Suffer a Witch (33 page)

“It sounds awful to me,” George said. “Why did you go back to that moment?”

“I saw the demon,” Em said. “You remember — I had that dream where I saw him. . .”

Em stopped talking and smirked at him.

“You know all of this,” Em said.

“I know,” George said. “I thought you might need to talk about it some more.”

“Why?” Em asked.

She raised her lip to indicate that she wouldn’t mind never talking about it again. He smiled at her deception, and she grinned.

“Tell me again,” George repeated.

“Tell you what?” Em asked coyly.

George rolled his eyes.

“Tell me about my son, Martha,” George said.

“Benoni?” Em said with a grin. “I thought we weren’t sure he was your son.”

Groaning, George fell face down on the bed. He was there so long, Em wondered if he’d died again.

“George?” Em asked.

She touched his shoulder. He didn’t respond. Concerned, she climbed onto the bed.

“George?” Em asked.

She shook his shoulder. He reached up and grabbed her. She squelched a scream. She let him pull her to the bed. He gave her a hard kiss on her lips.

“Did you get one of those picture things?” George asked.

“A son-o-gram?” Em enunciated the syllables.

“Yeah, whatever,” George said. “Where is it?”

“You’d have to let go of me,” Em said.

“Never,” George said. “I will never let you go.”

“I’m so glad,” Em said.

She kissed him, and he smiled.

“Tell me again,” George said for a third time.

“Okay! Okay!” Em said in exaggerated exasperation.

He let her go and rolled onto his back. She didn’t say anything. After a few moments, he was groaning again.

“I wanted to see how long you’d wait,” Em said. “You know girls who give it up too soon are thought to be hussies.”

“Yes, you’re right — almost four hundred years is way too early,” George said with a laugh.

Em laughed. She reached into her pocket and gave him a copy of the sonogram. He squealed with delight at the sight and then fell silent.

“I have no idea what I’m looking at,” George said. “Why was John’s so much clearer?”

“Because John had one of his ‘people’ fix the picture with one of those programs,” Em said. She took a few steps on her knees until she was near his head. “Here’s his little head. His nose is big like yours.”

“How do you know it’s a boy?” George asked.

“Ann left that part out,” Em said. “No pervy stuff.”

George laughed. For a few minutes, he focused only on the image. He kissed the picture and then kissed her belly.

“Why aren’t you bigger?” George asked. “Is there something wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Em said.

“But Mary Eastey is huge.”

“She’s pretty tiny,” Em said. “She’s almost a month ahead of me.”

“Why?” George asked.

“I think she got pregnant when I was on Rousay,” Em said. “Then you remember how crazy things were when I got back. We weren’t terribly active.”

“But why aren’t you all huge like Mary?” George asked of Mary Eastey.

“I was about like this with the other boys,” Em said. “I only got bigger the last month or so. I think it’s because I’m fairly tall.”

“That counts?” George asked.

“I have no idea,” Em said.

“When do you see Ann again?” George asked.

“You mean, she wouldn’t answer your questions at dinner?” Em asked.

She couldn’t help but smirk at him.

“I know! Can you believe it?” George asked. “After all we’ve been through, she said she wouldn’t break ‘doctor-client confidentiality.’”

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me,” Em said.

“Oh, Em, I do trust you,” George said. “I also have a lot of questions. I mean, when I had children before, it was this big mystery. My wives became pregnant, and they dealt with it. Plus we didn’t even know until the baby was almost here. And even then, it didn’t have much to do with me. But now, I get to be in the room! I get to watch him grow inside you! I get to be a part of the whole thing!”

George cheered with glee.

“What about your homeless brethren?” Em asked. “Are you saying you’re not heading out again?”

“I. . .” George stopped talking. “Shit, I didn’t even think about that. Crap.”

He looked at the photo again.

“What am I going to do?” he said with great despair in his voice.

Em laughed at him. She unwound the towel on her head and rubbed it against her hair.

“It’s not funny,” George said. “This time of year, I’m the only thing that stands between them and certain death.”

“I know,” Em said. “That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

“I’ve already forgiven you for that,” George said.

“Forgiven me. . .” Em chuckled and went back into the bathroom to brush her hair.

“I could be really mad!” George yelled after her.

“You’re not,” Em yelled.

When she came out, George was lying on his back with his eyes closed. He held the sonogram against his heart. She slipped off her bathrobe and into bed. When he didn’t move, she turned off the light. He rolled over and draped his arm around her. She kissed his forehead. Without much thought, she fell into a sound sleep.

She was standing face to face with her demon.

“You think you can hide from me!” the demon yelled in her face. “You think you can add to your ranks and I won’t know about it!”

“I. . . I. . .” Em swallowed hard. She tried to ground herself to be ready to fight him.

“Three babies!” the demon said. “Three!”

“We were already pregnant when you made your ultimatum!” Em yelled back.

Proud for standing up for herself, she gave him a solid nod. The demon gave a cruel laugh.

“You think that matters?” the demon asked.

“I thought it might,” Em said.

“It doesn’t,” the demon said. “What you add, I will take from you a hundred fold!”

“What does that mean?” Em asked. “Why do you always talk in riddle and then tell me I’m stupid for not understanding? Speak plainly, and then maybe I’ll understand you!”

The demon snickered maliciously.

“Juno will rise tonight,” the demon said, and disappeared.

Em awoke with a start. She sat up in bed and turned on the light.

“Em?” George asked.

Outside, the wind began to howl. The edge of the coming snowstorm was just hitting Boston. Gusts of wind rattled the windows in her front room. She ran out to see what was happening. Snow was so falling fast that the Common was invisible to her. The wind took up her demon’s howl. The snow increased.

“What is it?” George came out of the bedroom. “Lord, have mercy. This is more than a blizzard.”

“He said ‘Juno will rise tonight,’” Em said.

“This snowstorm is called ‘Juno,’” George said with a nod.

“When did they start naming snowstorms?” Em asked

George shrugged and shook his head. A gigantic snow-shaped demon bashed against the windows. George’s hands went to his ears.

“What is that sound?” George asked.

“My demon,” Em said.

“Since when did you get a demon?” George asked. “Did you purchase it from the demon store? Call it from hell with a spell? Or. . .”

“George!” Em said.

“He’s some kind of creature tied to you,” George said. “You don’t know that he’s a demon.”

“You’ve seen him!” Em said.

“I have not had that pleasure,” George said. “Certainly, if I had, I’d make sure he left you alone. I’ve been to war plenty of times. There’s no enemy that can. . .”

“Alice saw him!” Em said.

“Alice spends half her time reading your mind!” George yelled back. “She saw him and the other demons through your eyes. So did the other witches. You let them in your mind so they won’t force you to talk to them.”

“You’ve never seen him.” Em was so surprised that her mouth dropped open. “What about at the meeting?”

“You mean John Parker?” George asked.

“No, the demon,” Em said. “What about when we battled him on Gallows Hill?”

“Your demon is John Parker?” George asked.

“No,” Em said. “There’s a demon that. . .”

“So you’ve said,” George said.

“You saw him step out of John Parker,” Em said in an incredulous voice.

“Never had the pleasure.” George gave her a murderous look.

The entire building shook with the force of snow and wind. There was a great
“Pop!”
and the power went out.

The storm hit Boston.

The snow beat down like an unnatural timpani. The evil in the snow seemed to be fighting to infiltrate the walls. George’s cell phone screamed with an emergency weather alert. Em turned on the television, and every channel was broadcasting warnings about the storm. Some of the older weather prognosticators preached calm while their younger brethren screamed and sweated.

The snow continued to fall.

“Em,” George’s voice was soft. Em’s head jerked to look at him. “I have to. . . I. . .”

“I know,” Em said.

She jumped back, and Sarah Wildes appeared in the place she had been standing.

“I did it!” Sarah Wildes beamed at Em. “I didn’t know I could, but. . .”

She looked up to see that Em and George were gawking at her.

“Em, there’s something wrong with this storm,” Sarah Wildes said. “Something terribly wrong.”

Someone pounded at their front door.

“Em!” Alice’s voice came from their door. “It’s Alice!”

George went to open the door. There was another
whoosh,
and Mary Ayer Parker showed up in their living room.

“Ha!” Mary Ayer said.

“Well done, Mary!” Sarah Wildes said. She raised her hand. “High five!”

Mary Ayer slapped Sarah Wildes’s hand, and they hugged.

“Are you here for. . .” Sarah Wildes said.

“The storm,” Mary Ayers said.

Em grabbed Sarah and Mary Ayers and pulled them to her. Martha Carrier materialized.

“Martha! Jump to me!” Em yelled.

Sam Wardwell turned up a moment after Martha Carrier moved.

“What the hell?” Em asked.

“I saw the television,” Sarah said. “Were you watching television?”

“Me, too,” Sam said. “Em. . .”

“Yes, there’s something wrong with the storm,” Em said.

“What’s with the storm?” Susannah asked as she, Alice, and George came in from the front.

“It’s Em’s demon,” George said.

“Shit,” Wilmot said as she ran into Sam.

He grabbed onto her, but they both stumbled out of the way as Elizabeth Howe appeared in the same spot. George’s cell phone rang a beat before Em’s rang. He answered the phone and went into the bedroom.

“Hello,” Em said into the cell phone. “Elizabeth! You have to move!”

Elizabeth jumped out of the way just a moment before Margaret Scott appeared. Elizabeth grabbed Margaret and pulled her out of the way of Ann Pudeator, who arrived in front of the television.

“Martha! What the hell!” Giles’ angry voice came from Em’s cell phone. “Martha Corey, I demand that you speak to me at once.”

“Giles,” Em scowled into the phone.

“I can feel your scowl, Martha,” Giles said with a laugh in his voice. “Bridget is upset, and frankly, I woke up with terror in my heart for you. Are you in trouble, Martha?”

“It’s the storm, Giles,” Em said. She looked up to see everyone watching her. She rolled her eyes at the phone.

“Fine,” Giles said. Bridget’s worried voice came from the background. “Bridget is pregnant, Martha. She cannot come to you.”

“Stay there,” Em said. “We’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

“You give me your word,” Giles said.

“I give you my word,” Em said. “You will be part of the solution.”

“Enough said,” Giles said and hung up.

She was about to put her phone down when John Willard called. The phone call went about the same way. Mary Eastey was upset and wanted to come. John wouldn’t let her come, but he was worried as well. What was wrong? She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Mary Eastey.

“You okay?” Mary Eastey whispered.

Em nodded. Over the phone, she assured John that she would call him when they had a plan. She was hugging Mary Eastey when she hung up the phone with John.

“You should go back,” Em said. “He’ll freak.”

Mary Eastey rolled her eyes and kissed Em’s cheek.

“I hate to be on injured reserve for something as dumb as being pregnant,” Mary Eastey said.

“You are almost four hundred years old!” Em said.

“You’re one to talk!” Mary Eastey said.

“Go,” Em commanded.

Mary Eastey laughed and disappeared. When she looked up, most of her witches were standing in the living room. George came out of the bedroom.

“What can we do?” Alice asked.

“I think that’s a good question,” Em said.

“You don’t know?” Susannah asked.

“I have no idea,” Em shook her head. “The demon found out that I, Bridget, and Mary Eastey were pregnant.”

“Me, too,” Elizabeth and Sam said in unison.

“Yay!” Alice hugged Elizabeth and Sam.

“I didn’t know that,” Em said.

“He seems to know only what you know,” Wilmot said. “That’s curious.”

“He knows what he’s doing with this storm,” Em said. “Sarah? Susannah? Can you guys put your heads together?”

They both nodded.

“Martha Carrier? Margaret? Can you look at logistics?” Em asked. “The city will be shut down, but we may need to get out of here.”

“You bet,” Martha Carrier said, and Margaret nodded.

“Sam? Can you check everyone’s homes, particularly the old ones?” Em said. He nodded and disappeared.

“Elizabeth? Do you still keep track of our cars?”

“I do,” Elizabeth said with a wave of her hand. “I have the spreadsheet on my phone.”

“Wilmot? Can you call Sarah Good?” Em asked. “Giles and John both called, but I haven’t heard from her. Let’s make sure she’s not in trouble. Can you go if she needs help?”

“Of course,” Wilmot said, with pride in her voice.

“Mary Ayer? George is going to need help,” Em said. “You know how he is when he’s overwhelmed. Can you. . .?”

“Got it.” Mary Ayer nodded and left the room to find George.

“Everyone, please think hard about what we can do to fight this thing,” Em said. “Or mitigate the damages. He said he would take a hundred fold what we were creating. We cannot lose four hundred humans. Don’t forget Giles and Bridget. They are at Bridget’s mansion across the Common. John and Mary Eastey will help, too. John’s just worried about Mary. They will do whatever we ask. I’m sure there’s a bunch of things I haven’t thought of. Just. . .”

Everyone nodded. The witches began talking amongst themselves. George came in from the kitchen.

“Can you find out about the storm?” George asked. Em gave him a hard look. He smiled, and said, “Yes, I know it’s precognition. You’re better than anyone else, even though you refuse to do it.”

Shaking her head, she sighed.

“It makes me sick,” Em said. “Every time. My father said it’s common for our family. I won’t be of any use to you later.”

“The others can fill in until you’ve recovered,” George said.

“I don’t know,” Em said.

“Do it!” George commanded.

“George, really. . .” Mary Ayer put her hand on his arm. He looked at her and shook his head.

“Lives are at stake because you’re fighting with this creature,” George said.

Em sighed. Even though he was acting crazy, he was right. She’d brought this curse to her beloved Boston. She should do everything in her power to make this right. Closing her eyes for a moment, she gathered her strength. She took a deep breath and let go of the present in a long sigh. She took another breath and paused for almost a full minute.

“If we fight him, the snowstorm will last for three days, but he will return. The snow will return,” Em said in a flat, deep voice. “If we do not fight, he will take the entire city back to the beginning, back to 1692. The land will fall into the sea. Thousands will die. All services will be lost. That’s what he wants. He wants to take us back to the beginning.”

Em blinked. She took a breath, and then another. She blinked. Her eyes looked up at George for a moment before everything went dark. She felt herself crashing toward the ground.

“Fuck,” George grabbed at Em.

“THIS WILL BE THE FINAL BATTLE OF THE SALEM WITCHES,” Em’s flat, deeper voice boomed.

As if she were suddenly coated in butter, Em slipped from George’s hands. Her body hit the floor.

Em groaned and rolled onto her back. She felt movement, but it was too dark to see who was there. She felt George grab her hand.

“Em,” George said.

She moaned in response.

“I’m so sorry,” George said. “I forgot about the baby, and. . .”

Em rolled toward his voice. He was kneeling next to the bed.

“Ann’s been here with her crazy machine,” George said. “Our son seems to be all right, but Ann’s angry with me for pushing you. You’re just always so tough, so strong. It never occurred to me that you’d get so sick and. . .”

When Em squinted, George stopped talking.

“Say something,” George said.

“Hi,” Em grunted.

George clutched Em. She felt moisture on his cheek. She sputtered and pushed at him.

“Need some. . .” Em started to say before she threw up.

George laughed and held her tighter.

“Get off me, you crazy man,” Em said with a laugh.

Laughing, he helped her up. George held her on her feet as the wind battered the building. He followed her into the bathroom.

“Go,” Em said.

“You know I can’t leave you,” George said.

“Go!”

“You might be sick again!” George said.

She lit an electric spark, which chased him out of the bathroom. The door slammed with a satisfying
wham!
Laughing, he leaned against the door. She lingered in the bathroom to spite him. When she came out, Ann Pudeator was waiting for her.

Ann checked her heart and listened to the baby. She ran Em through a variety of tests to make sure she was all right. Em tried to be patient, but the steady tap of snow against the windows reminded Em of the demon’s promise.

“You’ve been out for a day,” Ann said. “Promise me that you’ll rest.”

“Scout’s honor,” Em said.

Ann raised her eyebrows and laughed at Em.

“Try to keep your great ideas to yourself,” Ann said to George.

Ann pointed a finger to George. He raised his hands as if she were holding a weapon. Shaking her head at him, Ann left the room. Em looked at George. He’d changed his shirt and washed the vomit off his neck.

“Is everyone still here?” Em asked.

“Most,” George said. “A group of them went to Bridget’s. They’re opening her house for people who don’t have electricity or power. Neighbors are dropping blankets and food there. It should be a wild community event. Your Isaac has rallied his flock, as well.”

“It sounds really fabulous,” Em said.

“Sarah sent an email out from the shop,” George said. “Less than an hour later, we had twenty slow cookers full of soup or stew. She’s organized a knitting brigade. Sam has sorted out snow clearing by neighborhood. Ann’s working to support emergency services. And the rest. . . well, they’re generally awesome.”

George gave her a proud smile.

“We have the nicest friends,” George said. “Everyone has chipped in.”

“And Sarah Good?” Em asked. “She wasn’t here and hadn’t called when I passed out.”

“She’s stuck in Washington,” George said. “She’s fundraising among her rich friends. They are trading convention visits to get the hotels to donate rooms for those who are out of doors. She also has raised enough money to buy rooms. They’ve found enough rooms for most of my people.”

“We can put money into that.” Em smiled.

“We’re feeding everyone,” George said. “The elderly. . . the vulnerable. . . Susannah’s filling the ‘in need’ list. Ann’s already delivered two babies in the middle of the store.”

“Nice of us,” Em said.

“Of course,” George said. “When you’re up and around, I’m heading out to get my folks indoors.”