Jeep turns the skeleton around and sends it back to the house, probably hoping the crow will follow.
“It’s not falling for it anymore,” Gisella comments as the bird lands on the nearest pine tree.
“Doesn’t… matter,” Ginda pants. “I’ve got… this.”
She brings her hands closer to each other, bending and wriggling her fingers fast.
The crow tilts its head, as if it’s trying to figure out a way to free its mates. From behind it, I see two vines closing in on the bird. Another flesh-eating flower appears above it. The white petals grow out of a branch. It opens its mouth, showing two rows of tiny sharp teeth.
When the crow hops a little to the left, the vines reach out. One of them grabs the tail, but the bird pulls itself free, shrieking in anger. It takes off into the air once more, but this time, it doesn’t get far. The white flower swallows it up, and silence descends on the garden.
Kessley hops up and down and claps excitedly. “Way to go!”
Jeep lets out a relieved sigh and lowers his hands. Immediately, the corpse falls onto its face.
“Hey, I washed those clothes yesterday!” Mona exclaims.
“Sorry.” Jeep directs the skeleton onto its feet again, but when he tries to steer it toward us, it doesn’t obey. After some careful gestures, he lets out a frustrated groan and opens his arms wide, nearly knocking Ginda over. The skeleton thrusts his arms out too with so much force that they fall off, taking the sleeves of my shirt with them as they tumble to the ground.
Now it’s my turn to yell, “Hey!” I place my hands on my waist, but when I see the exasperation on Jeep’s face, I grin and slap him on the back. “Never mind, that shirt looks better without sleeves anyway.”
“Do not worry,” Maël tunes in. “We will get all of your powers back.”
Jeep’s mood brightens a bit when Ginda steers the flesh-eating flowers into the protective circle. Then she relaxes and shakes her hands. “That went better than expected.”
I frown. “What do you mean? You didn’t think it was going to work?”
She blushes. “Well, I wasn’t completely sure. I haven’t tried this on anything so…” she searches for the right word, “… active.”
Chloe walks up to her and nudges her gently. “I knew you could do it.”
D’Maeo turns to me in his chair. “Then it’s time to cast the spell for the cages, Dante.”
I nod. “Yes, I’ll get to work. You guys watch those flowers, make sure the crows don’t escape. If anything out of the ordinary happens, let me know. And, Jeep, you go upstairs and rest. You need it.”
To my surprise, he doesn’t protest and vanishes with a tap against his hat.
Vicky and I go into the annex to prepare the spell. As she hands me a bowl and some salt, she leans over and gives me a long kiss.
It’s only when I gasp for breath that she lets go.
“What was that for?” I ask, unable to hold in a wide grin.
She shrugs. “I needed a kiss.” A blush creeps up to her cheeks. “Okay, and I think you’re irresistible when you order us around.”
“Am I now?” I put down the bowl and salt and wrap my arms around her.
I can almost hear the electricity between us crackle as our tongues touch. Tingles spread all over my body when her cold fingers caress the skin above my waist.
“We should be working on the spell,” Vicky whispers when I pause for air.
I stroke the back of her neck. “I know.”
We let go of each other and concentrate on setting everything up.
I must be getting better at this because I’ve drawn a circle and mixed the herbs, four handfuls of four different ones, in about two minutes. Vicky puts the candles in place and hands me seven glasses.
“I hope these weren’t expensive,” I joke.
Vicky steps back. “Do you remember the words?”
I snort. “Of course not. I’m getting better at everything, but my memory is still not the best.” I grab the spell I wrote earlier, when we came up with this plan, from my pocket and read it twice. Vicky takes it from me, and I light the candles. Then I raise the tower of glasses above my head.
“Turn these glasses into cages,
able to hold the strongest mages.
Make them grow with every change,
however the molecules rearrange.”
I take the top glass and hold it above the flame of each candle until it starts to change form. Then I put it down in the middle of the circle and repeat the process with the other six glasses.
Once they’re all in a circle of their own on the floor, I carefully step in the middle with the bowl of herbs in my hands. I sprinkle them over the glass forms while I slowly turn four times.
“Herbs of power, four times four,
make these glass prisons secure.
No magic force, except for mine,
can free whatever is confined.”
When the last of the herbs touches the glass shapes, there’s a loud screech, like a knife scratching something into ice. The herbs go up in smoke and mix with the changing glass. Glass bars are formed on one side of the glass boxes they’ve turned into. Simultaneously, they open, as if inviting prisoners in, and the candles are blown out.
I rub the remnants of the herbs on my pants and carefully reach for one of the cages, which is only a bit bigger than a shoe box. It’s not as heavy as it looks with its thick walls. There are little specks of herb dust on the walls.
“Try the bars,” Vicky says, and I pull at them as hard as I can. They don’t budge.
I close the door and pull again. “It’s really solid.”
Vicky steps up next to me. “How do you open it?”
I frown at the box. “Eh…” I try again, and now the door swings open without trouble.
Vicky takes it from me, shuts the door and yanks. Nothing happens.
I cross my arms over my chest. “What, you thought my spell wouldn’t work?”
She grins and hands the cage back to me. “Just checking. We don’t want those crows to escape.”
We each pick up two boxes and walk back to the kitchen.
“We’re ready,” I say, and I nod at the annex. “Can someone pick up the remaining three cages, please?”
Taylar and Kessley immediately hurry to the annex, and we all file out into the garden. Jeep apparates next to me. I want to tell him to take a longer break, but I’m actually glad to have him by my side, so I swallow my words.
We keep away from the protective circle, all a bit nervous around those big flesh-eating flowers, even though they look kind of friendly with their mouths closed.
“What now?” I ask Ginda.
The chlorokinetic witch pushes her fluttering hair behind her ears and steps into the circle. “Hand me the cages, I’ll put them in place.”
I hold out both boxes, but D’Maeo’s voice stops Ginda from taking them. “We should try one first, to see what happens. We don’t want all of the crows to grow or mutate into something more dangerous, do we?”
I drop one arm. “Right. Good call.”
Ginda takes one box from me, and we put the rest in a stack about two feet from the protective circle. My heartbeat quickens as the flower witch puts the cage between her and the nearest flesh-eating plant. She raises her arms and takes a deep breath. This time, her fingers move slowly and purposefully. The plant responds by bending forward. Little by little, the white ‘head’ disappears into the box. The stem doesn’t seem willing to follow, but eventually, with some extra twists of her wrist, Ginda directs the whole plant into the cage. She closes it and pulls the door to make sure it doesn’t open again.
“Ready?” she asks.
We all nod, unable to speak because of the tension. Who knows what kind of monster it will turn into if this backfires again.
Charlie must be thinking the same thing, because he is conjuring a large grease ball. Maël has her staff
at the ready, and Vicky is holding up a sword. D’Maeo steps in front of Chloe with his hands raised, ready to use his powers of deflection. Mona is standing next to him, her sparks jumping up and down her arms eagerly. Jeep’s hand grabs the edge of his hat firmly. Gisella throws out her blades, and Taylar holds up his shield after a sideways glance at Charlie. I’m not sure where he got it from so quickly, but that doesn’t matter. I almost want to say ‘well, thanks for the vote of confidence’, but that wouldn’t be fair. I’m afraid myself too. We’re dealing with powerful mages here. I conjure a lightning ball and hold it up, ready to throw it at the cage.
Ginda takes two steps back but stays inside the circle. Her eyes are glued to the plant that is locked inside the glass cage. When she moves her hands and fingers again, she looks like an air pianist. Gradually, the flesh-eating flower starts to dissolve. Smudges of green and white linger in the air for a moment, and slowly the crow becomes visible. It starts thrashing around as soon as it has enough room to do so. It dives toward the bars, and I suddenly realize the space between them is too wide. The bird will be able to squeeze through without trouble!
Charlie sees it too, because he throws his grease ball at the cage. Inches before it reaches it, the bars grow wider, making it impossible for the crow to escape. The last of the plant vanishes, and the crow spreads its wings… only to hit them against the walls. It hops around, banging its head on the ceiling and slamming against the bars several times, while Charlie’s grease slides down them.
“It didn’t change, did it?” Kessley whispers.
I smile at her. “No, it didn’t. Mona was right about the protective circle.”
She shoves me gently. “Don’t doubt yourself and us. This was a good plan.”
“You’re right.” I shove her back. “But it’s still magic, so you never know how it’ll play out.”
She grins. “True.”
Ginda rubs her hands and flexes her fingers. “Can I start on the rest?”
“Yes but take your time. If you get tired or cramp up, we can take a break.”
She swats my words away. “I’m fine. And I’ll be careful.”
Vicky, Gisella and Chloe put the other cages in place, and while Ginda steers the second plant into its box, I watch the crow that’s already locked up. Its eyes are bright red and watch me with interest through the glass bars. It tilts its head, as if it is sizing me up. Then it turns and starts pecking the wall like crazy. Tiny shards of glass fly everywhere, and I let out a panicked scream. “It’s escaping!”
Ginda stops her gesturing for a second to glance at the crow. “No, it’s not.”
I step into the circle and conjure another ball of lightning.
“It can’t get out,” Ginda assures me again. She nods at the box. “Look for yourself.”
I bend over. “There’s glass everywhere. It’s making a hole in the wall.”
“No, it’s not,” Ginda repeats. She steps in front of me, picks up the box and holds it up. “See? The glass grows back in place instantly. It can peck all it wants, but it won’t help.”
I squint. “Are you sure?”
She blows hard, sending the glass particles through the bars. I wave my hand to get them away from my face. Now I’ve got a clear sight of the inside. The wall is still in one piece; there’s not even a scratch on the surface.
The crow catapults itself forward and tries to peck us, but the bars get wider with every attempt.
“It will hold,” Ginda assures me.
I let out a sigh, nod and step away to give her some room.
She takes her time to put the rest of the crows in their prisons.
After the fourth one, I sit down in the grass. Chloe lowers herself down next to me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, just a little impatient,” I answer. “How are you feeling?”
Her lips curl up with an icy crackle. “I’m okay, thanks to Ginda, you and your friends. You’re a special bunch.”
I follow her gaze as she takes in the people around us. A fierce but calm African queen in a dress that’s way too fancy for a fight but with a golden cape that makes her look like a superhero and a staff with which she can bend time. Next to her, an equally calm gray-haired ghost in a black suit stealing a kiss from a fairy godmother with perfect looks. Charlie and Gisella are still completely focused on the remaining flesh-eating flowers, ready to jump into action if needed. Gisella, quite literally, with her cat-like moves and dressed in the red catsuit that matches her hair. Although she now also has those extra Black Annis witch powers, it’s obvious she’s more comfortable with her werecat skills. She uses the shadows only when her other powers won’t work. Charlie’s serious expression doesn’t match his shirt full of colorful flowers. One of his hands plays with a gel ball while the other goes up to his mouth every few seconds, pushing cookies inside to keep his jaws occupied.
Then there’s Taylar, our youngest ghost, with bright white hair. There’s no trace of the darkness that bursts out now and then. His face is soft and kind. With his shield held in front of him, he moves closer to Kessley an inch at a time. The girl in the tight, short, leopard skin dress pretends not to notice, but each time he gets closer, her cheeks turn redder. Vicky is standing next to her, watching Ginda work with interest, but glancing at Jeep on her left every few seconds. She’s the hottest girl here, with her blonde-tipped black hair and dressed fully in black. The combination of lace and leather she wears reflects her personality: tough and soft at the same time. Although Jeep is much older, in human as well as ghost years, she seems protective towards him. It used to be the other way around, but since we found the tattooed ghost in Shelton Banks’ mansion, he’s been gloomy. With the souls, he seems to have lost his confidence and wit. I hope we can give it back to him soon, along with the magic he lost.
When I turn my head back to Chloe, she’s studying me. I try to imagine what she sees, probably the most ordinary-looking person of everyone here. Sure, I’ve built up some muscles since this crazy magical ride began, but other than that, I’m just a boring sixteen-year-old boy in jeans.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she says. “That you’re the only one here that looks normal. But you’re wrong.”
I frown. “How did you know I was thinking that?”
She gestures at my face. “It shows. But really, anyone can see there’s more to you than meets the eye.” She pushes back the stiff hair that blocks her view. “You’re special; you all are.”
I chuckle. “We’re weird. But you get used to us after a while.”
“I don’t think you’re weird at all. To me, you’re almost ordinary. But the way you treat me makes you all very special.” She lowers her gaze, as if she’s afraid she’s said too much.
I pat her on the knee. “Trust me, we’re very weird. And that’s why I love every single one of my friends. They’re all special in their own way, just like you. You fit in perfectly.”
Her face thaws a bit, and the blue of her skin turns a shade more natural. “You really think so?”
“Absolutely.”
Her eyes sparkle when she meets mine. “Thanks, Dante, that means a lot to me.”
Vicky turns her head toward us and frowns. Is she jealous? Afraid of some other girl stealing my heart?
She winks and holds up her thumb. Of course not, she can read my feelings. She knows I’m head over heels with her. And even if she wasn’t an empath, she would still be too confident to worry about me falling for someone else.
I want to ask her without words how Jeep is doing, but I’m not sure how to get the question across. Before I can figure it out, Ginda claps her hands, drawing everyone’s attention back to her. “Done!”
I push myself up and help Chloe to her feet. Everyone gathers around the cages in the protective circle, where the crows are thrashing around so much that the boxes move.
“Well done!” I compliment Ginda. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without you.
”
Ginda smiles shyly. “I’m sure you would’ve figured something out.”
“Maybe, but I’m glad we didn’t have to.”
Vicky picks up one of the cages, not even flinching when the crow inside thrusts itself at her. “It’s time for the hardest part of our plan.”
CHAPTER 25
Although the success with the cages has given me more confidence, I’m nervous about the next part. The fact that this spell worked before doesn’t mean anything. With magic, you never know. Something at our destination might have changed. That’s actually something I’ve been worried about since Quinn’s last visit. If Heaven is under attack, will our plan still work? Will it be safe for us at the gates of Heaven? What if we end up inside Heaven by mistake and can’t find a way back? What if the glass cages disappear once we’re there?
My doubts force me to make a decision I’d rather not make. “We need to split up.”
“What? Why?” Vicky asks.
I explain quickly, and D’Maeo and Maël nod.
“I wanted to give the same advice,” the ghost queen says. “If something goes wrong, you need someone here to get you back.”
D’Maeo paces up and down the protective circle. “I think most of us should go with you to Heaven though. If the crows somehow escape, we need a lot of firepower to trap them again.”
“I’m coming with you,” Jeep says. His tone of voice is clear; he’s not changing his mind about this. “If all else fails, I can lock them back inside my tattoos.”
“That’s a terrible idea,” Vicky voices my thoughts.
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