Free Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey Page B

the other side of the path and disappeared.
    "Never you mind ,"
said Keith. "The kith-beast will die when the witch does."
    "I have to help Demetra," whispered
Ali.
    "Stay," I hissed, tugging her
behind the bushes. "They'll call you a witch as well, and your neck will
be in the noose!"
    Kit pulled her mother closer.
    I wished to be away but could not move. Any
sound we made above a whisper would give our
hiding place away. Tim the chandler ran into the cave, returning with a
handful of stones, and Demetra's knife.
    "I could not find the scroll. My wife
never let me see, but I thought to myself that there might be witchcraft
written on it. Ah, I warned Tess about that, but she wouldn't listen. She
..." His face contorted in the torchlight. "But
here are coins I found in the cave and five
magic stones like my own dear wife's!" cried Tim. "And
I found the knife she used to do her butchery!"
    The crowd roared at the sight of the knife.
    "The coins and stones are mine,"
called Demetra. "And the knife for cutting meat like any of your tables down in town! You'll not find a scroll here. I didn't do the deed. Your princess is
cursed!" she cried. "Ask
the queen who killed Tess!" Demetra's cries were covered by the
crowd shouting, "Burn her! Burn the witch!"
    Fast the rope went round Demetra. She
screamed louder still as the men drove her into the cave. They tied her to the
table, and the people tossed their torches in.

"Oh, come," I moaned. "I
cannot bear to stay."
    The villagers howled as flames engulfed the
inner cave. Smoke filled the air. With all
the shouting and Demetra's scream ing none heard us mount our horses. We
rode for a secluded trail, putting bushes, boulders, and rowan trees and oak
between us and the burning.
    The horses followed Kaydon River down the mountain. Leaning close to Rollo's mane, I tried to shut out Demetra's screams
and clear the smell of death smoke from my nose. My head was still low an hour
later, and I was close to finding sleep when I heard a low strangled sound. I
tensed, sat up, and looked about. The growling increased, wild and menacing as
a mountain lion's. What beast hunted us here so close to home?
    The growl changed to a moan, more human now
than animal, and it came from just ahead. Ali turned to me, cheeks pale, eyes wide. "Something is wrong with Katinka!"
    We dismounted in the high orchard. At the
base of an apple tree Ali held Kit on her lap as she convulsed.
    I gasped. "What is wrong with her?"
    Ali rocked her. Soon the noise increased.
With a garbled cry a shadow emerged, birthing black from Kit's mouth. My skin
burned even as it went cold. I wanted to run, but love for Kit held me there.
    "God!" called Ali. "Help
us!"
    I put my arm about Ali's neck as we watched
in muted terror the birthing of the shadow wraith.
    How slow and with what pain this howling
wraith escaped my poor friend's mouth. There seemed no end to this writhing

form that came feet first from her lips. I would have
pulled it from her throat, but there was no touching it. The thing wasn't made
of flesh.
    At last it ripped itself from Kit's mouth,
spilled onto the earth, and sank, leaving a black pit that stank of burning
bone.
    "Oh, my Katinka!" cried Ali. Kit
looked so small on her mother's lap. I closed her mouth and wiped the drop of
blood from her lip.
    "I did not know." Ali wept.
"Demetra must have hexed her."
    Ali gripped my cloak. "Katinka had a
voice when she was small. She cooed and cried as any babe. Demetra couldn't
abide the babe's cry. Then one night when her wee mouth opened, no sound came
from my daughter's throat." She stroked Katinka's hair. "But I swear , I didn't know Demetra hexed her."
    In case the wraith should think to come
again, I said Marn's binding charm over Kit. "Three
times winding. Four times bind ing. I
bind all evil spirits now and cast them from this girl." Tying the
invisible knots, I kissed my friend's damp forehead, whispering, "There
now," and "You'll feel better soon," with the