“The blessing is fed by your life stream. I bet everyone in your family has died young, haven’t they? Grandparents? Balthazar? Uh…your parents?”
Heartbreaking realization washed over her face, and Veronica put her arm around the girl’s shoulders.
“That god guy got them killed?” Wendy said.
“Not really,” I said. “It sounds like when they come of age, Sucellus gives them a choice. Follow or don’t. Once they choose to follow, they make the offerings and sacrifices. I guess…they thought it was worth it. I have no idea if he told them the truth or what they were sacrificing, though. They may never have known,” I said with a shrug. “I’m so sorry.”
She nodded, and tried to stay stoic, but I could see her lower lip tremble.
“But my mom wasn’t even a Freedman by blood,” she said, and my heart nearly shattered at how broken she sounded.
“She was… Well, she was collateral damage, I suppose.” It sounded trite, but there was nothing else to be said about it. Tragic and awful, but sometimes that was simply how life was.
“We need to break your bond to him,” I explained. “You’ll be free of the blessing as well as the curse.”
“Am I gonna be dumb when that happens?” Wendy asked.
I barked a laugh. “No. It shouldn’t be retroactive. You’ll be you, you just won’t get any extra help from here on out.”
“I’m cool with that,” she said.
“What happened to that priest, anyway?” Veronica asked.
“He’ll probably have averybad time when Sucellus finds him. I’ll leave that to the vengeful god. Hey, you don’t happen to still have that chess piece totem, do you?”
Veronica frowned. “Uh, no, I think it’s actually still at the house. I got kidnapped, remember? If I’d had it, I would have used it.”
“Damn,” I muttered as we made our way into the concrete corridor. “I’m really tired. Don’t feel like driving. It would have been nice if we could just teleport back to The Shadow Streets.”
Veronica burst out laughing, the sound of it joyous and melodic as it echoed down the stone hallways.
24
VERONICA
“What’s taking so long?” I said, turning to look at Declan and Wendy.
They sat on a bench outside the courtroom while I was pacing back and forth like a madwoman.
“You’ve got to calm down,” Declan said, a few scabs and cuts still visible on his face. “They’ve got to deliberate.”
“They’ll say you’re innocent,” Wendy added. “After everything that’s come out, they can’t deny it.”
“Yeah, but… waiting is nerve-racking,” I said.
My trial had taken place within the Wiccan temple closest to the Freedman Academy, and the judges were the highest-ranking witches and sorcerers from every coven within a hundred miles. Each designee had come to hear arguments and lay judgment. A judgment that would be carried out by the enforcers of magical law. The whole thing had been intense and brutal to go through, especially after the lengths Virgil had gone to in order to ensure his plan worked.
Upon his death, a thrall spell broke, revealing that he’d put several students, a few professors, as well as other paranormal beings under his sway without their knowledge. For all his shortcomings, Virgil had been a singularly skilled witch. The fact he’d been able to do all that, and do it to some of the professors, was beyond impressive. It was also why they’d all been dead set on finding me and bringing me to justice. With the testimony of students and people like Professor Karmody, as well as my own and Wendy’s, Declan was sure they’d find me innocent. But that was easier to hear than to believe.
Wendy got up and joined me in pacing the hall, her hand on my back the whole time.
“Things are going to be fine,” she said. “And once they are, you can come back home to study.”
“Thanks,” I said. “Headmistress.”
Wendy wrinkled her nose. “Ew. No. Don’t call me that.”
Balthazar’s last will and testament proclaimed that the school be left to his lone remaining family member. Wendy. Though everyone, including her, had decided a twelve-year-old was too young to run a coven and school. The lessons restarted as usual, but the coven had been ordered to vote on a replacement as leader within three months. None of us were sure who they might choose, but we had faith they would try to find someone similar to Balthazar if possible.
