by Sam Short
“You’ll never be forgiven,” said Granny. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I neither expect or wish to be,” said the Witch-finder. “I need no forgiveness. I will be immortal i this land, and I will rule this land. I care not for the forgiveness of any of my subjects.
He reached inside Granny’s dress, eliciting a shout from her. “Burn me to death all you like, but never touch me without my authority!”
“I’m not trying to violate you, Gladys. I’m looking for the dementia cure which Maeve gave you. I need your magic working correctly while you burn, otherwise I may as well be burning a mortal. You won’t be able to use your magic in this room, but with dementia still afflicting you, your magic will never leave your body, however hot I make the flames.”
“It’s on a chain, around my neck,” said Granny. Realisation dawned in her eyes, and she stared at the floor to the left of me. “Charleston,” she said. “When I take this cure, you’ll be released from the body of Boris. The spell that trapped you in the goat was cast in the mortal world, the lead in this room won’t stop it from being reversed. You must tell my son that I love him, and tell him never to come here —”
“Silence!” said the Witch-finder, taking the cork from the small glass vial which contained the cure.
Granny ignored him. “And, Charleston — I want you to know that I lov—”
The Witch-finder silenced Granny with magic, and her eyes dimmed, all hope leaving them. She stared ahead of herself, blankness on her face, as the Witch-finder forced the vial between my grandmother’s lips and poured the contents down her throat.
A crackling sound next to me and a rush of warm air on my legs told me that the spell trapping Charleston in Boris’s body had been reversed. Charleston would wake in Granny’s guest bedroom, knowing what was happening in The Haven, unable to help us, and aware that he would probably never see any of us again.
Desperation fuelled more tears, and I wished I could move an arm to wipe them from my cheeks. I wanted to appear brave. I wanted to be brave, but the only sensations that coursed throughout my body were those elicited by fear.
The Witch-finder took Granny’s hand in his. “Look,” he said, glancing to my left. “It’s a simple goat again. Perhaps I’ll keep it as a pet, it can keep my lawns trimmed when I move into my castle.”
Tears ran freely down Granny’s cheeks, and she did as she was told when the Witch-finder gave her what would likely be the last instruction she would ever follow. “Get onto the plinth, Gladys. Your pyre awaits, as does your martyrdom.”
Chapter Nineteen
My whole body ached as I fought the spell which held me captive. The panic and perseverance in Willow’s eyes showed she was doing the same. I didn’t need to be able to see everybody to know they would be fighting too, even Barney, whose heavy breaths grew louder as Granny climbed onto the plinth and took her place on the pyre.
With Granny’s back against the stake, and her legs knee deep in wood, the Witch-finder waved a hand. The spell forced Granny’s hands behind her back, and she gave a grimace of pain as her hands were tied to the pole with a strand of silvery magic.
The Witch-finder gazed at his victim, a sickening pride in his smile, and a casualness in the way he spoke which made me shudder. “Have your voice back, Gladys. I’ll need to hear your screams.”
Granny looked at us in turn. “Don’t mourn me in sadness,” she said. “And don’t remember me as I am now — helpless and tied to a stake, remember me as I was for all the years you knew me before this moment, because as horrible as this moment is — it’s only one of the millions of beautiful moments I’ve lived through with all of you. I give my life freely to ensure none of you will be harmed.”
“Yes, yes, very nice,” said the Witch-finder. “Very sentimental.” He bent at the waist and slipped the jewel he’d stolen from Derek’s staff beneath the pile of wood. He muttered something under his breath, and flames appeared at his fingertips. “Now, if you’ve finished saying your goodbyes, I think it’s time we got going. This fire is not going to light itself.”
“Willow, Penny,” said Granny, speaking quickly. “A woman couldn’t have asked for kinder, nicer grandchildren. I love you both, deeply. You’ve both brought immeasurably joy to my life.
Barney, look after Penny — you’re a fine man. I know you’ll do good by Penny, and I hope you tell your children that their great grandmother loves them, wherever she is.
Eva, I was wrong about Derek, cherish him and cherish yourself. I love you.
Maggie, my second born, take care of yourself, my dear, dear daughter. You were always there for me, and I appreciate you more than you will ever know.
Maeve, thank you for everything, and I trust you will eventually beat The Witch-finder and rule The Haven again.”
Flames flew from the Witch-finder’s fingertips, and the hope I’d been holding onto that somehow one of us would be able to save Granny, evaporated in a surge of wretched despair.
The flames took hold quickly, wood crackling as it burnt, the smoke being drawn into the orb above the pyre.
Every muscle in my body fought at the magical bonds which held me, my emotions becoming a tangled mix of anger, fear and desperation. Time seemed to slow in my mind, but the flames that worked their way closer to Granny’s legs did not. As the first lick of heat touched her papery skin, she let out a whimper — the sound a cold blade of hopelessness which pierced my heart.
Memories of Granny flooded my mind as flames wrapped her legs in heat, her whimpers becoming loud shouts as she gave way to inevitable panic. I remembered her showing me and Willow how to make cup-cakes, the three of us laughing as we gave Granddad the single cake we’d flavoured with salt instead of sugar.
I remembered her teaching me how to read, using magic to bring the pictures in the book alive, and never getting frustrated when I couldn’t pronounce difficult words. I remembered a beautiful woman, a kind woman, a complicated woman, but a woman I loved. A woman I loved deeply.
Heat spread from the fire, warming my neck and hurting my skin even at the distance I was from the flames, and I tried not to think of the temperatures Granny was experiencing.
As the flames licked at Granny’s neck, and her screams mingled with the manic laughter of the Witch-finder, a surge of white light blinded me momentarily, and I had what was only my second vision since I’d discovered I possessed the power of seeing.
It seemed that the lead in the room prevented me from using magic, but it couldn’t stop a vision — and even as I watched Granny’s face disappear in flames, her screams becoming less intense and her magic visibly pouring into the orb above her head — I became calm, knowing that everything was going to be okay, but not knowing how or why.
The Witch-finder’s cackling mirth grew louder as the orb above the fire grew brighter, and Granny became silent, her body hidden by flames, and her magical essence leaving her in beautiful strands of gold and amber which rose from the flames and filled the orb.
My vision faded, but I’d seen all I needed to see – Granny alive, and happier than I’d ever seen her — and I was certain that it was to happen in the very immediate future — as certain as I was that the Witch-finder was going to live out his immortality in misery, and not ruling The Haven as he had envisioned.
Willow’s eyes had deadened, and I wished I could tell her everything would be okay, but she stared at the flames, lost in her despair.
A loud grating of metal was the first sign that something was not right with the Witch-finder’s plan. The sound reverberated through the room, the floor trembling beneath my feet, and a heavy pounding making the walls shake violently.
The orb above the fire flickered, and the bright white light changed — slowly at first, whites becoming blues, then purples, until it throbbed with an angry red which cast the room in a scarlet glow.
The Witch-finder stepped backwards, his face lit with the dancing oranges of the flames, but concern replacing the glee which
had emanated from him as Granny had suffered.
“What is this?” he shouted. He looked at Maeve. “Is this your doing, witch?”
Maeve’s eyes remained expressionless, and the Witch-finder span on the spot as one of the lead walls groaned, it’s surface bubbling and melting as if a great heat was forming behind it, forcing its way through the metal.
Molten lead dripped in a waterfall of silver, pooling on the floor at the base of the wall, and the dim glow of a light beyond the wall became visible, becoming brighter as lead spat and bubbled in its path.
“What is this?” shouted the Witch-finder, stepping backwards. “Who dares do this?”
White light filtered into the room, piercing the scarlet light cast by the orb, and parting the lead wall like the petals of a flower, spreading the metal until a perfect circle was formed. Brilliant blue light filled the hole, a dark shape appearing in the centre, its form becoming clearer as it approached, until it became apparent what it was — the silhouette of a person.
“Who are you?” shouted the Witch-finder. “Tell me!”
The silhouette stopped moving, and a loud vibrating voice filled the room — distant and warped by magic, but unmistakable as to whom it belonged. “Gladys, I’m here, and I love you too!” it boomed. “I have since the day I met you.”
Charleston Huang stepped into the room, a closed fist held before him, blue light pouring from the ring on his finger.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said, confidence oozing from him. “I promise.”
Light poured from his ring in a powerful stream which wrapped itself around the Witch-finder and thrust him upwards, pinning him against the ceiling, where he remained, silent and unmoving.
Charleston turned his attention to the fire, guiding a stream of light into the flames. The crackling of burning wood gave way to a melodious humming which changed in pitch and tempo as the flames rose and fell, becoming a dancing kaleidoscope of colours, the oranges and reds mixing with pinks, blues, and yellows, until there were only flames of white and blue.
The heat from the flames gave way to a gentle breeze which cooled my face, and I gazed into the fire, screaming inwardly as I caught a glimpse of Granny’s charred lifeless face.
Charleston stood next to the fire, his dark eyebrows narrowing as he concentrated, the light from his ring flowing into the cold blue flames.
Granny’s face was hidden once more, and the flames grew taller, beginning to spin, twisting and turning, moving closer to the stake in the centre of the fire, until they wrapped Granny’s body in light, enveloping her in a shimmering beauty which I instinctively knew was good magic. A healing magic.
“It’s okay,” murmured Charleston, his body rigid. “You’re okay, Gladys.”
Flames transformed into beams of twisting light, which shattered the orb above the fire and spread throughout the room in a sudden rush of power which filled me with a sense of good – a sense of love.
“Nearly there,” said Charleston, the light from his ring brightening as my magical bonds weakened.
I collapsed to the ground with a gasp as the Witch-finder’s magic finally failed, and struggled to my feet, rushing towards the pyre. “Granny!” I shouted.
Barney joined me, dragging me into his arms, his hand on my head. “Penny,” he sobbed. “I tried to get free. I tried so hard. I couldn’t move.”
“I know,” I said, my tears wetting his shirt.
Willow and Mum hugged, and Boris the goat bleated in panic, galloping in circles around the room until Charleston waved a hand, sending sparks cascading over the animal’s back, calming it.
“Granny!” I shouted again, knowing she would be okay, but needing to see her – the urgent desire twisting my gut and closing my throat as I sobbed.
Charleston’s ring glowed brighter, throbbing on his finger, and the stream of light pouring from it stopped abruptly. The blue light surrounding Granny began to fade, and her face became clear, her skin complete again, and her eyes bright. Her voice came softly at first, her words incomprehensible, but as the light slid down her legs and across the burnt wood, evaporating into the ether, she cleared her throat and smiled. “Hello everybody,” she said. “That was a bit of a palaver, wasn’t it?” She looked at Charleston. “Oh, you’re here. I was under duress when I said what I did. Ignore me, it was the ramblings of a silly old lady about to meet her maker.”
Charleston reached up, easily plucking Granny from the pyre and placing her at his feet. He drew her close and planted a soft kiss on her blue hair. “Don’t worry, Gladys. I’ve wanted to hear those words come from your mouth for a long time. I love you too.”
Granny’s shoulders shook, and the sound of her gentle sobs were muffled by Charleston’s chest as he pulled her close.
Charleston gazed around at the rest of us. “Are you all okay?” he asked.
When he was happy we were unharmed, he looked at Maeve. “I have the power to transport you all out of here,” he said. “The spell guarding the castle has fallen, I can sense it. I will send you all there, where you can wait for me. Gladys needs to recover, and I’m sure you would all like to get out of this terrible place. Will you look after them until I get there?”
“Of course,” said Maeve. “It would be my pleasure… Charleston Huang.”
“Where are you going, Charleston?” I said.
Charleston looked at the ceiling, from where the Witch-finder gazed down at us, his eyes glazed, and his body rigid. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to deal with him once and for all. I’ll be along as soon as I’m done. I’m sure you’ll all have questions for me.”
“I’ll stay with you,” I said.
Charleston shook his head. “No, you should —”
“I want to,” I said.
“If Penny’s staying, I’m staying,” said Barney.
Charleston nodded. “Okay,” he said. He waved a hand, and red smoke enveloped everybody else, including Boris. With a shimmering of air and a loud popping sound, they vanished.
I looked up. “What are you going to do with him?” I said.
“You’re not going to kill him, I hope,” said Barney. “I know I don’t hold jurisdiction here, but the death sentence seems wrong.”
“I’m not going to kill anybody,” said Charleston. “Even though he’s responsible for the death of six witches here, and only he knows how many in the mortal world.” Charleston gazed around the room. “I have a fate far worse than death in mind for him. I only wish we could have saved those six women, but he burned them to ash, there’s nothing I can do. Gladys was lucky I got here when I did, with her heart intact I was able to regenerate the rest of her body, any longer and it would have been all over for her. Maybe then I’d have been considering the death sentence, as hypocritical as that sounds.”
“It’s not hypocrisy,” said Barney, smiling at me. “That’s love.”
Charleston waved a hand, and the Witch-finder fell from the ceiling, sprawling at our feet, groaning in pain. “He’ll never know love,” said Charleston.
The Witch-finder gazed up at us, the eyes he was once so proud of, now dull and scared. “What will you do with me?” he said.
Charleston looked around the room and with a flick of his fingers cast a spell which closed the hole he’d made to enter the room. “This room will be your prison,” he said. “For two hundred years. Then I will reconsider.”
“No,” said The Witch-finder. “Kill me.”
Charleston shook his head. “No, and I’ll cast a spell preventing you from harming yourself, and removing your need for sustenance. You’ll live here, in the dark, with no requirement for food or drink. You’re going to pay for what you did, Witch-finder.”
“No! You can’t do that to me,” begged the Witch-finder. “I’ll go insane being alone for that long. It’s crueller than death!”
Charleston smiled. “Oh, you won’t be alone, not all of the time.” He gazed into a corner, and made a gentle beckoning motion with his h
and, as if calling a frightened animal. He lowered his voice, and spoke softly and slowly. “Make yourselves shown. Your suffering is over, you can walk among us now.”
Nothing happened for a few moments, but suddenly the air burst into life with tiny orbs of light. Zipping left and right like a swarm of bees, they joined with one another, forming larger and larger orbs, until the transparent shapes of six women took form.
“What are they?” I said, knowing the answer, but not believing it could be true.
“Ghosts,” said Barney.
“Yes,” said Charleston. “Ghosts walk in this world, and the mortal world. They rarely make themselves seen, but in this case, I think they’ll enjoy the exception. They are free to leave this room as they wish, but I’m sure they’ll spend a lot of time with their murderer.”
“No!” said the Witch-finder. “Kill me, I beg of you!”
The six ghosts approached us, pushing cold air in front of them, and hovering a few inches from the ground. They smiled at us, their silvery bodies undamaged by flames, and their clothes intact.
One of them came closer, cold air swirling past us as she moved. “Thank you,” she said, her papery voice out of sync with her lips, arriving a second after her mouth had moved. “Thank you for searching for us, it was not to be that you would find us in time, but we appreciate you trying, and we thank you for allowing us to take our revenge. You should leave now, we don’t wish to frighten you.”
“I wish you well,” said Charleston, “and I’m sorry we couldn’t save you.”
“No!” screamed the Witch-finder, pushing himself along the lead floor, his boots sliding as they searched for purchase. “Please! Not this!”
Red smoke clouded my view as Charleston prepared to transport us from the room, but I could still make out one of the ghosts rushing from the corner, a scream pouring from her mouth, deafening in the metal lined room.
She approached the Witch-finder and her face transformed. Flesh hung from her bones, and as Charleston cast the spell my nostrils filled with the sickly aroma of burning flesh, and the blood curdling scream of the Witch-finder followed us for a few seconds after we’d left his self-constructed prison.
