AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” I squeaked. “No. No, she doesn’t have one of those. Those are banned. No witch has them. They aren’t supposed to.”
She jerked her wrist and sent my head snapping to the side. Valencia reared back, her dark frame towering over me. “You’re lying to me. I just know it. You know more about her grimoire than you’re letting on.”
I shook my head at the accusation, feeling the pain bite inside of me, sharp claws digging at my insides. I writhed uncomfortably on the ground. “No. I don’t know anything.”
It raced upward, slashing at my insides, and I let out a garbled breath of air, my head jerking back as something cold and slimy slithered up my throat. My mouth opened wide, and it slid out. For an eternity, it made its way out my mouth and down to the ground, curling up in front of me. When I was sure it was gone, my head flopped back, and I stared at the snake with yellow slit eyes staring at me, watching intently. It hissed as our eyes met, and I shrank back against the bark of the tree.
“Your mother was a powerful witch. She wouldn’t just leave without making sure her grimoire was safe and couldn’t get into the wrong hands. So, where is it?” Valencia demanded all demeanor of kindness gone now.
“I don’t know.” My fingers curled into the dirt beneath me. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She swooped back down, snatching my face again, jerking my head back, nails digging into my skin. Her face darkened, even more so in the shadows that surrounded us, and her mouth opened to reveal the nest of snakes within. I whimpered, my heart racing, and I knew it wasn’t lack of breath or even adrenaline this time. Her mouth snapped shut, and a sneer twisted across her face.
“You don’t get it, do you? If you don’t tell me where—”
“You can’t kill me,” I blurted out before she could finish her threat. “You do, and you’ll never find it.”
Surprise flickered across her face. Taken aback, Valencia slipped for a solid moment, and that’s when she flickered. Really and truly flashed. I saw beneath the spell that bound her together, even if for just a split second. I could taste the scales of the snake sliding across my tongue and the remnants of the cold kiss from Ezekial.
My heart sank at the realization. The corpses were bound to life but were nothing more than zombies doing somebody else’s bidding. Whoever controlled them also knew of their memories and thoughts and could see exactly what they were meant to do in life. It was how they’d known. And for whatever reason, it was why they’d attached themselves to me. If my mother really once had a grimoire, it was long gone now. I’d spent so many years with her things, but never once had I ever come across such a book. They were banned. It was a life of imprisonment or worse if we were caught with such a tool.
Witches and warlocks were equal when it came to spells. We didn’t dare consult any books besides those taught in school for spells. We also weren’t allowed to make up our own. Doing the latter of the two would result in immediate death.
My mind flickered to the guests who had come to help train us. What would happen if I dared even fight against these two right now? I would be fingered for using magic and put against my peers for slaughtering. They’d never understand what I did, not without proof. I couldn’t just up and kill them. Not here, not now, maybe never.
But I could take away their memories. Temporarily, but it was possible.
Grandmother had taught me to do it in the worst circumstances when people needed to forget, even for a little while. It was a relief tactic that was only used on rare occasions. Because if done wrong, I could potentially harm the patient and permanently take away their memories.
I wasn’t very good at it, though. Mine only lasted one or two days at the most. A good witch’s temporary amnesia spell was meant to last up to a month, just enough time for the patient to heal and calm. But one or two days was better than nothing, I supposed.
As Valencia regained her bearings and shot for me, my hand flew up and caught her face. She screamed as I let out a hiss between my teeth, willing the spell out. The tips of my fingers grew warm first before my palm seared in heat. She screamed, thrashing beneath my hold, fingers clawing at my hand, but I kept my place, refusing to let go until my hand grew ice cold. As I released her, she collapsed, her body trembling. Ezekial was on the ground just feet behind her.
It wasn’t even the corpses I’d been intent on attacking with the spell. Whoever it was that controlled them from the inside was all I needed. Scrambling to my feet, I stepped over the pair and headed back the way we’d come.
Maybe it wouldn’t even last a couple days. Perhaps just a couple of hours, depending on how powerful the person on the other end was.
Trying to shake myself off so I wouldn’t alert either Mallory or Carli that anything was wrong, I dragged my feet back to the bunk and slipped inside. The other medics were perched on top of their beds, chattering excitedly about the day’s events.
“Azula!” Mallory clapped excitedly as she bounced up to me. “Did you hear the news?”
I cringed at the chirpiness of her voice and looked over my shoulder at the forest’s edge through the window. I felt so numb inside. What was going on? What were those – those things exactly? What kind of magic could control them that way? I pushed it aside temporarily though and turned to Mallory, feeling the dull thumping of exhaustion creep through my body as I eyed her warily.
“What news?”
“None of us are getting cut. We have to leave in a week or two with the soldiers. Apparently, they’re running low on medics in the field. We’ll get real-life training instead of animals all the time.”
I blinked, confusion swirling in me even more than what was already thick inside. “What do you mean we’re going with them?”
“Exactly what it sounds like, witch.” Olga snorted. “We’re going out in the field. But instead of directly where all the action is, we’re going to be the ones helping towns. Providing healthcare and food for them.”
My eyes flickered at the window again. I knew I was taking time to say anything at all, but my head was so full of everything. The war, that was why we were here. But now those – those things. The bodies held by magic, controlled by a puppet master. That’s what I was going to call it for now. I could tell them, say something about it, but it would only ensue panic and questions that I had no answers for. My heart felt heavy as realization sunk that I was alone for the time being on this. Plus, I didn’t want to frighten Mallory. She already had so much going on.
Instead, I pulled my eyes back to her and feigned shock, trying to come to terms with what was being said. It made no sense. We needed more training. It was supposed to be longer. But this was one way to get it in? I shook my head, stepped around Mallory without another word, and made a beeline for my bed. Real life was possibly the best thing for everybody, anyway. We could deal with the reality of the situation and not with some dumb dead animal.
Anger flared through me, and I sat crossed-legged on my bed, burying clenched fists into my lap. I had decided to bring Mallory and Carli with me, I’d dragged them here, and now they were about to be pitted against the real deal far too soon. I could probably deal with it; I knew that. But them? Mallory was too soft-hearted for this sort of thing. I’d heard stories of the war medics. Some didn’t make it home alive. Those who did had to deal with the after-effects. I’d also heard of the ones who had to put people… to sleep because of reasonings I didn’t even want to think about. It was possible that Carli’s forestry needs would keep her from the worst of it. But Mallory? I needed to save Mallory before it was too late.
There was no telling how she’d react when people died. I wasn’t sure she’d ever seen somebody die before. My first one had given me nightmares for a good three months. Mallory was softer than I was, and Timothy was counting on me to keep her safe. So much for that, though, right? I’d freaking dragged her here, of all places!
