Brimstone Witch Mysteries - Box Set 2

by April Fernsby

  “What do you want to know? Make it quick.”

  I kept my eyes firmly fixed on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Stanley moving slowly towards Luca’s feet. He sat down and stared up at Luca’s face with hope in his eyes.

  I told Luca about my conversation with the grindylows, and then Gia. I ended with, “Do you know where Mortimer lives?”

  I almost didn’t get my last words out. During my conversation, Stanley had cheekily leant against Luca’s legs. As if that wasn’t shocking enough, Luca’s hand had reached down and started to stroke Stanley’s head. I don’t think Luca was aware of what he was doing.

  Luca said, “Yeah, I do know where he lives. I’ll give you the directions. Are you going to talk to Mortimer now?” He continued to stroke Stanley.

  “Yes. No time like the present.” I let out a ridiculously high-pitched laugh out of nervousness. I was worried he’d register what he was doing to Stanley any second.

  Luca gave me the directions to Mortimer’s home and said, “Do you need me to accompany you?”

  I was tempted to say yes, but I couldn’t bear the thought of his icy looks for much longer. I was already feeling frostbite in my heart because of those looks. “No, thank you. I’ll be fine.”

  “Well, you be careful out there. Mortimer isn’t the most pleasant of people.” He blinked as if surprised by his words. He cleared his throat and added, “I don’t want to be collecting your dead body. I haven’t got time for that.”

  “I’ll do my best to stay alive.” The stupid laugh erupted from me again. I sounded like a nervous hyena.

  Stanley let out a little purr at Luca’s feet. Luca jumped and looked down at him. He stared at the hand that was stroking Stanley and abruptly lifted it. He held it up and examined it as if not sure it belonged to him. He gave Stanley a half smile before swiftly getting to his feet.

  Luca noisily cleared his throat again and muttered, “Let me know how you get on.” He strode away without a backwards glance.

  I pointed at Stanley. “You are a very brazen cat. You have no shame.”

  Stanley chuckled. “I know. I couldn’t help myself. I had a sniff of Luca just then, and I caught a whiff of his old self. Our friend is still in there somewhere. I know his memories of us will come back soon. They have to.” He paused. “His memories will come back, won’t they?”

  I sighed. “I honestly don’t know. Let’s not talk about Luca.” I lowered my broomstick. “Come on; let’s find the mysterious, and possibly dangerous, Uncle Mortimer.”

  Chapter 17

  Of course, Mortimer lived in the darkest, deepest part of the forest in a cottage hidden from view. If Mortimer decided to attack us, there wouldn’t be any helpful passers-by ready to leap to our defence.

  We landed in front of the small, rundown cottage which belonged to Mortimer and looked around us nervously. The cottage was placed in a space between two, tall trees which blotted out the sun. One small ray was trying its best to shed light on the cottage roof. The dilapidated building was made of wood and the roof was sparsely thatched. The windows were grimy and covered in cobwebs. A sign on the rotting front door announced that visitors were not welcome and we should ‘clear off if you know what’s good for you!’

  Stanley said, “Perhaps we should clear off. Or come back with Luca? I’m getting a bad feeling about this.”

  I waggled my free hand at him and said, “Don’t you worry; I will perform magic if needed.” My other hand was firmly clasped around my broomstick. I wanted to be ready to fly away immediately if necessary.

  Stanley jumped at my side. He hissed, “Cassia, that bush over there moved! I saw it. Are the trees around here alive? Are we going to be eaten by an angry ash tree?”

  I couldn’t answer; I was too scared to. I watched the bush in front of us rustle in indignation. Then it moved. Legs appeared at its base and it lifted itself up and came slowly towards us, rustling menacingly as it did so. A strong smell of rotting leaves came with it.

  Stanley nudged into my leg. “Magic! Use your magic!”

  I raised my hand.

  “There’s no need for that!” a voice boomed out. It came from the bush. The leaves shook vigorously and then fell to the ground as one. A man stepped out from the leaves and bellowed, “What do you want? Can’t you read? Didn’t you see the sign on the door? Visitors are not welcome! Clear off!”

  The man was hairy from head to toe. Thick, bushy eyebrows knitted together above his angry eyes. Long, straggly hair stuck to his large shoulders. His matted, dirty beard twitched in anger. He even had hair sprouting from his ears and nostrils.

  I lifted my head and found a modicum of courage. “I’m Cassia Winter, and this is Stanley. We’re looking for Mortimer.” I stopped as I didn’t know his last name. “Uncle to Nerita and Conway.” I stopped again. I didn’t know their last names either. Did merpeople even have surnames?

  The man grunted. “What do you want with Mortimer?”

  “That’s for me to discuss with him. Do you know where I can find him?”

  Stanley was sniffing the leaves. He looked up and said, “These aren’t real; they’re made of fabric. And that rotting smell is fake. Is this a costume? A disguise? It’s a very good one.”

  The man suddenly laughed making me drop my broomstick in shock. I quickly retrieved it.

  He knelt at Stanley’s side, lifted the leafy material and said, “Yes, it’s an excellent disguise. I made it myself. I’m an inventor. This is the perfect thing to wear when I’m going around this forest. I can spy on many a creature without them noticing me! I’ve made the material light and breathable. Would you like to try it on?”

  “Yes, please,” Stanley replied.

  The man lifted a section of the costume carefully over Stanley.

  From beneath his blanket of leaves, Stanley called out, “I’m a bush! A walking, talking bush! Look at me.” He wriggled from side to side making the leaves rustle.

  The man chuckled and removed the material from Stanley. “I’ve got some more disguises inside. You can have a look at them if you like? And you can try them on.”

  “Thank you!” Stanley began to move towards the cottage.

  I held my hand up. “Whoa there, Stanley. You’re not going anywhere with this strange man. We don’t know who he is or what’s inside his cottage.”

  The man straightened up, grabbed his hair and beard and pulled them right off. He ripped off his thick eyebrows and pulled at his nose and ear hairs until they were free. His eyes watered as he did so. “Too much glue,” he explained.

  Once the man was free of hair, I could see the family resemblance between him and King Taron.

  “Mortimer?” I asked.

  He nodded. “That’s me. Sorry for all that rigmarole. I’m not the sociable type and when my radar spotted you flying this way, I decided to camouflage myself. The radar is another one of my inventions. You’re a justice witch, aren’t you? I don’t go into town often, but I have heard your name mentioned recently. What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about Nerita’s suspicious death.”

  Mortimer blanched and staggered backwards. He put his hand towards a small boulder and lowered himself to it. “Pardon? Did you say death? Nerita is dead?”

  I went over to his side. “Yes, she is. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I don’t know why, but I assumed you’d know about her. Don’t you keep in touch with any of the merpeople?”

  He stared at the ground. “The only one I kept in touch with was Nerita. I saw her last week.” He looked back at me. “When did she die? How? You mentioned a suspicious death. Do you mean murder? Is that why you’re here?”

  I seated myself on a smaller boulder at his side. “It is. I am sorry about Nerita. I’ve been making investigations and your name was mentioned. Nerita talked about you when she ordered the sirens to leave this world and go into another world. I think she sent them into the human world. What do you know about that?”


  Mortimer ran his hand over his chin. “Not much. Nerita spoke to me last week about a threat somewhere in the seas. I asked her to clarify that, but she wouldn’t. She said she was dealing with the matter on her own. She did mention the sirens were going to help her, but again, she wouldn’t elaborate.” His eyes were full of sadness as he continued, “We’d only become reunited a few years ago. She turned up here one day and demanded that I talk to her. She hadn’t known about my existence until a drunken sea hag had told her everything about me and my terrible past. Despite knowing what I’d done, she came here and demanded an explanation. I had none. I had no excuse for what I did during my time as king of the merpeople. The power went to my head and I abused it. I’ve regretted it every day since. I explained this to her and said her father wouldn’t be pleased that she was talking to me. But, being the stubborn kind, she refused to listen to me and continued to turn up here. I liked her company. She was …” His voice caught in his throat and he looked away.

  “How did she come to visit you?” I asked. “I’m presuming she walked here or got a lift somehow. Wouldn’t it have hurt her legs to travel so far from the sea?”

  Mortimer nodded. “She used the flying unicorn taxis most of the time. But you’re right about her legs hurting so far from the sea. She had a solution to that. She’d got a potion from that drunken sea hag to manage the pain during her visits here. I know it was selfish of me, but after a while, I encouraged her visits. I loved hearing about my old community. I’ve missed them so much and I certainly miss being in the sea.” He let out a small laugh. “Call me foolish, but I was hoping that one day I could make things right between me and my brother. I was hoping Nerita could help me with that.”

  I waited a moment before saying, “Do you know if Nerita had any enemies?”

  “She did mention another mermaid who she didn’t get along with. Isla? Yes, I think that’s the right name. Would you mind saving your questions for another time? I’d like to be alone for a while.”

  Without waiting for my answer, Mortimer stood up, went over to his leafy disguise and threw it over himself. He shuffled away into the dense forest.

  Stanley and I watched him go. When he’d gone, Stanley said, “Shall I say it or are you going to say it?”

  “That he’s not telling us the whole truth? That he’s keeping something from us? Is that what you’re thinking?”

  Stanley nodded. “Shall we go after him and ask him some more questions?”

  “Not yet. I can see that he’s genuinely upset. Let’s leave him to grieve. We’ll come back later.” I stood up. “Let’s go back to the apartment. I wonder if Jeremy has found anything else out about the merpeople yet?”

  We headed straight back to the apartment. Jeremy wasn’t there, but someone else was waiting for us. And that someone had collapsed on the pavement next to the apartment door.

  Stanley hissed, “Is he dead?”

  I quickly swooped down to the still figure. “I don’t know.”

  Chapter 18

  It was a white-faced Conway who was lying in a crumpled heap outside the apartment door with his eyes closed. His chest was heaving and his breathing laboured as he gasped for air.

  We landed at his side and Stanley put his head on the merman’s chest. He said, “He’s struggling to breathe. I think he’s going to die.” He moved away and hopped from paw to paw in agitation. “Can you do something?”

  “I’ll try.” I knelt at Conway’s side and placed my hands inches above his chest. I kept my mind calm and pictured Conway breathing easily and looking normal again. The magical tingle came into my fingers and flowed into Conway’s chest. The sound of his breathing was making me feel anxious, but I pushed that feeling away. My magic worked better when I was calm. I intensified the image in my mind of a healthy Conway. The tingle in my fingers grew and it felt more like pins and needles now.

  Stanley put his head against Conway’s chest again. “His breathing is becoming more regular. His heartbeat has returned to normal.” He looked my way. “He’s going to be alright. You saved him.”

  I sat back on my heels and wiggled my fingers to get rid of the sharp pain that lingered there.

  Conway’s eyes opened and focused on me. “Cassia? Is that you?”

  I nodded.

  Stanley put his paw on Conway’s chin. “And it’s me, Stanley. You nearly died! Cassia saved you.”

  Conway’s eyes widened as he stared at me. “Did you? You saved my life?”

  My cheeks suddenly felt warm. I flapped a hand dismissively at him. “It was nothing. Anyone would have done the same. Conway, what are you doing here? You’re too far away from the sea. You must be in terrible pain.” I reached out and pulled him into a sitting position. “How are you feeling?”

  He winced. “Not good. I had to see you, Cassia. I had to see how far you’d got with the investigation. I – ” He took a sharp intake of breath and pressed his lips together.

  “You’re still in pain,” I said. “Let’s get you into the café. Gilda might have something to help you. She has everything in that café.” I held my hands out to help him up.

  Conway’s face twisted in pain. Through clenched teeth, he said, “I don’t think I can move. My legs are hurting too much.”

  I immediately sent more magic into my fingers and moved them over Conway’s legs. I concentrated on taking the pain away. There wasn’t a tingle in my fingers this time; I experienced an intense pain which was like a hundred sewing needles were being jabbed into my hands. I clenched my teeth together to stop myself from crying out in agony.

  Conway said, “It’s working. Whatever you’re doing is working. Thank you.”

  The stabbing feeling in my hands increased and I felt my eyes watering with pain. I couldn’t stop now. I had to take all the pain from Conway. I’d never taken pain from someone before and I had no idea it was going to be so painful. I continued to focus on the work I was doing and did my best not to show I was in agony.

  I felt a nudge at my side and saw Stanley’s concerned face looking at me. In a quiet voice, he said, “Enough, Cassia, that’s enough. You’re hurting yourself.”

  I dropped my hands and rested them on my knees. They felt as if they’d been too near to a fire and I desperately wanted to run them under a cold tap.

  Conway got to his feet and gingerly moved from side to side. “The pain has gone. All of it. Thank you, thank you so much.”

  I smiled up at Conway and attempted to get to my feet without using my sore hands. Stanley, bless him, put his paw out and tried to help me. I pressed my lips tightly together in effort as I slowly got to my feet.

  After placing a bright smile on my face, I indicated my head towards the café door. and said, “Let’s go inside.”

  Conway thankfully opened the door for us and stood to one side to let me through. My throbbing hands dangled uselessly at my side and I tried not to bump them into anything. Stanley came after me and walked closely by my side.

  Gilda came over to us the second Conway closed the door behind him. Her eyes were wide with shock as she looked at Conway. “Conway! What are you doing here? You can’t be this far from the sea!”

  Conway smiled. “It’s okay. Cassia has taken my pain away. She’s marvellous.”

  Gilda’s attention went to my hands and her eyes widened even more. “Cassia, you come with me immediately.” She looked back at Conway. “You take a seat and I’ll bring you some of Gia’s bottled sea water. I keep some here for emergencies. Stanley, will you take Conway over to that corner table? Thank you.”

  “This way,” Stanley said to Conway and he trotted over to the corner table.

  Gilda put her hands on my shoulders and said, “Your hands! They look as if they’ve been burnt. Didn’t you use a protective spell on yourself before taking Conway’s pain away? That’s what Blythe and your gran do.”

  I shrugged. “I panicked. I wasn’t thinking straight.” I looked down at my red hands. “I’ll use magic on them. I’ll hea
l myself.”

  “You can’t heal yourself if your hands are damaged. Come with me.”

  Gilda took me to the back of the café and through the door that led to the kitchen. She guided me over to the sink and told me to hold my hands out over it. I did so and watched as she took a jug of clear liquid from the fridge. She waved one hand over it and muttered something. Was she casting a spell?

  Gilda came to my side, lifted the jug and trickled the water gently over my injured hands.

  The water was cold; icy cold. It felt wonderful as it dribbled over my hands and into the sink. Each drop of water alleviated the burning pain and I felt myself sighing with relief. Gilda continued pouring the water and I noticed the redness in my hands disappearing. By the time the jug was empty, my hands were back to their normal colour.

  I lifted my hands and wiggled my fingers. “The pain has gone. All of it.” I gave her a sideways look. “How did you do that? Are you a witch of some sort?”

  Gilda smiled. “I have my secrets.” Her smiled faded. “Cassia, don’t ever perform that spell again without protecting yourself first. You could have damaged your hands forever. Okay?”

  “Okay.” I gave her a firm nod.

  Gilda looked towards the door that led to the café. “What is that merman doing here anyway?”

  “That’s what I’m going to find out.” I gave Gilda a grateful smile. “Thank you for helping me.”

  “I’m always here to help you. Go through to the café and I’ll bring you something to eat and drink.”

  I said thank you again before leaving the kitchen. As soon as I walked into the café, I saw that Stanley and Conway had a visitor at their table. It was Luca. His face was red with anger and he was jabbing a finger in Conway’s direction.

  I quickly strode over to the table.

  Luca turned his angry face my way and snapped, “What’s this merman doing here? Is this your idea? Did you tell him to come here? Stanley said he’d collapsed outside your door. Don’t you know what happens to merman when they’re away from the sea? This is totally irresponsible of you.”