Chapter 50: Witch War Brewing

Jiro POV

The first thing he noticed about Wildefell, after so many trips as a member of Lilia's family and as Crimsontail Alpha, was that it looked off-kilter somehow. It certainly smelled different. His wolf immediately went on alert.

The buildings seemed normal, even a bit cleaner and better-maintained. However, underneath, he saw a darkness that hadn't been there three months ago on his last formal visit there. The battle at the Bloodstone didn't count, because he'd teleported with Garnet in and out in the blink of an eye.

Patch shivered. "Let's hurry, we have that meal at our relatives' house."

Jiro frowned. It was one thing for him to be spooked, quite another for the happy-go-lucky, fearless Patch to look over his shoulder.

Her blue eyes anxious, Anneliese gripped Patch's arm. "Yes, we don't want to keep them waiting. It'd be rude."

Garnet held Jiro's arm. "I hope they don't mind an extra guest."

Bram Faolan looked as serious as his parents. "They've been nice every time I've spent time with them. I'm sure they won't mind me tagging along."

They walked through the streets to the witch quarter of the city. Most of the townsfolk and visitors seemed unaware that their city had changed. However, they seemed a little more short-tempered, less friendly, and in a big hurry to get wherever they were going.

In the Chalices' courtyard, Jiro took a few moments to breathe deeply, appreciating, as always, the smell of the garden. The welcome couldn't be beat, either. The enthusiastic dive-bombing of Lindrat, the Chalices' pet dragonet, as well as her brood of young dragonets, who could fit in the palm of his hand. Lindrat's mate had died unexpectedly of a nasty dragonet flu. Cornelius, the Chalices' pet unicorn, now came up to his chest and nuzzled him.

Edna Chalice opened the door and called out in a loud, theatrical voice, "Dinner has been on the table for fifteen minutes! You're late. Hurry up!"

They all apologized profusely and got inside as quickly as possible.

Jiro greeted Edna and Graydon, ignoring the half-dozen dragonet babies clinging to him and riding on his head. "The city feels dark and dirty."

"And a lot less friendly," Garnet added sadly. "I've loved coming here–and not just because of Ravyn and her shop, or you, Edna and Graydon."

Patch licked his own hand. "This town has become seedy, and not in a fun way. I think I need a bath."

Anneliese trembled. "I could bathe in all the waters of the world and not feel clean."

Edna scowled. "That's because the balance has been disturbed. Witch against witch, wizard against wizard, magician against non-magical folk."

Jiro felt a chill. "Are you talking about a witch circle civil war?"

Graydon had never appeared so gloomy. "My last three cases had me wanting to step down. I never thought magicians could be so hateful towards each other."

"And it's partly our family's fault," Morgana said from the doorway to the living room.

Jiro and Anneliese whirled to see Morgana's solemn face. Dressed in a white robe, she was tall, fair, and thin, with a sharp, pointed chin, long, thick brown hair, and warm eyes.

Except for the eyes, she looked identical to Melisande Bracknell.

"Melisande is your descendant," he said. A statement, not a question. "Which means she's also Absalom's."

If what he suspected was true, Melisande's actions over the last three years made perfect sense. And Wildefell, the witch community, and the world itself were in far more danger than anyone realized.

* * * * *

Patch POV

Unbelievable!

He and Anneliese risked life and limb to find Morgana after she hid for centuries, and this was the thanks they got!

"Papa Chalice?" he asked, trembling with rage.

His father-in-law held up his hands. "I'll reserve commentary until after Morgana responds."

Morgana whistled. "Alpha Jiro, you've guessed the truth. And I thought these two were clever." She pointed at Patch and Anneliese, who had sheepish expressions on their faces because they hadn't made the connection in three years.

Garnet shrieked, "How could you not tell us? Cyran and I are related to Melisande? No wonder she acted the way she did toward him!"

Patch gripped Morgana by the shoulders while Lindrat shot fiery missiles at Morgana. Edna barked at Lindrat, calling her a bad dragonet and scolding her within an inch of her life. The Lady of the Skies broke off and flew up to the ceiling to perch on a beam and sulk.

Patch wasn't so easily cowed. "For three years, she's been plotting her mischief, manipulating witches and wizards, and undermining our family. Not to mention setting witch-shifter relations back a hundred years!"

Jiro folded his arms as Lindrat's offspring snuggled against him. "I understand not wanting to come forward the first time, but hiding something like this?"

"I thought you trusted us," Anneliese said in a deeply hurt tone.

Using the alias "Sedah," or "Hades" spelled backwards, Morgana had hidden in Brighmere for centuries after her disastrous mating with Absalom. Three years ago, she enchanted shifters to wreak havoc and make him look bad when his evil was just beginning to be known. Investigating the "shifter zombies," Naomi, Patch, and Anneliese had located Morgana and discovered that the Sinsworths descended from Morgana and Absalom.

Opening her hands, Morgana said, "Not all of our children turned out to be shifters–I lost track of the wolfless ones that were pure witches. And honestly, many witch records have been lost over the centuries. I didn't even suspect the Bracknells were related to me until two years ago, when I saw Melisande, and … well … I saw myself, too. But even then, I had my doubts. Please, forgive me."

Bram, a little lost, stared at Morgana. "So some of your children were wolfless. No wonder that Melisande is supposed to be so unpleasant."

Garnet said bluntly, "A lot of shifters who have their wolves are even more unlikable."

You could always count on his sister-in-law for a dose of refreshing candor. Patch looked at Papa Chalice, who held up his hands again. "Morgana had no proof one way or the other. She lost track of her family, and as she says, many witch records have been destroyed or are hidden. I suspect that anyone descended from such a disastrous shifter-witch mating might not want to reveal that lineage."

"I wouldn't," Anneliese commented, looking sympathetically at Morgana.

Edna rubbed her chin. "The blood ties explain why Melisande might not have wanted to save Cyran. If she's influenced by Hades, if she carries that generational curse along with the Sinsworths, she'd consider Cyran a traitor."

"But Hades himself adored my brother." Garnet scowled. "And yes, he had a funny way of showing it."

Patch's eyes darkened.

Physically and verbally abusing Cyran, alienating him from his family and pack, drugging him, goading him into starting pack wars not once but twice, manipulating him into abusing his own sister … Hades' love was toxic. Not to mention murdering Cyran's parents to make him so broken that he became easy prey for Hades.

"Family bonds aren't always logical," Jiro noted dryly, and Bram agreed.

Morgana scowled, her lean face pulled taut and even thinner. "Absalom could be controlling her from a distance or he might be close to her, unseen or in disguise–yes, Cyran killed him, but he's been reborn before."

"Could he be reborn as Melisande?" Anneliese asked.

Patch felt a chill. "I wish you weren't so brilliant, Annie! And to think we thought Daxius was our main problem."

"He still may be," Papa Chalice said, skeptical.

"Not as much as Absalom," Morgana reminded him. "Now that I know who Melisande is, I'm the best one to recognize Hades' influence on her. I want to join your mission to help Ravyn and the others. Absalom and I used to have bases on several of them–including Abandonnado Island."

His turquoise eyes hyper focused, Jiro nodded. "Mama and Papa Chalice, sorry to dash in and out, but time is of the essence."

Patch could feel the Moon Goddess and his wolf, Tiva, nudging him onward. He could still smell the darkness in the city. "If there are any troops left over from the wizard battle, send them our way–we may need all the help we can get."

Edna bared her teeth, and it was as if she'd sprayed herself with a fiery perfume. "I can't think of a better time to get our witch brothers and sisters away from the poisoned stew Melisande has brewed. And speaking of stew, you'll need something to eat–you can't teleport on an empty stomach. One more thing: Bring back Jude AND Daxius. Even Ravyn Rolfe would crawl into a dark hole losing either of them–or Lilia and Dane."

After a quick and filling meal from the Chalice kitchen, Patch pressed close to everyone, and felt Lindrat perching on his head and Jiro's. Cornelius, who had only gotten fiercer as he grew, was somewhere in the group.

The crackling, shimmering spiral uncoiled around them and swept them off to the isles. Patch prayed to the Moon Goddess out loud.

"Please, please, keep Ravyn and her men safe."

Anneliese muttered, "I want to be Ravyn when I grow up."