Spirit by J. P. Hightman Page B

journeys?”
    â€œI will say this: I’ve made up my mind that I won’t judge other’s beliefs. There’s nothing certain, except that God favors the strong. I go where there’s money. Witches or not, I come prepared to kill what needs to be killed—”
    â€œThere are witches in these woods,” Josiah Jurey interrupted. “And they are to be respected.”
    Tobias looked at him with a touch of surprise.
    In the moving light, Jurey looked tremendously old, with rivers of wrinkles on his face. “I’ve hunted their kind in a thousand corners. What you have here has dug itself in and drawn power from a sacrosanct place, forbidden and frightening even to the Indians, long before we came. Those who draw from the wellspring in this darkness will not leave easily. They will be strong. The two hundred-year mark of their death will grant them new vitality. They will travel on demons, with blood in their wake….”

CHAPTER NINE
    M r. Josiah Jurey’s tale of living, breathing witches feeding off some eternal power in the wilderness strained even Tess’s and Tobias’s credulity. The man claimed the Widow Malgore—whom he called “The Wretch”—was likely to be surviving on demon’s blood, walking about, free as you please. He went on to say the other accused, Abigail and Wilhelm, might have shared a similar fate.
    â€œAfter two hundred years, they’re alive,” Tobias said, feigning seriousness. “How interesting. Are you here on a hunting expedition?”
    â€œI have been drawn here. And my work is of a personal nature,” said the old man.
    â€œAh, a mission of vengeance? One of these things killed your child, perhaps? Killed your wife?”
    â€œOne such creature was my wife,” said Jurey. “She killed my child.”
    At his words, a chill ran through the car.
    â€œThere will be danger ahead,” said Jurey. “And you will all have a part to play.”
    â€œMadness,” murmured Gil.
    â€œIt is always madness that brings true insight,” said the foreigner.
    Tobias suppressed a laugh. “Do we pay extra for these wisdom…nuggets?”
    The foreigner leaned forward and gave him an icy stare. “I will protect even you,” he said.
    Annette smiled nervously. “Gunmen, witchhunters,” she said. “Didn’t anyone come for ice-skating and sleigh rides? This is to be a carnival, after all.”
    Mr. Tawdry broke in: “We heard of this at a séance in Connecticut. Sounded like a thrill.”
    His wife smiled. “Our macabre curiosity rears its head.”
    It had begun to seem that quite a few of the travelers would be more than happy to see the dead witches come to life. Tess felt herself in wilder company than she at first thought. She began to see how these ordinary people were in many ways hoping for something dreadful to happen—to someone else.
    â€œA-sleighing we will go…,” sang the foreigner strangely, his eyes on Tobias in an odd challenge. Have you the strength to face this ? he seemed to say.
    Still, Annette and many of the others looked perturbed, as if unhappy to see the kind of people they were traveling with. It would seem a few had indeed come for mere sleigh rides and fireworks.
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    Outside, the snow-shrouded woods were silent, ominous. Lifeless. Not even a rabbit disturbed the ground. All the usual wildlife had fled. The train thundered past, a long black scarblowing ivory steam through the relentless snowfall.
    The old town pulled the train closer.
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    Some people still sent Tess and Tobias curious and rude glances, but the train had all but returned to normal. Sattler and Annette were laughing quietly. Tess and Tobias watched them, seeing their own behavior mirrored somehow more gracefully in the way the two lightly enjoyed each other’s company. Perhaps Tess had been wrong in thinking Annette could be unfaithful.
    Feeling