Here there be witches, p.6
Here There Be Witches, page 6
“Mother sent us with a list of herbs. She hasn’t been feeling well enough to come herself.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Edward,” Hattie replied, her face pinched with concern. “If you’d like me to pay her a visit, I’d be more than happy to stop by and see if I can help lift her spirits.”
He smiled. “I think she’d like that. She was just saying she hasn’t seen you in weeks. She heard about the wonders you three did for Mrs. Norris.”
Alexa nodded, not offering any details on just how they’d pulled Mrs. Norris back from the brink of death. They’d worked round the clock to break the hex’s hold on her. It seemed word was already spreading quickly of her miraculous recovery.
“Why don’t we stop by on our way home,” Hattie said to Edward. She turned toward her sisters. “Is it okay if I leave with Edward and Emily?”
Alexa nodded. “We’ll handle the rest of the drop offs,” she replied, tapping the bag containing their recent batches of charms. “Enjoy yourself.”
Hattie took Edward’s arm, walking off toward the river. Emily held tightly to his other arm, happily munching on her apple.
Alexa gave Iris a sidelong glance, her lips curling into a smirk. “He’s always been sweet on her.”
Iris nodded. “I think it’s good for her. She deserves to be happy after the hell Mark put her through.”
“Don’t even speak his name!” Alexa waved her hand in the air as if to cancel out her sister’s words. “Don’t summon that hateful man.”
“Sorry. Let’s hope he landed far from here. I never want to lay eyes on that man ever again.”
Alice Grey ran up, her eyes wide.
“You have news?” Alexa asked the first member she had initiated into their coven.
“The accused witches are being held in Colchester Castle.”
“So, the trial will be in Chelmsford then?”
Alice nodded. “And the word is that they’ve named others.”
Alexa’s eyebrows lifted. “That is precisely what I was afraid would happen. This isn’t going away quickly. The hunters are going to milk this for all they can.” Her eyes traveled from Iris back to Alice. “Any news of the witchfinders?”
“They’ve headed east for now.” Alice looked over her shoulder and leaned in. “Apparently, they’ve been summoned to Harwich. There’s talk of a ‘nest of witches’ in their midst.”
Alexa went cold. Alice’s words had struck her like a blow to the chest. Alice noticed the change in her demeanor and placed a hand on her arm.
“Are you okay?”
Alexa nodded, her face pale. “I just haven’t heard that name in quite a while.” Images of their small family cabin in flames flitted through her mind. The scent of smoke hung heavy in the air just as it had that night.
“Do you have family there?”
Alexa shook her head, lost in thought. “Not anymore. They pushed us out over two decades ago.”
Alice covered her mouth. “Oh, that’s right. I’m so sorry. I remember you telling me that now that I think about it.”
“It was a long time ago. I hardly think of the place anymore.” She shot Iris a concerned look. She didn’t want to get into her father’s death at the hands of the community that had come for them in the night. It had taken years before those nightmares had let her be.
“Sorry to have brought it up. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Alexa smiled, though the expression didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s fine. I’m the one who asked.” She sighed. “Besides, it was a foregone conclusion that the hunts would find their way there. Harwich tries a witch every few years on account of the paranoia of the sailors coming ashore there. It’s a hazard of trying to make a living there. Glad we left when we did.”
Alice gave Alexa’s arm a gentle squeeze. “I better get back. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Alexa managed a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Alice. I appreciate it. We’ll be over in a few minutes to pick up a few herb bundles.”
Alice smiled, hurrying back to her cart.
The outdoor market was busier than before, so Iris leaned in closely. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
Alexa forced a nod, swallowing hard. “I just don’t like to think on that time. That’s all.”
“Me neither.” Iris’ face fell. “But I can’t help wondering what happened to Magdala after that night.”
Alexa shook her head slowly. “Hard to say.” Her jaw clenched.
Magdala Blackwood hadn’t crossed her mind much in the twenty-four years since she’d last seen her, but she had heard that Magdala’s mother, Tilda, had passed away years ago. She hadn’t heard a single word about Magdala’s whereabouts after that day.
“I’d imagine she’s keeping her head low with this level of scrutiny. If we’re having trouble fitting in, she can’t be having better luck. Everyone knows her family’s history with the craft.”
Iris’ jaw tightened. “Am I awful for thinking it would serve her right?”
Alexa’s brows drew together. She couldn’t blame her sister for still harboring resentment for the Blackwood’s role in their father’s death. Truthfully, she blamed herself more.
“It feels like another lifetime, doesn’t it?” Alexa said, the weight of the past pressing firmly on her shoulders. Her voice shook. “I miss Father terribly.”
Iris nodded. “At least we have memories of him. I’m afraid Hattie’s have faded by now.”
“It breaks my heart every time I think about that. All we can do is keep going…for Father. We’ve only survived this long because of him. It’s up to us to make sure his sacrifice wasn’t for naught.”
Iris looped her arm through Alexa’s. “We’ll survive whatever comes next, too, if we stick together. That’s what he would have wanted for us.”
“And that’s what we’ll do. I’ll feel better once Mother is back.” Alexa patted her sister’s hand.
Their mother had sent word that she and Dorthea were safe but had decided to move north off the path of the witchfinders. She wouldn’t say where in case her letters were intercepted.
“We have business to attend to first.” Alexa passed a bag to her sister. “We’ll split Hattie’s orders.”
Iris nodded. “Meet back here afterward.”
Alexa gave her head a nod and wandered off in the opposite direction. She tucked a sprig of rosemary behind her ear. Before she’d left home, she’d sprinkled a handful of dried sage in her pocket—simple wards to fend off any who meant them harm as they delivered their charms. Watchful eyes roamed eagerly over the three of them any time they came to the market. Maybe Alice’s news was a warning to tread lightly here. They might have outrun the past allegations lobbed at their family, but the ghosts from Harwich still haunted them. Alexa knew they always would.
*
“Did you bring it?” Goody Howard asked Alexa, throwing a glance over her shoulder.
Alexa nodded and pulled the cloth-wrapped charm from her basket and discreetly slid it into Goody Howard’s basket. The sprawling oak, shading the end of the market stalls, offered sufficient cover for the exchange.
“After the next dark moon, slip it under your pillow for the following fortnight and declare your desired outcome. Fred’s longing for you will grow as the moon waxes.” Alexa gripped her forearm. “And do not be surprised if your bosom swells as the moon reaches its peak. It’s a welcome side effect of this particular charm. You may have to fight him off by the end of it.”
Goody Howard grinned widely, blushing, and took her leave after depositing six pence in Alexa’s palm.
Alexa made her way through the crowd assembled outside the meetinghouse. She had one more charm to deliver before returning home to whip up the next round of her wares.
Word had traveled quickly that their charms held a certain potency. Cunning women were often frowned upon in public spaces, but privately their services had never been in such demand. Delivering them discreetly was the only snag she’d encountered, not that this was anything new to her. They’d been run out of many a village and town from Harwich to Colchester to Chelmsford over the years once the church elders had caught wind of their offerings. She preferred healing tinctures to love potions and charms of attraction, but she and her sisters had to earn enough money to eat.
She located Goodwife Finch and slowly strolled to the large ash tree she’d perched herself against.
Alexa gave her a gentle smile. “Good afternoon.”
Goody Finch tipped her hat in her direction.
“Is now a good time?” Alexa asked, surveying the crowd that had started to disperse.
She gave a quick nod.
Alexa squatted next to the tree and tucked the concealed charm behind her back, against the base of the tree.
“And it will work?” Goody Finch asked with a hint of desperation in her eyes.
Alexa nodded. “He will not feel up to the task.” Alexa’s lips curled. “Sorry the last one worked a little too well.”
Goody Finch let out an exasperated sigh. “That is the last time I’ll seek that one out. He has not let up in weeks. I’ve got three little ones to keep up with. I need sleep.”
“You shall have it. Place it under the bed near his side. And you shall both get the sleep you need. Remove it once you’ve gotten proper rest.”
“You do me a kindness. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.”
Goody Finch deposited the silver coins in Alexa’s basket. Alexa took her leave the moment Reverend Hastings and his wife exited the meetinghouse. The reverend paused briefly in front of her path.
“I’ll handle her,” his wife said assuredly, shooing him on his way.
Goody Hastings cast a scathing glare at her. “If I catch you hocking your charms around here again, you’ll end up in the stocks or much worse. We don’t tolerate cunning women around our church folk.”
Alexa smirked tersely, struggling to stifle the rage bubbling to the surface. It was her charms keeping the townsfolk calm during the chaos swirling of late, not to mention her frequent strolls at night, casting off shadows, keeping the citizens of Broomfield safe as they slept.
“Best to learn your place and to keep to the outskirts,” Goody Hastings added.
Alexa stifled the curse rising on her tongue.
She’s not worth the effort, just move on.
“Good day, madam,” Alexa said, forcing a half-hearted smile with a quick bow. She bit her tongue, holding back the gossip she’d just overheard about the reverend’s wife. Several of Goody Hastings’ confidants had let it slip that she had been seen flirting with the usher at church while her husband spouted his rantings from the pulpit. It was always the most pious who condemned those they looked down on. Alexa knew she wouldn’t fare well if she revealed her truest thoughts about her. It was best not to ruffle feathers when she didn’t have to. Her recent successes with her wares put a big enough target on them already. This was exactly why she and her sisters always stuck to the fringes of society. They were already garnering too much attention for her liking.
She preferred to work her magic in the shadows, out of the range of prying eyes. But it was hard to control word of mouth in a small community such as this. Happy customers tended to share their glee with close friends. While that brought a steady stream of clients to her door, it also brought the heavy weight of suspicion, which in a parish steeped in religion and superstition could spell disaster and land her and her sisters on the gallows that stood not too far from this spot.
She walked past the stocks, full of “high-spirited” women who’d spoken out of turn, which hadn’t sat well with the church elders. Many of the women here today had been round her place over the past week. She cast a sympathetic glance at Goody Trussell, tied to the whipping post, receiving licks for speaking her mind after the sermon this week.
The muscles along Alexa’s jaw tightened. She knew to keep her tongue in check as much as she could when mixing with the townsfolk. She hadn’t been so wise in the past, and she had paid dearly for it.
She hurried home before her jaw unlocked and she spoke what was truly on her mind.
*
Goody Bennet paced in front of Alexa’s hearth. “Could it be? Could I be with child?” she asked, excitement growing with her hopeful wishes.
Alexa took the ring the woman offered, having just ripped it off her swollen finger. Alexa tossed the ring in her cupped hands along with her thirteen witches’ runes.
After casting the lot, she studied where the stones landed. “Looks like it!” Alexa pointed to the Sun rune and Woman rune sitting next to her wedding band. “A bundle of joy awaits. The charm took.”
Goody Bennet beamed with joy. “After all this time. Nothing else worked. You are a miracle worker. Can you tell if it is a boy or girl?”
Alexa walked over to the kitchen and grabbed an egg. She took a glass over to the fire and poured the warm water from the kettle into the glass. Back at the table, she punctured the eggshell with a needle and dropped the egg in the water, watching carefully as the egg white flowed through the water taking shape. “Looks like a girl,” Alexa announced as the egg white solidified.
Goody Bennet clasped her hands together, a wide smile plastered on her face.
“Percy’s going to be so pleased! God bless the day you came into our lives, Alexa Wardwell.”
Alexa smiled and busied herself in the kitchen, blending herbs to send home with Jane to help quicken the babe. She couldn’t help but think of the rumors that would swirl through Broomfield once word spread of the potency of her fertility charms. It could bring in blessings she’d been praying for. On the contrary, it could attract the attention of watchful eyes, hell bent on ridding their countryside of the “Devil and his helpers” as Reverend Hastings would say. Her gut told her the latter was more likely, but that would be so no matter where they resided. And she quite liked it here. She couldn’t help but wonder in the back of her mind how long it would be before they ran her and her sisters off this time.
If they were expecting Satan around every turn, they’d make sure they found him even in the unlikeliest of places. Little did they know she was the one in their midst with the power to drive evil away. But the evil she cast out had no relation to the Devil. It was rooted in those who claimed to be his enemy. For they were the ones condemning innocent women to death for harmless acts. She’d never harmed a soul in her thirty-four years. Could the residents of Broomfield placing their faith in witchfinders say the same?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Alexa Wardwell
Broomfield, May 15, 1645
Alexa was wide awake in bed for another night. Her skin prickled the way it always did when someone was watching her closely. She’d felt eyes on her since they’d returned from Catherine’s.
Had one of Catherine’s sisters outed them? She’d had a bad feeling in her gut when they left. The baby had pulled through, but her sisters didn’t seem too keen on them staying over.
A blood curdling scream pierced the night.
Alexa shot out of bed, grabbing the oil lamp she kept lit on her nightstand.
“Iris, are you and Hattie okay?”
Hattie screamed again.
Alexa poked her head out of her bedroom, squinting. It was too dark to discern anything.
A shadowy figure peered around the corner, drawing Alexa’s gaze. Alexa cupped her mouth. The figure retreated quickly once it had been seen.
Hattie whimpered.
Damn.
Alexa couldn’t see the figure any longer. She inched down the hall and opened the door to her sisters’ room. Iris and Hattie had shared a room ever since Hattie had moved back in with them after her husband fled. She was prone to nightmares, and Iris always seemed to calm her.
Iris sat at the foot of Hattie’s bed, stroking her arm.
“What happened?”
Iris’ panicked eyes found Alexa in the darkness. “Something dragged her out of bed!”
“Heavens. Are you okay?” Alexa sat the lamp on the table next to the bed and knelt beside Hattie.
“She’s pretty shaken up.”
Alexa stroked Hattie’s hair. “I can see that.” Alexa scanned the room. “Did you see anything?”
Iris shook her head. “I was dead asleep.”
“Okay. Stay with her. I’ve got to check the house.”
Iris nodded and moved closer to Hattie.
Alexa picked the lamp back up and crept of out the room.
She walked slowly into the front room, hoping not to find an intruder. She lit a fire to give her more light but found nothing throughout the house. She knew it wasn’t her imagination, though. She’d had dreams every night for the past two weeks of a figure watching them.
Was it a spirit?
Unease crawled along her spine. It was still here, lurking. She could sense it, hovering, holding its breath until she gave up and went back to bed. She’d never get to sleep now.
She sat up a little longer before returning to her room. Iris and Hattie were locked tightly in their room, huddled together. She prayed they’d get some sleep, although she was certain she wouldn’t sleep a wink. But her body desperately needed to rest; she was fed up with these sleepless nights. She wanted to sleep in peace again, free from the dark influence of this watcher spirit.
Tomorrow, she’d find a way to drive it out from the shadows. They already had enough eyes on them in the living world. They didn’t need another set scrutinizing and judging their every move.
***
Alexa curled up in her mother’s lap by the fire. Elsie draped the blanket around them both and snuggled her firstborn. Alexa smiled as she watched her father watering the irises he’d cut for Elsie’s birthday. It never failed that he greeted her with her favorite flower on her special day.
“Mama, why’d you choose my name?”
“Hmm, dearie?” Elsie asked, cocking her head.
“You named Iris after your favorite flower. Where’d my name come from?”
Elsie carefully considered her answer before a grin tugged at her lips. “From you.”
