Free Suffer a Witch by Claudia Hall Christian

store.
    The crowd was enraptured.
    Sarah Wildes came in the door and stood next to George. The line of witches openly gawked at John Parker. Somehow, he didn’t seem to notice. In fact, he couldn’t see the protective bubble Alice had placed around Isaac, Asher, and her gentleman. As if he were a pawn to the magic, John Parker’s mind and spirit seemed caught up in the gruesome story he was telling.
    “What the hell?” Sarah Wildes said in a low voice. “Any ideas?”
    “None,” George said.
    “Ever see this before?” Bridget asked.
    George and Sarah Wildes shook their heads. Em kept her eyes on John Parker. Despite the intensity of her gaze, John Parker never looked in her direction. He kept talking. He gave a brief description of their trials and the eventual end in their hanging.
    “Possessed?” Sarah Wildes asked.
    George shook his head.
    “Under someone else’s power,” Em said.
    The demon appeared the moment the words left her mouth.

Chapter Six
    He looked exactly as he had in her vision, down to his black leather chaps and top hat. As if he didn’t have a care in the world, the demon sauntered out from behind John Parker. Grinning at Em, he took off his top hat and put it on John Parker’s head.
    The room became silent. John Parker’s mouth was moving, but Em couldn’t hear a word he was saying.
    “Do you see . . .?” Em asked.
    Em turned to look at Bridget. Her face was slack and her eyes vague. She glanced at George. He looked puzzled by something in the front of the room. With her touch, his eyes lost their focus, and he fell into a trance. She looked past George to Sarah Wildes. She was entranced by this demon.
    Em’s heart raced with panic. She swallowed hard. The demon had taken control of the room. Em’s panic grew. George had to burn the vision to get rid of the demon the last time. The creature gave Em a cocky grin. She was alone this time.
    “I see him, Em.”
    The words appeared in her mind. She had no idea who’d said them. Em’s eyes scanned the audience.
    Alice stood up.
    “Be gone!” Alice screamed at the demon.
    The creature turned to look at Alice. His eyes went from black to glowing red.
    “Don’t look at his eyes,” Em yelled. “You can get caught in his gaze!”
    “Be gone!” Alice said.
    The demon hissed. Secure in Alice’s protection bubble, Isaac and Asher jumped to their feet.
    “Be gone from this room!” Isaac said. His words echoed through the store. “This is a human dwelling, not made for the likes of you. You are not welcome here!”
    “Go!” Asher yelled in support of his father.
    Alice’s gentleman got to his feet. Em could see only the back of his brown suit. He turned to look at the door. Em saw panic on his face. Horrified by the entranced people and the demon, the man was ready to bolt. He reached his hand out to push Alice behind him.
    “Be gone!” Alice said.
    The demon crouched, making ready to spring onto Alice.
    “No!” Em said to Alice. “This is my battle.”
    Em stepped away from the wall and walked to the middle of the aisle.
    “It’s my fight,” Em said.
    “Em!” Alice yelled with fear. “You can’t . . .”
    “Stay there,” Em said. “Protect the humans.”
    Em glanced at her before turning her full attention to the demon. Alice’s gentleman stepped in front of Alice to shield her from the demon.
    “Enough!” Em said.
    Her hands came together in a sharp clap. Bridget, George, and Sarah Wildes awoke from their trance. The demon turned its red eyes to Em.
    “You are not welcome here,” Em said.
    “Em!” George yelled. He tried to get to her, but Em tossed an invisible wall around him and the witches. He banged his fists against it. As he had on the gallows, George began reciting the Lord’s Prayer in his preacher’s voice. From behind the protective wall, the others joined him.
    “ Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name . . ., ” George, Sarah Wildes, and Bridget said .
    The demon