‘Cora, are you asleep?’ Tick asked as he flew worriedly beside her.
‘Blink twice if you’re asleep,’ said Tock.
The fairies waited.
‘It’s not working,’ said Tick. ‘She’s not blinking.’
‘Do you see that?’ Cora whispered to the fairies, pointing.
Up ahead, a floating ball of flame came into view. About the size of a dinner plate, the orb of fire hung suspended in the air, like an orange, glowing eye peering at them in the night.
Tick and Tock appeared by her side.
‘Wait a minute,’ said Tock.
Cora paused as the fairy looked at her.
‘What’s wrong with your eye?’
There it was. There was no hiding it. Cora was ready to tell the fairies everything. About her bracelet. About her dreams.
Tock flew closer, looking closely at her eye. ‘It’s black,’ said Tock.
Tick joined him, fluttering in the air in front of her. ‘Are you sure?’ asked Tick. ‘It looks more like a very, very dark blue.’
Cora looked away.
Tick and Tock dove in front of her, worried looks on their fairy faces.
‘Elephant,’ said Tick.
‘Explain,’ corrected Tock.
‘Explain,’ repeated Tick.
Tick and Tock crossed their hairy arms over their chests and waited.
Cora didn’t know what to say, or where to begin. As she tried to find the right words, something behind Tick and Tock caught her eye.
‘Cora?’ prompted Tock, waiting.
Cora could only point behind the fairies.
The fairies turned around. Behind them, the small orb of floating fire grew bigger and then split itself into two orbs of fire. And then three, and then four, and more until a long row of fire floated in the air, lighting a path through the forest.
‘Oh boy,’ said Tick.
Chapter Sixteen
As she stared at the path lit by flames, Cora’s heart fluttered with hope. The orbs flickered in a straight line through the forest, lighting the way ahead. ‘Isn’t this . . . couldn’t this be . . .’ she said. Syphons.
Tock peered at the ball of flame that floated in front of him.
‘It could be,’ said Tock.
‘Or it could be a hunter’s trap,’ said Tick.
Cora swallowed. Would hunters really leave a trail of fire through the woods?
Then Tick and Tock looked at each other.
‘You go first,’ said Tick to Tock, flying behind the fairy and pushing him forward.
‘No, you go first,’ said Tock to Tick, flying behind the fairy and pushing him forward.
As Tick and Tock tussled, Cora couldn’t peel her eye away from the path lit by flames. She felt it pull her in.
‘I’ll go,’ Cora said, stepping forward. What was going to happen once she stepped through? Would it be like the gateway? Would she fall?
Tick and Tock stopped pushing each other forward.
They paused, uncertain looks on their faces.
Cora heard a soft hum as she stepped closer.
‘Wait!’ the fairy said.
Cora stopped.
Tick flew down and picked up a rock from the ground. He threw it down the path ahead and Cora watched as the rock shimmered and disappeared.
Oh.
Bracing herself, Cora took a tentative step forward, moving past the first floating orb of fire. She waited. Nothing happened. She walked forward, past the second orb. Again, nothing happened. When she reached the third floating ball of fire, a strange tingling sensation prickled Cora’s skin.
For a second, it felt like being wrapped in one of Dot’s knitted blankets — warm and a little scratchy. The humming sound grew louder around her.
‘Cora?’ came Tock’s voice from behind her.
Cora spun around, expecting to see Tick and Tock hovering near, but the only things behind her were more orbs of floating fire in a neat row, stretching through dark forest as far as she could see.
Cora’s stomach knotted uneasily.
‘Blink twice if you’re okay,’ Tick’s voice called out from nowhere.
Then there was a rustling noise and Cora heard Tock ask, ‘How will we see her if she blinks?’
‘Oh,’ she heard Tick reply. ‘Never mind.’
‘I’m alright,’ Cora called out into the dark forest. ‘I think.’
Then suddenly two plump, hairy fairies appeared out of thin air in front of her. Cora cried out as they flew into her, a flurry of wings and arms and legs until all three of them were on the ground in a heap.
‘Oops,’ said Tock.
‘Sorry,’ said Tick.
Tick and Tock flew upwards, pulling Cora with them until her feet were firmly on the ground. The fairies hovered in the air, looking up at the trees as they dusted themselves off.
‘Witch magic,’ Tock said, his mouth in a firm line.
‘This way,’ Cora said, stepping forward in the direction the flames led.
The three of them made their way through the woods, along the path lit by the fire orbs ahead. In the distance, the trees looked like they went on forever. And as Cora listened, she realised there was something strange about this part of the woods. It was quiet. Not just quiet but . . . soundless. There weren’t any noises at all. From insects to birds. No gentle breeze in the air or soft ruffle of leaves like there was before. Even as her boots trod along the ground, there was no sound of breaking twigs or shuffling soil. It was like this part of the woods was hidden from the rest.
Tick and Tock fluttered in the air next to her, their faces uncertain in the firelight.
‘I’m not so sure about this anymore,’ said Tick, clasping his hands together nervously.
Every tree and every orb of fire looked exactly the same, repeated in an endless pattern. There wasn’t a single leaf or twig out of place.
‘That’s it,’ Tock said, eyes wide. Then Tock stopped in the air beside her. Tick did the same. ‘We’re not in the woods anymore,’ said the fairy in realisation. ‘We’re —’
But whatever Tock said next, Cora didn’t hear it. Suddenly, she couldn’t hear anything at all. For a moment, it was like she was under water. Then the humming sound filled her ears once more. And the feeling of a warm, scratchy blanket covered her. She stepped backwards but as she put her foot down, she saw that the ground beneath her was a white marbled stone.
Looking up, Cora saw that the woods in front of her had disappeared and had been replaced with a white, round room. A shallow firepit sat in the middle, throwing light and shadows around her like an eerie puppet show. Behind the firepit stood six stone chairs side by side. In them sat five people she had never seen before. And one she had.
They definitely weren’t syphons. Or hunters. So that meant they must be . . .
The council.
Chapter Seventeen
Cora stood still. She glanced briefly to her left and right to find that Tick and Tock were no longer next to her. Where have they gone? She looked behind her but only found a stone wall. On the wall, Cora noticed small, intricate symbols carved into the rock. The symbols twisted and turned on one another and reminded her of the symbol that was burnt onto the wooden spellbox she had found in Urt. The one that had held the Jinx curse.
Cora swallowed.
A woman and five men sat still on stone chairs, the glow from the fire flickering ominously across their faces. She glanced at King Clang, who stared back at her evenly.
Then one of the seated men stood up from his stone chair. In the firelight, Cora could see that he was paler than the rest and wore a dark red vest. He had long, white hair that draped down to his shoulders and he stood tall and narrow. Cora thought he looked a little bit like a lamppost.
‘Hello, Cora,’ the man said. His hollow voice bounced off the stone walls around them and his small eyes peered at her interestedly.
Where am I? And where are Tick and Tock? She didn’t know which question to ask first. So she cho
se neither.
‘I . . . I,’ Cora croaked, ‘. . . pardon?’
The man smiled down at her. It sent a shiver along Cora’s skin.
‘Do you know who we are?’ he asked.
Cora paused. She tried to remember the names Tick and Tock had mentioned at The Hollow when they were telling her about the members of the council.
‘I am Sircane Montague,’ said the pale man. He placed a hand on his chest and bent down into a long, graceful bow.
Vampire, Cora remembered.
‘This,’ said Sircane, turning around and motioning towards a bald man seated next to him, ‘is Forn Lockwood.’
Forn had his legs crossed beneath him on his seat and a bored expression on his face. He wore a black cloak and from his neck drooped a silver chain, on which a row of teeth was strung.
Necromancer.
Sircane then motioned to the woman seated next to the necromancer. ‘Hythia Halfache.’
Hythia had purple painted lips, a matching purple gown and a nose that looked sharper than a knife. Her unblinking stare rested on where Cora’s eye once was.
Witch.
Sircane then turned and motioned to a man whose skin was a light shade of green and his pointed ears poked out of a short tuft of dark hair. He wore a yellow coat with matching pants and his feet dangled far from the ground in his chair. ‘Boc Roc,’ Sircane said.
Boc Roc nodded at her politely.
Hobgoblin.
‘And this,’ said Sircane. ‘Is Plimryll Elm.’ He pointed to the man seated straight-backed in his chair. He had long, golden hair and his eyes were so blue, they almost looked white.
Elf.
Sitting in the chair next to Plimryll was King Clang.
‘And of course you know King Clang,’ said the vampire. Sircane clasped his hands together and sat back down in his chair.
The six members of the council stared at her. Had she stumbled on their secret meeting? Then Cora remembered what Tick and Tock had said. The council finds you. And that’s never a good thing. Cora groaned inwardly.
‘King Clang told us about the avian kingdom . . . and Princess Avette,’ the vampire said.
‘And the silver-haired man?’ Cora asked.
Sircane nodded. ‘We are doing all we can to help with the avian kingdom tragedy.’ He smiled a smile Cora was sure wasn’t a smile at all. As she stared at the vampire’s sharp, glistening teeth, a feeling of something not being quite right crept into Cora’s gut.
‘We would like to know more,’ said Plimryll the elf. His lilting voice reminded her of the lullaby Dot used to play. The one that meant danger, run.
‘More?’ she repeated. About the avians? About the silver-haired man?
‘How curious,’ said Hythia, ‘that you, Lora Chime —’
‘Cora Bell,’ said King Clang.
‘Cora Bell,’ said the witch, unbothered. ‘A little girl from Urt with one eye . . . could overpower a Jinx curse.’
‘And a warlock,’ added Forn.
Cora stood still, realisation washing over her like the cold Brolg sea. They didn’t want to know more about the avians. Or the silver-haired man. They wanted to know more about her. Tick was right. She had walked right into a hunter’s trap.
Chapter Eighteen
Cora peered at King Clang. How much had the fairy king told them? She glanced around the room, looking for a door or a window or any other kind of way out. Her heart fell when she realised there was nothing.
‘We have a few questions,’ said Sircane. ‘If you don’t mind.’
‘The warlock,’ began Plimryll, ‘was Mr Archibald Drake, was it not?’
As if on cue, Cora felt Archibald Drake’s dark magic spark inside of her. It swirled up, stretching out like Scratch after he had woken up from a nap.
‘Please answer the question,’ Plimryll prompted.
Cora had a feeling the elf already knew the answer to his question, but she nodded anyway.
‘Where is Archibald Drake now?’ asked Sircane Montague.
‘I . . . I don’t know,’ said Cora honestly.
The vampire glanced at the others seated next to him.
Cora felt the warlock’s dark magic twist beneath the surface of her skin. She needed to find a way out of the stone room. But she couldn’t leave without her friends.
‘Where are Tick and Tock?’ Cora asked.
Hythia Halfache smiled at her. ‘They’re very worried about you,’ said the witch. She held up her hand and pointed a finger at the fire in front of her. Purple sparks flickered in the flames until two shapes could be seen inside the orange blaze. The shapes were Tick and Tock. They were flying around, still in the forest where Cora had left them.
‘They’re flapping about madly,’ Hythia said with a sharp giggle. ‘Silly fairies.’
Cora glared at the witch.
‘Your eye,’ continue Hythia, pointing a short finger at her, ‘where is it?’
What? She had no idea where her eye was. She just knew it was no longer with her. Why did they want to know that?
‘Did a witch take it?’ Boc Roc asked.
Hythia turned to the hobgoblin. ‘Why is it that whenever there is a limb missing or an organ that’s disappeared, it’s automatically a witch’s fault?’
‘What were the ingredients for the last potion you made, Hythia?’ Forn the necromancer asked.
‘Beetles and pinky toes,’ said Hythia, shrugging.
‘Answer the question, Cora,’ Sircane said.
‘I don’t know,’ Cora said honestly. ‘I don’t remember.’
‘You don’t remember losing your eye?’ asked Forn.
Cora thought back to the memories she had. The cold rain. The fear. Dot’s kind face. She shook her head.
‘Overcoming a Jinx curse and defeating a warlock,’ said Forn, ‘is not possible for a human girl.’
‘What do you mean?’ Cora asked. She knew what the necromancer meant but she needed time to think. She glanced at King Clang. He remained still, his eyes firm on her. She wanted a small nod or shake of the head. Something, anything, to let her know what to say. Cora knew she couldn’t tell them she was a syphon. She couldn’t tell them that she had the warlock’s magic, the Jinx’s magic and Princess Avette’s. But she had to tell them something.
‘You’re not a necromancer,’ said Forn Lockwood.
‘And you’re not an elf,’ said Plimryll.
‘Or a hobgoblin,’ said Boc Roc.
‘And you’re not a vampire,’ said Sircane.
The council stared down at Cora, their eyes quizzical and . . . impatient.
‘So then, the question remains — what are you?’ Sircane asked.
Cora paused. She needed a plan. She needed the magic inside of her to stop slithering furiously. Then she realised something. She had something they wanted. Maybe they could give her something that she wanted. An exchange. Cora squared her shoulders and met the eyes of the council.
‘Bring Tick and Tock here,’ Cora said. ‘And I will tell you what I am.’ She tried to sound confident but she heard her voice shake a little.
Cora’s words hung in the air. Sircane sat back in his chair. As Sircane stared at her, Cora stared back. There was something about the vampire’s stare. She couldn’t tear her eye away from his glimmering gaze. And then before she knew it, she couldn’t blink. She couldn’t think. Her mind was filled with a fog. It covered everything. What was he doing? For a moment she felt like she could tell him anything. Her biggest fears. Her greatest secrets. Cora felt herself begin to form the words to say she was a syphon. And then the warlock magic jolted inside of her, shaking her out of the daze. She kept her lips firmly closed.
Sircane lifted a finger. And, with a sigh, Hythia clicked her fingers.
Out of thin air, Tick and Tock appeared next to Cora. They whirled about looking around them, then when they saw Cora, they flew at her, grabbing her in a hug.
‘We need to leave,’ Cora whispered.
‘Our magic do
esn’t work here,’ whispered Tock.
‘It’s not safe. Wait for my signal,’ she whispered before pulling away from the hug.
‘How . . . sweet,’ said Hythia, a look of revulsion on her face.
The witch clicked her fingers and Tick and Tock were suddenly thrown headfirst through the air towards the firepit.
Chapter Nineteen
Tick’s and Tock’s faces came to a stop inches from the burning flames.
‘Hythia!’ cried King Clang, flying up from his seat.
‘Stop it!’ Cora cried. The warlock magic inside her rolled around. She felt her head begin to throb as she watched her friends squirm pointlessly, trying to get away from the hot flames that licked close to their faces.
‘You said you wouldn’t harm them!’ yelled King Clang.
The witch rolled her eyes.
Sircane threw a clenched fist down onto the arm of his stone chair. The chairs, the floor and even the walls shuddered with the force.
A heavy silence swelled in the room.
The vampire pushed back his ruffled hair.
‘Tell us what you are,’ said Hythia.
‘If you don’t,’ said the hobgoblin. ‘We can’t protect you.’
Protect me? So far Cora didn’t feel very protected at all. In fact, she felt the opposite.
‘Let them go. Let them go and I will tell you,’ said Cora, unable to tear her eyes away from her friends.
‘Don’t, Cora,’ cried Tick.
‘Quiet!’ said Hythia and with a twist of her hand the flames in the firepit roared higher.
‘Tell us what you are!’ said Sircane angrily. He bared his sharp teeth in a snarl. ‘Or we will force it out of you.’
The warlock magic inside of Cora jumped up to the surface. Tick and Tock were in danger. The small amount of control she had on the dark magic inside of her was falling apart like a fraying piece of rope. There was only one thing left she could do. She hoped it would work.
‘Okay . . . I’m a witch,’ Cora said softly. ‘I’m just a witch.’
Cora let her words sit in the air. They stayed there, floating like feathers. Until a soft cackle blew them away. The laugh echoed around the stone room. And then Hythia sprang up from her seat.
Havoc!: The Untold Magic of Cora Bell Page 6
