Page 37 of The Demon's Spell

Hector shook, and I guided him over to a stool. He sat and drew a deep breath. “I can’t say. I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“It’s okay,” Nadine encouraged. “You can tell us.”

“No, you don’t understand,” he pressed. “I’m sworn to secrecy.”

“Magically?” I asked.

He nodded.

Nadine looked thoughtful. “You’re sworn to keep this secret with the priestesses, right?”

He nodded again.

“Well, I’m a priestess,” Nadine pointed out. “Maybe the spell will allow you to talk to me.”

Hector’s eyebrows furrowed, like he hadn’t thought of that. He spoke slowly, as if testing out the theory. “They’re… threatening my wife.”

His shoulders relaxed when he managed to get the words out. Relief flooded his features, and the confession spilled out of him. “The priestesses came to me, claiming to have a job they wanted me to apply for. I thought it was something at one of the restaurants in town. They gave me that wand, and it worked for me, but I don’t think it worked for others.”

“What makes you say that?” I asked. It sounded like there was more to the story.

“I heard them mention Magnus Knight,” he said. “He was their first choice for this job, but for some reason, it didn’t work out.”

Magnus had been working with Stella on nightshade production. It made sense the priestesses had gone to him first. They already knew how morally corrupt he was and that he’d help for the right price. But if the Wand didn’t choose him, they couldn’t use him.

Nadine pressed her lips together. “They haven’t convicted him, which means they’re still using him. If not for the Alchemy Wand, then they’re keeping him around because they think he’ll be useful in some other way. Hector, do you know anything about the wand they’re making you use?”

He shook his head, and I saw the honesty in his eyes. “It’s special, that much I can tell. The magic I feel when I use it is… unmatched.”

“Have you ever heard of the Oaken Wands?” I asked him.

“They’re real, aren’t they?”

I nodded. “The priestesses need you to use the Wand, because they can’t use it themselves.”

“I don’t want to use it,” he pleaded. “Please, help me.”

“We intend to,” Nadine stated. “What are the priestesses making you do?”

“Brewing poison,” Hector admitted. “But it’s different than anything I’ve ever encountered. The poison can kill, but it’s more than that. I haven’t figured out the details. The priestesses give me instructions, and I follow them. If I don’t, they’ll hang my wife. And I know I shouldn’t do it… but I just love her so much.”

Hector began to sob again.

“It’s not your fault,” I assured him.

“Th-they haven’t used the poisons yet, but I’m afraid they will,” Hector said. “And when that happens, the blood will be on my hands.”

“You’re innocent,” Nadine stated. “We won’t let the priestesses get away with this.”

“But how are you going to get me out of this? I can’t run. They’ll find me.” Hector gasped, like he’d come up with a great idea. “I know! I can be a spy. I can alert you if the priestesses order me to use the poison.”

“That puts you in grave danger,” Nadine said.

Hector stood and curled his hands into fists, like he’d already made up his mind. “They’ve already threatened my family. I may be bound to secrecy, but I will not let them use me as a puppet.”

“Are you sure about this?” I asked him.

He nodded firmly. “If I flee now, they will find another person to use their Wand. The least I can do is help. I’ll figure out what the poison does and how they plan to use it, and I’ll report back to you.”