Page 9 of Witch’s Heart

“I will send word the moment I arrive.”

His shoulders relaxed. It was the best he was going to get at this point. “Good girl.”

“Rix… I have to go. I can’t—” She took a shuddering inhale then stepped aside and walked back out into the courtyard. He watched her from the shadows, eyes fixed to her.

Anne and Elianna shot him worried looks. They would help keep her safe, the four of them. He had to believe that. If he allowed himself even the smallest bit of doubt, he’d lose his nerve. Besides, Mina was strong. Hell, she could command demons now. There was no reason to worry. Except, it wasn’t the demons he worried about. Not anymore. It was the Citadel. Why did it feel like the moment she stepped foot inside its walls, she would never return?

Chapter 4

Mina

I watched Anne’s wielder swiftly decapitate the final Trong. The forest floor was littered with demon parts. We’d been set upon by our third pack this week. This one had six, a mix of Trongs, Jargs, and a Kollm. We were just a day out from the Citadel, so I wasn’t surprised. Demons were drawn to the scent of witches, and the Citadel had them.

Ronan wiped his brow, exhaling. “Anne?” He looked expectantly up at her. He’d dismounted but she remained safely astride.

Anne was a curvaceous blonde with a cherubic face. I liked her immensely, more so now that we’d spent nearly a week together. She nodded, still a little flustered, and set about destroying the carcasses before burying them. It was a practice I was well acquainted with.

“Well,” Elianna said, exhaling. She was on her own horse, a comfortable distance from Jarrow. “That went more smoothly than I expected.”

Elianna was the level-headed one of the group. She had dark hair that framed her face in tight coils and warm, caramel skin. We’d bonded almost immediately upon meeting, when Rixon and I had first arrived in the capital. We’d only grown closer since then, not that we’d had much time together, certainly not while I was stuck in a Nebrine cell.

“Yes,” I agreed. “Well done—all of you. That was excellent work.”

Both Anne and Elianna, and their wielders, had been in the capital for several years. While the city streets might have been home to various demons during Maddox’s last days, they were not used to seeing them in the wild, certainly not in packs like this one. I was pleased that their skills remained sharp.

As with the other packs, I’d felt these several miles off. Having demonic power offered a number of benefits, including the ability to sense their presence. It gave Rixon and I an upper hand many times. Unfortunately, I could not alert my companions without risking questions, so I had waited until they were nearly visible.

Back on their horses, Ronan and Viktor gave the all clear and we moved out.

Anne sighed wistfully, glancing at the mess of demon guts on her wielder’s clothes. “Now I see why everyone is talking about those mysterious Nebrine devices. They would have come in handy just now.”

“What devices?” I turned to her.

“She’s talking about the repellers,” said Elianna. “And their existence is only a rumor.”

“I haven’t heard about any repellers.” I frowned.

“No?” Anne eyed me suspiciously then shrugged. “It’s only come up recently. Rixon probably didn’t think it prudent to mention something that isn’t yet proven.” She shifted in her saddle. I kept Jarrow a safe distance from the other horses. Close enough that we could chat, far enough that he wouldn’t nip at them. He was ever moody, my silly horse.

“What are they?” I asked.

“Apparently Carth has developed a way to repel demons using Nebrine and magic,” Elianna explained. “It’s not like our Nebrine walls and wards. Whatever they’re doing to these bits of Nebrine, it sends demons running in the opposite direction.”

“But…Carth doesn’t even have demons,” I said. “And nevermind Nebrine mines. I mean, they get the occasional straggler that crosses the mountainous passes, but…”

“But apparently they want to capitalize on our economy—if such a thing exists,” said Elianna. “Think of it, though. Think of how much money Raeria would be willing to pay for something that sends demons running in the opposite direction.”

My frown deepened. I had long wondered if Carth had witches of their own. The giant rift that had been formed in Rockfall had screamed of foul play. Were they using them to take Nebrine and enchant it in some way?

“Perhaps the Citadel will have more information,” said Elianna. “Do you think…do you think our services will no longer be needed if such a thing comes to pass?”

“Witches will always be needed,” I mused. “There was a time when we did far more than simply rid the world of demons.”

Would that we could return to that time again.

“Like healing,” said Anne brightly. I knew what had made her say it. Her horse had stepped in a near-invisible rut two days into our journey. It had stumbled and they both went down. Fortunately Anne was all right, but her horse, not so much. The injury was bad enough to turn any horse lame, but I’d healed the mare and all was well. Anne had made sure to sing my praises at every opportunity since.

“Like healing,” I agreed.