Chapter 5: A Mission From the Witches

Chapter 5: A Mission From the Witches

Anneliese POV

Anneliese had come prepared to confront the Dark Goddess, that hideous red-and-black cloud that tried to suck the life and joy out of everything.

She had good news from the witches, and it gave her heart a boost, which would help her summon the energy required to defeat the demon.

She hadn’t been caught off guard because She sensed the fear and defiance from Patch even before Healer Kellam ran through the house shouting to everyone who would listen, “Emergency in the Healing Wing! Witches, Wise Women, I need you!”

Since Kellam Anmar didn’t get upset easily, his cries stirred up the entire household into a frenzy. Anneliese rushed to the Healing Wing right behind Kellam with Dane, Jiro, Barrett, Lilia, Garnet, Kyon, and Azandra on her heels. Jiro’s and Garnet’s personal security followed. Luckily, Jiro hadn’t even gone out to speak to the hunters yet.

Lilia growled, “No one can get into or out of the Desperate Cases Room with all the enchantments we put in place.”

Jiro grunted. “Nothing is foolproof. Patch managed to ruin Hades’ and Cyran’s plot to assassinate me with nothing more than witch glamor and a fake voice.”

Dane agreed. “Not the first time he’s fooled our enemies. It’s immensely satisfying to see that all the headaches he’s caused all of his brothers over the years were worth it when he tricks the people who have it in for us.”

Obviously propping up their spirits, Kyon added, “My personal favorite was the time he replaced all my paints with jams and jellies three years ago. My painting was ruined.”

Jiro said matter-of-factly, “It was also delicious.”

Dane agreed. “The jams and jellies that season were particularly good.”

Anneliese smirked. “Leave it to Patch.”

The man was outrageous, fearless, and brave. Whoever hurt Patch would face even more wrath from her and the Crestas, as well as the Crimsontails and Evenhiders, because the rascal had stolen everyone’s hearts.

Garnet said grimly, “I hate to ruin the good mood, but a demon like the Dark Goddess can make short work of your defenses.”

Lilia flushed. “Then we need to triple the enchantments when this is over.”

“Agreed,” Anneliese said.

Inside the Healing Wing, Kellam’s twin Kieran kept watch by the sturdy wooden door to the Desperate Cases Room. Without being asked, Kieran opened the door and let them all in.

The sight that met her eyes made Anneliese Chalice blink several times to confirm what she was seeing. And hearing.

Cyran and Tulaska were laughing. Laughing! Not the maniacal, sinister laughter of Hades or the Dark Goddess, but genuine, joyful laughter that came from pure hearts. It definitely improved the disgusting, overly sweet smell mixed with the whiff of death coming from the Dark Goddess.

Cyran’s and Tulaska’s laughter inspired Anneliese to mouth off to the Dark Goddess after hearing her threaten Patch. She hit the cloud with a powerful energy blast from her hagstone crystal. “You’re not welcome here. I command you to leave.”

Garnet’s moonbeam from the Harmony Stone struck the demon at the same time, and Lilia blasted the demon with a beam from a black jasper crystal. Azandra shook her medicine rattle and Roslynn also joined the fight. The three witches had rehearsed a chant just in case the demon returned.

Lilia chanted, “In the name of the light, I call on the gods of truth and goodness that reign in this realm to drive back this dark deity.”

Anneliese took up the chant. “Banish the darkness, and bring forth the light.”

Garnet’s voice trembled, no doubt remembering her last encounter with the demon. “Drive away the shadows…”

Patch surprised them by chiming in. “And fill this world with–”

The Dark Goddess lashed out at him with a dark tentacle and he threw himself on top of Tulaska to protect her. The demon wrapped itself around Cyran, who struggled and shouted, “PATCH! NO!”

Anneliese heard fear in Cyran’s voice and genuine concern. Garnet and Jiro both gasped, their eyes hopeful. Dane and Lilia looked astonished. Everyone else smiled.

Her blood boiling but her voice steady and determined, Anneliese finished, “And fill this world with light instead!”

The Dark Goddess managed a feeble sinister laugh. “Anneliese Chalice. So prissy and perfect, but still wanting to be irresponsible. Your jokes and your devil-may-care attitude hide the truth. You are not worthy of your power, and every witch in the Witch Circle knows it, and as for your fantasies about the Cresta boy …”

Anneliese laughed with contempt. “Is that all? You could pick out all of our faults.”

Fantasies about the Cresta boy? Her face burned.

Jiro agreed. “I’m too rigid and controlling and I hate crowds. Azandra didn’t get along with her parents. Garnet secretly had a fascination with the magic she later hated. Dane wasn’t ready to be Alpha. Lilia felt torn between her mother’s legacy and her pack.” He ticked off all these shortcomings as if he were discussing items on the council agenda. “Have I missed anyone? Maybe Healer Kellam, Beta Barrett, and Wise Woman Roslynn.”

Roslynn just snorted. “Everyone knows I speak my mind. There’s nothing this so-called ‘goddess’ has on me.” Kellam and Barrett agreed.

Anneliese glared at the demon. “You don’t understand that people care about each other. You don’t understand friendship or family or anything you don’t control!”

Garnet raised her crystal. “You don’t control us. And we may not be able to banish you for good, but your time in this room and in my home are at an end.”

Lilia snarled, “You’ve ruined enough people’s lives. BEGONE!”

The three witches combined their magic in one single powerful pure white beam that sliced through the cloud.

Dane, Kyon, Jiro, and Barrett glared at the Dark Goddess. “LEAVE US ALONE,” they all bellowed, unafraid.

The dark cloud stretched out, becoming like cobwebs, and faded away slowly. The Dark Goddess whispered chillingly, “This was a test. I won’t be so easy on you next time.”

Patch smiled, though he looked concerned. “Hey, Cyran, why did the dark sorceress fail in school? Because she couldn’t spell!”

Cyran rolled around laughing, and at the same moment, the demon decided she had enough of Patch mocking her. The cobwebs completely vanished.

Anneliese’s heartbeat returned to normal. She lowered her crystal and breathed hard as if she’d just run a race uphill. Her knees buckled and she grabbed onto someone for support. It was Patch. “Are you alright?” she asked, breathless.

His voice sounded like sunshine to her. “I am now.”

* * * * *

Patch POV

Just when he didn’t think he could worship Anneliese any more than he already did, she took on a demon for the second time and won. After her trial, her pink hair stuck up every which way because of the energies she was channeling and her face was streaked with sweat and tears. Her shoulders were back and her chin was up.

She looked impossibly gorgeous.

Of course, Lilia and Garnet helped her kick the demon in the teeth, with the help of Azandra, Roslynn, and Kellam. Jiro, Dane, and Barrett looked the demon in the eye and stood tall and proud. Tulaska would always fight, even if she were out cold…

“Tulaska! Cyran!”

He sprinted to the crazy Crimsontail and lay hands on him. Cold as ice to the touch. Patch turned to Kellam. “Hot washcloths, if you please! He’s freezing.”

Cyran’s eyes closed and he slipped back into his long sleep, his face pale and drawn, but with a small smile on his sensual lips.

Healer Kellam hurried out of the room while Garnet and Anneliese joined Patch.

Anneliese looped her arm around him, which delighted him no end. “Worth fighting a hundred demons for,” he murmured.

Anneliese beamed at him. “So, you’re warming up to Cyran?”

Patch blinked. “I was talking about you, Anneliese.”

She blushed the exact color of her hair. “OH.”

She rested her head on his shoulder, relaxing against him, her soft curvy body pressed close. Her hair smelled of sweat and the scented oils burning in the room.

“I would hope so,” Dane said behind them, his voice loving.

Patch knew that Dane only saved Cyran out of duty, conscience, and a desire to beat Hades and the Dark Goddess. Otherwise, as far as he was concerned, Cyran could sleep forever.

He understood Dane, but he felt an impulse telling him to be a bit of a rebel. He argued, “But Cyran did show that he’s not completely lost. He’s not beyond saving.”

Stunned silence hung more heavily than the Dark Goddess’ cloud.

“Well said,” Jiro said softly.

Dane coughed several times and growled. For one of the few times in his life, Dane Cresta was at a loss for words, and Patch enjoyed his brother being so flustered.

“You seem to have made a connection with him,” Dane said gruffly.

“Which surprises the h*ll out of me,” Patch muttered, shuffling his feet.

Garnet shook her head. “Not if you knew the real Cyran. He was quite a bit like you before our parents died.”

Patch didn’t know whether to feel flattered or guilty. He could sense Dane’s discomfort, and even Jiro’s. He leaned into Anneliese, taking comfort in her nearness.

“Anneliese, the Witch Circle can stop hounding you now,” he blurted out.

Azandra agreed. “After what you’ve done, I think you should get either a nice relaxing holiday or the witch version of a knighthood.”

Anneliese cleared her throat. “I won’t be getting a holiday, and I don’t know about the knighthood, but the witch circle is pleased with our progress.”

Jiro sounded satisfied. “They ought to be. Good work, Anneliese. Good work, everyone. Especially you, Patch.”

Anneliese smiled. “I plan to give proper credit to everyone when I’m in Wildefell at the witch circle headquarters. They’ve finally made all the arrangements for Cyran to be treated there. They want me, and our patients, there immediately.”

A pounding on the door outside made everyone tense up, and an angry voice snarled, “We demand the prisoner Cyran! We want him to face justice!”

Jiro marched to the door and opened it to confront three Crimsontails who immediately lost their voices and backed away when faced with the Alpha and his personal guard.

“You’re disturbing the Healing Wing,” Jiro said in that stern, no-nonsense tone that made even Dane’s knees shake. “I realize you’re angry, but there are better ways to express it.”

Dane joined him. “We are all angry, but you need to respect the healers and your Alpha.”

“Thank you, Alpha Dane.” Jiro stared at the three red-faced Crimsontails. “Do you think this is helping our pack?”

After none of them could come up with an answer, they turned and walked away.

Jiro sighed. “It’s best for everyone if Anneliese takes Cyran and Tulaska to the witches immediately.”

Patch glanced at Garnet. Grief and relief flickered in her amber eyes as she said, “Anneliese, you have our blessing. My brother is now in your hands.”

Anneliese abandoned Patch and hugged Garnet with an all-consuming Anneliese Chalice hug that drowned Garnet in love and sisterhood. “Thank you for trusting me, and trusting the witches in Wildefell.”

It might have been the Moon Goddess tapping him on the shoulder and whispering in his ear. Or it might have been the rush of victory he felt at beating the demon. Or it could have been his wolf Tiva going crazy, insisting, “We need to be with our mate.”

He opened his mouth and said cheerfully, “You can’t go alone, Anneliese. We all want Tulaska back, and someone from the pack has to go with you. It might as well be the Intelligence Chief, because Cyran, in addition to being related to Garnet here, is an intelligence asset in this war against Hades and the bundle of swamp gas we just got rid of. I’ll go with you, Anneliese! I volunteer. When do we leave?”