Page 38 of Spirit Witch

“Let’s get them all bound,” Tana said, and Brandon and Magnus were the first to rush forward.

I fell to my knees, a wave of exhaustion almost crushing me.Then I felt it,him, from the other side, filling me with his light and love, and I knew I had to carry on.I prayed to whatever deities were listening that he made it through this, because if he didn’t, well, I didn’t know if I could make it.But I knew I had to try.

For him.For Judge.My Calon.

After everyone was bound, Enok and Brandon set about dismantling the altar, and my five sister witches and I stepped forward as a single unit.

“What’s going on?Mabe?Why am I bound?”Headmistress Armstrong asked, but I ignored her, focusing on Leanna Stolbright.

Power pulsed through the air, and one look at the rift told me it had grown larger and the whooshing sound of magic being sucked into the void was damn near deafening.

“Any ideas?”Jade whispered.

“Wake her up,” I said.

Rio shrugged, wiping her tear-stained face.She sent a handful of snow flying through the air and slapping Stolbright right in her face.I had to work not to snort, because this was no laughing matter.We were all exhausted, heartsick, and worried.But magic was literally bleeding out of our world.That was the bigger picture we all needed to focus on.Much as I wanted to run back to Judge’s side, I knew Will was keeping watch even as Arlo worked on him after wrapping his own wounds with some gauze someone had fetched for the healer.

“Ah!You, what are you doing?”Stolbright sputtered.

“I think the question is, what are you doing?”I asked, canting my head to the side.

“No more lies, Stolbright.We want the whole truth,” Tana growled, her resentment thick in the air, shining in the flames surrounding her irises.

“Mabe, untie me and I will clear this up,” Armstrong said, struggling against her binds.

“I wouldn’t bother,” Jade told her.“The ties holding you are a creeper vine I spent all semester working on.You see, they’re enchanted to only obey one master.And that is me.The more you fight them, the tighter they squeeze,” the earth witch informed our prisoners, who immediately ceased struggling.

“I don’t understand why you are putting me with them, Enid?Mabe?I am on your side.I have always been on your side, Rio, Maia, Tana, and sweet Jade, you all know this!”Armstrong exclaimed.

“Maybe you six aren’t as dumb as I thought,” Stolbright said, eyes glittering with triumph.“You see, I’ve been working undercover for a secret branch of the Council.We are responsible for investigating officials who grasp for more than is their due.”

“I see, and you mean Headmistress Armstrong when you say that?”I asked, all my suspicions coming to a head.

“Haven’t you wondered how she managed to find you six?The only six witches in the world who could possibly have pulled off forming a new Mobilis Coven at a time when our world needs you!”

“She said the Council would not allow us to form a coven,” Tana said.

“She lied,” Stolbright spat.“The Council has been looking for you lot for years!I suspected who you were when she sent you all to the same dorm, but she’s been hiding behind her position to deny me answers.”

“Why would she do that?”Rio asked.

“Armstrong just wanted to control you.Don’t you see?”

“What?Explain,” I growled, needing to know the truth.

“Don’t listen to her.She’s been your enemy all along,” Armstrong tried.

“Shut up,Aunt Helga,” snapped Mabe, and I could see she was hurting.

“She knew about you and never came for you, Mabe.Don’t you wonder why?She didn’t bother until she needed you,” Stolbright started screeching when Tana sent a bolt of fire hurling at her.

“Okay look!I am not making this up.You, Enid, she thought she was so slick hiding you from us, but I sniffed you out, spirit witch.The explosion she created to make it look like you were trying to bust into the Lorekeeper’s memory cache, making you lose your memory, tearing you from your mate, then giving you tea every month to keep the spell up—I can’t even begin to name the number of rules she broke doing that.Just so she could have a spirit witch on call!And I knew what you were from the start!I just needed proof.”

“That’s why the class for undeclareds,” Mabe whispered, eyes wide in horror as she took in her maternal aunt.

“Shut up, Leanna!”Helga snarled.

“You did all this?Concocted this dramatic plan so we would come together?Then why hide what I am?I asked, confused.

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