Page 57 of A Trial By Blood

“Yeah, it is,” I said, and he nodded, a look close to relief covering his face, as if my answer confirmed that he’d got it right. That what he was feeling was right. God, this whole thing was torture.

We walked deeper, and it grew darker the farther we went. And damp. The earthy scent was heavy, and there wasn’t much in the way of wildlife, that I saw anyway, which didn’t surprise me. The foliage was so dense the winter sun couldn’t break through.

A strange growling sound came from somewhere in the trees, but Ronan didn’t seem concerned, probably because we were completely invisible. Nothing, and no one would know we were there. We carried on, the sound growing louder. Then I spotted them, a group of demons. They were eating something, devouring it.

The demons that lived in the forest were different, in looks, anyway, than the demons who lived in the city. The demons who chose to live out here were the kind that couldn’t pass as human no matter what they did, and these ones were perfect examples of that.

Tall and skinny, they were gray with a greenish tinge at their joints. They had pointed ears like elves and only holes where their noses should be. Their teeth were sharp and pointed and currently coated in a thick black fluid. We got closer, and then I saw what they were tearing into.

One of their own.

The demon lay motionless, its stomach torn open, insides spilled out.

“Goddess, I hope it was dead before they started eating it.”

Ronan glanced at me. “Probably not. Their kind eat their weakest. This one had obviously grown too old to keep up or perhaps it was injured.”

“That’s disgusting.”

He led me around them, his grip a little tighter as we carried on past. “They don’t understand loyalty. Many demons who live out here care only about their own survival. They’re more like animals in that respect.”

Well, that was horrific. We continued on, and the deeper we went, the more thankful I was for Ronan and his power. I saw demons and other creatures that I’d never seen or heard of before. Obviously, my knowledge was limited, but my sisters had shared what they’d seen, and they’d never described some I’d seen today.

I felt Agatheena’s power stronger now. Her home had to be heavily warded. Not surprising, considering where she lived. There would be no getting to her unless she allowed it. The smell of wood smoke reached us next.

“She has to be close,” I said, and then I saw it. “Oh, wow.”

The cottage looked as if it were from a Grimm’s fairy tale, but over the years had become part of the forest—trees grew close to its moss-covered stone walls, and a couple had even burst right through the thatched roof. Two thick pines stood on either side of a worn dirt path that weaved its way to the cottage’s front door, their branches arching over the top. There were things hanging from those branches, thick twine tied around items, then secured to twigs and branches.

I strode up to take a closer look. “Shit.”

Ronan growled beside me.

There were bones, some clean, some still covered in gore. Several skulls of different breeds of demon, by the looks. There were bits of fabric and several jars. One had an eyeball floating in it, another was filled with what looked like fingernails, another was half-filled with matted hair of various colors, and yet another had something, well, I wasn’t sure what it was, an organ of some kind.

“There has to be another way,” Ronan said. “Whoever lives here, I don’t want you anywhere near them or that cottage.”

“She’s a witch, Ronan. I’m a witch. I’ll be fine,” I said, even though I knew that might not be the truth. I had to speak with her, regardless, I had no choice. I needed to know what the stolen demon effigy was for so I knew what my next move was.

His hand gripped mine tighter. “I don’t trust this female.”

“You haven’t met her.” I turned to him. “It’s going to be okay. Let’s just get this over with, then we can go home.”

“I’d really rather you didn’t go in there,” he said, even as we moved to the entrance of the path.

I lifted my hand and the magic I felt zapped down my arms, burning like fire along my veins. I hissed and shook out my hand. A warning: Don’t come close or you’re toast. “She won’t let me in unless I prove I’m a witch.” I searched the thick trunks of the two “decorated” trees.

“What are you looking for?”

“A smooth patch, darker in color.” Iris had told me about the magic door in the basement of the council building. The ancient wood knew who you were and could tell if you should be allowed entrance by your blood.

If this witch was as powerful as Councilor Trotman said, I wasn’t getting near her without some kind of proof of who I was.

“Something like this?” Ronan asked.

I took a closer look, and on the side of one of the trunks was a knot. It was indented in the middle and a deep mahogany color, while the rest of the tree was a lighter wood.

“That’s it, I’m sure of it.” I took my knife from my pocket and pressed it to my finger—