Witchfolk by Renae L. Moore

1

THROUGHOUT THE TEMPLE courtyard, the kingdom's motto echoed in a monotone loop over the loudspeaker. "The kingdom shall not permit a witch to live freely." A clockwork boy pushed a hover cart filled with pears through the sparse crowd. He took coin from greedy hands in exchange for his wares. The gathering in the courtyard was smaller than she expected. Hope welled in her chest that maybe the public had lost their taste for the witch executions. Perhaps there would be no basket lunches on red checkerboard blankets today.

No children laughing while playing with their witch hunter dolls. No fight to get the best body parts for crafting charms and curses. She hoped against hope that preparations for the upcoming royal foxhunt weren't the only reason the crowd was thin.

Amber took a deep breath to slow her racing heart. Every month, the royal guards increased their patrols and raids in the days before the fox-hunt. They used the time to round up the witches who would be prey for the hunters in the labyrinth.

The stonings always happened during the closing ceremony. Something had changed.

"Why do you think they're stoning her now? Why not wait?" Jasmine shook her head.

"No rest for the wicked," Amber mumbled.

Kane elbowed her. She elbowed him back and shot him a withering glance. As usual, his face was unreadable, but she felt the warning in his nudge.

He was big on keeping up royal appearances, much like her mother. But Amber was too weary, to keep pretending like this was normal. It was bad enough she was forced to watch witchfolk hunted for sport in some stupid foxhunt game. It was a whole other nightmare to watch one of her friends be turned into a living statue.

"This is a bad idea, princess. We shouldn't be here," Kane whispered. Ever the protector, his eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the crowd for threats.

"The least we can do is watch. She is part of the coven," Amber whispered back. "Unless you forgot."

"That is exactly why we shouldn't be here. What

if she calls out to you for help?"

"She wouldn't. No one in the coven wo-"

"What if Gav-"

"Shh," Jasmine warned. "Not here. Not now."

Her eyes darted to the stage.

Amber stole a glance at the stage. Her cousin Nazim, the spare prince, stood with a trio of witch hunters. They were laughing, eating pears, and passing a flask back and forth. Nazim's training was going as well as could be expected with those bottom feeders. Last month he quit the Guild Academy and joined the hunt with the other academy rejects and dropouts. Now he had no crown and no wand.

An ordinary charmless mundane.

The loudest among them was their leader, Gavin Wade, the Butcher. He was the arrogant son of her mom's rival guildmaster. His team was responsible for more than half the witch arrests the past month.

A morally bankrupt group known to torture witch-folk and chop them into parts for sale on the black-market. If they couldn't have power, they would take it away from others. They unironically called themselves the Boneheads. Magicless and stupid.

The best combination for creating the worst people in the kingdom.

Gavin looked at her with a glint in his ice blue eyes. He blew her a kiss with a wink. She flipped him off. It'd been two months since he discovered her secret, and he still hadn't made a move. What's he waiting for? The urge to claw his eyes out flooded her mind. She twisted her grandmother's ring. The enchanted bloodstone pulsed against her skin in synch with her throbbing temples.

Her breathing slowed as her mind cleared. Accidentally shifting into her familiar now would be a mistake.

She had to stay in control. One wandering thought and all their plans would be ruined. She looked away as the other boneheads burst into laughter again.

"Fine." Amber crossed her arms. The argument could wait. Afterall, she was right. No need to rush to prove it.

A hush fell over the crowd as the royal axman walked onto the stage. Amber knew Dale Wade by reputation only. And what she knew wasn't great.

He was dressed in the same black guard uniform as Kane. His blonde hair was cropped short in the front and hung past his shoulders in the back. The black and red dragon mascot of the fire guild shone bright against his pale neck. The guild sigil was identical to her own neck tattoo. The same symbol decorated the handle of his quicksilver dagger.

Once Dale stood at center stage, the guest of dishonor was ushered out by two guards. Amber focused on her breathing as she watched Rynn walk across the stage. The quicksilver cuffs on her wrists glistened in the afternoon sun. Rynn who had a smile like sunshine and a temper like a tempest; much like her own. Rynn who was caught running a mission for the Medusa coven. Rynn who Amber had sent on the mission that got her caught. Amber fought back the urge to engulf the stage in flame and choke out the guards with smoke. That was not how a royal should act. At least according to her mom. So, Amber did what she could and made a mental note of each of their faces. Now wasn't the time to act but they would eventually get what they deserved. She would make sure of it.

A pear flew across the stage, striking Rynn in the nose. Her khaki skin turned red from the impact.

Amber's chest tightened. Her familiar beat its wings against her rib cage. She didn't have to look to know who had thrown the fruit. Nazim's group erupted in laughter as blood ran down Rynn's face. A faint orange glow radiated from his ring. Damn boneheads and their charmtek. To Rynn's credit, her head didn't move, her shoulders didn't droop. Rynn stayed stoic, unmovable, her gaze fixed on a distant point at the far end of the courtyard. The breeze blew her black curls in a whirl around her tanned face. It was the only proof she wasn't a statue. Yet. Medusa, let the pain meant for Rynn backfire and be felt by her punishers. She added Nazim and his hunter cronies to her mental payback list.

Dale took a step to the front of the stage. He picked up the pear, took a big bite then spit the chunk in Rynn's face. A smirk twisted his face into a mask of unchecked authority that turned her stom-ach. As his sapphire eyes scanned the crowd, Amber shifted her gaze to her boots. No breathing exercises could calm her while she stared into the face of evil. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"God fortify the King."

"God fortify the King." The crowd responded in

unison.

He continued, "The kingdom shall not permit a witch to live freely. This is the first command of the Kingslaw. A command that protects every Michigan citizen from witches and their unholy witchcraft. Today is the royal foxhunt, the most sacred of days where witches are gifted with the chance to repent for their crimes against the crown. I can think of no better way of celebrating than by honoring the king's command. This is the witch, Rynn Jilani. It was caught by hunter Wade outside the palace during the witching hour. It is believed it was plotting to kill the king. By the power of King Elios the Tinkerer, it is ordered that this monster be blessed with Medusa's Favor."

Amber knew better than to blink or she would miss her chance. With one swift movement, he thrust the quicksilver dagger towards Rynn's chest. She made her move simultaneously. Reddo consilio. The words echoed in her mind as she silently cast the spell. The dagger touched Rynn's chest above her heart then recoiled as if pulled back by a string.

Gasps erupted from the people standing nearest the stage. In the span of a heartbeat, the dagger flipped and plunged itself hilt deep into the axman's chest. Dale's eyes widened at the impact. More gasps. Jasmine grabbed Amber's left hand and squeezed. Another heartbeat passed. Dale's blue eyes widened as he watched silver spread from the blade to his chest like spilled water. Recognition flashed in his eyes. The cursed fate he wished for Rynn was his to bear.

He fell backwards under the weight of the stone. He wouldn't be returning to the royal barracks tonight.

Instead, the monster would find a new home in the stonegarden amongst the other victims of Medusa's Favor.

Amber's heart skipped a beat. The backfire spell worked. Her backfire spell. Shit. Her mom was gonna be pissed. A half dozen guards stormed the stage. They grabbed Rynn and rushed her off as chaos erupted in the courtyard.

"Let's go," Kane grabbed her right hand. "Now." Amber didn't argue. Kane's duty was to protect her. There was no time for any games or arguments.

Jasmine kept a tight grip on her hand as they let Kane clear a path for them. She stole a glance at Gavin as they made their way out of the courtyard. He was on his knees, mouth agape, eyes fixed on his brother, the stoneman.

Amber repressed a smile. Thank you, Medusa.

------

We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...