Destiny of the Witch (The Other Witch #4)

30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Mum’s safe house was eerily quiet. There were no interlopers to be seen. ‘What’s going on?’ I asked, confused.

Bastion frowned. ‘I don’t know. Wait for me to cover you before you get out. Keep your eyes peeled,’ he barked.

His hands shifted into claws. Oscar had his lighter open and flicked, a small flame dancing on it. Benji’s hands were clenching and unclenching as he looked around uneasily. He might not feel happy, but I’d once seen him take on a murderous ogre and win, so my money was on him. He’d been built specifically as a final defence for the Coven Council; there weren’t many things he couldn’t defeat.

Bastion slid out of the car and came round to open my door, covering me with his body. I got out, looking around a shade wildly. My heart was hammering. The tension was unreal. It felt like we were in the eye of the storm, waiting for the lightning to strike.

I felt rather than saw Fehu arrive. He gave a cautious kraa as he swooped the air above us.

‘This doesn’t feel good,’ Benji murmured.

‘It’s not,’ I agreed. ‘It’s a trap.’ It felt a little better to verbalise my fears.

‘A trap?’ Benji paled.

‘Well, it’s not as much of a trap now that we know it’s a trap,’ I conceded, not letting my inner apprehension show.

‘What do we do?’ Benji asked, suddenly nervous.

‘We spring it,’ Bastion said grimly. ‘Let’s walk to the house. Cover Amber’s back.’

Benji moved behind me obligingly as we walked to the house. Nothing happened. No attack. Nothing. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled.

I knocked on the door and Charlize opened the door with a smile. ‘Hi! What a nice surprise. Come on in.’

Bastion’s jaw tightened. ‘You didn’t ring the Coven and ask Amber to come here?’

‘No.’ Charlize looked at our faces and swore as she connected the dots. We’d been sent here by a third party, which meant a third party knew the location of the safe house. ‘Incoming!’ She hollered a warning to the occupants of the house. ‘Just like we practised! Go, go, go! ’

My mum and Meredith ran towards the kitchen, Meredith dragging Ria behind her. ‘I don’t want to hide,’ she complained sulkily. Meredith ignored her and tugged her forwards.

I gaped a little when Fido, Ria’s familiar, hopped onto Lucille’s back and Lucille raced the two of them to the kitchen. In the kitchen was a door to the cellar, which doubled as a safe room.

‘We’ll tell you when it’s all clear,’ Charlize promised.

‘You had better, young lady,’ my mother harped. ‘I am no coward!’

‘Of course not. You’re our last line of defence,’ Charlize said calmly and winked.

Mollified, my mother went down the steps into the hidden bunker with the other two witches and the familiars.

‘Frogmatch!’ I exclaimed as the little imp swung into the kitchen.

‘Ellie! It’s good to be seeing you! It’s been so boring around here. Have you brought us a fight?’

I smiled. ‘It does seem that way, but we’ll see. Maybe we’re all being paranoid.’

Charlize shook her head. ‘It’s not paranoia when—’

‘—they really are out to get you,’ I finished wryly.

‘You got it!’ She looked at Frogmatch. ‘You joining the party?’

‘You bet!’ he grinned, his mouth full of terrifyingly pointy teeth.

Charlize closed and locked the door to the cellar. The clank as it shut felt ominous. ‘Amber, illusion runes and any curses you feel comfortable putting on it, if you please.’

‘Yes,’ I agreed crisply, galvanised into action. I wrenched the tote around my body and pulled out various vials as I dug around for the illusion potion that was left over from when I’d had to pretend to be my mum.

‘Benji!’ I summoned the golem. ‘I need you to imagine a wall here. Just a plain brick wall, the same as this.’ I pointed to the other area of red brick in the kitchen.

‘No problem, Am.’

‘Thank you.’ I started painting the runes on the wall, modifying them from a human depositor to an inanimate one. I wasn’t turning some one into someone else, but some thing into something else.

When the complex runes were ready, I turned to Benji and painted an uttrycksyn so that the vision in his head would link with the runes I’d painted on the door. Then I painted on protective and defensive runes onto the door that was now hidden by the illusion. I added a layer of scorpion runes; I may be a good witch, but I’d do just about anything to keep my mum safe, not to mention Meredith and Ria.

The ground under my feet trembled, forcing me to pause in my runing.

‘That bloody earth elemental,’ Charlize bitched. ‘He’s not getting away this time. Haiku! With me! Apollinaire, guard the kitchen! Do not leave it!’ A hulking blond man walked in and gave Charlize a nod and a slightly mocking salute.

Haiku and Charlize ran out. They must have distracted the earth elemental because almost immediately the trembling stopped. I hastily finished my runes and activated them, making them invisible at first glance.

I grabbed my potions and shoved them into my tote. ‘Benji? Can you hide in the walls and guard our witches?’ I asked. Not that I didn’t trust Apollinaire, but I didn’t know him from Adam.

Benji’s chest puffed out with pride. ‘Absolutely, Am Bam. I’ll protect your mum with my life. I swear it.’

Impulsively, I touched my hand to my chest and gave him a little bow. When I raised my head, his eyes were wide and full of tears. He bowed back to me then disappeared into the walls.

With Frogmatch on my heels I ran towards the outside door to help Bastion and Oscar with whatever was coming for us.

I was nearly there when I heard Charlize’s agonised scream.