Sweep - Origins Part 7

Feeling cleansed and refreshed, I headed back to the cottage. When I came upon the main road, I spied Kyra tramping along, a basket on her arm.

aI have sweet oat cakes for your ma,a she said, aand dreadful news for you.a She took my hand and pulled me off the road. aDid you cast a spell over Siobhan? Some kind of deadly potion?a aI did.a I squared my shoulders. aAfter what she did to my mother, Ia"a aIam not blaming you,a Kyra interrupted, abut rumor has it that Siobhanas younger brother has fallen ill. The boy seems to have a sleeping sickness, his breathing slowed to frightening depths, his body racked by convulsions.a I gasped. aHe drank the potion?a Kyra nodded sadly. aThe poor little thing.a I thought of Tysen, carving the bark diligently. The way he had been so proud to bear the pitcher to his sister. Iad had no idea he would drink it himself. But then, he was only a childa"perhaps a mischievous one. I should have realized that when I handed him the death drink. I bit my lower lip, wondering if all of the death drink had gone to the wrong person. aAnd how is Siobhan?a I asked, hoping that she might have had a few sips herself.

aIn a fury,a Kyra answered. aSiobhan is telling everyone that the potion was spelled, an evil spell cast by you!a I folded my arms defensively. aThe cup was not marked, and no one saw me give it to Tysen.a At least, I didnat think anyone saw me. aSiobhan will never be able to prove her suspicions,a I said.

aPerhaps not,a Kyra agreed. aStill, atis a sad thing to see sickness in one so young.a aIndeed.a With every ounce of my might I wished that I could take back the spella"take it all back and restore Tysenas good health. Perhaps I could.

But I didnat want to involve Kyra in this, especially now that I had dabbled in dark magick. I thanked her for the cakes and headed back to the cottage, thinking of possible spells. There was a spell intended to undo the original spella"certainly worth a try. And there was an endless variety of healing spells. Surely any combination of those would cure the boy.

Back at the cottage, Ma was asleep. I checked her for fever, then sat at the table with her Book of Shadows. After much searching I found the spell of reversal: On the eve of the new moon I cast a spell, And the effects I created, I must now quell.

May this spell be lifted and I now gifted with.

aWith good health for Tysen,a I whispered aloud.

The spell called for protective stones such as amethyst or smokey quartz, and I was to use one white and one black candle for balance. I bit my lips, determined to sneak out to my sacred place in the woods as soon as night fell and save Tysen. For now I could only a.s.semble the things I would need.

Night had fallen. Ma had been to the table to eat, but now she was back in bed again, too weak to stay up for long. Still, she was healing well. I had cleaned and dressed her wound, and it was starting to close with no redness or discharge. I was grateful that she would recover.

She dozed upon her pillow now, and I was ready to slip out and reverse the spell that had befallen poor Tysen. My tools and herbs were a.s.sembled. All that I needed was a gem-stone from Maas cupboard. I opened the cabinet door and poked about, searching for a stone with the right charge. I found a malachite, a bluish stone with bands of white. Holding it thoughtfully in my hands, I realized it would be a good stone to keep near me. Malachite was known to give wisdom, pointing one in the right direction, giving guidance. I was about to slip it in my pocket when the stone broke in half! Part of it tumbled from my hand, falling to the table with a thud.

Ma bolted up in bed. aWhat was that?a she asked.

aThis malachite,a I told her, picking up the pieces from the floor. aIt broke in two!a aOh, dear G.o.ddess!a Ma exclaimed. She tried to rise from her bed, but I could see that the movement drained her.

aDonat get up, Ma,a I said, tucking the blanket over her. aItas all right.a aBut itas not! This has dire meaning. Malachite breaks in two to give you a warning of danger. Something terrible is going to happen, Rose!a I swallowed hard, trying to hold back my own panic. Oh, G.o.ddess, are my dark spells coming back to me? I couldnat bear to tell Ma the truth of my worries, to admit how deep I had fallen into spells she didnat approve of.

aOh, then. it must have been predicting your accident with the arrow,a I said, turning my face to the cupboard. I put the two pieces of malachite back on the shelf. aBecause, actually, the stone broke last week. I simply forgot to mention it to you.a aIt was already broken?a I could feel her fear draining away.

aWell, then, letas hope you are right. Perhaps you are.a She turned on her side, content to fall back asleep.

I found an amethyst in her collection, then collected the candles and herbs I had gathered. It was time to save Tysen.

Quietly I slipped out the door and started up the path. Ahead of me light spilled down the lane. What was it from? A moment later torches floated up the path, heading this way.

I recoiled in fear. What had happened? Had Tysen died already and the Vykrothes come to punish me? I backed up to the door and nearly fell inside. Ma was already up, hobbling toward me.

aWhat is it, Rose?a she asked in a hoa.r.s.e voice. aI sense the danger. Whatas happening?a aA band of people is coming,a I said, rushing to stow away the things I had collected for my spell. aI donat know who they are, but they are not Vykrothes.a aLet us see,a Ma said, shuffling painfully to the door.

I followed her out to the sea of darkness bobbing with torches and ghostly faces. In the lead the village reverend stepped forward, his mouth a slash of contempt.

aWhat business do you have with us so late at night, Reverend Winthrop?a my mother asked politely. aHave you come to pay a call upon the sick, for that is what I am. A victim of a hunteras arrow.a aI am sorry for your hardship,a Reverend Winthrop said. aBut I am here on a mission from the Almighty Father. I have come to take your daughter to prison, Sle. On the morrow she will be tried as a witch.a aIt cannot be!a my mother protested.

aNo!a I cried. I clutched my belly, buckling to my knees. A witch! How could it be that these people knew of my love for the G.o.ddess? I had moved stealthily, attending church on Sundays and always careful not to speak of my true life around the villagers. A coldness overcame me as I stared out at them, my tears blurring their faces.

How could it be?

aUpon whose order do you take her?a my mother demanded.

The reverend did not answer. But someone stepped forward from the crowda"Siobhan!

aUpon my word!a she shouted. aI know her to be a witch, and I will testify against her.a aNo!a I pleaded. a aTis not fair. She hates me! She wants to have revenge!a But no one seemed to hear my cries as the men stepped forward and grabbed me by the shoulders. Brusquely they bound my wrists behind me and shoved me away from the cottage.

aNo!a I cried, turning back to see Ma huddled at the doorway. aMa! Please!a But she merely watched me go with a stricken expression on her face. She held out a hand to me, as if I could clasp on and save myself from drowning.

But I could not. I marched off to prison, my heart hammering with fear that this was truly my death march. Because of Siobhan, I had been named as a witch. And no one, no one in the Highlands, had ever faced those charges and escaped alive.

On the morning of my trial a guard woke me and roughly ushered me into a cottage near the village center. I hoped they were bringing me to the table to break my fast, but when I saw the minister, Reverend Winthrop, along with a stout, bearded man, I reared back in fear.

aDr. Wellington is here to examine you for the mark of the devil, Rose MacEwan,a said the reverend. aOff with your gown.a The guard at the door crossed his arms, smiling at me.

I had never been ashamed of my body, having been raised among circles of unclad witches, but to go naked before such hostile eyes. I began to tremble. Would he realize that I was with child? If he did, atwould prejudice the town against me.

aI cannot,a I said, folding my arms across my chest protectively.

aBalderdash!a the reverend shouted. He stepped forward and tore at the collar of my gown. aRemove your clothes, and Iall remind you to make haste, for your trial is upon us.a aNo!a I shrieked, trying to pull away from him. I felt like a trapped animal; there was no way out. Closing my eyes, I began to take off my gown.

I stood there naked, feeling their l.u.s.t and hatred swirl around me. Something jabbed at my b.u.t.tocks, and I opened my eyes to see the physician jabbing at me with a stick, as if I were chattel in a field. Keeping his distance, he touched my b.u.t.tocks, my thighs, my belly, my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Humiliation burned in my throat, and I closed my eyes again.

I could not tell whether he knew I was with child. At this point the mound at my belly was quite p.r.o.nounced and my b.r.e.a.s.t.s were swollen with milk, but I wasnat sure this physician knew the realities of a womanas body. His examination seemed more motivated by l.u.s.t than professional interest.

And thus I began the day of my trial, naked before three peculiar men. After that I was allowed to dress and given a bowl of gruel, which I gobbled up eagerly. It was not enough food to sustain my babe, and I wondered if there would be more at lunch.

After breakfast I was dragged out to the center of our village, where I was tied rather barbarically to a hitching post. Villagers were free to a.s.semble around me and witness the nightmare, and most of the villagers I saw every Sunday in church were in attendance. Among the faces gathered there, I saw the members of our covena"the MacGreavys, Norn, Aislinn, and the others. Ma was there, leaning gingerly on Miller MacGreavyas cart. I spied Meara with two of the little ones in tow, and I wondered if she was their ma now. Kyra and Falkner were conspicuously absent, but I suspected that their parents had been fearful for their safety. If the village reverend started to get greedy, he might look for others who were guilty by a.s.sociation.

Standing in the center of the village, sweating under the late August sun and the scrutiny of so-called holy men, I felt horribly exposed. An alarming odor filled the air, something I could not identify. Was it a burning herb?

No, I thought, swallowing against the biting taste in my throat. Itas the smell of fear. My fear.

Reverend Winthrop began talking to the crowd, telling of evils prevailing among us. I was trying to listen, trying to create a defense in my mind when I saw someone moving through the crowda"a lean, solid figure.

Diarmuid!

I felt my life force rising as he turned toward me. Our eyes locked, and I could feel it in the air between us. He still loved me. He had come to tell me that and to free me from these charges. He would come forward during the trial and rescue me. I closed my eyes and focused on sending him a message. Diarmuid would rescue me once again. This would all be over soon.

Youave come to save me!I told him in a tua labra. I knew you would come for me.

I waited for an answer.

But all I heard was the voice of the reverend accusing me of being a witch. aComing upon her at the brook one morning, I saw her conducting what must certainly be a pagan ritual,a he said in his whiny voice.

I suddenly recalled the morning when Iad heard someone on the path. The morning after Beltane, when Iad slipped off my clothes for a thorough cleansing.

aI was washing,a I said, looking out at the crowd for validation. aDo not most maidens bathe upon rising?a aWithout a st.i.tch of clothing?a Reverend Winthrop asked.

A few of the Presbyterians snickered, as if head made a coa.r.s.e joke.

aWhy do you laugh, when most of you could use a thorough cleansing in the river?a Ma said, standing tall. The crowd grew silent. aOr is that odor the stench of hysteria? For I have yet to see a person so accused treated fairly in these Highlands.a The minister folded his arms, appraising my mother. aWoman, what is your claim here? This is a formal inquisition.a aI am the mother of Rose MacEwan, and I know her to be a kind and n.o.ble child,a Sle said. Her hair was covered by a modest veil, her voice filled with a fort.i.tude that belied her injury. aWhatever evil you have charged her with is false, I swear a solemn oath to that. And I charge you to release her and return her to her proper home.a It was dangerous for anyone to speak in my defense, but Ma had been willing to take that chance. In some ways, I knew I didnat deserve it. Pressing one hand against the child in my belly, I marveled at how deep a motheras love could run.

Reverend Winthrop puckered his lips, as if Sleas words had left a sour taste in his mouth. aThese are the words of her mother,a he announced formally. aAlthough Iave yet to know a mother who clearly sees her childas true flaws.a I turned to Diarmuid and sent him an urgent message: The man shows disrespect toward my mother! I wanted to say. Step forward and set him aright! But now he was watching the reverend, pretending not to understand me.

aSo,a the minister went on, ait was no surprise when this young maiden came to me with proof that Rose MacEwan is a witch.a He gestured toward Siobhan. aTell us what you know, please.a Siobhan stepped forward, her long neck craning as she lifted her chin proudly. aShe is a witch!a she said in a tinny voice. aI have witnessed her performing her craft.a Although she was hardly convincing, she smiled gleefully.

I turned to Diarmuid, wondering what he thought of his betrothed now. Had he known that she was a backstabbing hypocrite?

Diarmuidas face was pale, his blue eyes flashing with something I couldnat determine. Surprise? Perhaps he hadnat heard that Siobhan was my chief accuser.

Step forward and make her cease,I ordered him. You have the power to stop her. Donat let this drag on!

But he didnat seem to be receiving my messages. Where was his mind today?

aWhat have you seen Rose MacEwan doing?a Reverend Winthrop prodded Siobhan. aRemember what you told me?a aAye!a Siobhan answered. aI have seen her dancing in the woods at night! Dancing with the devil!a Her words lashed out like the crack of a whip. How could she say that? Even if she hated me, did she not realize those words would be my death sentence? I pressed my hands to my hot cheeks, too afraid to respond, too frightened to cry.

The crowd gasped and murmured.

aQuiet, please!a the reverend shouted. aLetas not waver from the point at hand. Did you or did you not see Rose MacEwan in her dance with Satan?a he asked Siobhan.

aI did!a she shouted. aAnd I can prove it.a She pointed a finger at me, hatred gleaming in her pale gray eyes. aRose MacEwan is with child! She is carrying the devilas sp.a.w.n!a I felt stung. How did she know I was with child? Had Diarmuid told her? It would have been a huge betrayal, something I could not believe of him. She must have found out some other way. But how?

The crowd was rumbling with speculation. Ma had collapsed onto Miller MacGreavyas cart, and I saw Norn embrace her. I tried to catch Diarmuidas eye, but he was blocked by one of the villagers, who was laughing heartily. Should I send him another tua labra, or was that a waste of time? Oh, G.o.ddess, help me!

aIs it true, Dr. Wellington?a Reverend Winthrop asked the physician. aIs Rose MacEwan with child?a Dr. Wellington stroked his bristly beard as if the answer lay there in the folds of his chin. aWell, aye, atis true.a aMy child is not the devilas sp.a.w.n,a I cried. aShe is a healthy, human child with a father who will love her!a aLiar!a Siobhan shouted. aThere is no father! Rose MacEwan has lain with the devil. That is why her belly is swollen with his evil seed!a Reverend Winthrop made the sign of the cross, and those standing closest to me took a step back, as if my evil could spread to them.

aThere is a father for my child!a I insisted. aHe is among us now.a I dared not name him, for fear that the crowd would turn on him, too. The answer had to come from him; Diarmuid had to be the one to stand up and lay claim to me as his future bride and mother of his child. By doing so he could turn this scandalous dilemma into something honorable in the eyes of the Christians, who at least believed in redemption.

I glanced toward him, beseeching him, but he did not move. What was he waiting for? I need you a" now! Itas time for you to save me. Denounce Siobhanas lie. Claim me as your own true love and lover.

aA father among us?a Reverend Winthrop said tartly. He glanced over his shoulders at the men in the crowd. aAll right, then. Let the father of Rose MacEwanas child step forward. What human among us has lain with this woman?a I looked at Diarmuid, begging him to act now.

But he would not meet my glance. It was as if he were cast in stone, a useless pillar of rock.

Please!I thought, beseeching him with every fiber of my being. Please. theyare going to kill me and our baby!

But he did not move.

aOh, G.o.ddess,a I mumbled under my breath. aLet it not be. He is choosing her! He is choosing her over me!a aJust as I suspected.a The reverend shook his head, eyeing me with mock sadness. aThere is no father, is there?a His eyes glittered with malice.

aThere is!a I insisted.

I wanted to protest, but my throat had gone dry.

Going over to a horse trough, Reverend Winthrop pushed back the sleeves of his gown, making a show of washing his hands. aI wash my hands of the matter of your redemption. I do believe you are guilty as charged.a aAye, she is guilty!a someone cried.

aGuilty! Guilty!a The cry became a chant taken up by the villagers around me.

I felt myself collapsing against the hitching post, my hands hugging my belly. I couldnat let them hurt my babe. But how could I stop the swell of hatred that raged out of control?

aGuilty! Guilty! Guilty!a Strong arms clamped around me. I felt myself being lifted, then dragged off through the crowd. Villagers stared at me, their eyes full of scorn or pity or curiosity. One woman s.n.a.t.c.hed her children away and tucked them behind her skirts, as if I would harm them. How wrong she was. Didnat she know I would defend any child, especially my own, to the ends of time?

aAnother useless Wodebayne to the gallows,a I heard a Vykrothe man mutter just loud enough for me to hear. a aTis no loss for us.a Is that what all of this had boiled down to? Hatred and prejudice? I wondered, but my thoughts were clouded with pain and confusion.

aAt last sheall be getting what she deserves,a said a familiar voice.

I glanced up to see Siobhan sidling up to Diarmuid, a smug expression on her face. Beside her Diarmuid stood staring at the ground.

Not man enough to defend me! I wanted to say, but the words were caught in the painful lump lodged in my throat.

I dug my heels into the ground, making the guards halt for a moment. aMark my words, Siobhan,a I told her, my voice cracking with emotion. aYour evil will come back to you threefold!a aBegone!a she said, waggling her fingers at me like a sprite. aYouall not harm me again.a Without thought I was upon her, grabbing and sc.r.a.ping in an attempt to shatter her silly composure. I felt my nails dig into her skin, scratching the side of her cheek.

aAaah!a she yelped. aThe witch has attacked me again!a The men quickly yanked me off her, but before they dragged me away, I had the satisfaction of seeing her sad little pout, along with a trickle of blood running down her graceful neck.

That is the neck that should be snapped at the gallows! I wanted to scream. She had tried to kill my mother, had she not? The urge to send dealan-d her way was strong, and it took all my restraint to control myself as the men took me off to my tiny prison.

My cell was actually the springhouse behind a villageras cottage. The roof was made of leaky straw thatching, but the mud-plastered stone walls prevented my escape. Tossed onto the dirt floor there, I curled into a ball and thought of Diarmuid, my heart truly breaking. What had happened to the power of our love?

He had said that I was destined for great thingsa"to become high priestess! And he knew the G.o.ddessas plan for our uniona"that together we could unite all the clans!

But no. The path to redemption had been crossed by Siobhan, and Diarmuid had succ.u.mbed to her. He had failed me, failed us, failed our child.

Oh, G.o.ddess, how could he be so disloyal? Disappointment overwhelmed me as I fell into a dark state, my hand resting upon the child within my belly.

13. A Spell for the Darkest Hour.

The creak of a door. A sliver of light.

Someone was entering my chamber.

aHark!a he said, peering over the flame of the candle.

I sat up on the dirt floor. aDiarmuid?a My head was clogged from sleep, but indeed it was him, coming into the cell.

aWhere are the guards?a I asked in surprise.

aThey are blind to me,a he said as the door creaked closed behind him. aI cast a see-me-not spell, rather successfully, I might add. And those b.u.mblers are spelled deep asleep.a How could he joke at a time like this? I turned my face away, not willing to meet his eyes. aHave you come to gloat over my demise?a I asked.

aOf course not. Iave come to extract one last promise. I was pleased by the way you held your tongue today, not mentioning my name. I trust youall keep silent till the end.a I spun around to glare at him. aSilent!a I shouted. aSilence is the reason I am here! Why did you not answer my messages?a I stamped the ground with my foot. aWhy did you not come forward to defend me and claim your child?a He lowered his chin, his blue eyes abrasive. aHow am I to know the bairn is mine?a Furious, I took a swing at him, but he bobbed so that my fist caught only air. As I stumbled back, he caught my arms and held me in place. His eyes swept down my body to my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, my swollen belly. aAnd you thought I would claim your child?a he said with sudden disdain. aKnowing your wanton ways, youave probably bedded dozens like me.a His words infuriated me, but my fury was checked by my revelation. The man standing before me was not n.o.ble nor true nor even kind. And he had never been the sweet perfection Iad glimpsed under the G.o.ddessas sky.

His pentagram dangled at his neck, glinting mockingly.

Suddenly I wanted to scratch out his glittering eyes and smite the grin from his pretty face. I did not love this man. How had I ever loved one who so cagily used me, took of my body and my heart, then abandoned me for dead?

aGet out!a I growled. I kicked at his legs, aiming high but just glancing off the top of his thigh.