But do you know how they came to serve those gods?” Frederick’s voice was harsh, and Frances crossed to him, taking his hand. Confused, I shook my head.

“It’s not a pretty story.” Julia laughed harshly and her parrot echoed her.

“But it’s one the girl needs to hear in order to understand,” Dr. Farren interjected. Frances nodded, but the other three Witches showed no change of expression. For a moment, no one breathed.

Finally, Samuel sighed. “Does the Coven agree to share this information with this Witch, even though she has sworn us no oath and owes us no allegiance?” His words reverberated through the room, and the other Witches straightened as he spoke. Simultaneously, they nodded once, and I wondered for a minute if Samuel was in charge of the group. That thought made me shiver; it was pretty obvious that he wasn’t my biggest fan.

“Very well. It has been agreed. But the consequences of our actions may reach farther than you suppose.” Despite his threatening words, the librarian looked sad.

“Their story begins over twenty ago, long before Isadora was born.”

Dr. Farren closed her eyes as if she was in pain, but Samuel kept speaking.

“When she was pregnant with her son, Marcus’s mother was overtaken with fear of her own mortality. She made a foolish bargain, breaking magical law to protect herself. She vowed her unborn child to the service of a powerful goddess, Cerridwen. The Witch thought that with a son in service of the Goddess of Death, she would never know the gruesome fate that her heart feared.”

I stared at him in horror. Even though I sometimes bent the Rede, I couldn’t imagine a Witch who would be willing to break the strongest of magical laws. Poor Marcus! What would it have been like if my mom had promised me to a goddess before I was born? With my luck, she would have given me to Hecate. I gulped nervously.

“But,” Julia took up the tale, “she didn’t think it through. To make a vow for another Witch goes against the Rede, for Marcus should have been allowed to choose his own patron and his own path. His mother did him harm in this.”

Gods, how awful! “So Marcus didn’t swear to the Red path?” My question broke the spell of the story, and Samuel glared at me.

Dr. Farren shook her head. “It was chosen for him. He never wanted it, but no Witch can unbind a vow to a patron, once made, even without his consent.”

She gave me a hard look, and I shook my head slightly. There was no way I wanted to discuss my own vow-breaking history in this room full of strange Witches; I wasn’t sure how Dr. Farren had figured it out, but maybe she’d read it in my tea leaves. I kept my mouth closed, and she relaxed and looked at Frances.

Frances had tears in her eyes when she began to speak. “Marcus did not choose his path, and his training—” She paused and glanced around the room. “His training also did him harm. The boy has had a hard life, all thanks to his mother.”

“What happened to her?” I sort of hoped Marcus’s mom had been punished for what she did, but the tense expressions on the faces around me said otherwise.

Frances took a deep breath. “The woman did not die, but felt great remorse when she realized what fate she had given her son. When she was pregnant a second time, she tried to soften her error.”

“But she was still selfish.” Samuel’s voice was harsh. “Still, she bound her unborn child to a path and a patron, but this time, she chose more wisely. She offered the goddess Isis the service of her child.”

“And she didn’t live through Isadora’s birth.” Dr. Farren looked pale as she spoke.

No one said anything for a moment. Frances wept against her husband’s shoulder, and the librarian turned, staring blankly out the window.

“But,” I hesitated, not wanting to break the stillness, but needing to understand, “why is your Coven involved? And how does this explain what’s happened to them?”

Julia was the one who answered me. “She was one of our group. We each have ties to her, and a responsibility to her children.”

“But where are they? I saw Izzy upstairs.”

Dr. Farren shook her head. “That wasn’t her. It was a Seeming.”

Something jiggled at the back of my memory. “What’s that?”

“A powerful Witch can create a Seeming of herself. It’s a sort of double.”

I looked at Dr. Farren, confused. “Why would Izzy do that?”

“Izzy didn’t. Those who have her sent that Seeming. It’s a warning.” Frederick sat down heavily, still holding his wife’s hand. “They want us to know she’s still alive for now.”

“That’s awful! It’s like a really nasty ransom note, isn’t it?”

Samuel laughed sharply. “That’s exactly it.”

“But who has her? And what do they want?”

“We aren’t sure yet who has taken her. Still—” Frances broke off nervously. Five sets of eyes stared at me in pity.

The parrot shrieked knowingly. “They want you!”

Panicked, I stood up. My hands crackled with Red magic, and I prepared to defend myself.

Frederick raised his palms slowly in a gesture of peace. “We aren’t the ones who want to harm you. You came here for answers, and we’re trying to give them to you.”

I didn’t release the power. How stupid did he think I was?

Dr. Farren spoke. “Darlena, think. If we wanted to turn you over to Izzy’s captors, we would have done so already. The situation is delicate, especially now that Marcus is missing.”

I looked around the room, studying their faces. Other than Samuel, none of them seemed openly hostile. In fact, Frances and Julia both looked afraid. I lowered my hands slightly, but I didn’t let go of Red magic.

“Why?” I demanded.

They glanced at each other, nervously.

Dr. Farren cleared her throat. “Darlena, it would seem that you have made some very powerful enemies. It’s possible that Izzy may be released if you are sent in her place.”

“So why haven’t you given me to them? I mean, it’s obvious Hecate has her, right? Why haven’t you tried to sacrifice me? Everyone would be happy then.” I laughed bitterly, and the red sparks shot up my arms to my elbows. My skin was starting to singe from holding all that magic and not using it, but I wasn’t ready to trust the Coven yet. It would be easier for them to just hand me over and be done with it, but that didn’t mean I’d let them take me without a fight.

“And as to who we’re dealing with, perhaps it’s better if you don’t know.” Samuel spoke from the fireplace, not looking at any of us.

“I already know. It has to be Hecate.”

A ripple of tension flowed through the room at my statement. I noticed Frances turn quickly to the window and trace a protective symbol over the glass.

“Why would that be your assumption?” Dr. Farren’s voice was guarded.

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because she’s spent the past few months hunting me down!” My voice rose at the end, and the parrot let out an indignant squawk.

Frederick looked at Dr. Farren. “I thought you said the girl had some measure of sense.”