The captain ducked his horns again and turned around, yelling to his troop of war demons that the queen had given her permission. This caused a huge cheer as the war demons ran off to join the others in stripping Gilgamesh’s palace. Bex watched them go with a grin as she crossed the still-wet plaza to the white steps of the palace’s main door, where the three Old Wives of the Blackwood were waiting with their brooms.
The moment Bex’s boot touched the first stair, all three witches turned to look at her like their heads were attached to the same string. That would’ve been spooky if Bex hadn’t already heard them finishing each other’s sentences during the big curse earlier and pretty much every other time they did something important. She’d already secretly started thinking of them as three faces of the same lady anyway, so this was par for the course. Bex was much more concerned to see that Adrian wasn’t waiting with them.
“Where is—”
“Inside,” the Witch of the Future said before Bex could finish.
“He’s the only one of us who can go in,” the Witch of the Present explained. “It seems Gilgamesh has banned all daughters of the Blackwood from entering his palace.”
“Wisest move he’s made in years,” the Witch of the Past agreed, pushing her stringy white hair away from her face as she stared up at the towers. “Pity. There’s a lot of good bones in there.”
She finished with a hungry smile, and Bex caught her flinch just in time.
“Thank you for your help earlier,” she said, bowing her horns as much as she dared with so many demons watching. “We couldn’t have taken the plaza without you.”
“I’m glad we were able to put our ancient spite to good use,” Agatha said, glancing through the open doorway. “Especially since it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to be of further assistance.”
“If we could storm the palace ourselves, we wouldn’t have needed Adrian or the queen,” Muriel reminded her sisters. “There’ve been some variations, but all the main parts are still going according to plan.” She turned back around to Bex before lowering her head just as slightly as Bex had dipped her horns. “This means the future of our coven is now in your hands. We wish you good luck, Queen of All Demons.”
The other witches bowed as well, and Bex stepped back in alarm. “Just my hands? Does that mean you’re done?”
“Hardly,” Lydia said, glaring at Bex with blue eyes that gleamed like cold gems in her wrinkled face. “Who do you think is going to hold the line out here? Or keep ferrying your refugees back to the land of the living? Just because we can’t storm the fortress with you doesn’t mean we’re not fighting.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Bex said swiftly. “It’s just…”
She’d hoped for more help. The witches’ magic had been incredible. If it’d just been her and her demons, Bex doubted they could’ve taken the palace steps without heavy casualties, much less pushed inside. They’d made progress faster than she’d ever dreamed, but even with more demons coming up the tree roots to join them every minute, there was still a lot of palace left to cover.
“Don’t make that face,” Muriel said. “It’s not as if we’re abandoning you. In addition to holding the city, as my sister said, we’re lending you our best weapon. Adrian was chosen for this. He will not fail us, or you.”
“I never thought he would,” Bex said, pulling her tattered coat tighter around her shoulders. “Guess I’m going in, then. Thanks for all the help.”
The three witches nodded in unison, but when Bex started up the stairs toward the palace’s towering doors, a bitter voice spoke behind her.
“Is that all you have to say?”
The words were sharp as steel knives, and Bex looked over her shoulder to see Leander standing at the bottom of the steps, staring up at the three witches with centuries of anger etched into his gaunt face.
“I’m standing right here,” he told them. “A son of your own Blackwood, a child you gave away, yet you have more words for the demon than you do for me.” He clenched his fists tight. “Have you nothing else to say for yourself,Mother?”
The witches of the Past and Future looked away, but the Witch of the Present, the target of his words, stared him down with cold blue eyes.
“No.”
Leander flinched like the word was a physical blow, but Agatha’s expression didn’t soften.
“I would never insult my children by asking their forgiveness,” she said. “I cannot ask it, because I am not sorry. I am a mother, yes, and a sister and a woman in my own right. But before all of that, I am a witch. The love I bear for you and all my sons is buried with my heart beneath the Blackwood. A sacrifice to the Great Forest, just like the rest of my flesh.”
“Is that supposed to comfort me?” the prince spat.
“Acts of war comfort no one,” the witch replied. Then, to Bex’s shock, she lowered her eyes. “But I am sorry you turned out so kind, Leander. Most of the sons I bore Gilgamesh were happy to enter his service. I even let him name all of you so I would be less inclined to grow attached. It mostly worked, with two exceptions. Adrian was the second, but you were the first.”
Her hands tightened on her owl-carved broomstick. “You were a thoughtful, clever child, and your witchcraft was sobeautiful. I would have kept you with me if I could, but the time was not yet right, so I obeyed my sisters and let you go.”
“Gilgamesh had already seen your potential,” Lydia said. “He would have killed us for keeping such a sorcerer from him.”
“Agatha has always been weak when it comes to her children,” Muriel agreed. “That’s why we are Three. Two can be strong when one is not.”
“Forgive me if I don’t find that inspiring,” Leander growled, stomping up the stairs so that his back was to all three witches. “You’re no family of mine,” he declared when he reached the top, placing a hand on Bex’s shoulder. “Mara’s little sister is dearer to me than any of you, and kinder to those in her care. I have disagreed with Gilgamesh on every principle of my life, but in one judgement he was entirely correct.” He cast a final glare over his shoulder. “The Blackwoods are all heartless witches.”
