did find the clearing where they’d entered, there was nothing but a smooth stone wall of natural granite where the entrance had been. The walls were too high and too sheer for her to have any hope of climbing out, so she decided that Hazel had at least been telling the truth about the place being guarded by magic.
As for a weapon, she found a few garden tools and several stout branches that she could use as clubs, but she finally settled on a piece of broken stick with one end splintered at an angle. It wasn’t exactly a knife but it was good for one thrust, maybe two. If it came to that, Isabel hoped that would be all she needed.
She found herself back at the cottage near dusk. Hearing Ayela, Hector, and Horace within, she stuck her head through the door.
“Ah, there you are,” Hazel said, amiably. “Come, have some stew.” She dished a bowl and set it on the table before an empty chair as if nothing had happened. “You must be hungry.”
Isabel sat down without a word and ate her dinner while listening to Horace tell stories of adventures from his past. Hector interjected periodically, adding detail or perspective to the tale. Hazel listened intently, but Isabel got the impression that she wasn’t as interested in the stories themselves as she was in what those stories revealed about the brothers. She seemed especially curious about their magical talents.
While Hazel observed the brothers, Isabel observed Hazel. The old witch seemed anxious but Isabel couldn’t tell if it was just a natural reaction to having sudden houseguests or something else. Her wish to take Ayela as an apprentice was plausible enough, but Isabel couldn’t help feeling like Hazel had other motives. She wished Alexander was here. He would know the truth of her. The fact that he hadn’t reappeared since they entered the protective confines of Hazel’s valley worried her. After working through the myriad possibilities for his absence, she decided to believe that the magical protections surrounding the place were preventing him from entering.
Chapter 34
When Isabel woke early the next morning, she saw Hazel sitting in front of the fire sipping tea and took the chair opposite her without a word. Hazel smiled thinly as she prepared a cup of tea for Isabel, but her eyes didn’t smile at all. Isabel nodded her thanks, taking a few sips, thinking through her list of questions.
“What do you want from us?”
“I’ve told you, dear,” Hazel said. “I want Ayela. Beyond her, I have no interest in you except that we both have a common enemy. I would think that offering you sanctuary when those hunting you are so close would count for something.”
“It would count for more if you hadn’t drugged me the moment I set foot in your valley,” Isabel said.
Hazel nodded with a shrug. “I can understand your feelings, but I would hope you can understand my reasoning. You are a witch from a different coven. It’s only natural for me to be suspicious, even threatened, by your presence. If you were a man, even a wizard, you wouldn’t pose such a danger because my charms would protect me, but they are useless against one such as you. So, when you entered my home, I was caught by surprise. Perhaps I acted rashly, but I am an old woman, frail and vulnerable. You are young and strong. I needed to know the truth of your purpose here. While henbane leaves one with a terrible headache, it’s otherwise harmless and it gave me the answers I needed.”
Isabel thought it over for a few moments. The story was plausible, believable even, and yet, Isabel didn’t believe it, at least not entirely. She just couldn’t shake the feeling that Hazel had some other agenda, but she also knew that revealing her suspicions wouldn’t serve her.
“I hadn’t thought it through from your perspective,” she said, looking into her tea. “You must not have guests very often.”
“No, I can’t say I do,” Hazel said.
“I can imagine how unsettling it must have been to have several armed people show up on your doorstep, and a witch to boot,” Isabel said. “I hope we can put this unpleasantness behind us.”
“Me too, dear,” Hazel said. “After all, it looks like you’re going to have to stay here for a while.”
“What do you mean?” Isabel asked, a thrill of fear racing through her. She had the feeling that Hazel was springing a trap.