Witch Crystal (Witches of Zrotaz Book 1)

by Malika Gandhi

“Larissa...” sounded a faint voice inside her head. “Where are you?”

  Oh no, Mum. The rain, wind, thunder, and lightning stopped abruptly, just as it had begun. Larissa headed toward home again, her mind whirring with thoughts of the weather and the red deer.

  * *

  Marcaria paced her small kitchen as the storm came. She couldn’t help but worry about Larissa. She placed her mug of tea on the table, and then sat down. She wrung her hands, beginning to panic. Oh Larissa, where are you?

  “Mum, I’m coming,” came the answer.

  The phone rang and Marcaria jumped. She picked it up. “Hello? Rita! Yes, thank you for opening the shop for

  me. Larissa has gone out...she is usually home by this time. But today, well, it’s been over an hour.” As Marcaria listened to her friend, she saw lightning and then heard a clap of thunder. Rain lashed down at her window. This wasn’t just any storm. “I will be there this afternoon. Be careful out there...thanks again.”

  When Marcaria put the phone down, the storm suddenly stopped and the sun came out as if it had never happened. This was even more disquieting.

  Then she saw Larissa through the window and her heart jumped. She let out a huge sigh. She opened the door and hugged her daughter tightly.

  “Oh Mum,” said Larissa, giving her mother a kiss on the cheek.

  Marcaria helped her out of her wet jacket.

  “Are you alright?” she asked worriedly. “That storm...”

  “It was just some freak weather, Mum. Usual for Yorkshire though, right? Anyway I’m fine, don’t fuss.” Marcaria began to hand towel her hair. “Mum, can I have some tea please?”

  Larissa turned to face Marcaria when she stopped drying her hair. There was a faraway look on her mother’s face.

  “Mum, what’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing, Darling.” Marcaria went to put the kettle one, and came back to dry Larissa’s hair.

  The kettle boiled, and Marcaria went to make the tea. However, she was looking outside through the window, with a frown on her face. Larissa watched her mother in silence as her mother worked.

  When Marcaria’s hands began to tremble, Larissa took the teapot out of her hands and set it down on the table. She took her hands and looked straight into her eyes. In a few minutes, she read Marcaria’s worries.

  “That is not possible,” she said, shaking her head in denial.

  “But it’s happening,” Marcaria whispered. “They are gaining power, they will enter Earth. I don’t know when or how, but they will.”

  “The storm, was it all their doing?”

  “I’m afraid so. It is a sign or a warning, I just don’t know for certain.”

  Larissa’s mobile rang. “It’s Chantelle; she’s coming over to study this afternoon.”

  “I’ll leave you girls to it,” Marcaria said, placing a hand on Larissa’s shoulder. “I have to go to the shop anyway.” She still had that look on her face.

  “You worry too much. It was probably nothing,” Larissa reassured her. “I am sure it won’t even happen.”

  * *

  “That boy is cute.” Chantelle took a bite of her ham sandwich and opened her maths textbook.

  “What boy?” Larissa bit into an apple as she continued reading her notes.

  “He’s new, I think. I haven’t seen him before. He joined our school last week.”

  Larissa closed her folder. “Okay, I’m all ears. I know you can’t wait to tell me all the gossip.”

  Chantelle leaned forward excitedly. “All the girls are drooling over him at school!”

  Larissa gave her a pointed look. Her friend continued.

  “Okay, okay. So anyway, he is gorgeous and he is the talk of the town. I can’t believe you haven’t heard,” said Chantelle.

  “I have more pressing things on my mind than some random boy and to listen to idle gossip.”

  “Like what?” Chantelle challenged.

  “Like our impending exams?”

  “That’s not so important.” Chantelle waved the suggestion away like old news. “But I suppose...if I don’t pass my exams, Mum will kill me for sure.”

  “Exactly,” said Larissa. “Now open your book to page 33. We have to study algebra.”

  Chantelle groaned and Larissa hid a smile. Chantelle never missed a trick when it came to boys. She was a magnet to them. Larissa and Chantelle had been best friends from as early as she could remember. Both Chantelle’s parents moved from Kenya to Yorkshire in the early eighties and made the UK their home.

  Larissa liked them and often stayed over when her mother would permit her. Chantelle also had an elder brother, younger sister and many, many cousins back in Kenya.

  She was very tall. Taller than Larissa by an inch and that was saying something, as Larissa herself was five foot five!

  * *

  Outside, the sky turned darker as the girls worked. Marcaria locked up the shop after what had been a busy afternoon and was taking stock in the back with Rita. Soon it was six and time to go home.

  “Goodnight Rita,” she said as she picked up her bag. Rita stretched and yawned. “That was such a long day.

  You look shattered.”

  “I am.”

  “I told you Larissa would be fine. You worry too much,”

  said Rita.

  Marcaria raised her eyebrows and shook her head.

  “So would you, if you were in my shoes. Now leave or I will have to throw you out!”

  Marcaria laughed and went to hug her young friend. “Thanks for helping me out today.”

  “No problem, boss.” Rita opened the door, letting in a gust of wind.

  Marcaria shivered and retrieved her shawl from her bag, pulling it snugly around her shoulders. She waited until they were both outside and then locked the shop door. Rita said goodnight and got into her car.

  Above, the clouds swirled angrily and lightning flashed. Bursts of bright pink, blue, and silver hues outlined the clouds as they pulsed with electricity. Marcaria’s magic sparked on the tip of her fingers as she made her way to her car. She looked up and shuddered. Quickening her pace, she prayed to the Gods of Zrotaz to keep her daughter safe.

  The Crystal has matured, she thought, and the Empire Witches would do anything to get it and her daughter, but they would not find them!

  3

  Marcaria hesitated at the foot of the stairs and looked to the top, to the attic. Locked at all times, it was deliberately out of bounds to Larissa. Marcaria wanted it that way. Now, after the abnormal storm, she had to check if the Crystal was still silent.

  Larissa was at school, it was the perfect time; she didn’t have to know of its existence until the right moment. Marcaria took a deep breath and gripped the banister. As she walked up the stairs, the afternoon sun shone through the landing window, illuminating the dark stairway.

  Marcaria had hidden the Crystal in the attic on the day that she and Larissa had moved in. There was a blizzard that day; snow whipping around outside the house like there would be no tomorrow.

  Marcaria had never seen one like it on Zrotaz, and she watched in fascination as snow particles danced in a frenzied manner. Little Larissa was jumping up and down, laughing, trying to catch the particles. Marcaria had made sure they were wrapped up, for she knew that ice water could contaminate their blood.

  Marcaria knew no one in Yorkshire apart from Rita who had met them at the time of landing. Rita took her and Larissa to her home, where they stayed with her until they found a house of their own. Their house stood on a hill, overlooking the swirling sea. It was a large building with three big bedrooms, a living room with a cheery fireplace, a long hall, and a kitchen/diner, perfect for dinner parties. Larissa had been very excited about it!

  Marcaria’s house on Zrotaz was not as grand as this one, but she had been comfortable there. She missed it so much, but Earth was her home now, and she must look forward. When Marcaria hid the Crystal, she knew it was in the perfect place.

  Marcaria hoped t
he Crystal had not matured, as she feared. It was a typical attic with all unused space containing dust and cobwebs. The window let in hazy sunshine.

  She chanted a quick purification spell and the attic became devoid of unwelcome disturbances. She did not usually cast spells on Earth and tried to avoid it as the Witches Council had forbidden any magical activity unless it was absolutely necessary.

  In recent years, many ‘accidents’ had occurred, especially in the company of humans. Today, however, Marcaria was safe, there was no one in the house but her.

  Amidst the boxes of stored items lay a box that was the only one of significance to her and her daughter’s survival. To the unassuming human, it was an ordinary brown cardboard box but to a witch, the box was extraordinary. Protected with layer upon layer of charms and

  enchantments, a common witch would have difficulty opening it. If a human happened to try to open it, a charm of disinterest would ward them off. Marcaria was careful to use a personal spell that only she had access to, rather like a PIN for a cash machine or a password for a computer. There was always a chance that her protection spells and charms could be hacked into. If an Empire Witch came upon the box, Marcaria knew opening it would be as easy as lifting an unsealed flap. She shivered at the thought.

  The box was unmarked and looked rather worn and tatty, mimicking the other boxes. She knew which one contained the Crystal, however. A fine dusting of mist powder hovered on top. If touched, the powder would settle on the victim’s arm, burning the skin. It was one of the reasons the door to the attic was locked to Larissa. Marcaria never wanted to see her daughter in such a state. She shook the image out of her head.

  Marcaria knelt on the cold, hard, wooden floor and whispered a counter-charm to vanish the mist powder. She chanted a spell, completely releasing the Crystal from its protections and closed her eyes, wishing hard for it to be dormant.

  To her dismay, it began to glow a vibrant gold for a second or two upon her touch, which then turned silver and finally grey, resembling a rock from the sea.

  Marcaria sat back in shock. No, no, it couldn’t be. Did she have her calculations wrong? The Crystal could not be ready yet. This could mean only one thing...

  She picked up it up and turned the cold, grey form in her palm, feeling its pulsating energy within. The energy engulfed her. The Crystal showed her that fateful day, the death of her husband, the cackles of the Empire Witches, and lastly her fleeing to the shuttle and entering the passageway to Earth. The images stopped and Marcaria dropped the Crystal. Shock-waves vibrated through her body, tears formed in her eyes but she blinked them away. As she did so, she heard a door bang downstairs.

  “Mum, I’m home!”

  Oh, Larissa! Marcaria hastily put the Crystal back into the box and slid it back into place. She exited the attic and went down to meet her daughter. Not wanting to draw attention to the attic, Marcaria didn’t have time to re-cast the spells, but she also forgot to seal the door. Now that the Crystal was mature, did it matter anymore? It seemed Larissa would get to know about it very soon. She just hoped no one came looking for it in the meantime, and she was thinking of the Empire Witches!

  “Mum,” Larissa said, looking surprised, as she saw her mother coming down the stairs. “I thought you were out when you didn’t answer.”

  “I was just upstairs, Darling. How was your school? Do you want some tea?”

  Larissa followed her mother to the kitchen, where she began to busy herself with a kettle. She was behaving very oddly and was avoiding eye contact with her.

  “Mum, are you feeling well?”

  “Of course, I just have things on my mind, the shop, the deliveries, you know, that kind of thing.” Marcaria went to the window and looked out, the sun seemed unusual.

  “Okay, sure,” said Larissa. “Mum, my exams finish soon, do you want to go somewhere for a holiday? A change of scenery will do us both some good.”

  “That is a wonderful idea.” Marcaria kept staring at the sun. It was a little too bright and the silver lining was something she had seen before. She clutched the emerald pendant that hung around her neck. Senon had bestowed it upon her on her birthday the year they married.

  “Perhaps you should lie down.” Larissa took the steaming teapot from her mother’s hands and led her to her bedroom.

  Larissa left her mother lying on the bed, staring through the low, bay window. Larissa kissed her forehead and let her be.

  * *

  The sky was grey and threatened rain as Larissa stepped outside her front door the next day. She trudged along the path that was still wet and muddy from the previous night’s torrential downpour, jumped over puddles, and skirted mini floods. She was glad the school wasn’t too far away.

  A few girls from her school joined the path but ignored her. They never talked to her and in fact shunned her. Larissa once overheard a girl say to her friend that she was weird and that she looked too different, as if she was not from here. Larissa held back a smile as she walked past them, feeling her palms tingling. She recognised it as the power to attack; Larissa curled her palms and concentrated on keeping it under control. She succeeded. It wouldn’t be wise to ‘demonstrate’ what she could do. A horn brought Larissa back to the present, and she found she had arrived at the school. Chantelle was waiting at the gate. “Just in time,” she said. “I’ve been here for ages!” “Yeah, um...woke up late,” said Larissa.

  They walked into the school in silence, and then Larissa spoke.

  “Mum was acting really funny yesterday.”

  “Really? How?” asked Chantelle.

  Larissa knew Chantelle wasn’t really paying attention to her, as her friend’s gaze followed a rather good looking boy sauntering past, his arms around his girlfriend. Chantelle looked disappointed.

  “Chantelle!”

  “What?” she asked, “Oh yeah, sorry. So what were you saying?”

  “It’s just that Mum isn’t usually like this. I can’t put my finger on it. It felt...like she was hiding something from me,” said Larissa.

  “Mothers are always hiding something, it’s what they do. Dads are better, they never keep secrets!” said Chantelle.

  “Your dad is cool, like a big kid,” agreed Larissa.

  “What’s your dad like, Larissa? I don’t remember you ever talking about him.”

  Larissa didn’t answer straight away. What could she say about her dad, whom she couldn’t remember? Her mother told her he had died saving them both and that he had been a great husband and father. Only, there wasn’t a single photograph of him in the house. She had never seen her father, or even if she had, she couldn’t remember him.

  “My dad was a great man,” Larissa said finally. “But Mum doesn’t speak of him much, and my memory of him is very limited. He died saving us; I was very little at the time. Strangely, I miss him. I feel I know him.”

  Chantelle put her arm around Larissa, “I’m sorry.” Larissa smiled, but looked away amongst the throng of students filling the corridors. It was then that she saw him, and her stomach somersaulted. She let out an involuntary ‘oh.’

  “Do you know him?” asked Chantelle.

  “We met at the fisherman’s beach. He is working with Mike.”

  “Now, that is interesting. He was the one I was talking about, isn’t he cute?” Chantelle gushed. “And I think someone likes him...”

  “Shhh. Keep your voice down,” said Larissa, feeling the heat on her face. “Of course I don’t like him!”

  Chantelle raised her eyebrows and Larissa coloured further.

  “I didn’t say it was you,” Chantelle laughed. “Come on, let’s get to class.”

  * *

  As it happened, Larissa found Jake had joined her class. He looked different, yet still attractive in his school uniform.

  Mr. Fisher, the form teacher, introduced Jake to the class and told him to find a seat. Larissa was glad someone was sitting next to her, but to her dismay, he took the seat behind her. He didn’t even ackn
owledge her. Did he not recognise her at all?

  The class began and Larissa tried to concentrate on Mr. Fisher’s lesson, but found it impossible. Finally, the bell rang and she began to pack her books away.

  “Hi, I thought I recognised you,” said a familiar voice.

  Larissa nearly dropped her bag. “Oh...er, hello.”

  “Larissa, am I right?” She nodded. “I was wondering...as I am new here, and I don’t know anyone, if you could show me around school?” Jake looked at Larissa hopefully, and she couldn’t really look away.

  “Um, okay...what subject do you have next?”

  “Science I think...” Jake looked at his timetable. “It is with Mr. Asquith.”

  “Oh, I have English. I’ll show you the science lab. It is near my English class.”

  Larissa wished she could stop blushing!

  * *

  At lunchtime, Larissa introduced Jake to Chantelle. They were in the canteen, each with a plate of chips, pizza, and salad. They managed to find a free table.

  “Brilliant, I finally meet the new guy,” said Chantelle.

  She looked at Larissa who rolled her eyes.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Chantelle. I’m Jake,” he said,

  extending his hand.

  Jake and Chantelle hit it off straight away and Larissa felt

  a twang of jealousy, as she bit into her pizza. You are being

  absurd, she quickly checked herself.

  “So, how do you like it here? You’re from down south,

  right?” Chantelle asked Jake.

  “I love it here. I have always wanted to live near the sea.

  I’m glad my parents moved from boring old Kent.” Jake

  popped a couple of chips into his mouth. “The people here

  are nice.”

  “Larissa told me you are working with Mike?” said

  Chantelle.

  “Yeah, he is a cool guy. I love fishing.”

  As Chantelle and Jake continued chatting, Larissa’s mind

  wandered. She felt something was wrong. Even though Jake

  seemed like any other boy, his aura felt ‘different’ to her, and

  she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.