1. Verses le vin…

She doesn't know anything else about the others, but Raddieux gulps at the the accusation from the spirit, and how closely it fits her own history. All her life she's been accused of that and worse. "It's me, but I'm not a witch, I'm not!"

Fishing around in an inner pocket, Gilles mutters to himself, "Never knew why I hung onto this, but now is as good a time as any."

He pulls the stopper on the small flask and dumps the contents onto the book while reciting The Lord's Prayer, hoping the Holy Water will dispell whatever foul entity is before them.

Magdalena's eyes go wide when the book speaks from beneath Gilles's garb. Then, before she can react, the book is on the ground and it's aflame. "No!" she shouts at the man as Raddieux voices her own concern more quietly.

"You might release the--"

The woman falls back a step as the flames flicker out, and as the presence looms over them, speaks to them in the way that it does. Her heart races as there is discussion over who among them might be a witch, and the woman swings her shawl off her shoulders, preparing to gather up the book in it -- to cover it, smother it, and hopefully blind the infernal power that inhabits it!

"I told you the book could be dangerous!" she cries lowly, trying to keep her voice down. "And nothing everything is as it might seem!"

Magdalena caught the full torrent of holy water as she bounded to the floor. Covering and acquiring the book in her shawl and holding it close in her crouched position, she was the first to notice the strange events. The small room seemed that much darker, the air froze and the breaths of all could be seen through their terrified panting. Terrible and dread, the voice continued. First in a contemptible mocking laugh.

Notre Père, qui es aux cieux, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Eltheto he basileia sou. The voice’s mocking sing-song parody was cut short only by its own laughter. As the cackles that echoed fell still a more malevolent tone came forth.

I asked where you found me. Now speak! Or I will claim you all.

"Damn, I paid good money for that," Gilles hisses at Magdalena when she covers the tome.

Turning his attention to the being before them, he answers. "When Marianne was being tortured for a confession, I went looking for something that might have cleared her name. Instead," the contempt in his voice is obvious, "I found you. Well, specifically the book."

He narrows his eyes. "I had hoped she was falsely accused. It seems I was mistaken."

Still crouching with the covered book, but now with eyes wide and filled with terror, Magdalena Slowly stands as she waits to see what the reaction to Cayn's words will be...

Farfule feels the sudden cold as he watches the unbelievable scene unfolding before his eyes. Drawing his rapier at the sound of the voice, because surely there is a malevolent body somewhere behind it, he searches for the source.

"She warned us about the book, Gilles. She knows something. Perhaps things are not what we presumed them to be and neither is she."

Farfule continues searching, squinting his eyes against the dark. "Who are you and what do you want?"

Raddieux knows better than to obey an evil spirit, opening the door to suggestion and possession. She folds her arms and remains silent. As the others talk she wonders if this will be a fight, and if so, will it be one they have a hope of surviving.

This was getting too real. Witches were things that mothers told scary stories about to their children to get them to behave. Not dangerous real people with demons hidden in books! Alderic did not know what good it would do him, but he drew his langmesser, unwilling to die without a fight.

Since Magdalena seemed to know more about the book than anyone else in the room he asked Do you know how to control it? How to silence it?!

The voice of the book, quiet and content answered Farfule. I am known by many names mortal by many peoples over many centuries. You may call me Sehk. There was a pause. Momentarily. I will answer your second question when you tell me each of your names.

This gave Farfule pause. Names were powerful in the hands of evil and thus he was presented with a quandary. Taking a deep and hopefully not too obvious breath he lied. Not entirely because he used just his middle name with a few extra vowels added.

"Armeande. That's me, Sehk."

Beauséjour glances at Alderic and shakes her head briefly and subtly; no.

"There is power in names," Magdalena says, straightening up further to face the demon, Sehk. The woman knows that is undoubtedly not his True Name, but she also understands the danger they are all in. "Why would we share ours with you?"

What do you offer? her dark eyes ask, while she doesn’t.

To give me your names is a sign of your trustworthiness. Some of you have shown that trust, others less so. Sehk’s voice was cold and calm with an almost soothing tone in reply to Magdalena.

You can share with me in my plan and for that I will offer you two rewards. The first is that I know secret things, secret places, and secret knowledge. If you do as I bid, some of these secrets will be shared. The second reward is there for your own benefit. Five fates can be avoided. Beast, fire, darkness, hopelessness, and condemnation. I can lift these for you or bring them faster. I hope that is clear?

The air grew slightly warmer and the darkness eased.

I will put things simply for you. My task is a simple one. Finish what you have seen begin. I have a claim on Marianne. You will kill her, though this must be no ordinary death. Through interference and her own conniving, she has lived to see a new sun rise. She must see the full terror of your abilities. I have a debt to claim and you will be my debt collectors.

These are my terms.

So much opportunity lay behind this entity. Whether or not it was lying Alderic had no way of knowing. But the lure of secret places drew him like a moth to flame.
I know where she went. He looked around at the group, trying to judge their expressions. She went to stay with her aunt in a nearby town.

Bound to do the devil's work. This is what has lead her here. All her life, they told her she was walking the line between good and evil. That her ancestry was that of the faerie kind, the others.

"Why her? Was she innocent and lead down this path? You tricked her, didn't you, Shek."

Looking around to see if anyone was witnessing this, or hearing this, Magdalena stood fast but did not answer the devil yea or nay. She well knows what it means to make pacts with such beings. She quirks an eyebrow when Raddieux asks her question, and as Alderic suddenly offers up Marianne's location.

Farfule did not trust Sehk, not even a tiny bit.

"The first reward you speak of. The secrets. You don't say whether these secrets are advantageous to us or not. I suppose it is inherent in the idea of a reward but may we know a little more about these so we can make a fully informed decision?"

He was also buying time ... for what he wasn't sure but it felt like a good idea. He glanced at Alderic through narrowed eyes. How easily he gave her up, he thinks. He notes Magdalena's silence and then he waits for an answer to his question and Raddieux's.

Trick her? Sehk sounded almost genuinely shocked. There was no need to trick her or any one. I merely allowed her to bid for her strengths as she saw fit.

As to the secrets I can offer. I can answer your questions, your darkest fears, opportunities beyond your wildest imagination, or even nobler reasons. As you please. Do I take it that you are intrigued by my opportunity?

Raddieux had paid for these crimes with a lifetime of mistreatment. Who could blame her for being tempted to accept the rewards, too?

"Intrigued, yes. Of course we are. We are no fools to believe that there wouldn't be a cost. A cost such as, say, arranging for us to be arrested and burned at the stake or hung by the neck!"

Alderic had given years of service for his King and Country and all for what? To be reduced to abject poverty. To his land and home being stolen by the same blackhearts who had shoved a pike in his hands; to the earth there being tilled by new hands. To now tilling a different kind of freshly turned earth, seeking rewards below. What could one man alone do to change these miserable circumstances? Perhaps nothing. But perhaps he only needed some help…

I am of the same mind as Raddieux here. You offer great rewards for helping you, and I would be lying if I said I was not interested. But you say nothing of consequences. What assurance can you give us that you would not simply burn us to death with hellfire, or have us hanged, as soon as you have what you want?