Jonathon joined him. “I’ve known about this place since I was a child. One day I came here and there Ronan was, dressed in the most peculiar clothing I’d ever seen.”
Ronan smiled. “Well, I could say the same about you.”
“We’d better get started. Ronan?”
“Right.” He took a bejeweled athame from a leather sheath on his belt and raised it above his head. “Harken ye elements of air, fire, water, earth! By my blade I summon thee! Your children need help.”
Ronan continued. “With your help oh ancient ones, I ask they fly far away from here, safe from harm.” Energy sizzled to the surface of the water. A white lightning bolt shot out of the pool and crackled in the air. Rowena ducked, covering her head. A thought suddenly entered her head. Revenge. It wasn’t enough for her to save some of the women. She wanted some of those responsible to pay for what they had done. It wasn’t the way of witches, she knew, but her heart was hurting. More than that; her heart was broken. Perhaps forever.
She pictured the stakes surrounded by the crispy straw. She saw fire engulfing the straw, licking at the stakes. She pictured the fire creeping toward the person tied to the stakes. She saw those people. She saw the one-eyed man. She saw the cruel woman preparing moldy bread. She saw the man torturing the witch in the basement. She saw the judges. Condemning her friends and family to death.
She focused on the bright light, seeing those menacing faces. Seeing them contorted in pain. Seeing their skin melting. The stone hanging from her neck felt warm. It seemed to pulse in time with her quickening heart. The floating light intensified with a flash. She closed her eyes tight, squeezed out tears.
She opened her eyes. Ronan had lowered his arms. He stared at her with a knowing look in his eyes. She swallowed hard. Her mouth was suddenly dry.
“Is it done?” Jonathon asked.
“Why don’t you go see?”
“Aren’t you coming?” Rowena asked.
“I have to get back. The future doesn’t stop when I’m here. Brenna needs my help.” The water turned black. Rowena stiffened as something emerged. A dripping wet wolf.
“Kiba! What are you doing here?”
Ronan waited a beat like he was actually listening to the animal.
“Okay. I’ve been here longer than I intended. I must go.”
“What are we meant to do?” Rowena said, feeling her stomach lurch.
“It is done. The women are safe.”
“What about the women still in the prison?”
“Safe. They are all back home.”
“Thank you, Ronan. I won’t forget you.”
“Likewise. Jonathon, take care of her.”
“Count on it.”
You’re more powerful than I thought possible. With that necklace, you will be the one looking after him.
Ronan? How are you doing that?
It’s a little trick of mine. I know you changed my spell. I know who is going to be burning today.
Are you angry?
I am. But not at you. Be at peace, Rowena.
Jonathon gave them a look. Shouts from outside flittered in. “I’d better go. Blessed be, both of you,” Ronan said before hugging them both. The wolf walked with him to the pond. They went under the water and did not come back up. For an instant, the water turned black before returning to its previous aqua shimmer. Rowena and Jonathon left the cave, hand in hand.
The crowd milled around, growing impatient. “Get on with it!”
“Sear their skin from their bones!”
“Burn the bitches!”
The women were already fastened to the stakes, their hands behind their backs. Their eyes wide, their dirty cheeks streaked with tears.
The guards yelled for order. They marched toward the women with flaming torches. Rowena’s vision of them was obscured by a sudden thick fog.
“What in Jesus’s name?”
“What’s going on here?”
A vein of the powerful light spread through the fog. The crowd abruptly went silent. The light became so bright people had to shield their eyes. The fog started to clear. Rowena squinted. The witches were gone. In their place were the people Rowena had imagined. Her incarnation had worked.
The one-eyed man scowled at the crowd, his eye squinting. The judge peered at them with incredulous eyes. “What in God’s name is going on?” The guards surged ahead. A flame flickered at the bottom of each pile of straw. The flames grew, moving toward the stakes at lightning pace.
The guards came to an abrupt stop. “Untie us! Now!” the judge roared.
Flames licked and snapped at the men’s feet. They struggled against their binds, to no avail.
Two of the guards stumbled forward. The flames flourished, whipping up the men’s legs. The guards drew back as the flames intensified. Flames engulfed the judge. He screamed at the sky. As the flames seared his throat he yelled, “You will regret this! You will all regret…” His words trailed off into a ragged scream.
The guards stood watching, unmoving. One of them locked eyes with Rowena. His eyes moved down. Rowena followed his gaze. His eyes landed on the pendant hanging from her neck. Oh no. She had forgotten to hide it under her clothing.
The guard’s eyes narrowed on her. They filled with pure hate. “Witch!” He pointed at her. All eyes fixed on her. “She did this!”
The guards woke up from their stupor and marched at her. Jonathon stepped in front and took a swing at the first guard. He went down.
Jonathon was soon outnumbered and thrown to the ground. They crowded in on him and one of them tied his wrists. They threw him to the ground and went after Rowena.
She thought about running but couldn’t leave Jonathon. Besides, where would she go?
Overwhelmed by their numbers, they dragged her to the burning mounds, where the men attached to the stakes were beginning to char. Jonathon inched toward her. A guard lunged on him, pinning him in place.
Rowena rolled into the scorching heat. The flames enveloped her. A scream roared up her throat. Something wasn’t right. She felt the heat, but no pain. She looked down at her hand, expecting to see bubbling flesh. Her hand was unscathed. The stone around her neck glowed so brightly it rivaled the flames.
She stood up. Through the wavering heat, she could see Jonathon being assaulted by three of the guards. They kicked him. He rolled over. Blood smeared his face. Anger flashed. In her mind, she saw the fire sweep out toward the guards. And so it did.
They flapped their arms in a futile attempt to put out their burning clothing. They dropped to the ground and flailed. She turned her attention to the crowd who had gone silent.
“This ends now. If any of you even look at a woman the wrong way again, I will find you.”
The crowd bolted. Rowena couldn’t help but take a little satisfaction from hearing them screaming all the way down the hill. Rowena ran to Jonathon and untied him. “I thought you were dead!” he said, his voice breaking.
She wrapped her arms around him and thought about the one thing she wanted more than anything. Home.
Rowena opened her eyes. Hawthorn sat in a wicker rocking chair by the fire. “You’re late. Supper’s almost ready.” The cavalier way Hawthorn greeted them brought tears to Rowena’s eyes. Nothing had changed even though everything had.
The familiar savory smell of Hawthorn’s stew teased her senses. The crackle of the fireplace was a welcome contrast to the sinister fire she had just escaped. It didn’t surprise Rowena that Hawthorn’s cottage was what came to mind when she thought of home.