Episode 16 of The Witch’s Key: “A Lot To Learn”
Welcome back after our break! Are you ready for Episode 16? We are on the downward slide toward Act Three now and the end of the first Season of The Witch’s Key.
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Listen To Episode 16
Episode 16: “A Lot To Learn”
True to Martinβs style, he invited everyone back to the kitchen for fresh coffee and cookies. None of the Slayers were about to say no to that, so we all made our way to the back room of the house.
After a few minutes of getting everyone situated and making introductions, everyone found a seat at the worn antique table that Iβd come to think of as the coziest place on earth.
I cupped the warm mug between my hands and breathed in the earthy aroma of the coffee.
We actually had a chance now to save Peyton and the others, and I couldnβt help but smile. In so many ways, Iβd felt alone after the death of my parents. I had Martin, of course, but it had taken time to get comfortable with him.
Now, though, I remembered that I wasnβt alone at all. The people who truly loved my parents would always be there for me when I needed them.
βDoes the Council know youβre here?β I asked, breaking up the casual conversations going on around the table.
I was hopeful and all, but we were pressed for time here. We could talk about casual things once this demon was gone.
βAlright then. Letβs get straight to the point,β an old Slayer named Gowan said, winking at me before taking his seat.
Gowanβs white hair and beard seemed to be freshly cut, and he wore a black t-shirt that stretched over his huge muscles. He was about six feet tall, and except for the color of his hair, he didnβt at all look his age. Though to be honest, I wasnβt exactly sure how old he was.
Heβd been around for a very long time, according to my parents. Longer than Martin, even. He was the oldest, most powerful Slayer I knew, which probably put him over a hundred and fifty years old as a conservative estimate.
There werenβt many Slayers his age still around, despite the slower aging of our kind.
It was a dangerous job.
βWe didnβt exactly advertise we were coming here,β Gianna said.
She was sitting next to me on the left side. Kai sat to my right.
βI doubt our presence here can stay secret for long, though,β Asher said. βBut as far as it stands right now, no one has expressly forbidden us from getting involved.β
βAnd if they do?β I asked.
I had my concerns about the Council. I wasnβt sure why they wanted to allow this demon to free his brother, or why they didnβt seem to care about the girls whoβd been taken, but I had no doubt they were hiding something.
Asher shrugged.
He was the youngest Slayer in the group, besides me if I even counted yet. His long brown hair fell over his very light blue eyes. He wore a dark navy suit jacket that looked very put together and mature, but underneath the jacket was an old Metallica t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans.
Iβd only first met Asher about five years ago when he first became a Slayer, officially, and had been mentored by my dad. Heβd lived with us for a while when Dad had first taken him under his wing, so I kind of saw Asher like an older brother.
I hadnβt seen him as much over the past year, though, because heβd been on some secret assignment in Japan. I hoped weβd get a chance to talk more while he was here. I was dying to hear what heβd been up to.
βIf the Council has a problem with us coming here to stop Algrath from killing five more innocent girls with magic in their blood and releasing his brother into the world, then thereβs going to be a lot more to discuss than a few rogue Slayers,β he said. βThe entire coven will need to be contacted and told about this. The Council needs to answer for their actions in this case.β
βTheir inactions, you mean,β Britta said, standing. She never had been one for sitting still.
Britta was a petite, dark-haired Slayer whoβd once acted as my motherβs mentor decades ago. She almost always wore dark red lipstick that contrasted sharply with her pale, almost translucent skin.
She was short and small, but she was fast and feisty.
βThe Council has failed us all in this matter,β she said. βWe all should have been alerted to Algrathβs reappearance a decade ago when the seal on the first mirror was unlocked. They knew this was happening, and theyβve purposely done nothing to stop it.β
βI think itβs possible theyβve even been helping Algrath set his brother free.β This came from the final Slayer of the five.
Darius. Heβd been my fatherβs closest friend since they were young boys. Their fathers had fought together as Slayers, too, once upon a time, and the two families had been inseparable for a long time.
His black hair was shaved close to his head, and there was a bit of white hair that had grown into his dark beard over the past few years. He wore black pants and a white t-shirt. I couldnβt help but glance again at the scars criss-crossed against the dark skin of his arms.
Darius had been through some difficult times in his life, but he was one of the strongest men Iβd ever known, both mentally and physically.
He pushed his chair back from the table and crossed one leg over the other, placing his hands together in his lap.
βIβve been doing some research over the past twenty-four hours since we got the call from Martin,β he said. βIβve talked to a few of my friends, as well. When the mirrors were hidden, they were specifically cloaked with a powerful spell that should have been impossible to detect, even for a powerful demon like Algrath. So, how did he find them all so quickly without the help of someone who knew where they were?β
βMaybe heβs grown more powerful over time, though,β Gianna said. βMost powerful demons can see through illusions and invisibility spells. Maybe heβd grown strong enough to see through whatever cloaking spell was placed on them.β
βMartin, you were part of the crew that first captured Regmothean,β Darius said. βWhat do you think? Is there any chance the cloaking spells just werenβt strong enough?β
Martin stroked his chin for a moment.
βItβs always possible, but itβs unlikely,β he said. βTo gain that level of power, Algrath would have needed to increase his power exponentially over a relatively short period of time. That would have taken massive human sacrifice. Thousands of lives.β
Everyone in the room grew quiet. No one wanted to believe that could be a possibility. If thousands of humans had died by the hand of this demon, the Council would have known.
I shuddered.
βLetβs say that isnβt the case,β Gowan said. βHow else could Algrath have found the mirrors, if he couldnβt locate them with his own magic? Are there other options than a member of the Council telling him where to look?β
Silence again, but beside me, Kai tensed and leaned forward, letting his head fall into his hands.
βWhat?β I asked, placing a hand gently on his arm.
He shook his head, then cleared his throat before sitting back.
βSome angels have the ability to see the actions of the purest souls,β he said, his voice strained. βThe Slayers placing the mirrors had the best, purest of intentions when they did it. It wouldnβt be that difficult for a powerful enough angel to see where they placed those mirrors, even if it happened a hundred years ago.β
My hand rose to my mouth. Had his father helped Algrath find the mirrors? Why would he do that?
βZuriel would never have helped a demon,β Darius said, leaning forward, his jaw tight. βNot willingly.β
βI donβt want to believe it, either, but I followed my father here about six months ago,β Kai said. βA few weeks later, the first girl was taken. That isnβt a coincidence.β
Darius clenched his fists and stood. He paced the floor and muttered to himself, but I couldnβt make out what he was saying.
Kai had said his father was close to my parents. He must have been close to Darius, too.
βWhat do you know about your fatherβs disappearance?β Martin asked. βYou tracked him here, and then what?β
Kai closed his eyes and shook his head. βIβm not sure,β he said. βI had a strong lock on his energy, so I knew he had come to this town. Knowing my fatherβs connection to your family, Martin, I assumed heβd come here to see you. Did he contact you when he got here?β
Martin shook his head, concern etched on his face.
βI donβt know what happened to him when he arrived in Newcastle, but before I even got here, his energy simply disappeared,β Kai said. βHe was here, and then…nothing. Iβve tried over and over to locate his energy again, but nothing has worked. For a long time, I refused to believe that he could really be gone, but what other explanation is there?β
βCan an angel really be killed?β I asked, not wanting to believe it, for Kaiβs sake. βThere are other ways to mask energy signatures. Maybe Algrath has him locked away.β
βAngels can be killed,β Gowan said softly. βIt isnβt easy to do, but it is possible.β
Kai grew very still, and he didnβt say another word. I wanted to throw my arms around him. The death of my own parents was still really fresh, too, and I knew exactly how he was feeling.
Except that maybe it was harder not to have all the answers. As horrible as it was, I had seen my parents die with my own eyes. I knew what happened to them. How hard must it have been for Kai over the past few months? To not know?
βWe have to assume Algrath used Zuriel to locate the mirrors before killing him,β Gowan said. He winced and glanced at Kai, obviously hating the words he had to say. βI hope it isnβt true, but for our own safety and the safety of those missing girls, we have to assume Algrath has consumed Zurielβs power.β
βWhat does that mean?β I asked, studying the somber faces of the rest of the people in the room.
βIt means Algrath will be impossible to kill,β Kai said.
βAnd it might mean we donβt have enough firepower at this table to stop him,β Britta said, sitting down.
βWho else can we call in?β Gianna asked, looking to Martin.
He slowly shook his head. βThereβs no one else,β he said.
βSure there is,β Asher said, standing. βThereβs Luther and Yvonne andββ
βSit down,β Gowan said.
βWhat I should have said is that no one else is coming,β Martin said. βI have contacted everyone I felt might be loyal to our friendship over the Councilβs rule. You five are the only ones who agreed to come. We are alone in this.β
Asher closed his eyes and sat down hard in his chair. βHow do we know, then, that no one else has already told the Council what weβre planning to do? If theyβre working with Algrath, he could already know weβre here.β
βWe have to trust that even though our dear friends arenβt willing to risk their lives or their place in the coven for this cause, they are not so far gone that they would betray us,β Martin said. βWe have limited time to worry about it, Iβm afraid.β
βMartinβs right,β Gowan said. βItβs useless to think about what we donβt have. We need to work together to maximize the strength of those who are here now.β
With that, he looked at me, a smile spreading across his face. My stomach knotted.
βTime to train?β I guessed.
βLike never before,β Gowan said. βLetβs get going. You both have a lot to learn before tomorrow.β
**
Thirty minutes later, sweat beaded on my forehead as I stood in the center of a clearing in the woods on the far side of town near the lake.
I had seen pictures of my father out here training with Martin when he was young, but Iβd never been out here myself. I honestly hadnβt even realized Martin still had this training ground.
βGrab another handful of dirt,β Gianna said. βTry again.β
As I leaned down, I chanced a glance at Kai. He was training with Gowan about fifty feet away, and every once in a while, I saw sparks fly. What in the world were they doing over there? And how did Gowan know about angel powers?
I reminded myself that Kai was part witch, too, so maybe he was only training him in those powers.
βFocus,β Gianna said sternly. βDo you want to save your friend, or not?β
βOf course, I do,β I said, snapping my attention back to her.
βThen, letβs go. Try again.β
I swallowed and dropped my focus to the dirt in my hands.
βEarth is an extremely powerful element,β she said. βItβs often overlooked, because it isnβt as flashy as fire, but itβs grounding. Its power goes deep inside and takes root. Focus on the clump of dirt. Pour your power into it until it hums.β
I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of the cool, damp earth on my skin. I imagined my own energy flowing down my arm and into the earth, surrounding it in glowing light.
Of course, there was no real light, but it was one of the best ways I could come up with to visualize what Gianna was telling me to do.
The first few tries, nothing had happened. This time, though, a gentle vibration buzzed through my hand and up my arm.
I smiled and opened my eyes. βI feel it,β I said.
βDonβt lose it,β Gianna warned. βFeed it. Slowly feed your energy into it. Not too much or too fast. Just release it in a trickle and see if you can amplify the hum.β
I wanted to wrap my other hand around my motherβs locket to amplify the power of the spell, but I held back. I wouldnβt always necessarily have the locket or two free hands. I needed to learn to do this the right way.
βThatβs it,β Gianna said, circling around me. βNow, close your eyes and imagine another shape. Donβt make it too complicated. Just a simple shape like a square or a circle. Tell me when you have it in your mind.β
I pictured the first thing that came to mind. A small square.
βIβve got it,β I said.
βOkay. Now, tell the earth to arrange itself in that shape,β Gianna said.
βWhat words do I use?β I asked, opening my eyes for a moment.
She shook her head. βNo words,β she said. βThis type of manipulation spell doesnβt use an incantation. It only needs your clear intent.β
I closed my eyes again and focused on the hum of the earth in my hands. I pictured it rearranging itself into a solid, stable square of earth, like a childβs toy block.
The vibrations against my skin increased, and I opened my eyes to see a block of dirt in my palm, perfectly formed.
βWonderful start,β Gianna said.
I smiled, pride soaring through me. But then, I frowned.
βWhat good is something this basic going to be against a powerful demon?β I asked. βAm I supposed to just hit him in the head with a square-shaped clump of dirt? Somehow, I donβt think thatβs going to kill him.β
βEveryone starts with the basics,β Gianna said. βIf you donβt understand the fundamentals, what will you build upon? Magic is incremental.β
βI thought I already knew so much, but I really donβt,β I said with a sigh. βI feel like I donβt know anything. There isnβt enough time.β
Gianna put a hand on my shoulder. βThatβs why weβre here,β she said. βYou wonβt be fighting Algrath when the time comes, but you will need to be able to hold your own against lesser demons and maybe a few others. If all goes to Martinβs plan, youβll be getting those girls to safety. Thatβs all you need to be worried about. Let the rest of us worry about Algrath and his brother.β
My rebel heart wanted to protest and insist that I could be useful in the main battle, but Gianna was right. Kai and I were not ready to face such a powerful demon.
If I could save the girls, though, it would mean everything to me.
βLetβs keep going,β I said.
For two hours, we trained in the woods alongside Gianna and Gowan. By the end of it, I was exhausted and slightly bruised. My stamina still wasnβt fully restored from the encounter last night, and fighting the trap demon earlier had nearly wiped me out.
βI hate to admit it, but I need a break,β I said, doubling over to catch my breath.
Gianna agreed and called for Gowan to join her by the car so they could discuss our progress in silence.
Kai slumped against a tree and slid to the ground.
βI canβt believe I still have to go to work now,β he said. βIβm sore all over.β
We both took long drinks from our water bottles.
βAny word from Martin?β he asked.
Martin had gone back to the Peterson house with Asher to search for the portal weβd discovered earlier
I pulled my cell phone from my back pocket and shook my head. βNothing yet,β I said. βDo you really have to go to work? Canβt you call out sick or something?β
Kai shook his head. βMartin wants me to go in and see what I can find out about Julie Peterson from Melvin,β he said. βApparently after Ms. Julie divorced her ex-husband, she and Melvin got together for a while. He even lived with her for a few years. Iβm going to ask a few questions and see how much Melvin is willing to tell me.β
βWill you come back out here with me tonight?β I asked. βI have a feeling theyβre going to keep this up long after dark.β
Kai looked around. βSure,β he said. βBut wonβt it be dangerous out here? This doesnβt look so different from the area we were attacked in last night.β
βNo, come with me.β I held my hand out to help him up. He nearly pulled me down, and I laughed as I straightened my knees and tugged harder. βHere, let me show you something.β
I walked him out about fifty feet in one direction, studying the trees as I went.
βWhat are you looking for?β he asked, following my gaze.
βHere,β I said, finally, stopping in front of a large pine tree with a symbol branded into its bark.
A circle of thorns with crossed daggers and a rose in the center.
βWhat is that?β he asked as I traced the burned symbol with my fingertip.
βItβs the Thorne family sigil,β I said.
βWhat does it do?β Kai asked.
βIt protects this place, somehow,β I said. βMartinβs used this as a training ground for Slayers and even Keepers for over a century.β
A twig snapped nearby, and I immediately grabbed the dagger from my back pocket.
βIncendium.β
In an instant, flames surrounded the blade of my dagger.
Martin appeared from behind a tree, smiling. βImpressive reflexes for someone so tired.β
I released the spell with a sigh of relief. βYou scared me.β
βDid you find the portal?β Kai asked.
βIβm afraid not,β Martin said. βThere are police crawling all over that house now. We wonβt be getting anything from there in time.β
I groaned. That meant one of two things.
Either Ms. Julie had returned from wherever she went and found the place a mess, or Olive had come home from school to that horror show.
I still didnβt know for sure if Olive was involved in this whole mess, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Sheβd been so nice to me.
I quickly took out my phone and sent a text to the number sheβd given me the other day.
Hey, itβs Lenny. Are you okay? Someone said the cops were at your house.
I waited for a second, but there was no response.
βHow does your sigil protect this place?β Kai asked. βDoes it keep the demon from entering or something?β
Martin smiled and started walking back toward the others. We followed.
βI wish I had the power to do something like that out here, but no. The sigil does not protect demons from crossing the barrier,β Martin said. βItβs a glorified warning system thatβs triggered when anyone magical gets too close.β
He explained more about the sigil and the training ground as we made our way back to the clearing where weβd both been training earlier. As we approached, however, I saw a sixth person in the center of the circle.
A man on his knees with a black cloth over his head.
Darius knelt beside the man, whispering something in his ear that was too low for us to hear from this distance.
βMartin, what arenβt you telling me?β I asked. βWho is that?β
Martin raised an eyebrow and smiled. βDonβt you recognize him?β he said. βWe discovered him trying to leave the neighborhood just as we arrived, only moments after the police had gotten there.β
At that moment, Darius pulled the cloth from the manβs head and punched him in the face. The blow turned the manβs head sideways, and I gasped.
The man on his knees in the clearing was Bates.