Wayward Witch

by Samantha Bell

  TWENTY ONE

  ------------------------

  EVIE

  Today was the day I would make my escape. I did everything by the book. I dressed in my uniform, went to breakfast and laughed with Lucy as if this wasn't the last time I would see her. I did my homework and even participated in the discussion during group therapy. Ironically enough, the topic was forgiveness and Knox avoided me the entire time.

  After lunch we had gym. I took my carefully packed bag and lined up with the other students. My heart was rattling my ribcage. Every sound made me jump. The stress was almost too much to bear.

  Speaking of bears, the coach was looking exceptionally angry today. A bruise was fading over his left eye, probably from the uprising on Saturday night. He adjusted his had and looked over the line of students. "Alright folks, I have something very special planned for you today. Laps."

  Everyone groaned.

  The wind was biting cold and the grass covered in frost. Some people had layered leggings under their shorts. I wasn't smart enough for that; and without my wand, I'd have to suffer in the cold like a normal person. At least running would keep me warm. I didn't care. I was getting out of here today.

  When the coach blew his whistle, I purposely fell behind. Losers get to clean up, that was my goal for today. I kept a solid pace on the track, just enough to look like I was working at it. The fading pink welts on the back of my legs didn't hurt much anymore, but they gave my slow speed extra credibility.

  The coach wasn't sympathetic. "Let's get a move on, Knight!" He barked.

  I winced and tried to pick up the pace. The hem of my shorts rubbed the marks on my legs and reminded me that I wasn't healed yet.

  Someone lapped me. A shifter girl. Behind her were the Sons of Hell and a few others. Blake glanced at me, but that was all.

  I resisted the urge to start a fight for old times' sake. I had to be the perfect student to avoid another trip to the Headmaster's office. Lose the race, stay behind, escape. I repeated the words in my mind like a mantra. It kept me going during the grueling jog.

  Even the fastest runners started to slow down. I stumbled, struggling to keep my jog at a respectable pace. Maybe I wasn't going to have to fake losing after all. That was when I noticed a few kids behind me, lagging even more than me. I had to be the one to lose. My future depended on it. So I did the only thing I could think of and tripped myself. I went sprawling down into the gravel and slid to a stop. Someone jumped over me and kept running.

  "Knight! What the hell was that. Get going!" The coach blew his whistle in two short bursts to indicate the last lap had begun.

  Perfect. I struggle to my feet and began running again. My ankle cried out in pain, but I bit down and focused on the finish line. Last place. I had never been so happy to lose before in my life. Actually, come to think of it, I had never wanted to lose until today.

  I collapsed in the grass for added effect, wiping dust and gravel from my legs.

  A shadow loomed over me. "Knight, that was pathetic." The coach shouted. "You get clean up duty for a month. My gods, girl. I've never seen a witch as unfit as you."

  I nodded silently. "Sorry sir, I'll try harder next time." I faked a whimper.

  "You'd better." The coach shook his head and walked off shouting at the others. "That's it folks, go get cleaned up."

  "You ok?" Lucy knelt down beside me.

  I struggled to my feet. My ankle was still hurting. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I think I twisted my ankle." This wasn't a lie.

  "Do you want me to help you?" She asked. Lucy really was a kind soul, she deserved better than a friend like me.

  I shook my head and tightened my ponytail. "No, it's freezing. You'd better go back in. If coach catches you helping me, he'd be pissed."

  Lucy nodded slowly, her eyes soft with concern. "If you're sure."

  "I'm sure. Seriously," I said. "I'll see you at dinner, ok?" The words sent a sharp pang of guilt through my chest.

  The lioness shifter smiled. "Absolutely. I'll save you a seat."

  I waited until the girl's change room was empty before picking up the towels and the laundry. Once I was sure I was alone, I rummaged through my bag and found warm leggings. I dressed in a few layers, after all I had no idea how far I would have to walk before I found someone willing to help me or give me shelter.

  I wrapped my long hair into a bun and shouldered my bag, taking one last look around before flicking off the lights and slipping out of the change room.

  The cold wind bit at my skin. The temperature was dropping rapidly as the sun set. Why did I have to make a run for it in November? I ignored the whiny voice in my head and started walking.

  The great thing about Woodlock's was that there were no guards stationed around the perimeter, only magical barriers to keep magic users from escaping. That was where I had my advantage. My magic had gone unused for so long that I could barely feel the pulse in my chest where it used to burn brightly. I hoped that just maybe, I would trick the barriers into thinking I was a regular mundane human. If that didn't work, I'd have to get creative.

  Woodlock's grounds were surrounded by tall pine trees. I stopped at the edge of the forest, looking into it's dark gaping mouth and then glancing behind me. No sign of anyone following me. I looked ahead, wondering when I would hit the barrier.

  A flock of birds flew overhead, singing on their way south for the winter. I watched them pass over me and into the forest. "Ok, this is it," I whispered to myself and took a step.

  Nothing happened.

  I walked forward cautiously, wondering how far in I would have to go before hitting the barrier. Would I be able to see it or only feel it? I had zero experience with this sort of thing and the information in the library had been unsurprisingly limited. All I knew was that it was warlock magic that had been cast to keep us in and nonmagical folk out.

  My hand stretched out in front of me for reassurance as I walked. The ground was soft, cold, and wet. The mud sucked and squished under my boots.

  A slow shift in the magical energy alerted me to the barrier. It was like static electricity, humming through my body and prickling at my skin. The property line was close. I stopped dead and the forest ahead of me began to warp and ripple.

  I reached out and pressed a finger against the barrier. It lashed out and shocked me. "Fuck!" I screamed backed away. So this wasn't going as planned. It could sense my dormant magic, great. I looked around for a break in the barrier, but the invisible wall arched over as far as I could see.

  Stepping back and planting my hands on my hips, I paused to think. There had to be a way through this. I couldn't quit now. I had burned my bridges and there was no other way but forward. "Think, Evie, think." I sighed. If only I had my magic, then I could cast a hex strong enough to make a crack in the barrier big enough to slip through.

  As I looked up and down the property line, something caught my eye. A dead maple tree, gray and rotten was cut in half by the barrier. It was the only tree that fell on both sides of the magic. I examined it closely, running my hand over the crumbling bark. The witch in me felt a twinge of sadness for the old tree that looked oddly out of place when surrounded by towering pines.

  My fingers traced down to a gash that had been carved out in the shape of a rectangle. A different magic pulsed stronger here. It was kind where the barrier was angry. I examined the hole closer. It looked to have been cut out by magic, the edges were precise and charred, a sign of mage power.

  Suddenly, an image appeared in my mind. In the darkness I saw a complicated shining sigil with a swirling design. I jumped back. The magic of the forest was communicating with me, but what was that sigil for? I had never seen it before in my life.

  I turned back to the barrier. The sigil reappeared in my mind's eye. Was it to over come the magic and break the barrier? How could I without my wand? Like an idiot, I looked back at the tree for answers, but it was just a tree after all.

  Without a wand, I could only draw the sigil
by hand and hope for the best. I dropped to my knees in the mud and rummaged around in my bag to find my therapy notebook and a pen. I drew the sigil from memory in a seamless perfect line, as if the forest itself was guiding my hand. I was never much into natural magic but maybe I'd revisit that when I wasn't running for my life.

  When the sigil was complete, I ripped out the paper and presented it to the barrier. I walked ahead holding the page in my trembling hand. The barrier rippled and the magic curled away to make a small me-shaped doorway.

  "Holy shit," I gasped. I walked under the barrier completely unscathed and turned to watch the magic fall back down once I reached the other side.

  I didn't know much about natural magic, but I thanked the tree before stuffing the page in my bag and running towards freedom.

  ~

  I walked until my feet ached and my twisted ankle threatened to give out.

  The sky was dark and full of twinkling stars. I looked up through the trees and wondered how long I had been walking for. The trees were as tall and thick as ever. What time was it now? Through the canopy above me, I could make out a sliver of the moon. It was high in the sky, which meant it was probably almost midnight. I decided to stop so I didn't get lost in the darkness.

  I carefully rationed water out of the bottle I stole from the gym. I only had two muffins from breakfast wrapped up in my bag to eat, so I waited until I was starving before ripping one in half and wolfing it down. Then I looked for a space to rest, settling on a pile of dry leaves at the base of a tree.I hugged my legs to myself and pulled up the hood of my gym sweater. It was now more than ever I wished that I could access my magic. A warming spell would have been heavenly.

  The thick shelter of pine needles kept me surprisingly warm and dry as the hours ticked away into the early morning. I drifted in and out of sleep, always too on edge to let myself rest longer than ten minutes at a time. My heart jumped at every small sound I heard.

  Several hours later, my body gave into exhaustion and I passed out, clutching my bag and covered in dead leaves and pine needles. But I didn't sleep for long.

  The sound of a branch snapping alerted me. I shot up and looked around wildly. I could see dark figures in the distance, just barely making out a few shadowy shapes through my shelter of low-hanging tree branches. Not too far away a wolf howled and another that was even closer answered back.

  I held my breath and kept perfectly still. If hungry wolves were out here, I'd be done for without magic.

  The shadows came closer to the edge of the clearing. A small pack of wolves, about half a dozen of them, were sniffing around and getting closer to the tree that I was hiding under. A squirrel bounded across the path and vanished under some bushes.

  My lips trembled as I desperately tried to keep silent. Could wolves smell fear? Shifters liked to brag about it but I was never sure how true that was.

  The wolves were coming closer.

  I couldn't sit and wait for them to find me. I had to act. I didn't have my magic but surely I could outsmart a few wolves. I looked up and found my solution. The wolves looked in my direction as I shouldered my backpack and found footing on the lowest branch. I pulled myself up and reached for the next one.

  The lead wolf howled to get the other's attention and the pack began to circle the tree.

  "Fuck," I grunted, pulling myself up higher and higher, not looking down out of fear the the wolves would jump at me any minute. Was ten feet high enough? These wolves were huge and I didn't want to find out. I kept climbing until the branches began to bend under my weight. I clutched the trunk and looked down.

  The gray wolves were waiting at the bottom of the tree. A few jumped and pawed at the bark, bearing their teeth.

  I wrapped my arms around the trunk and took a deep breath. "Ok, Evie. Just wait them out. They won't wait forever and they can't reach you up here." I said to myself. "Just hold on and once they get bored you can get the hell out of here."

  The branch under my foot creaked and I adjusted my footing, sending a fresh jab of pain through my ankle. I wouldn't be able to ignore this injury much longer. I winced.

  Making eye contact with the lead wolf was enough to get me through the pain. She was growling and snapping at the air. The pack kept formation, waiting for me to fall.

  A gust of wind rustled through the trees. A thin branch scratched across my cheek. My hands were like ice. The wind rushed through the branches again and my injured foot slipped on the branch. I grabbed the branch above me and then it snapped, sending me free-falling to the open jaws of the wolves.

  TWENTY TWO

  ------------------------

  BLAKE

  "You called for me, Mr. Hemingway?"

  The interim Headmaster looked up as I opened the door. "Ah, yes, Mr. Hood. Please come in," He said.

  I stood in front of his desk with my arms straight at my sides. I didn't have a clue why he wanted to see me this late in the evening, but I'd bet my life that it had something to do with that witch.

  "I don't believe we've met formally yet." The Headmaster gestured to a chair. "Please, sit."

  "I believe our first interaction was being caned," I said with a neutral expression.

  Mr. Hemingway laughed and knitted his fingers together. "Well, that was your doing, not mine. You could have let that little witch take the lashes. But for some reason you intervened." His eyes narrowed. "Why?"

  "Her crying was annoying me, sir," I said.

  "Annoying enough to endure the cane?" He scoffed. "Come now, there's more to it. Don't lie to me boy."

  "There's nothing more to it," I said.

  The Headmaster sighed. "No, that's not true." He snapped his fingers and a swirling ball of purple smoke appeared. "I've read her memories, you know. Seems like you and that little witch had a bit of a ... thing going on?" His lips twitched.

  The purple smoke warped and I saw her image. It was the first day we met, when she punched me. The memory twisted my heart in a way that I hadn't expected. Sadness? Guilt? The emotions were foreign to me. I forced back any visible reaction, my face like stone.

  "Tell me. Did you help her escape?" Mr. Hemingway asked.

  "What?" I jumped to my feet. "She escaped? How?" I knew she had been planning on it, but I didn't expect her to actually go through with it.

  "Sit down, young man," Mr. Hemingway said. "I take it that means no?" He frowned. "Yes, it seems she escaped Woodlock's grounds late this afternoon."

  "I had no idea, sir. I swear to you," I said.

  "I believe you. Either your telling the truth or you should become an actor." The Headmaster shook his head. "This puts me in a tough situation, Mr. Hood."

  "Why?" I asked.

  Mr. Hemingway smiled. "We've never met, but I know much about you. Your father and I go way back."

  I stifled a gasp. "What?"

  "Your father warned you, did he not? He told me that he had asked for you to investigate that little witch. Unfortunately your failure meant he had to take it upon himself." Mr. Hemingway explained. "He sent me in to clean your mess and yet she still got away."

  "She doesn't know where her parents are hiding!" I said. "I tried so many times. She has no idea."

  "She does know!" He shouted. "Her memories have been locked by a strong spell. I tried to unlock them yesterday and my abilities fell short. Whoever locked her memories was a very powerful magic user." He slammed his fist on the table. "Now she's gone and the Sons of Hell are no closer to finding her parents!"

  "What do you want me to do?" I asked. "I'm stuck here. I did my best. If you can't unlock the spell, what makes you think I can do a damn thing? My powers are purely elemental."

  Mr. Hemingway chuckled. "How can a boy like you think you have to use magic to have influence over a girl? Surely you've learned by now?" He snapped his fingers and the purple smoke shifted to a different memories. Our first kiss in the dark library. "You have something much more powerful than a simple spell, my boy."

  I was si
lent.

  Mr. Hemingway leaned forward. "I am not asking, boy," He said. "I work for your father as an enforcer and you should be thankful we have not met sooner. If I did not hold back when giving you the cane, you can be sure that I do not hold back ever. Bring me the girl or be cast out. It's that simple. Understood?"

  I nodded.

  The Headmaster handed me a simple piece of wood with a complicated sigil engraved on it. "This will give you safe passage through the barrier. Go. Bring her to me."

  "Yes, sir."

  TWENTY THREE

  ------------------------

  EVIE

  I screamed.

  The pine branches buffeted me as I fell, suddenly stopping only half way down. A gust of wind surged around me and cradled me.

  Below me, the wolves were yelping and growling. I saw fire.

  "Get lost, beasts!" Blake bellowed, sending a wall of fire in their direction. The animals ran away with their tails between their legs, yelping and whining into the night.

  The wind brought me down to the forest floor, where my legs gave out from underneath me and I fell at the feet of my rescuers. Blake. Zane. Knox. I couldn't believe my eyes.

  Blake grabbed a thick stick and made a makeshift torch with his magic. He pushed the torch into the ground, surrounding us with warmth and flickering orange light. We both stared at each other for a moment in silence.

  "Why are you here?" We both said together.

  "How the hell did you escape?" Blake spoke again. He knelt down and looked me in the eyes. "What the hell were you thinking? Why?"

  I looked at the three of them. "Because the Headmaster wanted to hurt me. I have to find my parents. I have to warn them that the mages are after them. I can't just sit by and let this happen. My parents need me."

  Blake shook his head. "Why do you care what happens to them? You said yourself that they were shitty parents."

  I paused. "Well, yeah. Maybe they weren't so great, but the flashbacks that Mr. Hemingway forced on me reminded me that I was a pretty shitty kid to them right back. Now that I know we were living in hiding from the Sons of Hell, well, I guess I forgive them."