Page 54 of Traitor Witch

She doesn’t add any more there. The majority go along the backs of my limbs; her neat sigils forming perfect lines,leaving gaps for more, should I need them in the future. Alletta gives me sigils for speed and balance on my legs and others for recalling weapons, better reflexes, and perfect aim on my arms. There's one across my hips to help with controlling a broom, and another on my spine for endurance.

When she pauses, I mistakenly think that she’s finished.

“It is time for the Goddess’s mark,” she says. “This may pinch a bit, dearie.”

Like the others didn’t? “Get it over with.”

She starts on my spine. The Goddess’s mark is an upturned crescent moon, created from lines of sigils representing her gifts and highest ideals. It won’t work like the other sigils, but I feel Her magic seep into it, anyway.

Perhaps it’s naïve to think it might hurt less, having no magical purpose. No, it’s a magical brand of ownership. Alletta may as well be using a branding iron to scald the Goddess’s mark into me.

I thought I’d be numb to it now.

No such luck.

Each poke of the needle spreads more pain down my back, tempting my muscles to spasm and ruin the design. I want to scream, to lash out, but I can’t.

Even if I could, I’m not sure I have the energy left.

“Death,” she whispers. “Courage, pleasure, chaos, destruction, loyalty…”

I barely have enough strength to echo the words. My throat feels raw, each breath scrapes against my lungs.

The moon is setting by the time she finishes. The sheet beneath me is soaked with blood, but Alletta doesn’t seem to care what happens to me next as she stands and stretches.

“You know how they work, dearie, so I won’t waste your time. No magic until after the next moonset, keep 'em moist ‘til they’ve healed. There are others you’ll need, but I don’t know the sigils, so you’ll have to hope the Goddesses putsomeone who does in your path. You have until noon to get going.” Alletta clears away her tools as she speed-talks, but her pleasant expression fades as she looks at me, becoming eerily blank. “Or else I’ll leave your corpse in the alley.”

“Leave?”

I grimace as I peel myself away from the floor and stand. My whole body protests, my back screaming at me to stop moving. My arms and legs feel heavy, but my head is curiously light. I sway as I try to keep myself upright and look for Alletta at the same time.

She’s gone again, the door to the garden standing open, waiting for me to leave.

I look at my discarded clothes, already dreading the sensation of cotton sliding over the wounds. I want to lie down and sleep for days until the last twinges fade and I can move normally again. For the oddest moment I wish I was back in my bed on theDeadwood, sandwiched between the warmth of the shifter twins.

I scoff at my own thoughts as I pull on the trousers.

The pirates will be long gone by now.

I drag the shirt over my bleeding back and do my best to hold in a whimper which threatens to escape.

“Well, that was boring to watch,”Opal comments, but doesn’t try to touch me as I grab the cloak and shuffle towards the stairs.

I have to stop several times, but eventually I make it into the shop.

I fish my gold out of my pocket and drop it on the counter in front of Alletta. “Before I go, I need a broom.”

Alletta rolls her eyes. “You can’t buy a broom for this, dearie.”

I can’t glower at her like I want to. I don’t have the energy. “How much?”

The crazy witch pauses and cocks her head to one side.

She stays that way for several seconds before she replies, “You say ‘how much,’ but you mean ‘whose life.’”

I don’t have to nod. “Name them." I'll draw the line if she names an innocent, but a woman like Alletta has to have her fair share of enemies.

She laughs. “Oh dearie, do you really think I haven’t killed everyone I want dead?”