Wrath of the Dragon, page 10
“You haven’t told us where you are going,” Jasper said. “Do you seek the witch?”
“Yes, actually,” I said. “Do you know her?”
“Ryan,” Cyra hissed, but I kept my focus on the vampires.
“We do.” Jasper nodded. “She is a kind woman, but she has been having troubles with the demons lately. They seem very angry with her about something.”
Jasper fell silent, and I had a strong suspicion he knew exactly what the demons were angry about but clearly wasn’t going to tell us.
I looked over the glistening lake, but I couldn’t see the house yet. Landen had said it would be tricky to spot, but I thought it would be noticeable from right by the lake. The orbs that hung over the trees flickered slightly as if they were light bulbs running out of juice, and I hoped the demons didn’t decide to use their scare tactics and turn them off anytime soon.
That sure as hell would complicate this leg of our journey.
“It is right around the other side,” Jasper said as if he could tell what I’d been wondering. “You will see the house only when you are standing in front of it. You will not find it if you don’t know what you are seeking. One of the witch’s many charms that keeps her safe, you see. So, keep a stone house with a crooked roof in mind. That will aid you in your search.”
“Thanks, that’s helpful,” I said. “Well, we should probably be on our way.”
“Indeed,” Jasper agreed. “We will let you pass, but do keep your eyes out for demons. The people of the forest have stopped protecting each other like they used to. A pity.”
“We’ll do that,” I said. “And I think the forest will go back to the way it was eventually. I’ve heard so many wonderful stories about the folks who live here, I think you’ll pull through.”
“You speak strangely,” Jasper said, and Cyra snorted.
“It was nice to meet you,” I said quickly. “Maybe we’ll see each other around?”
“You will only see us if we decide to be seen,” Jasper replied in the same slow cadence. “We can see all and hear all. We are lucky creatures in that regard. The demons will have a hard time finding us when we are in our creature forms.”
The vampires all laughed quietly at that, and it was an unsettling sound that sounded very forced. They were definitely creepy, but I reckoned they were harmless enough. Unless you were a rabbit or a deer, I had a feeling they probably wouldn’t be much of a threat, and if they wanted to eat the goblins, that was fine by me.
Jasper gave me a low bow, and I smiled as he started to leave. The vampires began to move back into the forest with him, and they moved so lightly on the ground that it looked like they were floating. They drifted back into the darkness alarmingly fast, and I was left staring at the trees as if they had never been there at all.
“They were odd,” I said. “Nice, though.”
“They give me the creeps,” Cyra said as we started to walk again.
“It’s good we met them,” I pointed out. “Now we know what we’re looking for, and we’re on speaking terms, so we can help each other out if it ever comes to it.”
“Really,” Cyra sighed. “Why are you so keen on speaking to everyone?”
“Not everyone,” I said. “I promise if I see a night goblin, or whatever they are, I will not be stopping to chat. But it’s good to have allies. Having people on your side is important when things take a turn for the worse.”
“So you keep saying,” Cyra said.
“It’s worked out for you and I, hasn’t it?” I teased, and the angel grinned as she caught the wink I sent her.
“I suppose you’re right in that respect,” she allowed. “But you are different. You’re…”
Cyra trailed off as she eyed me with another blush on her cheeks, and I chuckled when she failed to find the correct words. Then I leaned over and placed a kiss in her burgundy hair, and all the tension that had showed up in her shoulders when we met the vampires seemed to melt away.
As we walked around the Night Lake, I kept my dagger held in my hand. If there had been sightings of higher-up demons, then I wasn’t going to take any chances. After a while of walking, I noticed that my skin felt warmer than usual, but not in the usual way from exertion. I didn’t feel sick or uncomfortable, either. I felt capable of taking on anything, and I smirked to myself as I eyed the sexy angel beside me. One tryst with her seemed to have literally fueled my body like smoldering coals were burning in my veins, and I definitely didn’t mind.
I couldn’t shut off the feeling of hot power that was still coursing through me, and I felt weirdly confident that I was ready for whatever the hell this world threw at me next. I tried to pinpoint exactly where the power felt like it was coming from, but I couldn’t be sure. Maybe all the sparks were centralized in my hands or my legs? It didn’t seem to have a particular source, though. It was as if my whole body felt new. Maybe it was some kind of holy stamina I had gained from penetrating the angel.
Which sounded fucking crazy to me, but this whole day had been crazy enough that the idea didn’t seem too out there to be true.
The view of the lake was amazing from every angle, and I could see why someone who enjoyed solitude would want to live there. It was quiet, and the only sounds were the distant hoots of owls and the low buzzing of the orbs. I kept an eye out for the witch’s house, but there was no sign of anything but trees beside the water.
As we walked around the lake, I slowed down so I could scan the forest properly. Jasper had said the house was only visible if you knew it was there, and I was certain we would find it if I kept the idea of a stone house and a crooked roof in mind. I narrowed my eyes as I studied each space between the oaks and pines, and I wondered if we would need more light to see.
“There!” Cyra said as she swung her arm in front of me, and I looked into the woods to see a small, black house.
It was alarming to suddenly see a building I hadn’t been able to spot just seconds before. I was sure I had looked right at that spot and seen nothing, but it was very clearly a house.
The building was made out of dark stone and was only one story tall, with a crooked roof.
A stream of dark smoke was coming out of the chimney, and the door also somehow looked lopsided. It had a golden knocker, and no sign of any number or house name. The windows were covered over with black curtains, and there was only a faint glow of light that peeked out from a small crack in the curtains. At the doorstep there was a large, dead plant in a pot alongside a very worn down welcome mat. Ivy had started to grow up one side of the wall, and it certainly looked witchy to me.
“This must be the place,” I said. “Let’s go and see if she’s home. I’m guessing so by the smoke and light.”
“Be careful,” Cyra said warily as we approached the house. “We don’t know for sure if we can--”
“Trust her.” I grinned. “How many good people will you meet before you start to have a less bleak outlook on the world?”
The angel raised an eyebrow at me as we reached the front door, but she didn’t respond.
I could smell spicy incense coming from inside, but I couldn’t see any form of doorbell, so I knocked quickly with the golden handle. There was silence for a moment as we waited, and I leaned in closer to see if I could hear anything.
“Maybe she’s left,” Cyra said. “Or she could be ignoring us.”
“Hello?” I called as I knocked again. “We’re here to see the Night Witch. I know Landen, the moon farmer. He pointed us in your direction. We just need to speak with you for a moment.”
The door suddenly swung open, and I found myself face to face with the witch. She looked middle-aged and had wild black hair that was pinned up in a messy bun. Her face was pale and pointed, and her eyes were bright green. She wore a black dress and had silver rings on each of her fingers.
“Who are you?” she asked as she eyed me suspiciously. “What do you want? You can’t just be standing outside my house shouting like that.”
“We know Landen,” I repeated. “He said if we came--”
“I don’t have time for this,” the witch interrupted. “Come in if you want, but shut the door! And don’t draw any attention to us!”
She spun around and hurried back into the house, and we were left standing on her doorstep. Cyra shrugged, and I stepped into the witch’s house. Then Cyra followed in as she scanned our surroundings, and I closed the door behind her.
The house was lit by lanterns hung on the wall, and the floor was dark hardwood that stretched down a corridor in front of us. I walked down the small hall into the kitchen where the witch was, and the room was overflowing with plants. There were piles of books on every available surface, cracked pots piled on top of a stove, and a fat frog on the highest shelf above the window.
The witch rushed about muttering to herself as she shoved various bottles into a bag, and it looked like she was packing up in a serious hurry. She grabbed books and threw them into the pack, and then she wrapped up some very stale-looking bread.
“Are you going somewhere?” I asked.
The witch glanced up at me, but she didn’t reply. She just kept rushing around opening all her cupboards and filling up her bag. The bottles she picked up all had old labels on them and seemed to be full of different colored liquids that all had a faint glow to them. I wanted to ask about all of them, but it didn’t seem like we had much time to find out what was going on.
Then I heard a hissing noise and looked down to see a scrawny black cat under the table. It had sleek fur and huge green eyes that almost matched the witch’s perfectly. The cat just stared up at me, and it seemed very unimpressed with my presence.
“I’m Ryan,” I said to the witch and her cat. “This is Cyra. Is there anything we can do to help you? We really just wanted to have a talk with you.”
The witch stopped in her tracks and frowned at me. She stared at Cyra for a moment and then shook her head in an almost hopeless way.
“They’re after me,” she said quietly. “But I won’t do it. I won’t!”
She started to hurry around again and manically throw things into her bag. The cat hissed under her feet, and I could tell that the witch was far too stressed to have any kind of helpful conversation.
“Who is after you?” I asked. “The demons?”
“Ssshhh!” the witch hissed. “Yes, of course. Who else would it be?”
“Why are they after you?” Cyra asked. “What did you do?”
The witch opened the cupboard under the sink and pulled out something that looked like a crystal ball. It was a gray orb that fit in the palm of her hand, and she stared into it with narrowed eyes before she slipped it into her pocket.
“I tried to help,” the witch sighed. “I knew how badly some of the forest folk were suffering, so I thought maybe just a little more light would improve things just for a short while.”
She stopped rushing around and leaned against the sink as she looked at me. Her green eyes were wide, and she suddenly looked like a lost child as she pulled nervously at a strand of black hair. If I was going to get any information from her, then I would need to help calm her down somehow.
“So you tried to create more light?” Cyra asked. “With a spell?”
“Yes,” the witch said. “I thought if I could give everyone just a little shred of moonlight, then everyone would be happier. I hate seeing everyone fighting. I knew I could cast a spell that would mimic moonlight for a few minutes, and everyone would be able to recharge their powers.”
“That was a really good thing to do,” I said. “But I take it the demons didn’t like it?”
“They attacked me,” she said, and she rolled up her sleeve to show a deep scar right up the length of her forearm. It looked like it had healed well enough, but I could tell how deep and painful it must have been when it was fresh.
“That’s horrible,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry that happened to you. We’ve had a run-in with some demons, so I know how vicious they can be.”
“They didn’t stop there,” she said. “They told me they were going to kill me if I didn’t use my magic to help them.”
“Help them?” Cyra asked. “What do you mean?”
The witch’s eyes welled up with tears, and she bent down to scoop the black cat into her arms. The creature didn’t look very pleased with this, but it sat quietly as she stroked its silky fur and held it close.
“They wanted me to cast spells,” she said. “They wanted me to make life as miserable as possible for the people of the forest. They wanted me to create a potion to poison the water supply, so anyone who bathed in the lake or drank from the stream would die slowly and painfully.”
“Fuck,” I hissed. “That’s awful! Absolute bastards.”
“Did you do it?” Cyra asked as she folded her arms.
“Of course not!” the witch scoffed. “That’s why I need to leave. I created a potion that looked deadly, but it didn’t do anything other than add some color to whatever water it was added to.”
“And they have it now?” I asked. “The demons have used it?”
“They picked it up this morning,” the witch said. “Well, a few hours ago. Who even knows what morning is anymore! Without the moon rising and falling, I can’t even tell.”
“And they’ll have realized by now,” I concluded. “They’ll have noticed that the water hasn’t been poisoned, and you’re scared they’re coming for you?”
“That’s right,” the witch said. “So, I’m sorry, but I really can’t help anyone right now. You’ll have to leave!”
“We just need information.” Cyra stepped forward. “We need to know where the demon headquarters is.”
The witch didn’t seem to acknowledge what Cyra said. She gently placed the cat down on the table and started to close up her bag. Then she pushed her wild hair behind her ear and struggled to close the bulging bag.
“I can help you,” I offered. “If I help you get out of here safely, will you tell us the location of the headquarters?”
“They’re coming,” the witch muttered as quietly as she could. “I can’t tell you that. They’ll hear me, and I’ll be dead in seconds. Get out! I should never have let you in!”
Cyra sighed as she looked at me, and I could tell how frustrated the angel was. The witch was so scared that it seemed like no amount of reasoning was going to convince her she would be safe. But maybe if I could help her through the forest to a safe place, then she would share what she knew?
It was worth a shot. I had to try, for Cyra and her angel friend.
“Do you have somewhere to go?” I asked. “You can’t just wander around in the forest without a plan. The vampires told us the demons are growing in numbers in the woods.”
“I have another hut,” the witch said. “They don’t know about it. I haven’t been there since they came. It’s small, but it’s safe, and the enchantment around it is much stronger than this one. They’ll never be able to find me there.”
“Great!” I said with a grin. “We’ll help you get there, okay? Then, once you’re safely hidden, you can tell us about the location we need.”
The witch suddenly looked at me with narrowed green eyes, and she took a careful step backward. Then her hand slowly reached behind her and picked up a knife from the sink.
Shit. I did not want to piss off a witch.
“How do I know you’re not one of them?” she demanded. “Demons have their own powers, you know. You could be in disguise. Maybe you work for them and bring people back to their lair!”
“I promise I’m not a demon,” I said. “I’m a savior. I’m just a guy who helps people, there’s nothing more to it.”
“No, I can sense it,” the witch said with a skeptical glance between Cyra and me. “There’s something immortal about both of you. Neither of you are who you say you are!”
The witch waved the knife in front of her with a trembling hand, and I knew we had to diffuse the situation before we found out just how powerful her spells could be.
Cyra pulled her cloak tightly around her shoulders, and the witch stared at her for a moment in silence. I wondered if we should just admit that Cyra was an angel for full transparency. If the witch could sense Cyra’s immortality, then there probably wasn’t much point in hiding it.
“I am very much a mortal,” I assured the woman. “I actually--”
“Do not lie to me,” the witch hissed. “I may be in danger right now, but I am a powerful witch, and I will always trust my senses. You are more than a man, and I won’t trust a word out of your mouth unless you tell me what you are.”
I wondered if she could sense that I was originally from Earth. If she could tell Cyra wasn’t mortal, then she could surely sense that I wasn’t from this world? Maybe having slept with Cyra made my energy more blurred or something? I wasn’t exactly an expert on witches’ intuition or angel sex, but I had a feeling she must know I was a newcomer to this land.
“Listen…” I spoke carefully in the tone I used in emergencies, when I needed to calm civilians down. “I promise we are not here to hurt you. Like I said, we know Landen. We met him at the market.”
“Do you know him?” the witch hissed. “Or did you hurt him, too? Did you torture him into giving out my location?”
“We helped him,” I insisted. “We got him black water for his crops.”
The witch snarled, and her green eyes were so wide that they seemed to take up half of her head.
“You need to calm down,” Cyra spat. “If we wanted to hurt you, then we would have done it by now! We would have taken you by surprise when you had your back to us. If you can tell I’m not mortal, then you should be able to sense my intentions, too.”
Her words were slightly harsh, but they seemed to get through to the witch. The older woman studied Cyra and muttered something to herself as she looked the angel up and down. Then she slowly lowered the knife and laid it back down on the table.
I smiled approvingly at Cyra, and the angel flicked her hair.
“You’re right,” the witch said eventually. “I can sense something of your intentions, but your intentions seem… hostile.”
