I wonder if I’ll be first or last. Then I think about the way my mind travelled to Fletcher’s house, and I decide to leave the room. My body will be here, my body will be murdered, but while they do it, however they do it, in whatever order they do it, I’ll be somewhere else.
I could go to Molly’s grave, I’d enjoy that. I always feel at peace when I’m close to her. Or I could go to my house and see my family one more time, watch my parents hard at work, watch Isey having fun, playing on his computer.
I think I can go anywhere I like with this newfound magic, and then it hits me.
Nobody here is expecting me to do any magic. The three of them, waiting to kill us, are watching the witches like hawks – one slip up and they’ll be dead. None of them will risk it – they are being too closely observed, but I’m not.
I watch Peri – she locks eyes with everyone except me. I’m so unimportant; just an accident. Then I look at Efa, funny looking freak that she is, and she’s not looking at me either. She’s either watching Peri – a gleam in her eyes of pride, I think – or she’s looking at Zeta’s dead body with glee on her face.
Layland is looking at the adult witches, ignoring the teenagers, fists clenched, getting ready for a fight, getting ready for when Peri tells him to make a move.
Nobody is looking at me. I decide to go; I decide to go to the safe house and get Billy. Billy can get Max – the only adult witch I know who isn’t here, and then – maybe – we might have a chance of escape.
I’m really quick now that I know what I’m doing – well kind of – and I fly through the sky to the safe house, to the carpark where we were taken, to the window. I look inside and I can see Max, still sitting, and Billy with the three kids who were deemed too young to come along tonight.
I call Billy and he doesn’t even flinch. I call him again and again and again and then I see a crack in the window. I am inside. I call him again, and he frowns. Did he hear me? I wish I knew how to take a physical form. I call him again and he looks up. I know he can’t see me, but I have his attention. Billy – it’s Ellis. The accidental witch. We’re in trouble. We’re with the grownups and we’re all in trouble. We need Max to come.
He frowns again but he nods and looks over at Max. Still spelled, still catatonic in the chair.
Billy, can you unspell him?
He nods and rushes to Max’s side.
Max? Max? Max? I call out to him, while Billy does whatever magic he’s doing. I have no idea but he’s trying. It’s our only hope.
Max stands up, rubs his head, gestures to Billy, confusion and anger on his face.
Max. It’s Ellis – the accidental witch. I asked Billy to wake you up. We’re in trouble. We’re all locked in– at Shifts garage. We’re all there, us five teenagers – we snuck out – and Elodie, Ember, Griff and Sally’s parents. We don’t have time. You need to get down there, with back up, as soon as possible.
He falters for a moment, unsure, unclear as to what to do. But then he nods. “I’m on my way. We’re on our way. I’ll get help and get there as soon as I can.”
I slip away, slide back into my body, in the garage, surrounded by psychopaths, but I’m smiling.
If I am going to die, I am going to die.
But I’ve tried.
Sometimes, it’s all you can do.
I watch Fletcher – the bruise on his face where Layland punched him is nasty – already it’s darkened to a deep purple colour; I bet it’s painful but he’s putting a brave face on. He’s looking at his mum and she’s looking at him, as though looking away from each other would bring the end around even quicker. I feel tears come, but I let them. I don’t want to move and draw attention to myself.
Ember is looking at the twins the same way. However much of a bitch she might come across, however evil the twins are, they’re family and they love each other.
Even looking at Sally and the way she is staring at her parents makes me want to weep.
I am so grateful that my parents aren’t here, and they don’t have to see this. I cannot imagine the fear these people are all feeling because it isn’t just for themselves, it’s for other people they love.
I feel a sudden wave of pure fury at Peri, Efa and Layland.
The way Peri is stalking around is sickening. The way Efa is gloating over Zeta’s dead body – the way she killed her so nonchalantly, it makes we want to throw up. And Layland hitting Fletcher like he did; he’s nothing but a thug.
The fury deepens and because they aren’t paying any attention to me, I stare at them, feeling my hatred boil and bubble as I watch them.
Peri actually flutters her wings and I feel like I could strangle her. She is preening with delight that she’s going to end ten lives here, on top of all the others she has ended.
She’s so damn pleased with herself and I can’t help it.
I don’t try to.
I mean, I don’t even know what I’m doing.
My magic is so new.
I just –
EXPLODE!
I scream and as I scream, I feel the fury in me, the hurt, the upset, the anger, the fear, the helplessness, the hopelessness, the pure hatred fills me and I am sparking, no I am on fire. Fire is shooting out of my fingertips and I look at Peri. The fire shoots towards her.
“Stop her!” she yells at her lackeys, but neither of them dares to come near me.
I howl with rage and stand up, splitting my ties like the hulk or something. I concentrate on the three of them: Peri, Efa, Layland, their names like a drum beat in my head. My flames lick around the room, missing everything except them, targeting only them.
“Get out of here!”
“Never. We can’t let them-”
“We can’t stop them.”
My fiery fury chases them right out of the room and then it simmers down to a spark, then a puff of smoke. I collapse onto the chair and as I do there’s a hammering at the front door.
The adult witches rush towards their children and untie them, covering them in hugs and kisses. Griff opens the door and Max, followed by eleven witches, stream in, ready to rescue us. There is confusion followed by laughter and a little awe, as Griff fills them in on what I did.
Elodie moves from hugging Fletcher to my side. She holds me in her arms, kissing my cheek, and thanking me.
I smile, and grin, a little overwhelmed by it all. I sit heavily on the chair. It was all too easy really.
I might only be an accident but I’m getting better at this magic thing all the time.
“We need to get out of here, before they rally their troops.”
“I’ll stay,” Griff says. “I want to see who’s here and finish them off if we need to. Bloody hell, Ellis, that was some good work.”
“I didn’t try, I just got so angry, all of a sudden, I couldn’t help myself.”
Fletcher grins at me, then winces, probably because of his broken jaw. “You did what we’ve been trained all our lives not to do. You let the magic take over.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Not today.” He reaches out his hand and I take it. “Not today.”
“I just wanted them to stop, to leave us alone, to leave you all safe and unharmed. I could see the way you were all looking at your loved ones and it made me furious.”
“Now imagine feeling angry in school because some girl pulled your hair. Imagine letting the magic take over, then.”
I laugh. “I can see how that might be a problem.”
“We learn from being little that we have to control ourselves. Self control is our biggest asset. It stops us being found out.”
“I promise I’ll practise it.”
“I’ll help you.”
“Let’s go.” Elodie interrupts them and takes Ellis by the hand. She flings her arm around Fletcher. “We need to get back to the house, get the protections back in place, get rid of the dead bodies. You need to go to the safe house and wait for us. Sally’s parents will come with you.”
We both nod and head outside.
Griff stays behind with Max and several others, and as Fletcher puts his arms around me to fly me home, we hear the shouts and yells of battle. I shudder; I cannot help it.
Then I feel Fletcher’s lips on my forehead, and I shudder again. “You saved our lives tonight, Ellis. I didn’t even really know you yesterday, and you saved my life tonight. I’ll never forget that.”
I close my eyes and lean against him, gripping onto his t shirt, and listening to the sound of his heart beat as we fly away from the nightmarish scene and into the night.
16
THEY LAND IN THE CARPARK they were taken from only a few hours earlier and Fletcher untangles himself from Ellis. Sally’s parents lead them all inside and lock the doors, and Billy and the others fall on them. There are dozens of questions: are you all okay, did anyone get hurt, how did you escape, what happens next?
They answer as best they can, although they don’t know the final outcome yet and then they all collapse onto chairs. The twins are crying, still worried that their mum might not make it back this time. Fletcher feels the same way about his mum. He hasn’t let go of Ellis’s hand since they came inside, but they don’t speak.
The horror of what they went through, how they very nearly didn’t make it back, is etched in their minds and replays like a film. They will never forget this night; and probably never be the same again.
Jane brings out a tray filled with steaming mugs of hot chocolate, all laced with pep, and some sandwiches. “Please eat. It’s over now – for us at least.”
They all know this isn’t true; unless Griff comes back and says that he’s killed the three instigators of tonight’s troubles. And until Elodie and Ember come back in one piece, none of them can rest.
They do eat, though, and drink, and they do feel marginally better – which Jane knew they would.
“Thank you for saving us,” Sally’s voice is small, but sincere.
“You’re welcome. I wish I’d done it quicker.”
Sally shakes her head. “You did it when you could. The fury built and built until you couldn’t contain it. You saved us all.”
Ellis smiles and blushes and Fletcher squeezes her hand.
The calm and peace inside the safe house is such a contrast to where they’ve been that they cannot fully relax. Not quite.
Jane brings a poultice over for Fletcher, and he holds it against his bruised jaw while she says a few magical words. He touches his skin under the compress and smiles.
“Better?”
He nods and Jane moves away, pleased to have helped him.
“I hate this waiting,” Thea says, and the others nod. “What if something else has happened?”
“Until we hear otherwise, we have to assume the best,” Fletcher says, wanting to believe it himself, but feeling sick at the thought of those monsters attacking his mum again.
“Do you think those three are the ring-leaders?”
“I think so. Though Peri is in charge, you can tell.”
“Isn’t it funny that they say they don’t want to be under our rule, but Layland and Efa are both happy to have Peri tell them what to do?”
They all smile at the irony. “I hope Griff kills them. If they are the leaders, this whole rebellion thing might shrivel up without them.”
“Let’s hope.”
The waiting is impossible. They are antsy, fidgety, fed up and then the door opens. Elodie and Ember come in, looking tired and dishevelled but unharmed. Fletcher rushes over to his mum and the twins are scooped into Ember’s arms.
“The house is secure,” Elodie says, dropping into a chair and wiping her face.
Jane brings them both drinks. “Any word from Griff?”
Elodie shakes her head. “We’ve heard from our intelligence though, and those three are the leaders of this rebellion outfit. So, if he can kill them, this might be over.”
Even as she says it, they all feel like it’s too easy. They won’t go down without a fight; they might even have fled the scene as soon as the fire pushed them out. They might be on the loose, on the run, with none of the witches knowing where they are.
Elodie touches Fletcher’s face. “Fixed?”
He nods. “It really hurt!”
She smiles. “I bet it did. Nasty piece of work.”
“How many witches died tonight?” This from Ellis.
“Too many. We think six. We still can’t find a few, but we have no idea if they fled, got hurt or worse.”
They are quiet for a minute. What can they say to make themselves feel better, to properly mourn the loss of family and friends, to give the situation it’s full weight?
The minutes turn to hours, and the hours stretch on through the night. Most of them fall asleep where they are. Too exhausted to change or climb into beds, they just crash. The teenagers cover the little ones in blankets and then when they fall asleep, the grownups cover them. The grownups eventually doze off. Maybe no news is good news, after all.
The morning comes with a fresh sense of dread. Still no word from Griff and still no sign of any of the witches who stayed at the garage to fight.
They are all sombre as they wake, freshen up, change clothes and eat. Nobody wants to be the first to address the apparent failure of last night’s mission.
Tears fall easily and the sense of mourning in the room is clear.
It’s just before noon that Elodie gets a text. “Everyone!”
They all gather around, quiet and attentive. “It’s from Griff. He’s alive, so is Max. They’ve lost about half their number, but killed many of the enemy. Peri, Efa and Layland are nowhere to be seen.”
“Damn!” Ember’s face is a mixture of pure fury and pure heartbreak. “Is he coming back here?”
“Yes. He’s weak – he wants us to be ready to help him, and the others.”
“We can be.”
Without waiting to be told, Sally’s parents start magicking clean clothes, blankets, food and drink, as well as medicine to help those who come back. They have no idea what state they’ll be in.
“If those three escaped, that means it’s not over, then.” Fletcher sounds despondent, his voice flat and sad.
“It’s not over, but it will be. Soon.” Ember is spitting, she’s so angry.
“How?”
“Because we won’t stop – any of us – until we find them and punish them. They were going to kill every one of us last night. It’s only because of Ellis that they didn’t. We will keep fighting until it’s over.”
“Or until we’re all dead.”
The finality of the words hits them all and the serious mood is back once more.
They are all waiting for Griff and the others, jumping at every sound, some pacing the room, unable to keep still, others unable to move at all.
Eventually the door is pushed open and Griff, Max and four others pour into the room, the smell of sweat and fear coming with them.
Griff hugs Elodie and then Ember, then the twins, Fletcher and finally Ellis. “You saved so many lives last night. Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t kill them.”
“We couldn’t either. They’re wily and quick.”
Everyone gathers to hear his story. “By the time we got out the back, the three that had you kids were gone. We killed a few of the thugs, the lackeys, but not those three. We found a few others who we think might be higher up the food chain, but we have no real way of knowing. They refused to answer questions, and none of them died without a fight. It was a rough night. We lost a few, but we couldn’t have done more.” He’s crying now, and they all try to comfort him.
None of the victory of a battle well fought and won for them, only commiserations and misery over the fallen witches and the worry over what happens next.
“We can’t stay here. I think we all need to go home, rest, stay safe, and then we’ll call a proper council meeting – with the other species – and tell them what’s going on. See where their loyalt
ies lie. We can’t keep this thing hidden any more. It’s too big. Let them stand with us, and get their freedom, if that’s what they want, or fight against us with the rebels.”
“Which way do you think it’ll go?”
“I have no idea. I hope they’ll stand with us. I hope they don’t know about this. I hope it hasn’t been given an official green light, where they’ve all turned a blind eye and let them murder us in our thousands. I hope.”
Ellis
THE MOOD IS A HORRIBLE one, but I am so relieved when Fletcher puts his arms around me, ready to fly us home, that I could cry.
Okay, I do cry.
I am a bit of a crier.
I might be imagining it but I think he holds me tighter than he did last time, and his heart is beating louder, I know. I could fly around for ever, his arms around me, my head against his chest, but in no time at all we are home.
Not my home, but his. Though it feels a bit like home. It’s a familiar and happy sight, and I’m glad that all the carnage I saw when I called Elodie to help us, has vanished. I couldn’t bear to see it.
You’d never guess that a huge fight had taken place here, that anybody had died.
It’s pristine.
Elodie heads straight for the kitchen and starts making food. The rest of us sit and watch her. “If any of you want to sleep, that’s fine. I’ll wake you when food’s ready.”
The twins head off to their room – whether to sleep or cry or talk, who knows.
I’m left with Fletcher. Which is fine by me. Even though his jaw is fixed, the bruise is still there, so it still looks painful. He looks so handsome. He smiles at me. “Are you tired?”
I shake my head. If I say yes, I’ll have to go to his room without him.
“Mum, we’ll just go and watch TV in my room, or something.”
My stomach flips and I follow him willingly upstairs.
He sits on his bed and I sit next to him. He runs his hands through his hair, stretches his legs out in front of him and then he’s crying.
The Accidental Witch Page 15
