Oliver leaned forward, eager for the kill. "And now...," he drawled.
She hesitated, took a breath, then let it out. "Oliver, we're in trouble," she said, her voice heavy with concern. It was as if she was speaking to him alone, and I felt a stab of alarm for what might come out of her mouth. "Rachel wasn't the reason the arch fell," she said, then, for all the good it did, held up a hand against the rising crowd.
"It fell because of salt-dissolving adhesive?" Oliver muttered, but his voice was completely overwhelmed by the crowd's noise. Beside me, Pierce grimaced, trying to look positive but coming across as ill. To my other side, Trent was stone faced. I couldn't tell if this was part of his plan or not. On his lap, Lucy was falling asleep, the bright lights and heat hitting her hard.
"Silence!" Vivian yelled without the aid of her amulet, and most of the crowd shut up. "Let me tell you what happened."
My foot quivered, and I looked down, then up into the faceless crowd.
"I traveled first behind Rachel, then with her," Vivian said, only to be interrupted by Oliver.
"And you expect us to believe that you are seeing things clearly?"
Vivian spun to him, her tie-dyed robe furling. "You know I'm not spelled, Oliver," she said tartly. "Disagreeing with you does not equal having one's judgment impaired, and if the rest of your bootlickers would grow a pair, we might have some justice here and maybe save our asses! We are in dire danger, and it's not from Rachel!"
The crowd became silent. Pierce leaned over to me, and with his pinkie just touching the amulet, he whispered, "I like her."
Someone laughed, and Vivian shot me an encouraging glance. "I stand before you in the sphere of the coven's truth charm, and I say that I traveled with Rachel, drove her car after she fought off a demon. A day-walking demon," she said loudly when the noise rose. "She didn't call it, it came of its own volition. I stand here now because she bested it. It was beyond me."
Not a sound came from the audience as they took that in. "A day-walking demon?" someone shouted. "That's impossible!"
Trent scuffed his feet to pull eyes to him. "They exist. A demon possessed one of my associates and was able to stay on this side of the ley lines, in the sun. It was Rachel who banished the demon and freed my friend. Day-walking demons are here. Your safety is severely compromised. The rules are evolving!"
He had to shout the last, and Vivian looked worried. I could well imagine the fervor going on past the doors, where this was being piped out. Vivian twitched her dress to gather the crowd's attention. "Unfortunately, Mr. Kalamack is correct. Demons are finding ways around the rules. Something has changed, and they can walk in daylight unsummoned. As we are now, we can't stand against them."
Oliver cleared his throat nervously. "Of course you couldn't stand against a demon, Vivian. You may be coven, but you were also alone."
"That's what I'm saying, Oliver," she said sarcastically, anger at her own lack of ability bleeding through. "I was alone, but so was Rachel, and she beat him back. My drawn circle fell as if it wasn't there. Rachel's didn't. It held firm. I'm not saying that black magic is stronger. But her magic has the strength of earth magic with the speed and flexibility of ley-line charms, and by continuing to ignore all of it because of the fear of some, we will condemn ourselves along with a good woman."
I was going to cry. Pierce took my hand, and I squeezed it. Even if I didn't make it out of here, someone had said I was a good person. It was worth the two thousand miles of bad food, dirty restrooms, and two nights without a bed just to hear someone say it.
"Vivian, stop inflaming the issue," Oliver stated when he could be heard again, and Vivian turned to the crowd, talking to them.
"I have seen my skills brushed aside as if nothing, and I am scared. Ignorance and denial will get us enslaved or dead. Don't let fear blind you. Don't let fear cause you to destroy someone who can stand against them. Rachel fought off a day-walking demon that was released when the arch fell, and you want to shun her?"
She was shouting, but most people were listening. "We all saw the news!" she said, gesturing. "We all felt the tragedy, saw the lives ended. I can't stop it! The coven can't stop it. She can!"
"I think she freed it!" Oliver shouted, standing to point a finger at me. "She was there!"
The crowd held its breath, and in the silence, I sat straighter. "I didn't release the demon from under the arch," I said, and there was no ping of the bell.
Oliver grimaced as his trap sprang with me safe outside it. The auditorium quieted beyond the haze of the lights, and Oliver's chair squeaked as he leaned back.
"What scares me," Vivian said, softer now that she had everyone's attention, "is that my circle, well drawn and able to handle anything, was nothing to him. This day-walking demon brushed through it. Rachel saved my life at great risk to herself-knowing that I had been sent to spy on her."
"With black magic," Oliver muttered.
"Are you that stupid, Oliver?" Vivian belted out, and I realized that most of my trial was going to be a fight for power between these two. The rest of the coven would vote with the winner. My life hinged upon a narrow-minded man and his fears.
"Of course she used black magic!" Vivian said. "Demons are laughing at us for our self-imposed ignorance. Rachel used black magic against a demon. It hurt none but herself and saved my life. I have a hard time finding wrong in that."
Vivian dropped back a step to let people think about it.
"What about Las Vegas?" Oliver stated, too confident in himself to get up. "Property damage and lives ended. The same demon, yes? The same black magic."
Vivian nodded. "Yes. It took both Pierce and Rachel that time, and the curse they used unfortunately set the building on fire. The bodies found therein were ended by the demon before they could banish it. I can truthfully say that Rachel and Pierce both used restraint in twisting curses. Rachel uses more restraint, actually," she said as she glanced at me. "And while the demon was not destroyed, it was successfully banished."
Oliver chuckled. "To do more mischief."
"Hey!" I blurted out, making Lucy jump in her sleep. "We were trying to survive!"
"And the demon just showed up?" Oliver asked, looking from me to the bell.
"The demon just showed up," I said clearly, daring the damn bell to ring.
"You are a menace," Oliver said loudly when it didn't. "I say we give you to this demon, and maybe it will go away."
My mouth dropped open, and from the higher seats, a few people clapped. Nearer, through the haze, I saw frightened expressions and heard a soft murmur rise. Give me to a demon? Was he serious?
Vivian strode dramatically across the stage, gathering eyes to her and taking them from me. "Do you even hear yourself?" she said, putting a hand on the table and leaning toward him.
Oliver drew back, but he was clearly unrepentant. "If she's a black witch, then giving her to a demon isn't a crime."
No, it would be a joke, I thought.
At the end of the coven table, Leon raised his hand for everyone's attention. "I'm not going to agree with any plan that gives a person to a demon," he said, shocking Oliver. Amanda and Wyatt nodded, looking less sure, but agreeing with him. Emboldened, the timid man took a firmer grip on his amulet. "I am willing to consider that legalizing black magic in certain individuals might be permissible," he said, and the crowd buzzed. "I'd like to explore this in greater detail, that perhaps a coven member might be allowed to become skilled in black magic if the ends are good."
Pierce exhaled, and I smiled at him. If his claim to the coven was accepted, then I'd have two strong votes for me. Trent, too, looked less stressed, and the soft clench of his jaw eased. Maybe this was how they planned on getting my shunning permanently revoked. Working for the coven to fight a demon was a hell of a lot better than living in the ever-after or being Trent's witch. I relaxed, seeing an end I could live with, even if it would cramp my style. Working for the coven. Ha! But at least I'd get paid for doing something I'd probably have to do anyway.
Seeing his victory dissolving in a wash of common sense, Oliver stood. "We should adjourn and discuss this in private."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, grabbing my amplifying amulet, uncrossing my legs, and leaning forward past Trent to see Oliver better. "I was promised a trial before my peers." Along with my shunning being removed and an end to this, but first things first.
Pierce stood, tugging his vest straight and reaching for his amulet. "A private council is how I ended up in the ground," he said. "I won't accept going behind closed doors."
A hole in the ground, a cell with no windows. I could always call on Al, but if I did, there'd be no way I'd get my shunning removed. I fidgeted as the crowd buzzed and the witches at the table discussed the issue. Finally Wyatt rang the bell for silence. "I want to do this here," he said, and Oliver fell back in his chair with a dramatic expression of irritation. "I don't want to spend days on this. I have just one question." He looked at the other two witches, silent, but clearly as interested as he was. "Perhaps this is a morality trial after all."
Morality, I thought, starting to sweat. I could do this. I didn't know what to do with my hands, and I envied Trent, who was holding Lucy. He could suggest running me through with a flagpole, and as long as he was holding that baby, all they would say would be "Awwww."
Vivian looked questioningly at me, and after glancing at Pierce, I nodded. Seeing my acceptance, she inclined her head at the witch, and he reached for his amulet as he leaned forward. "I want to hear why they each risked shunning to learn black magic."
The crowd quieted, and I felt a wash of hope. Survival. I'd done it for survival. And I could say that without that stupid bell ringing. Who would blame me for that?
"Very well," Vivian said, a faint worry line on her brow giving me pause. "Rachel, why did you learn black magic?"
Pierce sat down and I stood, nervous as I took a step forward. "By necessity," I said, thinking of all the curses I'd used and the soul-searching that had come before them. "To stay alive, and to save the lives of those I love."
The audience was silent, waiting for the bell that never rang. Even as the truth came out, I was saddened. They had truly believed I'd done it because I was a power-hungry monster.
"Gordian Pierce?" Vivian said.
The chair creaked as he stood, and I watched him step a little past me. "I learned black magic to kill demons."
A wave of soft sound rose and fell from the people beyond the haze, and Oliver leaned forward, his little eyes glinting. "And have you...killed demons?" he asked. "With your black-arts skills?"
"I have had moderate success," he said, and from the corner of my sight, I watched Trent bow his head, holding Lucy close as if he were hurt. "I have tried," Pierce stated loudly as the crowd showed their disbelief.
"Just two days ago, I almost killed a demon."
Al, I thought, grimacing. Then I went cold, turning to look at Pierce in horror. Shit.
"But you failed," Oliver needled him. "Why should we allow you to rejoin the coven if you're not skilled enough?"
Shit, shit, shit! I thought as I silently begged Pierce to keep his mouth shut, but I couldn't move. If I moved, it would look worse.
"I would have succeeded," Pierce said hotly. "The hell spawn would be dead but for-"
Pierce stopped. His eyes wide, he looked at me in fear. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, knowing what was going to happen. "Rachel, I didn't think..."
I swallowed hard as his words went out to the hundreds assembled, waiting.
"But for what?" Oliver said. Standing, he gestured. "But for what, Gordian!"
Trent's head was bowed, and Vivian looked pained. She knew. She had heard us talk.
"I failed," Pierce stated. "It was my failing. I'm not good enough."
"Why?" Oliver's voice was demanding. "If you're not good enough, then this claim of learning black magic to save ourselves is a load of crap and you should be buried alive again!"
Pierce's eyes closed, his jaw clenched, refusing to speak.
My chest hurt, and I said the words for him. "Because I stopped him."