She was almost to the end of Camber Hall’s property when she noticed a white object hovering on a tree stump. The object moved, jumping into the brush.
Portia gave a start, her hand going to her throat, but a small meow told her how silly she was being.
“Owl, you gave me a terrible fright.”
The wee cat answered with another of her light, complacent meows.
Portia forged on. Owl followed at a distance,disappearing into the brush from time to time. In truth, she welcomed the cat’s comforting presence.
After a half hour of hard walking, Portia reached the Great Oak, which was a landmark in this section of the woods. Since the oak was on the way to Crazy Lizzy’s house, Portia knew it well. The tree was set off the path and stood by itself, tall and majestic.
However, tonight, as she entered the clearing surrounding it, she received a surprise. The clouds had opened around the moon, painting the area a silvery light and highlighting the toadstool ring around the tree.
“Toadstool rings are not evil,” Portia whispered to herself. Still, its presence brought out a superstitious uneasiness Portia did not know she had.
A toadstool ringwaswitchy.
Yes, they could be found all over, but not this time of year.
The chant in Fenella’s book came to Portia’s mind and she found herself repeatedly murmuring, “Queen of the Meadow, take this evil from this house,” as she approached the Great Oak.
The tree was barren of leaves and its trunk was so wide around that it would take the arms of two men to encircle it. Therefore the toadstool ring was enormous.
Portia stepped inside the ring and put her bag on the ground. She raised a hand to lower the hood of her cloak so she could put on her hat, when a deep male English voice behind her said, “Hello, Fenella.”
Portia froze. She dared not breathe, let alone move. She was not prepared. She still wore her spectacles, but at least her cloak covered her head. And there was no time to make presentation of the dress she’d labored over all day.
“It’s not midnight,” she said, blurting the first words that came to her mind, and then chastised herself because she hadn’t used any of the special voices she’d practiced.
“I wouldn’t be a good soldier if I did what was expected, would I?”
She pulled the hood of her cloak lower over her face to hide her spectacles and slowly turned.
He was a dark shadow against the forest. The shadow moved and changed into a tall, broad-shouldered man in greatcoat and boots.
The time had come. She could not show fear or allow herself to feel it. She had come this far to play a part, and so she would.
Portia raised a gloved hand and, using the witch’s voice she had practiced that day, said, “And I wouldn’t be a good witch if I let you haveyour way.Begonewith you. We have no more business between each other.”
Harry had not anticipated being dismissed.
None of the women presented to him as witches before had dismissed him. They all wanted the money or they had been sad and lonely.
Another difference—this witch was young. Very young. All the others had been crones. In spite of the long cloak, he could tell she had a slender figure, and her arm moved with natural grace.
A small white cat who appeared not to have ears had come to sit on its haunches beside her as if offering protection. A most unusual cat. Then Harry realized it did have ears that had dropped forward, and almond eyes that watched him as if daring him to take one more step.
The wind rose, rushing through the clearing and up and around them, and Harry knew in that moment, in a way that defied logic and common sense, that he was supposed to be here. That he was meant to meetthiswoman.
Harry wasn’t given to flights of fancy. He was not even particularly superstitious—and yet there was a connection between him and this womanso strong that itcouldhave survived two hundred years.
She was the one. She was Fenella.
This was the woman he’d been searching for. He recognized her deep in his bones.
He’d even overheard her chanting as she approached the tree.
“Wait,” he said. “I ...” He paused, and then removed his hat and fell to his knees in front of her. She held his brother’s life in her hands. “I beg a moment of your time.”
