She and Hers

7 - The Show

Sam

"Alice Young," I repeat quietly. My wolf crouches defensively, ears flickering as he tries to pick up every word, every nuance.

What Chiara says next absolutely floors me. "You know of her. Your wolf unit tracked her for years a decade ago. She changes her last name every so often, but the magic keeping her alive restricts her to Alse."

The only thing keeping the vehicle on the road is years of training and a wolf who's seen some shit. I stay steady on the wheel, ten and two, even using my blinker and turning the wipers on when it starts to rain again. I'm shivering just a bit, but my skin feels raw and on fire, so I spare a thought for shock.

"Sam?" Chiara calls my name quietly.

I risk a side glance at her. She's pale, shivering, her eyes dark in the shadows of the car. "I only know of one Alice. Devel took years to track her down with his brother and some other alphas." I lick my lips, my mouth dry. "She'd dead. Buried in a hole out west."

Chiara nods faintly. "Her curse keeps her alive. No matter how many times you kill her. Eventually, she will be alive again." I'm quiet as Chiara murmurs the exit to me. I pull off the interstate and turn left onto CT Rte 178.

"Alice was in the flesh trade," I finally mutter as I slow down and turn left onto a local road. "Pedophilia, now witchcraft?"

Chiara whispers, "it's what she was hanged for. Taking two young girls, sisters, and abusing them. Ironically, not witchcraft, but her sisters had enough magic to try to save her. Tinker, was their name. That family name died out long ago. They were cast from coven after coven until they learned to abandon their surname."

I swallow and manage to rasp, "are there any descendants?"

Chiara pauses, then a quiet, "yes."

"You?" I ask quickly.

"No," she scoffs. Then, silence again, until she reluctantly says, "Holden's mother is one."

Holden. It's a rough realization, but I shove it behind me quickly. We can't help our family, and Holden isn't a witch, that's for fucking sure.

"Pull over here." I follow her directions, parking on a small street with a neighborhood of modern houses in one direction and a small cemetery in the other. "If we follow the train tracks, we can get to her second grave."

"Second?" I question.

"She was hanged and buried in the pauper's cemetery in Hartford, along with her coven sister, Lydia. Lydia was not guilty of Alse's crimes, but was so close to her that the town punished her as well."

"Guilt by association."

"Yes." Chiara steps out of the SUV. I'm hot on her heels. This place crawls over my skin like a thousand fire ants. It's quiet and peaceful, with streetlamps lighting the corners and well-tended yards and lots, but it's still fucking creepy.

"Tell me more about her," I demand as we walk. My stomach revolts even thinking about Alice. Goddess, what an evil cunt she was... is... fuck. The damn worst.

Chiara's hand slips into mine. From her tight expression and the constant shivering, I would say she's just as unnerved as I am. "After her hanging, most of her sisters left Windsor within months. Only one remained behind. Mary. Mary waited, fearing that their attempts to save their sister went horribly wrong."

"What spell did they cast?"

Chiara's silent for a moment as we leave the road and start to tramp through the grass. It's wet, and our shoes immediately become soaked through. I tighten my hand on hers, worried over the constant chill she seems to be fighting and the fact that she can't see as well in the dark as I can.