The Ether Witch Volume 2

Tam drummed his fingers once over the surface of the table in his and Eli's cabin.

Hamil gulped.

Eli's stare bore into his face.

"Look, I-I really shouldn't be telling you anything! It's bad enough that I've already shared this information!"

"You called this," Tam held up the brass device from its chain, making it swing like a pendulum. Hamil's eyes tracked the movement nervously. "A watch. Why? Why a watch?"

"Because we… We watch the time. It is how we organize appointments. Our lives. Jobs. Even our doctors use it for—"

"Doctors?" Eli interrupted interestedly.

Hamil clamped his mouth shut.

Tam and Eli shared a look between each other.

"Hamil. Is this dangerous?" Tam leaned forward, holding out the device toward Hamil who gave a subtle flinch.

He didn't respond.

Neither Tam nor Eli spoke.

Merely studied him with unclear emotions.

The ship deck rocked beneath them more noticeably than it had that morning. The voyage had been filled with nothing but sunny days, however, the captain had predicted that they were due for a storm or two.

"We were told this could not do anything. But given the circumstances we received it, it isn't out of the question to assume that something could be done with it," Tam began quietly. "Daxaria and Zinfera are at war with their covens and the first witch, Hamil. We need every advantage."

"You're a witch!" Hamil burst out before he was able to stop himself.

Tam arched an eyebrow. "I am. But I am brother to the queen of Daxaria. And the methods the covens are using in an effort to separate themselves from falling under the Daxarian and Zinferan monarchies are not acceptable. They've aligned themselves with the first witch who has cost a great many people their lives, and more."

Surprisingly, at this, Hamil relaxed.

"The first witch has her reasons. Your sister has killed countless people herself. Who the villain is depends on which side you stand on." He shrugged at his own conclusion.

Both Eli and Tam stilled.

"So in the war, you would side with the first witch."

Hamil grimaced. "I didn't say that. I'm just saying there isn't an easy good versus evil in most wars."

Tam's lip twitched. He jerked his hand again, sending the watch swinging, making Hamil jerk backward.

"What. Does. This. Do?"

"You yourself said the first witch has one that stops time!"

"That isn't what this one does, or she wouldn't have had another built," Tam argued.

"Then I don't know!"

"Then look at it!"

Hamil cringed away.

Regardless, Tam seized Hamil's hand, and pressed it into his palm.

Hamil yelped an objection but, when nothing happened. He stopped. Then, carefully peeling one eye open Hamil looked at the watch in his hand.

When he was certain it wasn't about to explode sometime during his next breath, he tilted his head in curiosity. Bringing it up closer to his face he squinted at its back, then pressed open the top of the button to make the brass cover spring open.

"Hm." He held the device up to his ear. "What're the odds you have something that can unscrew the back?"

"There aren't screws on the back. Only on the hinges," Eli reminded.

Intrigued, his former panic forgotten, Hamil started fiddling with the top button.

He twisted it a few times. Paused. Then lifted it to his ear to try again. "Huh…"

Lowering it down once again, he proceeded to unscrew the top button until he could pull the long pin out.

After doing that, he laid it delicately onto the table, then removed the glass covering the numbers and notches.

He stared at the bare face of the watch thoughtfully for a moment, before proceeding to pinch the tiny nub that the two spindles on the watch were attached to, and twisted until it, too, popped off.

Carefully, he turned over the watch in his palm, and the face of the watch came out.

Hamil set that on the table beside the pin.

With all that remained in his hand being the brass shell of the watch and a thin layer of gears.

But below the gears… was an empty groove. As though something was missing from that spot.

Hamil let out a large breath of relief. His free hand coming up to his chest.

"Well?" Eli asked expectantly.

The Lobahlan gave a small start. He had forgotten he wasn't alone. "This watch can't do anything magical. It doesn't have a crystal."

"A crystal?" Tam straightened in his seat.

Hamil looked at him sardonically. "Yes. Please tell me the other kingdoms at the very least have crystals!"

"The mages do," Eli supplied with a narrowing of her eyes at the perceived condescension in Hamil's voice.

"Aah… Engineers?" Hamil was uncertain on what she was referencing. "Wait! No! Mages! Yes! That's what they were called ages ago!" He chuckled. "We call them engineers in Lobahl. They power the crystals to help the city run. Things like hot water, air control for the summer months, water purifying, toilets, and—" Hamil stopped himself, clearing his throat.

Tam and Eli looked at each other, again, whatever they were thinking or trying to convey to each other unclear to Hamil.

"If this watch had a crystal, would it stop time?"

Hamil stared at them flatly. "Weren't you the ones that just said if it worked that way the first witch would've used it?"

"So she would've known it needed a crystal to work." Tam lowered his gaze to the table as his mind sifted through his thoughts.

"Why did you keep holding it up to your ear?" Eli wondered, her even stare not wandering from the Lobahlan.

"Watches tick. They make a regular, measured noise as the cogs work."

Her eyes gleamed with interest.

Tam chuckled as he looked at Eli. "You really want to be able to be even more organized with your time, don't you?"

She blushed tellingly, and Hamil found he couldn't help but smile a little at the genuine affection between the couple.

Maybe they weren't as terrifying as he thought they were. Maybe they really were just scared and had stumbled upon—

"Where did you say you got this again…?" Hamil prodded.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Both Eli and Tam's stony expressions returned in an instant.

They didn't reply.

"I've shared a lot with you! Why can't you just tell me that? I'm just worried that someone is illegally making things that can stop time!"

As Tam leaned back into his seat, he moved his hands into his pockets.

"A dragon gave it to us."

"Oh," Hamil nodded slowly, then paused. "Which dragon?"

Neither Tam nor Eli could mask their surprise.

"What do you mean… which… dragon?" Eli's voice had jumped an octave.

"I mean… Odds are I haven't heard of them. No one really wants to go to the mountains and count how many we have spilling out, but you never know. I mean, one with a device is probably one of the ones that—What?" Hamil balked at their gaping mouths. "What did I say?"

"There are… multiple dragons in Lobahl?" Tam spluttered.

Hamil opened and closed his mouth.

Damnit.

He hated to admit that his father had been right. It really was important that people who ventured out into the world be trained on how not to share literally all of their secrets.

"W-well. I… I assume so. No one really goes near the mountains. Like I said. There's nothing but the desert north of the city, and then the Romethio Ocean past the mountains, so it isn't as though someone is going to get a head count."

Neither Tam nor Eli looked like they bought that for an instant.

"Tell us about the dragons and we'll tell you which one gave this to us," Tam's gaze had turned to steel again.

Hamil eyed the door.

He could just try to leave.

"That won't go well."

His head snapped round to stare at Tam with wide eyes. A pulse of fear shot through him, and a fresh swath of sweat formed on Hamil's brow.

"Tell me," Tam ordered quietly.

"O-or what?"

Tam looked over his shoulder at Eli, who appeared a little wary…

Was Hamil imagining it, or had Tam just winked at her?

"Or we'll tell Kraken to sleep in your cabin and to take extra special care of you."

Hamil scowled. "He's a cat. I think you just made up all of those things earlier on deck to try and use him against me."

An unnerving smile lifted Tam's mouth. "Believe what you want. Just don't make me talk to the chicken."

Grumbling, Hamil stood without hiding his indignation. "Honestly. This is the thanks I get? I come in here, answer your questions—"

"We had to pry them out of you. This was potentially a dangerous device and you weren't going to give us any kind of warning even after we saved you." Tam rose to his feet, his towering height making Hamil take a single step toward the door. "I think you climbed into the saddle of your high horse a bit too soon there, Hamil."

"There are children on board this ship," Eli added somberly as she, too, came to her feet.

"W-well we just assumed that you both knew you were tampering with things you shouldn't! It's bad manners to shove one's nose in someone else's business!"

The couple drew closer to Hamil as he continued taking every inch he could toward the door.

"Don't you want to know which dragon gave this watch to us?" Tam asked while picking up the brass cover and its affixed cogs in his hand.

"Not that badly I don't!" Hamil swung around and desperately seized the door handle, only for Tam's large hand to appear in front of him, holding it closed.

Hamil shrunk against its surface as he slowly turned around to see Tam staring down at him with an unnervingly calm expression.

He really hadn't seemed that large before…

"Would you feel better if my wife ordered us some tea and it was just you and I having a chat?"

Hamil opened and closed his mouth. Then licked his lips.

He remained pressed against the door.

"I-I am the son of the Judge of Lobahl. I know you do not understand what that means, but I am—"

"Hamil…" Tam leaned down, and Hamil couldn't help but develop a mild case of trembling in both of his knees. "I've pissed off an immortal daughter of the Gods. The rank of a person doesn't scare me that much these days."

Steeling himself, Hamil tried again. "Even if hurting me means war with Lobahl?"

"No one knows you and Bes are here, Hamil." Tam's voice was a whisper.

"So you'll kill me if I don't tell you what you need?" Hamil asked, his quiet voice steadying.

Tam tilted his head. "I never said that. I merely warned you not to make me tell the chicken."

"Why do you smell so good?" Hamil uttered in a whispery tone.

Tam's face turned alarmingly blank as he tensed and fell into what Hamil could only assume was a puzzled silence.

Hamil clamped his lips shut. He hadn't meant that distracted thought to slip out! But he was alarmingly drawn to the scent of mint and frankincense—And it made it difficult to focus on the ominous atmosphere the Daxarian nobleman was constructing rather expertly.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, the Lobahlan tried to reclaim his earlier righteous indignation. "What you're suggesting, Lord Tam, is that I won't be going back home to tell people what you've done!"

Overcoming his earlier bafflement, Tam laughed softly. "Because I'm willing to bet you're going to get a lot more caught up in what's happening with the two kingdoms than you realize. And as a result, a mild… warning… is most likely going to slip your mind."

"I doubt it," Hamil ground out.

Tam smiled, making Hamil frown. "Hamil… There are two things you should know. The first? Daxarians also share the belief that some encounters are by the hair of the Goddess."

At the mention of one of his homeland's beliefs that people were tied together by a hair of the Goddess herself to weave fate made Hamil's countenance soften ever so slightly.

"And the second thing?" Hamil asked, while trying to maintain the facade of confident strength.

"You're already doomed by association."

"What? What does that mean?" Hamil demanded frantically, his facade already destroyed.

Instead of a verbal response from Tamlin Ashowan, Hamil watched with shock and dread as the Daxarian's eyes fill with blackness that grew from the center of his pupils, covering even the whites of his eyes.

In the shadows of the cabin, Hamil had thought it was a trick of the light… But then he noticed the silvery dark wisps emanating from Tam. What little dim daylight the Daxarian nobleman hadn't blocked out with his body was winked out with the alarming shadows wavering from his body.

Hamil froze.

"It means," Tam began lightly, a trickle of playfulness coming through his tone that Hamil didn't care for one bit—and for good reason, as Tam's next words rendered him utterly speechless. "You, Hamil, son of the Judge of Lobahl, happen to owe the devil a favor."