Here there be witches, p.11
Here There Be Witches, page 11
Hattie sat in the chair at the kitchen table, eyes vacant.
Alexa understood why. She’d faced the hunters in her dreams. She knew the fear they evoked. Add the Blackwoods into the mix, and it was a perfect storm of mayhem.
“Did you cross paths with Magdala?” Alexa asked Alice.
“No. I didn’t find out her name until after the drowning. There was a write up in the newspaper naming the parties involved.” Alice’s eyes lifted. “But I could see the influence she’d had on her.”
Alexa narrowed her eyes. “How do you mean?”
“Dark red strands floating in her auric field. Remnants of the spell. Just like you taught me.”
Alexa nodded. “Her signature.”
“You’ve seen it?”
“Many times.”
“Alexa spent the most time with her when we were children. Mother hated it,” Iris added. “They always had some sort of connection. Used to drive me batty.” Her lips wrinkled into a scowl. “Magdala was up to no good then, and it sounds like she hasn’t changed her ways.”
A chill traveled across Alexa’s shoulders and up her neck at the mention of the connection they’d shared. She’d never been able to explain it. From that first day she’d laid eyes on Magdala, something about her had drawn her into her web. Over the years, when she’d occasionally wandered into her thoughts or dreams, Alexa had hoped it was all in the past behind her. But the pit in her stomach was telling her otherwise.
“I don’t like any of this,” Alexa blurted out.
“Me either,” Iris agreed.
“Hattie, what’s wrong, hon?” Iris asked, squatting in front of her. “Let me help you.”
Hattie sat motionless in the chair.
“She’s in shock,” Alexa said, shooting Hattie a sympathetic glance. “Look at her. She’s had a fright.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth, shaking her head. “If any of us survive this madness, it will be a miracle.” Alexa rubbed her jaw. She hated revisiting the past. The last time any of them had laid eyes on Magdala had been the day their father died. No doubt hearing her name again had shaken Hattie to her core. Hattie had only been four when they’d lost him. It was still hard for her to talk about.
Iris wrapped a blanket around her younger sister. “Just rest, sis. You’ve been through it, huh?”
“Give her time,” Alexa whispered. “All this death is too much to take. Her time with Alice was supposed to be a break from all this. Instead, she walked right into the lion’s den.”
“Sorry,” Alice said, frowning.
Alexa squeezed Alice’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault. You meant well; we all did. Thanks for bringing her back in one piece.”
“What’s this?” Iris asked, unpacking Hattie’s bag.
Alice looked up. “She’s done little else but sketch the whole trip back.”
“It looks like a map,” Iris said, holding it out for Alexa.
Alexa examined the map and the markings Hattie had made next to the names of several towns. “Manningtree, Harwich, Ipswich.” Alexa looked up. “It’s the route the Witchfinder General is taking, isn’t it?” She turned to her younger sister.
Hattie nodded.
“He was there!” Alice shouted.
Her words cast a chill over the room.
Alexa whipped her head around. “Hopkins himself was there with Anne?”
Alice nodded.
“You saw him?” Alexa asked, turning back to Hattie.
Hattie gave a nod.
“That’s what has her so shaken up,” she muttered. Alexa turned to Alice. “Do you think he followed you?”
Alice shook her head hesitantly. “I can’t be sure, but I don’t think so.”
Alexa returned to the map. “It looks like he’s headed in the opposite direction for now according to this trail.” She knelt beside Hattie and patted her leg. “Now we know exactly where he’s been. I’m guessing this mark here is where he’s headed next?”
Hattie nodded.
Alice’s eyes widened. “How can she know that?”
“Hattie has visions from time to time,” Iris answered.
“And they’re usually spot on, especially if they line up with my dreams.” Alexa looked at Iris. “At least he’s moving away from us for now. That buys us time to figure something out.” She looked back at Hattie. “Good job, sis.” She kissed her forehead. “Keep an eye on him, okay? You may be our key to staying one step ahead of him.”
Alexa traced the trail Hopkins had taken as something gnawed at her gut. This was too close of a call to ignore with Hattie and the witchfinders.
She rubbed her temples.
But what Alexa couldn’t square was how Magdala had stayed clear of Hopkins if he had come through Ipswich. If he was hunting witches, surely there’d been enough evidence to march her to the gallows. Everyone up and down the coast knew of the rumors that surrounded the Blackwoods. They’d fled Harwich to escape the fate her father had faced. Alexa doubted Magdala had changed much in the years since.
She tapped the map, lost in thought. Something didn’t quite add up, but with the Blackwoods, it never did.
*
“Try this, hon. It will help you sleep,” Iris said, offering Hattie a cup of tea.
Alexa raised a brow.
“Chamomile and valerian root. I thought she could use a little help falling asleep.”
“No better?” Alexa asked, drying the pots from dinner.
“Not a word in a week. Her color looks a bit brighter, though, don’t you think?”
“I noticed that, too.”
Iris sighed, sinking into the chair at the table. “I think she finally slept a few hours last night.”
“That’s progress at least. Can you get a read on her?”
“There’s a significant blockage in her throat. I’ve done my best to clear it.”
“She feels powerless,” Alexa replied. “Like we all do.” Alexa stared out the window. “We’ve got to put a stop to this.”
“How?”
“I’m still working that out. But we must! They’ve drowned six more women in Hopkins’ wake. At this rate they’ll drown the whole damn countryside. This is lunacy.”
“I agree. I just don’t want a target on our backs.”
Alexa threw down her rag after drying the last pot. “That may be unavoidable.”
Iris eyed her sister. “Don’t say that. There must be another way that doesn’t put us in the line of fire. You see what it’s already doing to Hattie.”
“I know. It pains me just as much as you.”
“Just promise me we’ll leave before you do something stupid.”
Alexa bit her lip.
“Alexa, promise me!” Iris glared at her sister. “We’ve thought of every angle already. What could we possibly do that would have any impact that we haven’t stumbled on so far?”
“There may be no good options, but I wouldn’t say we don’t have any to choose from. But those all come with risks you may not like.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Alexa Wardwell
Broomfield, July 30, 1645
***
“Tell the congregation what you told me last night,” Reverend Hastings said to Percy Bennet.
“Alexa Wardwell used witchcraft to help my wife conceive.”
The group gathered in the Broomfield Meetinghouse gasped.
“And she and her sisters were supplying her with potions to quicken the babe. And John Norris said they’d supplied his wife with many charms when she was close to death.”
The reverend turned to his flock.
“These women have time and time again undermined the Church with their tonics and tinctures, selling them under our noses at the market in our midst. We can no longer turn a blind eye to their interference in our community. They are taking God’s work in their own hands. Only He can give the miracle of life, yet they mock Him by interfering with natural laws. We cannot abide that a moment longer.”
Percy’s lips curled into a smug grin.
The reverend turned to the woman beside him. “Send the body searchers to Alexa Wardwell’s household and search them all for unnatural marks. No doubt you will find the evidence we need to summon the Witchfinder General.”
***
Alexa awoke drenched in sweat. She’d drifted off to sleep as Iris read to Hattie earlier.
“How long was I out?”
Iris looked up from her book. “Not even a half-hour. Must have been an unpleasant dream, though. You were fighting in your sleep again.”
Alexa stood up and walked over to the fire. She stoked the flames, looking for an answer to what plagued her.
“What is it?” Iris asked, watching Alexa stare at the glowing embers that had fallen to the bottom of the hearth.
“It’s no longer safe here.” An ominous shadow flickered across her features. “Suspicions are growing, and we are certain to be caught in the middle.”
Iris closed her book. “What have you seen?”
Alexa kept her eyes fixed on the fire, studying the pattern of the ashes as they fell. “The tides will turn on us here. Reverend Hastings has poisoned the town against us and now has testimony to submit as evidence,” she replied, her jaw sharp in the dim light. “They will soon be on our doorstep demanding body searches.”
Iris studied the worried crease between her sister’s eyebrows. “I thought you wanted to stay and fight.”
“I do, and if it were just me, I’d stay.” The muscles along her jaw twitched, her eyes shifting to her youngest sister. “But we cannot put Hattie through that hell. Not in the state she’s in. You were right; I see that now.”
Iris’ gaze shifted to Hattie, a frown tugging at her lips. “I thought she would be better by now. It’s been weeks since Anne’s drowning.” Her voice cracked.
Alexa put her hand on Iris’ shoulder. “I know. I had hoped to see some improvement by now, but unfortunately, we’re out of time.”
Alexa grabbed three knapsacks and began stuffing supplies into each. She hated being driven out of their home, but staying would mean losing their freedom and possibly their lives. She couldn’t risk her sisters’ safety. Nothing was worth losing those she loved most.
Iris sat up in her chair. “You’re wanting to go straight away?”
Alexa nodded. “Do you think she can handle the trek tonight?”
Iris shrugged. “There’s no other option I gather?”
“Afraid not,” Alexa replied. “Come, collect your things while she rests. She’s going to need her strength.”
Iris quietly collected a mix of herbs, provisions for the trip, and their most sacred tomes before folding a few dresses for herself and Hattie.
Alexa fit everything she could into her knapsack, keeping it light enough to carry over a long distance. She wasn’t sure where they were going, but it needed to be far away from the suspicious eyes of this town.
Hattie began to stir.
Alexa gestured for Iris to join her outside the cottage.
“I hate to rush her, but we need to leave soon. Traveling under the cover of night should serve us well.”
Iris gave a nod. “She should be fine. I haven’t given her any chamomile tea yet because she nodded off earlier than usual. I think she knows something is awry, though.”
“She may sense what I dreamt about just now. She often taps into the same energies I do.” Alexa pressed her lips into a thin line.
“What is it?”
“What if this further unravels her? I fear she may never recover. She’s been through so much the past few months. And it’s brought up all those memories from what she went through with Mark years ago. That’s a lot for anyone to carry.”
“I fear the same. She is barely holding on to sanity. I’m not sure how much longer I can bear to witness her descent into madness,” Iris said, fighting back tears.
“I know,” Alexa said, comforting her. “We will do our best to get her the help she needs once we land at a secure location. For now, all we need to focus on is evading the witchfinders.” Alexa shivered. “Bundle her up. A storm’s coming.”
Iris looked to the horizon. “It is unseasonably cool.”
“The winds of change,” Alexa muttered. “Could be a good thing for us.”
Once back inside, Iris helped Hattie dress, layering her clothing to keep her warm.
Hattie grabbed Iris’ hand.
Iris met her eyes. “What is it?”
Hattie’s brow twisted.
“You had a vision?”
She nodded.
Alexa knelt beside her. “You saw the meeting with the reverend and Percy, didn’t you?”
Hattie nodded, eyes as round as moons.
“I was right then.” Alexa shot a concerned look at Iris. “Time is of the essence!” Alexa dashed to gather the bags they’d packed. She grabbed her scrying stone and tucked it in the top of the bag.
Iris finished buttoning up Hattie’s coat in case they couldn’t outrun the rain. Then she extinguished the fire in the hearth. She grabbed Hattie’s hand and led her to the door, helping her with her knapsack.
Alexa raised her finger in the air. “One more thing.” She took a spoon and dug a small hole in the dirt and placed a piece of hagstone near the doorway. She covered the hole with a thick layer of soil to disguise it.
“With this stone in place before we roam,
We ask for protection to cover our home.
Keep watch over our things and keep our hearth warm.
And keep our secrets safe from those who wish us harm.”
Iris nodded approvingly.
“We shall return one day, and I’d like everything intact when we do. They will not drive us away for long,” Alexa vowed.
“So mote it be,” Iris replied.
In the dirt next to the front door, Alexa drew a crescent moon next to a full moon. “If Mother comes to check up on us, she’ll know to communicate on the full moons.”
“Look to the sky; listen closely for my whispers,” Alexa muttered under her breath, sending a message to her mother on the wind. She drew an inverse of their coven’s sigil next to the moons. “If our sisters come looking for us, they’ll know we had to flee and that they best do the same. I’ll leave the same message at the entrance to the woods where we gather on our way out. That’s the best we can do on this short notice.”
Iris nodded. “It will have to be enough.”
Alexa turned to Hattie. “Follow closely. We can’t get separated, okay? But we must travel quickly. Once they come for us here and find us gone, they will round up a search party and pursue us.”
Hattie nodded.
“Come, Ravi. Don’t stray too far. I’m going to need your eyes tonight.”
Ravi took to the sky, soaring ahead, keeping an eye on the path in front of them.
Iris and Hattie followed Alexa, hurrying toward the woods.
For hours, they ran through the darkness, using the moonlight to illuminate their path. Alexa had never been so grateful for a full moon. The wind had been brutal, chilling them to the bone.
“So much for summer,” Alexa mused. “We might get an early autumn if this storm is any indication.”
Iris agreed, following closely behind her.
A few hours before sunrise, Alexa pulled her sisters aside under a large, hawthorne tree near a divided path, each twisted branch stretching out in opposite directions as if to point the way to two different fates.
“Where are we?” Iris asked, scanning the darkness surrounding them.
“Great Dunmow as far as I can tell.” Alexa surveyed the sky. “The rain’s held off so far. That’s working in our favor at least.” She turned back to Iris. “Can you sense how far behind us they are?”
Iris closed her eyes and zeroed in on the search party tracking them. “It feels like they are only an hour or two behind us.”
“That’s what I thought. Just wanted to check.”
Hattie trembled and Iris pulled her close.
“We cannot outrun them if we stop for rest,” Iris said. “They can cover far more ground than we can by horseback. Their horses will have to rest eventually, though.”
“They won’t stop unless they’re forced to,” Alexa replied. “Not when they are this close. They’ll have the dogs sniffing us out. We can’t let up now. Our best hope is that their horses run themselves out if they try and push them past their limits. We’ll have to outsmart them if we can’t outrun them.”
Alexa contemplated their options, her eyes roaming over the hawthorne branches as if wishing for an answer. She landed on the one she dreaded the most. She inhaled a deep breath before breaking it to her sisters.
Iris narrowed her eyes. “I don’t like that look.”
“You may not like it, but we must separate. If we run in two directions, that will increase our odds of survival.”
“No!” Iris protested. “That was not part of the plan.”
The anger in Iris’ voice stung Alexa’s heart. This wasn’t what she wanted either. She hung her head. “We do not have the luxury of time to argue this point. You must trust me. This is our best option.”
Iris rubbed her forehead in frustration. “There must be another way. We swore to always stay together.”
“We would if I knew we’d all be safe.” Her face softened, looking Iris in the eye. “Do you trust me?”
Iris searched her sister’s eyes before nodding. “With my life.”
“Then take Hattie and run down that path until you can run no more.” Alexa pointed down a narrow trail heavily populated with trees that would cloak them in the night.
Iris turned back to her sister, alarm burning in her eyes. “But what about you?”
“I’ll run in the opposite direction and try to throw them off your scent.”
“What?” Iris blurted out, studying the trail by the water. “That path is too exposed.”
Ravi landed on the hawthorne branch pointing toward the trail, validating her decision.
