The Trouble With Witches by Shirley Damsgaard Page B

Twelve

     
    Cold
—
I'm so cold
.
    A tiny bit of heat sparked somewhere inside of me as a warm cloth wiped my face. With it, the darkness in my mind faded. Opening my eye, I saw Abby's face, filled with concern, hovering over me. A gasp of relief escaped me—I was back in the cabin, in my bedroom. I'd survived whatever had happened in the woods.
    After struggling to sit up, I threw my arms around Abby and hugged her close, and the smell of the baby powder she always wore chased away the rotten smell that still lingered in my senses. I squeezed my eyes shut to hold back the sudden tears that filled them.
    Abby's arms tightened around me and she murmured soft words in my ear while my body trembled with a cold deep inside me.
    What had I stumbled onto in those woods?
    Opening my eyes, I noticed Walks Quietly standing silently at my bedroom door. Our eyes met for only a moment, and then, without a word, he turned and left.
    Releasing Abby, I scooted back toward the headboard, while she reached around behind me and plumped the pillows. When I settled back against them, a cool hand stroked my face while the other hand tucked the blankets tightly around me.
    "Better?" Abby asked , her face still pinched with worry.
    Wordlessly, I nodded.
    "Good. Here, drink this," she said, handing me a cup from the nightstand.
    While I held the warm cup, its heat soaked into my very soul, chasing the last of the cold away, and its fragrant aroma cleared my mind. I took a cautious sip, but didn't recognize the taste.
    "What the hell happened?" I asked, passing a hand over my eyes.
    "I don't know," Abby said. "I'd just finished smudging the cabin when Walks Quietly appeared at the door, with you in his arms—unconscious. He went straight to your room and put you on the bed. Then he gave me a packet of herbs from his pocket and told me to make tea with it—"
    "You don't know what this is?" I interrupted, eyeing the cup with suspicion.
    "No," Abby replied calmly.
    I felt a look of horror on my face. "What if he's trying to poison me?" I shoved the cup toward her. "I get the distinct impression he doesn't like us."
    "Nonsense, he wouldn't poison you," Abby said, refusing to take the cup. "If he'd wanted to get rid of you, he wouldn't have hauled you clear across the lake. He would have left you where he found you. He was trying to help you. When I came back in with the tea, he was muttering words in a native tongue and rubbing something on your forehead."
    My hand flew to my brow. Feeling an oily smudge, I rubbed at the spot, transferring some of the substance to my fingers. I held them under my nose and inhaled. "What is this?" I asked, extending my hand.
    Abby sniffed at the stuff on my fingers and shook her head. "I don't know." Taking my hand in hers, she glanced out the window, then back at me. "I need to know what happened."
    With a sigh, I relaxed against the pillows and quickly related my story.
    "… and another thing," I continued, " the cabin wasn't on Rick's map."
    "Maybe he didn't know it was there."
    "Well, somebody did. And they laid some kind of protective spell around it, using the cedar and sage. I messed with it when I tried to feel what lurked on the other side." I shuddered at the memory. "Abby, whatever's in there isn't just bad, it's the total absence of good—it's absolute evil."
    "Hmm, I see," she said thoughtfully. "I imagine Walks Quietly had something to do with the spell, with the magick ."
    "Did he say anything?"
    "No. He didn't offer any explanation. You were so pale and cold, I didn't take the time to ask questions. I simply did what he told me." Abby looked over her shoulder. "I'd hoped to talk to him after we took care of you, but I see he's gone."
    "Yup, gone like a puff of smoke." Now hot, I wiggled out from underneath the covers. "Do you think the cabin had anything to do with Brandi's disappearance?"
    "Maybe. Since it's obvious Walks Quietly doesn't want to tell us about the cabin, I think we should take