Witched!

by Rebecca McRitchie

  Then one by one, more magical beings of all shapes and sizes pushed themselves up and out of the ground. Like the first, their skin hung from their bones and some were missing limbs.

  Cora remembered that one of the members of the council was a necromancer. The bald man who had teeth strung on a necklace. Kaede must have syphoned his magic, she thought. Which meant that . . . the magical beings in front of them . . . were dead.

  Cora looked at Geraldine and Henry who both stared wide-eyed as the swaying bodies on the sand grew in number. Already, there were rows and rows of the drooling dead lined up behind Kaede all the way to The Oak Wood.

  The sound of growls grew louder in the night.

  Cora swallowed. Kaede was now no longer the one who was outnumbered. They were. By a lot.

  Kaede’s laughter filled the night air and, as if it were some kind of signal, the many rows of growling magical beings suddenly dove forward in the sand. All of them ran towards Cora, Geraldine and Henry who stood at the shoreline.

  ‘What do we do?’ Henry whispered.

  Cora had no idea.

  Instinctively, she squared her shoulders and reached for her magic, as an army of the now undead dead hurtled towards them.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  With distant eyes and drooling mouths, the undead magical beings scurried across the sand, heading straight for Cora, Geraldine and Henry.

  Gripping the princess’s magic, Cora called up the wind around her. Holding it in her hands, she pushed it out in powerful gusts towards the first row of creatures, one after the other, in short, sharp bursts. The gusts of air hit the creatures in the chests, sending them backwards into the rows of creatures behind them. But the rest of the undead didn’t stop. Shoving each other aside, they climbed over the fallen.

  Geraldine moved her staff above her and columns of water shot out from the sea like arms, striking the next row of undead, knocking them down to the ground. But just as the first row went down, so did the second row, but the undead kept on coming. In minutes, Cora realised, the horde of creatures would be on them.

  Cora glanced around her. Then reaching for the warlock magic, she grabbed onto the rides that lay half-buried in the sand between them and the undead. She focused and pushed them upwards. With groans and screeches of metal, the rides moved upwards, revealing the tops of a Ferris wheel and a rollercoaster above the sand. The empty beach in front of them was now partially obscured by a maze of metal. It wouldn’t stop the creatures but it would at least slow them down.

  Then Cora realised that she could no longer see Kaede through the throng of undead magical creatures.

  ‘Where’s Kaede?’ Cora asked, alarmed. She turned from side to side, glancing down the long, dark beach for any sign of the syphon.

  Geraldine shook her head.

  Cora needed to find Kaede but she didn’t want to leave Geraldine and Henry to face the mass of growling undead by themselves. She threw more balls of wind at the creatures clambering over the rides, knocking them down to the ground like wooden dolls.

  Next to her, Henry closed his eyes. Then he moved his hands above his head and pushed outwards. Cora watched in awe as a wave of water arched above them. It moved right over the three of them and across the beach before crashing on top of the next three rows of undead creatures that were climbing through the maze of metal.

  Cora looked at Henry impressed. He brushed his hands together proudly.

  ‘There’s too many of them,’ Geraldine said as they watched more creatures climb the rides.

  The sea witch was right. Cora knew that with each group they knocked down, more would only replace them. She threw more air magic at the undead. Again and again, the undead fell, but again and again more took their place.

  Cora took a few steps backwards. What if this is what Kaede had wanted? Cora thought. What if he wanted to overwhelm them? Or what if he . . . wanted a distraction.

  Steadily the rows of undead grew in front of them. They dragged themselves towards them, forcing Geraldine, Cora and Henry to step further backwards until their feet were in the sea.

  Cora looked at Geraldine and Henry. They were getting tired, their magic weakening. The strip of beach between the three of them and the undead was almost gone. The growing horde of undead magical beings was quickly closing in on them. They were outnumbered and soon they would be too weak to hold them back.

  Suddenly, two POPs! of magic sounded in the air next to her, and Tick and Tock appeared on the beach. They sent a flurry of fairy magic in the direction of the undead, knocking down the closest rows.

  ‘Hi Cora,’ Tick waved.

  ‘Did you miss us?’ Tock asked.

  Cora almost cried out with happiness. She grabbed them both in a fierce hug. But when she let go, her ribs screeched with sharp aches.

  ‘What took you so long?’ Cora asked, hiding the pain with a smile.

  ‘We had a few people we needed to get,’ said Tock. More POPs! of magic echoed in the air. Ten fairy guards appeared on the beach behind Tick and Tock. And one of them was Fizz and he had brought a boy with him. The boy had light-blue skin, blond hair and a fur coat that fell down to his feet.

  ‘Ogg?’ Cora exclaimed, surprised.

  Ogg the troll, who had helped her when she was on the verge of becoming a Havoc, smiled back at her. ‘At your service!’ he said, bending downwards in a bow.

  A squawk filled the night air above them. Gazing upwards, Cora saw a large bird dive into the crowd of undead magical beings, pick some up, and then drop them into the sea. The bird had large gold wings.

  ‘Artemis,’ Cora said. The avian who had helped her defeat the Jinx in Jade City had come to help her too. And behind him flew four more giant golden birds.

  Cora’s heart swelled. She wanted to thank each and every one of them. But now wasn’t the time. The undead had crawled over the rides again and were quickly scurrying across the sand towards them.

  ‘We need to push forward,’ Ogg said by her side.

  Cora nodded.

  ‘I need to find Kaede,’ she said.

  ‘We’ll come with you,’ said Tick.

  ‘Guards,’ said Tock. ‘Listen to Ogg.’ The fairy looked at the troll and nodded.

  Cora was taken aback. Fairies and trolls working together.

  Ogg puffed out his chest and stood in front of the fairy guards. He pointed towards The Oak Wood. ‘We need to gain more ground. Push ahead as much as you can but stay together.’

  Cora looked at Geraldine and Henry. She paused, unsure if she should leave them.

  ‘Go,’ Geraldine said, tossing a hand up in the air. Cora watched as water shot up like jets beneath the feet of the undead. The force of the water jets sent the limbs and heads of a row of undead shooting off into the air.

  Henry copied Geraldine’s movements and sent more jets shooting upwards.

  Then all together the ten fairy guards moved into a triangular formation in front of Geraldine and Henry. Then they sent their magic at the next row of creatures as they flew at the undead, Geraldine and Henry following.

  Cora nodded to Tick and Tock.

  The three of them stared out at the growling, drooling undead army.

  ‘They’re in need of some serious beauty sleep,’ said Tick.

  ‘They look just like you in the morning,’ said Tock with a giggle.

  Then the pair shot upwards, flying out over the beach and towards the middle of the pack of undead. They zapped their magic at the creatures, sending their limbs flying.

  Cora clicked her fingers and appeared where she had last seen Kaede.

  It also happened to be right in the middle of five undead magical creatures.

  They lunged at her. Cora dove out of the way, but her ankle groaned painfully and the second’s hesitation was all the creatures needed. Black and grey hands grabbed her, pulling her hair and clothes. There were growls in her ears and drool on her skin.

  Finding the Jinx magic, Cora clenched her fists and then threw the m
agic at the creatures on her. Some fell to pieces, others soared off her, barrelling into others nearby.

  Spinning around, Cora tried to see through the throng of undead. There was no sign of Kaede anywhere, just more and more black and grey limbs.

  The creatures that had fallen to the ground dove at her legs, pulling her towards them, their teeth bared.

  Cora kicked them off her. She needed to get up high. She held onto the vampire magic and pushed herself upwards, levitating into the air above the creatures. She scanned the beach as best she could in the night. Still, there was no sign of Kaede.

  Cora looked down at Geraldine and Henry.

  The undead had broken through the fairy guards and closed in around them. Geraldine and Henry fought them back with more waves from the sea but it wasn’t enough. Ogg was using a piece of metal he must have pulled from a ride to knock back the undead. Two avians soared low to help but they were pulled down to the ground by many undead hands.

  Tick and Tock zapped their magic at the rows of undead creatures that had grabbed the avians, and Cora called up the air around her, whipping it back and forth before throwing it down at the creatures that surrounded Geraldine and Henry like a crack of lightning. Rows of undead were struck to the ground, giving the pair a small reprieve.

  From where she hovered, Cora looked down at the beach. There were just too many of them. In minutes, the undead magical beings had already gained the upper hand. It would only be a matter of time before her friends became too weak to fight. And then what?

  In the air next to her, Tick stopped.

  ‘Do you hear that?’ Tick called out to Cora.

  A loud clomping sound echoed from out of The Oak Wood. It sounded like heavy footsteps. Even in the air, Cora could sense that the beach shook with each step.

  Geraldine and the fairy guards heard it too.

  Turning, Cora looked behind her. One by one, the tall oaks were pushed aside as a dark shadow moved through them.

  Whatever it was, it was humungous in size. Cora wondered if it was a giant, but then the large creature lumbered onto the beach, and as it came into view, Cora recognised who it was.

  It was the golem.

  Archibald’s baby golem whom they had saved from the fire inside his study, and whom Cora had left with Belle and Dot. The golem had grown so big it towered over the horde of undead, five times their size.

  Squinting, Cora recognised two figures sitting on the golem’s shoulders and her heart leapt at the sight.

  Belle and Dot.

  Cora smiled. Not only was Dot okay, she was here, and she looked like she was back to her old self. The old woman stood on the golem’s shoulder and pointed down below them. The golem listened obediently and used its long arms and legs to swing and kick into the crowd of magical beings. The undead went flying left and right with each swipe.

  On the other shoulder, Belle threw sparks of red-dust magic at the undead creatures.

  With the golem’s help, Geraldine, Ogg and the fairy guards moved forwards, pushing past the buried rides. They were gaining ground, and the number of undead creatures between them and the golem was shrinking.

  As Cora watched from above, she saw the glint of silver that she had been searching for make its way through the undead army. Without hesitating, Cora clicked her fingers and appeared in front of the man.

  But it wasn’t Kaede.

  The man in front of her was the warlock, Archibald Drake.

  ‘You?’ Cora greeted him, unable to hide her surprise. What was he doing here?

  Archibald stopped, recognising her.

  ‘You,’ he said.

  The warlock looked far worse than when she had seen him in his study. His hair had gone completely grey, and his skin, which stretched tightly over his bones, was almost the same ash grey. The dark, hollow rings around his eyes had sunk deeper. And Cora could see that it took most of the warlock’s energy to remain standing.

  ‘Out of my way,’ Archibald growled. The warlock took a step to move past her but Cora sent her Jinx magic to her hands and pushed the warlock back.

  Archibald stumbled on his feet. He glared at her. Then Cora watched the warlock’s magic crackle at his fingertips then it fizzled out quickly like a weak flame.

  It was clear that Archibald was in no shape for a fight.

  Cora put her magic away but remained where she stood.

  ‘I’m not here for you,’ Archibald said.

  ‘I don’t believe you,’ Cora replied.

  ‘I’m here for him,’ Archibald looked pointedly behind her and then began muttering a string of words under his breath.

  Cora turned to see the silver-haired man she had been looking for. But the sight made Cora’s blood turn cold.

  Behind him, Geraldine was on the ground, and Kaede held Henry by the hair, his feet dangling in the air.

  ‘Cora!’ Henry called out.

  Cora clicked her fingers, and Jinx magic in hand, she flew at Kaede with all the power she had. She punched, but Kaede had been expecting it. He grabbed her fist in his hand and bent it.

  Cora cried out, her wrist cracking in pain. She grabbed hold of the slippery sea-witch magic that she had syphoned from Geraldine. She didn’t know what it did, but she felt it fill her up like water in a jug. Then throwing the magic at Kaede, she watched as water flew from her hand, hitting Kaede in the face and chest.

  With a deep laugh, Kaede wiped his face with his hand and then kicked her injured ankle.

  Cora cried out in pain.

  Kaede grabbed her throat with his burning hand.

  ‘Time to say goodbye, children,’ Kaede spat.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Cora clawed at Kaede’s hand, trying to pull herself out of his scalding iron grip. She looked over at Henry. He stared back at her, eyes wide and scared. Cora tried to make him see that everything was alright.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Cora watched everyone stop fighting and turn towards them. The undead magical beings stood still, waiting for their next command. She saw Tick and Tock fly close, unsure of what to do. She saw Ogg kneel down next to Geraldine as she sat up in the sand. And then amongst them, Cora’s eyes met Archibald’s. He was still murmuring, his hands twisting in patterns by his side. He was doing exactly what he did in Jade City when he had . . . destroyed her ice-stone bracelet.

  Cora glanced down at the wrist attached to the hand that held her. The glinting bracelet dangled from Kaede’s wrist. It had to be why the warlock was here for Kaede. Archibald was trying to destroy his ice-stone bracelet so that he would turn into a Havoc.

  ‘This is what happens when you try to defeat me,’ Kaede roared at the crowd. He dangled Henry further up into the air, maniacal delight in his eyes.

  Cora had to do something. Every piece of magic she had tried to use against Kaede hadn’t worked. There was only one magic she had left, and it was a risk. She had never used it on another syphon before. How could she be sure it would even work? Then Cora saw the ice-stone bracelet on Kaede’s wrist shimmer in place, just like hers had done right before it melted from her wrist. It was now or never.

  Cora met Tick’s and Tock’s gazes and gave them a small nod. She hoped they understood what that meant.

  Then Cora tightened her grip on Kaede’s hand. She pushed down hard, ignoring his burning fingers on her skin and the pain in her wrist and ankle and ribs.

  Immediately, some of Kaede’s magic flew through her. She felt it sizzle through her bones. And grabbing onto the hot swirling air, she pushed it to her hands until they were burning too.

  Kaede turned to her, eyes wide. ‘What are y—’

  Then Henry reached up and grabbed hold of Kaede’s other hand that held onto his hair, syphoning some of Kaede’s magic too.

  Kaede realised what they were doing, and he felt some of his magic leave him. With an angry shout, he tried to pull away from them but Cora and Henry held on tightly. Henry used two hands.

  Kaede cried out angrily, stumbling on the
spot, unable to let go of their hold as he was drained of some of his magic.

  Then Cora saw the ice-stone bracelet melt from Kaede’s wrist, just like hers had.

  ‘Now!’ Cora cried out, letting go of Kaede.

  Henry let go too. Then Cora clicked her fingers, grabbed Henry, and clicked again, appearing next to Geraldine on the sand. The sea witch hugged them both.

  Dizzily, Kaede fell to his knees.

  Tick and Tock threw their magic at the syphon, and so did the fairy guards. Their magic knocked Kaede backwards onto the sand.

  With a shriek, Artemis soared down from the sky and picking Kaede up in his claws, the golden bird flew him over the sea, and dropped him into the wild, stormy water like a stone.

  But Cora knew it wouldn’t be enough. They needed to make sure Kaede was stopped for good. Then she had an idea.

  ‘Geraldine,’ Cora said. ‘Bewitch the beach.’

  Geraldine stood up on the sand and held her hands out. Closing her eyes, she said a string of words Cora didn’t understand.

  Then Henry reached down and grabbed hold of one of Geraldine’s hands.

  ‘Three of us are better than one,’ Henry said to her.

  Cora grabbed onto Geraldine’s other hand, too, keeping her eyes on the water in front of them. Even though Cora felt a lot of Kaede’s magic squirm uncomfortably beneath her skin, she knew they hadn’t taken all of it.

  Tick and Tock flew over to Cora, and Artemis glided down to the ground next to them.

  Cora held her breath and hoped she wouldn’t see the silver hair emerge from the sea.

  Then Geraldine let go of their hands and clapped.

  And suddenly, instead of looking out at the sea of Salty Harbour, Cora was looking at a waterfall. The same waterfall she and the fairies had fallen through to get to the bewitched beach. Next to her stood Geraldine and Henry. Ogg, the fairy guards and the avians were behind them. Tick and Tock fluttered nearby.