“It’s not foolish to give a person a chance to be a better person,” I said, turning to face her.
Shrugging, she said, “I’m foolish for the sheer number of opportunities I gave her.” She brushed the tears streaming down her face away as quickly as they fell. She seemed to have given up any lingering hope that her mother could be redeemed and was mourning as fully as I did years ago.
“If she dies, balance will be restored. Her magic will be released and so will the others’.”
A gasp stuck in my throat. Respecting the delicate situation, I didn’t probe about her plan to restrict Vina’s magic. The only thing I was certain of was that there wasn’t a reversal or one that could be used on me. “Your magic isn’t anything like ours,” Amelia admitted, “which is why Vina wants it.”
I didn’t miss her referring to her mother as Vina. Her face was a blank landscape, discarding her emotions about doing the unthinkable: killing her mother.
We started softly padding toward the house. The weathered wood porch creaked in the wind, a thinly veiled dare to approach it.
The eldritch hush was interrupted by the crackle of wind through the cornfield.
Vina appeared from our left, striding toward us, her face settled in a coy expression that didn’t match her eyes, whichwere glacial with the stratagem of a chess player who’d placed their opponent in a zugzwang.
“Thank you for bringing her.” Vina’s voice was soft with maternal comfort.
The reason Amelia couldn’t truly give up on her mother. A sullen disposition replaced Amelia’s crisp determination. With her hair pulled back into a curly ponytail, short curls framing her face, and her face absent of any makeup, dark lashes framing her large round eyes, she looked nearly ten years younger. A teenager. I recalled all the nights we spent together, her tears at Vina’s absence, at choosing magic over her. And the shame of what Vina did to obtain the magic. Whereas others simply speculated that Vina may have killed the members of her coven, Amelia was confident that she had.
Amelia appeared to have discarded the hatred, contempt, and inability to understand Vina’s lust for power. Carefully, she watched her mother. “You have to keep your promise to only question her. Nothing more,” she stated. Some feelings of mistrust must have slipped in because she moved away from me as if preparing to use defensive magic against her mother and ensuring I wouldn’t get caught in the crossfire.
Vina split her attention between me and her daughter. “Of course,” she said.
Amelia kept a careful eye on her mother while I maintained the space between Vina and me. I saw through her saccharine smile and started to slide my hand into my pocket to palm my Taser.
Her eyes darted to me, a chill in them.
“None of that,” she scolded as her hand made quick rote movements, rooting my feet to the ground, my arms pinned to my sides.
“Release me,” I demanded through clenched teeth. The only movement I had, I assumed, to allow me to answer herquestions. The importance of the shadow gods’ existence was on full display at this moment. No one should possess this level of power.
Amelia’s hand rose, her mouth moving fervently when her mother opened her hand, a blue cloud moving from it and suffusing over Amelia.
“You’re not needed.”
Amelia collapsed to the ground, asleep.
“You don’t have to worry about anyone knowing your secrets,” Vina said to me. “It’s just the two of us.”
While she closed the distance between us, I kept a careful eye on her and the set of her jaw. Being pinned in place by her active magic made it unlikely that she could perform other magic and still keep me immobile. But not knowing the extent of her magic left everything to speculation. She wasn’t an ordinary witch and may not have the same restrictions.
“You’re not going to make sure she’s okay?” I asked. It was a hard collapse, and I didn’t like the sound of Amelia’s shuddering breaths.
“She’s fine. It’s a simple sleeping spell.” Annoyance slipped into her voice before her lips pressed into a hard rigid line.
“Ashinwa.” She whispered the word with accusation and suspicion. Like she believed there was more to me to discover.
She was studying me. Her hand reached out to touch me, but she clearly thought better of it. Perhaps she assumed another protective spell would take her out like it had the draveth.
“Why was there a protective spell on you?”
Seeing apprehension on her face, I smiled. “Whyismy magic protected?”
Fear inched into her expression. Misdirection and lies were the only things I had.
“Liar,” she spat. Her eyes blazed with unfettered anger and frustration.
“Try to steal my magic and see,” I challenged.
