A Different Kind of Witch

by Carol A. Robi

  ¨Boke! What happened?¨ Sophie cried out, pulling her towel from around her neck and using it to wipe off the red paint on her face. But Boke didn’t answer, burying her head deeper into her towel.

  ¨Who did this?¨ Klaus asked. Boke seemed surprised to hear his voice, but remained silent.

  ¨Is it your teammates? Because you helped me.¨ Now she nodded.

  ¨That is downright bullying. Bullying is against the rules in this school.¨ Sophie rolled her eyes at Markus' words.

  “Wake up- this is planet earth! People are bullied even at workplaces,” Sophie retorted.

  “Well, I don’t stand for it. We must have them reported.” And just like that, the Avalon stormed off. Sophie ignored him.

  ¨Boke?¨ Sophie called again, bending her knees slightly so that she could look into her face. Boke’s wild cat eyes found hers, fire burning bright in them.

  Sophie smiled. ¨Thank you for helping me. It was pretty wicked! I felt like I was flying.¨

  ¨Flying?¨ Boke asked cheerfully, her eyebrows lifting slightly.

  ¨Yeah! The wind under my feet, behind me, pushing me.. You should try it sometime.¨

  Boke smiled even wider. “I’ve done it hundreds of times before!” She stated.

  “Ok hotshot, try be humble!” They both laughed now. ¨Is that why they threw water at you?¨ Sophie tried again to get her to talk about it.

  Boke nodded.

  ¨They're stupid! The Olympics are over in a few hours, and then you never have to see them again for another year!” Boke scoffed at the weak comment.

  “I live in the same dorm with them,” She pointed out.

  “Yeah, I know,” Sophie said. “I was only trying to make you feel better, but clearly..”

  “Don’t think about it. They can’t really do anything to me,” Boke responded. “Beside, it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes!” Sophie said, her smile widening again. “Yes, it definitely was.”

  “Ahem!” Klaus feigned, and Sophie found herself laughing again.

  ¨Anyway, some of my friends want to officially meet you. Yeah, yeah, of course they know you, but you guys have never been actual friends before.¨

  ¨Hi,¨ Boke said plastically.

  ¨Hi,¨ Klaus responded. ¨That was a pretty neat trick you did back there,¨ he added.

  Boke shrugged.

  ¨It was easy,¨ she answered him.

  “Markus was here to meet you too-” Klaus began, then stopped when he saw how quickly her face fell and a stormy look took over her features. “But, I guess you’re glad he took off!” He half asked, seeming slightly amused. “I know- it’s unfortunate he’s an Avalon, but he isn’t half bad. I can vouch for him, and I’m not a fan of Avalons either.”

  When Boke didn’t answer, Sophie decided to take over the situation again.

  ¨Lunch?¨ She suggested, and Boke nodded.

  The loud dining hall fell into a harsh silence when the three of them walked in, angry eyes darting towards them, frowns clear on their faces.

  “Are you sure?” Sophie almost missed Boke’s whisper. “Are you sure we are going public?”

  “I think we went public the moment you helped me in that race,” Sophie answered with a chuckle.

  “What of your friend?” She asked, nodding in Klaus’ direction.

  “Well, he’s a Rheinhart. What can they do to him? Besides, he’s now your friend too.” Sophie wasn’t sure whether she’d frowned or grimaced just then.

  “Don’t be stubborn, Boke. Friends are good, especially those with powerful surnames.” She shrugged now, unsure of what to make of it for the moment.

  At their table, the rest of Sophie’s crew and classmates couldn’t hide their surprise to see the three of them together.

  “Where did you rush off to?” Klaus asked as Markus arrived just before the final bell sounded.

  “Ensuring justice,” he said after the sounds of the bell had died off.

  Sophie wasn’t able to question him some more, as the prefect convoy now walked in ceremoniously as they did for each meal, the head girl leading them, and all fell silent and rose to their feet.

  “Please remain standing for the school principal,” Monica announced, and Sophie nearly let out an audible gasp. Sure enough, he walked in, and for the second time in her life, Sophie’s eyes fell on Count Jan Sanguine.

  He walked in with his head bowed, and like her first night here, LEs followed in with him, one on either side, and another behind him. He had on a similar heavy black coat today too, and the hood was drawn low over his head again.

  He stepped up to the raised platform, and then signalled for all to take their seats. Sophie could barely see much of him, but for a peek of his cheeks and chin. His skin was wrinkled, and she could hardly believe that he was only thirty nine.

  ”I know many of you are wondering at my presence here today, and yes, it isn’t a pleasant visit,” he began. The tension was almost palpable. “The olympics are a wonderful Drachenburg tradition, where we instill the spirit of brotherhood and remember to appreciate each other’s weaknesses and strengths.”

  “I've received word that a number of you forgot the objective of the olympics not too long ago.” Sophie’s eyes turned and found Markus’, and he met hers with a stubborn gaze. “Witches of the red team, you are hereby sentenced to 100 hours of detention each. All except Boke Maiga.” And after dropping that bombshell, he left.

  “What did you do?” Sophie whispered to Markus.

  “I hate injustice,” he simply stated.

  “You fool, now they’ll hate her even more!” Sophie argued. Markus didn’t even flinch at her insult.

  “How much worse can it get?” he asked.

  Chapter 29

  By midday that Saturday, the school was empty, the large halls echoing with the sound of Sophie’s footsteps. Most students had left early that morning with the ferry that was headed to the mainland, while others, like Markus and Klaus, got picked up from the island with their parents’ private choppers or yachts.

  Sophie found Boke waiting for her by the library doors just as they’d previously agreed.

  ¨Hi you,¨ Sophie called with a smile, excited to be back to their detective work after the long break.

  ¨Hi,¨ Boke answered cheerfully too, and then began rubbing her hands together, ready to make a spell that'd open the locked library doors.

  ¨What the..!¨ Sophie started backwards as the heavy doors were pulled open from the inside, and then the bent figure of Tom standing on the doorway with a raised eyebrow chastised her.

  ¨Don’t look so surprised! I knew the two of you would try break in here when the others were away,¨ he crackled with a smile. Even Boke appeared pale, unused to surprises.

  ¨Come in! Go on, don’t tell me you’ll just stand there like statues now,¨ he said. They followed after him silently, and he pushed the doors shut behind them, twisting back the lock in place. He then fumbled with his bundle of keys for a while before taking out a long dark one from the assortment, and pushing it into Boke's still stiffened fingers. She hadn’t fully recovered from the shock.

  ¨There you go. Now you do not have to break into my library. Please clean up after yourselves each time, and make sure to lock the door after yourselves. Should you be questioned by the matrons on duty, say I asked you to be my assistants and help with organising the books. Okay?¨ They nod, still shocked into silence.

  ¨Now now, good luck with your research. I want my keys back first thing Monday morning when school resumes,¨ he called over his shoulder as he made his way to his large desk, and then left the library through a door behind it.

  Sophie turned to Boke with chuckle, and she answered with a small smile.

  They picked up fast from where they’d left off. They read in silence more heartless interviews given by the then captain Jan.

  Just as Sophie was about to puzzle that there were no mentions of a child, the papers went wild with exposing the issue.

  Ma
seke had a child! The announcement headlined the papers for several weeks to come. Former members of her security detail spoke up anonymously- she did have a child, with Jan Sanguine. Boke's mouth pressed into a straight line upon reading this. The witnesses went on to say that the Captain had asked them to keep that detail secret, in fear of how members of the realm would react.

  “Boke,” Sophie whispered reluctantly. ”I think he’s your father..”

  “Impossible!”

  “No, Boke, think about it. Your mother spent majority of her adult life with him. He was her personal guard, in school and at home..”

  “I can’t be the child of an Avalon,” Boke said indignantly. “It is impossible.”

  “I know you explained that before, but what if by chance..”

  “No Sophie, what you’re saying is as impossible as a lioness bearing a goat. I take up after my father, always, those are the rules of nature. Unless he’s human, then I take up after my mother.” Boke declared, and from the thin line she’d set her mouth in, she was done with the discussion.

  Yes, a tall woman with long straight blonde hair falling past her back confirmed it. We found traces of the child's blood in the room. Under her image was the caption, Councilman Angela Rheinhart outside Rosenberg, the Sanguine Residence in Saint Petersburg.

  Sophie stared at the woman in the picture who could only be Klaus' mother. No wonder he was so uptight most of the time. Every inch of the strong featured woman seemed menacing and unrelenting. Sophie couldn’t imagine beholding such a fearsome creature for a mother.

  Boke traced the large manor behind the councilman with the tip of her finger.

  “This is where you were supposed to grow up,” Sophie said.

  “He is not my father!” Boke snapped stubbornly.

  “Either way, it was where your mother lived ever since-” Sophie broke off. “Well, since they captured her.”

  “She didn’t live there. She was imprisoned there!”

  “I know.”

  More questions arose- where was the child now? Was it a boy or a girl? And if it was a boy, wouldn’t it be better to bind its powers now? The sooner the better, as Wailer Witches started using magic at infancy.

  Captain Jan was barraged with questions from the reporters, but his lips remained tightly sealed. No comment- was his answer each time.

  An inquiry was started by the High Council, and the captain’s resignation finally went through, only he now bore his late father’s title, Count Sanguine. Photos in the tabloids showed Count Sanguine working on his gardens while harbouring a long beard and with an open beer bottle by his side.

  The new Count is spiralling! The papers announced.

  And then less and less photos of him were to be found, as the Count seemed to have arrested himself indoors.

  “He is a murderer, and all he loses is his job?” It left a bad taste in Sophie’s mouth

  New evidence is in place! The headlines announced mid-May that year. Front pages bore pictures of a glass vial filled with red liquid and a note tied to it. It was Boke's blood, given as evidence by the terrorist Nyangwi. A copy of the note found with the vial was published.

  Members of the Supernatural Realm,

  I may be a criminal in your eyes, but all I wanted was my daughter back. Instead, I found her lying in a pool of her own blood, her one month old child using her fingers to paint the walls with her mother's blood that pooled the floor and soaked her diapers.

  Who is the criminal, if not the man that killed her in cold blood in the presence of her child? Here is the child's blood. Use it to access her mother's last memories.

  Justice and truth, those are the foundations of your united realm. Here is your chance to prove them true.

  Nyangwi Maiga

  Sophie looked at Boke cautiously, not wanting to startle her, but needing to gauge her reaction to the new development. Boke met her eyes, cold steel lining her own eyes.

  ¨Do you know how they are to access your mother's memories with your blood?¨ Sophie asked, but Boke shook her head in answer.

  They read on with great interest.

  The next day's papers were filled with discussions about all that entails a death recall, the spell to be performed. The spell could only be performed on the blood of a living being that was the direct descendant of the second being's memories been accessed. The only memories that could be accessed were those the two shared. The catch however, was that the carrier (in this case Boke), could end up being stuck in the past if they felt in any way more attached to that time than their current one. That was why the navigator (the Witch that performed the spell) must always leave tracks, and be persuasive enough to guide the carrier out.

  It was also why Nyangwi had sent the vial to Angela Rheinhart. She knew the Witch's reputation well. Klaus' mother seemed to be a wonder-woman of sorts in the realm. Lists of the magnificent things she’d done in the past were printed and discussed. She sounded much older than their parents, probably ten or fifteen years older. Nyangwi had apparently spelt the vial to break open and the blood to disintegrate should another Witch attempt to open it.

  The spell was then performed. The people waited. The verdict came out simple and clear- Maseke engineered the virus, Captain Jan acted out of self-defence and Maseke's death was justified.

  Boke took in a sharp breath at this.

  The cure was indeed Faery blood, Klaus' mother further revealed. Maseke had admitted it in her memories. She’d had Faery accomplices, but Mrs. Rheinhart claimed she didn’t who they were.

  Another frenzy erupted in the coming weeks at this revelation, however there was less division and squabbling among the Faeries this time round. Those that hadn't wished to take part in healing Avalons having already broken away and fled. The newspapers were filled with publicity photos of Faery families adopting Avalon families, to feed them three times a day until they were healed.

  A couple weeks later, success stories of fully recovered Avalons filled the papers. The death toll had been great though, two hundred and twelve died, out of the three hundred and seventy eight Avalons that had been.

  ¨We have to do that spell,¨ Boke said quietly, putting away the bulk of newspapers with a flick of her wrist, now that she no longer had to worry about nosy matrons sniffing out the use of magic, as very few staff members were left behind to patrol during the mid-term break.

  ¨What spell?¨

  ¨The death recall.¨

  ¨Boke we can't! You read about the risks, didn't you?¨

  ¨We have to, Sophie.¨

  ¨Please. Let’s not do it. I’m not even a Witch.¨

  ¨You are a Feary. You can do magic,¨ she argued.

  ¨No I can't. I never even took the Spells 1 class this term,¨ Sophie pleaded with her to see sense.

  ¨I can teach you.¨

  ¨Boke please. Even your grandmother wouldn't risk just anyone doing that spell.¨

  ¨You are not just anyone. You are my friend- my best friend.¨ Her words were touching, but Sophie tried to reason with her regardless.

  ¨That is why I can't do it,¨ she argued.

  Chapter 30

  Boke ended up convincing Sophie somehow.

  Death recall is neither an ordinary spell, nor an easy one to cast. They spent hours pouring over the books in the library that detailed it step by step.

  They agreed to perform it on Wednesday morning, as the potion required a whole day and a half to mature.

  According to the information found on the spell, the carrier, Boke, won’t remember anything after it. She’d be transported there, back in time, as it was through her eyes and experience that they’d re-live her shared memories with her mother. However, once Sophie left her mind, if the spell was done correctly, Boke oughtn’t remember a single thing. Should she remember, that was an indication that Sophie had made a grave mistake, for it was upon remembering the preferred memories of the past that caused a carrier's subconsciousness to choose to remain back there.

  A death re
call was performed to access suppressed memories, and that was why it was resorted to when trying to extract memories from one that could not remember for whatever reason. It was highly discouraged against, and was only to be done if absolutely necessary.

  Sophie hoped that the allure of revenge would be stronger than the idea of reliving the one month Boke spent in her mother's arms. Surely there was an advantage in the short time they spent together, as sad as it is.

  The navigator, Sophie, was advised to leave behind marks as they journeyed through the carrier's mind. Getting lost in a carrier's mind was possible, but none had ever got permanently stuck inside. It sometimes took days for the person to find their way out, however. But the last thing Sophie wanted was to roam inside Boke's brain for days, so she intend on leaving a much better trail than Hansel and Gretel ever did.

  They decided to perform the spell in Sophie’s apartment, in fear that Tom might walk in on them in the library, and stop them. It wasn’t hard to sneak the young Witch into Rhiannon House, as there were only a few matrons about, and just a handful of students, each minding their own business. Plus, the whole Rhiannon House was vacated.

  They spent most of Tuesday running around the school and its grounds, gathering all the things they’d need. Sophie helped with picking up fresh herbs from Boke's garden.

  Once back in Sophie’s apartment, Boke pulled out an old wooden mortar and pestle from her bag, and a wooden spatula of sorts. Sophie laughed, and Boke looked up questioningly.

  ¨You do have the oddest assortment of things in that bag!¨ Sophie explained.

  ¨All things I need in case of an emergency,¨ Boke answered as a matter-of-fact.

  ¨Spatulas, bones, a vial of blood, weird sand in a plastic bag, weird something that smells like coconut milk, dried leaves, creepiest knife I ever saw..! What kind of emergency situations do you get yourself into, Boke? A normal emergency bag would have a bandaid or two and some disinfecting wipes,¨ Sophie pointed out laughing.