Table of Contents

Copyright

Title Page

Dedication

Chapter 1: Michelle

Chapter 2: Elron

Chapter 3: Michelle

Chapter 4: Elron

Chapter 5: Michelle

Chapter 6: Elron

Chapter 7: Michelle

Chapter 8: Elron

Chapter 9: Michelle

Chapter 10: Michelle

Chapter 11: Michelle

Chapter 12: Michelle

Chapter 13: Michelle

Chapter 14: Elron

Chapter 15: Michelle

Chapter 16: Michelle

Chapter 17: Michelle

Chapter 18: Michelle

Chapter 19: Michelle

Chapter 20: Elron

Chapter 21: Michelle

Chapter 22: Michelle

Chapter 23: Michelle

Chapter 24: Michelle

Chapter 25: Elron

Chapter 26: Michelle

Chapter 27: Michelle

Thank You

Also by N. E. Conneely

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Copyright © 2015 N. E. Conneely

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or author. Requests for permission to copy part of this work for use in an educational environment may be directed to the author. This book is a work of fiction. References to historical events, real people, or real locales are made fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A WITCH'S CONCERN

N. E. Conneely

This one is for all the amazing people who have taken a chance on my books.

I couldn't have done it without you.

Chapter 1: Michelle

The sun was out, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and from the inside of my car it looked warmer than it was. Georgia was good at that, fooling you into thinking it was in the sixties on a winter day when you'd be lucky if it hit forty. The chill didn't bother me today though because my parents were finally getting married, and that was something to celebrate.

The car lurched to the right, and the steering wobbled. I slowly pressed the brake and started searching for a place to pull off the road. Luckily I was on the four-lane, and it was only a few hundred feet until the road opened up into a valley, a rare flat spot in the north Georgia mountains. Thanks to the generous nature of the road folks, the paved emergency lane was more than wide enough for my car and dropped off onto a generous, grassy shoulder.

I was out of traffic, even if I was ten miles from any town, and it was a frequently traveled road, so someone would come by. I looked over my shoulder before getting out and walking to the front right corner of the car. The rolling mountains and the sun casting long shadows over the valleys caught my eye, and I took a moment to appreciate the view.

Lately I'd been taking more time to enjoy the crisp winter air, breathtaking views, and fiery sunsets. Life had come at me hard and fast, and I had been faced with more than my fair share of tough choices. The cost of killing the demon, Gremory, weighed heavily on me. Sylvia, the elf Gremory had been possessing, had been willing to die if that helped prevent evil from prospering, but that didn't change the facts. I'd killed her. I killed her because that was the only way to kill Gremory.

Time was slowly taking the sting out of those memories, but I could still hear her screams in my sleep. More often than I'd like, Sylvia's screams would morph into the masculine yell of my mentor, who had died that same night. Varro had only been in my life for a matter of days, but in that time he had left me with lifetimes of knowledge to study. His passing had left a void that no one had been able to fill.

A cloud passed over the sun, changing the shadows and giving me a different view of the same hills. The pine trees swaying in the breeze kept the hills green even in the middle of winter. This was the time of year for endings and beginnings, which had been plentiful lately.

I wasn't the only one changed by that night. Elron, a good friend who was becoming something more, had watched his former love burn alive. I'd been sure that killing Sylvia would be the end of my relationship with Elron, but we'd managed to hold on to each other. It was hard to see either of us finding happiness with anyone else; who could understand what we'd been through except the other person who was there?

When the sun reclaimed its spot in the sky and the wind settled down, I shook off the melancholy reflections and studied the car. It was just my luck to get a flat tire on the way to my parents' wedding. One way or another, I needed to get back on the road because I had to be there. My father had only been in my life for a few months, and my absence would disrupt the happy event.

I glared at the tire, which was now resting on the rim. Kneeling down, I found four large nails sticking in the rubber. It could've been the deep shadows on this side of the car, but I thought I saw more nails on the inside of the tire.

I checked the other tires, and so far they seemed to be holding out. Muttering nasty words, I popped the trunk and moved my suitcase and duffel bags to the backseat. Then I pulled up the mat and started extracting the jack and wrench.

A car whizzed past as I got down on my hands and knees, peering under the car to find the notch where the jack needed to go. With the jack in place and only a few turns from taking the weight of the car, I started breaking loose the lug nuts. Bracing myself against the car, I brought my foot down on the end of the wrench. It hardly budged. I did it twice more before it swung easily. I was working the wrench onto the next lug nut when a car pulled in behind me. Dusting off my hands, I got to my feet and shaded my eyes with one hand.

The man who got out of the driver's side was in a charcoal suit. A lady in a chic midnight-blue pencil skirt and matching jacket emerged from the passenger side, and through the windshield I could see two people in the back of the car. It would be nice to think that these people were here to help me, but my recent experiences had left me skeptical. It wasn't that long ago that three witches in pencil skirts had tried to abduct me. I'd managed to escape, but that didn't make me feel better about this situation.

Besides, in this part of the world, I was more likely to have Bubba in his jacked-up pickup truck with a coon dog in the back and a gun under the front seat come to my rescue than a group that looked like they had stepped off a runway. I held my ground and kept my mouth shut.

"When we saw you out here all alone, we had to stop. Do you need help?" the lady asked.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have this under control." This felt very wrong, like I was being set up. Considering how many nails had found their way into the one tire, it was surprising that the others were fine. If a tub of nails had spilled, one tire wouldn't have attracted all of them, but it would be child's play for a witch to sabotage the tire that way.

"Nonsense. Josh knows his way around a wrench. He'll have you back on the road in no time." At the woman's words, Josh took off his jacket and draped it over the seat.

"That's a lovely offer, but I don't need the help." My voice was firm, but it didn't have any impact on the lady.

She waved her hand and Josh started my way.

"Please leave." Somehow, I didn't think they were going to listen to me.

Her smile faltered, and she ducked into the car for a moment. When she returned, there was a wand in her hand and the two ladies from the backseat were getting out.

On the side of a highway with my car on three wheels wasn't the best spot for us to face off. Considering how quickly Josh was covering the ground between us, I didn't have much time to come up with a plan.

I shot a blast of energy at the woman, turned, and sprinted for the tree line. My odds weren't good against four witches, and any fight I could walk, or run, away from was a good fight.

The first baby pine was at my side when someone knocked into me from behind. I hit the ground hard, air whooshing out of my lungs. While I lay there stunned, my hands were wrestled behind my back and cold metal was clipped around them.

"Very good, Josh. Now the charm," was the last thing I heard.

Chapter 2: Elron

"Elron?"

I completed the thrust, lowered the sword, and pivoted to face the stairs. "What is it, Landa?"

Landa, one of the brownies who owned the lodge we lived in, came down the stairs with a phone in her hand. She and her husband, Mander, were four feet tall with big brown eyes and matching skin. What they lacked in height, they made up for in magic.

Right now Landa looked worried. "Have you heard from Michelle lately?"

The restlessness I'd attributed to nerves took on a new meaning. I'd thought I was suffering from nervous energy or a lack of exercise, but I now realized it had been something else entirely. The Call, a feeling that pushes some elves out of their sensible lives and into lives of excitement and danger, had been full strength for so long that I'd forgotten how it felt to get a gentle nudge.

"I have not heard from her since she left for the wedding. What is amiss?" The Call ramped up, and I knew something had happened.

Landa relayed my answer to the person on the other end of the phone. I returned the sword to the rack on the wall, but that did not distract me from her conversation.

"If I hear from her, I'll call you," Landa said. There was a short pause before she said, "I know you will. Call me when you decide. 'Bye."

Landa hit a button on the phone and turned to me. "Michelle hasn't gotten to Greg's house and isn't answering her phone. They're worried."

Greg was Michelle's father. He was marrying Michelle's mother, Nancy, and Michelle had left for Greg's house hours ago.

"Have they checked with the police? Maybe an urgent case came up." Even as I said it, I did not believe it since Michelle would have called to let her parents know she would be late if she had taken a case. Surely she would have told the departments she worked with that she was busy today.

"No, they wanted to check with us first." Landa sounded troubled. "This isn't like her."

"May I use the phone?" I held out my hand.

Landa handed me the phone, and I dialed a recently memorized number. The recorded voice directed me through the phone tree, and a moment later I was leaving a message for Officer Rodriguez. I would have preferred to talk to him in person, but this was the next best thing. Rodriguez was a hedge-wizard and Michelle's primary contact with the police here in Cherokee County.

"They didn't say they wanted to contact the police," Landa said in an exasperated tone.

"Rodriguez could check with other departments to see if Michelle is working a case. If she is not and has not shown up by the time he returns my call, I will ask him to look for her." Regardless of what her parents wanted to do, I knew something was wrong. I wouldn't have this feeling for any other reason.

Landa sighed. "I don't see the harm."

"Exactly, and I will feel more comfortable if the police are looking for her." I handed the phone back to her.

"Hmm, I don't see you being comfortable waiting to hear from the police."

"I do not have a choice as it is prudent to remain here until I receive more information."

Landa studied me before speaking. "I'll be preparing dinner if you need or want company."

"Thank you." I followed her up the stairs. "I may join you after I retrieve my phone."

"I'll be making dinner either way."

"Of course." I shut the door to the weapons room and headed to my apartment.

The Call increased its intensity, as did the nagging sensation that I needed to be doing more to find Michelle. Inside my apartment, I found my phone and checked for messages. Fortunately I had not missed any communication from Michelle or Rodriguez.

There was not much for me to do except wait and funnel my nervous energy. Given the limited options, I went to the sunroom. About a week ago, the lodge had added a sunroom onto my apartment. I had not wasted any time setting up a small garden of plants that were not suited to the university and would not grow in the gardens around the lodge.

It had quickly become my favorite room, with ample light for greenery. Several of the plants were magical, but the rest were ordinary—if you could call an organism as complex as a plant "ordinary." Today their cheerful colors and steady energy did little to calm me.

Settling cross-legged on the floor, I began a meditation exercise designed to help me determine the source of the push. In recent times, the Call had been so strong that I had been forced to follow its pull. The itchiness between my shoulders and my accelerated pulse were enough to be noticed but not enough to give me an idea of what I should be doing.

I deepened my breathing and coaxed the pertinent thoughts to the forefront of my mind. Michelle was dependable, steady, always there to help, and never one to let her loved ones worry. The fact that she was not answering attempts at communication was alarming, but my Call gave no indication that the situation was dire. It could still become serious, but at this point, the problem was not a type of danger that my Call considered urgent.

While I would dearly love to know who or what was at fault for her disappearance, the more important question was how I could aid her. For the time being, there was nothing I could do. The police would get back to me, at which point I could formulate a better plan. If my Call gave me more information, perhaps a direction or sense of alarm, I would be able to pass that information on to the police and take action on my own.

With my thoughts settled, I found a task that would give me peace of mind as well as occupy time. The demon's bane starts were ready to plant, and having recently encountered a demon, I felt it was prudent to have an ample supply of the flower on hand. I made the short trip to the work shed to fill several small pots with the appropriate soil mixture, then I carried them back to my apartment and set them in the sunroom. I retrieved the small starts and tucked each of the five demon's banes into its own pot.

Against my chest the medallion warmed, and I felt a buzz of energy. Brushing off my hands, I pulled the moon-shaped piece of metal out from under my shirt. It was glowing, the symbols seeming to give off more light than the rest of the metal.

I rubbed my fingers over the markings, but I could feel nothing more than the ridges and warmth. Metalwork wasn't a skill of mine, and though I did my best to get a sense of what it was doing, my powers found nothing more than what my eyes and hands had told me; it didn't react to my magic. This object was determined to hold on to its secrets.

That shouldn't have been a surprise considering its origin. The medallion had once belonged to Varro, a very old fey. At his funeral, a forest spirit known as Leshy Apalchen had removed the medallion from Varro's body and given it to me. Michelle had the medallion's sister—a circle that fit inside the crescent, turning it into a full moon—and she was as mystified by its abilities as I.

I tucked the medallion back under my shirt and picked up a spray bottle to mist the plants. The medallion's temperature increased.

Spritz.

It was almost hot.

Spritz.

It was now buzzing with enough energy to make my chest hair stand on end. I dropped the spray bottle, unclipped the necklace, and held it at eye level. I wasn't a witch, but I could see swirls of magic flowing across the surface. This wasn't the day for it to be unpredictable. There was simply too much going on for me to give this thing the attention it required, especially if it wasn't going to provide any answers about its abilities.

I growled at it. "Explain yourself or cease."

It did neither, continuing to emit energy and irritate me. The phone started ringing, and I picked it up with one hand while still glaring at the ornery metal. "Elron speaking."

"Hello, this is Officer Rodriguez. Have you heard from Michelle?"

There was something about the way he said those words, as if he was trying to determine just how bad things were. "Neither Landa nor I have received communication from her. I do not believe her parents have either, or we would have been informed. Do you know if she is on a case?"

There was a long pause before Rodriguez spoke. "I have been unable to reach her, and my associates in Pickens, Gilmer, and Union Counties have not been in contact with her."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. She had gotten lost or hurt, and I hadn't been there to prevent it. She depended on me, and I was failing her, unable to help in her time of need. This was just like last time. When my wife was captured by trolls and a demon, I'd been too far away to do anything about it, and she'd suffered for hundreds of years.

Logic broke through the panic and wash of memories. This wasn't like last time. The Call would be more than a tingle if Michelle was in that type of trouble. Wherever she was, she was alive and mostly unharmed. This time, I would be there to help my love. "She's missing."

"Today's the wedding, right?"

"Yes."

Rodriguez sighed. "When was the last time you heard from her?"

"Approximately four hours ago when she left for the wedding. She was headed to her father's house."

"Do you know if anyone else has heard from her?"

"To the best of my knowledge, she has not contacted anyone since she left the lodge."

"Was she driving her car?"

"Yes."

"I'll get things started here, then I'm coming over to get a full report from you and Landa."

"Thank you, Officer."

"I'll talk to you soon."

I ended the call and set the phone on the bench. My hand was trembling.

No amount of logic could keep old memories and bad experiences completely locked away. Sylvia's abduction had created emotional wounds that I would always have, but I never thought Michelle would do this to me. She was resourceful and strong, but I should have known better than to let Gremory's death lull me into a false sense of security.

There were still the clans and Sylvia's warning of other demons, not to mention the danger Michelle faced each time she took a case. Danger lurked all around, and while I had every belief that she would do her best to get back to me, odds were that she would stumble into a few dicey situations along the way.

A pink-and-purple T. rex walked past the sunroom, sniffing at the air. Ty was a prime example. Nearly invulnerable to harm and highly resistant to spells, he was a magical construct who'd trashed half a town, blown up a gas station, and survived an air strike before a combination of Michelle's magic and personality had charmed him. Now she had a dinosaur with the personality of a German shepherd.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. It took several repetitions, but I got my fears under control. She'd gotten out of plenty of bad situations; she would get out of this.

I unclenched the hand holding the forgotten medallion and clipped it around my neck. Thankfully it had returned to its normal, unremarkable state, because I had other things to worry about now. Landa needed to know what Officer Rodriguez had said, and one of us needed to relay the information to Greg and Nancy.

When I picked up the spray bottle, I glanced at the plants. They weren't three-inch green starts anymore, but six-inch-tall plants with four to six leaves each. I reached out and touched one. It was real. What had the medallion done?

Chapter 3: Michelle

I woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom with no doubt as to how I had come to be there. My chest was sore from being tackled, and my head ached. Some small amount of luck was on my side today; they hadn't taken my wooden bracelet, so I still had access to my wand. The two had been gifts from Elron and had some nifty magic that allowed me to summon the wand rather than physically carrying around the fifteen-inch piece of wood. Odds were that they thought the bracelet was purely decorative.

The longer I looked at the room, the less it looked like a bedroom and the more it looked like a large closet. The walls were white drywall, with a bit of molding where the carpeted floor met the wall. The textured ceiling was the same white as the walls and was adorned with a single globe light. My resting place was a simple twin bed on a light metal frame. I didn't see any cameras, but that didn't mean much.

I got up and stretched, working the kinks out of my stiff muscles. The room was only a few steps longer and wider than the bed. A wiggle of the doorknob verified my hunch: it was locked and solidly built, with a steel frame around the handle. Tapping on the door and frame confirmed my second hunch: they were solid wood.

Yup, I was going to miss the wedding. The event my parents had waited my entire life to do, and here I was, a prisoner in some person's house. It was unusual for a grown woman to be attending her parents' wedding, but unusual summed up my family nicely. When Mom's pregnancy had been discovered and she wouldn't tell who my father was, her clan had assumed he was human. The problem was that type of a relationship was against clan law. My grandmother, Gretchen, had always been disappointed in Mom's magical abilities, and mingling with a human was the final straw for her, so my mom had fled.

As it turned out, my father was a capable witch in his own right but from the rival Docga clan. They'd known their relationship would cause problems if it was discovered, and after Mom left the Wapiti, they had limited their contact. A couple of months ago, I had met my father for the first time—and attracted unwanted attention from several clans, including the Wapiti. At this point, all the reasons they'd stayed apart were irrelevant, and there were plenty of reasons for them to get together, so my parents were finally getting married.

Originally, the wedding was going to happen several weeks ago, but when the clans stopped their increasingly aggressive attempts to recruit me, it was moved. With the extra time to plan, my parents could have the wedding they wanted.

Mom would be joining Dad's clan, but I'd refused my invitation. I knew there was a spot for me with the Docga clan, but I was happy with my clanless state. It was the way I was raised, I was comfortable this way, and I enjoyed being a police consultant, a job that would've been prohibited by most clans.

When my father entered my life, I had gained more than a parent. It turned out I had some other family I hadn't met, and one of those people ended up being Marti, his mother. It had been love at first sight for both of us. Marti had promptly told me to call her Nana, welcomed me with smiles and laughs, and cheerfully informed me that there were more family members itching to meet me. I couldn't wait to see her again. Of course, I had to get to the wedding before I could do that.

"Hey," I yelled. "Let me out. I want to get out of here." I waited but didn't hear anything in response.

Sitting down in front of the door, I studied the lock. This side had a brass knob without any visible locking mechanism. The thread of power I sent out didn't detect any spells around the doorknob. I slowly lowered the strand of magic until it touched the metal, still not finding anything of interest. My power pushed farther into the knob, dipping below the surface, and light suddenly arced from the knob, zapping me.

My muscles clenched and I trembled, unable to break the connection. Not even a second later, the light retreated back into the door and I hauled my power back into my body before I accidentally triggered the reaction again. Every muscle in my body ached and tingled. When I felt like moving again, I crawled across the floor and back into bed. The tingling had faded, but that didn't change the lingering pain.

I'd been zapped before, but that type of shock had more in common with a stun gun than with static discharge. The spells I knew that did something similar were weaker, and I would've noticed them. Not only had this been a potent spell, but I hadn't detected it until after it was in action.

That spell had been hidden in the door in such a way that I was guaranteed to trigger it before I found it. While it was possible that someone was watching me and had cast the spell as my power moved inside the metal, it didn't seem likely. That left some very sophisticated spell-work as the remaining option, and I didn't want to subject my body to any more punishment. The next spell could do some lasting damage.

Eyeing the rest of the room, I tried to decide if it was worth continuing to test my magic against whatever protections were here. If they were able to conceal a spell from me that well, it might not be worth the pain to try finding a weak point that would allow me to get out of here. Especially since I didn't understand how the spell had been hidden. With that, I encased myself in a shield bubble. I still needed to figure out how to escape, but it didn't seem like I'd be doing that from in here.

Spells weren't my only problem. I was thirsty and needed a bathroom. Other than the bed, the room was completely barren, and that didn't give me many options. Since the best thing I could do for those issues was to avoid thinking about them, I focused on my current situation.

Now, there could be any number of people behind this: followers of the demon I'd killed, another demon looking for revenge, or witches trying to make me join their clan. However, the more I thought about it, the more sure I was that my grandmother was involved. After all, it couldn't be a coincidence that a woman who looked like a witch from my grandmother's clan had showed up on the side of the road right before I ended up locked in a closet. They'd already attacked me once, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit to have this be their idea of a fun welcome home.

Not that long ago, Gretchen had sent several letters demanding that I report to the clan to embrace my position as her successor. Then three of her pencil-skirted witches had showed up at my house to take me back to the clan. I never did figure out why she was so focused on me. Sure, I was a blood relative, but there were plenty of other qualified witches who'd grown up in the clan. Any one of them would make a great leader. Why Gretchen couldn't pursue one of them was beyond me.

I came back to reality when I heard a metallic clunk. My headache had faded away, but that was the extent of the improvements. Sitting up, I watched as the door opened, and Josh came through it before it swung shut behind him. He'd changed clothes and was in faded blue jeans and a red hoodie with "Go Dawgs" across his chest. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

He stared at me, and I stared right back at him. If he thought I was going to start pleading or asking questions, he was wrong. As I'd expected, Josh broke first.

"The minister wants to talk to you, and she insists that we see to any of your needs. If you need to go to the bathroom, that can happen, but you'll have to wear these." He pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and dangled them off a finger.

The word "minister" confirmed my suspicions that a clan was holding me, but I could still be wrong about who. After all, I'd had more than one clan demand that I join them, though none of them had gone as far as the Wapiti. The handcuffs were a different matter.

They had the same feeling as the ones the police used to bind magic. Not everyone would be able to deduce the origin of a pair of handcuffs, but I'd used them often enough in my job as a consultant for several departments in north Georgia. I provided magical backup and an extra oomph of power when their hedge-practitioners and officers were outclassed.

I decided it didn't matter if the cuffs bound my magic; I couldn't do anything while locked in this room, and I really needed a bathroom. After dismissing the shield, I got off the bed and offered him my wrists. He cuffed my hands in front of my body, and I sincerely hoped that was to allow me to do my business without an audience.

He pulled the door open, and we stepped into a Victorian-inspired bedroom, with spindly wood furniture upholstered in green fabric with pink flowers. The walls were wood paneled to hip height, then transitioned to cream-and-silver-striped wallpaper that ended at multileveled crown molding. Crushed velvet curtains were pulled over the windows. There was a door to our right and one across from us.

I heard the closet door shut behind Josh, and he cupped my elbow and steered me to the door on our right. He pushed it open to reveal a pink marble counter with a matching sink and silver faucet. There was a roll of toilet paper sitting on the edge of the counter.

"Don't take too long," he said.

He closed the door behind me, and it didn't take me long to realize why they were comfortable letting me in here unattended. The toilet paper and the bar of soap sitting next to the sink were the only things I could pick up. I wasn't going to find a weapon in here. Not that I'd been expecting one, but there wasn't another door, either.

I hurried as much as I could with cuffed hands, but given the choice, I'd never again visit the bathroom with my hands bound together. Washing up was easier, but I couldn't keep the cuffs dry. Since they hadn't been nice enough to provide a hand towel, I wiped my hands on my thighs and resigned myself to wet wrist-wear. Before I returned to the bedroom, I slurped some water from the faucet. Considering the hospitality they'd shown so far, it might be a while before I had another chance to get a drink.

Neither of us said anything as he led me out of the bedroom. Two ladies were beside the other door wearing black slacks, low-heeled boots, and matching silk blouses in different colors. Getting a good look at the blonde confirmed my suspicion. It was Tammy, which didn't guarantee my grandmother's involvement. She could be working for someone else. I hadn't seen the brunette before. The ladies broke away from the door and started down the hall. Josh followed them, guiding me with a hand on my back.

The ivory-walled hallway was wide enough for three abreast. We walked past whitewashed doors and gilded frames, each holding a painting or photograph of a lady. Some of the women were round and others angular, but what captured me the most were their expressions. One had hard lines of dissatisfaction etched in her face, another had an inviting smile, and one with curly red hair and pink cheeks had a small smile and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The print on the plaques was small, but I was able to catch names and dates. It would've been nice if there was some context to that information, but I wasn't that lucky.

The cuff on my right wrist pinched, and I rotated my arm, trying to get it to slide into a more comfortable position. There was a faint click from the cuff, and it slid lower. Keeping an eye on my guards, I worked a finger under it and tugged. It was still securely fastened. I held back a sigh. If I got some time alone, I'd test the limitations of the cuffs.

Josh looked at me but seemed satisfied when I held my hands up. He kept a sharp eye on me as I resumed reading the plaques under each frame. Near the end of the hallway, where the dates were in the past six hundred years, every one of these ladies had the last name Tomlin. The last painting before the hallway dead-ended into a corridor was my grandmother, Gretchen Tomlin. Any lingering questions I'd had about my abduction were answered. This meeting had been a long time coming, but it wasn't going to be a joyful family reunion.

Mom had mentioned that the ministry had been in the family for a while. That meant that the last few women had been my ancestors. I would've been a Tomlin, but when Mom ran away from the clan, she took her father's last name, so I was born Michelle Oaks.

I got a good look at Gretchen's hard eyes before we turned left. I'd seen her face before. One of the messages she'd sent had been the magical equivalent of a video, but until now we hadn't had the pleasure of meeting in person.

This hall was done in the same colors but had doors instead of pictures. The doors had small signs on them, with names like Office of Financial Affairs, Office of Strategic Management, Office of Operations Management, Office of Service Management, Office of Housing Management, and Office of Placement Services.

This wasn't just her house; the clan business was run out of the mansion. That would make it harder to escape. There would be witches here all the time, and it would be next to impossible to go exploring. Gretchen hadn't just surrounded me with guards but with the clan.

We didn't stop at any of those doors but continued to the double doors at the end of the hall. The curvy letters on the door spelled "Minister" and matched the scrollwork on the doorframe. The ladies didn't stop to knock but opened one door and held it until Josh could get a hand on it.

The office was as impressive as the rest of the house. A big block of a desk dominated the room, and a sitting area under a window was furnished with the same delicate pieces that were in the bedroom. Built-in bookshelves holding everything from books to rocks and spell components covered the wall behind the desk and part of the adjoining wall. Most of the items were normal enough, but the box of energy drinks seemed out of place. I couldn't picture my grandmother drinking Jumbo Energy Juice. An average-sized decorated door was sandwiched between the shelves and a liquor cabinet. When Josh let the main door swing shut, I noticed still another doorway, this one leading to a smaller, less opulent office.

We were the only ones in the room, and my guards kept me moving toward the door between the shelves and liquor cabinet. Once we reached it, the ladies held it open and Josh walked me into a dim, narrow hallway. He took us to the right, and we walked a few feet before exiting onto the main floor of a multileveled auditorium large enough to seat four or five hundred.

Thirteen women sat in a row behind the podium above me, but the woman in the center captured my attention. After all the communications she'd directed at me, I'd recognize those thin lips and that shade of gray hair anywhere. Gretchen Tomlin was the minister of the Wapiti clan and my grandmother.

Chapter 4: Elron

"That's all the information I need from you," Rodriguez said, tucking the notepad in his pocket. "When her parents arrive, I'll talk to them."

"What can I do?" It was a foolish question. I knew what he would say, but I had to ask because my chest had been tight and my breaths shallow ever since Landa had told me Michelle was missing.

Rodriguez sighed. "Be patient."

Landa patted my hand and followed Rodriguez out of the parlor. Patience did not feel right, not when I felt that I needed to be out doing something. The medallion shifted, and I adjusted the necklace as I walked to the window. Michelle was out there. I could find her, help her, if only the Call would clarify.

The medallion pulled away from my chest and returned with a thud. I wrapped a hand around it, and it pushed against my palm. The medallion had an opinion, but until I learned how it communicated, the antics were less than useful.

Years ago, I would have gone after her myself. However, the policeman had assured me that it would be best if I stayed. I was less sure of his plan. If the Call wasn't enough of a hint, the medallion was offering suggestions as well. Surely I could find her before the police. However, that would not be what Michelle wanted. She believed in working inside the laws, but there was a way I could satisfy some of my desire and honor her wishes.

I hurried to my apartment, ignoring the commotion at the front door. Her parents were here, and Rodriguez would occupy them for some time. If I was needed, Landa would contact me.

In my room, I pulled a pack out of the closet and started filling it with basic provisions. Once it was stocked, I found my light armor—leathers and elven cloth. It did not offer the same protection as my chain mail, but it had minor spell protections woven in, and few witches were well versed in the types of weapons chain mail protected against.

With a twist of my hand, my sword appeared. After adjusting my grip, I dismissed it, reassured that the bracelet, which allowed me to summon the sword to my hand and dispense with it, was working. I put a knife in my pocket, a dagger in my boot, and another dagger in a sheath that hung from my belt. Two items that I would have found unnecessary years ago, my identification and car keys, went in my other pocket.

I was ready.

The wood floor passed Landa's message to me. I was wanted in the parlor.

The backpack was left in the hall, where I could quickly retrieve it regardless of where I was in the house. I greeted Nancy and Greg, watching to see if anyone would comment on my clothing. Landa noticed my change in dress and nodded. Rodriguez shrugged.

"What do you need?" I did not want to repeat what I had already told the officer, but if it would help Michelle I would.

"Take a seat."

My pulse picked up as I dropped into a chair. Those words were rarely a good sign. The Call pushed at me again, but this time I found it reassuring. She was alive and fighting.

Rodriguez took a deep breath and focused on Greg and Nancy. "We found her car abandoned on the side of Highway 515, the four-lane. We didn't find her. There was evidence that she'd had car trouble, and there were signs of a struggle."

"You didn't find her?" Nancy repeated, tears welling up.

"No, ma'am. We found her purse, phone, and keys."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I had hoped… but Michelle would never willingly leave any of those behind. Someone had taken her, and I was going to go find her.

Chapter 5: Michelle

Josh guided me to the center of the room, positioned me so I was facing the women, and took a step back. I wasn't worried about him; the real danger was in front of me. The women were as varied in appearance as the ones in the gilded frames, and two of them wore expressions of exasperation, as if they were tired of this game. Good. This had gone on long enough, and I was ready to be done with it.

Gretchen tapped her fingers on the desk. "I'm sorry it came to this. I don't know what your mother has told you, but you have been deprived of your rightful place. Now that you're here, we can rectify the gaps in your education. Ladies, are we ready to bring her into the clan?"

"I'm not." A plump witch at the end of the lectern spoke up. "Gretchen, this is absurd. We aren't forcing her to become a clan member. She hardly looks willing to be here, and I'm not going to be a part of this unless she wants to be a clan member."

"Sarah, your opinion has been noted and taken into consideration. Let me remind you that I am not required to justify my actions to the elders," Gretchen said sharply.

"I am aware, but until my concerns are addressed, my objection stands."

"Again, noted." Gretchen faced on me. "Michelle, are you willing to become a clan member?"

"Are you serious?"

Her nails clicked against the wood.

"No, I don't want to be a clan member. You abducted me. That's not a way to build a relationship." The woman was insane if she thought anyone would agree to join her merry band after this introduction.

Gretchen's mouth flattened into a line as the other women looked between the two of us and the cuffs on my wrist. She spoke quickly. "That will be enough. No granddaughter of mine is going to speak to me that way. Josh, take her back to her room."

With one hand on my back and one on my elbow, Josh propelled me out of the room as voices erupted behind us.

"You assured us she was willing."

"I was told that when she was away from her parents she'd be eager to join the clan."

"If she doesn't want to be here, the 'rescue' you staged could turn into a police matter."

"That's enough out of all of you. She's frightened and needs some time to think," Gretchen said.

"She didn't sound frightened."

We were back in the office with the two women before I could hear the outcome of the conversation. We resumed our previous formation as we walked back down the hall.

"Can I get a burger? With fries? If that's not on the menu, how about tacos?" My stomach let out a well-timed grumble. "Either way, I want a large glass of sweet tea."

"I'll bring you food," Josh said.

"And the tea?"

"Yes, tea too."

"Thank you," I said.

We arrived at my room, and the ladies stayed outside as Josh walked me inside. A few steps into the room, he came to a stop and swung me around to look at him.

"You can go back in the bedroom and take the cuffs off, or you can keep them on and stay in the living room," he said.

I didn't have to think about that one for very long. I wanted a chance to examine them and the room. There had to be a way out of here. "I'll keep the cuffs. Any idea when I can get something to eat? Or how long I'll be waiting here?"

"The food shouldn't take long. I don't have any say on how long you'll be here." Josh walked out of the room. When the door shut, I could hear a lock click over.

As prisons went, it was luxurious, clean, and smelled good. At the window, I pulled back the curtain to see glass that glowed with the force of the spells woven into it. Beyond the window, the grounds had stone paths, tightly trimmed grass, and down the hill a pond with a few ducks. Past the pond were old-growth trees, but I couldn't call them woods. All the brush and smaller trees had been cleared away, and mulch neatly encircled their bases. I could just make out a fence on the other side of the trees.

My grandmother, who really didn't deserve that title, was a horrible person. If she'd gone about this in a different way, I'd be telling my parents they were crazy for being paranoid about letting her be involved in my life. Instead, these tactics reinforced everything they'd said and made me want to run for the hills. She wasn't just a bad person, but she had bad people skills too.

As terrible as Gretchen was, Nana was amazing. The first time we'd met, she'd shown up to breakfast with a half gallon of cookie dough ice cream and proclaimed that she had years of spoiling me to make up for. She'd then produced a goodie bag that included a purse that had been spelled to feel lighter than it really was. She'd followed that up by telling me that she could teach me the spell, and we'd proceeded to give several more of my bags that treatment. I had a great Nana.

Turning back to the room, I picked out a plush chair and sat down. It wasn't as comfortable as it had looked, and it faced toward the bedroom rather than the door. I got up and tugged at an arm. The chair didn't budge. Changing my grip, I tugged again. It still didn't move.

Kneeling down, I saw that the feet of the chair were set into metal cups and screwed to the floor. The coffee table, sofa, and side table were the same way. The more I looked, the more apparent it became that there wasn't a single item in this room I could budge. There wasn't even a light switch I could toggle. The only seat with a view of the door was rock hard, and only a few minutes had passed before my backside went numb. This wasn't my day. Of course, I couldn't be sure what day it was since I'd been out of it for a while.

How these witches thought they were going to get away with this, I didn't know. It wouldn't take long for me to be missed, even if they had tidied up the crime scene. When I didn't show up, my parents would talk to Landa, maybe Elron, and then the police. At that point the question would become how much my parents would be willing to tell the police and how quickly they could find probable cause to come get me. After that, things would move quickly, and every police department for seven counties would be looking for me by bedtime. As comforting as it was to know that, I wanted to get out of here sooner rather than later.

The lock clicked again, and Josh came in with a large plastic cup and a paper plate holding a sandwich and chips. He set them down on the table next to me.

"The sandwich is turkey. And that's sweet tea. I'll be back later for the dishes." Mr. Chatty retreated without waiting for a comment from me.

It wasn't what I'd asked for, but I hadn't actually expected a burger. I wolfed down the food in record time and went to work on my cuffs. The one on my right wrist was already loose, so I tucked my thumb against my palm and managed to work it most of the way down my hand before it got stuck. If I'd been willing to part with some skin, I might've been able to get it off, but Josh or Tammy might notice the wound.

Even if I got it off, I would still need to release my other hand. The chair I was sitting on didn't have any cushions, but I looked around the legs in case someone had dropped something useful. When I didn't find anything, I moved on to the sofa, pulling up every cushion and feeling around the edges. After checking out two more chairs and crawling around the floor, I came up empty. This was the cleanest bedroom I'd ever seen.

Maybe with a lubricant I could get my right hand free and figure out the left when the time came. Remembering the soap, I hurried to the bathroom and started lathering up my hands. I'd worry about getting everything dry later. If I could get the cuffs off, I'd be able to use magic again. With my right hand thoroughly covered, I grabbed the metal and started to tug. The cuff easily slid to the spot where it had stopped before.

This time it slowed but didn't stop. My fingers slipped off the metal, and I swore. Rinsing them off, I tried again. I had to do this quickly. Josh could come back at any moment, and I didn't want to be caught covered in soap with my magic partly bound. If they caught me, I could end up with a guard watching me constantly, and that would dampen any escape plans.

All of a sudden, the cuff made it over the largest part of my hand and went flying off. My left hand slipped and hit the side of the sink while the empty part of the handcuffs whacked into the faucet with a metallic clang. I winced and then froze, breathing lightly, trying to figure out if anyone had heard the noise and would come investigate.

When a long moment passed without a guard rushing in, I rinsed the soap off my hands, then walked to the sitting area to use an ugly pillow as a towel. I returned to the bathroom, not because I wanted to sit on a hard floor while I worked, but because it would give me time to put things to rights or come up with a plan if Josh came in.

Freeing my hand was a small victory. With one wrist still in the handcuffs, my magic was still partly bound. Magic was my best tool, but I had to be careful because my guards would be able to feel if I used any large spells. Most witches had to use runes for anything but the simplest of spells. Runes gave spells shape and form, telling them what to be. I could see a spell in my mind and force it into being without the structure runes provided. It gave me an edge working with the police because I could create a spell even if I didn't know the proper way to cast it. Against witches, it shortened my casting time and didn't give them any warning as to what I was throwing at them. But none of that helped me right now, because the only way I knew to remove the cuffs was a power-sucking, attention-grabbing spell.

I started on the empty cuff so that if something went wrong, my hand wouldn't be in the line of fire. Now that it was off of me, I could work on the spells. The first thing I examined was the binding itself. It would be the most difficult part to neutralize, but once it was disabled I could cast spells whether or not I was wearing the handcuffs.

The binding spell was multilayered, each layer connecting to the other. Some portions defined what magic was, others defined how to stop the use, while others directed the spell to act upon the person wearing the handcuffs. I started on the part that blocked magic. Under different circumstances, I would've simply untangled it all, but I couldn't use that much magic.

There was a soft whoosh, and I knew I was about to be discovered. I scooted over until I was next to the toilet, unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, and pulled them down to my knees. Someone walked across the room and rapped on the bathroom door.

"Are you done with the food?" Josh asked.

"Yes," I said. There was a long pause so I let a little panic creep into my voice. "Don't come in. I'm on the toilet."

"I wasn't going to." He sounded hurt. "Knock if you need something."

"Okay." I could hear him moving around the other room, so I did my business and was as noisy as I could be when I shimmied back into my pants. Between swearing at the handcuffs and clanking at the sink—which is what I'd done last time—I was sure he didn't suspect anything.

When I heard the door shut behind him, I sank down to the floor and wiggled my shoulders to get the tension out of them. That was as close a call as I wanted to have. I had to get this done.

I got back to work, contorting and prodding the binding spell until the part of the spell that blocked magic was disconnected from the rest of it. Just like that, I had full access to my power, and it took no more than a drop of magic to get them to unlock. I rubbed my wrist as I sabotaged the lock so the cuffs would look locked but I would be able to undo them with a strong tug. After that I went back to the binding spell, scooting parts of it around until it still looked functional but had no effect on me.

Knowing my time was limited, I put the cuffs back on, tested my alterations, and settled on a chair. The only reason to have a chair this uncomfortable was to punish captives who wanted to keep an eye on the door.

That was one mission accomplished; now I just needed a good opportunity to escape. Considering what the bedroom doorknob had done to me, I was willing to wait a little while. Besides, I was confident that this wasn't the first time a witch had been imprisoned in this room. Odds were any weak links had been discovered and fixed long ago. If I ended up having an extended stay, I'd start examining the room for spells and weaknesses. Gretchen and I had hardly spoken, so I was willing to bet they would take me out of here one more time. That would be my chance to escape.

The door opened again, and Josh waved me over. "The minister wants to see you."

Making sure my hands were wedged together in case the cuffs malfunctioned, I got up and met him at the door. He put a hand on my elbow, and we followed the ladies down the hall.

Three against one weren't great odds, even with the element of surprise. Which could've been the reason I didn't try to escape, but the honest answer was that curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to know how my grandmother was going to keep the clan under control and what she was going to offer me this time. Oh, there was some strategy in there too; after all, I could end up alone with Gretchen, and that would be a great time to stage a jailbreak.

It was the exact same trip we'd taken last time, so I let it slide by and debated which spells I'd use if I got the chance to escape. The problem with every spell I considered was that I knew some of these witches would have ways to counter them that I hadn't seen before. Since I had a finite amount of energy, ineffective spells were a risky proposition. When we neared the big doors, I gave up. It all depended on the situation.

This time when we entered the minister's office, Gretchen was sitting behind the desk and two of the elders stood off to the side. One of them was the plump witch who'd spoken against Gretchen at the meeting, but I didn't recognize the other woman. She was tall, with long silver hair pulled back in a thick braid and a little extra weight around the middle.

Josh marched me forward, sitting me in one of the chairs before the desk before taking up a position behind me. The two witches who'd been guiding us had fallen back. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw them beside the doors.

Gretchen studied me through narrowed eyes, and I put on my best poker face. This seemed to be a game to her, and I didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Besides, I wasn't in the mood to play games.

"Seeing us like that must've been a shock to you. I thought a less formal setting might put you at ease."

I barely held back a snort. Boy, did she have it wrong.

"I'm betting Nancy did her best to make us look like child-eating monsters, but I'm confident that given some time you'll see the benefit of being in a clan which can fully develop your talents." Gretchen smiled, but it was the furthest thing from sincere.

After counting to ten, I said, "Let me go home."

Her smile faded. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Let me go. I'd like to return to my life, the one where you aren't in it." It shouldn't be this hard to hold a conversation.

"Michelle, I want a chance to get to know you. Don't you want to know the rest of your family? You can continue your education too." She really needed to work on her voice inflections, because it sounded more like a demand than a plea.

"I have an education. I have a family; you're not part of it." I was getting a clear look at why Mom had done her best to vanish and remove the clans from her life.

"I have been denied the chance to establish a relationship with you. Given a chance, I would like to rectify that." Her lips stretched, showing a row of polished teeth.

"Abduction isn't a good way to start a relationship," I said.

"Let's call it a rescue," she said softly.

Sarah, the plump witch, broke in. "Call it what it was, Gretchen. You had her snatched off the side of the road after sabotaging her car."

While they debated, I took a good look at the room. If I had the chance to escape, I could go into the auditorium, back down the halls, or out the window. Since I wasn't sure how to find an outside door from the first two options, the window was my best bet.

"I didn't ask your opinion," Gretchen said harshly.

"You seem to need it. After the last incident, you said she wanted to be here but didn't know how to get away from Nancy. If memory serves, we asked how Nancy could've put such a strong compulsion on three witches, and you dodged that question. You got your way, Michelle's here, and she isn't exactly thrilled to see you. This has gone far enough." She stood there, shoulders squared, ready to face down my grandmother.

Gretchen narrowed her eyes. "This isn't a democracy. I'm the minister, and you will follow me."

"Don't overstate your power. The clan will rebel before we let you drag us down." Sarah lifted her chin.

"She's mine, Sarah. We have the prior claim, and had her mother been even close to useful, she would've grown up here, knowing her birthright from the beginning."

The tall witch laid a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "She does have a point. This is where Michelle belongs. Nancy deprived Michelle of her heritage, and this is a chance for her to get it back."

Sarah jerked her shoulder, and the other witch's hand fell off. "Has it occurred to either of you that Michelle didn't grow up in the clan?"

Gretchen gave her an exasperated look.

"Let me finish, Gretchen," Sarah continued. "A clan isn't normal or necessary to Michelle. I doubt she feels the lack of one. I don't know what her mother has told her, but she doesn't know you, and I can't say that you've been putting your best foot forward. Stop tormenting the girl. If she wants to stay, good; if not, let her go."

Gretchen looked between Sarah and me. I was doing my best impression of a bored teenager since I couldn't figure out what I should be doing. For the most part, I agreed with Sarah, but it didn't seem like she had enough power to make her words stick.

"My granddaughter and I need to spend some time getting to know each other. I'm sure the two of you have more important things to do." She kept her attention on Sarah and the tall witch.

After a few seconds, Sarah nodded and went to the door.

"Oh, and Sarah? If you don't like our policies, look for a new clan." Gretchen gave her a toothy smile.

"Minister," Sarah said in a disrespectful tone, "if you continue with this, you'll be without a clan." She followed the tall witch out the door before Gretchen could say anything else.

Pink spots brightened Gretchen's cheeks. It took several seconds for her color to return to normal, but when she turned her attention to me, she was under control. "Where were we? Ah, yes. I don't much care if you like me, but you will join the clan and begin training to be my successor."

"No, I won't. You seem to have trouble understanding this, but I don't want anything to do with you, especially after you kidnapped me. Let me go, and maybe you'll get out of this without going to jail." And maybe Dad or Elron would kill her.

"We have so much to offer, things you can't get anywhere else. Think of the education we can provide. You'd be given a position at our firm and be first in line to be minister. There's so much you could do with your power, and we can help you."

"I don't want what you're offering. I've been educated, I have a job, and I don't want to be minister. Even if I wanted those things, I wouldn't want them from someone who abducts people." She could've started this with a friendly card, and we would've been having a different conversation. Admittedly, my education had been unconventional, but Dad had made sure it was well-rounded.

She started tapping her fingers. "I tried to be nice, but that doesn't seem to be working. This would be the time for you to make the best of things. You won't be leaving here until I'm sure you won't run away. This is your home now, and it's time for you to get used to the idea."

I shook my head.

She frowned and kept talking. "There are so many ways this could be good for you. You wouldn't have to work. You could spend your time experimenting with spells and pushing the limits of your abilities. You would get a chance to work with other witches, participate in group spells, and be in a community. I don't understand why you won't make the best of things."

"Gee, I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the witches you sent to attack me or the fact that you had me abducted or that I don't trust you or that I just don't like you." I kept my fingers locked together. As much as I wanted to escape, I wasn't sure I could get away from four witches. Gretchen might be crazy, but she couldn't hurt me if she wanted me to be a functioning member of the clan and eventually take her place as minister.

"You will do what I want," she said tightly.

"You can't make me." Mom had hated that phrase when I was a teenager, but I had a feeling she'd get a laugh out of me using it now.

"Oh, I think I can." My grandmother smirked. "Something could happen to Nancy. She can't defend herself."

My feral smile knocked the smug look off her face. "You don't want to do that."

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring you to heel."

"I'm not a dog," I snarled.

"No, you're an unruly child who doesn't understand the opportunity she's throwing away." She sneered.

"I'm an adult, fully capable of protecting myself and my family. If you hurt anyone I care about, I'll make myself unsuitable for your needs. I'm sure I could do away with my magic or offend enough witches that I couldn't take your place." The color slowly drained out of her face. "You see, dealing with a sorceress, trolls, werewolves, a dinosaur, and an evil that would make you wet yourself has taught me something: I will do anything to protect what is mine."

"If you want to keep them safe, you'll give this a week. See what we can offer and how it feels to be part of a clan. Please give us a chance and see how much better your life could be."

"Will I be able to call my parents?" If she really wanted this to work, she'd give me what I wanted.

"No. They might interfere."

"If I don't call, they'll keep looking for me. That includes here."

"Then you'll tell them to leave, that you want to be here." Gretchen took a deep breath. "Please stay. I can understand and nurture your skills. You come from a line of strong women who have led this clan for generations. I can introduce you to your family history."

"What about Mom?"

"Nancy is… unsuited to leadership. She's weak."

"I see." Maybe she was sincere, and maybe she could help me, but I didn't want to make deals with someone who had such a poor view of her daughter. I jerked my hands free of the cuffs and knocked Josh off his feet with a magical push.

I summoned my wand and got off two spells before Gretchen could react. "Dagaz. Algid." Between being on fire and having magical bonds holding her arms and legs to her chair, she should be occupied for a moment.

As I turned around, a spell shot past me. Gretchen might be busy, but her henchmen weren't. Facing the two witches in the back of the room was almost as distracting as it was helpful. I could see their wand movements and hear their spells, which would help me avoid whatever they were doing, but it didn't make it any easier to do my own casting.

If I could finish this spell I'd be in a much better position. It was a spell I'd started practicing after my last encounter with witches from this clan, and it would temporarily cut them off from their power, making it impossible for them to cast spells. These were hardly ideal circumstances for casting the spell, and even if it worked it wouldn't stop physical attacks.

I deflected a stun spell before etching two runes in the air. A freezing spell interrupted my casting, and I partly deflected it, leaving ice crystals forming on my pants. I gave up on sketching the rest of the runes in the spell, pictured them in my mind, and threw my power at the spell. It hit the two witches, and the spells they were in the midst of casting fizzled into nothing. Josh aimed his wand at me, and I drew him into the spell.

Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Gretchen mouthing words. She wasn't on fire anymore, so I quickly cast an ice spell, encasing her below the neck.

Tammy figured out right away that she might not have magic but she could move. She got two steps away from the door before I took a page out of her book and encased her legs in a block of ice. Without magic, it wouldn't be easy to get out of that. The brunette seemed to be evaluating her options, and I quickly trapped her in a shield bubble.

Movement off to my left reminded me that Josh was still mobile. He flicked his wand at me, but nothing happened. When he tried again and still couldn't get a spell to work, he tossed the wand to the ground and grabbed at me. I softened the floor so his feet sank into the ground, and solidified it before he could escape.

Yelling caught my attention. While Josh thrashed, the two witches at the door were taking more proactive measures and shouting for help. Reinforcements could arrive any moment, and I needed to be gone before then. The element of surprise was a beautiful thing, but I'd played that card and wasn't likely to get another chance anytime soon.

Gretchen would be getting out any time now. I started toward the window when I found myself in a shield bubble. Pivoting, I found Gretchen standing up with a smile on her face. "Now that you've gotten that out of your system, we can have a civil discussion. The three of you should hush. All that noise is pointless. It doesn't carry through those doors."

They shut up.

She smoothed her skirt and sat down. "I want to help you, but I can't do that when you fight me. There are methods of casting spells that prevent other magic users from being able to dismantle them easily. That's something you could learn here. We would give you the chance to travel, meet people, and see the world."

"I won't stop fighting you. I will get out of here."

"If that's really how you feel, we'll keep you contained until you're no longer a threat. You were born out of my bloodline, and you will do your duty to the clan. You'll be stuck in that cell, but there's nothing to be done about that."

"You could let me go." It wasn't as black-and-white as she made it sound.

Gretchen shook her head. "I do have one question we haven't covered. What does your clan scar look like?"

Every witch was born with a tattoo-like clan scar on their shoulder. Each clan had its own symbol, and if I'd been truly clanless, I wouldn't have had a mark. The magic thought I had a clan, so it had marked me with a mix of the symbols for both of my parents' clans and the mark of the Ieldra, a witch who was unusually powerful and expected to do great things. It was strange enough to be born with a mixed clan scar, but tossing in the Ieldra symbol made me unique. "What, you didn't have someone look when I was unconscious?"

"I didn't like the idea of someone undressing you. Please show me your clan scar."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously. Everything she'd done up to this point had some reason behind it, however twisted that reason might be.

"I want to see it," she said.

Taking my clothing off wasn't an option, so I sketched it in the air. I drew glowing blue lines in the shape of a curved X with four lines coming off the upper left section. Two of the lines were on the outside and angled down, and two of them came off the inside of the X and curved up.

Gretchen focused on the drawing, and I wondered if she knew that she was looking at the mirror image of my clan scar since I'd drawn it from my perspective rather than hers.

Making the sketch had proved that I could still use my power, so I started probing the shield. It looked like a solid job. Physically I was stuck in here, and any magic I directed at the shield would be reflected back at me. The longer I studied it, the stranger it looked. There was something off about this spell. If I could quickly figure out what it was, I had a chance.

And then I found it: she hadn't put anything in the spell to prevent me from dismantling it. That meant that rather than having to use a complex counterspell or to brute force my way out, given a few seconds, I could unravel it. Right now, I didn't have those seconds.

"Fascinating. Reverse image of course, but a startling likeness."

"Likeness to what?" That had my attention. Information about my clan scar had been scarce, and if I could keep her talking I could unmake this spell.

"You'll learn that if you stay."

"You need better bait." I was curious, not desperate.

"Think of the information as a reward for good behavior."

"Think of it as an olive branch. A preview of what you could offer me. Entice me to stay." Under different circumstances, the offer of education and knowledge about my clan scar would be enough to get her an afternoon of my company. As it was, I kept working on the shield bubble.

"You will stay, and you will like it," she hissed. "I'm tired of this debate. Let me simplify things. You will stay and be a good girl, or I will hurt the people you love most in this world."

"I already told you that won't get you my cooperation." I tried to say it like I meant it, but I had my doubts. When I'd said I'd do anything for my family, that included knuckling under if it would keep them safe.

"Are you sure?"

I couldn't say yes. She saw my hesitation and smiled.

While she gloated, I tugged on the weak part of the spell, and it disintegrated.

Gretchen felt it go, had her wand at the ready, and was starting to say a rune. I couldn't do a binding spell that quickly, so I did the next best thing and encased her in a correctly cast bubble.

It took her a moment to realize how efficiently I'd trapped her. Gretchen was too far into the spell to abort, and the stun ricocheted off the inside of the shield. She was savvy enough to resorb the spell, but from the way she was standing, I had a feeling it had numbed her arm.

I turned my back on my grandmother and vanished my wand. Then I opened the window, crawled out of the office into a flowerbed, and ran onto the grass. It was a straight shot over the lawn to the manicured trees. I didn't look back as I sprinted away from my grandmother. I was more than a bloodline, and until she could see that, we didn't have anything to discuss.

Chapter 6: Elron

The sky was still dark, and the morning stillness had not been broken when I walked out of the lodge. Everyone else was asleep, which suited me. I had no desire to explain my actions or listen to their brand of logic. The police would say that I needed to wait; they would find Michelle. Her parents would want to come along. Landa would offer her opinion, and it was better for everyone if I asked for forgiveness rather than permission.

Had I tried to explain my need to aid Michelle, I would have been attempting to put words to the indescribable. No one else had a Call that would lead them to Michelle. Even if that explanation went well, I would not dishonor Varro's memory by discussing his medallion. He had considered it private, and I would respect that.

I wasn't a young elf, and with more than a millennium on this earth, I felt that some things were best when technology was left behind. However, I was a practical old man. There was a feeling of great distance between us, and a car was the most efficient method of travel available to me.

I set my pack in the passenger seat and was walking to the other side when Ty peeked around the corner of the lodge.

"Come here, Ty."

He walked over and tilted his head quizzically.

"I will bring her back."

Ty bobbed his head.

"Lean down." I buckled a wide leather collar on his neck. A small metal charm with his name and Michelle's phone number dangled from the D-ring. "How does that feel?"

He shook like a dog and touched my shoulder with his nose.

"Michelle will love it. If it pinches, I'll adjust it." I scratched under his chin. "Keep her parents safe while I am away."

Ty grunted and backed up, giving me room to turn the car around. He watched me get in the car and roll down the driveway.

When I got to the main road, I headed for the highway. I knew that I needed to go in a southerly direction, and that was enough for now. The problems would come when I neared Atlanta. The roads merged and twisted, and I would need better information if I wanted to navigate efficiently.

Last night I had gotten directions for several ways through Atlanta and reviewed my owner's manual. My car had a built-in navigation system, though I was unsure of its usefulness. It seemed to need a destination to work well, and I didn't know that yet.

Thirty minutes down the road, my phone rang. As my Call had only increased in intensity, I doubted the wisdom of answering, but I did anyway on the off chance that something had changed for the better.

"This is Elron."

"Where are you?" Landa didn't sound pleased.

"I am out for a drive."

"Do you have a destination?"

The car in front of me slammed on its brakes, and I bailed into the next lane to avoid them. Breathing heavily I said, "Landa, I will be back when I have satisfied the Call. I am in traffic and must get off the phone."

"Bring her home safe."

"I intend to do just that." I hung up the phone, satisfied that I could ignore any other phone calls unless my Call changed.

Hours later, after more than one stop for sustenance and facilities, and after numerous wrong turns, backtracking, and roads that took me in unexpected directions, I was wishing I had taken Ty. He would have been able to cut through the woods rather than follow the roads. However, the disadvantages had been clear: people were not used to seeing dinosaurs, and he would have attracted an abundance of attention—attention that undoubtedly would have slowed us down.

Still, my frustration increased every time the road twisted or curved. Some time ago the Call had strengthened, but it still was not providing the detailed information I needed to find her. For an ability that was supposed to aid me in my adventures, it was hardly living up to the hype.

I snorted. The elves (none of whom were Called) teaching young elves about Calls should explain that they were not step-by-step directions but an information source that alternately teased and forced you down a given path. Today it was in a teasing mood, and I would have preferred that it shout.

All of a sudden, the medallion warmed and pulled to the right.

As soon as the shoulder was wide enough, I parked the car, picked up my pack, and headed into the woods.

Chapter 7: Michelle

The fresh air felt good, if cold, as I sprinted across the lawn. The run helped clear my head, and I started on a new plan. While the people behind me weren't an immediate danger, I needed to get out of here before they recaptured me.

I could feel spells on me, and at least one of them was for tracing my movements. It wasn't easy, but I kept running as I overloaded the spells with power, destroying them. Being free of the spells was a good start, but it wouldn't take them long to find something of mine—a stray hair or luggage from my car—and cast a tracking spell, one I couldn't be rid of as easily. I hoped I would be in fighting form by the time they found me again. The combination of spells had taken more out of me than I liked, but there was nothing to be done about it now.

With the spells out of the way, I needed to get out of here. That wasn't going to be as simple as it sounded because I didn't know where I was, where I should go, or where to find transportation. Once I was safely away, I needed to get in touch with my parents. They had to be worried, and between missing the wedding and my grandmother's untimely entry into my life, we needed to have a family chat.

When I got to the trees, I slowed down to a jog. In the distance I could see a fence that became my next goal. Odds were that was a property line or the edge of the land they visited regularly.

By the time I reached the fence, my breathing was labored. I climbed over it before pausing to suck in more air. This land was a forest as nature intended, with leaves on the ground, trees of every shape and size, and bushes scattered around.

Once I caught my breath, I kept moving until the fence was well behind me. The tree to my right had a nice-sized trunk, and the ground near its base was mostly smooth, so I sat down, arms around my legs and head resting on my knees.

As isolated as this spot seemed, it wasn't that far from the mansion, and with a little magic to aid the search, they could find me quickly. I needed to put some distance between us, which wasn't going to be easy on foot. A road and a car would be exceptionally helpful right now. Unfortunately, I was surrounded by trees.

Under my bracelet, my skin tingled. A road and a car would be easy for them to find. After all, the woods had helped me once before. Elron had said that the woods wanted to help, and I had a feeling they would hamper the Wapiti's efforts to recapture me. That was reason enough to stay in the forest.

I kissed my hand and pressed it to the earth. "Could you help me get home?"

The earth warmed under my hand, and I took that as a yes. Leaning back against the tree, I did my best to relax while the forest did its part. A couple of months ago a greater forest spirit, Leshy Apalchen, had blessed me. He hadn't been chatty, so I didn't know exactly what the blessing did, but I'd been told the earth and woods would be more likely to help me. This was the first time I'd asked the earth and forest for help, and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I took a few deep breaths and rolled my shoulders. The air smell like pine, a nice change after the perfumed rooms at the mansion. There was a soft plop as a pinecone fell to the ground. Looking up at the pine I was leaning against, I hoped it didn't drop pinecones on my head. Leaves crunched to my right; I twisted around and summoned my wand. They'd found me.

A squirrel raced around a tree and vanished into the branches. I dismissed my wand and flopped against the tree. It had been a squirrel, nothing more. I was as safe as I was going to be for the time being.

The wind picked up, and the rustle of the leaves dulled out ambient sound. Nearby a bird chirped before launching into a song. The joyful noise helped me calm down, and I relaxed against the tree. It must've felt my contentment, because it swayed with the breeze, branches creaking rhythmically. The motion lulled me into a light sleep.

The crack of a branch startled me, and I woke up gasping for breath and looking around frantically. I spotted Tammy and the brunette a short distance away, wands in hand. Neither one was looking at me, so I wasn't sure if they'd seen me.

I rolled away from the tree, putting a bush between us, summoned my wand, and took off running. If they hadn't seen me before, rolling across the leaves would've drawn their attention. There was a shout behind me, and I heard them crashing through the woods.

Glancing behind me, I saw a tree lift its root out of the ground and trip the brunette. She went down with a yelp. Tammy didn't pause in her forward charge.

Returning my eyes to a forward direction, which really was where they needed to be, I dodged right and narrowly avoided taking a branch in the eye. It dug into my cheek, taking some skin with it. Up ahead there was a holly tree that could conceal me long enough for me to get a spell off.

Darting to the left, I put a couple of trees and bushy somethings between Tammy and me before pivoting and diving behind the holly tree. Since I didn't know where the other witch was, I couldn't spell her, but I could deal with Tammy. A compulsion spell had worked before, so I quickly put together a spell that would make Tammy leave this area—or it would if it was strong enough.

Leaning around the holly tree, I cast the spell. It hit Tammy squarely, but nothing happened. Thinking it could take some time, I waited, but her pace didn't slow and she was focused on me. I wasn't sure what had gone wrong, but it wasn't working.

"Orzu." I softened the ground in front of her, thinking that she might get stuck and that would buy me enough time to come up with a better plan.

When her foot sank into the ground, I sprinted away. It wasn't the best plan, but distance and time were my friends. I was running low on energy and wasn't sure how many more spells I could cast. It was one thing to drain myself when I was working with the police and there was someone there to care for me if I passed out or needed help. Expending that much energy in this situation could be dangerous. It could help me avoid the Wapiti, but I might die of exposure.

A spell hit my right arm, and I lost all feeling. Somehow I had managed to keep a grip on my wand, but the arm was useless. I transferred it to my left hand, not that I could wield or dismiss it left-handed, but at least I wouldn't lose the wand now.

Looking around, I saw someone moving in the distance. I leaped over a log, stumbled on the landing, and fell down a slope. Luck was not with me, because I managed to roll over several sizable rocks and more branches than I cared to count, and I clipped two trees.

Each hit hurt a little more than the last, and I knew I was going to be covered in bruises and stiff in the morning. At least I couldn't blame this on my job, since the entire series of events had family problems written over them in big neon letters. When I got home, the police and I were going to have a long talk about these people. Family or not, when my grandmother kidnapped me, it became a legal matter, and I was pretty sure they put people in jail for that type of thing. The mental image of Gretchen in an orange jumpsuit had a certain charm.

At the bottom of the hill I shook my head, trying to focus on my surroundings. I'd lost my grip on my wand during the tumble and hadn't a clue where it ended up. That would reduce my casting ability since wands helped focus energy. I saw Tammy start down the hill, and I knew I had to do something.

Sitting on the ground, ankle throbbing and the rest of me in only slightly better shape, I held out my left hand, gathered every bit of energy I could spare, and said, "Esaz en sowil kannu."

If I hadn't been sitting down, I would've fallen. As it was, the spell stole the breath out of my chest, my vision faded to black, and I could hear a roaring in my ears. I swayed but didn't end up any closer to the ground. That wasn't my smartest move, casting a variation of a spell that was strong enough to hold a demon, but I'd panicked, and it was a spell I'd practiced until I could do it in my sleep. That practice had paid off when we'd fought the demon, and today it was the spell that came to mind when I couldn't think of anything else to do the job.

When my vision cleared, I could see Tammy trapped inside a shield with a rather stunned expression. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," I said tartly.

While recovering my wand was my first priority, avoiding any other witches in the area, including the brunette, was a close second. I pried the wooden cuff bracelet off my still-numb right arm and wedged it against my chest, where I could force it onto my left hand. It was a lot more difficult to put on without two working hands.

The cuff slid on, and I did my best wrist twist. Nothing. I tried it again, turning my hand in the other direction while I pictured the wand vanishing; then I tried to summon it again. The wand plopped into my hand, where it slid through my fingers and onto the ground. I sighed. This was going to take some practice. Since it was safely recovered, I dismissed it. In my current state, it wasn't all that useful anyway.

Standing up turned into quite the adventure. One ankle was banged up enough that it didn't want to bear my weight. I scooted over to a nearby tree and clung to it as I wobbled into a standing position. The shield spell had been strong enough to get the attention of every witch out looking for me, and I needed to keep moving if I was going to avoid being captured. I slowly transferred weight onto my injured side, gritting my teeth as pain shot up my leg.

It felt like a sprain. It was too fresh for me to tell how bad, but it wasn't any worse than the one that had taken three days to feel normalish. Not that a three-day recovery helped me now. I had another trick up my bracelet, but in the past it had taken two hands to make it work.

I tried to wiggle the fingers of my right hand, but nothing happened. I poked the arm in a couple of places and still couldn't feel anything. There was a three-inch scrape on my forearm where the top layer of skin had been removed, but I couldn't see any other damage, which I hoped was an accurate assessment since typical sensory feedback was out of the question.

With my left hand, I moved the fingers of my right hand into a loose fist, made sure my arm was hanging a couple of inches away from my body, and matched the position with my left hand. Squeezing my hand together ever so slightly, I willed my staff into my hands. It appeared and promptly fell out of my numb hand. No surprise there.

The staff was slightly longer than I was tall and had been intended as a fighting staff. Today it was going to be a walking stick. Getting out of the woods and back to civilization would be a good thing. I'd already ruined my parents' wedding, but I could reassure them of my relative safety. When I got home, Elron could scold me for misusing a weapon and make me clean it.

I sucked in a deep breath, gritted my teeth, and took my first step. It hurt, but it was pain that wouldn't stop me from getting out of here.

By step ten, I was starting to doubt that bravado. Around step twenty, I vowed to keep moving because every second that passed brought other witches closer to me and I needed to get while the getting was good.

Suddenly a shield popped up around me. I stumbled to a stop, folding the injured ankle again. That was one more injury I could blame on the Wapiti. When I wasn't in danger of falling, I looked around and spotted the brunette—I really wish I'd caught her name—uphill of me. She had me this time. I was out of tricks.

"Sit down so you don't hurt yourself anymore."

"I'm very happy to stand."

"Please sit. I don't want you to fall when I knock you unconscious and tie you up for transport."

I didn't think I had the power to deflect any spells, but I might be able to tinker with the shield so that it would mangle the spell. If that didn't work, I needed to dismiss the staff so it wouldn't be left behind or examined by them.

The witch started the spell, and I got to work on the shield. As I started picking at sections of it, I could feel just how weak I was, and I started to doubt that I would make it through even this simple manipulation. She moved her wand, and I could feel the sleeping spell coming at me. Out of time and out of options, I willed the staff to vanish and used the last of my power to deflect the spell.

The deflection worked better than I'd hoped. Rather than falling asleep instantly, my eyes got heavy and I yawned. I sank to the ground, and between rubbing my eyes I saw her gear up for the next spell. This was it.

A blur with silver hair was sprinting between the witch and me, but I couldn't tell if Elron was here or if I was hallucinating. He yelled something, and she sent a compulsion spell at him. Even if he was here, he wouldn't be able to help after that.

There was a golden glow from his chest and the compulsion was gone. Elron closed the remaining distance and hit her on the head with the pommel of his sword. Either I'd been rescued, or I'd had the best daydream.

Chapter 8: Elron

"You are safe. I will get you home." I doubted she could hear me, but I wanted to say the words. If she was aware, they would reassure her.

I brushed her hair away from her face. She was covered in dirt from head to toe, her clothing was torn, and her visible skin had an abundance of scratches and bruises. I quickly examined her, noting the swollen ankle and the awkwardly positioned arm. Considering how I'd found her, she was in remarkably good shape.

"I am sorry for the way I must carry you," I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

After rearranging her limbs, I set her over my shoulders in a fireman's carry. Perhaps it was for the best that she was unconscious for this process. It was not a comfortable position, and I would be moving briskly through the woods.

If my Calling had been more proactive, she would not have suffered these injuries. As much as I wanted to dwell on my failure, it was unwise. Had I arrived earlier, there was a chance I would have ended up a captive as well. Once I exited my car, the earth guided me to her. My arrival had been well-timed, and I had her. I would keep her safe.

The trek through the woods was slowed by our bulk. It was not easy to select a path that would allow for unimpeded travel, and I did not want her to sustain additional injuries, no matter how trivial. Even with the difficulty of carrying her, I was able to maintain a good pace, and we would reach the car in another twenty minutes.

As I walked, I thought about how I could not take full credit for the rescue. When the witch had attempted to spell me, I was unprepared and feared that she would succeed. However, the medallion had absorbed or destroyed the spell. Since I was not a witch, I did not know the exact mechanics, but the medallion had made my rescue possible. Without its action, I would not have been able to disable the witch. I was also fortunate that the spell holding Michelle had vanished when I rendered the witch unconscious.

Michelle did not stir during the trip through the woods or when I belted her into the car.

Her hair had escaped again, and I took a moment to brush it back, pulling out leaves and twigs. I placed a neck pillow on her, not wanting her head to wobble too much as I drove. I repositioned fluids and snacks so that I could easily hand them to her when she awakened. Replenishing her energy would be an important part of her recovery.

When we were on the road, I relaxed a little. We were still in danger, but we were away from the witches. They would have to identify my car before they could target it, and even if they found us, we would be in the city for hours. The witches would not risk that many witnesses.

I could not stop myself from glancing at her from time to time. She was here, with me, and safe. Each time she shifted in the seat or made a sound, I found myself looking at her, trying to determine if she was injured or if I could do anything to make her more comfortable.

Her disappearance had frightened me. It had taken every bit of my self-control not to confuse the current situation with Sylvia's disappearance years ago. Those were not memories I wanted to revive, as that event had trigged a painful and lonely stage in my life. It had helped to remember that Michelle and Sylvia were very different women, and Michelle was capable of defending herself. Rescuing Michelle and bringing her home was healing the last rough edges of that long-ago wound. I was strong enough to be her savior when she was in need.

My car's navigation might have been as frustrating as it was beneficial on the way here, but it was ideal for the return trip. I didn't know where we were, but I knew where we wanted to go. I tapped on a couple of buttons, and it was telling me which way to go. Now I hoped it would operate correctly until we were in an area I recognized.

An hour later we were on the west side of Atlanta, merging onto 575, when Michelle mumbled and her eyes fluttered. She tensed and jerked upright, looking in every direction, flinging the neck pillow at the windshield and swearing when she bumped her injured foot into the door.

"Take a deep breath. You are safe," I said.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"Almost home. We will be passing Woodstock shortly." I handed her a bottle of juice and some snacks. As soon as my hand was empty, she grabbed it in both of hers and pressed it against her cool cheek.

"I am so happy to see you. I… I was sure that I wasn't getting out of that." Her voice wobbled, and a tear dripped onto my hand. "Thank you for being my hero."

"I will always rescue you."

She smiled slightly and released my hand.

I patted her leg before returning my hand to the steering wheel. The sound of her voice, rough but steady, steadied me. I'd gotten her away from the bad witches, and she was going to be fine.

"How long was I gone? Where did you find me?" Michelle asked as she dug into the food.

"Roughly a day. I am unsure of the town name, but you were east of Atlanta."

"And you're taking me home?"

"Yes," I said gently, trying to balance the tension in her voice.

"We need to go back, talk to the local police. It's their jurisdiction. They need to know what happened so they can arrest Gretchen."

"No, I'm taking you home."

"What?"

"I do not know those policemen. My first priority is not justice but your safety. You were abducted in your hometown. We know and trust Rodriguez; you can talk to him. If we must return to that area for legal reasons, we will do so when you are rested and able to defend yourself."

"But…"

"I called the lodge and Rodriguez while you were asleep. He will be at the lodge when we arrive, and your parents have been informed that you are safe." I pushed another bag of trail mix into her hands. "When I spoke to Rodriguez, he said he was coordinating with several departments."

"We did cross a lot of jurisdictions."

She seemed content with the food. I kept glancing at her, relieved that her skin was approaching its typical olive color rather than the powdery white she'd been when I'd found her in the forest.

"Elron?"

"Hmm?"

"I need to use the bathroom."

Women had not changed in fifteen hundred years.

Chapter 9: Michelle

The worry lines around Elron's eyes and mouth had relaxed, but from the way he kept sneaking looks at me, I knew he was worried. I'd gotten a good look at myself in the bathroom mirror and had been very grateful that this bathroom was on the side of the gas station. If someone had gotten a good look at me, we'd still be there trying to explain to the police that Elron wasn't the cause of my injuries. There wasn't much I could do about my appearance right now, but cleaning up was on my agenda, right behind reassuring my family and talking to the police.

I'd known I would get home one way or another—I wasn't the type of person to give up—but that didn't mean I was unaffected by the events. When things calmed down and my brain caught up, I'd know how much things bothered me. Right now, I was so grateful, relieved, and tired that I couldn't think.

Between the bathroom and the time in the car, I'd had time to take stock of my injuries. It wasn't worth counting the scratches, scrapes, and bruises. There were enough that all of me hurt. The ankle was sprained, but I was crossing my fingers that Mom would fix it for me. My arm had feeling again and seemed no worse for the spell. Considering how often I'd been in danger of a much more significant injury, I was counting both of those as a win.

Elron pulled into the driveway, and as we rounded the last bend, I could see the top of a lean-to at the back corner of the lodge, tucked between two white pines. I knew how big those trees were; the top of the lean-to had to be nearly twenty feet in the air.

"What's that?" I pointed.

"It was going to be a surprise from Landa and Mander. They thought Ty should have his own place if he was going to be a permanent resident."

"That was so sweet."

"That spot has a clear view of your apartment too."

That was a special touch that I found endearing. Though I'm sure that it was part practicality. So far, Ty had been responsible for saving my bacon in two attacks, and we were all in favor of keeping him close to my apartment. I smiled. "I'll have to thank them."

The sound of a car on the gravel must have caught their attention because Mom, Dad, and Landa were charging down the stairs. Ty was standing next to the porch, his wagging tail generating enough of a wind that the nearby greenery was swaying.

I'd hardly gotten out of the car when Mom dashed over and swept me into her arms. Dad wasn't far behind. He quickly closed his arms around the two of us, forcing us all a few steps back.

"What happened? Are you ok?" Mom moved back to get a better look at me

I took the chance to untangle myself and get a word in. "I'm fine. Why don't we go inside and I'll explain. Where's Rodriguez? I need to talk to him too."

"I'm here." Rodriguez waved at me from the porch. "It's good to see you. We were worried."

There was a woman next to him that I didn't recognize from this distance. She waved, and I nodded in her direction as Rodriguez ushered her into the house.

Landa came over with tears in her eyes. "Child, it is good to see you."

"It's really good to see you too. And you, Mander." Landa's husband had gotten lost in the crowd, but I knelt down to give both of them a hug. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"Had us worried sick." Mander sniffled.

There wasn't much I could say, so I hugged him again.

There was a loud grumble followed by a sigh. When I stood up, a big pink-and-purple head appeared in front of me. A large eye studied me for a moment before I got nudged by a nose that was bigger than my torso. Elron caught me as I rocked back, saving me from having to use the sprained ankle.

"Ty, come here so I can give you a hug," I said with a smile. Ty dipped his head, and I wrapped my arm around as much of him as I could. Something cold brushed my arm, and with a pat I let him go so I could get a better look at him. Yup, there was a collar, complete with tags, on his neck.

"What's that?" I took a step forward, and Ty held still so I could read the metal. Sure enough, his name was on one tag and my contact information was on the other. While it was unlikely that Ty would wander off, the tags should help people realize that he was a pet.

"It was going to be a holiday gift," Elron said.

"Do you like it?" I asked Ty.

He grunted and nodded.

I turned to Elron, and he pulled me into his chest for a tender hug. This wasn't just a "thank you" hug but an "I missed you and you are precious to me" hug. It was our first real embrace since my rescue, and I wanted to linger. The chatter of the group around us pulled me back all too soon. He kissed my hair, and I stepped back, enjoying the tender look in his eyes.

Dad broke the moment. "Your nana is sorry she can't be here. She wanted you to know that she's glad you're back and next time she sees Gretchen she'll turn her into a slug."

Smiling, I turned back to my parents. "I hope I get to see that."

"Me too," Mom said.

Looking at her, my smile faded. "I'm sorry I missed the wedding."

"That's what you're worried about?" Mom squeaked.

Shrugging, I dropped my eyes. "You waited a long time to get married. It should've been a happy day."

Mom shook her head and looked at Dad as we walked—well, I hobbled—up the steps.

"Michelle," Dad said, "we didn't get married."

"Great. I ruined your wedding," I muttered before limping into the lodge.

"You didn't ruin the wedding. We couldn't do it without you." Mom's voice went up a key, and she followed me inside. "You're hurt."

I sank into a chair and buried my face in my hands. A cool hand rested against my neck, and I could hear Dad telling Mom to give me a few minutes to collect myself.

Twisting to get a look at the hand's owner, I saw Landa's big brown eyes. "Rest for a couple of minutes. I will keep everyone calm and out of your hair."

"Thank you," I whispered.

She nodded and managed to get the group focused on her in moments. I didn't know how she did it, but that was real magic.

Rodriguez managed to resist her charm, came over and knelt beside me. "I know you want nothing more than to get out of those clothes and into a hot shower, but I need you to hang on a little bit longer. I've got someone here to collect evidence."

"I figured." That would be one more thing about the past day that was less than fun. Maybe I could talk them out of documenting my injuries; it wasn't like it would be easy to distinguish them anyway. Once I'd tumbled down the hill, I'd been bruised enough to obscure any previous injuries.

He made a "come here" motion, and a woman I recognized but couldn't place joined us. She was short, with spiky hair, and had a large plastic case in her right hand.

"This is Links. I think you've met before. She's going to go with you to your room and collect evidence. I thought you'd be more comfortable with a woman."

I nodded.

Links stepped closer and held out a hand. "Let's get this over with."

She hauled me up and ushered me down the hall. We walked by the dining room, where the group was being distracted by Landa. Mom watched us as we passed the door, and I could tell Dad's hand was all that was keeping her in the room. She frowned at my limp, and I figured I'd hear about that when Links was done with me.

As we continued in the direction of my apartment, I realized Links was carrying on a steady stream of chatter. "I can't say that it's good to see you; these are dreadful circumstances. We didn't meet under the best of circumstances either. One of these days we need to see each other under better conditions."

"It would be nice if I could see you when someone else was having a bad day," I said as I opened my front door. It hadn't been locked—Landa's doing, I was sure. She would have guessed that my keys would be missing and unlocked it for me.

After closing the door behind us, I directed her to my bedroom. There weren't many good things I can say about being evidence, but I did get to get out of my nasty clothes. It had been an outfit I liked, but I wasn't sorry to see it go into an evidence bag. I wouldn't wear it again even if I could get it clean.

The next best part of the process was when Links snapped her case shut and said, "That's it. You can clean up, and I'll tell Rodriguez that we're done."

"Thanks. Could you tell the rest of them that I'll be down in a few minutes?"

"Sure thing." She smiled and let herself out.

When I heard the door click shut behind her, I bolted into the shower as fast as my good foot could carry me. The curtain was closed, and I was elbow deep in the soap before the water warmed to a comfortable temperature. In spite of the scrapes, I scrubbed every inch of my skin. The water turned brown with the dirt coming off of me.

When I was finished, I pulled on loose, comfortable clothes. I found myself staring at my front door, reluctant to go back to the group. As soon as I got down there, Mom would pounce on me and I'd have to explain everything that had happened.

I forced myself to reach out, grabbing the cool metal of the doorknob. Before the doubts could return, I was in the hall and headed for the dining room. Conversation died when I entered the room, and Mom came over and gave me another hug. She pulled back but kept one of my hands in hers.

Mom looked at Rodriguez. "Now that you've gotten your evidence, can I heal my daughter?"

He nodded, and I felt a tingling warmth all over my body. Aching muscles and tender spots faded away, and I could see my ankle return to a normal size. When she was done, I tested it out. I was as good as new.

"There, all better." She looked troubled. "But you owe me an explanation as to how you got that many bruises."

"It'll make sense when you hear it. Can I get some food before I have to start answering questions?" I asked. The trail mix had worn off, my stomach was gurgling, and it was going to be difficult to eat while telling a story.

She let me go, returning to Dad's side.

I filled a plate with nuts, cheese, fruit, and a chocolate muffin. When I took the seat across from Rodriguez, I found a mug of my favorite tea and a glass of water.

"Do you want them to stay for the interview?" Rodriguez asked.

I nodded and popped a cheese square in my mouth. It they stayed, it would spare me from having to explain everything twice.

"I've talked to them, and they're allowed to sit in while we go over everything if they hold their questions until the end." He gave the group an assessing look. I guess he didn't believe that they'd keep their mouths shut.

He handed me several pieces of paper and a pen. A bit of luck was going my way. I wouldn't have to write out my statement because a spelled pen, like the one I'd crafted for Varro, was being provided for me.

After a couple of bites and some liquid, I started my explanation. The pen leaped to life on the page, recording every word, pause, and period. From time to time, Rodriguez would stop me and ask questions to clarify a point. Some of those were easy enough to answer, but I couldn't tell them where I'd been or how far it was to the Wapiti's house. Between the recording and the notes, he had as much information as he was going to get.

"Do you know what happened to your car?" Rodriguez asked.

I shook my head. "No, and I wish I did. I need that car; it's the only way I can get to my jobs."

"You're in luck. They left it on the side of the road. After I was notified that you might be missing, I alerted units to look for it. We found the car close to the county line. When we're done, I'll check and see if Evidence is done with it. I'll let you know when you can pick it up."

"Thank the earth." I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't have the money to buy a new car right now, and trying to figure out how I would've afforded one was a challenge I didn't want to face.

Rodriguez studied me when he asked the next question. "How did Elron find you?"

"You'll have to ask him. I was passing out when he arrived."

Rodriguez asked a couple more questions before having me sign my statement. At some point, they'd want me to identify my attackers, answer more questions, and do more paperwork. Personally, I was looking forward to seeing Gretchen behind bars. It'd be nice to see those monsters in jumpsuits rather than pencil skirts.

When I handed the papers back, Rodriguez turned his attention to Elron. "Now, Elron, I need to get some information from you. Could you describe your part in Michelle's return?"

"Of course, though I doubt it will be a satisfactory explanation." Elron kept talking, but his story was more or less what I'd expected from him. The Call had pushed at him, and he'd followed it as best he could, making the few detours he had deemed necessary.

"Thank you, Elron," Rodriguez said. "Now, do the rest of you have something helpful to add?" He was looking at Mom when he said that, and I guess I would've too. She was the one who'd grown up in the Wapiti.

Mom sighed and answered, "If they're still in the same place, and it sounds like they are, I can give you the address."

Rodriguez nodded, and she rattled off an address that was in Conyers, east of Atlanta.

"Thanks. That's all I need right now," Rodriguez said, closing his notebook and collecting my paperwork. "I'm going to step out and check on Michelle's car before going back to the office."

He stood up and was heading for the door when I said, "Rodriguez. Thank you."

He nodded and walked out of the lodge.

It took about a quarter of a second for Mom, Dad, Landa, Elron, and Mander to start bombarding me with questions. Most of the questions were from Mom. I held my hand up. They got the message and calmed down.

"I will answer anything, but one at a time, and I do want to know when I can get my car back." To give myself time before I had to answer a question, I took a bite out of the muffin. Chocolaty goodness melted in my mouth.

The rest of the table exchanged looks, and Mom asked the first question. "Are you sure those are the only names you remember? There had to be more people there than my mother, Sarah, Tammy, and Josh."

"Those are the only names. I can describe some of the others, but I don't know how helpful that would be." I didn't want to describe every person I'd seen at the Wapiti's house, but it was better to volunteer now than have her ask later.

"Could you tell me what some of the women on the podium with Gretchen looked like?" she asked. "And any of the witches who abducted you."

"I can't tell you any more about the witches who abducted me than what I told Rodriguez." When she looked satisfied with that answer, I went through what I could remember of the ladies on the podium.

Mom was stoic throughout the explanation, but I was sure that she'd recognized some of them. It was only recently that Mom had opened up about the Wapiti. I couldn't blame her for keeping the connection to herself. From what I'd heard, and now what I'd seen, Gretchen hadn't been much of a mother. There'd been tension between them because Mom wasn't a powerful witch, didn't want to work in the clan business, and enjoyed healing people. In the past Mom had said she didn't want to be minister, but I had the feeling it was more that she didn't want to be minister with Gretchen watching over her shoulder, ready to turn every misstep into a failure. My conception was the final straw. I was fuzzy on the details from there, but it was along the lines of Mom running away, Gretchen keeping an eye on her to see what happened, and Mom hiding my abilities until the clan lost interest.

"I'd need more detail to recognize the other witches, but Sarah was there when I was a child. She's progressive and fair, and I wish Mother would turn the clan over to her. She would do a good job."

"From the sound of things, Sarah isn't on good terms with Gretchen," I said. From what I'd seen, it didn't look like my grandmother was on good terms with anyone, which made me wonder how she kept the clan under her thumb. "It doesn't matter anyway; Gretchen is completely fixated on having me be the next minister. Some nonsense about keeping our bloodline in the ministry."

Mom sighed and exchanged a look with Dad. "That's what we were afraid of. I don't understand her fixation on that. I thought time… Well, it didn't work."

"She threatened to use you to make me cooperate."

"We will be fine. We've taken precautions," Dad said.

Rodriguez walked back in, phone in hand. "Michelle, they're done with your car. You can pick it up any weekday between eight and five."

"Thank you. I'll pick it up tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I'll see you later. Stay safe." He waved and walked out of the lodge. It wasn't long before I could hear his car rolling down the gravel road.

"Mother won't give up," Mom said grimly.

"I know. We need to be careful and figure out how to make me less appealing to her. I told Rodriguez everything because if she's in jail it'll be a lot harder for her to mess up our lives," I said in a rush.

"You can join my clan. That should force her to back off," Dad said.

"I like being independent." My shoulders dropped. "I don't have the energy to talk about it now. The police are going to put some of them in jail, and I'll figure out a plan for the rest."

Mom started to say something, but Dad spoke over her. "Why don't we move this into the parlor, watch TV, and relax? Landa needs to make dinner, and I'm sure Mander and Elron have things they need to do. We can have some family time, a good meal, and revisit the topic when our daughter has had a chance to recover."

Mom gave him a look, but she wasn't the one who'd been answering question after question.

"Sounds like a good idea." I got up and gave Landa and Mander another hug. Elron left before I could thank him, but I found him in the parlor and took the chair next to him. I smiled at him as I sat down because with him in that seat my parents would be on the sofa, and that was enough distance that I wouldn't feel smothered.

Chapter 10: Michelle

Later, I couldn't remember what we watched. Determination kept my eyes open until the smell of dinner drifted out of the kitchen. That had my undivided attention. I meandered back into the dining room and helped Landa set out plates. We worked in a comfortable silence until the residents and guests started trickling in.

A few minutes later, we were sitting down to dinner. From the smell, I suspected we were getting pizza, and I also had some suspicions about what flavors. Mander opened the door to the kitchen, and six pizzas floated into the dining room and settled on the sideboard. Sure enough, it was two each of the olive and mushroom, pepperoni, and the eggplant Parmesan—breaded slices of eggplant set on top of a cheese pizza. It was nontraditional but delicious.

Landa came out of the kitchen, pitchers of water and tea floating beside her. They landed on the table, and the covered dish floating by her shoulder went at the end of the sideboard. She took the top off to show off the pile of gingerbread cookies before re-covering them.

We got our plates and went through the buffet line, greedily grabbing slices of pizza. I ended up with one slice of eggplant and two slices of the olive and mushroom. On the way to my seat, I collected a cup of water.

Mom and Dad sat across from me, which wasn't a surprise, and I was lucky enough to be sandwiched by Elron and Landa. Liam walked into the dining room with a scowl on his face and Priscele on his heels.

Liam was the new alpha of the local pack of werewolves, and Priscele was a wood nymph who'd lived at the lodge before deciding to be one with nature. Landa had predicted that she'd be back after the first frost, and from the look of things, that's about what had happened. Her presence also explained Liam's look. Priscele wasn't shy about her desires, and anything male, handsome, and alive usually qualified as something she desired.

Liam walked past the sideboard and over to me, squatting down next to my chair. He gave me an assessing look. "Lass, you had me worried. It's good to have you back."

"Thanks. It's good to be back."

He stood up and gave me a one-armed hug before going to get food.

Priscele dawdled at the drink table long enough that Liam went ahead and sat down. As soon as he was in a seat, she claimed the spot next to him.

I figured I could save him some grief if I could keep the conversation going in this direction so he didn't have to look at her. "Liam, how much longer will you be staying here?"

"This is my last night. The wolves are settled down, and the pack's house is ready for me." They'd had a rough go lately, and Liam hadn't wanted to stay in the home with them until they understood that he wasn't crazy like their last alpha.

I wished the pack could know Liam the way I did, because that would solve their doubts. Liam was an all-around good guy. He'd volunteered to help me out on more than one occasion, and he'd killed the last alpha when we rescued my friend, Amber, from him. Adder had abducted her after killing his father to take over the pack. It turned out that Adder had been feeding power to Gremory, and when Liam had killed Adder, he'd also weakened the demon.

"I'll miss having you around," I said, "but it'll be good for them to see how you behave on a day-to-day basis."

Liam nodded. "They aren't used to a stable leadership that enforces the rules. It won't be half-bad to live there, but after what Adder did, many of them cringe if I stub my toe or get a paper cut."

"Do you think some of them would do better in a different pack?" Elron asked.

"I do, but I won't force them. I've mentioned it and left some handouts, but I doubt I'll get many takers. They may not trust me, but I'm a known entity and I haven't proven to be violent. They can't be sure what they'll be getting into if they switch packs." There was plenty of frustration in his voice, but there was also sorrow.

"Are there any pack members who would do well with some distance from the rest of the pack? We could house one or two at a time and give them a change of scenery," Landa said.

"Hmm. That's a thought. Can I get back to you?"

Landa smiled and nodded.

As I ate, the conversation shifted. Dad started discussing the regulatory-body structure of different shifters species with Liam, and Mander asked Priscele about her time in the woods.

"Mom, what did you guys end up doing about the wedding?"

She looked at Dad, who shrugged, before turning back to me. "We canceled it because we didn't want to get married without you."

"But what about the guests? Or the officiator, or reception? That isn't going to be easy to reschedule."

"Michelle," Dad said, "we were planning on having a small ceremony with my clan. They understood the situation and, schedules allowing, will be at the wedding when it does happen. As for the reception, we were doing a potluck, so it hardly matters."

"All right," I said slowly. When they'd talked about the wedding, they'd mentioned it being at Dad's house, but I hadn't realized that most of the guests would be friends from his clan. It made sense, but I'd had a demon to deal with, so my attention hadn't been focused on the ceremony's details.

"Now that you're safe, we'll reschedule." Mom reached across the table and patted my hand.

We concentrated on our food, having abandoned it during the discussion. From the other end of the table, I heard Priscele say, "Surely you'd welcome company on this cold winter night."

Rolling my eyes, I glanced at Elron. We'd heard something similar on one of his first nights here. Elron winked before saying, "Liam, I have an electric blanket you may borrow."

The corner of Liam's mouth twitched. "I may take you up on that."

Priscele leaned against Liam's shoulder. "Surely you want a natural warmth."

"My room has a fireplace," Liam commented as he tore into a slice of pepperoni pizza.

Priscele scooted closer to him, and he promptly angled his chair so the back was to her. That didn't slow her down; she simply leaned over his shoulder and whispered in his ear. I don't know what she said, but Liam's head whipped around and he gave an honest-to-God growl. "Get off of me."

Priscele slowly slid back into her own seat.

Liam wasn't done. His voice was rough with anger. "I told you to leave me alone once before. Next time you do this, I'm taking a bite out of you. I may start with your hand."

Her mouth formed an O, and she scooted her chair away from him.

"I told you that you were welcome to return as long as you didn't harass the other guests," Landa said in a stern voice. "If you do this one more time, you'll be evicted and won't be allowed on the property again."

Priscele nodded and squeaked, "Sorry."

Liam didn't acknowledge her, but Landa gave her a curt nod.

It might've gotten awkward at that point, but the dish of gingerbread cookies floated over. Landa removed the lid, took out a cookie, and started passing them around the table. I took a cookie shaped like a woman and bit off the head. It was soft, warm, and spicy, just the way I liked it.

As dinner wound down, I did my best to stay out of the conversation and avoid any discussion about my adventures. All I wanted to do was go up to my apartment, relax, and go to bed. A few minutes later, after hugs, promises to talk tomorrow, and more than a few assessing looks, I was able to make my escape.

Elron caught up with me at the door to my apartment. "Are you sure you want to be alone?"

I turned to face him. "I don't want to be alone, but I can't do another conversation about what happened and what might happen."

"There's a special on about magical items and stories unique to Japan. We could put that on."

"Come on in." It was the best offer I'd heard in hours. Unlike earlier, when the TV had been an excuse to hold off conversation and still spend time together, this was an interesting program front and center.

Inside my apartment, I closed the door and flipped on the lights. Elron went to the kitchen to brew some tea, and I made my way from window to window, closing the blinds. I hadn't had good luck with windows lately, and I didn't want to wake up and have another message on my window, or a ghoul outside it, be the first thing I saw in the morning.

I flipped on the TV and found the show. Elron came over and handed me a mug of hot chocolate. He sat down next to me, and I scooted over until I was leaning against his shoulder.

We'd missed the introduction, but that didn't distract from the rest of the program. They showed ancient drawings of heads detached from bodies, items that became animated after one hundred years, and women who could turn into spiders. One of the animated items they showed was a simple clay teapot. As many times as they showed it, I never could figure out how to tell that it was animated because it wasn't doing anything. Maybe if I saw it in person I would feel something that couldn't be experienced through a television.

The animated items were of special interest to the two of us. According to legend, they had to be with a demon for a hundred years, at which point they would develop something of a personality. According to the show, that was a rumor that couldn't be confirmed since demons didn't exist and these things still showed up from time to time.

Elron and I exchanged at look at the bit about demons not existing. Evidently news of Gremory hadn't gotten around yet, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that. You couldn't protect against a danger you didn't know existed. On the other hand, widespread knowledge could spark a panic, and I didn't need anyone tracking the information back to me. The demons looking for me didn't need any help.

I fell asleep on the couch with Elron's arm over my shoulders and my head resting on his chest. When I woke up the next morning, I was alone on the sofa, but from the sounds of breathing, I could tell I wasn't alone in the room. I sat up, and sure enough, Elron was sleeping on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

If I was a decent cook, I'd have made him breakfast as a thank-you. Since I was as likely to burn the eggs as I was to prepare them properly, I decided to make tea instead. His eyes fluttered as I tiptoed by, but I didn't stop until I was in the kitchen. I put a pot of water on the stove and set out two mugs with tea bags.

Before the water got to a boil, he was leaning against the fridge, hair mussed but otherwise wide-awake. When the water was hot enough, I poured it, handed him a mug, kissed him on the cheek, and whispered, "Thank you."

Elron smiled. "Anything for a lady."

"I'm going to shower. You can stay if you'd like." I returned his smile.

"I'll be here when you're finished."

I gently clacked our mugs and headed out of the kitchen.

As I was dressing after my shower, I picked up the circular bronze medallion with a hole in the middle that had been given to me by Leshy Apalchen. Before the forest spirit had given the medallions to Elron and me, they had been worn by Varro, a fey who'd been the last of the Hunters, a group devoted to killing demons. He'd died teaching Elron and me how to kill demons, and other than the few things he'd managed to write down, any knowledge he hadn't communicated directly to us had died with him.

He'd been frank in most of his conversations, which had made his depiction of the medallions all the more frustrating. He'd made it sound like the medallions were only meant for Hunters and their fellows who fought evil and injustice, and the medallions' abilities depended on the bearer, so we should be attentive to any signs they gave us.

Since my medallion hadn't been wedding attire, I'd left it at home. Maybe things would've turned out different if it'd been with me, but I was glad the witches hadn't gotten a look at it. I clipped the necklace on and settled the cold metal against my chest. It would be staying with me from now on.

I went back into the main room of my apartment. Elron was there, and from his damp hair, it looked like he'd taken a quick shower. There was a cart carrying enough food for a small group of people. The door opened after a cursory knock, and Nana came in, followed by my parents.

"Nana, such a good surprise." I rushed over to give her a hug. She smiled, green eyes sparkling, and held me tight. She'd changed her hair color from neon green to a cobalt blue.

"Oh, you had me worried."

"I'm sor—"

"Did you whack Gretchen?"

"I did my best."

"Good." Nana pushed me toward Mom and Dad.

"It's good to see you. Though I wasn't expecting you." I sent Elron a look. He shrugged.

Mom looked sheepish. "Elron invited us. I hope you don't mind."

I did mind, but only because I knew what we would end up discussing, but I didn't say that. We would be having these conversations one way or another. "I don't mind at all. Make yourself at home."

From the side, Elron nodded approvingly. Sometimes he acted like an old man who knew best. Problem was I couldn't tease him for this one, because he was right.

Everyone helped set the table while making idle chitchat. We'd all slept well. It was nice and sunny today, even if it was cold. When we finally sat down to breakfast, I knew that somewhere between the quiche and muffins we'd end up talking about clans.

"Nancy and I were thinking about doing the wedding the day after tomorrow."

"I don't have anything planned," I answered. We needed to do this before they found a reason to postpone it for another quarter century.

Mom beamed. "Good, and we want you to bring Elron."

"Elron, do you want to be my plus one to a wedding?" I asked. There was nothing subtle about their invitation. I'm sure they thought I had a better chance of making it to their house in one piece if I had someone like Elron with me.

"It would be my pleasure to participate in the happy event," he said warmly, smiling at my parents. Since he'd invited them over, that was the answer I expected.

Mom tried not to look too happy, and Dad nodded, but I could tell he was satisfied. I couldn't tell what Nana was thinking, but she liked Elron.

"Do any of you know why Gretchen is so focused on having me be minister?" I asked.

"She's fixated on keeping our family in power. We're one of the few clans who have a"—she searched for right phrase—"quasi-hereditary ministry, and if it passes out of the family, there's no guarantee that our family will ever return to the ministry. I think the status has gotten to her head and she thinks of herself as a queen."

That sounded about right, but it reminded me of another question. "Gretchen tried to bait me with a vague reference to our family history. What was that about?"

"I assume she was referring to the story of our ancestor saving the clan from vampires and being given the ministry for her efforts. Her daughter then uncovered a sorcerer and a plot to destroy the clan. They changed the clan laws so she could inherit the ministry."

"Oh." That was a story I'd like to hear in more detail, but this didn't seem like the right time. "Did that story mention a clan scar that looked like mine?"

"No," Mom said. "Did Mom ask about your clan scar?"

I nodded.

"What did she say?" Nana asked.

"She wanted to know what it looked like. We weren't getting along at the time, so there wasn't any elaboration."

"I don't know why she would ask," Mom said.

"You said they have a large library. Maybe she found something," Dad said.

"That's possible, but we aren't likely to get our hands on that information," I said.

"Some of those books are one of a kind," Mom said.

"There could be some relevant text in our library," Nana offered.

"Okay, so we don't know." I sighed. "Figures."

After a long pause, Nana redirected the conversation. "I have a care package for you."

"Oh?"

Nana passed a box to Elron, who handed it to me. It was wrapped in gaudily flowered paper and held together with a white bow. I slid the bow off, pried open the top, and started pulling things out. The first thing was a pair of gloves. They would get some use this winter since my favorite pair had gotten lost during the abduction. I smiled at Nana and kept pulling things out of the box. "Just-add-milk cookie mix? And a massage? It's too much."

"I heard how banged up you were. Even after a healing, nothing makes you feel better than a massage. You have one more."

The only thing left was an unmarked rectangular box. I opened it to see a rolled-up mat and eight flat-nosed darts. When the mat unrolled, Gretchen's face was looking back at me. There were rings on her face, each one with a number in them. I picked up the dart and dropped it onto the mat. Yup, Nana had gotten me a magnetic dart set with Gretchen as the target.

Elron started laughing.

"That isn't appropriate," Dad protested.

"What?"

"Encouraging violence? Did you think this through?"

"Michelle needs an outlet. I made it years ago after dealing with Gretchen at several conferences." Nana turned to me. "The scratches on the darts were honestly earned. My aim was dreadful in the beginning, but I got better." She winked.

Mom patted Dad's arm. "Don't be offended on my account. I may have done something similar with crayons and coloring paper when Michelle was young."

"Am I the only one who hasn't used Gretchen for target practice?" Dad demanded.

"I haven't used it yet."

"Men deal directly with what upsets us," Elron said. "Women are trickier creatures, making dart boards."

"So you haven't turned a picture of Gretchen into an archery target?"

"Of course not. I put her picture on a practice dummy, to which I've dealt nineteen deathblows."

Even Dad laughed that time.

Chapter 11: Michelle

Two seconds after the door clicked shut behind them, Elron asked, "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad? No, I was surprised and worried when we sat down to eat, but we needed to talk." I paused. "Are you sure you want to come to the wedding?"

"I am sure. It will be interesting to see what type of ceremony Greg's clan does, and you seem to need a bodyguard."

I rolled my eyes and groaned. "Don't start."

Elron tapped my nose with a finger. "You seem to need an elf in shining armor."

"Most girls get Prince Charming. I get a geriatric elf."

"Mature, not geriatric."

I carried a stack of plates to the sink. "All you need are spectacles and a cane to complete the look."

He snorted. "This from the girl who cannot walk through woods without kissing dirt."

"Hey, it's not every day I'm running for my life through a forest."

"In all my years, I have never seen a person so favored by nature who was so hopeless."

"I'm a witch not a deer."

"Perhaps we should practice your woodland abilities."

Oh no, not another set of lessons. "Thank you, but that was the last time I'll be bumbling around the woods. Besides, not all of us are as naturally gifted as elves."

"That is clear, but practice would improve your skills."

"But life is calming down. Or it will as soon as this mess with my grandmother is settled."

He deposited a serving dish on the cart and swung around to look at me. "I still have the Call."

Shrugging, I said, "So?"

"My Calling is tied to you. As long as I have this push, it is unlikely that we will have uneventful lives. It is unlikely that these adventures will end with the Wapiti."

"How do you know that? This could be the last thing." That sounded more like wishful thinking than reality.

He shook his head. "With warnings of demons yet to come, Varro's medallions around our necks, family conflicts, and police cases? Life shall be interesting for some time."

I sagged against a counter. I'd been doing a really good job of avoiding putting everything together until he said it like that. Sylvia's warning of additional demons had seemed more like fearmongering than truth, but she hadn't lied about anything else. And as much as I wanted Varro's necklaces to be trinkets, I knew better. The clans were their own problem, one I didn't have an answer for yet. With a little luck, the police would take care of them for me—but I wouldn't bet on it.

"After…" Unable to find the right words, I waved my hand in the air. "I keep hoping life will go back to the way it was, with nothing more than simple police cases. But that's not going to happen, is it? If I were an elf, I'd have a Calling, but I'm a witch so I have the stupid Ieldra mark. No matter what I hope, the craziness of the world is locked on to me… us."

"We are never given more than we can handle."

"Maybe, maybe not." I snorted. "If I'm going to be stuck with demons and witches, at least I have a crotchety elf who's looking out for me."

"No more than you have done for me." Elron kissed the back of my hand. "Chin up."

"Thank you," I said.

"Hmm?"

"For having my back, being there when I need you, and wanting to be in my life."

"Is that not what a"—he said the word slowly—"boyfriend does?"

"It's what good partners do, be they boyfriends, girlfriends, or just friends." As I said that he froze, and I hurried through the rest. "But I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend."

Elron relaxed and smiled. "I know I have said that my Calling draws me to you, but it does not define my feelings. Calling or no, I want to be with you."

"I never doubted that." And I hadn't. The Calling could've accounted for some of his actions, but it couldn't make him care, watch over me, or seek me out when he was sad. Those were his feelings.

"Michelle, I love you."

I didn't hesitate to reply. "I love you too." There were many types of love, but we'd moved past the love of friends into something deeper and more romantic. This was a love I intended to nurture, to keep strong for years to come.

The moment was broken by a knock on the door. Elron stepped back. "Come in."

Landa came in. "Are you finished with the cart?"

"Yes, breakfast was delicious," I said.

"My pleasure, child." She rolled the cart out of the apartment, and the door swung shut behind her.

"What time did Rodriguez say you could retrieve your vehicle?"

I checked the clock. "They'll be open."

"I can drive you into town. I have to go to the university today, so it is not an inconvenience," Elron said.

"That would be nice, thank you." Maybe I could reclaim the rest of the stuff from my car. My purse, phone, dress for the wedding, and the kit I usually took to cases were all in there. I pushed away from the counter. "When do you want to get going?"

"We can leave whenever you want. All I have to do is grab a bag from my apartment and I will be ready."

"Let's get going now. I can't do anything useful here, and I want to get my car back." I had serious doubts that my car would be exactly as I'd been forced to leave it. There had to be something they'd considered evidence. Something small and inconsequential would be preferred, since I could replace floor mats and the like without much trouble.

"Meet me at the front door." Elron let himself out.

I filled a travel mug with tea and a large bottle with water, then ran to the bathroom to brush my teeth and braid my hair. On the way out, I had to stop myself from checking for keys or my purse. Even my sunglasses had been in the car.

Elron was downstairs, a messenger bag hanging off one shoulder and two small canvas bags in his hand. He gave me one of them, and we headed outside. Peeking inside, I found a variety of snack food and a sandwich. I stuck the bottle of water in the bag and slid into his car.

It was a quiet ride into town. Elron wished me good luck when he dropped me off. I gave him an uncertain smile and thanked him. He drove off slowly, as if he thought I would call him back at any moment.

As grateful as I was to everyone who'd helped me, I was getting tired of saying thank you all the time. I was starting to sound like a broken record.

I went inside but didn't get a chance to talk to the man behind desk because Rodriguez came out of the back room, a stack of papers in his hand.

When he saw me, he smiled and raised his hand in a greeting. "Michelle, I thought you'd be in today."

"I've got to get my car back. Can't help people with magical emergencies without transportation."

Rodriguez looked at the guy at the desk. "I've got this one." The man nodded, and Rodriguez looked at me. "Come on. You've got a lot of paperwork."

Giving a resigned sigh, I followed him into a small room with a table barely large enough for the three chairs that surrounded it and a cup of pens in the center. I took a seat next to Rodriguez.

He handed me my phone. "You can catch up on messages while I get the paperwork."

I nodded and he left the room. After checking my messages—which included ten from my parents, two from Elron, and several from Tiffany and Amber—I called Amber and left a message telling her that I was home safe and wanted to get together. Tiffany's phone also went straight to voice mail, so I did the same thing.

Rodriguez came back in with two chubby files. "I'm sorry about this, but the paperwork is mandatory."

I shrugged. It wasn't like it was a surprise.

"Bad news first. I found evidence that one of your tires was tampered with, giving you a flat."

I had a feeling I knew where this was going, and it wasn't in a positive direction.

"Bottom line, we had to keep the one wheel: tire, rim, everything. The rest of the car is fine, as are your belongings. When you leave here today, you'll have your purse, magical supplies, dress, and phone."

"My car is a tripod?" I skipped right over all the good news. My car wasn't a three-wheeler; it needed all four wheels to run, and my spare was a little donut that was only good for forty miles. I'd barely make it through the day with that thing.

"Deep breath, Michelle. It's not as bad as it sounds."

"Then how bad is it?" If there was good news about my car, this would be the time to share.

"I know you need the car, so I called my cousin. He works at a scrapyard and found an identical wheel and a lightly used tire, so we put them on your car."

"Rodriguez, you didn't have to do that. Thank you." He'd made sure that I would have a useable car today, rather than spending several hours getting it towed to a shop and repaired.

"I know, but I wanted to. You've had a rough few weeks, and you've always been there when we needed you, so it only seemed fair that we return the favor." His cheeks were turning pink.

"I'll send a card or something. That was really nice."

"Keep that in mind as you go through the paperwork." He slid the first sheet over. "Initial here, print your name there, and sign at the bottom."

I took the pen from him, and we went through a stack of paper that was larger than what I'd had to sign when I bought the car. When we were done, he handed me the key and led me around the side of the building. There it was, sitting on four wheels and missing the thick coat of dust that had covered it last time I'd seen it.

"You washed it too?"

"Something between washed and collected evidence."

I gave him a hug. "You do your momma proud."

Rodriguez groaned. "Don't let the other guys hear you saying that. Off you go. I'll call you when I hear back from the local police."

Smiling, I thanked him again and hurried to my car. Sure enough, all my stuff was inside. I checked my phone again before I hit the road and found messages from Amber and Tiffany. They wanted to meet for a late lunch at the cafe. After checking the clock, I returned the messages and solidified the plan. It would be nice to see them, and I had plenty of time to run home and empty out my car before lunch.

I turned onto the road. The new tire was a little bit noisier than my old one, but it held air, and that's what mattered. While I was cruising down the road, I debated what protections I could put on my car to prevent another abduction.

It wasn't as simple as blocking a specific spell or creating a power threshold. With enough witches, they could counter any spells I was able to cast. And if they could counter the spell, then I was looking at it the wrong way. What I needed to do was put a spell on the car they would manipulate, and have their work trigger a second spell. The second spell could backlash against them and warn me of their actions. That might be as good as it got. Next time I had a few minutes to spare, I'd do the spells.

Nearing the driveway to the lodge, I slowed down. There was a plain cardboard box leaning against a tree. The mailbox was closer to the house, and any other delivery service would have gone to the door, so that box shouldn't have been there.

Double-checking the rearview to make sure no one was behind me, I slowed down to a crawl. While it was possible that the package was innocent, enough things had happened lately that suspicion was second nature. Plus it felt wrong.

Scanning the road and tree line, I checked for people or anything else that caught my eye. When I didn't see anything, I stopped the car several feet from the driveway, debating what I should do next. Calling Rodriguez over a box seemed like an overreaction, but opening it didn't seem smart either. Since I couldn't sit in the road debating the problem much longer, I decided that the best thing I could do was get to the lodge and tell Landa about it.

I swung out wide, wanting to give the box plenty of room. My car bumped off the pavement and onto the gravel. I crept along, trying to avoid throwing any gravel at the box. Then it happened—a sturdy piece of rock took flight and hit the box squarely on the side.

The top popped open and a puff of smoke emerged. As slow as I was going, I had to slam on the brakes to avoid the brick wall that appeared in front of me. I shifted into reverse and had my foot on the gas, ready to back out of the driveway and make my getaway, when another brick wall appeared behind me.

That was it; I bailed out of the car, darting into the brush on the side of the driveway. Safely behind a tree, wand out, I watched as my car was boxed in by magical brick walls. At least I wasn't trapped in there with it.

I stretched out my senses. Someone had to be here, because no one would go to the effort of constructing a spell like that without leaving a person or two to ensure success. There—there was a witch on the other side of my car. With two brick walls between us, I couldn't see her, but I could sense she was there. A second witch was close, but the amount of power in the air from the wall spells was masking her position. The residual magic could be blocking my ability to sense other things too, but I couldn't worry about that now.

Looking around, I couldn't see her, but she was getting closer so I had to figure out my next move. Staying put didn't seem like a good choice. I didn't have much cover and I was near the car, which was the first place they'd look when they realized I wasn't inside their spell. Although moving wasn't a great option either. I could change position only to run into one of them, or it was also possible that one or both of them already knew where I was and was coming for me. I would be able to tell if they were casting a spell, but they would know the same about me.

That made it seem like they had all the advantages, but this was my home ground. These woods and this earth cared about me and had helped me in the past, and now there was an elf living here who had encouraged their affection and given them incentive to be more opinionated than the average forest.

A spell came at me, and I had enough time to panic but not enough time to deflect it. I really hoped it didn't hurt.

The spell never hit. Varro's medallion warmed up and ate it. I mean, that's what it looked like from this angle. One instant there was a spell, and the next the medallion felt energized and the spell was gone.

I didn't stop to ponder the sequence of events but darted for another tree. There would be plenty of time to test the medallion later, though after all the tests I'd run on it I wasn't expecting to learn anything but what it wanted to reveal.

Behind me I heard a curse and a thud. Swinging around, I found the brunette, whose name I still didn't know, on her hands and knees. In a matter of seconds, I had her wrapped in magical bonds that nullified her power. One down, one to go.

I'd had enough of being hunted through the woods, so I pictured the other witch sending a beam of purple light into the air and willed the spell into being. A shaft of purple light cut through the canopy about fifty feet away, and I readied my next spell as I headed over.

My strategy was different this time because I wanted to question this witch. What were they trying to do? Why make an attempt near my house? If this was an abduction, it was poorly planned, and that seemed wrong. I kept scanning the area, trying to find additional witches, but any reinforcements were well hidden. Under my feet the ground vibrated. I had backup coming. Any witches hiding in the bushes would get the surprise of their lives when they had to fight Ty.

I got a mostly clear view of the other witch—I didn't recognize her—and popped her into one of my superspecial containment spells. Having done two power-hungry spells in short order, I hoped there weren't any more surprises because I would be short on magic.

Ty skidded to a stop, and I walked into the driveway to greet him. "Hey, boy, does Landa know what's happening?"

He nodded.

"Is she calling the police?"

He nodded again.

"Good. Keep watch. I'm not sure I found all of them."

Ty snorted and went to look at the other side of the driveway.

I was scanning the area, trying to figure out why I still felt uneasy. Maybe it was being attacked outside my home, but I couldn't relax. After two visual and magical searches, I shrugged it off and approached my car. Each of those walls was an independent spell, so I was going to have to unmake all of them before I could get to my car.

It was a good thing I'd stopped the car when I did. Magic might have created the walls, but they would've reacted just like brick if I'd hit them. If memory served, my insurance didn't cover damage from magical attacks. When things settled down, I needed to see if I could put aside some money in case something happened to my car. At this rate, I'd be lucky if it survived the week.

A stick cracked behind me, Ty roared, and I turned to see three witches closing in on me. Sure enough, the magic had been masking them, which seemed like a waste of power to me, but I wasn't the one casting those spells. I risked a glance over my shoulder and found three more. These people weren't giving up.

I flicked my wand at the three closest to me, hitting them with enough force to knock them over. As I darted around the brick wall, I directed another spell at the witches coming at me from behind. That bought me enough time to make it into the tree line.

One of the witches must've deflected the spell, because he was hot on my heels. Ty stepped between us, absorbing a spell that was meant for me. While the witch was distracted, I sank his feet into the ground. The earth cheerfully followed my direction, not stopping until the man was hip deep. In a different area it wouldn't be difficult to escape the spell, but this was my turf.

The rest of the witches would be making their move any time now, so I pictured invisible barriers on each side of the car and forced them into existence. The expenditure sucked the air out of my chest, and I leaned against a tree, trying to find energy reserves.

My cheek tingled, then every part of me that was in contact with the tree tingled, and a wave of energy poured into me. In a second I went from hoping I could cast another spell to feeling like I'd just woken up from a good night's sleep. Gasping, I broke the connection.

"Thank you," I whispered, patting the tree. It pulsed against my hand.

One of the witches came around the car at a run, hit the invisible barrier, and ended up a couple of feet back, moaning. The guy behind her slowed and approached the wall with a hand out. He stopped a safe distance from it and started feeling for an edge.

Oh, no, I wasn't having any of that. I sent a jolt of energy through the wall. It zapped him hard enough that he jerked back with some salty language.

On the other side, the three witches had linked hands and were working on a complex spell. Ty knocked them apart, and the backlash of the interrupted spell sent two of them tumbling to the ground.

The barrier went down, and the third one bolted past Ty, sending a stun in my general direction. I reflected it, and he wasn't fast enough to save him from a numb foot. His run turned into a shuffle as he hobbled forward.

The guy in the ground set fire to the bushes around me.

"Gebo." I doused myself and the area in water before gifting him with a gag and binding his arms to his body. He'd have trouble casting like that.

The guy shuffling toward me raised his wand, and I wrapped a compulsion spell around my voice. "Leave here and bother me no more."

He paused. I wasn't sure if it was going to work, but I didn't have time to watch him. The two battling Ty weren't having much luck. They kept casting spells, but they weren't having the desired effect. Meanwhile, Ty was doing a good job at scaring them and keeping them away from me.

The remaining two witches had dismantled their wall, and I looked over just in time to see a spell coming my direction. I scrambled out of the way as a large branch fell from the tree. The pine needles brushed against my legs as I avoided being squished.

Now that was an uptick in aggression. Until now they'd been trying to capture, not injure, me.

"Leave," I shouted, using the remains of the compulsion spell. It didn't even slow them down.

I held out my hand and blasted them with raw energy. They flew back, and it looked like one of them landed on an arm.

Looking around, I saw that the first witch I'd used the compulsion spell on was turning onto the main road, and another witch was still trapped in the ground. Down the driveway, Ty could use a hand. They'd gotten magical ropes on him, and he was starting to fall.

Sprinting in that direction, I shredded the ropes spell and hastily sank one of them into the ground. The other hit me with blast of power, and what air the magic didn't force out of me, the impact with the ground did.

Rolling to the side, I shook my head, trying to clear it enough to cast. My wand was still in my hand, but my eyes were blurry. Blinking rapidly, I got them to focus just in time to see her fling a stun spell in my direction. I deflected it, barely, and popped her in a basic shield bubble. "Sowil."

Ty got to his feet and shook himself like a dog.

Gravel crunched, and I remembered the other two witches. Scrambling around, I saw another tree branch coming at me. The magical nudge was enough for it to go flying past me, but that didn't stop the man behind it from flinging himself at me along with another spell, and this time I didn't have time to do anything.

Ty lunged forward, grabbed the guy, and tossed him into the air. The spell never hit, so Ty must've gotten close enough to absorb it.

The witch screamed as he flew through the air, and I hoped he had a couple of spells in reserve or he wasn't going to survive the sudden deceleration at the end of his flight.

"Good boy, Ty. Good boy."

The sound of sirens reached my ears, and help was almost here… just in time to clean up the mess.

Chapter 12: Michelle

"Lord have mercy, Michelle. How do you get into these messes?" Rodriguez asked as the third ambulance left the area.

I sighed rather than attempting to voice an answer. Besides, what could I say? Oh, this was clearly my fault. I was driving home, minding my own business, when they decided to practice guerrilla warfare on me.

"It doesn't look like he's going to make it," Rodriguez continued.

"Self-defense." Not only for me, but for the witch species. Anyone stupid enough to mess with a girl and her dinosaur didn't deserve to breed. Of course, by that standard, most of the Wapiti should be removed from the gene pool.

"I'm not sure how plausible that is since your pet T. rex is invulnerable to harm, but he was defending you." He sighed. "Considering the documentation we have on the Wapiti's continued harassment of you, it shouldn't raise too many eyebrows."

Nodding, I asked, "How are you going to do the investigation and free my car?"

"Working on that," he said before walking off.

It was a valid question. If anyone else had been the victim, they would've called me in to investigate the magical aspect of the crime. With the current circumstances, that didn't seem a likely solution. Rodriguez wasn't powerful enough to free my car, and using a different witch would cost them a lot of money.

I wanted to feel bad about the two witches I'd injured—one had a broken arm and the other was getting head X-rays—but I couldn't. I should have felt worse about the witch who was likely to die because Ty had tossed him in the air, but I was too busy being grateful that I wasn't hurt. Maybe if I'd hurt a few of them when they were holding me captive, they would've understood how far I would go to defend myself. When you attacked someone, injury or death was an understood risk.

Gretchen was to blame for all of this. If she hadn't been so determined to have me join the clan, all of us would have much happier lives. I hoped my grandmother and her followers went to jail for a long time. Years would be good; decades would be better. For all the nonsense I'd heard from other people about how there was nothing better than family, and how families stick together, that wasn't my experience so far. Though Nana was doing her best to prove that there were good families out there, and that was something I had to remember.

Mom and Dad had taken the news rather well when I'd called them. They could be getting numb to Gretchen's antics, but I had a feeling they were so relieved that I hadn't been recaptured or harmed that other emotions had been dulled. It had taken some fast talking, but after multiple assurances from Landa, me, and even Rodriguez, they were convinced that I was fine and would be at the wedding tomorrow. I'd warned them that Gretchen could lay a trap for them too, and they'd assured me they would be on guard. I hoped it was enough.

I still needed to tell Elron, but if I told him now, he'd rush home from work and I would spend the afternoon with him hovering over me rather than having lunch with the girls. However, if I waited, it would hurt his feelings, and lunch with my friends wasn't worth that.

The phone was at my ear and ringing before I could think better of it. When it rang over to voice mail, I considered hanging up, but it would be worse if he heard about it from the news.

"Hey, it's Michelle. There was an incident with the Wapiti. Don't worry, I'm fine. Really, I'm fine. I'm meeting Tiffany and Amber for lunch. Keep an eye out in case the Wapiti try to do something to you."

Elron had a tendency to leave his phone in the office when he was in his greenhouses, but I'd hear from him. Even if he didn't call, he'd ask about it tonight.

"I got the okay for you to free your car as long as we're linked while you undo the spells," Rodriguez said.

I got up and dusted off my backside. "I'm ready when you are."

"Let's do it."

We moved closer to the car and just looked at it. All four of the brick walls were still there, just as sturdy as they'd been when they appeared. I really wanted to get a closer look at the cardboard box that had started this, but Rodriguez had taken it into custody, and I had a feeling it was getting sent to a crime lab or off to another witch. It was the right thing to do, even if it didn't satisfy my curiosity.

"Ready?" I asked.

He nodded.

Opening my shields, I extended something between a tendril of magic and a thought. It took a couple of tries for us to get in sync, but when we did, it was like he was holding my hand and looking over my shoulder. We hadn't linked before, but it typically got easier the more frequently you linked with someone.

The benefit of the link in this case was that it allowed me to disassemble the spells, something Rodriguez couldn't do, while allowing him to see what I did so that he could document the spells and how they were dismantled. He was a good hedge-practitioner, but the humans couldn't move energy like a witch, and he was out of his depth with these spells.

I spent more time than necessary checking to make sure the spells weren't connected because I really wanted to take them down in one go. When I couldn't find anything, I set about unraveling the closest one. It didn't take long for me to find a weakness that I could exploit, and with a few well-placed tugs, the spell disintegrated. I repeated the process with the next three. When they were gone, I gave my car a once-over before breaking the link between Rodriguez and me.

"Nicely done," he said.

Nodding, I asked, "Do you need anything else, or can I go?"

"You're free to go. We'll be clearing out of here soon. Let me know if you find anything we might've missed."

"No problem." I got in my car and slowly rolled the rest of the way down the drive, finally pulling into the lodge. Before the Wapiti invaded my day, I'd had plenty of time, but now I had to rush if I wanted to get to lunch.

I gathered up as much as I could and hauled it up to my apartment. Checking the clock again, I muttered something unkind about the Wapiti, hurried through cleaning myself up, and pelted out the door. There were still a couple of cops along the driveway when I headed back to town. The drive went well enough, and I arrived only a couple of minutes late.

Purse in hand, I headed into the cafe. Amber and Tiffany waved at me from a corner booth, and I waved back. As I slid onto the bench across from them, they looked me over. Yup, they had a lot of questions and weren't going to leave without answers.

"We have a rule: when you're abducted, you owe us a long phone call as soon as you get back." Amber glared at me.

Tiffany's look wasn't much better. "I didn't get a phone call either."

"Sorry?" The looks didn't improve. "Guys, I'm sorry. Next time I'm kidnapped, I'll call you as soon as I get home." I sent them a pleading look.

Amber patted my hand. "Tell us what happened, and we'll forgive you this time."

"Deal." I sighed.

The waitress came over, and the conversation died while we ordered. We came here often enough that I knew my favorites and could order without the menu.

Tiffany waited until the waitress was occupied at the next table before saying, "This kidnapping trend has me worried."

"Trend?" Amber asked.

Tiffany wagged a finger between Amber and me before pointing at herself.

"You'll be fine," I hurried to reassure her. "You don't have a crazy werewolf stalker or an insane grandmother."

She cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you worried?" Amber asked.

"My two best friends have been abducted. Why wouldn't I be concerned?"

"I get the worry, but there were specific things that led to our abductions. Unless you have something like that going on, you shouldn't have anything to worry about," I said.

"I'm worried because the odds of my best friends being abducted within weeks of each other are pretty slim, and two out of three is a pattern."

Shaking my head, I replied, "No, two is a coincidence. Three is a pattern."

Amber cut in before Tiffany could reply. "No one is going to take you. There's no reason for anyone to take you, and if by some strange turn of events they do, the two of us will get you back."

She gave Tiffany an awkward one-armed hug before forcing a grin. "Besides, you're stuck with us."

Tiffany smiled. "I'm stuck with you? At least the food's good here. We'd starve if Michelle was cooking."

I snorted. "Starve? That's being melodramatic."

"You forget, I've had your cooking."

The waitress returned and distributed our food and drinks. My order of hot tea came on a tray with a cup, pot of hot water, tea bag, sugar container, and small pitcher of half-and-half. A lump of sugar and a cup of hot water later, my tea was brewing.

My vegetable-and-cheese soup was hot enough that I ended up doing most of the talking while the two of them ate. I told them an abbreviated version of my adventures, starting with my abduction and ending with this morning's attack.

"You're cursed," Tiffany said. "No one can attract that many dangerous situations naturally."

"That's mean," Amber said.

"No, it's true. Look at her. Ty squished a town before taking a liking to her, the two of us fought a werewolf to rescue you, then Gremory came along, and now her own family is attacking her. Who has that kind of misfortune?"

"I do." I paused. "But I wouldn't call it misfortune. It's just life. Mine happens to be overly exciting. I'm looking forward to it settling down as much as the next person."

"How do you do it? How do you hold it together?" Tiffany pressed.

"I don't know. I just do. What other choice is there?" I said with a shrug.

Amber gave Tiffany a look before asking, "Why does Gretchen want you to join the clan?"

"She said it was to give me better educational opportunities and because being minister was my birthright. Some of what she said was tempting. I could learn a lot from them, but… I'm scared. Attacking me like this? I don't know if I would be safe once I joined the clan or if I would be allowed to make my own choices."

"Sounds like a cult," Tiffany said.

"Feels like one too. It's like I'm some sort of symbol to Gretchen, and it doesn't matter how she gets her hands on me as long as she does." Not to mention her questions about my clan scar. I still didn't know why that had been interesting to her, but it meant something or she wouldn't have asked about it.

"Do you want to be a minister?" Amber asked.

"No, not really. I'm not sure." I sighed. "Maybe if I'd been introduced to the clans under different circumstances, it would seem like an interesting job, but I don't know those people, their way of life, and I don't want to. Gretchen wants what I represent, not me. And I like my job."

"This morning made the third?"—Tiffany waited for me to nod before continuing—"act of violence against you. Run. Run and don't look back."

"That's what I want to do, but I can't get away from everything clan related. Nana's awesome, and Mom's joining Dad as a member of the Docga soon. I'm stuck with some of it, and that would be fine if it didn't include Gretchen or additional responsibilities."

By the time the questions turned into debates, my soup was cool enough that I could focus on eating while the two of them talked at me. It didn't matter if I could reply, because they didn't give me enough time to swallow my food and answer their questions before launching into another lengthy dialogue.

"She did the right thing," Amber said stubbornly.

"Elron's been teaching her the staff, she could've fought them," Tiffany exclaimed.

I broke into the debate. "Anyone want pie? They have key lime today."

They gave me sheepish looks.

"Give it a rest. We can continue reviewing every move I made at a later date. For now, I'd like to enjoy the rest of lunch and talk about something, anything, else."

Amber signaled the waitress. We ordered dessert, and I asked for another pot of tea.

The waitress slipped her order pad and pen into her apron and picked up the used cup and pot. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks," I said. When she'd moved off, I looked at my friends. They were well-meaning, but the endless conversations about my misadventures had gotten old, and it was fresh enough that constantly talking about it wasn't helping my state of mind.

Picking a new topic, I focused my attention on Amber. "How are you and Mark doing?"

"As good as I could hope, I guess. He's patient and kind when I have a bad day, and he isn't bothered by me turning feathery," Amber answered softly.

"That's good," I said. Amber had dealt with her abduction better than anyone had expected, including me, but that didn't change the fact that it had happened and it was easy for her to see danger where there wasn't any. Liam had taken the time to sit down with her and talk on a couple of occasions, and she was no longer frightened by the existence of werewolves. I'd be lucky to recover half as well.

Mark being able to handle her on a feathery day was just as important. Amber was a werepeacock, one of the few in the area. Technically she was a peahen since she was female, but that confused everyone, so she called herself a peacock.

Humans like Mark weren't always willing to date shifters, and it had taken Amber a while to fess up to her true nature. It wasn't the most honest way to date, but she had more in common with humans than most shifters. Unlike werebears, werewolves, or wereowls, Amber wasn't a big, bad predator. She was soft and gentle.

"I had doubts about him, but he's really proven himself," Tiffany commented.

"I'm lucky to have him," Amber admitted with a small smile.

The waitress returned, handed out the desserts, and set a new cup and pot of water on my tea tray. The new teacup and pot were of a matching Japanese design. The cup was short, handleless, and white with blue flowers and shapes decorating the outside. The matching teapot was tall, with a bamboo handle arching over the top. I smiled and thanked the waitress as she left, trying not to look irritated since Varro's medallion had gotten warm and was making my skin prickle with what felt like discharges of static electricity.

I shifted in my seat and reached up to adjust the medallion. It zapped my finger through my shirt, and I bit my lip to keep from making a noise. The shock was its last act of rebellion. I scooted it around, and the warmth and static electricity died down.

"Are you okay?" Amber asked.

"I'm fine," I answered.

Amber nodded, as if she wasn't sure she believed me, before turning to Tiffany and asking, "Have you had any dates lately?"

I didn't pay much attention to her answer. Varro's directions about the medallion had been vague, but he'd specifically mentioned paying attention to it. This seemed like the type of thing that deserved attention, but I didn't know what I was looking for.

I scanned the room, but everything looked normal. People were eating lunch, drinking coffee, talking to their friends, working on their computers, or reading books. A lady in the corner was people watching, but that wasn't unusual.

"What do you think, Michelle? Should Tiffany go out with this guy?" Amber asked.

I jerked my attention back to my friends and knew I'd missed a vital part of the conversation. Stammering, I answered, "Um, yes. You haven't been on a date in ages. A fun night out would be good for you."

"Told you so," Amber said.

Tiffany glared at both of us. "I don't know."

"Do it," I said. "You're overdue for a date."

"Fine. I'll call him tonight."

"Good," Amber said with a smile.

I nodded my agreement. Unwrapping my tea bag, I set it in the cup and added a sugar cube. The medallion warmed, and I ignored it, reaching for the teapot. When my hand grabbed the handle, the medallion started zapping me with little static discharges. Gritting my teeth, I poured the water into the cup and set the teapot back on the tray. When my hand was free of the teapot, the medallion calmed down.

I looked around the room again, but I didn't see anything suspicious. If I had less faith in Varro's abilities, I'd say the medallion was broken. However, Varro wouldn't keep a dysfunctional item, so it had to do something well and reliably. Until I could figure out what it was doing, all the warmth and shocks in the world wouldn't do any good.

Picking up my fork, I stabbed my pie and took a big bite.

"Michelle, how are things going with Elron?"

It was a good thing that I had a mouth full of pie, or I would've been stammering and looking all sorts of silly. I chewed my pie slowly, using the time to regain my composure. "Why do you ask?"

Tiffany shrugged. "You're clearly more than friends."

"Okay, there's something there."

"Oh, come on. It's more than something." Amber rolled her eyes.

I shifted on my seat, uncomfortable with the conversation. "What do you want me to say? Yes, there's something between us, but we're taking it slow."

With a glance at Amber, Tiffany said, "We guessed that much. Where's it going?"

"This morning he said he was my boyfriend. I'd say that's progress."

"For Elron that's a big step," Amber said.

"Yes. After Sylvia's death I didn't think we would make it, but we're starting to heal, and we're doing it together." Even if he had been estranged from his previous partner for two centuries, her death had hurt. He hadn't said as much, but I thought those events had helped him see that he needed to take advantage of the good life offered.

"Has he talked about her?" Tiffany asked.

"Not since we sprinkled her ashes in the river. I think he's talked to Landa. They're old friends, and she might have known Sylvia. I get the feeling he wants to keep the past and present separate, and I don't know if it's because he sees me as young"—which I was compared to him—"or if he's trying to keep a distance between then and now."

"I bet it's mostly habit," Amber said. "In his mind, Sylvia is an 'old' problem, so he talks to old friends. The man adores you; he's not going to hurt you intentionally. Remember how he clung to you after Sylvia's and Varro's deaths?"

Since I'd just gotten him to leave me alone for more than six hours at a time, I was well aware that we'd been inseparable. It had been sweet at first, especially when we were both injured, but it had quickly gotten to the point where I was looking forward to a case. He'd relented after a sharply worded conversation, however that progress might've been lost thanks to my grandmother.

"I do, and if you'd seen the way he looked at me…" I shook my head. "He'll move mountains to stay with me, and he proved that with the latest rescue."

They nodded, not out of satisfaction with my answers, but because they were smart enough to realize that that was all they were going to get. I settled my hands around my teacup, gauging the temperature. Satisfied that it was cool enough to drink, I picked it up.

A sharp, hot pain ripped through my right hand, and something sank into the web of skin between my thumb and fingers. Yelping, I let go of the teacup and looked down. Hot tea splashed across my chest and lap. The teacup was biting my hand.

Chapter 13: Michelle

I grabbed the cup with my left hand and tried to tug it loose. Biting the inside of my lip, I managed to prevent a scream. A section of the cup had opened up like a mouth and sunk an uneven edge into my hand.

Careful to support the teacup with my left hand, I relaxed my arms, resting the cup against the table. The lack of pressure reduced the pain, but it didn't help me understand why a teacup had bitten me.

There was movement across the table and in the rest of the cafe, but my attention was fixed on the teacup. Now that I was looking, I could feel the magic, but it wasn't a type of spell I recognized. If anything, it felt possessed more than charmed. If this was another attack from the Wapiti, it was a strange one.

I grabbed a napkin and shoved power into it, making it solid enough that I could wedge it into the edge of the teacup's mouth. Nothing happened.

On a hunch, I added a spell to the napkin, giving it an illusion of being part of me, a more magical part. Moving the napkin out of its mouth, I dangled it three inches above my hand.

For a long moment nothing happened, but then the teacup released my hand and chomped on the decoy. Before anything else could happen, I slapped a shield around the teacup. I didn't know what that thing was, and I wasn't willing to give it another chance to make trouble.

Someone jerked my right hand off the table and swaddled it in a wad of towels. I probed the captured teacup. It wasn't getting out of the shield bubble, but it had a connection to the teapot. I captured the teapot in a shield before it had a chance to make any mischief.

As soon as I got the shield around the teapot, Varro's medallion stopped zapping me, and the heat it was emitting leveled out.

"What happened? Michelle, what happened?" Amber grabbed my shoulder.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. My hand hurt, as much from the pressure she had on it as from the bite. "The teacup bit me."

As confused as she looked, she didn't question it. She yelled over her shoulder, "Did you call the ambulance?"

"It's on its way." Our waitress rushed over, phone against her ear.

Tiffany was still sitting across from me with wide eyes and trembling hands. We'd have to talk later. I loved her, but she fell apart in an emergency. Her spunky attitude vanished when things went wrong, and one of these days she was going to have a case get out of hand and be in a world of hurt.

"Could you tell them it's a magical emergency and that Michelle Oaks has it under control?" I asked.

The waitress nodded and relayed the information before telling me, "They're sending Rodriguez."

I nodded and thanked her. With my healthy hand, I dug around in my purse. When I found my keys, I tossed them on the table in front of Tiffany. She looked up at me with big eyes.

"Could you go to my car and get a healing charm? Open the trunk and look for the duffel with the blue band on the strap. If you open it, you'll find healing charms in the pocket marked with the red cross."

She cleared her throat twice. "I'll be right back."

When she swung open the door, I heard sirens. This was going to be a long day.

Looking around, I was surprised by how calm the rest of the customers were. They were mostly standing around, watching the goings-on at my booth. Two of them looked rather green, and one of them rushed to the bathroom. No one seemed to be overly alarmed; maybe they didn't realize what had gone on or were too surprised to be worried.

Two policemen rushed in, followed by paramedics. Outside a horn blasted, and a fire truck rolled into the parking lot. Yup, a very long day.

The medallion was cooling off, which I guessed meant that the danger had passed. Why was it that dishwashers and microwaves came with instructions, when what I really needed was a user's manual for relationships, ancient medallions, and clan politics?

"Ma'am, I'm Officer Kent, how are you doing today?" Officer Kent would've been ugly to a human eye, with his slender limbs, gray-brown skin, and large eyes. His look was unmistakable, and as dark elves went, he was as close to human normal as they came.

"I've had better days."

He gave me a kind smile. "I bet you have. Will you let the paramedics look at you while you tell me what happened?"

I nodded and he moved back. A tall, broad-shouldered woman set a bag on the floor and gently took my hand from Amber.

"I'm Stevie. Could you tell me what happened to your hand?" She slowly moved the towels until she could see where the blood was coming from.

"The teacup bit me."

She looked at the table, back at my hand, and nodded. "Do you have any burns?"

Shaking my head, I answered, "I don't think so. I don't feel great, but the tea wasn't that hot when it spilled." I looked at the police officer. "Could you get a picture of this? I'm a witch, and my friend is going to be coming back with a charm and I'd like to use it."

"Are you sure? Stevie can patch you up, and we can take you to the hospital."

"Officer, I'd rather be healed now."

"Can't blame you." Officer Kent pulled out his phone and took a few pictures of my hand.

"How powerful is the charm?" Stevie asked.

"Until she brings it back, I can't be sure, but I told her to grab one of the weaker ones."

Stevie nodded. "I'd like to clean and bandage your hand; that way we've contained the blood and you've gotten some basic first aid."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Officer, could you get the charm from her?" I pointed at Tiffany, who was picking her way around groups of people.

He nodded and moved away. I winced as Stevie disinfected the cut and moved my hand around to get a better look at the damage the teacup had done.

"You should get this checked out after the charm has done its job. The teacup made a mess of your hand." Stevie folded a gauze pad over the mangled part of my hand and secured it with gauze and tape.

Officer Kent returned with my charm and keys dangling out of his fingers.

"Thanks," I said as I took my keys and charm from him. After pocketing the keys, I rubbed the charm in a smudge of blood on my arm. The charm activated as soon as the blood touched it, and I was pain-free. Well, my jaw hurt from being clenched, but my hand was feeling better. I wedged the charm under the edge of the bandage, against my palm.

"Make sure someone takes a look at that when the charm has done its thing." Stevie patted me on the shoulder, picked up her bag, and walked away.

Cradling my hand, I looked at Officer Kent. "Do you want my statement now?"

He held up a finger. "Not just yet."

I grunted, leaned against the back of the booth, and closed my eyes. There was something weird going on with that tea set, and not just because the cup had taken a bite out of me. The set was lively in a way that would suggest a spell of some type, but I couldn't feel any magic. Oh, there was something there, but I'd need time and a quiet space to figure out what was going on.

This wasn't the time or place to be unraveling the mystery of them. Not only were there too many people around if they reacted badly, but I wasn't up to diving into a magical mystery. Especially one that made clan nonsense come to mind.

"Oaks, what is it going to take to keep you out of trouble?" Rodriguez asked. "Twice in one day has to be a record even for you."

Opening my eyes, I gave him a tight smile. "I wish I knew. This blasted stuff is finding me."

"Looks like it got the better of you this time. Kent, I'll look at the items after you take her statement."

"Miss Oaks, could you tell me what happened?" Kent asked.

I gave a gusty sigh and started the story. I left out the part about Varro's medallion because it wouldn't help their investigation, and I knew the hunk of metal had been warning me, not causing the incident.

"Do you think this could be related to this morning's events?"

"I don't know. I don't see a connection right now." Though I'd look for one later.

When I finished, Kent and Rodriguez exchanged a look. Rodriguez stepped closer to the table and held a hand over the shield containing the teacup. It jumped for his hand, but collided with the shield and fell back to the table. I could feel him examining the teacup and then the teapot, but I knew his abilities. If these things were strange to me, odds were they were outside his experience.

He was frowning by the time he finished examining them. "Kent, I can't tell you anything useful. If I had to guess, I'd say a fragment of a spirit is trapped in them, but this is the type of item I'd refer to Michelle."

"I don't have a problem with her being part of the investigation."

"Michelle?" Rodriguez prompted.

"I'll take them home and look at them. My first impression mirrors yours, but until I can identify them, that's not particularly useful."

Kent excused himself and started to interview other witnesses.

"What am I going to do with you?" Rodriguez asked ruefully.

"I'm not doing it on purpose," I muttered.

He ignored that comment. "The local police have taken several members of the Wapiti into custody. Do you think you could come by the office today and look at some picture lineups?"

"I'll follow you over when we're done here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup." If I went home, I'd collapse on my couch and he wouldn't be able to get me out of there without a pry bar. "Could you help me carry these things back to my car?"

"Sure." Rodriguez picked up the teapot.

I picked up my purse, palmed the teacup, and slowly followed him out of the cafe. At my car, I popped the trunk, and we nestled the tea set in a padded box and secured the lid. They weren't going anywhere.

Tiffany and Amber were waiting for me inside the cafe.

"I'm sorry I ruined lunch."

"The teacup ruined lunch, not you," Amber said firmly.

"Not your fault," Tiffany agreed.

"Thanks."

There was an awkward pause before Amber spoke. "Do you need anything?"

"No." I sighed. "I can deal with this."

"If you're sure… we need to get back to work."

"I'm sure. Off you go." I gave them a hug and watched them drive away.

Chapter 14: Elron

"Cease, I see the danger." The magic around the door to my building had attracted my attention before the medallion began shocking me. But if the medallion understood my words, it ignored them. As long as its commentary continued at this level, I would return the favor.

I stopped far enough away that I could study the magic surrounding the door, but not so close as to trigger it. There was definitely some type of spell there. As the university was not in the habit of spelling things, I was willing to assume that this was a gift from a certain group of witches. I was touched that they considered me important enough to merit individual attention, but I could have done without the honor.

Since I was not the only person who used this door, it stood to reason that the spell had to have a method of identifying its target. With that in mind, I walked around until I found a piece of deadfall. I could not move energy like Michelle, but I was able to get the stick to send out fresh growth, and that would be enough to give it my flavor.

Taking a step forward, I tossed it at the door. The stick came within inches of the door before the entire area—from the ground to several inches above the top of the stick—became a solid block of ice. The feeling of a spell had faded, but that left me with a different problem. This door was the primary access to my greenhouses and office. Until this was cleared, anyone inside the building would have to find an alternate exit, and additional spells could be targeting those areas.

I went to the call box in the parking lot and pressed the button that would summon campus security. Perhaps an individual with applicable talents would respond, but I wasn't hopeful. Thus far the campus security I'd encountered were two werewolves, a human, and a wereowl. Not a one of them would have been useful in this situation.

The medallion had stopped its electrical activity and was cool against my skin, but I did not let my guard down. It had not shown a sensitivity to upcoming danger, merely an inclination to warn against an imminent threat. As I needed to search for spells that were not currently a danger, it would do me little good to rely upon the medallion as a detection system.

One of the garden beds had a sizable patch of ivy growing up the building wall. Kneeling next to the ivy, I extended a hand. "Would you aid me?"

A runner shifted until it was lying across my palm.

"Could you spare a vine to search for magic? A spell that could have injured a student was placed on one of the doors." I explained the problem in a way the plant would understand. Not all of the flora was fond of students, but this was where the plant-loving students studied, so the greenery in this area were rather spoiled and were the envy of the rest of the school's landscaping.

The ivy agreed, and a three-foot long section with several shoots separated from the plant. I gave it directions and the energy it would need to carry out its task. The leaves rubbed my hand before the vine started working its way around the side of the building. It was for the best that Michelle wasn't here. She would've said the vine moved like a camouflaged spider.

As the campus security had yet to arrive, I turned my attention to my greenhouses. My plants were eager to report on what had been going on and look for any traces of magic. It was a relief when they informed me that my greenhouses were vacant. Few of my students would be comfortable with the type of activity that was about to occur inside those walls.

Plants with runners sent them trailing along the walls and roof while more stationary plants checked their areas, sweeping leaves across nearby surfaces. The remaining plants checked the ground, moving their roots around to better examine the paths. One by one, they quieted down, informing me that there was nothing of interest in the greenhouses.

However, the ivy reported its runner had tripped an ice spell and escaping by shedding a section before being destroyed by a fire spell. I thanked the main plant for its sacrifice. It was understanding and happy to have prevented injury to a student or me.

I broke the contact when campus security pulled up. My hopes for a quick resolution plummeted when a human stepped out of the vehicle.

Chapter 15: Michelle

I tracked down Rodriguez. He was talking to a waitress and looking at the rest of the tea sets. Since I'd been a victim, I didn't offer to help. If he needed my assistance, he'd ask. By the time he came over to tell me he was ready to go back to his office, I'd darn near dozed off standing up. Luckily the drive was uneventful, something I needed more of in my life. I followed him inside and took a seat next to his desk.

"Could you sit on the other side?" Rodriguez asked.

I nodded and moved to the seat on the other side of the desk. It didn't take a genius to figure out why I needed to move. He was pulling up pictures and didn't want me to look before it was ready.

"Come back over and tell me if you recognize anyone."

Returning to my previous seat, I looked at the six pictures on the screen. "That one. That's Josh."

He clicked on the picture and went to the next screen. "Anyone on this page?"

This was really easy; I'd recognize that face anywhere. "Top right. That's my grandmother, Gretchen."

Rodriguez nodded. We repeated the process six times, and I picked out the two women who'd been my guards, the lady who'd told Josh to grab me on the side of the road, and one of the ladies from the auditorium.

When we finished looking at pictures, I asked, "What happens now?"

"I talk to the local authorities, and I expect they'll file charges."

I held back a sigh. This wasn't going to go away quickly. "When were they taken into custody? Could Gretchen have planned this morning's attack before going to jail?"

"That's an angle we're looking into."

"You can't talk to me, can you?"

"Michelle, you're a victim in these cases. The only reason you have as much involvement as you do is because you're the only witch around and you're one of us."

"All right. I get it. Do I need to do anything else now?"

"Nope. We're done."

"Thanks, Rodriguez." I took off, ready to be home.

This trip back to the lodge was as uneventful as I'd hoped. When I pulled in, I quickly added spells to my car that would give me some warning the next time someone tampered with it. After spending a few minutes with Ty, I placed the tea set in my workroom. I went to the bathroom and unwrapped my hand. The charm had done its job. All that was left of the wound were a few puffy pink lines.

I moved my hand around and poked at the healing injury. Nothing hurt horribly, and I wasn't having any range-of-motion problems. The EMT might think my hand needed more attention, but it seemed to be doing just fine, and I knew the quality of my charms.

After cleaning up and changing clothes, I pulled the last of the food out of my fridge. When I finished eating, I passed up tea for an ordinary cup of water and headed into my workroom.

Tired or not, I didn't want to leave the tea set in there unattended until I knew what it was. Sure, I had good protections, but recent events had me paranoid, and I wouldn't sleep well until I knew what I was dealing with and how to contain the items.

I moved the teacup and teapot out of the box and onto my workbench. They looked as ordinary as they had in the cafe, but I knew better this time. Scooting the teapot to the side, I put the teacup in front of me. I knew what it did, which would help me figure out what made it ornery. Since I didn't know what the teapot would do, it would be easier to examine it after I'd finished the cup and had more information.

The teacup looked positively benign, all white and blue, with nary a hint of tooth. A big believer in being prepared, I got lightweight leather gloves out of a drawer and pulled them on. They'd been broken in a long time ago, and I didn't lose much dexterity. In addition to the protection typical leather gloves would offer, these were spelled to increase their durability and resistance to harm and to prevent magic from working on my hands.

I picked up the shield bubble that contained the cup and turned it this way and that. When I couldn't find anything interesting visually, I started my magical examination. Setting the cup on the table, I tried to get a feel for it. There was something there, a hint of magic and a bit of something else. If it was spelled, it was unlike anything I'd seen before, and it brought to mind Gretchen's talk of expanding my education.

Reaching out with a tiny tendril of power, I probed it. The teacup reacted instantly, its side opening up to show off the jagged row of porcelain teeth. It leaped into the air, snapping its teeth and whipping from one side to the other. As soon as it landed, it leaped back into the air and started hopping across the inside of the shield ball.

Shaken, I set the ball on the worktable. I let go of it but kept my hands close so I could catch it if it started to roll away. Until I knew what it was, I didn't want to be careless and let the cup break.

I probed it again, lingering longer. This time I wasn't worried about it retaliating; if the teacup and teapot were going to attack my magic, they would've done so by now.

The teacup still didn't feel like it was spelled. There was magic in them, but they weren't precisely magical. It was more like an aura around a sentient creature. As I continued to probe, I noticed that the teacup was moving around, often away from the direction of my power.

Switching my focus, I scooted my magic near one side of the cup. It moved away. When I moved my power to the other side, it moved away again. I chased it around the shield a few more times before pulling back to ponder.

The teacup hadn't moved in response to a push, but to get away from my power even when there wasn't any contact. That was weird. Since it didn't have any spells to give it the ability to sense change and move around like that, I wasn't sure what to think of its shenanigans.

I brought the teapot closer and tried the same thing with it. Sure enough, it scooted away from my power too. On a hunch, I moved the teapot and teacup so that they were at the farthest points in their shields from one another and sat back to watch.

After a minute had passed without any change, I started to second-guess myself. Those doubts went out the window when the teapot scooted closer to the cup and the cup hopped closer to the teapot.

It was possible that the two of them were attracted to each other, but that wasn't the feeling I'd gotten. My guess was that they were somehow alive.

With that in mind, I dug out two bags that were strongly charmed to contain and nullify items, and stuffed one part of the tea set in each bag before returning them to the box and securing the lid. I didn't want those things getting out on their own and terrorizing my apartment. Besides, until I knew what they were, I wouldn't know how to protect against them.

The tea set had a strong Japanese vibe, which brought to mind the TV show I'd watched the other night. With that in mind, I pulled a stack of books off my shelves and started my research, focusing on Japanese items. The set could be from a different country, but Japan was my first guess and I'd learned to trust my guesswork.

This was one part of the job I didn't enjoy. If I'd known what information I was looking for, it wouldn't have been bad, but there wasn't an index entry for Mysterious Hand-Biting-but-Not-Enchanted Tea Set, and I couldn't remember what the TV show had called their possessed tea set.

If it was a Japanese item, I might need help with the identification. Since we didn't live near there and didn't have much interaction with artifacts from that area, my education hadn't focused on them. The lack of focus on other cultures was something I was trying to rectify now that I was on my own. Emergencies didn't just target items native to our region, and the more I knew going in, the better off I'd be during a sticky situation.

When I flipped to the fifth page listed under "Possession" in the index, a picture of a teapot looked up at me. Pausing, I read the first part of the description. The Morinji-no-okama, or teapot, was a type of Tsukumogami. Tsukumogami were household objects that had been around for at least one century and had spent some time in the possession of a demon. These items acquired something of a spirit, but not a happy spirit. No, the Tsukumogami became rude and mean, and had a reputation for aiding demons.

The book went on to say that even though people continued to find Tsukumogami, the connection to a demon couldn't be confirmed as demons were extinct. Morinji-no-okamas were a variety of Tsukumogami, and the one in my possession seemed to be a teapot-teacup combo.

I gave the tea set an uneasy look. It struck me as rather suspicious that they'd shown up shortly after Gremory's death. If Gremory had planted them in the cafe to cause trouble, it had worked, though probably not in the time frame he'd hoped. That would be unfortunate, but hardly a long-term problem. On the other hand, it was possible that a different demon had deposited the tea set in the cafe, and that option made my blood run cold.

Sure, Sylvia had warned us about more demons, but I'd thought we'd have more time. It had only been a couple of weeks since we'd killed Gremory. Could demon gossip move that fast? If so, they were well informed for a group that was supposed to be in such deep hiding that the entire world thought they were extinct.

Though this felt more like something Gretchen had a hand in than an undeveloped plot of Gremory's. She would be more than happy to help me figure out the mysterious item if only I joined the clan. Not to mention she'd obviously had enough people watching me to know that I enjoyed eating at that cafe, and any mysterious magical item in this town was likely to cross my desk sooner or later.

If this was a plan of hers, I could squish it easily enough by dealing with the tea set myself. Reading through the information a second time, I looked for a way to destroy the set. It didn't matter how it had ended up in the cafe; I wasn't going to allow possessed kitchenware to continue its existence.

The book was skimpy on details, which wouldn't do. I needed to get this right, because I didn't want to risk releasing an evil spirit. It hadn't been hard to capture the tea set, but once the spirit was separated from a physical form, it was an entirely different problem. For one, it wouldn't be easy to find. It could go anywhere in the world. For another, it might not be restricted to possessing small, inanimate objects. A teacup was rather harmless, but it could get into a chainsaw, gun, or even a person. The potential for disaster rapidly expanded.

Now that I knew what I was looking for, I set the book to the side and opened a different resource. What I found was less than encouraging. I had to set up for multiple rounds of purification, with safeguards on the spell that would capture the spirit if it separated from the teacup and teapot. After that I could pulverize them, purify them again, and check to see if the spirit was there. If it was gone, I could purify and drain the energy from the spell.

It was a good thing I'd taken the tea set. Rodriguez wouldn't have been able to do these spells. In fact, it was more than most witches would want to tackle alone. There were lots of places where a minor mistake could impact the outcome of the entire procedure, but that didn't bother me.

The entire process took just over an hour. Setting up the spells required all of my concentration; every rune had to be correct. With the spells in place, I purified the set. The best part was when I got to smash them with a hammer. I got more satisfaction out of seeing chips of china flying into the air than I should have. Some of that was retribution for the bite, and the rest was working off frustration from Gretchen's attacks.

I probed the china pieces and the bag. Sure enough, the spirit was gone and there was the lingering feeling of a small death. Satisfied, I moved on to the next purification and draining the energy. The last part had an interesting effect as the bits of ceramic turned to dust. When the spells had been removed, I purified the ashes and stuck them in the trash.

Being on the paranoid side, I took my trash out to the bin behind the lodge. If I'd managed to do something wrong, it would have to do more than cross my living room to surprise me in my sleep. To someone else that might have been overkill, but I'd had a bad run and proactive measures felt appropriate. It would be worth asking Elron if there was a demon's bane willing to live in my apartment. Those flowers were a vital component in the spells that killed demons, and it was always better to be prepared.

When I got back inside, I remembered that Gretchen and her thugs in skirts had been arrested. For the time being they were off the streets and shouldn't be causing me any trouble. The memory cheered me up, and I tidied my workroom before realizing that I had to call Mom and give her the news. It was her mother who'd been arrested, and she should hear about it now. Hopefully no one from the clan had contacted her.

I picked up the phone and dialed her number. Mom answered on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mom."

"Is everything okay?"

I started rubbing my temple with my right hand. Once upon a time she would have asked what I was doing or if I'd had a good day. These days it was a strongly worded inquiry to my health and current situation. I'd given up on objecting to the shift in our conversations because I'd do the same thing in her shoes… assuming I let my child out of my sight.

I started with the things that were bothering me rather than Gretchen's release since she might have something helpful and motherly to say. "I'm tired of the attacks from the clan. They won't leave me alone, and Ty killed one of them to keep me safe."

"Do you know who?"

"Thomas Blackwell."

Mom sighed. "He never did have much sense, and his emotions had a tendency of getting the better of him."

Tears filled my eyes. "He was going to hurt me. If it hadn't been for Ty…"

"It's all right. Ty was there."

"I know, but he can't always be there. Elron can't always be there. I have to get the better of them every time. They only have to win once."

"Would you stop because Gretchen came out on top in a fight?"

"Well… no."

"One thing that has comforted me through this is that she wants you alive and well. I know my daughter—as long as there is a sliver of a chance, you'll fight. I ran from my problems, but you're stronger than I was, Michelle. You would've planted yourself in that clan and told all of them how it was going to be."

"I don't feel strong or brave."

"But you are. It took me years to find my strength, and it pales when compared to what you do without a second thought."

"You volunteered to be a single mom and hid my abilities from your family. You hid Dad from the family too. That takes more guts than you're admitting."

Mom gave a short laugh. "I had help, and when things are settled we'll have a long conversation about the types of strength. Maybe time with Marti and the Docga will help you see how different you are from the other witches your age."

"Yes, Mom." I gave up and switched topics. "I have some good news."

"Oh?"

"The police arrested Gretchen and several other clan members today. Their bail hearing will be tomorrow, but I've been told it's likely that the state will hold them."

It took a moment for Mom to say something. "Good. That should keep them occupied."

"I'm sorry," I said, unsure of a better response. Her mother was going to jail, as were people she'd grown up with and considered friends.

"Don't be sorry. They brought this upon themselves, and they haven't been family to me since I was forced out of the clan. It's no more than they deserved." Her voice wavered at the end.

"That doesn't make it any easier." She could say that as many times as she liked, but I knew better. In her heart she'd still thought of them as loved ones, and this proved that they didn't deserve that title.

"Family is rarely easy. They broke the law and hurt you; it's time for them to face justice." She sounded better, but there was still a lack of conviction.

I decided not to press the issue. "I wanted you to hear it from me."

"Thank you, Michelle. You and Elron have directions to the wedding location, right?"

"We do. I promise I'll be there this time."

"I know. I love you."

"Love you too."

We hung up, and I set the phone on the coffee table before stretching out on the sofa. Families might not be easy, but I didn't think most of them were this crazy. After all, how many estranged families resorted to multiple abduction attempts to reclaim a relative?

I wished I had confidence that a stay in jail would curtail Gretchen's antics, but I had a feeling it would take more than that. I really wished I had Mom's confidence that I would get through this, but I didn't. There were a lot of Wapiti and only one of me.

Chapter 16: Michelle

Someone knocked on my front door. "Michelle? It's Landa. You have a visitor."

"Coming," I called out. I got off the sofa and opened the door. Landa was alone in the hall.

"Where's the visitor?"

She pursed her lips. "In the parlor. It's a witch who won't give her name. If you don't wish to see her, I'll send her away."

I shrugged. "I might as well see who it is."

We didn't talk as we walked to the parlor, but we didn't need to. Landa didn't approve of this visitor, and if she'd had her way, the woman would be forcefully shoved out the door and barred from reentry.

The moment I saw the witch I recognized her. It was Tammy. She was as impeccably dressed as the last time I'd seen her, but this time the blouse was in a pastel and the slacks were light gray.

Landa had parked herself in the doorway, and I wasn't about to ask her to leave. The witch glanced at Landa before settling her attention on me.

"It's going to be a lot harder to abduct me from here."

She flicked her fingers dismissively. "It wasn't my intent."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"The minister sent me."

My hand clenched, and it took deliberate thought to avoid summoning my wand. Landa growled.

Tammy paused and, when she was satisfied that we weren't threatening immediate violence, continued. "She would like for me to extend an offer for a three-day stay, during which you can experience what we have to offer. As a measure of goodwill, she has asked me to give you this book." She held out a leather-bound book that looked innocent enough, but I'd learned not to trust appearances.

"I don't want it."

"It's harmless."

"Nothing from Gretchen is harmless. What kind of trick is this? Assault me this morning and then attempt to entice me this evening?"

At the word assault, Tammy stiffened and lowered the book. "What assault?"

"Don't be coy. It doesn't suit you."

"I have not talked to another member of the clan since early this morning. I had business in Atlanta before I came here, and my phone malfunctioned shortly after I left home. Please, tell me what happened." There was a tightness around her mouth that made me think she was doing her best to hold it together even though she knew she was about to hear bad news.

"I was attacked this morning by eight of your fellow clansmen. Thomas Blackwell didn't survive." I blinked back tears. He was responsible for his actions, but that didn't make me feel better about my part in his death—a pointless death that could've been avoided if Gretchen would let go of her obsessions and act like a normal person.

"She gave me her word that she would do nothing until she heard back from you on this offer." Tammy sat down abruptly. "Though, it could be… they would not dare." She realized she was thinking aloud and focused on me. "You have my apologies."

There was a long moment of silence, during which I exchanged a look with Landa. Whatever we'd expected, Tammy wasn't it. She wasn't blaming us or trying to force ideas upon us, but offering a civil discourse.

"The minister, well, Gretchen sees in you a chance to reclaim what she lost when she had a falling-out with Nancy. Gretchen is sincere in her offers of an education, a position, and a chance at the ministry, and she truly believes that what she has to offer is worth what you might lose."

"My parents did an excellent job."

"I'm fully aware. You have given me a firsthand showing of your skills." There was hint of humor in her voice. "I don't know if Gretchen really believes this, but she claims, forcefully, that Nancy is preventing you from returning to the clan."

I shook my head. "I have no desire to be involved with a clan. Not even with my father's."

"I was stating Gretchen's view, not my own. Other problems aside, Gretchen sees in you the relationship she never had with Nancy. You are powerful enough to do her proud, and that's the one thing Nancy was incapable of doing. Gretchen sees you as her second chance at motherhood and a way to keep her family in the ministry, and she knows something about you that makes her want to claim you before anyone else."

"What does she know?"

"I have not been given that information, but it's something to do with your clan scar. I wish I could tell you more."

"It's not that important." I shook my head. It had to be connected to my mark of the Ieldra, but I wasn't going to share that with Tammy.

"You must be prepared. I doubt very much that this morning's attack was her last plan."

It was hard to tell if she thought Gretchen was behind the latest attack, but based on Tammy's previous reaction, there was a good chance Gretchen's supporters had planned it without her knowledge. Either way, I was getting warning that this wasn't over. "Can you tell her that I don't want to be a member of her family? Can you talk her out of this?"

"No, and even if I could, it wouldn't solve the problem, especially when Thomas's death is considered. The entire clan is upset, and our minister is in jail. Some will believe that the only way to solve this is to bring you into the clan." She finished with as much emotion as someone reporting on the status of drying paint.

"What will the other people believe?"

"Their view is irrelevant. She's the minister."

If that was the case, Gretchen wouldn't stop, not as long as a single person was willing to carry out her plan. "Then I hope all of you enjoy your time in orange jumpsuits."

"You mean that? You want us to be in jail?"

"What you're doing is illegal. You're criminals. You belong in jail." I meant every word.

"We have done nothing that violates clan law."

I locked eyes with her. "Then the laws are wrong. Clan law should never come above the law of the land. Humans can't do this to each other and get away with it. Shifters can't do this to a human, or satyr, or witch."

"Clan law has served us well for thousands of years, far longer than this country has existed."

"Is that so? How's it working right now? One dead, several injured, and a bunch of you behind bars." I sighed. "Get out. Get out of my home, and take that book with you. I'll never support a group as morally corrupt as the Wapiti, and as far as I'm concerned, the rest of the witches aren't far behind. Wake up; look at modern laws and see how out of step you are. Most races would consider your rules barbaric. Is that how you want to be seen?"

"Learn your history. We're the longest-running matriarchal society. We were civilized before humans existed and when shifters fought amongst themselves."

"You're thugs in skirts. Put my grandmother on a leash, and we can talk."

"I don't have that kind of influence." Tammy paused in the open door.

I don't know what she would've said next, because Landa slammed the door shut and threw the bolt. Tammy stumbled going down the steps, but I wasn't sure if I'd shaken her that badly or if Landa had a hand in it. The two of us stayed where we were until we heard her car rolling down the driveway. I took a couple of steps and plopped down in a chair. I think Landa was waiting for me to say something, but I didn't. She patted my shoulder and told me dinner would be ready in twenty minutes before leaving.

There was a moment when I'd thought we were making progress, that there could be peace, but that hope had been dashed as quickly as it had come. It was just another ploy, a different type of attack. Gretchen wasn't going to give up, and that meant I had to find a way to make her stop.

Joining Dad's clan was the only thing that might work, and I couldn't see myself as part of a group that was this prone to backstabbing and bickering. If I wanted to deal with that, I'd go back to high school. Not to mention joining a clan came with obligations to attend meetings, be involved, learn about your group, and help out other clansmen. All I wanted to do was to be left alone. Not that I was getting my wish anytime soon.

I was walking out of the parlor when the book caught my eye. Tammy had left the wretched thing. After a cursory examination, I retrieved the book. It was a history of our clan, and right now it was all I could do to avoid torching the thing. I took it back to my apartment and locked it in my workroom in case I'd missed a spell.

There was a light rap on the front door and Elron let himself in, a worried look on his face. "There you are. I got your message but you did not answer when I called. Are you all right?"

I'd left the message after the attack this morning, and his words brought it back. I rubbed my suddenly wet eyes with the back of my hand. "I don't know. They aren't going to stop. They'll do this until I knuckle under or die."

Elron pulled me into a hug. "But you are not hurt physically?"

"A few more bruises, but ointment took care of those."

"What of your emotions?"

"A man died today. Ty picked him up, tossed him, and gravity did the rest. Why? Why is this happening? It's so senseless."

"He made his choices. All of the Wapiti have, and their choice has been to support Gretchen. You need to do what it takes for you to survive."

Elron was right, but it didn't really make me feel better. I wondered what would happen next. Gretchen couldn't continue on the same path now that there had been death. Even she had to satisfy the clan, and they'd want answers as to how one of them had died doing her errands. This would change her approach—it had to—but I didn't expect that change to be in my favor.

"Did anything else happen today?"

"Yes, a possessed teacup bit me while I was at lunch with Tiffany and Amber. Then one of the Wapiti came for a visit."

He stiffened and his voice dropped. "What did she want?"

"She was supposed to be the pot of honey. Landa was here. Tammy went away without causing any problems." Well, other than telling me that Gretchen wouldn't stop.

"You cannot catch a break. The demon is hardly cold in its grave when the Wapiti set their sights on you." Elron squeezed me against his chest. "Would you like to continue this conversation over pie?"

I leaned back enough to look up at him. "Pie?"

"Landa made pie." He smiled. "I thought you would like that. Let's go."

When we got to the dining room, Landa and Mander were taking their seats. I was good and got real food before hunting down the pie. Sure enough, there was an apple pie, hot from the oven. When I removed my slice from the pan, steam billowed out. By the time I finished dinner, it would be the perfect temperature.

"Are we it for tonight?" I asked as I took my seat.

"Some of the other residents might come down," Landa answered. "We've got two overnight guests, but they are having dinner in town."

Nodding, I sat down. A small group of friends sounded good to me.

I was one bite of food into dinner when Elron asked, "So what exactly happened today?"

Sure enough, he was looking at me. "Well, I got my car, was attacked by eight witches, went to lunch with Tiffany and Amber, was bitten by a Morinji-no-okama, came home and disposed of it, and had an enlightening conversation with a witch from the Wapiti."

Elron shook his head.

"Oh, you wanted details." Between bites, I filled in the details that I had left out in our previous conversation.

"Why did they attack you here?" Elron asked.

Shaking my head, I said, "I don't know. I'm starting to think Gretchen didn't send them. It was more violent than other assaults, and Tammy didn't know it was happening, so I'm beginning to wonder if someone else was behind it."

"The officer said they were Wapiti," Landa chimed in.

"Who is Tammy?" Elron asked.

"That's the witch who showed up a little while ago to try to talk me into joining the clan. She was also one of the ones holding me when I was at the mansion." Elron nodded and I focused on Landa. "I know, but it doesn't make sense for Gretchen to send people to hurt me and send Tammy to woo me. They keep saying things that make me think the clan isn't as united as they would have us believe."

"You think some members of the clan determined that killing you would solve the problem," Elron said.

I shrugged.

"Tammy was genuinely surprised to hear of the assault," Landa said.

"Did she say anything else of note?" Elron asked.

"She told a touching, if twisted, story explaining why Gretchen wants me so badly, and she extended an offer to come visit the clan and see what they could do for me. She left a book behind. It's about the history of our clan." I could see Elron's next question so I headed him off. "I haven't read it yet."

"It could be useful." He paused. "My day was also disturbed by the Wapiti."

"What? And you didn't say anything?"

"The events were less serious than what occurred during your encounters with the witches." He gripped my hand. "Worry for your safety overshadowed my encounter."

"Fair enough."

He quickly told of the spells at the university and his good fortune in getting a campus security officer who was capable of cleaning up the effects of the spells. I was surprised that the spells hadn't been triggered by someone else, but Elron seemed to think that they had been keyed to him, but he wasn't sure how.

I didn't voice my concern, but it crossed my mind that Tammy could've done those spells. It would be a Gretchen-like move to eliminate people I was emotionally attached to as a way to usher me into the arms of the clan. If that was her plan, she didn't understand me very well, and she needed to get the rest of the clan on the same page. It wouldn't do any good to make me a member of the clan only to have them hate me because of my part in Thomas's death, or want to kill me as a way to get revenge.

Elron had been distracted from the other event of my day by things we knew could be linked to the Wapiti, but Mander was focused on something else. When there was a lull in conversation, he asked, "Where did you find a Morinji-no-okama?"

I held up the still-healing hand. "That's a delightful story of the teacup that bit me while I was having lunch."

When it was clear that I wasn't getting out of this without divulging the story, I launched into the tale. Relaying the information wouldn't have been so bad, but it wasn't exactly easy to talk and eat. By the time I finished with the story, including how I destroyed the Morinji-no-okama, the three of them had started on their dessert and I was still working on my salad.

Elron voiced his thoughts first. "I do not like it."

Landa quickly agreed with him. "Neither do I. It's too convenient for an item related to demons to crop up now. Do you think it's left over from one of Gremory's plots?"

I shrugged. "Since it isn't really Gremory's style, I've been thinking Gretchen might've planted it. She has to know that anything odd in this town eventually comes across my desk."

"Perhaps, but if memory serves, a Morinji-no-okama must reside with a demon for a century before it becomes possessed. That tends to weigh in favor a demon being involved," Elron said.

Gremory had had an inclination for direct action, even if it was through other people. He'd gotten power from a woman who bred magical creatures and tortured a dwarf and from the werewolves through Adder. Gremory had also gifted Carrie with powers, turning the human into a sorceress so that she could help free the trolls. Later he'd sent creatures to hurt me and attack the jail.

"Michelle, do you think there's another demon?" Mander asked.

"I don't know." Deep down, I knew the truth. There were more demons, and they had to kill me because I knew how to kill them.

Chapter 17: Michelle

"Are you ready?" Elron called through the door.

"Almost."

I dropped the lipstick into my purse, tucked down a stray strand of hair, and joined Elron in the living room. Stopping between the two stone lions, I smoothed my hands down the side of my skirt.

"Beautiful." Elron smiled.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"Shall we?" He offered his arm.

I slipped my hand into the crook of his arm. "Let's go."

Elron had volunteered to drive, and we were taking his car. Neither of us had said anything, but we knew the witches would be less likely to look for his vehicle. When we got to the car, I peeked in the backseat to check on my overnight bag and kit. The kit was coming along because I didn't want to be without my supplies if I got called to a case. While we weren't intending to spend the night, we would change our plans if the party ran late.

Elron held the door open for me, closing it gently once I was seated. While he rounded the car, I traded my dress shoes for loafers. The heels were cute, but I didn't need to wear them for the drive.

We were on the highway—heading north and enjoying the hills, which hadn't lost any of their beauty during winter—when I said, "I've been meaning to ask you something. Have you been wearing your medallion?"

His eyes darted in my direction before returning to the road. "Yes."

"Have you noticed it doing anything strange?" Elron didn't have as many opportunities to interact with suspicious magical objects, so even if his medallion had the same quirks as mine, it might not have done anything.

"It has not behaved as most metal would. There was an incident I intended to mention but recent events rendered it less notable."

"I'll share if you will."

"Your medallion has been active?" Elron asked.

"You first."

"While you were experiencing the delights of captivity, I was planting some demon's bane in pots in my apartment. The medallion warmed, and the starts became six-inch-tall plants in a matter of seconds. It also prevented the witch from spelling me when I rescued you." He paused, but I could tell he wasn't finished. "Yesterday it warned me of the spell on the door."

"Yours has been as active as mine. Remember the Morinji-no-okama? I think the medallion tried to warn me. Before the cup attacked me, the medallion got warm and started zapping me."

"Zapping?"

"Yup, like when you get shocked by static electricity. I know yours glowed when it dealt with the spell. Has it done anything else?"

"Indeed, it has zapped me and warmed."

"How bright was the glow?"

"It was soft. If I had not had it in my hand, I would not have noticed."

"And it did this while you were planting demon's bane?" I inquired. I'd gotten the answer to one question; the medallion did have more tricks up its sleeves.

"Correct. Varro's notes said that the medallions would aid us. To me it sounds like they are signaling to us if we are in danger or doing something beneficial," Elron commented.

"Agreed, but what does it say about our future that the medallion got excited when you were planting demon's bane?" I could only think of one answer, and it wasn't a pleasant one.

"It means that I should take more measures to ensure that we have an ample supply of demon's bane," Elron said grimly.

"Could one or two of those plants live in my apartment?"

"Why? You do not enjoy tending plants."

"It would make me feel better."

"I will see if any of the demon's banes are willing to relocate."

We lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few minutes before Elron's voice pulled me back to the present. "How many people did your parents say would be at the wedding?"

It took me a second to switch my train of thought. "You know, I'm not sure. Mom said it would be small."

"Ah."

There was a lull in the conversation. When it was clear that he wasn't going to continue that topic, I asked, "Elron, have you ever been to a clan wedding?"

"Yes, but not recently."

"What's it like?"

"You've never been?"

I shook my head. "I'm not friends with many witches, and even if I was, they wouldn't invite me to a clan event. No one wants to risk an incident by having the clanless witch around."

"Each clan has their own traditions, and different types of weddings have different rituals. If two people from the same clan marry, the ceremony is very much like that of humans. It changes as the clan ties become more important. If a witch is switching clans, that will add a portion to the ceremony. If one of them is in a position of power, the ceremony will reflect that."

Tipping my head back into the headrest, I closed my eyes. "Great. I'm going to be the only one there who doesn't have a clue what's going on, and I'll be the weird witch without a clan."

"You are worrying over nothing. Your parents know exactly who they are and what you are. The ceremony will be planned accordingly." He reached over and gave my knee a reassuring pat.

Knowing he was right didn't reduce my worry.

"Michelle, have you given any thought to joining the Docga?" Elron asked softly.

"Some." He let the silence stretch until I volunteered more information. "It would change things, and I like my life. Lately it's been hard to keep up with work and family, never mind adding a clan. Dad's nice, but there's no way everyone will be like that."

"I have met many witches in my years, and they are much like any other group of people."

"I know, and that's the problem. It's not like I'm going to be able to find a clan where I get along with everyone and they all understand my past."

"If any clan could do that, it would be the Docga."

I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, I know."

He got that patient tone in his voice. "Then why have you been so reluctant to entertain the idea?"

"I don't know," I snapped. "Maybe it's because I don't understand the point of a clan, or maybe it's because feeling cornered makes me ornery. Or… or maybe it's because I don't want to join Dad's clan just to fix a problem with Mom's former clan. Assuming it would fix it. Gretchen could decide to start a war. I don't know how far she would get, but I don't want to be responsible for any more deaths."

"Of the people responsible for that dead witch, you are at the bottom of the list. He chose his actions that day. Never forget that, Michelle. He made his own choices. He could have left, or used a different spell, or attempted conversation. After him comes whoever sent him to attack you. Then comes a combination of Ty, you, Landa, and me. Ty was protecting you, which he has always done willingly, but Landa and I have encouraged his protective instincts." He cleared his throat. "We never limited him to nonfatal actions. Perhaps that was our oversight, but I could not handicap your protector."

I studied him, noting the tight grip on the steering wheel, the exacting posture, and his frown. "You don't feel like it's your fault, do you?"

"The death was unnecessary and should have been prevented; however, I am confident that I made the best choices with the information available to me. I have taken what steps I can to prevent the event from reoccurring. Ty has been assured that his actions were justified, but he will be slower to escalate to that level of response in the future."

His hand found mine and gripped it tightly. "I would not trade Thomas's life for yours. Had you been injured or… I could not have forgiven myself. However, you are here, and that is what matters to me."

When he released my hand, I said, "You matter to me too."

After that the silence was comfortable, but something kept nagging at me. "You think I should join the Docga, don't you?"

Elron glanced at me and shook his head. "Do you desire my opinion, or do you want to convince me that you are correct?"

"Hey, I haven't said you're wrong." He didn't say anything. "Fine then. I solemnly swear I will not argue with you."

"I suppose I can take your word." He winked before getting serious. "Your father's clan is the best choice, and there is a small chance that being a member of the Docga would prevent further actions from Gretchen. Besides, there may come a time when you no longer have a choice."

"You make a compelling argument, elf. I'll think about it."

Elron guided the car off the road and carefully followed the directions down a narrow but well-maintained gravel road. On our right were trees, the pines still holding on to their greenery, and on our left was a wall of red clay. The hill continued above that, with trees towering overhead and casting long shadows.

He found the gated driveway to my dad's house and punched in the code. The gate swung open and we rolled through. Through the trees I could see a sizable house, but that wasn't what caught my attention. On my right were half a dozen small cabins. From here they looked to have one or two bedrooms with gardens in the back. A small, less-traveled drive branched off, dead-ending in a circle near the cabins.

The main portion of the driveway turned away from the cabins, and the house reclaimed my attention. It was an imposing log home. Make no mistake; there was nothing cabin-like about this place. The part that I could see was three stories, with wraparound decks and large windows.

The driveway, which circled a garden in front of the house, had several cars parked along the outside of the loop. Elron pulled in behind the last car, pulled the key out of the ignition, and looked at me.

I smiled as I wiggled my feet back into my dress shoes. After a quick check to make sure my phone wouldn't ring, I took a deep breath and said, "I'm ready."

"Do not worry. It will be fine." Elron patted my hand.

Nodding, I stepped out of the car, not waiting for his help. As soon as I was on my feet, I wished I'd let him help me out of the car. I'd never really gotten the hang of walking on gravel in heels. As far as I could tell, you got lucky and stayed on your feet or hoped that someone else had a more impressive slip than you.

My foot skittered six inches to the side, and I was sure I was going down. Elron came to my rescue, holding me upright until I got my feet under me and firmly tucking my hand around his arm.

"Thank you."

"Of course, milady."

We went up the staircase, and Elron's finger was hovering over the doorbell when the door was opened.

"Come in, come in." An older woman with tightly curled hair and a big smile greeted us.

Stepping forward, I offered my hand. "Hello, I'm Michelle Oaks and this is Elron."

"Martha. It's a pleasure to meet you." She shook my hand with a soft grip and then Elron's. "We've been expecting you. Nancy wants to see you before the ceremony—not you, Elron, just Michelle. She's been so worried with what happened last time."

Martha paused long enough to take a deep breath before continuing. "Let me take those coats for you. Now, this way. It's so good to meet you. I mean, I heard all about you, but, well, with everything that was going on, it really wasn't safe for you here. Until now, that is. And Nancy and Greg couldn't be happier. It's about time, too; they've spent enough time apart. If that dreadful Gretchen would leave them alone, those two would finally get a chance to be together. Horrible woman, bless her heart. But this isn't the time for that. It's a happy day. Oh, Marti told me to say hi for her. She'll see you after the ceremony."

While she talked, she ushered us down the hall. The house was as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside, with original art hanging on the walls and ornate lighting. Through one door, I caught a glimpse of the dining room, where two golden chandeliers illuminated a long table that had to be set for twenty or more.

If there'd been a little less going on, I would've questioned her about the clan because she was a fountain of information, but as things were, I had a wedding to distract me.

"Elron, this will be you. The guests are waiting for the ceremony to begin. It'll just be a couple of minutes, so make yourself at home. There's a seat in the front row reserved for you." Martha unlatched, but didn't open, a door. Soft voices floated out, but I couldn't discern the individual conversations.

I gave him a weak smile. "Go on, I'll be fine. Could you take my purse?"

"And so the job of bag holder begins," Elron teased. He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek before taking my clutch and vanishing into the room. As the door closed behind him, I got a look at rows of white chairs with ribbons on the backs, bouquets of flowers, and small groups of people in their Sunday best.

Martha was smiling at me, but I couldn't tell if that meant something because she'd been smiling since we walked in.

"Up the stairs. Both your parents want to see you. You do look lovely. That pink is a great color on you. Greg wanted to see you first."

She ushered me up the steps. Unlike the hall, the stairs were carpeted. I gave silent thanks to whoever had that foresight. Wooden stairs and dress shoes didn't mix.

Martha scooted me through the first door on the right, closing it as soon as I was inside.

Dad turned away from a full-length mirror and smiled at me. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Dad. You look very handsome. The lavender shirt is a nice touch."

"Nancy wanted me to wear it." Dad put his hands in his pockets and shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"What is it?"

He frowned. "Are you sure this is okay?"

"The wedding?" I asked.

Dad nodded.

"I can't say it's something I expected, but the two of you deserve to be happy. You've waited long enough."

"You're sure?"

"Absolutely," I said firmly. After what Elron had said in the car, there was one question I had to ask. "Do you think I should join your clan?"

He gave me an assessing look and I squirmed a little. "Do you want to?"

Shrugging, I said, "I'm not sure."

There was more to it than that. Even if I didn't want to join a clan, one seemed to be in my future, and if that was the case, I didn't want to be in the Wapiti.

"You're welcome. You know that, right?"

I nodded.

"Nancy and I would be thrilled if you joined the clan. She worries about what Gretchen would do, but there's a chance it would end these attacks." He saw the face I made when he mentioned Gretchen. "I know. On a more personal note, it would make me very happy, and there are a lot of people here who want to get to know you. I could be a good thing, Michelle."

"What about my responsibilities to the clan?"

"Mom and I would do everything we could to make the transition easy for you. We know it would be a difficult change." After checking his watch, Dad said, "You need to get moving. We're going to start soon, and Nancy wants to see you before the ceremony."

He pulled me in for a bear hug. I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears where they belonged. Dad gave the best hugs, something I hadn't known until he came back into my life.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, Dad." I smiled at him with overly bright eyes and retreated. He'd given me plenty to think about, but right now we needed to get this wedding going. A twenty-six-year delay was plenty.

Martha blasted me with chatter as soon as I got into the hall. "Here you go, have a tissue. You might want to grab a few more before the ceremony. They are going to be so happy, and they're lucky to have a daughter like you. All the way down the hall. It's the last door on the left. In you go. I've got things to do downstairs. If you need me, I'll be in the back of the room."

She came close to pitching me into Mom's room. If I'd been less steady on my feet, I would've gone down in a tangle of skirts and heels. As it was, I stumbled right into Mom's outstretched arms.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry. Martha is a dear, but something of a whirlwind."

"I've noticed," I said dryly. After a hug, I gently separated myself from Mom.

If Dad had been exceptionally human in his dress, Mom was doing the opposite. Her dress was unlike anything I'd seen outside textbooks. The bodice of the dress was white and fitted, with cap sleeves. A wide black belt sewn into the dress accented the natural waist. The skirt fell gently from her hips, and its centerline was the tip of alternating blue, yellow, and orange chevrons. From reading about clans, I knew that the colors signified the cardinal directions—white for east, blue for south, orange for west, and black for north. There was a delicate circle of small blue flowers holding her hair away from her face, and a thick silver chain with an emerald pendant was around her neck.

"Mom, you look amazing," I said reverently.

"Are you sure? It's traditional. I always saw myself wearing this at my wedding, but with everything that's happened, I wasn't sure if it was the right thing—"

I cut her off. "It's perfect. I hope I look half as pretty as you on my wedding day."

Mom laughed. "You'll look beautiful, and you look beautiful today."

"Thank you, Mom." I'd had my doubts about this wedding when it was first mentioned. While I was in favor of my parents being happy, I couldn't see this as a happy occasion when the motivation was removing Mom from Gretchen's reach. The theory was that with Mom married into a different clan, Gretchen wouldn't risk a war to get her back. Especially since she really wanted me. Being here had changed my mind. This wasn't a wedding out of desperation, but joy.

"Mom, I asked Dad something, and I'd like to ask you." I pressed forward before she could worry about the question. "Do you think I should join the Docga?"

She didn't hesitate to answer. "They would love you. They've wanted to know you for years, but ultimately it's your choice, and I value your happiness over anything else."

I nodded and refrained from pointing out that she'd left out any mention of Gretchen in her logic. It could've been omitted because Mom saw my clan membership and Gretchen as different issues, but I suspected a different reason. Mom didn't want to think about the lump of a witch that had given her life.

"Michelle, would you do something for me?" Mom asked.

"What is it?"

"Would you walk me down the aisle?"

"Of course." Blinking furiously, I kept the tears at bay. Martha had been onto something with those tissues.

Mom gently dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. I wouldn't be the only one shedding happy tears today. She glanced at the clock. "It's time."

I folded my one tissue, holding it in my palm with a thumb; it would have to do.

She held the door open for me, and I went down the hall and stairs in front of her. We didn't see anyone, but that was to be expected. Martha was standing outside the door, a big smile on her face, but she wasn't chattering.

When Mom was standing next to me, Martha asked, "Are you ready?"

"I've been ready for years."

Martha nodded and slipped inside the room.

I stood with Mom on my right and took a deep breath. This was the start of good things for our family. They would have the perfect wedding and could start a life together without the clans hanging over them. The honeymoon I'd insisted they take would be stress-free and a rare chance for them to get to spend time together without hiding their relationship.

The music started softly, a simple wooden flute that was joined by a quiet drumbeat. Mom nodded at me, and I magicked the door open. We took a step forward, and the perfection of the moment settled over us.

Mom had said small, and by wedding standards it was, but there were still twenty people in there. As we walked into the room they stood to watch us walk down the aisle. Through the crowd I could see Elron, and while everyone else was looking at Mom, his eyes were locked on me. At the end of the aisle, Dad looked positively enraptured. In that moment, I would've given anything to turn back the clock and give them this wedding twenty-six years ago.

Nana was beside Dad, wearing a solid red robe. Next to her was a short pillar holding a strip of cloth and a wooden cup.

When we reached the end of the aisle, I turned to Mom, kissed her cheek, and said, "It's about time."

I stepped back to stand in front of the empty seat next to Elron.

Mom smiled at me. Then she turned to Dad, still smiling, and held out her hand. "Would you like to get married?"

Dad put his hand in hers, and they took the last steps to Nana together.

I joined the rest of the guests in sitting down and wished that there was a row in front of me since I didn't know what I was doing. Elron seemed to have a grasp on the situation because, from the sound of it, he was one of the first people to sit. Now that I was out of the spotlight, I unfolded my tissue so it would be ready when the tears came.

The music faded away and Nana started to speak. "It's a pleasure to have you here to witness the union between Nancy Gretchen Oaks, outcast, and Greg Patrick Nelson of the Docga. As the lot of you have had twenty years to protest this union, any complaints you have now should be kept to yourselves."

That got a hearty chuckle from the guests. When everyone settled down, she continued. "For the few of you who don't know or have forgotten, my name is Mari, and I have the privilege of performing this ceremony. Nancy and Greg are thrilled that you are here today to share in their joy."

The drum returned, with a soft but steady beat. "Blessed be this union with the gift of the east, fresh beginnings with each turn of the earth and rising of the sun. Blessed be this union with the gift of the south, the light created between the two of you to lighten the darkest times. Blessed be this union with the gift of the west, a refreshing and cleansing rain. Blessed be this union with the gift of the north, a stable home to which you may always return."

From there they went on to exchange traditional human vows. The tears I'd been holding back escaped, and I dabbed my eyes. Elron took my free hand, squeezing it, and I looked away from my parents long enough to smile at him.

Nana smiled at my parents before focusing on the rest of us. "As the officiator and as Greg's mother, it is my pleasure to bless your union."

Behind me, the guests were clapping and whistling. The amount of noise such a small group could generate surprised me, but after a moment I joined in. It really was about time for my parents to be official.

Grinning, Nana motioned with her hands for everyone to settle down. Mom and Dad were smiling as much as everyone else, and I couldn't help but beam back.

There was a buzz of excitement when Nana continued. "Greg, as Minister of Docga, do you invite Nancy to join the clan?"

I was again reminded of how different the Docga were from most clans. After I'd learned of his position in the clan, I'd done some research and couldn't find mention of any other clan in the rest of the world run by a man.

"I do."

"Then join, and be joined."

I would've been confused by the phrasing, but the next part happened so fast that I didn't have time to think about it. Dad raised his right hand, holding it at shoulder height, palm facing Mom who was mirroring the gesture. At first nothing happened, then I saw a shimmer of magic around Dad. I blinked, and the shimmer had turned into a mass of swirling colors circling Dad. A strong, though less substantial, glow surrounded Mom.

Dad nodded, their hands met with an audible crack, and the swirl of magic concentrated on their hands. Nana quickly knotted the cloth around their hands, but how she could see what she was doing was a mystery to me.

Dad spoke, with Mom echoing his words. "You are blood of my blood and bone of my bone. I give you my body so that two might become one, and one a part of many."

The magic shot into the air as a column of light before shattering and showering everyone in sparkles that tingled when they touched skin. They pulled their hands free, and Dad caught the cloth in his left hand. What had once been undyed cotton was now covered in swirls of color. Dad untied the cloth and handed it to Nana, who tied it around Mom's waist.

When Nana finished tying a bow in the cloth, she spoke. "It is my privilege as a mother and elder of this clan to introduce you to Nancy of the Docga and Greg of the Docga, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Behind me the rest of the guests started clapping and cheering as Dad pulled Mom close and gave her an exuberant kiss. This time I was as loud as the rest of them, even if I was watching my parents kiss.

The flute started a lively tune, and Mom and Dad marched down the aisle while the crowd showered them in sparkles of every color. Nana followed them out the door. The crowd didn't settle down as much as parade out of the room. I knew I had to follow before I was missed, but I needed a moment.

I took my purse from Elron and fished out a tissue. As I dabbed at my tears, I sent silent thanks to whoever had watched over the wedding. It was the only thing that had gone according to plan in months, and if only one thing went well, I was glad it was this.

Elron pulled me against his side, one arm hugging me tightly. I leaned my head into his chest.

"I'm all right," I said, pulling away from him.

"Of course. How could the mighty Michelle be anything but fine?" Elron said.

"What's that about?"

"You are allowed to be weak, have doubts."

"Nope, that's your thing. I'm the mighty Michelle."

"Very well, mighty Michelle, I acquired additional tissues. That is, if you will be human enough to need them."

"Such attitude from an old elf." I tucked the tissues in my purse and took his hand. He'd done what he'd set out to do—make me smile and dry out the waterworks.

"Only when I am around uptight witches."

"Uptight? Annoying elf," I muttered good-naturedly.

Elron squeezed my hand and I laughed.

We followed the sound to the dining room. The room was decked out with big bouquets dotting the table, white fabric covering the chairs, and a three-tiered cake dominating the small table in the back of the room.

Mom and Dad were already seated at the head of the table, and there were several empty seats near them. I tugged Elron in that direction, and we dodged people checking name cards to find their seats.

Breaking away from Elron, I gave them a big hug.

"It was a beautiful ceremony," I said with a smile.

"Thank you," Mom tightened her grip on me, and a couple of tears escaped her eyes.

Dad cleared his throat, speaking in a rough voice. "I'm so glad you were here."

"Me too." I gave him another hug. Mom and I brushed away tears and we continued celebrating.

Chapter 18: Michelle

A man came over to congratulate my parents, and with a smile at me they turned their attention to the rest of their guests. Turning around, I spotted Elron at the table. He motioned to the seat next to him. I'd thought we would be sitting next to Mom, but we were a seat over from Dad. Before I had time to ponder who was taking that seat, Nana sat down.

"I didn't know you were going to officiate the wedding," I said.

"When we moved the wedding, the pastor couldn't do it, and since I usually do clan weddings, it just made sense," Nana answered.

"It was beautiful."

"I enjoyed your service more than any other I have attended," Elron said.

"The trick is keeping it simple. Some people get weighed down with long speeches and all sorts of ceremony. By the time they're done, your butt and ears are numb, and it's all you can do to be happy for the couple."

Elron chuckled and nodded his agreement.

A waiter came between us, setting a water glass beside me. "What would you ladies like to drink?"

"White wine," Nana answered.

"Same for me," I said.

The waiter moved on to Elron and another one set a glass of water next to Nana.

"How long have you known Gretchen?" I asked her.

"I wouldn't say we're friends, but we've moved in the same circles for many years. Why do you ask?"

Casting a quick look around, I found Elron chatting with someone else and my parents thoroughly engaged by four of the guests. "Has she always been like this? Totally focused on what she wants to the exclusion of anyone else's feelings or well-being?"

"Gretchen is a complicated woman, one I don't fully understand. I suspect her mother's views strongly influenced who she became, and not in a good way. By reputation, I know that Gretchen's mother was very concerned with bloodlines, family, and appearances. When Gretchen was pregnant, she complained to anyone who would stand still that boys weren't worth having. It was a girl or nothing. She was so pleased to get a girl but never did accept that witches come in all strengths. There was a time when Gretchen's husband mellowed out those tendencies in her, but after he passed away, things changed. This part I can say with certainty: after his death, Gretchen became everything her mother was reputed to be and more. I think she didn't know how to manage her grief and lost what compassion and empathy she had."

A new day, another tidbit of family history. "But why did she hurt Mom?"

"Besides the reasons you know?" Nana asked.

I nodded.

"Do you see much of Gretchen in Nancy?"

"No. Mom loves to help people; it's why she works at the hospital."

Nana kept her eyes on Mom as she answered. "I saw Gretchen's husband on one or two occasions. I think Nancy is very much like her father. I can only guess Gretchen dislikes the reminder and feels that some of what she has termed Nancy's 'weaknesses' are the very reasons her husband is no longer with us."

I couldn't argue with Nana's logic, even if I didn't understand how you could be so empty inside that you drove away your only child. "How did Gretchen's husband die?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. The rumor I heard was a magical accident."

That would make sense too. Everyone knew Mom had a lot of good traits, but she wasn't much of a witch. She was plenty good at healing, but she didn't have much power, and works that Dad or I could do were beyond her. Gretchen was fixated on me because of my power.

"Have you met Sarah or Tammy?"

"Not Tammy. They avoid the Docga. If memory serves, Sarah is levelheaded and progressive," Nana said.

The crowd moved away from Mom and Dad, and we let the conversation lapse. I couldn't speak to Nana's motives, but I didn't want them to overhear. We didn't talk much as the staff passed out drinks and entrées. Once the food arrived, conversation picked up again. Beside me, Elron was having a pleasant conversation about plants with a round wizard who was taking great care not to land food in his beard.

"What do you think of the clan?" Nana asked.

It took me a second to find a way to answer that was honest and didn't dive too deeply into my feelings. After all, it was hard to tell the true character of any group at a wedding. "They're really letting the joy of the celebration shine through."

"Wonderfully diplomatic, just like Greg, but that wasn't an answer."

"Nana, it's a wedding. I can't judge a group by how they act on a day when everyone is trying to behave."

She pursed her lips. "Keep your eyes open; you're seeing more than you realize."

"What's it like joining a clan?"

"Usually you only feel a connection to the clan during the joining ceremony. Shortly after that, it fades and you won't sense a connection unless it's a special occasion, a new member joins, or you do spell-work with other clan members. You can contribute to the clan—generally with energy, although it can be a variety of things—but the clan can't take from you. However, big-picture things can have an effect. The clan takes its… personality from its members, and in return you tend to find that most people in a clan are a similar to each other."

Nana continued. "The minister has a constant awareness of the clan. It can be stronger or weaker, but when I was minister, I could feel exceptionally strong emotions and regulate clan-wide interactions."

"So it wouldn't be a noticeable connection?"

"No."

That was good. At least I wouldn't have clan members living in my head all the time; that would feel like an invasion of privacy.

Dad got Nana's attention, and I listened in on Elron's conversation. He was still discussing growth cycles of various plants with the wizard on his other side.

The rest of the celebration passed in a haze of laughs, conversation, smiles, cake, and champagne. I watched Elron charm my Mom into a dance and swing Nana through a waltz. Between partners, Nana did a little disco, spurring a rash of cheesy dance moves. Nana hauled me into a conga line, and we snaked our way through the house, singing at the top of our lungs. Elron took up a position behind me, purposely fudging the lyrics to make me laugh.

Back on the dance floor, Mom and I spun in a circle, and I was struck by how happy she looked. As we danced, I knew I'd do whatever it took to keep the Wapiti away from her and give her this time to build the life she'd wanted. If jail did the trick, I'd be overjoyed, but if they weaseled out of that trap, I'd think of something else.

When Dad pulled me away for a dance, he was happier than I'd ever seen him.

"I'm lucky to have a daughter like you."

"Thanks?"

"You don't realize how special you are, how few witches your age are self-sufficient, own their own business, and are confident in their powers."

"I'm not trying to be special." Really, I could do with less attention. I was happier when most people ignored me.

He shook his head slightly. "I know. That's why it's remarkable."

I let that one go; there was nothing I could say to it anyway.

A portly wizard spun Nana, and her red robe billowed out, catching the eye of everyone in the room. She tossed her head back, laughing.

"She's something else," Dad said.

"It seems to me that I got one fantastic grandmother."

"That you did." He paused, but I could tell that he wasn't done. "You're a lot like her."

I shrugged.

"You got Nancy and Gretchen's determination, but you got my mom's spirit."

Tilting my head, I studied him, but I couldn't figure out where he was going with this.

He nodded in Nana's direction. "You could do worse."

"What?"

"Than to be like her."

Now I was really confused.

Dad smiled at me, and I did my best to smile back. "My mother is a vibrantly alive woman who is happy. Would it be so bad to be like her?"

"No, but I want to be me."

"You will always be you, but remember that what you do today builds who you shall be tomorrow."

"And you're saying I should build to be her?"

"Be the best you, and then look in the mirror. Some of your Nana will look back."

I studied him, trying to understand where this was going. "I am being the best me, or I thought I was."

"Good."

There was a look on his face that bothered me, so I asked, "Why are you telling me to be my best?"

"I worry. I worry about you staying true to yourself. It would be nice to believe that you have faced the worst of what is to come in your life, but it's likely that your toughest challenges lie ahead of you. Stay true to you; don't waver from your path."

This was more serious than I'd expected our wedding talk to be, and I wasn't sure how to respond. "I'm trying. I'm trying to be my best for me and the people around me."

"I know."

"I don't want to disappoint you."

"Michelle, you've always made me proud. Even when you were giving me gray hairs."

"Just making up for lost time." I smiled.

The music ended and he kissed my forehead. "I need to liberate Nancy from her next partner. He's known for squishing toes."

I didn't get two steps before Elron came over, hand out. "May I have this dance?"

"You may."

He pulled me into his arms and guided us into a waltz. I was grateful for his lead since I wasn't a great dancer.

"That was my toe."

"Sorry. I'm not used to wearing heels."

"You look lovely, though I prefer your everyday attire."

"But why?" Most guys I knew loved to see their girl dressed up.

"Because it's you. Practical shoes, businesslike but not fussy clothes, ready to spend a day on paperwork or fight off witches." He cupped my cheek with his hand.

I closed my eyes, enjoying being close to him. "I'll remember that."

"I expect you will." He dipped me before bringing me back into his arms. "The dress is pretty."

He spun me as the song ended, and while I was still dizzy, kissed me. Elron was a confusing elf, but he was my confusing elf.

Before I knew it, there had been toasts, more cake, and another round of champagne. Shortly after that, Mom and Dad were rolling down the driveway with "Just Married" scrawled across the back window of the car.

Elron and I said our good-byes. I got two hugs and a kiss from Nana. We hit the road not far behind my parents. I kicked off my shoes and rubbed my feet. It was one thing to spend hours standing and walking in boots or sneakers, but heels were a different story. Tired of being in the dress, I pulled my bag out of the backseat, surrounded myself with an opaque shield, and wiggled into jeans and a long-sleeved shirt.

"Better?" Elron asked.

"Much. Thank you for coming with me and driving."

"Someone needed to make sure you didn't take any detours this time."

I groaned. "Involuntary detour. Trust me, it wasn't my idea to spend some quality time with the Wapiti."

Elron didn't get a chance to reply because my phone started ringing. I shouldn't have been surprised since it had been quiet through the wedding.

"Oaks Consulting, this is Michelle."

"Michelle, it's Bethany. I could use your help."

Bethany was a witch who worked with the Union County Sheriff's Office. She was an oddity in my clients because she was a witch rather than a hedge-practitioner. She suffered from much the same problem as Mom, being underpowered, but her skills matched well with police work. Bethany was lucky though; her clan wanted her to be happy and allowed her to be employed outside their business. Shortly after I started consulting, she talked her boss into hiring me to handle the cases she couldn't.

"Sure, what's the problem?"

"I'm at a greenhouse with plants gone crazy. Nothing I've tried has helped, and the plants have swallowed the elf who was with me."

"Swallowed?"

"Engulfed? Look, I can talk to him, so I know he's not badly injured, but I don't know how to fix this." Her voice shook at the end.

Beside me, Elron slowed the car down and guided us onto the shoulder of the road.

"Give me the address." I scribbled down the directions and took my best guess at the drive time. "It'll take me about thirty minutes to get there."

"Thank you."

I hung up without offering her any reassurances. Plants weren't really my thing, but I had a driver who was good with greenery.

"Do you mind?" I asked Elron. Even though I'd told Bethany I would be there, I needed to double-check with him.

"Plants gone wild sounds interesting."

Elven hearing made private phone calls difficult. "Good, because I think I'm going to need your help."

He turned the car around, and we headed to the greenhouse.

*******

The drive ended up taking forty minutes because we missed a turn in the dark. We knew we'd found the right spot when we pulled in behind three police cars and one unmarked car with their lights pointing at a wood-and-glass building. The building was long and narrow with wooden walls, making me think it had started out life as a chicken house and been retrofitted with a glass ceiling when it was converted to a greenhouse.

Bethany jogged over, greeting us as soon as we got out of the car. "Michelle, thank goodness you're here. Who's that with you?"

"Bethany, I'd like to introduce you to my associate, Elron." We'd talked about it on the way over and figured it would be better to introduce him as a work friend than a boyfriend. I didn't think anyone would ask why we'd been together late in the evening and away from home, but if they did, I was going to tell them they were lucky that he'd been in the area and leave it at that. Luckily, his slacks and button-down weren't formal enough to prompt any questions.

"Nice to meet you," Elron said.

"Likewise." The two of them shook hands, and Bethany shot me a confused look.

"Elron has a singular talent with plants, especially the magical variety. When you mentioned the nature of the emergency, I thought his skill might be useful. Since I brought him along, I'll pay his fee."

Payment was a subject Elron and I hadn't discussed during the drive, but we could work it out later. My guess was that he wouldn't want to be paid.

Bethany nodded and her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "Thanks. You know any additional expenses have to go by the sheriff."

I smiled. "That's why Elron won't be an additional expense for the department. Now, about this greenhouse."

"Right. I was going home when I felt a magical disturbance. I called it in and waited for an on-duty officer to come check it out. Officer Bale came out to take a look, and I followed him to this greenhouse. He could tell something weird was going on and stepped inside to take a look. The plants grabbed him and pulled him farther into the greenhouse. I tried to follow, but I barely managed to avoid being pulled in myself.

"I called that in, and additional officers were sent this way. After a couple of attempts to retrieve Bale, I called you. It doesn't feel like those are naturally magical plants, and whatever was done to them made them rather lively," Bethany finished.

While she was talking, I opened myself up, getting a feel for the magic. The magical plants I'd been around had magic in them, but not like this. This place was a mass of raw power and spells that had changed the plants, though I wasn't sure why they'd taken a hostage.

"Can you still talk to Officer Bale?" I asked.

"Last time I heard from him was fifteen minutes ago. All of us have tried, but if he's communicating, it's too quiet for us to make out." Bethany motioned to the two officers standing near the door of the greenhouse.

I turned to Elron. "What do you think?"

"This is not something I have seen before. It will be a challenge."

Looking to Bethany, I said, "Let's get to it."

We approached the greenhouse, stopping to introduce ourselves to Officers Washburn and Hartaway. Washburn was a round human with pale skin and pink cheeks. Hartaway, a vampire, was as lethal in her uniform as Washburn was amiable.

"Would you mind standing back? I can't be sure how this will go, and the fewer people next to the greenhouse, the better," I said.

Hartaway looked at Washburn and Bethany. "We'll stay out of your way."

"Thank you." I summoned my wand and looked at Elron. "How do you want to do this?"

"Could you shield me? I do not know if that would be effective with the amount of energy in this place, but I would prefer to remain unmolested by the plants."

"I can shield you. Do you want to be anchored to one spot or be able to move around?"

He studied the greenhouse. "I need to be able to move around."

"Hold still," I told him.

Using my wand, I sketched five shimmering runes in the air before directing the power and finishing it off with two more spoken runes. It had taken me two days to figure out how to shape the spell with seven runes, but I'd done it without increasing the amount of magic needed to fuel the spell.

"All done," I said, sucking in a deep breath of air. Dad was right, I had a bad habit of holding my breath when I was uncertain of a spell's outcome.

Elron was encapsulated in a spell that hovered four inches over his skin. As he moved, the spell moved to maintain that distance around him. He took a step forward, and the shield moved with him, not impeding his progress at all.

Elron pushed open a wood door with a glass window in the top half. As I followed him through the door, I cast a spell on myself. It was easier than the one I'd used on Elron and basically electrocuted anything that touched me. Poking my arm, my finger tingled; I was satisfied that it was working.

Inside, I knew my imagination hadn't lived up to the reality. Whatever these plants had once been, they were something else now. In front of us was a wall of greenery. Vines thicker than my wrist vanished into the rest of the greenhouse. Some of the leaves were as large as my torso, and I could just see where a tree trunk had pierced the glass roof.

The scale was intimidating, but the space took on a sinister air when the plants began moving. At first I thought they were growing, but after several seconds I knew better. Growing plants moved in predictable ways—in the direction of light, lengthening and thickening, flowering, and branching off into new directions.

These plants didn't do that. The tip of one runner swung back and forth before inching forward and repeating the motion. To my left, a branch bearing leaves the size of my head swept from side to side. It brushed another plant, and the leaves shifted their position to keep in contact with the other plant as long as possible.

When I focused on the mass of plants, I could see them moving, twisting, and shifting position. When Bethany called and told me a greenhouse had swallowed an elf, I'd thought she meant that he'd run afoul of something magical, not that the plants had gone crazy.

Reaching out with tendrils of power, I felt around, trying to determine the cause of this. There was definitely something magical going on, but the source wasn't apparent. Magic had permeated every plant at low levels, levels I wouldn't have credited with this type of mutation. The leaf I was examining curled up and was sucked backward, vanishing.

I reeled in my power. That was a level of self-awareness I hadn't been counting on.

"Elron, tell me you can do something about this."

He frowned. "I am not sure."

That wasn't the answer I'd wanted to hear. "Why not?"

"The magic has changed them. I cannot be sure that they will react in a predictable fashion. Give me a moment." He closed his eyes and rolled his shoulders before inhaling and exhaling.

I watched him for a moment before returning to my explorations. My power snaked around the plants, and though I did my best to prevent it from touching anything, as it moved farther back, my magic collided with more plants. They pulled back, actively moving away from me.

When my magic touched a person, I halted its forward progress. Sure enough, it felt like an elf. He was alive. Breathing a sigh of relief, I continued my examination. Alive, yes; in a good situation, no. The elf was unconscious, and it felt like he was being held in place by the plants.

Expanding my power, I felt around him, only finding plants, several of which were wrapped around his arms and legs. With that limitation in mind, I constructed a shield around him. It wouldn't do much for the plants that were inside it, but it would prevent other things from getting in. Between the distance, lack of sight, and uncertainty about the area, it wasn't my best work, but it would have to do until Elron or I could get to him.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Elron looking at me.

"The plants were fed an excess of Magic Grow and something else, but I believe I can manage them. I also felt the officer. He is alive," he informed me.

"I found the officer too and put a shield around him. It's not my best work, so I don't know how much good it'll do."

"It is better than what he had. I will manage the plants if you can retrieve the police officer."

"I can do that." Hopefully. I didn't want to live with the consequences of fumbling my role in this rescue.

Elron nodded and squared up to the wall of plants. While we'd talked, it had moved a couple of inches closer, giving me the impression that it was trying to force us out of the greenhouse one step at a time.

I don't know what he did, but one runner shrank and vanished. Elron wobbled before regaining his stance.

"Are you okay?" I touched his arm and felt energy pulsing along his skin. Elves weren't designed to handle power at that level, so I pulled most of it off him and into me, leaving enough to make him feel energized.

He shook his head. "Thank you, that is better. I can work with the plants, but I cannot drain the energy from them, and they will not return to a normal size unless the energy is removed."

"Drain the…" My voice trailed off.

Stepping away from Elron, I knelt down and grabbed ahold of a runner. The energy flowing through the plant made my teeth itch. The three-inch-thick runner thrashed and wobbled, pulling out of my hand.

Rocking back on my heels, I chewed on my lip. Not only had these plants had Magic Grow, but it had been mixed with some type of magic intended to energize and awaken. From the look of things, the Magic Grow had amplified the other spells while it was supersizing the plants. This was why items like Magic Grow came with big warning labels saying how dangerous it was to mix them with other spells.

I got up and went back to Elron. He looked better than he had, but the corners of his eyes were still narrowed and his brow was furrowed.

"Are you up to trying again? If you manage the plants, I can manage the energy."

"I will try." He offered me his hand.

Sliding my hand into his, I felt the link form between us. Ideally, I would work through him. Elron would pull the energy off the plants, and I would drain it off of him and into the earth. In reality, that wasn't going to work, not for a job of this size. I could move that much energy without repercussions, but Elron wasn't a witch. The next best thing was to wait until he had the plants' cooperation before doing my job. That's what I was going to try first, because I didn't want to hurt Elron.

A side effect of the link was limited thought sharing. He was in pain, frustrated with the plants for hurting him, and embarrassed. For some reason, I didn't think those were the thoughts he would've chosen to share, and I was glad I didn't know what he was picking up from me.

Elron started persuading something with large green leaves to return to a normal size, and I focused on my task. As soon as the plant became amenable, I started stripping away the energy. Even before it agreed to shrink, the energy depletion had reduced its size.

I continued siphoning off the energy until I felt Elron softly push me away. Releasing the plant, I reassessed the difficulty of the job. If that plant was any indication, each of these had enough energy to create a new Ty. Considering the amount of vegetation we were facing, it was going to take us hours to make our way to the officer.

He transitioned to a different plant, and I drained as much energy out of it as I had the first. When it had been reduced to a normal size, we went on to the third. By the fifth plant, I had a rhythm going and didn't need any help determining when to stop draining them.

I'd lost count of the number of plants Elron had cajoled into decreasing in size when I heard a rasping. Looking around, I couldn't see anything that would make that sound. It was like someone was rubbing sandpaper against a block of wood. I'd been keeping tabs on the officer, and he was still unconscious. If he, Elron, and I were the only ones in here, who was making that sound?

"Michelle," Elron hissed.

"Sorry," I muttered, turning my attention to the bushy shrub he was working on. Once I'd connected to it and had the energy flowing into me at a steady pace, I looked around again. If there was anything there, it was too dark for me to see it.

I sent a witch light to hover over us. The additional light was helpful, but it only illuminated the area directly around us, and the sound was coming from farther away. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and I dropped the channel to the earth, building up my energy reserves with the power from the shrub. By the time I released the link, I had more energy than was comfortable, but I wanted to keep it that way until we were out of this place. If something was going to attack us, I wanted to be prepared.

The rasping stopped, and I took a hard look around us. Anything outside a couple of feet was hidden well enough that I couldn't see it.

Elron released the plant, sitting back on his heels. He twisted to look at me. "Can you continue?"

"I think something is here."

He came to his feet in one graceful movement, studying our surroundings. "I only sense us, the officer, the plants, and some insects."

Turning my head, I tried to determine what was giving me the creeps. "There was a sound."

"I hear nothing."

Before I could try to describe what I'd heard, the sandpaper sound returned.

Elron twisted to the left and back to the right, but he didn't seem to be able to identify its origin either.

"What is that?" I asked, adjusting my grip on my wand.

He shrugged. "It could be two plants with rough bark rubbing against each other or a tool getting knocked around as the plants move. Do not worry about it."

Shrugging one shoulder, I didn't argue. He was right, it could be nothing. Dealing with the clans had left me jumpy and suspicious.

Elron knelt next to a strand of ivy. Its diameter was greater than my arm, and its leaves were as big as salad plates. He grunted and began tumbling against my legs. As I reached down to help him up, I saw something pink and white vanish into the wall of flora.

"I stand corrected. There is something else here," Elron said.

"You think?"

"My apologies. I—"

"Not now, elf. Can we shrink these plants as a group?" I kept my wand up, the extra energy I'd absorbed itching to be used.

He tightened his grip on my hand and deepened the link between us. Our abilities mixed and mingled until it was hard to tell where one of us ended and the other began. Elron convinced most of the plants to cooperate in seconds and then forced the rest of them to allow me to drain the energy.

It was difficult to take in just enough rather than too much, so this time when I pulled the energy, I set it to drain directly to the earth, unwilling to have that much power moving through me.

Before he'd deepened the link, I'd gotten some of his emotions, and now I was getting all of them. Any doubts I'd had about his feelings for me in the wake of his wife's death were washed away. He cared deeply for me and at this moment was determined to protect me from whatever else was in the greenhouse.

I started releasing plants that had been returned to a normal state, holding on to the ones that were still excited until they started to calm down. When I was down a few problem plants, I started dismantling the siphon. After draining excess energy, I finished taking apart the link to the earth. I was letting go of the last plant when I found myself torn away from Elron and flying through the air.

Chapter 19: Michelle

I heard an angry hiss, and that same rubbing sound. Whatever was out there was not a fan of mine. Still flying through the air, I curled into a protective ball and tried to will the ground to soften under me.

I hit the earth shoulder first, followed by my head, which didn't appreciate getting smacked against the ground, and the rest of me. From the way the ground sagged under me, I knew it had softened, but soft ground was still ground.

Blinking rapidly, I tried to clear the bright spots out of my eyes. I could hear distant shouts, but my brain couldn't make sense of them. No part of my body was happy to have hit the ground, but I didn't seem to have any serious injury. I moved up to a sitting position and rolled my shoulders. Nothing was broken.

Flexing my hands, I realized I'd lost my wand. I was on my knees when I got dizzy and had to sit down. Since it would be a moment before I could go anyway, I tried the trick that had worked in the forest. I twisted my hand, willing my wand to vanish before summoning it. It appeared in my hand like it had last time.

If I'd felt better, I would've done a little dance, but I had bigger problems. Elron was alone with whatever had tossed me across the room.

I kept my eyes on the rest of the room as I got to my feet, but it didn't do any good. It was too dark for me to see anything. I uttered a couple of words, and a large orb appeared near the roof, giving enough illumination for me to decipher what was going on.

Most of the plants were small, though I couldn't vouch for how many would survive the experience. Broken and tipped-over pots were strewn across the benches that lined the walls and the floor. The vegetation spilling out ranged from a couple of inches to over two feet in height. There were still a couple of extra-large plants along the walls and in the far corners of the room, but they weren't the primary attraction.

An eight-foot-tall white-and-pink something hovered in front of me, making that dreadful scraping sound. It looked like a bizarrely shaped orchid, but I'd never seen an orchid with eyes. The thing's wings fluttered, and it leaped away from Elron.

Elron had his sword out, but he wasn't attacking the creature. Beside him I caught sight of the police officer, still protected by my shield bubble but lashed to a table with vines. Falling back on the original plan, I dashed over to Officer Bale.

I looked at Elron and nodded. He squared off with the pink thing, and I removed the shield from Bale. I patted his cheek and shook him, but he didn't even twitch. He was out cold. There would be plenty of time to figure out what was wrong with him when we were safely out of the greenhouse, so I focused on freeing him. The table he was lashed to was sturdy, with thick wooden legs and a top that was a half inch thick. The best way to move him was to get the plants to release him.

Since I didn't have Elron's gift with plants, I took a more direct approach. Shaping my power into a knife, I cut through the vines on his leg and tugged them off before moving to his other leg.

The pink monster raised its wings, holding them upright. The sound started again, and it lashed out with what looked to be an oddly shaped petal. Elron jumped back, dodging the swipe, but he didn't attack.

With the second leg out of the way, I went to work on his arms. I'd gotten the right arm free when Elron screamed, "Look out!"

Ducking, I turned, wand ready, but the creature had jumped clean over me and landed on the other side of Bale. As I tugged at his left arm, which was still tied to the table, I got a good look at its mouth. No matter how flowery it looked, it was definitely a creature.

I shot a stun spell at it. The beastie paused before the scraping sound returned at a quicker tempo. It reached for Bale again, and I had a feeling he was on this thing's menu.

"What is it?" I yelled.

"A type of mantis," Elron replied as he came up next to me.

"A what?"

"Think praying mantis."

I swore. Those things were carnivorous, and one this size would consider any of us a tasty dinner.

The mantis stepped closer to Bale, and Elron leaped forward, sword slicing through the air. I had my wand up but couldn't figure out what spell to use. If there was a magical equivalent of bug spray, I didn't know how to make it. As I was deliberating, the mantis snatched up the police officer.

Elron shifted his weight, stumbling as he pulled the attack, unwilling to risk injuring Bale. The policeman didn't look to be doing great; his arm was at an awkward angle, and the table was starting to scoot after him.

There might have been an advantage to keeping him tethered, but I wasn't willing to see what the mantis would do when it realized that its toy was stuck in one spot. I needed to free Bale before the mantis did any more damage to his arm.

I found a good angle where I could work on the vines against the table rather than against his skin and used magic to burn through the lashing. It fell away, and the deputy's arm fell into a natural position. With any luck, nothing was broken.

The mantis skittered away, still clutching Bale. It was headed for the back of the greenhouse. Elron lashed out with his sword, and part of a wing fell to the ground. The scraping stopped, but the mantis tucked its chin and danced from side to side.

Grateful that it wasn't going to be flying anywhere, I enacted my part of the plan. Pointing my wand at the ground under the mantis, I shouted, "Orzu."

The ground softened, and the mantis sank all the way up to its first leg joint. It thrashed for a moment, keeping ahold of Bale and earning it points for determination, before it got one foot on solid ground and started to pull itself out.

"Fehu," I said quickly, solidifying the ground.

The mantis was stuck, with two legs free and the rest in the dirt. It tugged at its legs and flapped its still-functioning wing for a moment before turning its attention to the unconscious elf in its grasp. The mantis shifted him around until he was upright and opened its mouth.

Elron backed up, ran a couple of steps, and sprang onto a table. He took three steps on the table before jumping off the end, sword in motion. The mantis's head rolled to the ground, and goop spurted from its neck. Elron landed, pivoting to face the body of the mantis.

Bugs were tough, but they weren't immune to being beheaded. With the mantis dead, I rushed forward. Bale needed medical attention, which meant I had to get him out of here. Paramedics wouldn't come in until the greenhouse had been cleared, and that would take too long.

Between one step and the next, I found myself hauled off the ground and dangling upside down from the ceiling. At my feet, eight eyes were locked on to me. All thoughts of Bale's well-being flew out of my head. I let out a blood-curdling scream as I pointed my wand at the spider and threw any magic I could think of at it.

The stun spell missed. I tried to freeze it but only got one leg iced. The heat spell simply melted the ice, and I was back to having a fully functional spider.

It started encasing my feet in silk, attaching me to the beam it was perched on, and I wracked my brain for another solution. Hair spray. I formed a spell that would stick its limbs together, immobilizing it until I could get free and kill it.

Coating the creature in magic was easy enough, but making the magic sticky took two tries. At first it wanted to stick to other things, and the spider ended up attached to my feet. Since that wasn't what I had in mind, I tried again, picturing the magic sticking to itself and pulling the spider's legs together. It teetered on the beam, and for a moment I thought it would escape, but it toppled off and hit the ground below me.

I sucked in a couple of deep breaths and tried to relax, though that wasn't the easiest thing to do when upside down.

There was a chopping sound, and Elron came into my field of vision. "It is dead."

"Good. Please help me get down."

He gripped my shoulder with one arm, lifting me up slightly, and placed his other hand on my lower back. I glared at the silk, heating the air around my feet. The spider silk curled up, and my feet were free. Elron caught me as I came down, rotating me until I was on my feet and in his arms.

"Thank you."

"Always happy to help."

"Where's the police officer?" I moved out of his arms, not wanting to be in his way if another overgrown bug appeared.

"There." He tipped his head to the side.

My eyes moved in that direction, and I found Bale lying on the ground. He was dirty and pale, and there were bruises on his wrists. I was sure that those wouldn't be his only bruises.

"Could you get him out of here? I need to look at something." I had a feeling there was still something in the greenhouse. Where there were two extra-large bugs, there were bound to be more.

Elron nodded and heaved the police officer over his shoulder. They made it out the door, and I focused on my work.

I shifted the large light to the back of the greenhouse. There were still some plants that needed to be forced down to a normal size and the remains of the mantis, but I didn't see anything else that would be problematic. A bug could be hiding in the plants, but I wasn't willing to hand inspect them while I was alone in here.

Moving the light forward, I took a good look at the middle of the room. I'd spent time in that area without noticing anything, but if I'd been a smart bug, I would've avoided the mantis and humans. Nothing looked like a bug, so I moved the light closer to me.

A shape separated from the wall, flapped around, and settled on the wall a few feet below its previous location. That was the biggest moth I'd ever seen, with three-foot-wide wings decorated in muted browns and grays. It didn't seem to be comfortable in its new spot, because its antenna moved around and it flapped its wings. The moth took off again, darting near the light before coming to rest on the ceiling.

As pretty as it was, it couldn't be allowed to live. A moth that size would terrorize people. I added a spell to the light similar to the one I'd placed on myself, turning it into a big backyard bug zapper.

The moth took off again and went for the light. There was a sharp crack, and the moth fell to the ground. From here I couldn't tell if it was dead or stunned, but I was going to let Elron take a look at it when he came back.

I took the electricity spell off the light and moved it to this side of the room. Other than the remains of the spider's web, I couldn't see anything interesting. I had my doubts that we'd found all the large bugs, but I'd done what I could.

Elron came in with his sword out. He studied the moth for a moment before decapitating it in one smooth motion.

Bethany trailed along behind him with a wand in her hand. "Whoa," she said, coming to a stop. "Should I ask?"

"Ask what?" I said.

"How you did it? This is almost normal."

I snorted. Almost normal wasn't a stellar recommendation. "Judicious use of magic," I said. "Aren't you curious about big and pink back there?"

"Is it dead?" Bethany asked.

Tipping my head, I studied the crumpled form. If you hadn't seen it when it was alive and moving, it did look like a badly mangled flower. "It's dead."

"I'm not as curious as you might think."

I shrugged. Bethany would get a short oral report before we left and a nice long written one in a couple of days, so she didn't have to be curious. Returning to more pressing matters, I asked, "Could you look around? See if there is anything else you need help with? Elron and I need to deal with the rest of the plants."

"On it."

Looking up at Elron, I found lines of fatigue around his eyes. "Are you up to dealing with the rest of the plants?"

"I am able to complete the task." From the way he said it, I had a feeling he would be doing it out of determination.

"All right then. Let's get it done." I slid my hand into his, and we walked over to a holly bush that was taller than Elron with leaves the size of his hand.

Elron got to work on the plant, and when it was ready, I pulled the energy out of it. We did the next five the same way. I couldn't tell if Elron was too tired to do them as a group or if they needed the individual attention. As we moved along, I channeled some energy into Elron, hoping it would steady him. When we finished with the last plant, he was swaying on his feet. Since it didn't look like we'd be seeing any more action tonight, I took the shield off of him and undid the spell I'd placed on myself.

"Elron, there's a minor healing charm in a green bag inside my duffel. Why don't you use that? I'll drive us home."

He frowned, and I could see the internal debate between being a strong man and being a person. Finally he took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Thank you. That would be prudent."

He squeezed my hand before turning to leave. I watched him walk out of the greenhouse. He seemed steady enough. When he was out of sight, I looked for Bethany and found her next to the body of the mantis. It wasn't something I wanted to get close to, but the two of us needed to talk.

"This was hiding in here?"

"Yup, and it tried to turn Officer Bale into dinner. How is he doing?"

"The paramedics took him to the hospital. Before they left, they said he had some injuries that weren't life threatening." She paused. "Rather a shame to kill it; it's pretty."

Maybe I would've been able to recognize its good looks if I'd met it under different circumstances, but I had been put off by its determination to snack on Bale.

"Bethany, it had to die. Under the circumstances, there wasn't another choice. Even if you'd found it peacefully contained in someone's backyard, we would've had to destroy it. If something like this got loose, it could wreck the local ecosystem and hurt people."

Maybe, given time, she could've found a zoo or school who'd want it, but they wouldn't be permitted to create a mate, so it would be alone for its entire life. That wasn't something I'd wish on a creature that had been going about its own business when magic ruined its life.

"When Elron brought out Bale, he said it wasn't native to North America. Do you think it was a pet?"

"I don't know." I changed the topic because we had a long drive home and I wanted to get to my bed. "Did you find anything?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"I really doubt we found all the creatures that were affected, but do you think you can handle things from here?"

Bethany looked around from the plants to the three dead bugs. "I've got it from here. What started this mess?"

Pointing to our left, I said, "A thirty-pound bag of Magic Grow mixed with Jumbo Energy Juice."

The traces of magic in the two parts were unique enough that I could identify them and where they merged, creating this mess. Now that I could study it, that energy drink looked suspiciously like the ones I'd seen sitting on the shelf in Gretchen's office. Now that could be a coincidence. After all, those drinks were sold in several stores. But in my experience, coincidence didn't stretch that far.

She turned and studied the ripped-open bag of Magic Grow and the twenty-ounce can that was lying beside it. "Magic Grow and an energy drink?"

I shrugged. "They both have warnings stating how dangerous it is to mix them with other forms of magic."

To be fair, this could've been an accident, but it was her job to track down the perpetrator, not mine. Even if it was intentional, I doubted the responsible party envisioned this outcome. Most magical things carried warnings like that, and people mixed them all the time with minimal side effects.

"Assuming whoever did this is still alive, I doubt this is what they had in mind."

She followed me to the door—maybe she didn't want to be alone in here either—and I undid the light spells, plunging the greenhouse into darkness. Walking out, I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots out of my eyes. There were more emergency vehicles here now, and they all had their lights aimed in this direction.

Magic stirred behind me, and I turned around. Bethany was sealing the building. Nothing would get in or out without alerting the sheriff's office. Sure, a few people might want to do the entire investigation tonight, but it would be better for everyone if they waited until morning. After all, if there was anything else hiding in there, daylight would be an advantage.

"Thanks for coming, Michelle." Bethany offered her hand.

"Not a problem. Let me know how things turn out. Good night." A quick handshake and I was done.

"Safe travels."

I waved as I left. I found Elron asleep in the passenger's seat, charm clutched in his hand. After buckling him in, I pulled the keys out of the cup holder, started the car, and executed a six-point turn to get the car headed in the right direction.

He woke up as I pulled onto the road. I smiled, not that he could see it in the dark. "We make a good team."

"We do." Elron paused. "I would like to work with you. Before you worry about the details—yes, I can see your mind working—I can continue working at the garden and work with you as needed. You certainly do not need me to disenchant rogue objects or teach classes."

"There's still paperwork, licensing, contracts—"

"All of which can wait until morning."

"Agreed." I took a deep breath. "It's been ages since we had a true date."

"How does an evening at the greenhouse sound?"

"Very nice. Do you have any new plants?"

"A friend sent me a magical Christmas cactus that only blooms between Saturnalia and the end of Yuletide. I was able to find a projecting poinsettia, which produces an illusion of a Christmas tree decorated with poinsettia blooms on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"Where are they from?"

"The Christmas cactus was developed by European settlers who moved out west, and the projecting poinsettia originates in Mexico."

"Sounds beautiful." Beside me, he tried to cover a yawn. "Get some sleep. I know the way home."

Elron was out in minutes. It was a long drive home, so I activated a charm to help me stay awake. I didn't feel tired now, but an hour from now might be a different story and I wanted to be prepared. It wasn't like Elron was going to keep me alert with good conversation or anything.

Luckily it was an uneventful drive, and we rolled down the driveway to the lodge without incident. With the way things had been going lately, I considered that to be a minor miracle. There were some unfamiliar cars in the parking lot, but that wasn't unusual. Landa would like it if the guests stayed for a few days. Winter could be slow, and she loved having a full house.

I shook Elron's shoulder. "We're home."

He didn't budge.

"Elron, help," I put a little energy behind the words.

He bolted upright, eyes open, scanning the car. "What's wrong?"

Making a soothing sound, I rubbed his arm. "Nothing's wrong. We're back at the lodge, and I was having trouble waking you."

Elron glared at me. "That was rude."

"It was effective." I smiled at him.

Snorting, he said, "What is it with you and crazy-colored creatures?"

"What?"

"You are the only witch I know with a pet dinosaur that is purple and pink."

"How many witches do you know with pet dinosaurs?" I replied as I hauled my bags and dress out of the backseat.

Elron ignored me and kept talking. "Now we run into a large mantis that is pink and white."

"They find me, not the other way around," I said primly.

"Which begs the question, how do so many bizarre creations find you?" Elron retrieved his bag.

"It's a wild and crazy world. Some witch has to tame it." I locked the car and headed for the stairs. "It felt like something was off about that case. I saw a case of those exact energy drinks in Gretchen's office. Not to mention, how do you spill an energy drink in fertilizer? Anyone who's looking for that much of a boost isn't going to leave their drink behind."

"Perhaps it was a trap. Not all of Gretchen's supporters are in jail."

I turned to face him. "You think so? I mean, the timing was perfect, just as we were leaving the wedding. Any other day, I would've been over an hour away. That elf would've died before I got there."

"It was well-timed. Could you have freed the elf without my assistance?"

Shaking my head, I said, "It's unlikely. I don't have your gift with plants… or your skill with a sword."

He didn't say it, but I knew what he was thinking. The clock was counting down to the problem I couldn't manage, or the situation that would land me in the hospital with more than minor burns and bruises.

Elron shifted the conversation. "How would the witches have tracked you?"

"I don't know, Elron. I must excrete some pheromone that attracts them. It seems to work on crazy elves, too," I teased. It was a question I needed to consider, but I didn't want to focus on it now. Whatever the plan had been, it had failed, and my parents were finally married. This should be a happy night.

Elron chuckled and opened the door for me. I walked in and the smile faded from my face. Landa was standing in the entryway, arms crossed, foot tapping.

"There's someone in the parlor for you. I recommend you don't see her, child." Landa's voice was sharp and loud enough for anyone in the parlor to hear her.

A soft and charming voiced floated out of the parlor. "Come on, Landa, I've told you I will not harm the girl. I simply want to talk to her."

"I've heard that before. The prettiest snakes are the most venomous." Landa sniffed and focused on the two of us. "She's rotten."

"Who is in the parlor?" Elron demanded.

"Ethel Bailey." Landa shuddered as she said the name.

The name was familiar but I couldn't place it. I racked my brain, trying to remember where I'd heard it. The name had come up a couple of years ago. Mom had talked about it, but I couldn't recall why Ethel Bailey was important. My guess was something with the clans, but it wasn't connecting.

Elron's brow furrowed, and then his expression went blank. "The premier?"

That put things into context. Ethel Bailey was the witch of all witches, at least here in the states. What ministers were to clans, she was to all the clans, and technically all the witches, in this country. Positions like hers were a relic from when each group only governed themselves, but like the other race leaders, she still had more than her fair share of powers.

I dropped my bags on the floor and squared my shoulders. "Thank you, Landa."

The first thing I noticed when I walked in the parlor was the five witches seated in the corner. They had to be her entourage, but it was telling that she didn't keep them by her side. Ethel was sitting in a wingback chair, sipping tea. Landa was polite, even when she didn't like someone.

Elron followed me to the door, where he leaned against the doorframe like a guard. Landa stayed out of sight, but, knowing her, she was close.

I found the tray on a table by the door and poured myself a cup of tea before sitting in a chair across from Ethel. She was a striking woman, with white hair pulled back in a loose bun and compelling features, even if her skin was slack with old age. Under the turquoise blazer and matching slacks, her body was thin and frail. None of that took away from the intelligence and personality in her eyes.

Ethel set her tea on the end table and clasped her hands in her lap. "Michelle." Her eyes raked over me. "The stories don't do you justice."

I took a sip of tea, trying to project a level of relaxation I didn't feel. "You have me at a disadvantage. I know very little about you."

"What would you like to know?"

"Why are you here?"

"To meet the girl who escaped Gretchen. It's been years since a witch got the better of her."

"It was time for someone to do it. She's forgotten her manners."

"Yes. Many of us have forgotten things," Ethel said absently, losing herself in thought.

When she didn't continue, I decided to confront the primary issue at hand. "I won't join a clan."

Ethel didn't miss a beat. "I didn't expect you to desire a clan after the way Gretchen behaved."

"That's a unique view from a witch in a leadership position." Since the rest of them hadn't been able to recruit me fast enough, I'd expected a similar view from her.

She shrugged. "In my position you have to be more pragmatic. Considering your treatment, I can hardly blame you for being reluctant to pursue an association with the clans."

I nodded.

"However," Ethel continued, "you can't avoid the clans. You'll have to make a decision at some point, and while you have several options, I recommend joining a clan. Any clan."

"Say what?"

"The Wapiti or Docga would welcome you, as would several others. You may, if you choose, break off contact with all witches, including your family, remove yourself from our society, and be free of clans. Because be warned: if you decline a membership, you must never interact with a witch again, or you will be stripped of your powers."

My mouth moved but words didn't come out. This woman had come, uninvited, to my home only to give me orders. The nerve. It was for the best that I was speechless; otherwise I would've said something regrettable.

Elron had no such problems. "Why are you forcing her to join a clan, especially the Wapiti? Their actions go against the laws of this land and against her desires, especially after the way she has been treated."

Ethel looked at him calmly. "It's simple. She has a path she must follow, and those are the only options available to her."

"Those are my only options? If it's my path, why are you dictating my actions?" I asked.

"I have my reasons."

"Then share."

She picked up her teacup and took a sip. "No."

"Why not?" It wasn't just my voice. Elron had asked the question too.

"I don't believe in tinkering with someone's destiny."

This time my mouth worked just fine. "Then what are you doing here? Every word you've said will play a part in my choices; everything you've mentioned will affect my actions. Doesn't that count as playing with destiny?"

"The line is blurry," she admitted. "But in this case, I think I'm expediting things."

"What things?" I sputtered.

"How long before she must select a clan or banishment?" Elron was focusing on important things. Good, one of us needed to, and I was too offended to exercise logic.

Taking deep, steadying breaths, I managed to turn the pounding in my temples to a gentle tap. Truth be told, I couldn't be overly surprised. This was an extension of the determination the other witches had shown, plain and simple.

"Sooner would be better. I can give her a month before she must declare membership or cease contact. Other… forces may not be as patient."

Well, that gave me time, if I was lucky enough—ha!—to find a way around her decree. At least my brain was back in gear, because I knew the right question to ask. "Who or what are the other forces?"

Ethel frowned. "Who do you think? Fate, Gretchen, witches as a whole, and even your father."

"What does my father have to do with this?"

Ethel just gave me a small smile and shrugged.

I didn't bother to ask again. If she wouldn't answer, she wouldn't answer, and she could've said it simply to get a reaction out of me. "Why did you come? If all you wanted to do was threaten me, you could've done that with a wave of your wand."

"I'm old and eccentric."

There wasn't enough background noise to cover up my snort. This wasn't the first time I'd heard that line, and I didn't believe it any more now than I did when Elron had spouted it.

"Come now, you can do better than that," Elron said.

Ethel looked taken aback—whether by the mocking tone in his voice or the words themselves, I couldn't be sure. She did her best to let the intelligence fade from her eyes, giving Elron a dotty-old-woman look.

She tried to cover up her chuckle with a cough, but I was on to her. "Why did you come?"

"Things are about to move quickly in your life, and I needed to see if you were up for the challenge."

From Elron's frown, I didn't think he believed that answer any more than I did, especially considering the effort that had gone into getting any answer out of her.

After a lengthy pause, Ethel continued. "Gretchen isn't going to stop, because she sees you as the future of her clan. I doubt you could say or do anything to change her mind. As word of your talents gets around, more clans will notice, and some of them will want you. My desires notwithstanding, you'll have to join at least one clan."

I started to protest and she held up her hand. "Believe it or not, I'm on your side. My actions may cast that in doubt, but that's because I'm hastening the inevitable." When Elron opened his mouth, she silenced him with a look. "Contrary to your view, clan matters are internal, witch to witch, making the laws of the land less binding than they would be otherwise."

Neither one of us could argue that point. Agree with it or not, we'd seen it in practice with the werewolves. Though if I had anything to do with it, the laws in this part of the country would supersede group politics in every situation. The division of internal and external affairs was an antiquated system that only partly functioned and, in this era, should be dismantled.

Ethel waved her hand at the witches from the other side of the room. "I've undoubtedly left you with more questions, but there's no way around that. It's late—too late for an old thing like me to be out."

"Of course." I tried to make the words gracious.

She winked at me. "When you're my age, you'll understand. This was an illuminating chat. I'll be in touch."

The witches surrounded her and swept her out of the room.

It was for the best. Everything else I wanted to say was less than cordial. The front door closed behind them as my phone started ringing. Sending prayers to any kind spirit that might be listening, I asked that this wouldn't be an emergency. The day had been busy enough.

"Oaks Consulting."

"It's Rodriguez."

"What do you need?"

There was a pause before he answered. "I just got word that your grandmother, and most of her people, have been released."

My stomach knotted. "How? They were being held without bail."

"Some important witch got them out by arguing that the police didn't have jurisdiction because it was an internal, witch-to-witch issue."

I dropped the phone and barreled through the door, ready to haul that woman back in here and make her fix this, but the car's taillights faded down the driveway. The nerve of that woman, to come in here, tell me what I should do, and mess up a perfectly good arrest.

At the bottom of the stairs, I sucked in a deep calming breath. Then I returned to the parlor and retrieved my phone. Elron, who had followed me as far as the door to the lodge, returned to the parlor too.

"Rodriguez, are you still there?"

"What happened?"

"I had to check on something. Is Gretchen completely free? No tracking spells or the like?"

"You'll have to call the locals, but my contact didn't mention any restrictions on her movement." He paused, like he knew I wasn't going to like what he said next. "Michelle, he just came on duty. She was released earlier today."

He was right. I didn't like hearing that one bit, but I wasn't going to tell him that when he was doing me a favor. I thanked Rodriguez for the news and was muttering angry words as soon as I hung up the phone. Turning to Elron I asked, "How much of that did you follow?"

"Enough. Gretchen is free, and you suspect Ethel had a hand in her release."

"You bet I do." Really, who else would it be?

He pulled me into his arms, and I slowly relaxed enough to lean into his chest.

"You need to sleep. These problems will still be here in the morning."

Nodding, I followed him out of the parlor. He was right: these problems, and the rest of the night's mischief, would be here tomorrow.

Chapter 20: Elron

On the way to the university, I detoured to a small grove I had discovered a few weeks ago. There were several clearings around the lodge that would welcome me, but that area had so much of Michelle's personality that it was difficult to get a true sense of nature. Although I was in favor of the woods having affection for Michelle, as it made them more likely to aid her, they had little objectivity and would attempt to sway my reflections.

Getting out of my car, I surveyed the area. Since it was winter, you could see the group of white pines from the car. They were stately things, and as soon as my feet touched the ground I felt their welcome. Other evergreens joined in, and even a few of the trees that were sleeping through winter passed along sleepy greetings.

This stand of trees had not met Michelle and was therefore more impartial, something I needed while I attempted to get perspective. The current situations had me worried. While I did not think it was a likely path, I could see Michelle distancing herself from other witches in an effort to preserve her independence. It would be a mistake and would likely end badly. However, if that was the choice she made, she would not waver.

It reminded me that it had been too long since my last visit, and I assured it that I would come by more often. I settled against it with my back to the car. The view of the forest was far more soothing. Considering the excitement, even I could use a tranquil moment.

It was more likely that she would join Greg's clan, which would present its own set of problems. While the Docga were as prepared as they could be to facilitate a smooth transition for her, I questioned the ability of witches who had grown up with a clan mentality to relate to Michelle's concerns when they had never experienced a similar situation.

There was the crux of the problem. It was unheard of for a witch to be raised outside a clan. There was no one who could validate her experiences by sharing their own and help her find peace with the group mentality. The only witch Michelle trusted who had experience being outside the clan was Nancy, and that comparison wouldn't amuse Michelle. She would be the first to say that Nancy had grown up with a clan.

As much as I wanted to find a solution, the more I contemplated the various aspects of the issue, the more I came to believe that Michelle would have to find a way through this on her own. While that was not the way I wanted this to go, I could only do my part and support her.

Gretchen was a problem all her own, and I suspected things would get worse before they got better. What I could not determine was if Ethel was aiding Gretchen. Clearly the premier was a motivational factor behind Gretchen's release from jail, but that did not mean she was in favor of Gretchen's methods. Ethel could be using Gretchen as leverage to force Michelle to join a clan, be that the Wapiti or the Docga.

However, Ethel's involvement bothered me. I could not see what she gained from Michelle being a clan member. If she wanted something, there were plenty of witches willing to do anything the premier asked, which meant that she wanted Michelle. The cryptic talk of forces at work and expediting destiny did not reassure me.

When I had realized I had a Call, I had researched the stories of elves who had been Called. Their lives were difficult, tragic, painful, and rarely had a happy ending. Michelle deserved better than the witch equivalent of being destined for an adventurous life that left you broken at the end.

I would not let that happen. Michelle had not asked for this attention, and I would do my best to ensure her survival and happiness.

After letting the peace of nature wash over me, I returned to my car. The scrap of white paper under my windshield wiper put me on edge. I summoned my sword and examined the area as I slowly closed the distance between the car and myself.

At the car, I extracted the slip of paper, still scanning the area. If there was someone here, I could not find them. Rather than risk being caught unaware, I quickly got in the car and drove away. The paper sat in my passenger seat until I reached the university and pulled into a parking space.

I unfolded it, keeping an eye on my surroundings. This time of day, there were students everywhere, and even the Wapiti would hesitate to attack. I looked at the paper and read the single line of text.

"Not all of us support Gretchen."

Chapter 21: Michelle

After an early breakfast, Elron had given me a hug, told me he'd be back for lunch, and headed off to the university. As soon as he was out the door, I left another message on both my parents' phones informing them of my visit with the premier and Gretchen's release and asking them to give me a call back. Last night's message hadn't generated a reply, but that wasn't surprising.

I was paging through the book Tammy had left, trying to find anything that would explain Gretchen and Ethel's interest, when my phone rang. A section on clan scars had caught my attention, and I answered without looking at the caller ID. "Oaks Consulting. This is Michelle."

"It's Tiffany." Her voice was scratchy, and it sounded like she'd been crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, abandoning the book.

"You know you're like a sister me to me, right?" She sniffled.

"Did the Wapiti take you? What do they want? I'll get you back." Damn Ethel for letting Gretchen out of jail. If she was still behind bars, she wouldn't be causing trouble like this. Maybe her followers would make a few attempts, but it would fall apart quickly without their leader around to keep the doubters in line.

"See? That's the problem. It's always a life-threatening emergency with you. There're other reasons for a person to be upset."

"Wait… what's going on?" Now I was confused.

"It's you, Michelle. You put the people around you in danger, and I can't do it anymore."

"Who have I put in danger?"

"Everyone."

"Like my parents? Who were on the run from the Wapiti before I was born. How about Elron? He came with his own problems and was more than willing to help me fix them. Amber's abduction wasn't related to anything I did." If she was going to accuse me, I wanted her to get her facts straight. I was almost always the one cleaning up messes, not creating them.

"You killed someone."

Well if she was going to be like that… "Which someone, Tiffany? Gremory, Sylvia, or Thomas?"

She didn't say anything for a moment. "How can you say that?"

"Well, you called me and picked a fight. I'm doing my part. Shall we talk about Sylvia? Remember, I burned her alive." And I still woke up hearing her scream and smelling burned flesh. "Thomas was actually killed by Ty. If my memory is accurate, I told you that at lunch."

"I remember. You were so cold and detached. It was like you didn't feel anything. Then that teacup attacked, and it was all business as usual for you. How can you live like that? Knowing your family is willing to hurt you and your friends. Any one of us could've gotten that tea set."

"Let's be clear. I was detached so I could tell the story without crying. Do you think I'm happy that Thomas is dead?"

She didn't answer.

"Well do you?" I paused just long enough for her to fit a word in, but she didn't. "I'm not. I wish I could go back in time and figure out a way to prevent all of that, but I can't because I didn't choose to send him after me."

"You're still the reason he's dead. How long do you think it will be before someone you care about dies? That teacup was only the beginning, and you know it. You're putting Amber in danger, and you're putting me in danger."

"I can't even connect the teacup directly to the Wapiti." Sure, I thought they were the likely suspects, but a hunch wasn't proof. I needed proof if I wanted them to be held responsible for that incident.

"Don't be dumb."

"What is wrong with you? Who replaced my friend with this hateful person?"

"I'm not your friend anymore. You're going to get one of us killed, and I won't be a part of it."

Tiffany had never been one who was up for action and danger. I'd been stunned when she'd thrown herself into rescuing Amber, but in retrospect, those actions were motivated by guilt rather than bravery. Ever since, she'd been increasingly uncomfortable when something dangerous or exciting happened.

"You're blaming me for things that aren't my fault."

"No one else attracts demons and evil witches. I won't risk myself, and I won't watch anyone else get hurt. Good-bye, Michelle." She hung up.

I sat there in stunned silence, trying to figure out what had just happened. In the space of a few minutes, I'd lost a dear friend, and I didn't really understand why. It was no secret that Tiffany's idea of an exciting day was sitting in a car outside a hotel waiting for a guy and his mistress to walk out. However, her definition of exciting didn't really explain ending years of friendship.

My phone rang again. It was Amber. I answered before I could think better of it. "Hello?"

"Michelle? Are you okay?"

"No."

"I'm sorry. She called me first." Amber blew her nose. "I should've warned you."

"You knew what she was going to say?" Her words surprised me enough that I took notice of how Amber sounded. Whatever Tiffany had said to Amber had brought her to tears. I wasn't the only one who'd been hurt.

"Sort of. She told me she couldn't be my friend as long as I was your friend. Then she said she would be ending her friendship with you."

"Apparently everything is my fault. I'm sorry if I've messed up your life." With that I started crying. "I don't understand. She was blaming me for things that I didn't even do. And she said my grandmother was responsible for the teacup, and I don't even know if that's true," I wailed.

"I know. I told her that right before I said a little danger wasn't going to get between you and me."

"You did?" Part of me had thought that Amber was slowly working up to telling me she was following Tiffany out the door. Those feelings didn't give Amber the credit she deserved. Sure, she was the soft-spoken, gentle one, but she had a spine of steel under those feathers.

"I did." Amber swallowed hard. "I told her that she could go to the devil. You are my friend, you faced down a werewolf for me, and I was not abandoning ship because your life has gotten exciting."

"You're awesome. I wish I'd had it in me to tell her that."

"I made up for what you didn't say."

"Thank you." I blotted my eyes with the hem of my shirt. "I wish I understood what made her go off like this."

There was a pause, and then Amber sighed. "As silly as it sounds, I think it was the teacup."

"Seriously?"

"When we left, she said the crazy used to be confined to your work but now it's in every part of your life—even quiet lunches with friends. Then she asked how long it would be before those problems affected our lives." Amber blew her nose again. "I should've listened and given her a better answer. Instead, I blew her off, attributing it to coming down from the adrenaline rush. If I'd found the right words, she wouldn't have done this."

"No, if it was bothering her that much, it was just a matter of time before she found a reason to distance herself." That wasn't entirely true. If we'd been able to find the magic combination to alleviate her fears, things might have settled down to a point where she didn't think she needed to protect herself like this. Of course, with the way my life had been going, that would only have lasted until the next big police case or demon showed up.

"I have to go so I can get to work. Do you want me to come over later? I can cancel my date. It would be the two of us with cookie dough and a movie?"

"No, don't cancel your date. I think I'd rather be alone."

"Are you sure? Mark would understand."

"I'm sure. I'll call you if I change my mind."

"All right. If you need me, call."

"I will. Bye." I ended the call and sat there trying to figure out how so many things had gone wrong in such a short period of time.

I really needed to talk to someone, but I couldn't burden Amber with extra anger and frustration. Tiffany had hurt her too. Elron really wasn't the type for girl talk, and Landa—well, she was likely to tell me to keep my chin up and fight. This was the type of hurt that needed some coddling and then tough love. Plus, I still had to figure out what I was going to do about the Wapiti and joining a clan. Calling Mom was out of the question. Not only was I still waiting for her to return my previous call, but I wasn't going to cry all over her honeymoon. Dad was out of the question for the same reasons. There was one person I could call, and this seemed like it would be her thing.

"Hello?"

"Nana? It's Michelle."

"Oh, it's good to hear from you."

"What are you doing today?" My voice wobbled.

"What's wrong? It sounds like you've been crying."

"One of my best friends just said she couldn't be my friend anymore."

"Oh, sweetie. I can be at the lodge in thirty minutes. I was on my way to the mall, and I'm driving past you."

"I'd really like to see you."

"Of course. I'll be there soon."

"Thank you, Nana."

"It's what nanas do."

We hung up, and I started sobbing. I'd lost a friend. There wasn't another way to think of it. Tiffany was gone, and she wouldn't be back. It might have happened eventually, when one case or another tipped the scale, but she blamed the Wapiti, and so did I. If I didn't have such a wretched grandmother, none of this would've happened and Tiffany would be my friend now.

I didn't know how to get over the loss of a friendship. That hadn't been covered in my magic classes, and there weren't any spells to mend a broken heart.

When I'd cried myself out, I washed my face and swapped shirts. I was walking into the living room when someone knocked on the door. Opening it, I found Nana, with her spiked purple hair, holding two to-go cups and a bag of pastries from my favorite cafe.

"Oh, poor thing." Nana deposited the goods on the table and gave me a hug.

It could've been the lightly floral scent, the soft fabric, or the gentle arms holding me, but there was something about her hug that soothed my soul. Maybe if I'd had a grandmother longer, I would've been able to put a finger on it.

"I'm so glad you could come," I said as I released her.

"The reason I'm here sucks, but nanas are the best medicine for a wounded heart. I've got hot chocolate and peppermint cookies." She guided me to the sofa and with a frown moved the book out of the way. "What happened?"

Nana was onto something with the hot chocolate, I thought as I took a second sip. I did my best to explain the situation without breaking down again. It wasn't easy, but I made it through the explanation with only three tissue casualties.

Nana patted my hand. "As much as it hurts, friends come and go."

"And if it was something I'd done, or if we'd drifted apart, that would be one thing. But Tiffany's upset over things I didn't do, and things I'm not sure Gretchen did." Awesome, I was defending the woman who was responsible for my misery. A different person would've cheerfully assumed that she was responsible, but I was the type that needed evidence, and in this case there was plenty of evidence that pointed at a demon. Though, with the way she was acting, I wasn't sure there was much of a difference between the two.

"There's nothing you can do. Take joy in the friendships you do have, and keep living your life. The people who want to be by your side will find their way to you, and the rest will move on. That's life, sweetie."

Life was mean.

I tore into a gooey cookie and had to applaud the mint cookie and hot chocolate pairing. "I need time to be unhappy."

"And that is perfectly natural, but don't wallow too long." Nana picked the book up. "Where did you get this?"

"A witch from the Wapiti." I explained Tammy's visit. After some hesitation, I also told her about the premier's late-night appearance and Gretchen's release from prison.

"Forgive a suspicious old woman, but could Tiffany have been threatened by the Wapiti?"

"It's a possibility, but Tiffany hasn't been happy about the amount of danger in my life for some time, and the incident at the cafe really shook her." Nana made a good point. Since I couldn't do anything about Tiffany, I moved on to my next dilemma. "I wish I understood Ethel's angle."

"Nanas get a lot of superpowers, but mostly in the form of cookies and love; I'm not all-knowing. You're special to me because you're my granddaughter, and I know you're powerful. Your father is the best witch in our clan, and he says you're past him in several areas and will completely eclipse him in a few years. However, that doesn't explain Ethel and Gretchen's attention. What do you say we take a look at this book while we speculate? You never know; we might find something."

"Can't hurt." I flipped through the book until I found the page I had been at when Tiffany called. "What do you think of this?" I pointed to a section on clan scars.

Nana skimmed the section. "Just basic information."

I'd thought as much when I read it, but I wanted to be sure. We looked through a few more pages while we talked.

"I'm going to talk to Dad about joining the clan when he gets back from the honeymoon. If nothing else, it will make Ethel happy."

"But why is it so important to her?" Nana asked.

I knew it was a rhetorical question. Neither of us knew the answer, and with the morning's emotional turmoil, my head was too foggy for complex thought.

"And what to do about Gretchen?"

"What if I made a deal with Ethel? I can tell her I'll join the clan if she manages Gretchen. If I play my cards right, I could get her sent back to jail." That thought was nearly as good a medicine as the cookies and hot chocolate.

"Ethel might be willing to negotiate. It certainly isn't in her best interest to bind your powers. In fact, I bet she made the threat just to ensure your cooperation."

"It's working," I grumbled.

"Go along with her game until you can beat her," Nana recommended.

We flipped through a few more pages when Nana pushed my hand away and took the book.

"What?"

"Listen to this: 'While there are many stories detailing the origins of the clans, some facts are consistent throughout. All the clans evolved from a single group, with the clan scars originating from the founder of each clan. The first premier, the woman from whom all clans stemmed, had a unique marking that resembled the tattoos humans use to adorn themselves. It is said that if that symbol reemerges, there will be a shift in the clans, changing our way of life. The individual bearing that scar will be the catalyst for change.'"

Nana turned the book so I could see a picture of a faded sketch. Maybe with the right light and a healthy dose of imagination it could be my clan scar, but I could also see a pitchfork if I squinted.

"So one or both of them think I have this mark?"

She closed the book with a thump. "That would be my guess, though I see a squid when I look at that picture, so who can say?"

"The rest of it, about a shift that will change our way of life, that's cryptic nonsense. It could mean anything from inventing a new piece of technology to an act so horrible all the witches are executed."

"And it likely means neither of those. Don't worry. You'll figure it out, and that passage could have nothing to do with their interest." Nana shrugged. "Although I'll admit that isn't the most probable option. Now, a friend is expecting me, so if you're feeling better, I'll meet my shopping buddy."

"I'm better." If confused and bursting with new information. "Could you answer another question for me?"

Nana nodded.

"If you had grown up outside a clan, do you think you could be happy in a clan?" I held my breath, hoping she would say something to make my decision easier.

"I think happiness comes from within. I love you." Nana gave me a hug and slipped out the door.

That wasn't really the answer I'd been looking for, even if it was true.

I checked my phone after Nana left, surprised that I didn't have a missed call.

I checked it again after I had a snack. At this point, I was looking out of paranoia. By late morning, I started to get concerned. Sure, they might've slept in, but not this late. If they'd stopped near Atlanta like they'd planned, there were several hours of driving ahead of them. They weren't going to waste much time when there was a beachside resort waiting for them. It might be winter, but between the spa, massages, and dinner shows, it was an alluring spot.

After obsessing over my phone for half an hour, I gave in and called Mom again. Her phone rang five times before it was answered.

"Michelle, how good of you to call."

That wasn't Mom, but I recognized the voice. It was Gretchen. My heart beat frantically in my chest, but my thoughts and words were clear. "I heard you got out of jail, but I didn't think you were dumb enough to test your luck so soon."

"Shush, it's not luck. This is an internal matter, and the police can't do a thing."

"Think what you like. Just tell me what you've done with Mom and Dad."

"They are my guests and will remain such until you and I come to an agreement."

Since the only thing we agreed on was that we couldn't agree, I didn't see this as a promising start to negations. "What kind of agreement?"

"You know what I want. You can have your parents back if you come here and join the clan."

I knew I wasn't going to like the answer to this question, but I had to ask. "And if I don't?"

"If you dawdle or fight me, I assure you their health will be a concern. I've already bound their magic."

"You hurt them, and you won't get anything from me." I hung up before I said something to make the situation worse.

It seemed unlikely that she'd fully bound their magic. That was a complex ritual, and even if she'd been planning it since my escape, she'd have a hard time pulling it off. It was more likely that she'd put a binding on them, which would eventually fade and could be weakened or removed without too much trouble. Under different circumstances, two witches could work together to break that type of a spell, but my mom wasn't that good of a witch. Mom's lack of power made her more susceptible. If a binding was left on long enough, there could be lasting damage.

I set the phone on my desk, afraid that if I kept it in my hand I'd break it. Gretchen was determined to get her way, but this time she'd made a mistake. I'd gamble my own health, but my loved ones were a different story. The last two people who'd threatened one of my friends were dead.

I didn't want to kill my grandmother, but it was beginning to look like she wouldn't stop until she was dead. If that's what it would take to keep my family safe, that's what I'd do.

With exaggerated care because my hands were trembling, I pushed my chair under my desk and started digging through drawers. The belt came out first, followed by a basket of ready-to-use charms. I also pulled out a wrist sheath and cheap practice wands.

"What are you doing?"

I jumped, gasping for breath. Elron was leaning on the door behind me. "You know it scares me when you do that."

"My apologies. I was not trying to startle you."

"You never are." Elves didn't make enough noise when they walked. One of these days I really would put a bell on him. "What do you want?"

"What are you doing?"

The charm rolled off my hand and back into the box. I turned to face him. "Mom and Dad have been taken hostage by my grandmother."

He looked at the pile on my desk. "And you are going to free them?"

"I lost one friend today. I'm not losing my family."

Elron continued to lean against the door. He had proven that he was ready to stand with me against whatever trouble came calling, and I hadn't even considered asking him for help. Maybe I could blame the mental lapse on fear, but that wasn't the truth.

Well, it wasn't all of the truth. I wanted to protect him, and deep down I thought he'd argue with me. I knew him better than that. Elron was honorable, and his word meant something. He would be in my corner, even if I didn't see things his way. Besides, it would devastate him if he failed to protect me, especially if I'd turned down his aid.

The love I saw in his eyes decided me. "Would you help? Gretchen said she'll hurt them if I don't do what she wants."

"I will help." His posture relaxed. "After a demon, how much trouble can a witch be?"

"Oh, don't say such things." I groaned.

"You are correct. We do not need to borrow trouble."

"No, we don't." I went back to stocking the belt with charms. "My best guess is that Gretchen snatched them yesterday after she was released from jail."

"Where is she holding them?"

"I assume at her house, since she seemed sure I knew where to find her." I was reaching for a charm when he captured my hand and turned me to face him.

"If we are venturing into her territory, we need a plan. A good plan." He led me out of my workroom and into the kitchen. With a look that plainly said I should stay, he set the kettle to boil.

This was hardly the first time I'd watched him make tea, but until now I hadn't realized that it had become meditative. He set the cups with their handles pointing to the right. Then he mixed a tea for each of us, setting the infuser against the handle.

"I'm sorry." The words didn't come easily. "I didn't mean to cut you out, but I got caught up in the moment."

He shook his head. "No need to apologize. It is your family on both sides of this problem. Family makes logic tuck tail and run."

The water boiled, and he poured it into the cups. When the kettle was resting on a cold burner, he focused on me. "Do you think she will hurt them?"

"She'd kill them if that would get her what she wants."

"Then we had best plan for that."

I didn't want to make those plans. It was bad enough to plan for her hurting one of my parents, but it was an entirely different thing to figure out how to prevent their deaths and what to do if one or both of them were killed. There was one way I could make sure Gretchen didn't get what she wanted. I could take myself out of her reach permanently. When I was gone, she wouldn't have a reason to hurt my parents.

"Maybe you shouldn't go with me. If she captured you, I—"

"Perhaps, but what will you do if I am not there?"

I lowered my eyes and studied the floor.

"I thought as much." He set a cup of tea in my hands. "There are better options, and I'm going with you to make sure you find those."

"Yes, but—"

"What will you do if she manages to make you a clan member?"

"I'll fight her. I'll break the bonds or take the clan."

"Then I should accompany you. I am not a witch, but I am hardly defenseless." There was smugness in his voice. "Elves have stood against witches before and can do it again."

Heaving a sigh, I said, "All right. But if I'm not going to die for this cause, you aren't allowed to either."

"You need not worry. As long as it took me to find you, I am hardly going to sabotage my time with you."

Chapter 22: Michelle

"Have you contacted the police?" Elron asked.

"No."

He looked at me, and I could read everything he would've said in that look. Why hadn't I, who was always telling people to consult the police first, called the police? Sighing, I answered the unspoken question. "Ethel has established this as an internal matter. If that's how she wants it to be, then that's what I'll do. Besides, I don't want to know what Gretchen or Ethel would do to some poor cop who got in the middle of this fight."

"Do not reach for the sun when you only need the moon."

"I don't speak elf."

Elron sighed and his eyes softened. "Is this the time to prove the disadvantages of their system? You need to protect your parents and yourself. Changing the relative positions of clan law and the law of the land is a lofty goal that might not coincide with the problem at hand."

"Maybe not, but it would be a lovely benefit. Then no one else would ever have to go through this again, and those criminals would be in jail where they belonged."

The problem with those brave words was that I didn't have any idea how to end the separation between clan and common law. It wasn't as simple as doing something to Ethel or Gretchen. There were clans across the country and around the world. As Elron had pointed out, it was a big goal and one that I might not be able to accomplish even if my parents were frolicking on the honeymoon.

"What is your plan?" Elron asked.

"Go in there and get my parents back. Gretchen can't hurt me—well, not badly. She wants me to join the clan and be willing to stay." It wasn't much of a plan, and it didn't cover the clan law issues that were a never-ending thorn in my side, but it was what I had.

"That is desperation, not a plan." Elron held a piece of paper out to me.

Giving him a confused look, I unfolded it and read the short sentence. "Where did you get this?"

"It was left on my car. There is a chance you will have allies, and an even better chance that Gretchen will have enemies. Anyone working against Gretchen will be trying to free your parents and turn opinion against her. So stay sharp, be aware of your surroundings, and keep your eye on the goal. We need to get your parents to safety and let the Wapiti fight it out among themselves."

Rubbing my sweaty palms on my pants, I tried not to think of all the ways this could go wrong. Gretchen might be handicapped by her end desires when it came to hurting me, but that wasn't going to be the case for anyone who was holding a grudge for Thomas's death. Not to mention, attacking me could be a great way to draw Gretchen out if you were trying to get rid of her.

Elron was more vulnerable than me because he wasn't a witch. He wouldn't be able to deflect or absorb spells, never mind counter them. On the other hand, he kept telling me age had its benefits, and I was betting on him having experience dealing with an unfriendly witch. Elves weren't defenseless, but their talents were better suited to the outdoors than inside a mansion.

"What do you think we should bring with us?"

"Our wits and a healthy dose of good fortune."

"Great. Luck's never really been my thing."

"I plan on changing that." Elron smiled.

Before I could ask how he was going to change my notorious bad luck, I felt spells being cast in front of the lodge. From his furrowed brow, I could tell Elron felt something too.

"Oh no, the cars." I pushed past him and sprinted out of the apartment.

If the cars were damaged, we would have to find another way to my parents, and I wasn't sure if an alternative method of travel would be fast enough. That was assuming I could even find an alternative method of travel. There weren't many ways to get from here to the other side of Atlanta.

As I raced to the front door, I reached out my senses and while I could feel spells in the parking area, I couldn't find the source of the spells. Either the witches were hiding really well, or the spells had been sent from a distance. Neither was good news.

Elron yelled something as I threw open the door and charged outside, but by the time the words registered it was too late to slow down. It was also too late to stop. My foot hit the ice covering the porch, and I pitched forward. I tried to grab the handrail, but it was as ice-covered as the surface below me, and my hand slid off. Arms failing and feet sliding, I flew off the step.

I knew I was going to hurt by the time I came to a stop. As I tried to align body parts so I was less likely to be injured, I realized I wasn't falling anymore. Sucking in a deep breath, I twisted around and realized that I was dangling in midair.

"Landa, thank you." I'd known brownies could levitate things—after all, I saw trays of food and cups levitating all the time—but I hadn't realized she could move something my size. She nodded and floated me back over the deck before lowering me to the ground at Elron's feet.

"Child, I would not let you come to harm I could easily prevent."

My jeans weren't enough to stop the chill of the ice from reaching my legs, but I stayed on the ground while my pulse slowed. The porch, stairs, and yard were all covered in a couple of inches of ice, and all of the cars were trapped inside one huge block of ice.

"Did you see who cast the spell?" I asked.

"No. I felt the change, and when I stepped outside, I found this. I haven't seen or heard Ty. Perhaps he found something."

Elron stilled and his eyes unfocused slightly. "Sadly, no. Ty is in his dwelling, unaware of any disturbance over here. I am telling him to stay in his dwellings."

I nodded. We didn't need something Ty's size falling on ice. It would be hard to move him, and dealing with a frightened dinosaur would delay the ice-removal project.

Elron helped me to my feet and started brushing off my clothes. He checked me for injuries and then, satisfied that I was all right, gave me a bear hug. "Do not scare me like that," he whispered against my neck.

I hugged him back. "Wouldn't dream of it."

When Elron let go, I took a couple of steps back and focused on the ice. The ice spell was simple enough, and on its own it wouldn't have been difficult to counter. However, it was coupled with a preservation spell, and a tangled mess of another spell that I could only guess was there to make removing the spells more difficult.

"Michelle?"

"In a minute, Landa," I said absently, trying to figure out how to break that last spell.

"Now, Michelle."

I looked up, annoyed at the interruption. A shimmering black orb was floating up the stairs. I'd received voice message orbs from witches before, but none of them had been black. Not wanting to take any chances, I encased the three of us in a basic shield.

The orb stopped at the top of the stairs, then it flattened into a ribbon that slowly vanished as it relayed its message. There were at least two voices, though at one point I thought I heard more. "Your parents for our son, so you will feel our pain."

The last of the ribbon vanished a moment after the end of the message. I looked around, starting to understand the dense ice covering the cars, parking lot, and some of the driveway. Thomas's parents wanted me trapped but alive so I could be helpless while Gretchen tortured and killed my parents.

Their logic was flawed, but they didn't realize that. The person they should've been blaming was Gretchen. Maybe they were and had plans to get revenge on her too, or maybe they were such devoted supporters of hers that they couldn't see her part in his death. Either way, I wasn't going to let ice get between me and rescuing my parents. It was as simple as that.

"Well, I guess I found an enemy," I said.

"Foolishness, complete foolishness," Landa muttered. "What happened to Greg and Nancy?"

I quickly filled her in.

"Of all of the… Get them back, Michelle."

"I will, Landa."

Elron took my hand. "We will."

Landa nodded and went back inside the house.

Before we could do anything else, I had to free our transportation. It would be ideal to be next to but not in contact with the ice. I couldn't be sure what was going to happen, and I'd feel safe if any hidden surprises had to work a little harder to grab us.

"Come on, I need to find a better spot to work from." He followed me through the lodge, out the back door, and through the garden until I came to the edge of the ice on the side of the house. I sat down, got comfortable, and focused all of my attention on the spells. The witches who'd constructed this spell had poured a lot of power into it to make it cover an area this large. Depending on how removal went, I might be able to make use of some of that power.

The downside of that much power was simple: I still wasn't sure what the third spell did, and it could use the energy stored in the ice to fuel other spells. That was something I'd have to watch out for while I was working, because I was running out of time to save my parents. Hoping for the best, I started unwinding the preservation spell. Dismantling that spell would allow nature to do some of the work of melting the ice, though in this weather it would be slow going, and it would allow me to melt sections more easily

The preservation spell detached from the ice easily enough, but then it was tangled in the mystery spell, which was still interacting with the ice spell. I'd put off attacking it as long as I could. Narrowing my focus to this edge of the spell, I carefully undid a small portion. Nothing happened.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I started on a larger section. As I undid the last joint on that section, something cold landed on my cheek. Reaching up, I felt a smear of water. Behind me, Elron made a disgusted noise, and I saw a handful of big fluffy snowflakes come out of the sky. Great. I'd triggered a reaction. If they couldn't keep the cars in ice, they'd snow them in.

Weather spells were tricky business, but I understood the theory. When I looked around, I found the weather spell tied to a different part of the mystery spell. The easiest way for me to make the snow stop was to undo the rest of the spell.

I quickly thawed the ice on this side of the lodge. Standing up, I stretched before moving even with the porch and starting the entire procedure again. This was taking more energy than I liked, but it was the only way to free my car. Hopefully I'd recover enough during the drive that it wouldn't be an issue, because I didn't want to walk into that house feeling underpowered.

The spells on the front of the lodge put up enough of a fight that I had to circle around and attack the other garden first. Removing that part of the spell should weaken the remaining sections. When I undid the mystery spell on this side, the snow started coming down faster, swirling with the wind and piling up against trees. If I didn't stop this soon, there would be as much snow as there was ice.

I renewed my assault on the spell in the front yard, which thanks to the snow I couldn't even see clearly. I finally figured out how to completely banish the mystery spell, but I was a little reluctant. It felt like there was something else hidden in there. Given the snow that was quickly piling up and the threat on my parents' lives, I didn't have time to figure it out. Muttering unkind words, I dismantled the mystery spell and held my breath.

The snow stopped instantly, though that wasn't much of a help since it was now piled a foot high. Oddly, the snow directly over the cars was melting, and quickly. Reaching out, I swore. Undoing the mystery spell has triggered a heat spell that was just getting started. If I didn't stop it soon, there'd be modern art where the cars were sitting.

This was the best-done spell of the lot. It was tightly cast, no loose ends, and keyed to an individual. I didn't have enough time to figure out what it was looking for, and with the amount of energy it was using, I wouldn't be able to overload it either. My options were running out.

Out of sheer panic, I pictured the spell sending a gentle warmth over the area—just enough to slowly melt the snow and ice but not enough to damage anything—and forced the spell to conform to my will. It struggled and fought as I poured energy into my parameters. With one vengeful blast of heat that blistered the paint on the roof of my car, it settled into its new form.

I sat there, panting slightly as I watched it run its course, slowly eliminating all the snow and ice. Under me the earth warmed, and energy slowly tricked back into my body. The earth was thanking me. I thanked it for the energy and apologized for any harm. From the way it pushed against my hand, I figured it understood me.

Turning to Elron, I said, "Are you ready to rescue my parents?"

*******

Lamps alongside the gravel driveway put out enough light for us see the ground. Even I couldn't trip in those conditions. Near the house, we stepped onto a stone path lined with neatly trimmed bushes and followed it to the front door of the colonial mansion. I gently pressed the doorbell, even though it was pointless. They knew we were here.

The door opened and Tammy said, "Please come in. Can I take your coat?"

"No, thank you," Elron said.

I shook my head.

Tammy frowned. "Elron is allowed if he is free of weapons. Michelle, I must search you as well."

I nodded, and Tammy motioned for the other witch to join us. The brunette stopped a polite distance away.

"Sir?"

Elron glared at her but shrugged out of his coat and handed it over. The brunette inspected it before passing it off to Tammy.

"Arms out, feet apart."

Elron did as instructed, and I watched her run her hands up and down each leg, running fingers into his boots. By the time she was done, Elron was giving her his best drop-dead look. My expression wasn't much better. That had been one of the most thorough searches I'd seen.

Tammy returned his jacket and said, "Your turn."

I started to remove my jacket, but Tammy motioned for me to stop. Rather than having pat-down girl come over, Tammy did it herself. I held my breath. I had thought it was worth a gamble and worn the charm belt. Tammy touched it twice but didn't say anything. I couldn't be sure she was the one who'd left the note on Elron's car, but if she was letting me bring the charms, she wasn't on Gretchen's side.

At one point she leaned close and whispered, "Glad to see the greenhouse didn't get the better of you."

Any suspicion I'd had of the clan's involvement in that incident was confirmed. It made me wonder what Bethany would find when she did her investigation. I nearly groaned when I realized the other problem. Writing my report was going to be a treat now that I had to work information I'd acquired during unrelated interactions with the Wapiti.

We followed Tammy out of the entryway and down halls that looked identical and unfamiliar to my eye. When nerves started to get the better of me, I slipped my hand into Elron's. He glanced at me, smiled, and squeezed my hand. I wasn't alone.

The next hall ended in a set of doors as tall and stately as everything else in this place but with a mechanical arm on the top to slow it as it closed. Somehow I knew that behind those doors everything would change.

It felt like time slowed, and the walk down the hall seemed to take minutes rather than seconds. I had to keep my parents and Elron safe. Thomas's family wanted them dead. Well, they wanted my parents dead, but they might settle for Elron. From the outside, an elf looked like an easier target. If both of those plans failed, I didn't doubt that they would turn on me.

On the drive here, I'd explained what I knew of the layout of the house, and Elron had agreed reluctantly to make sure my parents got to safety. I'd also pointed out that Gretchen couldn't hurt me and get what she wanted. His agreement hadn't been enthusiastic, probably because he knew I meant she couldn't hurt me badly.

There was a chance that I'd have allies on the other side of that door, but I couldn't count on them. Even if I didn't have outright allies, Gretchen had enemies, and that was almost as good. She had been displeased with witches who'd protested her actions during my previous visit, and if what I'd seen of her so far was any indication, she'd punish them. From all accounts, and personal experience, Gretchen didn't understand that you would catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Maybe I owed Gremory. Before meeting him, I hadn't understood what I'd do to protect the people around me. Now I did, and every bit of that knowledge was going to be used tonight. No matter what deals I had to make, what promises I had to break, and how much guilt I felt, my loved ones would be safe. Once they were out of the line of fire, I'd get down to business. Come hell or high water, my grandmother was going to learn some respect and get a little of what was coming to her.

Time caught up with me in a rush, and Tammy was opening the door. I took a deep breath. Through the door I saw rows of seats and at the front of the room the podium with chairs for thirteen women. We were walking down the center aisle of the auditorium. It was full of people, but unlike the last time, Gretchen was alone behind the podium. Mom and Dad were sitting off to the right, with Josh standing guard behind them. As happy as I was to see them alive and well, I knew the real danger was just beginning.

As we walked down the stairs, people turned to look and I spotted a few familiar faces. Sarah was here, and I suspected she was, if not in my corner, firmly against everything Gretchen had done. Two thirds of the way down the stairs, I got a clear look at my grandmother. She was in her battle garb, a tailored suit, with every hair in place.

"Would this be Elron?" Gretchen asked.

"Does it matter?"

"No."

I studied my parents. Their power was bound, though not permanently. They clearly didn't think Mom was much of a threat because a few magical bonds were all that was holding her to the chair. Dad was covered in so many spells I felt like the only reason he was upright was because he was tied to the chair.

Behind me, Elron moved off to the side, getting a couple of steps closer to my parents. He stopped before he'd closed enough ground to make anyone nervous, but I knew his abilities.

"Can we get on with it?" I said.

Gretchen cocked an eyebrow. "On with it? Yes, I suppose we can. Will you join the Wapiti?"

Keeping my breathing steady helped slow the blood pounding through my veins. I counted to fifty and then started over. When people shifted in their seats and Gretchen's pleased look had faded, I answered. "No."

There was a distinct lack of noise behind me. My guess was that they were too startled to move. It hadn't crossed their minds that I'd say no with my parents on the line. Gretchen's poker face had broken, and I was seeing true surprise.

"No?"

"No." My voice was firmer this time.

I couldn't look at my parents. If I saw fear or disappointment, I'd falter, and I couldn't afford to show weakness. They would understand. They had to, because I was trying to stay true to their wishes and avoid contact with the Wapiti. Not to mention, I wasn't going to join a group I saw as criminals.

"I'll hurt them." She leaned forward.

"You made that clear during the phone call."

Gretchen snatched a wand off the podium, pointed it at my parents, and cast a spell.

Chapter 23: Michelle

Mom screamed, and it took every ounce of my self-control to keep my eyes on Gretchen. Dad shouted, but the sound was muffled by his gag. A few seconds passed before Gretchen lowered her wand and Mom's screams transitioned into sobs. I still didn't look at her because I could tell Elron hadn't moved, and if she'd been seriously injured he would've taken action. Gretchen had wanted to cause pain.

I didn't summon my wand; I just pictured a ball of pain and sent it at Gretchen. It hit her in the chest. She clenched her jaw and rocked back in the chair. Dad had always told me not to hurt people with magic, but I was betting he'd forgive me this time. I didn't regret it.

A spell came out of the audience and I deflected it. Someone in the third row managed to disperse it before it hurt anyone.

"Enough," Gretchen yelled. "This is between the two of us."

Taking a deep breath, I steadied my nerves. My voice was steady and loud enough to be heard through the auditorium. "Do that again, and I will kill you."

There was a collective gasp followed by soft voices behind me. That got their attention.

She shook her head, and I knew the next words out of her mouth would be about how I didn't have any leverage and how my parents would only be safe if I was a good girl and did as I was told.

"You are simply a child having a tantrum," Gretchen said.

I answered, facing the crowd so they could see the truth in my eyes. "No, it was the promise of a woman who's defending her loved ones. Since you chose not to understand my rejection of your membership offer and have since been violent to me and mine, it was communication in the only way you seem to comprehend. If you hurt my family, I will destroy yours. That appears to be the only way to keep me and mine safe."

The first few rows, the ones who could see me clearly, looked downright uncertain. I guess they realized that if I went on a killing spree they'd be first in line. What they didn't know was that I really didn't want to kill anyone. I just wanted Gretchen to leave all of us alone.

"Empty threats, all of it."

"You're ignoring a threat to us? The very people you've been sworn to protect?" said an indignant voice behind me.

"She's a murderer." That was a man's voice, and I had a good guess whose.

There were a few mutters of agreement.

The woman continued. "By all rights, we should toss you out of the clan."

"Women from my family have been leading this clan for generations, and we've taken the Wapiti from a minor clan to a respected power."

"And now you're endangering us out of a misguided desire to have your bloodline continue their reign." This time it was the booming voice of a man.

"Quiet," Gretchen yelled, her cheeks turning pink. "Michelle will join this clan, and that will be the end of this disrespect."

"Oh, I rather doubt that," I said.

"You will join this clan or… or…"

"Or what?" I taunted.

Gretchen reached for her wand, and I looked at my parents, willing a shield bubble into existence. When it formed, it knocked Josh back a step. It wouldn't hold against a determined attack, but it would slow Gretchen down.

Elron screamed, and I knew I'd made a mistake. He was hunched over, magic crackling across his skin. She was hitting him with thousands of electrical shocks, not enough to kill but more than enough to cause pain.

The spell ended before I could figure out what to do, leaving Elron kneeling on the floor gasping for air. That was the second person she'd injured because of me. I didn't have to feel guilty now, but later I'd regret their pain. Elron glanced at me and nodded, letting me know that he would be okay. Any remaining softness in my heart vanished.

I hit her with a blast of power, rocking her back in her chair. I followed that with a compulsion to leave me alone and a shield bubble. From what I'd seen, neither of those spells were likely to hold, but I wanted to try.

While Gretchen was distracted, I spelled Josh with a smaller compulsion. It had a better chance of working since he didn't seem to be particularly strong willed. That was if no one removed it.

I made it two steps closer to them before Gretchen regained control of herself and dismissed the shield around my parents. At this point, I'd figured one of her enemies or one of my allies would've done something. It would be good timing. I needed a good distraction to give me time to free my parents.

Before I could do anything, a spell hit the seat next to Gretchen, sending bits of fabric, cushion, and wood into the air.

"I have had enough of this. You won't destroy our clan over something as petty as bloodlines." It was Sarah.

"I'm banishing you from the clan," Gretchen yelled.

"Until you do, I'm a member of the elders, and I'm starting a motion to end your time as minister," Sarah shouted back.

"You're off the elders."

"Not until half the elders agree with you." Whatever Gretchen was going to say was lost because Sarah kept going. "To boot me out of the clan you'll have to do a full ceremony, and the new moon is five days away."

"I second the motion to remove Gretchen from the ministry," a woman hollered.

"Stay out of this, Ashley," Gretchen said.

"Gretchen has every right to bring a family member into the clan."

"How stupid can you be? Even the premier reprimanded her."

"Couldn't have been much of a rebuke if she got Gretchen out of jail."

"Michelle murdered my son. Make her pay!" That was definitely Mrs. Blackwell.

"Gretchen is to blame for Thomas's death. She sent him after Michelle."

"A life for a life."

The sound of a large gong vibrated through the room, ending the arguments. I couldn't see a gong anywhere, so I guessed the sound had a magical origin. That was a trick I needed to learn.

"That's enough. We can address your concerns later, but Michelle is joining the clan."

"We'll sort this out now, before you can do any more harm," Sarah said.

In the blink of an eye, ice encased Sarah. Sure enough, Gretchen's wand was pointed in that direction, and she had a satisfied look.

There was a shout, and the podium caught on fire. Gretchen leaped back, knocking over her chair. While cheerful flames were eating away at the wood, I moved closer to my parents. If this kept up for a little longer, I'd be able to free them.

Gretchen extinguished the flames with a word and pointed her wand at the audience. "Ashley, I know that was you."

I looked over my shoulder and saw magical ropes snake around a short witch in the last row. The ropes pulled her legs together, and Ashley started to fall. The gray-haired man in the next seat caught her and lowered her to the ground.

There was a crackling sound, and I twisted around to see the cause. Sarah had fractured the ice, and chunks were falling off of her. If she'd been angry before, the look she had now was all determination. This was going to get ugly.

With everyone's attention firmly on Sarah and Gretchen, I drew even with Elron.

A cloud appeared over Gretchen and proceeded to dump rain on her. That was a clever trick as water reduced the effectiveness of spells and made it more difficult to cast.

Gretchen pushed the dripping hair off her face and shot a bolt of energy at Sarah, who conjured a concaved shield and deflected the spell back at Gretchen. She absorbed the energy. Sarah did something that transformed the rain into a cylinder of fog. It surrounded Gretchen and was dense enough that I couldn't see her. I doubted she could see out.

Small fights were breaking out around the room. There were witches yelling at one another, two guys brawling, and a handful of spells zipping between people.

Taking advantage of the distraction, I summoned my wand and trapped Josh in a shield bubble. He prodded it once with his wand, and when it zapped him, he shrugged and left it alone. I took that as a sign that the compulsion spell was working. Someone had to have noticed it, and it said a lot that they hadn't been willing to do anything about the spell.

Not wanting to leave Elron defenseless, I put a shield around him. He nodded his understanding and motioned for me to keep moving.

When I reached Mom and Dad, I made a hole in the shield large enough for me to crawl in. "I'm going to get you out of here. Sorry about earlier, I should've stopped her."

"It didn't do any lasting damage," Mom said. "You shouldn't have come."

"Too late," I muttered.

Dad couldn't say anything until I undid his bonds. The gag spell was overkill considering how their magic had been bound, and I unmade half the spell before violently tearing apart the rest. It wasn't the neatest job, but it did the trick.

He wiggled his jaw and moved around. "You shouldn't have come, but I'm glad you did."

I activated a magic-eating charm and handed it to him. It should go after the spells binding his magic, since they were more accessible than his power, but if it misbehaved, I was ready to deactivate it. I set to work on Mom's bonds, tearing through them almost as brutally as I had the last set.

While I was working, I kept an eye on the magic-eating charm. It was doing its job and sucking away the spells attached to Dad. Unfortunately, it was almost spent, and there was still a ways to go. I hoped I would have time to unbind both of them, but given the choice, Dad came first because he was the more capable witch. We'd have to roll the dice and hope the binding didn't do any lasting harm. Truth be told, I was more worried about the Blackwells than the binding.

I talked as I dismantled the rest of Dad's binding. "Stick with Elron. He knows the best way out of here, and he can help you disappear into the woods."

"We aren't leaving you," Dad said.

"I plan on getting out of here with you, but I'm bringing up the rear. Gretchen won't try anything that could hurt me."

"We can help. Mother will listen to me." Mom didn't sound sure of that.

"It doesn't matter. Thomas's family has threatened to kill you. You've got to get out of here."

"Nancy, we're leaving. That includes you, Michelle. It's the best for all of us right now."

While we'd been talking, Gretchen had gotten rid of the fog and was doing the electricity thing to Sarah. It didn't look like it was having the desired effect, because Sarah was smiling, and I could see her mouth moving. Gretchen's podium went up in flames again. A small twister sucked up the fire, spinning ever closer to Gretchen and spitting flames at her.

This didn't seem like the time to reason with her, but I moved on to more important matters. I pulled wands out of my arm sheath and handed them to my parents. Mom wasn't the best witch, but I wasn't going to leave her unarmed, and one of us would unbind her magic.

Before Mom could remind us of Gretchen's determination, I focused on Dad. "Can you bring me into your clan without a ceremony?"

"Yes."

Mom sighed and shook her head, but that was as far as her disagreement got. A bolt of energy hit the shield, creating a web of fractures. The shield wouldn't survive a second blow.

"Be ready to do that."

We ducked as another blast of magic hit the shield, shattering it around us. I rolled away, keeping an eye on my parents. Dad had things well in hand, having redirected the third blast of energy.

Elron tapped the inside of his shield, and I released the spell. He hurried over to my parents and got them to their feet. With the fighting, only a few people noticed the three of them moving toward the exit that led to Gretchen's office. I had a feeling some of those people weren't interested in my parents' long-term health.

I felt magic swirl around my feet and looked down to see rock solidifying around my lower legs. Looking up, I saw Gretchen give a satisfied nod. While she was focused on someone else, I cast another, more complex spell around her. This one allowed spells to come in, though not out, and should be more difficult for her to break.

The fighting was occupying most of the witches, and while my parents had moved across the room, Dad had broken the spell binding Mom's magic. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something, and I cast a reflective shield around my parents. The first spell was deflected but it shattered the shield. Dad turned and countered the second spell before it hit, but I saw him stagger a little.

When the third spell came after them, Dad absorbed it. I traced the spells to a couple in the back of the auditorium. The woman, who I assumed was Mrs. Blackwell, was working on a complex spell that would maim or kill.

"No you don't." Pointing my wand in her direction, I said, "Obala Purisaz."

The spell sucked power out of me, but the floor opened up under them, and the Blackwells, along with several of their friends, fell into the hole.

"Haglaz." The floor closed, and that was one less threat we had to deal with. I doubted it would hold that many witches for very long, but every second counted. Dad nodded at me, and they continued to move closer to the door.

Gretchen cast a stun spell that Sarah reflected back at her. She mostly dodged it, taking it on her shoulder. I conjured the ever-popular magic ropes and wrapped her up like a mummy. It should take her a moment to get out of those.

Wiggling around, I got a charm out of my belt and wedged it against the stone at my legs. I didn't activate the charm because Gretchen would feel the spell go off, and as long as she thought she had me, she'd leave my parents alone.

While I was distracted, Gretchen had escaped my spells. The twister of fire seemed to be under her control now, because if anyone so much as lifted a wand in her direction, it went after them. After the fourth person was burned, people stopped attacking her directly. Gretchen cornered Sarah with the twister. Sarah flicked her wand, and it disappeared, raining sparks on the floor.

"Gretchen, that's enough. We can work this out like civilized people," Sarah said.

Mom, Dad, and Elron froze. They were within sprinting distance of the door, but that didn't do them any good right now. Moving would attract more attention than standing still.

"Yes, we should act civilized." Gretchen focused on me. "Will you join the clan and put an end to this debate?"

"Nothing I say is going to change their opinion of you."

"That wasn't the question."

"Maybe not, but it's the truth."

"Will you join the clan?"

"No." I activated the charm, dissolving the rock. As soon as my legs were free, I rolled away, a spell striking the floor next to my shoulder.

"Mother, you will stop this right now." Mom marched up to the podium, wand in hand, ready to throw spells.

"She's my granddaughter."

"That doesn't make this acceptable. You can't kidnap her because she's family. What you're doing is wrong, and you're ruining any chance you have of getting to know her." How Mom kept from shouting at Gretchen, I didn't know. I was ready to yell at the woman.

"No," Gretchen said slowly. "You're plotting something, just like when you told me her father was human."

"I never said he was human. You assumed he was human when I wouldn't give you a name. I simply didn't correct you."

"Because he's from the Docga."

"That's right. How dare I be bold enough to find a man who loves me and makes me happy? The horror."

"Michelle belongs in this clan. It's her birthright."

Mom rolled her eyes. "By birth she has two clans and the ability to choose what to do with her life. The only one trying to deny her rights is you."

"How dare you talk back to me?"

"You've threatened my child and my husband. I'll do anything to protect them."

"You're a useless witch."

"And you're still a rotten excuse for a mother."

Gretchen ignored her, returning her attention to me. "Will you join or not?"

She was unhinged. That was the only explanation. "My answer hasn't changed."

Gretchen raised her wand but didn't have a chance to use it. Mom shot her with a blast of power, knocking her backward. She vanished behind the podium, and I held my breath. Maybe Mom had defeated the beast.

That hope was short-lived. Gretchen popped up, and in the blink of an eye, Mom was restrained by magical bonds and in a shield bubble. She toppled over, and I hurried to cast a spell. "Orzu."

The floor softened right before her head made contact. There was still a dull thump, but I didn't think she'd been injured. Dad yelled and surged forward. Elron pulled him back, slapping a hand over his mouth, and whispering something in his ear. After a moment, Dad pushed away from Elron, glaring at Gretchen, who was standing behind the podium with a satisfied smile.

I risked a look at the audience and saw equal parts shock and disgust. This might be the action that ended Gretchen's ministry, but I couldn't count on them helping me. I felt magic swirling around my legs, but this time I recognized the spell.

"Now, Dad!" I screamed, reaching out even though we were separated by the width of the room.

Dad mirrored my action, holding out his hand as if he could grab mine, and a beam of white light came rushing at me. I dropped every shield and safeguard I had, opening myself to the power. A moment before the light reached me, rock solidified around me, encasing me from the hips down.

The magic hit me, and without the rock holding me in place, I would've been pushed back. It rushed in, filling every part of me, from my toes to my fingers, with burning light. I screamed as hundreds of voices rushed into my mind.

I could hear Nana scolding Dad for initiating me without the proper ceremony, and Martha's surprised chatter. Someone else was surprised, though not by Dad doing something so unorthodox, and quickly reassured me that it would all be over in a moment, I just needed to be strong. There were voices I couldn't identify, each of them offering an opinion—some supportive, others surprised, and a few dismayed. With each new voice, I lost a little more of myself. Somewhere I had a body, opinions, and thoughts, but all I could find was the clan. It was vibrant, overflowing with hope, love, and generosity.

As the voices faced, and the connection with the heart of what the Docga stood for strengthened, the burning was replaced by a wash of cool energy. The soothing tide faded, taking the remaining voices, and leaving me refreshed but with a connection to the hub of the clan. The last voice I heard was Nana's, telling me that she'd explain everything later. The connection faded until it was no more than a thread, a faint and unobtrusive link.

Opening my eyes, I saw Dad studying me while Elron stood guard. Gretchen's mouth was agape. She shook herself and shifted her attention from me to Dad. Things were going to get ugly. I pulled another charm out of my belt, activated it, and stuck it to the rock that encased my lower body.

"Elron, get them out." My shout broke the silence.

"There's no point in this now," Sarah said.

"No, this is my clan, and you can't take it from me." Gretchen blasted her with pure energy. It knocked her down for a moment, but Sarah was made of stern stuff and she popped right back up. While Sarah was down, one of Gretchen's supporters had set fire to her chair. A witch in the seat next to Sarah put out the flames and trapped the attacker in magical bindings. Witches had started to form groups, though what all the allegiances were, I couldn't tell.

That last remark from Gretchen seemed to have tipped the balance in favor of war. I couldn't say how these witches were feeling, but if a leader of a group I was in said something like that, I'd do my best to demonstrate how wrong she was. Even I knew that the clan was about the members, not the leader.

Dad raced forward and set to work on the spells holding Mom. I was too far away, and too slow, to help when Gretchen flung a spell at the two of them. Elron stepped in the path of the spell, and my heart froze. His sword appeared, and he twisted around so that the spell hit the sword square on the blade, shattering into thousands of sparks.

Before Gretchen could recover, I tossed a charm on the podium and activated it. A mass of vines sprang to life and started climbing over her. In the blink of an eye, they had captured her hands and were working their way up her arms. It should take a little while for her to get out of them since she'd be hampered by the lack of wand.

The charm finally unmade the rock I was trapped in, and I scrambled to my feet, surprised by the turn of events. Elves couldn't use magic, not like witches, but that sword of his had done some incredible things before, and it had recently been blessed by the leshy.

Elron had bought Dad enough time to remove the spells from Mom and get her to her feet. She was leaning heavily on him, and I hoped Elron could get them out of the house.

Someone took offense to Elron deflecting the spell and tried to wrap him in the overly popular magical ropes. Dad took care of those with a scowl and jab of his wand. Elron nodded his thanks and started backing them toward the door.

I saw a witch gearing up to spell Elron or my parents, and willed a shield wall into being. I kept the shape in my mind, funneling power into it, as seven spells hit it in quick succession.

Elron was ushering them through the door when the first spell hit me. Ice coated me from head to toe. I dropped the shield wall, hoped they made it to safety, and focused on the freezing problem. Whoever cast this spell hadn't left any holes, so I had a limited air supply.

I rapidly heated the air around me and the ice melted off. After sucking in a few deep breaths of uncomfortably hot air, I moved back, trying to find a cooler location.

My shoulder hit something. I twisted around, scraping the last bits of ice off my eyes, to find myself nose to nose with the inside wall of a shield bubble. While I'd been dealing with the ice, someone had taken the opportunity to trap me.

Since I was reasonably safe and expected to be out of the action for a while, I took stock of the situation. Gretchen had freed herself from the vines and was surrounded by a group of witches frantically flinging spells at the audience. In turn, a portion of the audience was doing their best to spell Gretchen's supporters.

The rest of the attendees were doing some combination of brawling between themselves, hiding, and attempting to escape. The room was awash with sounds and strange sights. A hedge was protecting one section of seats admirably until a cone of flames burned a hole through one corner. Two twisters were making their way around the room, collecting purses, shoes, hair ornaments, and whatever else they could scoop up. One witch screamed when a pen sank into his arm.

There were witches falling down after being stunned, and others were trying to drag their fallen friends out of the auditorium. All in all, I was cozy in my prison and increasingly grateful that I hadn't grown up in this dysfunctional group.

On a hunch, I set my foot against the side of the shield and pushed. It wobbled but didn't roll. Taking a step back, I kicked it. The shield wobbled again but rolled a few inches. I hurried to kick it again, trying to build up momentum. Six kicks later, I could keep it going with heavy footsteps.

With a little luck, the rest of the witches would keep Gretchen busy and I could stroll out of the auditorium. The shield would be easy enough to break when I was safely away from this mess.

My optimism was short-lived, because on my next step, the shield sank a foot into the floor. It wasn't rolling anywhere now. I summoned my wand and got to work on undoing the spell. Whoever made this shield was well trained, because it was designed to be self-containing, resistant to magic, and keyed to the creator.

It took a few minutes, but I figured out how to trick the shield into thinking I'd created it, and simply banished the spell. From now on, I needed to be careful how I used magic. The shield wall had taken a lot out of me, and there were plenty of ways to get into trouble in here.

One of the twisters headed for me, and I vanished my wand as I dodged out of the way. I didn't want to end up with a pen in me. In the process of avoiding the twister, I tripped over an uprooted chair and went down on my hands and knees.

"Oh, that hurt." My knees, already sore from my tumble in the woods, were vigorously protesting the impact with the marble floor. I tried to sit up, but I couldn't because my hands had sunk into the floor.

"Ansu." I slowly pulled my hands out of the floor, hoping that I didn't get hit with another spell. When my hands cleared the floor, I said, "Fehu," solidifying the floor. Marble might hurt when I fell, but it was easier to walk across when it was solid.

The air around me changed, taking on a damp quality. I looked up and saw a wall of water six feet tall and growing. With a sharp turn of my wrist, the comforting weight of my wand landed in my hand. I gathered as much energy as I could spare and used my wand to sketch the runes in the air before adding, "Gebo fehu."

The surface of the water froze, starting in the center and working its way out. As the spell ran its course, the ice clarified, turning into a solid block that was thicker than a cinder block.

I took a few deep breaths. That was one crisis averted; now I just needed to get out of here. The best exit was still the one Elron had escaped through, so I moved in that direction, keeping an eye out for other obstacles. At first I couldn't tell if I'd be able to slide between the ice wall and the podium, but as I got closer, it was apparent that the gap was just large enough.

A snake slithered off the stairs and headed in my general direction. I froze it before it could get any closer. It could've been harmless, but with the spells zipping through the air, I didn't want to take any chances.

Looking around, I saw that one of the doors I'd entered through was missing and the other was dangling from the top hinge. The mass of witches had thinned considerably, and my bet was that the doors had been broken in the evacuation process. A couple of brave witches were darting back into the auditorium to drag out their injured brethren.

The remaining witches had congregated into two groups of roughly equal size. Gretchen's group was tossing spells for all they were worth. As they bobbed and weaved, I could catch the occasional glimpse of Gretchen, who was hiding in their midst.

Sarah led her opposition, but unlike Gretchen, she was out front, redirecting spells and casting a few of her own. The battle hadn't been kind to her. There was a bruise forming on her cheek, her shirt was missing a sleeve, and her pants were ripped up the legs. Her calves were blistered, and I could only surmise that someone had been throwing around fire spells.

One of the women protecting Gretchen tried to stun me. I reflected the spell and sent back a weak compulsion to stop fighting. The witch paused long enough for me to capture her in a shield. She burst it in a fraction of a second.

Dad had neglected to mention that witches were well versed in escaping shield spells. Later—much later—we'd have to work on that.

I saw her wand move but couldn't figure out was she was doing. In the blink of an eye, I sank to my waist in the floor. Muttering some nasty words under my breath, I tried to wiggle around, but the floor had solidified around me. These people sure wanted me to stay.

She gave a satisfied nod and directed her next spell at Sarah's group. I could get out of the floor, but that wasn't the point. I was sick of these people attacking me.

"Orzu." I sank a little more as I pointed the wand at myself and said, "Ansu." It wasn't easy to move myself in relation to the floor, but I managed. With a little effort I was able to do something akin to levitation. Once my feet were even with the surface of the floor, I solidified it. "Fehu."

On a different day, one where I hadn't taken so much abuse from the disaster that was my extended family, I would've taken the opportunity to escape. Today, I wanted a little bit of revenge. I tossed a charm at Tammy, activating it in the air. It hit her in the ribs and morphed from a shapeless blob to solid stone, knocking her down. Tammy toppled into several other witches, taking them down in a flurry of arms and legs.

I lobbed a plant charm after it, which started growing as soon as it was out of my hand. I grinned when vines already adorned with long thorns landed on the witches. I knew it wouldn't take them long to deal with the spells, but the angry sounds were worth it.

With Gretchen's supporters temporarily reduced, Sarah pressed forward, doing her best to win the battle. Tammy and the other witches got back into the fight, but they'd lost precious ground and two of them were captured. Though from the direction the spells originated, Tammy was capturing her associates.

While they were distracted, I wiggled around the edge of the ice wall, keeping my eyes on the battling witches. I made it to the other side and swung around, ready to escape out the door.

"No you don't." Gretchen stood between the door and me. Her hair was coming down, and the combination of tears, scorch marks, and damp spots on her clothing were signs of the spells she'd encountered.

"Let me go. You have enough problems."

Behind her the door was ajar. If I could reach it, I had a chance, but the only way to the door was through Gretchen. Even with the number of spells she'd been throwing, I didn't think I could take her in a fight; there was something to be said for experience. Besides, I didn't have the help of the forest in here.

Gretchen lunged forward, grabbing my left hand in both of hers. I tugged and pulled, but she had a strong grip for a woman of her age. As I was gearing up to cast a stun spell, I saw light forming around her hands. I changed my plan, vanishing my wand.

The light forced its way into my hand, up my arm, and invaded the rest of my body.

Chapter 24: Michelle

The light forced its way inside me, and I realized Gretchen was trying to bring me into the Wapiti by force. I didn't want to be part of Gretchen's wreck of a family. My father and Nana had welcomed me with open arms, and I wanted to be part of that family. I held onto the connection to the Docga with all my might.

This time it felt like molten metal was thrust into my veins. As it burned through me, I started hearing voices of the Wapiti. First was Gretchen's satisfaction, then Sarah's horror. Following closely behind them was a flood of confusion and outrage. Emotions were running high, and I got pain, anger, and fear from clan members who'd been injured in the fight. Others were mad at Gretchen, and a few supported her decision but not her methods. Not a one of them was particularly glad to see me. The feeling was mutual.

In the midst of the flood from the Wapiti, I got flashes from Dad, Mom, and Nana. Mom was outraged at Gretchen's behavior. Dad was ready to fight to keep me, but he was afraid that any interference would cause irreparable harm to me. I was inclined to agree, because the pain had only intensified. Nana was trying to communicate a way to manage the situation, but I was losing focus and only got parts of her message. Her rage was easy enough to read. Nana didn't have any intention of letting Gretchen get away with this.

Between one second and the next, the pain was gone. I was alone in my own skin, lying on the marble floor, panting. Gretchen had released my hand, and I was looking at her legs and shoes. They were black leather pumps that were as scuffed and singed as the rest of her outfit. Thanks to her, I was developing a nasty headache, and all of me hurt from my repeated tumbles into the ground. With my pulse returning to normal, I could get a better feel for what was in my head.

I could still feel the Docga, and the slightest sensation of love and fear from that connection, but I could also feel the Wapiti. There weren't any warm and happy feelings from them, just a lot of pain and anger, and plenty of witches were directing those emotions at me.

As I lay on the floor, I could hear Gretchen's happy exclamation. She needed to enjoy it while it lasted, because there wasn't a reason in the world this should've worked, and there were more than a few reasons it should fall apart any second. Sure, witches could join or leave clans, and often did when getting married, but they severed the connection with their former clan and became one with their new clan. If you'd asked me before today, I would've said that it was impossible to belong to two clans. Though lately, impossible things had a way of coming true.

There was a boom, and the floor vibrated under me. Gretchen spun around, searching for the cause. I was past caring as long as it was more trouble for her than it was for me. Even in my sorry state, I could help whatever it was get the better of her. I pulled three charms out of my belt, my last ones, and rolled them at her feet.

The rock spell formed first, cementing her feet to the ground. The vine charm sprang into action, sending roots into the rock and twisting up her legs. Given a little time, it would completely wrap her up like a mummy. I hadn't been sure what the third spell would do when combined with the others, but it worked better than I expected, weaving into them seamlessly and making them resistant to magical tampering.

Gretchen looked at the vines creeping over her feet, frowned, and pointed at the door to her study. The door flickered, and a solid wall replaced it. I wasn't going to be able to escape that way.

With another boom, the room shook again, and this time I wasn't willing to ignore it. Sitting up, I looked around. The witches had stopped throwing spells at each other and were looking for the common enemy. A couple of them were headed this way, having spotted Gretchen's problems.

From the assessing looks being sent in my direction, some of them were thinking that I was the cause of whatever was happening to the building. I didn't want to be here if they decided I was at fault, but the only way out was through the auditorium.

This time I felt the impact more than I heard it. There was a loud crack, and the floor bucked. I threw a shield around myself. Whatever was doing this was going to tear the building apart, and I didn't want to get crushed if the room collapsed. I moved back until I hit the ice wall. Since I wasn't getting around Gretchen and the witches trying to undo the charms on her, I had to get rid of the ice if I wanted to get out of here.

I summoned my wand, set the tip against the ice and said, "Dagaz."

Water started running down the ice around my wand. In seconds, there was a large depression that was slowly expanding, but I hadn't thought this through. The ice would collapse on itself before it finished melting. Pulling my wand away from the ice, I pointed it at the top and repeated the command. Water started pouring off the top, running down the sides and creating grooves as more and more of the ice melted.

The floor ripped and cracked, and I figured out what was happening. The Blackwells were making their way to the surface. I fed more power into the ice-melting spell, wanting to be out of the way when they finally freed themselves. Given the choice, I'd rather try to navigate through the myriad of identical hallways than the Blackwells.

Debris flew everywhere as the Blackwells burst out of the floor. A row of chairs went flying through the air and crashed into the ice wall. I was huddling in my shield, extremely grateful that I'd had the forethought to cast it, while chunks of ice rained down. The row of chairs scraped down the shield, and I added more power to the spell. It had to hold until the chairs were on the ground, because if it broke, I was going to be squished.

When Mr. and Mrs. Blackwell climbed out of the hole with their friends right behind them, I heard witches swearing and the slap of feet as they ran out of the auditorium. Two of Gretchen's helpers fled, abandoning any attempt to free her. I guess they didn't think the Blackwells would be kind to supporters of the woman who'd sent their son to his death.

The last chunks of ice were rapidly melting, and now that the chairs had settled on the ground, I had a clear path to the rest of the room. The problem was I couldn't get to another door without giving the Blackwells a clear shot at me.

There was a long moment where we were all waiting for someone to make the next move. Sarah was looking between the two of us, and her supporters were watching her. Gretchen didn't have any supporters left, and she was well stuck until someone came for her. I was watching the Blackwells watch me and summoning every last drop of power I could find.

Mr. Blackwell sent a spell in my direction, and I added even more power to the shield, hoping it would last. I'd used enough magic that I would be in bed for days recovering, but this wasn't the time to play it safe. When Mrs. Blackwell cast a spell of her own, I knew I was in trouble. The shield might counter Mr. Blackwell's electrocution spell, but Mrs. Blackwell had cast a death spell, and I didn't have a way to counter that.

The electrocution spell hit the shield with an audible crack, and what looked like miniature lightning spidered out from the impact point. The shield evaporated in a flash of light, and there I was, defenseless against the death spell.

I was starting to close my eyes when I saw Gretchen throw herself in front of me. The spell went into her chest, and the temperature dropped as she fell limply to the floor.

Distantly, I saw Sarah and her allies leap into action, but their spells were being countered by the Blackwells' friends. I scrambled over to my grandmother and rolled her on her back, feeling for a pulse. First I tried her wrist, but when I couldn't find it there, I moved to her neck. Nothing.

"No, you can't die like this. You can't be dead. You're too mean to die." I set my hands on her chest and started compressions. Gretchen couldn't be dead. Not now, and not after saving me. She didn't get to destroy more than twenty years of my parents' life and the past two months of mine just to be selfless when things got dire.

"Michelle!" Sarah shouted.

Looking up, I saw a small reflective shield appear between me and another death spell. But Sarah's efforts weren't enough. The spell punched a hole through the shield and thudded into my chest.

Unable to breathe, I looked down and saw the medallion flowing with colors. Gold, silver, and red swirled over its surface before turning a shimmering white. The energy burned as it pushed into my chest, and suddenly I could inhale. I sucked in air as I absorbed the magic.

When I looked up, I saw the entire room staring at me. I stood up, pointed my wand at the Blackwells, and sent all that magic right back in their direction. The energy flowed around them before invading their bodies. Their suppressed cries turned to screams before they lost the ability to talk. One body part at a time, they were transformed into geese. Their offended squawks and hisses echoed through the room.

I turned back to Gretchen and retrieved the lone healing charm from my belt. I activated it and set it on her chest.

It turned to dust.

She was gone.

Chapter 25: Elron

When Nancy and Greg had demanded we return to the mansion, I had been doubtful of the wisdom of that decision, but they argued that with two death spells we had to go investigate. I could not dispute that logic. When we entered the auditorium to see Michelle sobbing next to Gretchen's limp form and two geese under multiple shields, I knew we were needed.

I took my first full breath since they'd told me of the death spells. Michelle was alive. Michelle was alive, and that was all that mattered to me. I could not picture a life without her.

Nancy took one look at the group and hurried to her daughter and mother. I wanted to be with Michelle, but she appeared physically unharmed, and I needed to understand what had transpired in our absence.

"Greg," Sarah paused. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

Greg held up his hand. "What happened?"

Sarah got as far as Gretchen sacrificing herself to save Michelle before Greg hurried over to comfort Nancy. I stayed through the rest of the explanation, giving them time to be a family.

From a practical standpoint, I was glad Gretchen was dead. She would not be a thorn in Michelle's side any longer. However, I was a mix of emotions, and I was certain that Michelle felt far worse. In the space of seconds her enemy had become her savior, and she'd lost a family member.

I took care of some practical concerns and gathered information while Michelle mourned with her family. Greg's car and their things would be returned. The Blackwells would be moved to a different clan, and assaults on Michelle would cease. Tammy had indeed been on Sarah and Michelle's side, though I did not press for what motivated her change in allegiance, and had been giving Sarah information.

They buried Gretchen that night. Death spells did horrible things to the body, so they returned her to the earth before she deteriorated. The burial was a short, solemn affair. Nancy, Tammy, Sarah, and a few others said words. Michelle managed a soft thank-you before breaking down.

I held Michelle while she cried. On the way to the car, she came back to herself.

"Thank you."

Looking into her eyes, I told her the truth. "I will always be here, by your side."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you want to be with someone who's a magnet for trouble?"

"I would choose you a thousand times. I love you." I closed the distance between us and gave her a tender kiss.

"I love you too."

Chapter 26: Michelle

Hours later, we were back at the lodge and Elron was ushering me to my apartment when I worked up the courage to ask the one question that couldn't wait. "Dad, can a witch belong to more than one clan?"

"What?"

I shifted my weight. "After y'all escaped, Gretchen tried to make me part of the Wapiti. Did you feel that?"

"Yes, but I thought it didn't work," Dad said.

"Well, now I can feel a connection to both clans in my head."

"Both?" Mom asked.

I nodded.

"That's not—" Dad stood up abruptly and strode into their room, phone to his ear.

"Mom?" I looked between her and the door. Dad was usually so calm. He'd taken Gretchen's interest and a demon in stride. The possibility of two clans didn't seem like as big a deal to me.

She followed Dad out of the room. Before I could follow them, Elron dropped an arm over my shoulders and pulled me against his side.

"Give them time to talk."

I settled against him, and my body relaxed. "Witches aren't supposed to belong to two clans."

"You are an exception to a great many rules. It is hardly a surprise that this would be one of them."

"I'm not trying to be different." Really, I'd be happier if everyone ignored me.

"I know." His sigh ruffled my hair.

It felt like he was going to say more, but he didn't and I left it alone. If it was important, he'd tell me later. Rather than waste energy thinking about it, I rested my head against his chest and relaxed. Sometime later, footsteps startled me.

Dad was pacing while Mom looked on. I was surprised by how calm she looked, but I figured she was as emotionally numb as I was right now.

"So?" I said.

He stopped pacing and looked at me, running a hand through his hair. "Mom says it's technically possible. She'll be here in the morning and would like to look at you." He waved his hands in the air. "This is her department."

I nodded. "Then we'll talk about it once she's here." I gave the two of them a hug. "Love you. Good night."

"We love you too," Mom said.

Elron wished them a good evening, and we went into my apartment. As usual, or what had become usual since Sylvia's death, Elron made a bed for himself on my sofa. I left the door to my bedroom open a crack so he could hear if anything happened. The precautions made both of us feel better.

*******

When we sat down to eat breakfast the next morning, it was just the four of us. Either it was a rare day when everyone else had things to do, or the rest of the residents had been warned that this wasn't a good day to come to breakfast. Regardless of the cause, I was glad that we were alone. Discussing family problems in front of someone else wasn't particularly fun, and we had things to work out.

I poured cream into my tea and took a sip. This was my second cup of the morning. Elron, being the wise man that he was, had taken one look at me this morning and handed me a mug of tea as soon as I'd exited my bedroom. Since he'd been holding an equally large cup of his own, I figured I wasn't the only one who was feeling the aftereffects of last night.

There was a quick knock at the front door before it swung open. "Hello, hello."

I would know that voice anywhere. "Nana?"

"Don't get up. I'll be right in. Zipper's stuck on my coat. There it goes." She must've taken off her shoes too, because her footsteps were quiet.

She was dressed as vibrantly as before in an emerald-green shirt that hung over black pants. As she walked, lime-green socks spotted with white shamrocks caught my eye. Nana headed for me, giving me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I was worried about you." She made her way over to Mom and Dad. "You too. Hardly the honeymoon I wanted my baby to have."

Dad rolled his eyes at that one.

Nana ignored him and addressed Landa. "Thank you for watching over my grandchild."

"It's been a pleasure." Landa motioned toward the table. "Please grab some food and join us."

Nana collected a blueberry muffin and juice before sitting next to me. "Was that Ty I saw peeking around the corner of the lodge?"

I nodded, my mouth full of quiche.

"You have to introduce me." Nana split her attention to between Mom and me. "I'm so sorry. There are no words."

The reference made me tear up. I nodded as I pulled a tissue out of my pocket and blotted my eyes. Elron gave me a one-armed hug, and I batted him away. This was breakfast, and I was going to get through it without turning into a watering pot.

Nana smiled at Elron and me before turning to Greg. "How did they capture you?"

"Pure trickery." Dad rolled his eyes, and I hid a smile behind my teacup. "We were tucked into our hotel in Atlanta when they put a sleep spell on us. By the time I came to, we were at the mansion and our power had been bound."

"And your car?"

"All of our things have been returned, or will be returned sometime today. I haven't checked yet."

"I didn't see it outside."

"It'll show up." Dad patted Mom's hand. "Mother, you said it was possible for a witch to belong to two clans?"

"Yes, but it's rare. Usually it requires preparation and several witches who know what they're doing to make it happen."

"Does it give the clans any access to each other?"

"What?" I asked.

Nana answered. "One of the reasons clans are so powerful is that the bond makes it easier for them to share power and execute multiwitch projects. Typically it's a one-sided effect. The witch can contribute to the clan, but the whole can't take from the one. And, no, I don't think the clans can access one another."

"But I feel something." I waved my hand near my head.

"Normal. It'll fade. I'm surprised it hasn't already."

Dad jumped into the conversation. "What do you feel?"

Marti shot him an exasperated look. "Let the girl finish breakfast, and I'll take a look at her." She turned her attention to me. "Have a banana. The minerals will do you good."

Elron reached behind him and pulled one off the sideboard. He peeled it and handed me half.

"We need to know what's going on with the Wapiti," Dad mused.

"I'll call Sarah after breakfast. Really, the worst has happened. It's time to relax." Mom replaced his coffee with a glass of water.

"I was drinking that." Dad reached for the coffee, but Mom nudged it out of reach.

"You've had enough."

"I've barely had half the cup."

"Give it up," Nana said. "I'm with Nancy on this one."

"Women," Dad muttered as he went back to his meal.

I finished the banana and pushed back from the table. "Let's see how many clans I'm attached to."

*******

"Relax."

I was trying, really, but I was nervous, the stool I was sitting on lacked padding, and that lack of padding was making my backside hurt. Nana's hands came up to rest against my temples, and I sucked in a deep breath. I held it for a count of three before slowly exhaling and repeating the process.

Around the fourth breath, something changed. I went from being alone in my head to feeling like I had company and was being pushed to the side.

"There we go. This will only take a moment."

I couldn't tell if I was hearing her talk physically or mentally, but it didn't matter. After a subtle shift, I was alone again but with the sensation of someone looking at me.

"Hmm. Two clans, sure enough. Much stronger connection than I expected."

She pushed at me a bit more, and then she was gone and I was alone in my head. I did my best to wiggle around in my brain, but I was firmly entrenched. Whatever Nana had done was why I'd been less connected to myself.

Turning around I asked, "Why did it feel like you could've pushed me out of my body and taken over?"

"The spell allows me to feel some of what you feel and inspect things like clan connections. Doing that puts part of me in you."

"Could you use that spell to push someone out of their body?" If so, that was something I needed to be aware of and able to protect against.

Nana shook her head. "No, it would take extensive alterations to attempt something like that. Even if you managed to adjust the spell to allow yourself to force someone out of their body, it's unlikely it would succeed unless the connection between body and spirit was severed. To the best of my knowledge, no witch or sorcerer has managed such a spell."

That sounded a lot like what a demon did to its host, pushing the native spirit away so it could use the physical form. If the original spirit was still tied to the body, it would be drawn back, which explained how Sylvia had been able to observe and later influence things Gremory did while controlling her body.

"How significant would the alterations have to be?"

"A couple of the fundamentals are the same, like moving the spirit around and being about to feel what's going on in a different person, but everything else would be different. There would also be other considerations that the spell I used doesn't address."

That was a small comfort. Essentially, it was a drastically different spell in the same family. Even if a witch attempted it, odds were she'd fail.

"How did Gremory do it so easily?" I mused.

"Gremory? The demon?"

I nodded.

"I don't know. Little is known about them, but I would guess that it's an innate ability for them."

We sat in silence until someone rapped on the door. Dad poked his head in. "Can we join you?"

I nodded, and the door swung open, allowing Dad, Mom, and Elron to enter the parlor. Mom closed the door behind them and ushered Dad over to the loveseat. Elron sat next to me, pulling my hand into his.

"Well, one clan or two?" Dad asked.

"Two." Nana held up her hand and ended Dad's outburst. "It is what it is, Greg. I don't think it would be wise to terminate either connection, so you need to live with it. That goes for you too, Michelle. You'll have to find a balance with the Wapiti."

"I—I don't want to be part of the Wapiti. If I'd wanted to join them, I could've done it a while ago and saved all of us from their plots."

Nana patted my knee.

"All those years to end up right where we started. I should've listened to you." Mom looked at Dad.

Dad sighed. "It's safe to say that who listened to whom years ago is irrelevant now."

"If we'd just—"

"Just what? Had a less exceptional daughter? Moved farther away? Killed Gretchen?"

I don't know what Mom was about to say, but there were tears in her eyes, and her hand was trembling when Elron cut through the bickering. "As delightful as this is, could we turn our attention to the here and now? What is our next move? How will this affect Michelle?"

I squeezed his hand, grateful for the redirect. There wasn't a doubt in my mind that my parents loved me, but it didn't feel good to have them bickering about me and the choices they'd made. After all, those were long past, and rehashing them wasn't going to help.

Nana answered him. "We teach her about clans."

Lovely. "Clans and connections to them. How does it work with two clans?"

I guess Nana was the only one with multiclan experience because she answered. "Essentially the same as with a single clan. The physical aspect—splitting your time, determining which festivities to attend—is more difficult."

"This sounds hard. Are you sure we can't sever one or both clan ties?"

"I wouldn't recommend an attempt," Nana said.

"Why not?"

"I think you'd have to cut both, but the magic is so muddied that I can't be sure what will happen. Typically it's a simple spell, but neither of your clan ties was done in the traditional fashion. Not only are the spells tangled with each other, but they're tangled with other magics."

I shrugged, not really seeing the problem. I unmade spells all the time. It was the bread and butter of my business. This sounded like a mess of spells waiting to be picked apart and dispersed.

"It's not the same as disenchanting an inanimate object," Dad said. "If something goes wrong, we could hurt you or unleash a ball of fire or any of the other spells that were cast last night."

"Oh." Those were risks I didn't have to consider. As ornery as some of the items were, they could be destroyed or have the magic sucked out of them.

"It is worth the risk," Elron said as everyone looked at him. "Michelle does not wish to be part of the Wapiti."

"You'd risk her safety?" Mom asked.

Elron shook his head. "I am not willing to risk her happiness. This is not what she wants. You may be unwilling to risk her health, but if she is unhappy, she will not be healthy."

Trust the elf to look at the connection between physical and spiritual to make his argument. Hopefully it would sway them. Ethel had said I had to have one clan. Acquiring two seemed like overkill, and I didn't want the complication of an ongoing relationship with the Wapiti. They had enough problems of their own to sort out.

"Have you lost your mind?" Dad objected. "You were there. Any of those spells could be in that knot of magic. It could kill her."

"I want to try," I said. "Take away the connection to the Wapiti, and if you have to, both. I can always rejoin the Docga."

Mom looked hard at me and then slowly nodded. "All right. If this is what you want, then it's worth the risk."

"But why?" Dad asked.

"She doesn't need to be involved in the Wapiti's restructuring or to deal with the Blackwells and anyone who blames her for my mother's death."

Dad turned to me. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." I didn't expand my answer because I wasn't sure I would be convincing. Part of what they'd said was true, but the main reason was something else entirely: I didn't want to keep a connection that had been forced on me. Gretchen had sacrificed herself for me, but that didn't change some things. She didn't get to choose my clan.

Rather than arguing, Nana said, "Where's the best spot?"

Confused, I tilted my head.

"If you expect to trigger spells, outside would be better, though it is cold. Barring that, anyplace where the three of you feel comfortable," Elron answered over my head.

"It's barely above freezing. We should do it inside," Dad said.

"My workroom is too small. What about the room the lodge created after the witches attacked?" I asked. "There's not much furniture, and it's warm."

That sparked a flurry of movement. In seconds, Elron was off to check in with Landa to see if any residents needed to be warned and if she had any requisitions. Dad was headed to my workroom to find a wand he liked. Mom was out the door, but I wasn't sure what she was doing, and I was left alone with Nana.

"Bathroom or room where we'll be working?" I asked.

"Bathroom. Always best to do these things with an empty bladder."

"That's the truth," I muttered. "This way. There's one around the corner."

I showed her the bathroom and the room where we'd be working before hurrying to my apartment to make use of my bathroom. While I was in there, I took a hard look at myself in the mirror. For weeks I'd have to explain what had happened to every police officer. Under the yellows, greens, and purples were tired eyes and frustration. I kept looking, hoping to see past them, and after a couple of seconds I could see determination, strength, a woman I could be proud of.

Somewhere deep down, I found the woman who'd escaped a clan of witches. The same one who'd beaten back an unruly greenhouse, dodged a murder attempt, turned would-be murderers into geese, and embraced her family and the clan that came with it. That was a girl I could admire.

Chapter 27: Michelle

With that in mind, I returned to the room. I was the last to arrive. They'd rearranged to give everyone access to the bed I would be occupying. I lay down and tried to relax. When my hand found Elron's, I was able to get comfortable. It would've been nice to get more details, but this was going to be a lot like disenchanting, and I seldom knew what I was going to do until I dug into the spell. Hopefully, once they got in there, it would be easy to undo the spells.

Dad's hand rested against my forehead, and I felt him get to work. Nana followed his lead and started working on a tangle of spells. Mom was serving as an anchor, holding bits of spells for them and feeding them power.

I couldn't get used to them working on me. I could feel their power brushing against me and meddling with the knot of spells attached to me. If you'd asked me before they started, I wouldn't have been able to pinpoint where the clan ties attached to me. With them tugging at it, I could tell that it was draped around me like a web. When they were done, I'd have to ask how clan ties usually attached, because this didn't seem right.

They did something, and fat raindrops started hitting me. I opened my eyes to see a cloud hovering over all of us, doing its best to give us a shower. After a raindrop landed in my eye, I closed my eyes and did my best to ignore it. By the time they'd dealt with the rain spell, the front of my clothing was soaked.

One of them patted my shoulder, and I took that to mean that they were sorry about my impromptu bath. Even if they hadn't been in the midst of spell-work, I wouldn't have complained. They were as wet as I was and couldn't be enjoying it either.

After that, things got interesting. They severed part of the spell, and there was a brief moment where I rejoiced. When the wind picked up, I opened my eyes to see a twister in the corner of the room. Surprise more than anything else kept me from moving.

Dad looked at the twister and frowned. A moment later, it vanished. He tried to give me a reassuring smile, but I was past that. So far, we'd had two natural phenomena, and those were the more friendly spells the witches had tossed around last night.

Elron squeezed my hand, and I returned the gesture.

Lying still sounded easy, but my nose itched and I wanted to look around. I was sure they would trigger more spells, and I wanted to be watching for them, not studying the ceiling. When the gong sounded, I came up to my elbows, hunting for the cause. There wasn't one, and Dad pushed me back down.

With nothing else to do, I started breathing exercises and was as relaxed as I was going to get when I felt something pin my ankles to the bed. The greenery around my feet was reassuring—this was one of my spells—but not comfortable. The vines pressed against my skin, pencil-sized chains holding me in place. As they worked their way up my calves, the pressure only intensified, and I knew they would be leaving bruises. More accurately, they would be leaving bruises on top of the ones I'd acquired at the hands of the Wapiti. The vines made it up to my knees before Elron got them under control. They retreated to an orderly line along the footboard of the bed. Knowing Elron, he'd find a nice spot for them in the garden.

When the bed frosted over, freezing me in the process, my panic reached a whole new level. I tried to suck in a breath, but my mouth was frozen shut and my nostrils were blocked by ice. Thrashing didn't help. I didn't even try to open my eyes. Under different circumstances, I'd get myself out of the ice, but I couldn't use magic while they were working on me.

"Hold on."

"We're going to get you out."

"Hurry." That last one was Elron, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

The ice vanished, and I took deep breaths as everyone apologized for not getting me out sooner.

"Sorry! It was a tricky spell."

"I'm good. Get it over with already," I said.

"Trying to," Dad said.

I lay back down and gave up any pretense of being relaxed. I wanted to see the next spell coming. If I'd been uncomfortable before, I was miserable now. Wet was bad enough, but now my clothes were wet and defrosting. Hardly the highlight of my day.

Elron rubbed my hand between his. I smiled my thanks.

Dad grunted. "That should be the last of the spells. We're on to the clan ties now."

"Be patient. They're wretchedly tangled," Nana said.

"I don't have a surplus of patience at the moment," I grumbled.

Elron didn't look much happier than I felt. I squeezed his hand. Hopefully the rest of this would go smoothly. If balls of fire or flaming twisters came for me, I was going call this whole thing off. I'd rather be tied to two clans than burned to a crisp, even if Mom could put me back together again.

Dad and Nana got back to work, and I felt a gentle tugging at the clan ties surrounding me. It felt like they were pulling at my skin. I bit the inside of my lip and did my best to hold still.

All of a sudden, I could feel portions of my skin being lifted off the underlying tissue and set back down. I screamed. At any time, there were three or four spots trying to separate from my body.

There were voices, but I couldn't tell what they were saying. If I had any luck, they were figuring out how to fix this problem. When I was back to normal, I'd tell them that enough was enough. No matter what threats I'd made to Gretchen, it wasn't worth dying to avoid being attached to two clans.

A searing pain shot through my head, going from one temple to the other. The pain blocked out everything. When it didn't relent, I curled up, trying to protect myself.

After what felt like an eternity, I passed out.

*******

I awakened slowly. The first thing I noticed was that my head didn't hurt the same way. The all-encompassing pain was gone, and in its place was a wretched headache. My body ached, but my ears worked just fine.

"Utter foolishness. I put her back together, but I can't vouch for the outcome if you muck about with the clan ties again." I knew that voice, and I'd been hoping I wouldn't hear it anytime soon. More importantly, what was the premier doing here?

"If you'd done your job in the first place and kept Gretchen on a leash, none of this would've happened." That was Mom or Nana, and either way, they were voicing my view.

"She was going to end up a member of both clans. Now, later, what's the difference?"

"You can't know that," Dad said.

The premier didn't say anything.

"You said there was a prophecy attached to her clan scar." That was Elron. "Prophecies do not work. Even short-term foresight is risky. There are many possibilities and no way to distinguish the correct path from the rest."

"They worked once, long ago, and this is an old prophecy."

"All the more reason for it to fail. Prophecies haven't worked for thousands of years. Even if this one was correct, it must be properly interpreted. That is a trick no one ever mastered," Elron said.

Ethel made a noise but didn't comment. When the silence had stretched to an awkward length, I opened my eyes. The low light of the room was enough to increase the throbbing in my head, but that was to be expected. My vision was blurry, and I couldn't tell where everyone was standing, but I could see a couch, so we had to be in the parlor.

"What is she doing here?" I croaked. Turned out I'd screamed enough to make my throat raw.

With that, I was mobbed by Mom, Dad, Elron, Nana, and Ethel. They were all talking, wanting to know something, and I couldn't separate out who was saying what. The noise kicked my headache into overdrive. I closed my eyes and tried to block out their voices.

Mom's voice cut through the commotion. "Enough. You're making her worse."

They stopped talking, but that didn't help my head. A cool hand rested against my forehead, and my headache retreated to a more manageable level. Healing was a fantastic use of power as far as I was concerned, and I was lucky to have a mother who could put me back together when I was injured.

"How does that feel?"

"Better." Since that was the most positive thing I could say, I didn't elaborate.

"It'll have to do. Your system needs to do as much of the healing as it can naturally."

I took that to mean that I wouldn't get more than minor pain control out of her. Since beggars couldn't be choosers, and I was in rotten shape, I didn't protest. Truth be told, I could do with a vacation from magic of all types.

"Water?"

Elron lifted me up, and I got a good idea of just how weak I was, which wasn't encouraging. Mom helped me with the cup while Nana adjusted the pillows and Dad watched, occasionally shooting angry looks at Ethel.

"What happened?"

"When we tried to sever the clan ties, we figured out that they were connected to you in abnormal ways. Nancy was able to knock you out. While we were figuring out how to fix you, the premier showed up. She set you to rights, more or less." Dad patted my shoulder. "You're stuck with the clans."

"Clans? Both of them?"

Mom and Dad nodded.

I muttered a couple of nasty words. One of these days, I was going vacation somewhere that didn't have magic. Just last week I'd seen an article about eight resorts that fit the bill.

"Enough of that," Ethel said. "You're in both clans, and that's how it's supposed to be."

Elron snorted. I was as skeptical as he was about the meant-to-be nonsense, but debating that issue could wait until I was feeling better. However, Ethel's abilities were in question. "Or is it because you were unwilling to break the tie with the Wapiti?"

Ethel shook her head. "Believe me or not, but I couldn't remove those bonds, only correct them."

She was right, I didn't believe her, but that didn't change the reality of the situation. I was stuck with them, and it was time to make the best of it. "What are you doing here?"

"There is the matter of the Wapiti ministry," Ethel said.

"What does that have to do with me?" My new goal in life was to be the invisible clan member, one who was so seldom seen that people forgot about me.

"There is some debate as to Gretchen's replacement. She was a popular leader for most of her tenure, and many people want to honor that legacy. The clan will have to approve the candidate."

"I still don't see what this has to do with me," I said.

Ethel closed her eyes for a moment before returning her attention to me. "The elders and the majority of the clan have voted. They would like to consider Gretchen's wishes."

"And Gretchen's wish was me?" Even saying it out loud didn't make it real.

"Gretchen's will states that she would like a blood relative to be her successor. You were her choice."

This was something I could fix because I knew a candidate with better qualifications. "If you need a blood relative of Gretchen's, you're standing next to her."

Ethel gave me a surprised look before swinging around to study Mom. Tapping her fingers against her hip, she said, "Perhaps. Nancy could be the minister and Michelle the heir apparent. Well, Nancy, what do you have to say?"

I didn't even protest the presumption of my involvement. I wasn't getting away from the Wapiti at this point, and it would be a long time before Mom had a reason to step down.

Mom spoke up. "I hadn't considered the possibility in years. I never thought the minister needed to be an exceptionally powerful witch, and the job itself appeals to me. I'd want to keep healing, but that could be worked out."

"The clan always liked you. Very few had Gretchen's prejudice. It could work," Ethel said.

Mom looked at Dad. "What do you think?"

"If you want to do this, I'll support you. The distance will be a challenge, but we can make it work."

"Unless things have changed, almost everyone works for the clan business." Mom glanced at Ethel, who nodded. "I could move them. We would still be able to live together."

"The elders would need to approve the move." Ethel thought for a moment. "There's a good chance they'll agree. A lot of people have bad memories at the clan house."

"I would have to give up my connection to the Docga." She thought for a moment. "I think we can all agree that my priorities will be my family and then the Wapiti."

Ethel nodded. "You have my support. I'm willing to present this to the elders tonight."

Dad closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I'm sure he wasn't looking forward to seeing more of the Wapiti, or to the long drive. No one would be willing to misbehave with Ethel in attendance, so the meeting should be significantly more civil. Then again, maybe he was just irritated that they'd completely hijacked the honeymoon.

Mom pulled Dad to the side. After a moment Nana joined them, and whatever she said seemed to be getting through to Dad. I took the time to wiggle into a sitting position.

Elron knelt down next to me. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." My head hurt, and I was covered in bruises on top of bruises.

"I am sure of that." He sighed. "I wish you would not worry me so."

"Sorry. I don't do it on purpose."

He snorted. "That may be, but you end up in a remarkable number of dangerous situations."

"It's a dangerous job, but someone has to do it," I joked.

"This is not related to your work."

"Well… that's not exactly true. The Wapiti noticed me because of what I did at work. You could say that my job caused this little misunderstanding." As true as that was, I had a feeling the Wapiti would've found me even if I was working in a library and had sworn off magic.

"One of these days, you will sustain a significant injury."

"That thought has crossed my mind. I told my parents, and I'm telling you, I don't go looking for trouble. It finds me."

"There will come a time when that trouble will not be in a package you can handle."

"And that's why I work with the police. I don't lone-wolf it."

Elron sighed, and our conversation was cut short when Dad turned to the premier. "It won't work. I've planned for years to offer her my position when I step down."

Elron grunted, and I eased my grip on his hand. That was news to me. Sure, Dad's clan had been welcoming enough, but that didn't mean I wanted to be their minister.

Ethel shrugged. "I don't see the issue."

"She can't be in line for two ministries, can she?" Mom asked.

"Of course she can. We don't have any rule preventing it, and even if we did, rules do need to change. Witches have spent the past two centuries living in this country but trying to keep to the old ways and old laws. Hardly fair to our fellow citizens."

Dad frowned and studied Ethel.

"Excuse me. Have you considered that I don't want one ministry, never mind the trouble that would come with two?"

Ethel waved her hand dismissively. "It would be years before you had any responsibility, and you will be in a position of power."

Dad knelt down in front of me. "I think Ethel is trying to say that you have a chance to do something that will help many people. If the police could get involved in internal race issues, Amber would've been rescued days before you found her. Liam wouldn't have needed to kill Adder, and Ethel couldn't have gotten Gretchen out of jail."

"I don't see how being minister does that."

"As minister, you can facilitate change. You can strongly encourage your clan to view men as equals, and put the laws of this country before clan law," Dad said.

"Had these changes occurred, you wouldn't be in this situation," Nana said.

"Michelle," Ethel said, drawing my attention away from Dad, "if you do this, you can merge the Wapiti and Docga and then work on disbanding clan structure. It's an archaic system from a time when it was often one race against the other. This system hurts us now."

"That's why you got Gretchen out of jail, to show me how damaging it could be when clan rules usurped the law." All at once, Ethel's plan clarified. She'd wanted me outraged at her behavior so I'd be motivated to be minister. With my experiences, she'd guessed correctly that I'd want to demolish the system that had been so quick to abuse me.

"Your parents will start the process. Unless I'm greatly mistaken, they believe in this cause." My parents nodded. Ethel continued, "They'd put the little pieces into place, grow the clan, make it powerful, arrange treaties, and forge alliances. They will plant the seeds. Once you gain the ministry, I'll name you my successor, and what you can't do as minister, you will be able to do as premier."

I sighed. I wanted to be shocked, but I'd known Ethel was after something from our first meeting. With the way she'd been gunning for me to join a clan, this wasn't the shock it could've been. Though the woman was crafty. "What's in it for you?"

"She helped me when I named Greg minister," Nana said. "Every time a clan protested, she was defending my choice and pushed for progress. She's been baby-stepping the clans down this path for the better part of a century."

Ethel bowed her head. "When I took this job, I knew it would take time to get what I wanted. We had a long way to go, and some of the recalcitrant old geezers would have to die before new ideas could take root."

I studied the wrinkled face and carefully coordinated outfit. "You won't live long enough to finish. You had to find someone else as passionate about this as you, but why me?"

Ethel tossed her hands in the air. "It was foretold."

"As I have said, prophecies do not work in that fashion," Elron said.

"This one predates those changes."

"And you believe that is has been passed down, unchanged for many millennia? Children cannot pass a phrase around a circle without it altering."

"It is a simple prophecy."

Elron cocked an eyebrow.

"Her clan scar. It's the same as the first… well, now we call her the first premier, but in some stories she is known as the mother of clans or the first to bear a clan scar."

I couldn't help but think that this fit with some of the things Varro had said. He had remarked that my clan scar was the same as the one on a witch he knew long ago. Varro had been old enough that he could've known the first premier and known of the prophecy. That indicated a connection between the two of us, one I didn't understand and didn't want to understand. There shouldn't be anything linking people over more than ten thousand years. I wasn't much of a believer in destiny, fate, or prophecy, but equality was worth the fight.

"I'll do it." They looked so surprised that I repeated myself at a higher volume. "I'll do it."

"What did you say?" Ethel asked.

"I'll agree to be in line for both ministries."

"Are you sure?" Elron asked.

I took a deep breath. "Yes. Being minister or premier is years down the road. My life now and those positions are not mutually exclusive. By the time I have to accept those positions, I'll be ready for a change, and even then I can keep this business. Those issues aside, I'll be able to do for the witches what I can't for shifters. Between the four of us, we can expedite equality and fully integrate with our home. Most witches have lived in this country their entire lives, but they still hold themselves apart. That's wrong."

"You're choosing a difficult path," Nana said.

I snorted and motioned to everyone in the room. "Ask them. Ask any one of them. I've never picked easy when difficult had a better outcome."

Mom rolled her eyes. "She's right about that."

"Easy doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary," Dad said sourly.

"She certainly put up more of a fight than any of us expected," Ethel said.

Elron didn't comment, but he didn't have to. I'd burned a woman alive for him. That she was a willing sacrifice and that it was the only way to kill the demon hadn't made that choice any easier. Those facts didn't stop the nightmares, and even after waking up dozens of times with the sound of her scream echoing in my ears and the smell of burning flesh lodged in my nose, I'd do it again.

"Once we agree, there's no going back," Ethel said.

"I know." I didn't need the warning. We were going to do this as a team, and unless something changed drastically, we were committed to this path. It would take years of work, with no guarantee of success.

"Then we"—Ethel looked around the room—"have a lot to talk about."

I sighed. Somehow, I'd been afraid of that.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read A Witch's Concern. If you enjoyed Michelle and Elron's story, please post a review. Reviews are a valuable way for authors to connect with readers. If you're interested, the following pages contain information on upcoming books and my contact information.

Also by N. E. Conneely

A Witch's Path Series:

Witch for Hire (Book 1)

A Witch's Path (Book 2)

A Witch's Trial (Book 3)

A Witch's Concern (Book 4)

About the Author

I live in North Georgia with my dog and a mountain of books. We sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter. Life as we know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky.

For fun, I play with my dog, read, knit, crochet, paint, tie-dye, and do origami. I make a great pizza. I'm negotiating with my roommate over sea monkeys and working on a vegetable garden.

I'm currently working on book 5 in the Witch's Path Series.

Connect with N. E. Conneely

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NEConneely

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neconneely

Website: www.neconneely.com

If you'd like to e-mail me: author@neconneely.com