“Who is it?”
Maybe knowing who the man was would help me in the case. The sneaky suspicion that the killer had something to do with the bet was getting stronger and stronger.
“His name is Xvair Harvey. He’s...” Looking back at me, he stared hard. “...ancient. He’s been around for a very long time, using a spell so powerful, he’s able to live an immortal life. He’s constantly having children to keep his Essex line alive.”
“He’s an Essex witch?”
Nodding, my father closed his eyes tightly for a moment. The movement was uncomfortable, jarring. Was he in pain? What was it like coming back from the dead? Maybe it would be the same for me.
Opening his eyes, my father came back to the wall of the barrier. “He’s the oldest Essex witch alive. He keeps himself hidden because as you can imagine, he’s a target for other witches who want to know his secret. You must find his son and marry him, for all our sakes.”
“Huh? How are you involved anymore? You’re dead.”
“And so are you, my love.” He waved away the protest that was about to leave my lips. “That doesn’t matter, I’m affected more than you know with what goes on here.”
Not caring about his wellbeing, I stepped up to the line of salt and leant as far forward as I could. “I’m not marrying anyone that isn’t of my choosing, do you hear me?”
Red flared in his eyes as he thrust forwards, the barrier spell the only thing keeping him from getting to me. A roar left his lips as I stumbled backwards, my feet catching on the uneven stone floor.
“You will marry him! If you don’t, the ley line will drain and your life will be lost. As will every single creature on this Earth. Marry him, save the world.” My father thumped against the wall with his fists, his eyes bright red. The evil had taken over. We must have dragged him from hell.
Helga started to chant as I raised my arms, ready to join her. She grabbed my wrist, forcing it down. Her sharp shake of the head made me step back even further. I understood. It was too personal for me to do the job, especially when she’d been the one to resurrect him.
“Find Xvair and offer yourself to his son,” my father screamed, one arm still trying to push through the barrier, the other hitting his own head. “It’s the only way to save the world!”
Holding my stomach as it rolled, I breathed slowly, allowing Helga to cast her magic. I felt useless, unable to provide a powerful link to the line.
“You need to leave,” Helga shouted when my father’s fingers started to push through the barrier.
Shit, he had more strength than we’d realised. Maybe being in hell had turned him into a demon, although I wasn’t sure that was possible.
Standing my ground, I felt into the line and threw my hands in the air, casting a fire spell around him. The circle was reinforced, the flames singeing his hands where he tried to get free. Retreating, my father howled and hissed in my direction as I kept my spell strong. Helga was shouting now, almost struggling against whatever my father had become.
“We are coming,” he shouted, a high pitched laugh following his crazed words. “The dead will rise if you do not fulfil your duty! So, marry him. If not, we’re waiting patiently for our time.”
His sentence echoed as he popped out of existence. Shit. My breath huffed in and out of me as I released the fire spell. Helga was rushing around, cleansing the area to prevent any loopholes that demons could access.
About to take a step forward, I fell to the ground when my knees gave out. A puff of air next to me alerted me to someone’s energy about to appear. Feeling into it, I smiled to myself.
“It’s okay,” I muttered when Helga swung around, obviously feeling the impending witch.
Dave’s form evolved between us, his eyes quickly finding me. He knelt, his hands on my shoulders. “What’s going on? I felt something... I dunno, I just had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right.”
My breath was shaky as I tried to speak. The words wouldn’t come. My father...
“She’s got to marry some bloke,” Helga said, nodding to herself when she was satisfied that her work was done.
“No,” Dave said through his teeth. “She’s not going to marry some bloke!”
Gripping my shoulders, Dave helped me to my feet. I leant on him as I sucked air into my lungs. “My father,” I said between gasps. “He’s evil. We brought him back to life.”
“What?!” My desk friend spun on his heels, his ire aimed at Helga as she meandered back to her stone table.
Raising her hands, she shook her head slowly. “The ancestors decreed it, not us.”
Looking into my eyes, Dave chewed on the inside of his cheeks as he raised his eyebrows, obviously waiting for an explanation.
“When the ancestors gave me my memory back, they insisted I raise my father to find out how to stop the draining of the ley line. I didn’t have a choice.”
Scratching the stubble on his chin, Dave stared at me. His intensity was unnerving. It had been amazing to have his support through my shit-fest recently, but my reliance on him was becoming a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was time to disconnect a bit.
“What did your father say?”
I’d expected a tirade of stupidity accusations, but instead he waited for my answer, prompting me with a nod of his head.
“If I want to stop evil from being able to come up from hell, I have to marry the son of an ancient witch. Apparently, once that’s done, whoever is draining the ley line will stop.”
“The killer is related to the bet, isn’t he?”
Shrugging, I hugged myself as I backed away from him. “It’s not completely confirmed, but it does look likely.”
“Okay,” he said, waving at Helga as he took my
