The Witch With No Name
Page 32

Because hes an elf? I exclaimed, frustrated.
Als expression twisted even more. Exactly, he said, the words dripping scorn and hatred. Love has made you into a tool, Rachel, and like a tool, you are oblivious and will be cast aside when your job is done.
I am not, I whispered, cold, but the thought that Trent would soon remember his place among his people weighed heavily on me. Quen was right. I was a phase, a happy dalliance.
You are blind, Rachel, even as you are a part of it. Al pointed at me, his anger stemming from a deep wound. Elves ask too much. They bring only destruction. That is what they are. Theyve always been such, even when we tried to crush them from existence. And it will kill you.
But you loved Ceri, I pleaded, and Trent grunted as if only now getting it.
Als pointing finger slowly dropped, his depth of hatred chilling me.
Just so, he said bitterly, looking at his empty room. You begin to understand?
You cant blame this on Ceri, I said, a new fear slithering through me. Hed loved her, loved her enough to break the rules and free her from her servitude in such a way that I could save her life. From there the world changed as Trent used her to begin to pull his people back from extinction. Love had turned my goals to his, and I found a pre-curse DNA sample so Ceris baby would be free of the curse. And now, bolstered by the mere hint of success, the elves had begun to eliminate everyone more powerful than themselves. Perhaps Al was right.
Horrified, I watched him stuff the last of the things on the mantel into the bag like Santa in reverse. His thick fingers hesitated at Mr. Fish, and then he closed them, leaving the brandy snifter where it was. Where has everyone gone? I asked, scared.
Gaze flicking to Trent, then Bis, sitting wide-eyed on Ceris chair, he hesitated. Anywhere they want, he said, waving at Bis until he moved to Trents shoulder.
Anywhere? My thoughts went back to the empty state of Dalliance, and then the celebration of familiars at the mall. He said it had been a cry of joy . . .
Oh, your elven brethren have made a large mistake, Al said to Trent as Ceris chair was wreathed in a haze of black and shrank down to the size of my hand. One we will exploit to the fullest and wipe them from existence once and for all, he said, using both hands to shift the smaller but clearly just as heavy chair into the bag. Revenge is a tricky beast. Her claws face both ways. I dont mind a few more scars. Theyll be unnoticed among the rest.
Trent paled. The curse that attacked you . . . , he whispered, and then he reached for the slate table, his balance gone. The Goddess help us, he whispered, expression haunted. Thats what I felt. It was a call to break the curse.
What curse? I said, feeling as if I was on the brink of a precipice.
Al snapped the bag shut and lifted it easily. Not break exactly, but when they modified it to force the surface demons to reality, they created a loophole. He spun to his fire and took the iron, rapping the ash from it. Im leaving now. You can have the tapestry. I never liked that thing anyway.
My heart thudded. Al, wait! I called out, but with a tweak on my awareness, he vanished in a curl of black-tainted ever-after.
Bis shifted his wings, and the room abruptly seemed a lot colder. I turned to Trent at his soft scuffing of feet. He had sat down, sinking into Als simple three-legged stool, elbow on the table and head in his hand as his thumb ran over a tiny scratch in the surface. Id seen Al like that more than once. The hatred between the elves and the demons went far deeper than Id thought. Trent? What happened?
He looked up, a hint of the fear of the unknown in the back of his gaze. It must have taken the dewar working in concert with a good portion of the enclave, he said, and then his focus sharpened on me. Thats what you felt in your moms spelling room. The unbinding spell recognized you as a demon, and when it couldnt find the curse keeping you in the ever-after, it just kept trying to take something, anything. The demons figured out what was going on, and now theyre free.
My lips parted. Free? As in reality?
Suddenly I got itthe entire mess. Landon had made a huge error. Hed freed the surface demons to get rid of the undead, but once they walked into the sunwhich I was sure they woulditd be the demons whod replace them as the rule makers and breakers, not the elves.
Grimacing, I reached for Mr. Fish. I didnt think Al was coming back. We should go, I said, bending to pick up my bag. There was nothing here. Everything that had meant anything had been taken, held in that little carpetbag.
Cincinnati? Bis spread his wings in anticipation. But youre supposed to be dead.
Trent edged from the softly mewling tapestry. It doesnt matter now.
No, it didnt matter. And I was not going to help Landon save the world. Hed made his choice, and it wasnt my responsibility.
But as I felt Biss aura slip around us, I had a bad feeling I was going to have to anyway.
Chapter 15
The steeple was a dark slash against the underside of the clouds, red with the reflected light of the Hollows. Stray gleams of streetlight eked through the unmoving trees, making lumps and shadows in the graveyard. There was no friendly glow from the back porch. There was no back porch at all, and I held Mr. Fish carefully as my steps through the damp, unmowed grass slowed and the extent of the damage became evident.
Trent steadied me as I stepped over the low stone wall separating the garden from the graveyard. His hand was warm on my elbow, and I leaned into him, trying to tell him with my touch that I didnt believe what Al had said. Hes not using me, I thought, but the uglier part of me added, This might not have happened if youd walked away six months ago. I slowed, pulling away from him as the heartache of my church fell on me.
The rank, acidic scent of things that shouldnt be burned was choking. The kitchen and back living room were gone; only the broken remains of what wouldnt burn were left to show thered ever been anything there. What was probably the stove and the fridge poked through what was left of the roof, all of it well below the original floor and filling the crawl space. Gutter work, twisted from the heat, was the most recognizable thing.
The stones of the original church were black and glistening from the soot and heat. Plywood had already been fixed over the open hallway, and it looked oddly high up from the ground without a porch to ground it. It was worse than seeing it on TVcold, dark, and sad with chunks of our lives out of place and hardly recognizable.
Im sorry, Bis said, and I touched his feet, ignoring the lump in my throat as I pushed forward.My pace faltered when the ground became squishy from the water used to put out the fire. My coffeemaker: gone. The mug with the rainbows on it: gone. My spelling books: gone.
Theres Jenks, Trent said in relief, and somehow I smiled at the bright trail of sparkles arrowing down from the belfry.
Biss wings shushed against my head, and my smile became real as I continued my list of dont-haves: no funerals, no songs of blood and daisies, no feeling guilty for surviving because I had fled. Jenks! I called as he circled, his wings a slow hum of indecision as he tried to read my mood. Wow, they made a mess. You okay?
Hell yes! Clearly relieved, he dropped down to Trents shoulder since Bis was on mine. Youre lucky Im not human size or Id give you a smack, he said, and Trent hid a grin. Whereve you been? Eww, the ever-after, the pixy said, answering his own question. Is that where you ditched the mystics? Your aura looks great. The demons are here. In reality. Why by Tinks little pink dildo did you let them out?
I didnt, I said, and Jenks looked at Trent, the shock on his angular features lit from his own dust.
It was Landon. Trent grimaced at his shoes, now three inches deep in the mud that had once been my backyard. He made a mistake. He took my hand, and I gave it a squeeze. His eyes held a thread of heartache, a need to talk. This wasnt a mistake. Al was bitter and jealous, unable to look past his own hurt, and Trent loved me. But even I knew I wouldnt be able to help him reach his goal. His goal of elf supremacy? God, I wasnt going to do this right now.
Jenkss wings brightened to a hot silver. Landon? Figures.
I shivered when a drop of water from the big tree landed on my back. The bark was singed, and I hoped the fire hadnt killed the tree outright. Apparently, if you engineer a curse loophole big enough to allow shambling zombies/surface demons through, real demons can follow. I picked my way through the mud, both wanting and dreading to see what was left.
Jenkss wings clattered. Ah, you have to go in around the front if you want to go in. I wouldnt. Its pretty bad. They hosed everything down.
Nice. How many times is my church going to be trashed this week?
Jenks winced, arms over his chest. Cleaning crew comes Wednesday. I wouldve had them sooner, but the building inspector has to give it an all clear.
Again Trents hand found mine, his touch easing my clenched jaw when a soft warmth stole into me, sparkling where our fingers twined. I know its uncomfortable with Ellasbeth there, but I could use your help with the girls, he said, his anger at Ellasbeth making ugly, half-heard shadows in his voice.
Tinks panties, yes! Jenks exclaimed, and Bis shifted his wings, clearly uneasy. Your house. Thats a great idea. Jumoke and Izzy are already there.
Jenks wants me to leave? Maybe it was worse inside than I imagined. My gut said Ellasbeth wasnt doing anything other than trying to roll with the punches, but logic said otherwise. The chance to look her in the eye might tell me more.
Thanks, I said as I turned to the stone walk that led to the front. Ill take you up on that. There were huge boot prints in the mud where thered never been mud before. It made me feel violated in a way the missing kitchen didnt. Ivy knows Im not dead, right?
Jenkss wings clattered as he left Trent. Yep. Shes at her folks with Nina.
Everything okay? I questioned.
You think Id be hanging out here waiting for you if she wasnt?
True.
Cormel knows youre not dead, too, Jenks added, and I jerked to a stop. Mr. Fishs water sloshed and Trent almost ran into me, his attention fixed on his phone. Dont look at me! Jenks shouted. I didnt tell him! He came over about an hour ago. Told me to tell you not to interfere with the undead souls.
The unsaid or else was obvious. My frown deepened as Trents phone went dark and he slid it away. If you didnt tell Cormel I was alive, who did? I muttered.
Your mom? Jenks hovered just a little in front of me as I headed for the tall gate, his eyes darting nervously to Trent and back again. Shes having too much fun arranging your funeral. The news has a wake watch going. Tinks tampons, shes a little scary, you know?
Yeah, that sounded like my mom. Frustrated, I shoved the gate open with my foot. Bis left, making widening circles until he found the steeple. Jenks went with him, the pixy talking so high and fast I couldnt follow it.
Landon isnt going to be happy youre still alive, Trent said softly.
Too bad, I said, tired, and Mr. Fish shuddered at the bottom of his glass.
One thing an elf hates more than giving something for nothing is when a plan falls apartand its falling apart. I doubt freeing the real demons from the ever-after was his intention. Cormel saw what we had to do to keep Felixs soul bound. He knows this spontaneous melding isnt going to stick. He hesitated as I dug my car keys out. Rachel, youre not a tool.
I jerked to a stop, shocked at the quick topic shift. Trying to smile, I met his eyes. I know. But my heart ached, and seeing it, he pulled me close, careful not to spill Mr. Fish.
His arms were warm, and he smelled of burnt amber. Tears threatened as his hand found the back of my head and he held me close, sighing heavily. Al is trying to drive us apart, he whispered, and I nodded, needing this. Hes jealous that we made a stand and he didnt. He leaned back, smiling at the track of a tear on me. Im not going to walk away from you. I never wanted to see the elves destroy everyone, just not go extinct.
I know, I said, voice wobbling. The Im not going to walk away from you hit me hard. But Landon does.
What Landon wants doesnt mean anything. Hes not the Sahan.
I was starting to wonder if Trent was either, anymore. Maybe that was why hed agreed to reopen relations with Ellasbeth. Damn it, he wasnt using me, but I wasnt going to come out of this where I wanted to be either. He couldnt be both.
Jenks rose up from the carport, his dust an impatient red. I swallowed down my heartache, disentangling us and starting back to the front walk. Trents hand stole into mine immediately, and my chest hurt. Thanks for coming back with me, he said. I know its going to be hard with Ellasbeth there, but I love you, Rachel, not her. This is for the girls, not me.