Witch Song (Witch Song #1)

Chapter 36

 36. CIRCLE OF KEEPERS

The wind gusted hard, whipping Senna's hair around her like a thing alive. It stuck to her tear-lined face. But she was too exhausted to care. If not for Joshen shoring her up on one side, she wasn't sure she could withstand even the swaying of the ship. A good many of the Witches weren't strong enough to come; many had wanted to.

Coyel began the funeral song.

One of our own has passed from our sight.

We know not whence her soul took flight.

We trust in the Creators' tender care,

That Tiena may find a better fare.

The song was high and keening; the sailors couldn't hold their tears. They lifted the plank and Tiena's body slipped into the sea. Senna heard a splash and choked on a sob. Desni didn't know her daughter was dead. Years of waiting, only to be parted like this.

The process was repeated three more times.

She knew they were lucky. Tarten's strongest army had captured them; Grendi had sworn to murder them all. It was a miracle any had survived. But the thought was little comfort. Four Witches were gone. And that was four too many.

Senna blamed herself. She'd freed them. It had been her plan to escape from Carpel instead of fighting Reden and his army inland.

When the last of their songs slipped over the rolling waves, the Witches slowly moved away. Only Sacra, Coyel, Senna and Joshen remained.

Sacra stared at Senna's hand intertwined in Joshen's. She sighed heavily. "When I was young, I met a man. A man who made my heart sing. We brought two children into the world. Of the three members of my family, I only have one left." Her bright eyes bored into Senna. "Make your decisions well, for you may not be able to keep everything you bring into this world." She pressed her lips against Senna's forehead and turned to stand at the stern of the ship, for it was her turn to coax the wind.

Senna tried to understand the sudden urge she felt to scream. Joshen's arm tightened around her. "Come on, Senna."

Her mind was too muddled to protest as Joshen led her below decks. With a gentle kiss to her lips, he left her alone. Of their own accord, her feet carried her to Coyel's side, where she lay beside the older woman and fell asleep.

***

Senna woke to shouts from above. It was no longer pitch dark, which meant daylight had come. Senna blinked through her bleary eyes and worked her sandpaper tongue over the roof of her mouth. Oh, but she was thirsty! And hungry, too! During the long night when they'd fought for the lives of the injured, she'd had little more than a few hard biscuits and some water.

Rubbing her dry eyes, she climbed back up the stairs and stumbled above decks. Judging by the sun, it was early morning. She'd slept through the remainder of yesterday and all of last night. She heard another round of shouts and recognized Joshen's voice. Her eyes widened at his words. "Back off him!"

"He's one a' them ain't he!"

"The Witches trust him, what more do you want?"

Senna was running now, up to the poop deck. Untroubled, Reden leaned against the rail, while Joshen and another sailor shouted at each other. Other sailors had gathered; most wore hateful expressions that she'd been the recipient of all her life. Her eyes met Reden's and she couldn't be sure what she saw—something akin to calm acceptance? But there was something else. Her eyes widened as she realized he was appraising her. Half the sailors on the ship wanted to throw him overboard and Reden was still trying to figure her out.