The Responsible Witch (The Ward Witches) (15 page)

“
Good work. You actually picked it up pretty quickly. Next time we'll try moving them about rather than just lifting. I know you and Dymphna need to go pick up your mother, so we'll quit for the day. Remember to practice with your reading skills.”

“
I will. Thanks for the lesson.”

“
Sure thing. I'll see you tomorrow.”

Due to traffic and a confusing airport layout, Dymphna and Gage arrived there with barely any time to get to Denise's plane. As much as he told her she didn't need to make a good impression on his mom, she felt she did. In fact, she had gone to extra lengths to make that spare bedroom impressive. She had gone with Skylar to the mall to get a bedspread and some other decorations for the room after it was cleared. It certainly looked a lot better than it had.
Gage would have likely said all that was unnecessary, but it made her feel better for having done it.

Dymphna had never done the meet-the-mother thing before, and she was determined to do it right since this would be
her
only time.

She knew the moment Gage spotted his mother because he released the breath he probably didn't even know he was holding, and in one fluid movement, he surged forward to greet her, still holding Dymphna's hand. Denise was short with gray hair tied back in a knot. She wore a blue jacket over a tan shirt and black pants.

But what struck Dymphna the hardest was the general feeling of ill health about her. Fiona had mentioned a similar finding in her birth parents, who were also blood witches, when she was kidnapped six months earlier, but it still unsettled Dymphna. Blood magic had its price, and since it functioned best on human subjects, Denise wouldn't be able to fully keep up her health with blood from a butcher's.

It was actually rather impressive that she would chose to stick to using only animal blood. That she changed to it after she had her son, and even killed someone to stop his sacrificing innocents, spoke volumes about how she loved Gage.

Having Gage in their lives had changed both women.
Dymphna had been worried about not having anything in common with the older woman, but they did share something: love for Gage. Dymphna hadn't been married to him long, but she'd do anything for him. His mother had already proved that she'd do anything for him as well, and that would include trying to get along with his new wife. If they both tried to get along, they more than likely would.

Feeling like a burden had been lifted off her shoulders, Dymphna extended a hand to Denise. But Denise rejected that and pulled her in for a hug.

“
It's good to meet you,” Dymphna said as they pulled back.

“
Likewise. Gage speaks so well of you, and I'm so glad he found someone to love. You must be very special.”

Dymphna blushed. “And he is special to me. Let's get out to the car so we can hopefully miss the worst of the traffic. The drive will likely take forty five minutes anyway at this time of day.”

Gage grabbed his mother's suitcase, and they hurried to the car.

“
It's awfully cold, isn't it?” Denise asked as Dymphna started up the heater and the seat warmers. Gage had offered to sit in the back so the women could have warm seats.

“
It's December in Boston. It's pretty damn cold.”

“
I don't know if I have enough warm clothes.”

“
We'll get you some,” Dymphna offered. “After helping Gage get clothes for our climate up here, I know exactly where to look.”

“
That's so nice of you. It might be nice to go shopping with you and get to know you better.”

“
I'd like that. Gage is in training at the Coven House to master his magic, and we can go shopping while he's there.”

“
Is there a motel near your home where I can stay?”

“
Actually, Mom, we wanted to talk to you about that. We have a spare bedroom at the Manor, and we'd like you to stay there.”

“
Oh, I don't know. I don't want to impose.”

“
It's no trouble at all,” Dymphna assured her. “It'll be easier if you're nearby, especially since neither you nor Gage has a car. Our house is really way too big for just the people who live there, but my brother and I were used to big houses and big events when we purchased it. I can't honestly say we used very good logic when we chose such a big place.
Help us by taking up some of the space there so it's not quite so empty
”

“
Alright. If you want me to stay there, I will.”

“
After we get you settled, we'll call Justin, and I'm sure the rest of Dymphna's family will come with him to hear what you have to say.”

“
Sure. I'm pretty tired from the plane flight, but I'll do all I can this evening.”

“
You'll probably just give my brother food for thought today, and he'll come back with questions and clarifications tomorrow. I know he's been working hard on piecing things together, and he mentioned that having you here would be like having the cheat code for a video game.”

“
I hope I live up to that. But, on another topic, I'd like to know more about you, Dymphna. What can you tell me about yourself?”

They talked pleasantly for the rest of the trip, the topic not moving back to the Dark Order at all.
Dymphna was grateful for that.

Later that evening, the entire Ward family assembled at the Manor. Skylar told them there would be no business conversation until after they ate, which made Justin nearly inhale his food. Luckily for him, though, he didn't argue with the pregnant woman.
Dymphna knew who would win that argument.

When Dymphna cleared the table, Denise brought out a portfolio of information. She had names and dates attached to pictures, she had addresses of former Order members, she had copies of the sigils they used in their rites, and more.

“
Back in my time, the Order was based in
Washington D.C.
The
Virginia
area is very magically strong, which is why it spawned
the
Order. Most of the members lived in the area, and I've periodically checked to see if they were still at their old addresses. None of them are, but I included the addresses anyway. Using a farm location, like what Gage told me you found, is new. Our rites used to be held in someone's basement, and as Redman gained power, they all started to be in his house.

“
When we married, some of his supporters took off for other parts of the States. I don't know even what area they went to, unfortunately. We couldn't bond like elemental witches do because of the blood magic in our systems, but there are certain ceremonies that can imitate the bond enough for a relationship and an ability to have children. By that time, I was engrossed in the organization, and utterly entranced by Redman. I can't defend my behavior because it was truly wrong.

“
But when I had Gage, my paradigm started to shift. Then, without consulting me, my husband took Gage and experimented on him, giving him the powers of witches he sacrificed. I was horrified, and I objected. Redman said I would go along with it or he'd kill our son.  Redman's mind tricks were stronger than my defenses ever were, so I knew that if I ran, he could and would find me. And then he'd kill both of us.

“
It was wrong of me, but I killed him in an unguarded moment. Then I took advantage of the chaos and escaped with my son. He's probably told you about how I've been using blood magic on him without his knowledge for his whole life. I hope you don't judge him too harshly for what I did. I can't thank you all enough for finally being able to break the hold that evil magic had on him.

“
Over the past few years, I've been putting together all the information I could remember on the Dark Order. I had the feeling Gage would need it, and I've always listened to those feelings because they can be influenced by my magic,
or at least what I still have from existing on cow blood
. I don't know much about the reformation of the Order, but I can answer any questions you have on the old structure or people involved.”

Denise stopped, looking drained and resigned. It was as if telling her story had taken a weight off her shoulders but left her empty. Gage wrapped an arm over his mother's shoulders.

“
You did great. Thanks for the help.”

“
Yes, thank you,” Justin said, flipping through the pages. “This is a lot more than I had, and it'll give us more to extrapolate into a plan.” He stopped, marking his place with a finger. “One thing we'll need to keep in mind is that the police were not happy with our rescue efforts for Melanie and Fiona. In fact, they've threatened to bring the law against us if we do something like that in the future.”

“
So where does that leave us?” Fiona asked. “We can point the police in the right direction, but it would be downright dangerous to send them in after blood witches.”

“
I've been thinking about it,” Justin continued. “We need to find a way to bring them to us. If Eric Redman happens to show up on our turf and threaten our safety, we'd be justified in fighting back. The police won't like it, but as long as they can't prove we brought the Order to us, there's nothing they can do. It would be self-defense and all that. But the tricky part is that we'd need to get as many of them to the Coven House as possible, especially including Eric Redman.”

“
That's a big risk for the Coven House,” Melanie said. “We'd need to make extra sure they get stopped in the front so that we can protect the children and non-combatants who would be inside.”

“
There is that, too,” Justin conceded to his wife.

“
You'll never get them to go to the Coven House,” Dymphna argued. “It's been made clear that the Coven House has anti-blood magic protection. You found five sleeper Order witches with it, and you know they reported back. I think we'd have to get them to attack here at the Manor.”

Everyone was silent, absorbing the idea. Skylar spoke first. “She's right. I don't like the idea of a fight at my home, but if we can bring them here and stop them, it would be worth it. This location would also mean that the non-combatants could stay at the Coven House where they would be safer.”

Leo nodded. “We can contribute to the Coven by potentially sacrificing the safety of our home. It's for the good of everyone, and we'll do it.”

“
Then the question becomes how we get them to come here with a fight on their minds,” Seb pointed out. “And we have to make it a way that the police can't trace so they can't prove that we aggravated and goaded them to come out here. We don't want to finish the war with the Order only to go to jail.”

Dymphna saw Gage's eyes flick to his mother. She knew he didn't like the idea of her going to jail, but he did respect her and her right to turn herself in if she thought it was necessary.

“
I've got it,” Gage said. “I've heard about how Redman contacted Seb and Fiona through their minds at a great distance. But the key that led him to contact them was knowing where they were. He clearly wants me or he wouldn't have kidnapped me. What we need to do, and let me know if you think we can do it, is to contact him.

“
We need two avenues of attack. One, we tell him via the media where I am. Two, we reach into his mind without his knowledge and subtly mold his thoughts in the way we want him to go. We would draw on his desire to bring me into the Order and push him subconsciously to believe he needs to come get me himself because his lackeys aren't capable of doing it. Then, when he finds out where I am, he'll contact me. I'll play on the subconscious thoughts we've already given him to inflame him enough to push him into action.

“
If it all works perfectly, he'll come and attack us with his most elite witches, and we'll be waiting for him. Since we did it all with magic and subtle media use, the police can't find us at fault. We, and a number of other witches who just 'happened' to be at Ward Manor at the time, will defend ourselves and our property. Someone will call the police, panicked, to tell them we're being attacked, and ideally, they'll pull up just in time to take the Order witches away.”

“
I want him dead,” Fiona hissed. “He killed the only parents I've ever known, and I want him to pay.”

Seb put his hand over hers. “No, honey. If you take revenge like that, you'll be more like him than you ever wanted to be. Think about it this way: if he lives and the police take him away, he won't be able to practice the kind of blood magic he needs to thrive. He will wither in prison, and if he's able to do some kind of rite on food like Denise did, he will be able to survive for a long time as a weakling. And the other prisoners won't be nice to him just because he's addicted to human sacrifices. In fact, I think it would go in just the opposite direction. We won't give him a quick death when we can make him suffer.”

“
That's bloodthirsty,” Skylar commented. “And it's exactly what he deserves. Do you agree, Fiona?”