Page 80 of Fated to the Demon Lord

“You don’t look happy about it.”

“I’ve barely gotten my daughter back. Being a hedge witch has its advantages, but there are also disadvantages. One is recognizing when a situation is beyond your power.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I fully. And I worry what it might mean for you, and for him. Especially since he is bound to Spiritu Malignos.”

She sighed. “Stay here.” She hurried inside and returned with a large book. “I have a spell in here that can keep you safe—well, safer while you are dealing with spirits.”

She pulled a small bird's bone from her pocket.

“Dead protects against the dead,” she said. “We'll spell it with a protection charm together. Our combined power will make the charm extra powerful.” She placed the bone in my palm and pressed her hand over it and shut her eyes. “Chant with me, Denara. Bone of the dead, protect from danger. Dead shield against dead. Ward me from the dark powers that seek to control me.”

I murmured the words with her the second time, and a strange power flowed through me, a magic that funneled from me into the bone. It was strong, certain and… oddly familiar. Like when I had put the poisonous leaves in the pots, determined to find Gerand, or when I had been desperate not to leave Vaelor with the slavers—the sensation was identical.

“There.” Mother smiled at me. “Now, when you want to activate its power, hold this in your palm and imagine a thick, living hedge springing around you. It will stop any spirits from possessing you.”

“Thank you.” I gave her a hug.

“Come in and clean up first. I have a change of clothes you can wear. While you do that, I’ll have Bargoth bring you a horse to ride, and you should put on my old cloak to help hide your identity.”

“I have no idea where Vaelor has gone.”

“I’m sure his servant will have some notion of where he went.”

Erlinen. Of course.

I entered the cabin, and Mother supplied me with a simple dress and a bowl of water with which I could wash myself. Seeing my reflection, I remembered how disheveled I was from the previous night’s activities with Vaelor, and a slight flush crept onto my face at the thought of looking that way the entire morning.

“Don’t forget to speak to Gerand before you go,” Mother added as she finished helping me into the dress.

“I will.” I tucked the bird bone into my skirt pocket.

“Find me again before you leave. I have something else for you.”

Gerand had left the cabin when I changed, so I went into town to search for him. I discovered him a few streets in, learning the wheel and stick game with Marbas. “Gerand, can I speak with you?”

He nodded and waved to Marbas before walking off with me.

We stepped down the lanes of the village. Demons and humans were already up, engaged in various morning activities. The aroma of spiced food cooking over a fire drifted past us. “You know I would have burned the world down to find you.”

“Even when things were bad, I knew you’d come for me,” he said with a smile.

“But I would have died doing it long before I reached you if it wasn’t for Vaelor.”

“The spirit?”

“Yes. He found you and helped us set you free. And now he needs my help.”

His brow furrowed. “How can you help him?”

“He’s in his own sort of cage. Spiritu Malignos has him trapped, and I—” I clenched my fists. “I am going to find a way to set him free, too.”

Gerand placed a hand on my arm. “You can do it. You are good at protecting others.”

My shoulders slumped, and I ducked my head. “I don’t think so. I couldn’t protect you, and I’m so sorry.”

“Maybe it’s not protecting, but you don’t give up on others, and that makes you special.”