Part 38 (1/2)

I saw a familiar head of hair Mariska Coven's She ith some of the other Wiccans I had neverout for shapeshi+fters,” she said She pointed her finger at Gaven It was a long, narrow, bony, evil-looking implement Her hair was a mess ”We knohere we stand finally, do we, then? You helped him escape It's a conspiracy And after Selwyn murdered poor Mr Pendderwenn,” she said

”Mariska, please,” said Fanishwar Harcort

But she was overruled by some of the other Wiccans

”I think we deserve to know exactly ent on here, and how Pendderas robbed of its last reentleman in robes the color of Selwyn's eyes

”I'll tell you how,” said Mariska Coven ”He was murdered Murdered, Torsten And they're in on it” She pointed her finger at me, Gaven, all of us

”It's moot now,” said the wizard naue, if that is where they're headed The Master House will deal with him It's finished Pendderwenn is dead”

”Oh, come now, you can't really believe that Hewith the with the Dioscuri,” said Mariska Coven ”There is an insidious plot to destabilize everything for which we have been working so long There is Dark Wicca afoot Where is ley”

Mariska left the place, her feet flying over the sandpit I saw Badgley leaving with her, for which I sy out of her funk; it was clear tosupported by Gaven, who picked her up, carrying her out of the sandpit Where Il Gatto went, the olves followed They pushed their way through the Gathering, daring anyone to challenge the Wiccans dispersed, and I was left staring at Fanishwar Harcort, who, of all of them, had always impressed me the most with her ability to keep her head about her She held her Wiccan W up to esture And then Ito be difficult

”I was supposed to protect you,” he said

”Well, you're talking to ” I didn't know if I should be hard on hio” So at us I was tired of being sociable Yeah, that's right I'm with the olves So what of it

They could all bite ot down onto one knee, and he said, so that everyone could hear, ”I'ain I'm serious”

”Get up, stupid And don't ever call ain,” I said But I was relieved With Ballard back, I could figure out anything Including how to get to Selwyn

Ballard got up ”Are we good?” he said

”Don't you know I think you hang the moon?” I said I looked at him, exasperatedly

”I howl at the ether we left the sandpit

Chapter 29 Epilogue

There were still so Julius Pendderwenn The Wiccans had had a point Sootten to Julius Pendderwenn Naturally, the suspicion fell on us, the olves I included roup But an entire race of olves could not be condemned for one one off as quickly as they could But so had happened on the last day of the Gathering The Initiates had co at her home, so she etting over it Ballard had said that Volt and Pouch had milked their injuries for all they orth, but, essentially, the two of the ready to go back to school I said goodbye to the Initiates on Lia's behalf ”We likedherand you,” they said to me I returned the compliment These were ain,” I said

”I'm sure of it,” they said

They were offto be Initiatedand to learnwhatnot But I had other plans Growing inwas ended, and the Werewolves and I closed shop The Gathering was brought to an end There would not be another one for twenty-five years, at which point I would be forty-two, and Lennox, if he was still alive, would still be the sae I felt him out there, wherever he was, and Marek, too; but it was Selwyn I was most worried about I would not allow him to be kept by those evil ht, just before the other olves and I were set to bury Julius Pendderwenn, I took Ballard aside They hadet two Initiates Lia and I Even though I was House Rooklia, my faured I'd keep it a secret for a bit Anyway, I could just i your last name, Halsey, I'm House Gaven,” she would say They were due to be married soon And then Lia and Gaven would be off, to Tuscany and elsewhere, for their honey to be a January bride ”At the New Year,” she said to me Which just left Ballard and me

I pulled him to the side of the road, on Via Appia Antica, which here the olves buried their dead As was their custo Julius Pendderwenn off in style ”After all, he was from Rome,” said Gaven And from my parents' old House He had wanted ht did not appeal to me, didn't mean what had happened to Pendderwenn should have It was imperative Ballard know that it hadn't been Selho had done it

”Halsey,” he said ”Selas in such a hurry he wasn't able to sneak past us; he's sly, but we ed to track him down But then the Wiccans spotted him, and it was anarchy They seemed to think he had done it, killed Pendderwenn, especially after the outburst at your Wiccaning, where he had yelled at Pendderwenn, you remember? They had a past Naturally, Selwyn took the blauy”

”But he didn't do it, Ballard,” I said

”I know he didn't,” Ballard said ”Like I said, Selwyn told us We have ways of co to us Selwyn couldn't have fibbed But by the tied Selwyn et away But then you sahat happened Or did you?” He looked at s didn't hurt you, did they? Because, if they did” said Ballard

The olves were gathering to farewell the departed The cypress trees stood like silent sentinels, high above us Torchlights whipped like living fla held by son of respect for Julius Pendderwenn

Words were said and the casket covered over Pendderwenn's mound joined countless others I said soht

Gaven, however, s one, wherever he is Co for us”

There was a gigantic whoop, and I departed with the rest of the in the distance, e caa, and Ballard said, ”I told Gaven about what I said to you Aboutyour protector or whatever And he told uess that means you're stuck with me”

Ballard smiled at meand it was that old Ballard smile The one the two of us shared, that was ours alone

”I like knowing that you're there to protect me,” I said ”It makes me feel special, Ballard, and like we can overcouess I say: so be it”

The other olves revved their engines, and I putonce ht again

Ballard picked his feet up, and we headed over the countryside, following the orn path, which took us back to Roh the other riders, co, finally, to a position side by side with Lia and Gaven They nodded at me And then I opened her up and raced ahead to meet my destiny

Adept (The Wiccan Diaries, Voluue The Hunter

The rave makers as they trundled their barrows upon the cobblestones leading to the quiet site It was that half-light, so, in which they toiled with their backs These tere in an unusually soht of death were, nevertheless, rave were not their business, even if they lived with it, in dirt under their fingernails, the earthy, raw odor pervading their very clothes Not to mention the unusual circu paid And well Money for silence, for questions unasked; uarantees to keep the secrets of the tomb An old business, timeless as the stars that watched over them

Yet not without its little surprises