Page 8 of Familiar of the Witch

Chapter 6

‘I have footage,’ Bastion continued.

‘Regretfully,’ Tristan started with a sneer, ‘the footage Miss DeLea supplied was corrupted.’

Bastion smiled, though there was nothing friendly about it. ‘Luckily I had several copies made. Just in case of any regrettable incompetence.’ The insult was laid out there, spat at Tristan. The witch flushed but said nothing.

That was Benji’s cue. He rolled in a huge TV and placed it on the dais so that everyone crowding into the hall could see it. He gave me a grin and a thumbs-up, which I couldn’t help returning, then he turned on the TV and pressed a few buttons. The footage started rolling.

‘And besides,’ I said pointedly, ‘it’s the Crone position that you covet, isn’t it?’

Hilary’s eyes narrowed. ‘I don’t especially like your tone. What are you implying,Amber?’

‘I’m not implying anything. I’m saying you want to be the next Crone, don’t you?’

‘What gave me away?’ Hilary asked calmly, as her eyes leached to black.

The whole room was engrossed as our conversation reached boiling point.

‘Benji is worth his weight in gold,’ I said.

‘Oh, he is,’ she agreed. ‘To the right person. Luckily, that person is me. His obedience to the Council is absolute.’ She fixed her eyes on Benji, expression triumphant. ‘Benji, kill Bastion.’

The footage stopped and I tried to keep the frown off my face. It had been expertly spliced to ensure there was no mention of the black Coven at any point – no need to start mass hysteria – but it ended before it showed whohadkilled Hilary.

Bastion spoke into the shocked silence. ‘As you can see, she confessed to killing the Crone.’

Suddenly sound roared around the room as hundreds of voices started talking at once.

‘She killed the Crone!’

‘Hilary Mitchell! A black witch!’

‘She was alwaysa bitch.’

‘Silence!’ Tristan roared. The witches paid him no attention; they were too busy being shocked and gossiping at what had been revealed. I heard the word ‘necromancer’; No one had missed the way Hilary’s eyes had leached to black.

Frogmatch had done a great job sourcing a huge TV that could be wheeled in because now everyone in the room had seen the footage and it was undeniable. This wasn’t something Tristan could hush up; there were far too many witnesses. Tristan couldn’t do anything but dismiss the charges against me.

I knew he wouldn’t bring them against Bastion: firstly, he wouldn’t dare, and secondly, the drums had beaten out over Calton Hill declaring war on the Crone’s killer. Hilary had confessed and the sentence for killing a Crone was death. Bastion had said he had acted as judge, jury and executioner. There would be no reprisals.

It was with a decidedly sour look on his face that Tristan announced, ‘The charges against Amber DeLea are dismissed.’

‘Wait!’ Seren cried. ‘I have more charges to bring!’

Chapter 7

‘This is highly irregular.’ Beatrice glowered at Seren. ‘All charges must be brought to the Council and discussed before they are ratified and levelled at the accused. You have not carried out due process.’

‘We’ve all heard of Ellie Tron, the witch that heals without charging!’ Seren cried, ‘It’s her! It’s Amber!’

Kass stood. ‘This whole thing has been nothing more than a witch hunt!’ We rarely used that emotionally charged term, and there were audible gasps around the room.

My friend was new and she risked much by openly defying the other members of the Council so early in her career. She didn’t care. She continued. ‘A campaign is being waged to discredit an honourable witch. Amber DeLea has been weeding out black witches, so it seems to me that anyone levelling charges against her needs to be closely examined.Whether intentionally or not, you are serving the black witches with this continued campaign of hatred and misinformation.’

‘Me?’ Seren squawked. ‘I’m not a black witch! I’m telling you,she’sEllie Tron.’ She pointed at me accusingly. I kept my face as blank as possible.

Kass and Bastion had tried, but the excrement was going to hit the fan. Once I was on that runed chair…

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