Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

PIPER

" W e're eating," I yell, suddenly furious.

It's mind-boggling that I'm managing to function at all.

"Are you out of your mind?" Nerissa yells.

I amplify my voice and my will, a spell I stumbled on as a toddler and drove my mother crazy with. "I went to all this trouble to cook, and we are going to enjoy ourselves." I level a finger at the duchess' guards, who don't look surprised, though they do seem slightly shell-shocked. "You. Come. Eat."

They don't move.

"Now," Ga'Rek roars.

The guards shuffle over to us, and Caelan and Kieran flank them as Ga'Rek points to a table.

The rest of my coven sisters have materialized around us, and even Violet, the new witch, so new we haven't even properly inducted her yet, walks towards us on shaky legs.

She looks how I feel.

"What the fuck?" Nerissa asks. "Did any of you do a summoning that went south?"

Ruby rubs her head. "There's no way. We would have felt it. And the duchess—she knew."

"You've never heard of this happening?" Damn it. I figured the bookstore owner was our best bet at knowing something.

"I've only lived here a handful of years," she says with a frown. "You've been here the longest."

"We moved here when I was a toddler."

"We all moved here… there has been no Wild Oak Woods coven in years," Willow whispers. "There have been no witches in Wild Oak Woods. Not for a long, long time."

"I suppose we can take a stab at why," Wren says wryly.

I glare at her. "Caelan is rubbing off on you."

"Stop bickering," Nerissa says. "The duchess knew. Let's interrogate her guards."

It seems like as good a plan as any. "I could enchant a roll with a truth charm?" I suggest.

"Good thinking," Nerissa agrees.

We make our way to where the guards are staring around.

"We don't know anything," one of them offers. "We're mercenaries. Hired to deliver a bride to a groom. No one said shit about any magic shit."

"A real master of language," Caelan says broadly. "Do you often provide armed escort to brides?"

"We take whatever jobs we can get. We're not weak and lazy like you townies."

Ga'Rek edges closer to the man. "Do I look weak or lazy?"

"Nah, I didn't mean anything by it," the guard—mercenary—amends hastily.

"I think I might be of assistance." A male dressed in all black shimmers into existence. Gold flecks sparkle along his skin, and his magic is as palpable as any I've ever felt.

Caelan laughs. He fucking laughs!

"Hash. Why am I not surprised to see you turn up?"

"Because you aren't as stupid as you look?" Hash says with a smile as sharp as a knife. "How is my Boner?"

"Don't fucking start that shit right now," Caelan tells him, more annoyed than I've ever seen.

"It's hard," Hash declares, taking a turkey leg off a plate and biting into it.

Caelan groans.

"It's hard to be in your position," Hash adds, his mouth full. "Summoning the Elder Gods of the forest like that. Having to hold the waypoint against the war for power that's coming."

He swallows, then tears another piece of meat off the bone. The Seelie fae has fangs, too.

Ga'Rek's edged over to me, positioning himself between me and the golden fae.

"We didn't summon any gods," Nerissa snarls.

"She did," Hash says, pointing a finger at Wren. His finger drifts over to me. "She helped."

My stomach sinks, and I have to remind myself to take a breath.

"A charm learned in a dream," Hash tuts. "You should know better, witchling."

"Can we leave now?" one of the mercenaries whines. Caelan smashes his elbow into his temple, and the man slumps over the table.

"Whoopsie daisies," Caelan says.

"Caelan, you can't just knock people out," Wren chides. "And I didn't… I didn't mean to? Doesn't that count?"

"No," Caelan and Kieran say at the same time.

"Witch brides are a powerful commodity," Hash continues like nothing's happened. "You should choose wisely."

"There's got to be a way out of this," Willow says quietly.

"There's not," Hash tells her. "You can either volunteer, or they will choose a bride for themselves in three weeks, and then also destroy Wild Oak Woods. Except for the old inn, of course. That's been there forever."

"The waypoint, you mean," Kieran mutters.

"Oh, you did figure it out." Hash claps his hands in delight. "Wonderful. Yes, yes, the waypoint, a focus point for power between the realms. Your mother did do well with you. Apple fell far from the tree and all that but here you are, growing into another apple tree."

I glance at Nerissa, confused, but she just stares at the golden fae.

"Why?" Ruby asks. "Why do they need witch brides?"

"Well, did you look at them? They're monsters. They're lonely, and witches are such fun. I'm fond of them myself."

He grins at us, then frowns when no one smiles back.

"That and the old Wild Oak Woods pact with the Elder Gods. It must be filled, you know. A power struggle is coming." His voice turns harsh, serious, and infinitely more terrifying. The lantern light, which I designed to be soft and cozy and inviting, throws harsh shadows across his face.

So much for that idea.

"Wild Oak Woods will be the battleground. The Elder Gods know this. This is how they offer their protection. You either take it and have a chance at keeping all your mortal friends alive, or you don't and everyone dies, and this hallowed place is still a battleground."

He shrugs, then beams again. "Either way, if you don't take the deal, you're dead."

"You're an asshole," Caelan tells him.

Ga'Rek wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me tight.

"That's why we get along so well, you and I, Caelan," Hash says brightly, then glances up at where Ga'Rek is baring his teeth at him. "Oh, don't worry, orc, they won't take a mated witch."

He glances around, as if cataloguing my whole coven. "The rest of you lovely, lovely witches, though, would make beautiful brides for the Elder Gods. Didn't the duchess look stunning? She was put out when I informed her family of her role in the matter, but I'm sure you can see she was well-suited for the role. A real power couple, that one." He nods.

"You did this," Wren accuses, rage making her words tremble. "You are the one who gave me the charm. You invaded my dreams."

"I didn't make you do anything. I just… nudged you towards it. Well, I'll be off," Hash says, clapping his hands together.

He disappears in a cloud of gold particles.

"Shit," I say.

"Shit," Wren agrees.

"Fuck," Ruby adds.

Violet and Nerissa just stare at the gold cloud where Hash was standing.

"We have some research to do. There has to be a way to break the summoning," I say.

"No." Ruby shakes her head. "The damned duchess already accepted their invitation."

"An invitation accepted is a spell performed," the rest of us say as one.

It's one of the first lessons you learn as a witch. An invitation accepted is as good as a binding contract in spellwork.

"Shit," I repeat.

"You could draw straws," Caelan suggests.

"Not right now, Caelan," Wren snaps.

"I could go," Willow says, and we all whip our heads towards her.

"Absolutely not," Kieran spits out. "I will not allow it."

"Why not?" Willow asks. "You don't think they would be satisfied with me as a bride? Is that it, Kieran? Not good enough?"

He looks shocked for a moment, like she's slapped him, but it turns into a sneer quick enough. "If you say so."

I gasp.

Tears well in Willow's eyes, and she turns, pushing past the few revelers left and running from the tent.

"That was rude," Caelan tells him. "Now she's just as like to offer herself up to spite you."

Kieran blinks, his lavender skin paling at the words, and then he's running after Willow's red curls, disappearing into the night.

"Okay, then," I say on an exhalation. "We have research to do."

"I can send word to the coven oversight committee?—"

"No," Wren yells out, and we all startle. "No," she repeats. "Getting them involved is a bad idea. You have no idea how corrupt they are."

"I agree." Rosalina, the animal witch who cares for our familiars… and who has never once expressed any interest in anything we've done in town, stands at the edge of our fraught little circle. She tucks her hands into the pockets of her trousers. "The coven oversight committee is a bad idea. I can help." She raises her chin.

"Oh, now you can help?" I say. "How convenient for you."

"Some things are set in motion that we have no control over," Rosalina says, and her brown eyes are so sad that I almost find myself agreeing with her. "This is one of those things. I couldn't say anything."

"He cursed you into silence," Caelan chimes in. "That wily bastard. You struck a deal with him, didn't you?"

She nods, and there's no mistaking the sorrow etching lines into her forehead.

"I can help you navigate what's to come, but I might not be able to answer all your questions."

"That's something, at least," Nerissa says, somewhat recovered. "What do we do now?"

"Tonight? Tonight, I think, you enjoy each other's company. Enjoy the hard work that went into this beautiful event, and sleep well. Rest, and tomorrow morning, we will prepare for the storm that's brewing." She takes her time, meeting each of our eyes in turn. "Make no mistake about it, we'll each have a role to play."

Her gaze lingers on Violet for a fraction too long before she breaks into a small smile.

"It is good to have a coven in Wild Oak Woods again," she says.

I wrap my hand around Ga'Rek's.

I don't want to enjoy my event. How could I?

I want to go home and sit by the fire while my orc holds me. I lean into him, frightened.

"I have you," Ga'Rek whispers into my hair. "You are going to be okay. I will never let anything happen to you, kal'aki ne."

I close my eyes, relaxed, because I know truth when I hear it.