Page 2 of Outlaw Witch

Unique.

One of the reasons I’ve spent most of my life hiding exactly what I can do. But I can’t do everything.

Like opening stupid locked doors.

Or finding my way out of a well sign-posted room. Doesn’t seem to matter if I’m inside or outside. Half the time I barely know my left from my right.

I’m not so hot on gettingoutof places, in general. Or anything that requires a huge amount of patience, or a gentle touch. I’m more of a wham bam, thank you ma’am type.

I could just draw on some of my magic and blast a ball of fire at the door, but that’s not exactly going unnoticed.

Dammit, I knew I should have brought someone with me.

“Seriously, a little help, man? I’m trying to fly under the radar here, and if I blow up the door, it’ll set off the wards. There are people upstairs and I need Rook right now.”

“Sure, sure. Deep breath, Silver. I’m on my way to him right now and we’ll get you out of there.”

Rook’s our resident escape artist. He’s a few years older than me and helped me to find my feet when I was twelve years old and had just been kicked out of my coven. If he hadn’t happened to be in the same cell as me when I was first apprehended, I doubt I ever would have escaped from the execution that was planned for me by the city judiciary.

As it is, we worked together and managed to escape from the judiciary, with both of us officially recorded as having died in our cell.

It’s a knotty, dark past the two of us share.

Rook has got me out of more than a few jams in the past. More than that, I’m pretty sure he’s the reason I’ve survived this long.

I just hope this is another jam he can get me out of.

Another minute passes and my palms are sweating so badly they’re slippery as I slink away from the door. I head toward a little antechamber close to the bottom of a huge wooden staircase, keeping an ear out for movement. I know the witches in the coven have been busy in their morning rituals. I heard the chanting when I skirted around the back of the house earlier, but that’s bound to finish soon.

And right on time, I hear them.

Voices.

They’re heading down the staircase toward me. I pull on more of my magic, shoring up the cloaking spell I’ve got going on, barely breathing as they pass by.

“Silver?”Ember’s voice in my head makes me just about shit my pants.

“Still here,”I tell him.

“Okay, so listen very carefully.”I roll my eyes at him, even though he can’t see me.“Rook says there’s a door just behind the staircase. It leads to another room with a back exit. Head through it and then there should be a window you can use to get out of there. No lefts or rights for you to get muddled up.”His voice is heavy with amusement, and I mentally flip him off.

“Thanks, guys.”I wait another moment to make sure the owners of the nearby voices have moved on, and then make a mad dash toward the door behind me.

Rook’s come good again. This door opens easily. I push it open slowly and find myself in what looks like a mud room. There are coats and cloaks and boots scattered all over the place. Andjackpot,there’s a massive window leading out onto the street outside. I peer out and see that it leads to a quiet side street, which is currently deserted. Yanking it open and cringing as it creaks slightly, I fling myself out onto the concrete outside, wincing as I land heavily on my dodgy ankle and then slip out onto the main street.

The city of Arcanum is bustling, despite the fact it’s drizzling. I keep my hood pulled up over my face and hurry along, joining the crowd and heading back toward the Salvage Yards.

Home.

It’s not until I’m hidden in the crowd. I let out a long relieved breath.

Fuck, that was more stressful than it should have been.

“You get out all right, Silver?”Ember asks.

“Sure did. I need a coffee, a doughnut, and a nap.”

“Uh huh, see you soon.”

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