Chapter 27

Oh shit, Dashiell thought. They had a circle of protection surrounding them. Of course. How could he be so stupid? He should have expected it. He shook himself, recovering from the hard knock as he ran into that shield.

As his vision cleared, he saw for the first time the fourth figure Regina had spotted. At this point, it was a hazy outline, though definitely of feminine shape. As Dashiell watched, it started to solidify.

He heard the witches speaking.

“Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.”

Then, the witch with her back to him, spoke. “Cool it with a baboon’s blood, Then the charm is firm and good.”

That was the end of the spell. They were through at least one recitation, and based on the solidity of the fourth figure, it was likely the second.

The young girl spoke up. “Thrice the brinded cat hath mew’d.”

Regina finally caught up to Dashiell, weapon still drawn. “Are you alright?”

“Yes. But we have problems. They have a circle of protection up. I can’t get through.”

“Well can’t you cast a spell, or something?”

“No. The circle is specifically designed to prevent interference of a magical nature. There’s no way to get through.”

“Well this isn’t magic.” She raised her gun, taking aim between two of the witches. Before Dashiell could stop her, she squeezed off a round.

He dove to the ground as the shell ricocheted off the air, skittering around to the side and embedding into the granite where Kennedy’s “Ask not what your country” quote was carved. Chips of rock exploded upward.

“Jesus Christ!” Regina yelled. She had hit the deck as well.

“I tried telling you, Regina. We can’t get through.” He had noticed something though. As he dove to the ground, the youngest witch had flinched. She didn’t have full faith in the spell. That might be his way in.

“Regina,” he said, loud enough to be heard over the chanting. “Walk around behind that young lady, and shoot her in the back of the head.”

Regina turned her eyes to him, looking confused. Turning toward Regina, he mouthed the words “Trust me.”

Dashiell reached into his cloak and pulled out one of the vials of holy water, passing it to her. “Be sure to sprinkle this down the barrel on the chambered round. It’s a special potion of dispelling. It’ll get through the circle.”

It was all bullshit, but he was betting the girl didn’t know that. And the other witches couldn’t tell her to have faith without disputing the spell.

Regina hustled around the circle, coming to a stop behind the young witch. Dashiell watched her eyes go wide again, unable to see what was going on behind her and unwilling to turn. The witches were entering the last round of “Double doubles”. There was a brief pause in the chant and he heard Regina cock her weapon dramatically.

Two things happened in the next instant. First, the young witch threw herself to the ground crying out and second, the flame beneath the bubbling cauldron suddenly snuffed out, plunging the area into darkness.

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