Beezley and the Witch series Box Set

by Willow Mason

  If there was a later.

  We pulled up outside the night market. There were hours to go before the booths would be crowded with customers, vying to purchase the handmade items. Still, many owners were hard at work, setting things up with curious onlookers wandering around, getting a fix on what they might come back to buy, later.

  We searched through the aisles of stalls, growing more frantic as the search proved fruitless. Maryanne should have been readying a spell to turn the market sellers into automatons, handing out goods for free.

  With her ginger pigtails, I’d expected her to stand out like a beacon. Instead, after a half-hour of hunting, we were empty-handed. Beezley’s new sniff skill would have been a godsend, except there was no starting scent for him to pick up the trail.

  “How about we try near the park?” Marcus suggested when we met up again. “If she’s grown bored with waiting, she might have gone there to play.”

  With no other bright ideas on the agenda, we headed that way.

  A giggle caught my attention, and Beezley and I veered off the main route to keep the noise in earshot. Unless there was a very strange adult skulking about, it was a sound synonymous with a child.

  Harriet followed me, waving the others to continue down the other path. “What is it?”

  “There’s a youngster around here somewhere,” I whispered back. “But with so many places to hide, it’ll take a miracle to spot them.”

  Even with Harriet’s trick to see through obstacles, I couldn’t spot the culprit. Only when I heard the delighted giggle again was I reassured we were still on the trail.

  “Here,” Beezley called out, leading us towards a narrow alley, connecting the market grounds to a suburban street. As we headed along it, I took one quick glance back.

  And stopped dead.

  “Miss Armitage,” I whispered, clutching Harriet’s arm and pointing. “See her over there?”

  “No.”

  “The young blonde woman.”

  Harriet frowned, opened her mouth to correct me, then her eyes turned into saucers. “What a transformation!”

  “What’s she doing?” I crept closer, taking temporary shelter behind a stack of crates out the back of a long-closed liquor store. “Surely, she’s not setting up a stall.”

  “Let’s go find out.” Harriet marched towards her with a determined expression on her face.

  Caught off-guard, I lagged behind, Beezley quickly outpacing me.

  “What are you selling here?” Harriet asked the young Miss Armitage. “I don’t think I’ve seen you at the markets before.”

  “That’s because I’m new in town,” the woman answered sweetly, giving me pause. Once again, I checked her features off against my memory. Perhaps I’d been mistaken? The teacher might just have a young look-alike hanging around.

  Then Beezley pulled a felt cloth from a box behind her, and I knew my instincts were correct. Dolls. Even with their haphazard construction from hessian and felt, I recognised the likeness. One was Mr Humphreys from the butchers in town. Another was a replica of Miss Tederren who operated a coffee cart near the park.

  “Get out of there,” Miss Armitage scolded, aiming a kick in Beezley’s direction. She pulled the cloth back into place, hiding the swag of voodoo dolls.

  My stomach felt like I’d swallowed a block of ice, my nerves twanged like broken guitar strings. “How much for the dolls?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

  “Oh, those aren’t for sale. Not yet.” Miss Armitage waved her hand at the booth opposite where a cloth kept the goods from early prying eyes. “The market doesn’t open until six o’clock.”

  “We’ll be sure to come back later, then.”

  I turned to go, bumping up against Marcus and James. My anxiety was riding so high, I gave a shriek.

  “Shouldn’t you be in school, young man?” Miss Armitage leaned out from the booth’s display window, baring teeth as sharp as knives.

  “School’s out,” I said. “All the children are safely back home.”

  The teacher stared at me, lips pursed, the rest of her face as still as a statue. Then she gave a tinkling laugh, keeping up the pretence. “How silly of me. I’ve completely lost track of time. Please excuse me while I get back to the car and unload the rest of my goodies.”

  Harriet tried to block her way, but I tugged her aside. When Miss Armitage had gone, I went into the stall to fetch the box and thrust it into Marcus’s arms. “Get these to the car. Until they’re locked away safely, I don’t want to tackle her.”

  “I’ll get them there. You can count on me.” He winked.

  “On us,” James corrected, pushing back a doll hanging over the edge. “And we’ll come back here to help you with Miss Armitage.”

  With a nod of relief, Harriet, Beezley and I gave a belated chase, sprinting in the direction the teacher had disappeared. With more people crowding into the marketplace all the time, it became another game of hide-and-seek.

  Beezley picked up her scent and we burst out an alleyway onto a back street in time to see Miss Armitage wrestling another crate from the backseat of her car. She caught sight of me and abandoned her struggle to close the door, leaving it open as she ran for the park.

  Even with her full load, the woman kept ahead of me and Harriet, with Beezley slowly gaining. It wasn’t until she crested the top of a small hill that we closed the distance. Just as we parted, ready to surround the teacher on all sides, a girl yelled out, “I’m over here.”

  We turned, spying Maryanne in a green dress, camouflaged by the nearby bushes. Miss Armitage gestured for the girl to join her. “Hurry.”

  “Maryanne, wouldn’t you rather go home?” I called out, knowing I didn’t have the speed to intercept her. “Your mother will be getting worried. School let out ages ago.”

  The girl’s reaction was laughter. “If I help teacher today, I’ll graduate early. No school ever again! That’s the deal.”

  “You know that’s not true, Maryanne,” Harriet yelled. “She’s lying to you.”

  Maryanne shook her head, grabbing hold of Miss Armitage’s hand and swinging it wildly back and forth. “You’re the one’s who's lying. Liar, liar, pants on fire.”

  I felt a gigantic whoosh of heat on my legs and screamed when I saw they were burning. Even after I flung myself on the ground, rolling to extinguish the flames, the skin under my jeans was bright red and close to blistering.

  Harriet froze, staring from me to the teacher with a helpless expression.

  “What does your teacher need help with, Maryanne?” I called out. “So far, she’s hurt a lot of people today. Look at the bruises on Harriet’s arms. That’s because of what Miss Armitage made your schoolmates do.”

  “We’re not hurting anyone,” the girl cried, skipping in a circle. “We’re setting them free.”

  Miss Armitage had ripped open the box and now handed a doll to Maryanne. As I clambered to my feet, wincing, I saw the beehive fashioned atop the figure’s head.

  Glynda.

  “Please, stop.” I held my hands out in supplication. “If you put the doll back, we can go for ice cream.”

  Maryanne’s lower lip pooched out. “I’m not allowed. I’m lactose intolerant.”

  Great. The town might be lost because of food allergies.

  “Well, you pick a treat, then,” Harriet said, picking up the slack. “Isn’t there a toy you’ve always wanted or a new electronic gadget?”

  Miss Armitage whispered something in Maryanne’s ear, and she giggled and nodded. “No, I’m not going anywhere with you. I’ve been taught all about stranger danger.”

  “What are those dolls for?” I asked Maryanne. “You know the coven doesn’t like anyone practising voodoo.”

  “Don’t be silly.” The girl’s voice was scornful as only a child her age could be. “These aren’t voodoo dolls. They’re candy.”

  Maryanne lifted the doll, sticking the head into her mouth and biting down.

  Chapter Twent
y-Three

  “STOP!!!”

  Crimson light poured out of me as I recoiled in horror from the sight. My chest felt like it was cracking open as the black magic fought to get free faster.

  The world came to a halt, every figure in the park freezing.

  “You need to put the doll down,” I told Maryanne, edging closer to the girl. My mind hadn’t caught up with the situation. It was still standing transfixed, watching Glynda’s certain death.

  Then the truth crashed over me and I ran to Maryanne, dropping to my knees. I didn’t know how long time would stay frozen. Trevor had been too caught up in his false love to offer enough guidance.

  I pulled her fingers away from the doll, taking the mix of rock candy and hessian in my hand. With my eyes narrowed, afraid to see if it was bad news, I gently parted the girl’s lips.

  Her teeth were a millimetre away from touching the candy head.

  With a sob of gratitude, I carefully withdrew the doll from her mouth, checking again it was unharmed.

  Glynda was safe. For the moment.

  I placed the doll into the crate and struggled to stand with the weight. Miss Armitage must be incredibly strong to have run holding onto the box. With stumbling awkwardness, I staggered down the hill and through the markets, breathing a sigh of relief as I reached the car.

  Marcus and James were statues, caught loading the other box into the boot. I added my load to the trunk and took a mincing step backwards. Should I start time again?

  Did I even know how?

  Deciding I couldn’t leave Harriet to face the terrifying woman alone, I jogged back through the markets and into the park. With everyone so still, nothing seemed as threatening. I could just leave them in this state and avoid the confrontation I knew was coming.

  A butterfly in the air near Maryanne’s face flicked a wing, the tiniest movement, then time started up again.

  Maryanne bit down hard on nothing, giving a startled cry as her teeth snapped together. Miss Armitage’s smile slipped off her face, transforming into an angry sneer. Beezley snarled and ran forward, narrowly avoiding a kick to the face.

  Harriet gasped, grabbing my shoulder. “Is that Glynda?” she asked, then a puzzled expression replaced the horror, and she raised her hands to her head. “Where did it all go?”

  “You’re coming with us,” I yelled to Miss Armitage, circling my fingers around her upper arm. “It’s all over. Whatever plan you had has already failed.”

  If I’d expected her to come quietly, I was sorely mistaken.

  “Get your hands off me!” She shoved me, tipping me off balance on the sloping ground. “I don’t answer to this coven or its rules. I’m going nowhere.”

  “Where're my dollies?” Maryanne burst into tears, tugging on Miss Armitage’s skirt. “Does this mean I’m not allowed out of school? I did everything you wanted.”

  “Get away from me, you snivelling idiot!” The teacher hurled the words out like bullets. “This is all your fault.”

  The girl backed up a step, shocked.

  “Don’t listen to her.” I stepped between the two of them. “I can’t believe you’re using children as pawns in whatever sick game you’re playing.”

  “Pawns.” Miss Armitage clapped her hands to her chest and laughed. “They’re the ones who instigated this. If they hadn’t drained every drop of life out of me over the years, I never would’ve had to stage this fiasco.” She stepped up to me, poking a finger into my sternum. “Wait until the best years of your life are behind you. Be a teacher, they said. It’ll be so rewarding, they said. Well, let me tell you, Missy, all that’s happened is my life is nearly over and I’ve done nothing!”

  “Of course, you’ve done something,” Beezley said, rearing in umbrage. “There are generations of children who’ve benefitted from your tutelage.”

  “Benefitted?” Miss Armitage barked out a laugh. “And how does that help me? You think an occasional note of thanks while they list their achievements is enough to keep me satisfied.” She pushed me aside, leaning down to glower at Maryanne. “You sucked me dry.”

  The girl howled, throwing herself onto the ground and flailing her arms and legs. A full-blown temper tantrum, and who could blame her?

  “Don’t take out your disappointment on this little girl,” Beezley said, snarling. “If you wanted to make something of your life, you could have. It’s not your pupils’ fault that you hate being a teacher.”

  “I don’t hate being a teacher, I hate…” Miss Armitage trailed off and pulled at her hair, her dress, slapped her hip. “I hate not having used this body the first time. When Marcus turned up to school, I—”

  “You what?” Marcus said, reaching us with James by his side. “What did I ever do except teach the children?”

  “You taught the children while looking like a Greek God!” Miss Armitage hid her face in her hands for a second, then balled them into fists. “You made me feel old.”

  “I didn’t make you feel anything.”

  “Do you know, on the first day you walked into my class, you didn’t even notice me? I was sitting behind the desk and your eyes travelled straight past me like I didn’t even exist.”

  “I was still getting used to the school layout!”

  “You didn’t see me because I wasn’t really there. That wasn’t me. This is!” She thumped her chest, then pulled at the skirt of her dress, spinning around. “I decided I deserved another chance. I’d been studying the book on voodoo and saw how I could harness the collective magic of the town to reverse the ravages of time.” Miss Armitage leapt forward, catching Marcus’s hands in hers. “You can come with me. We could start a life—a real life—somewhere far away from here.”

  Her eager expression crumpled as his lips curled in disgust. “You’re bonkers. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

  “But, I have it all planned.” She swept her hand around in a circle. “I’ve got money saved and tickets booked for an overseas adventure. You have to come!”

  Marcus pushed her away, horrified. “How could you ever believe…?” He shook his head, lost for words.

  “No?” Miss Armitage stared at him, then a smile crawled across her lips like a fat bug. “You might believe that now, but just wait one moment…”

  I saw her mouth move, no sound emerging. Her hands lit up with white light, burning hot.

  “You will not!” My hands were encased in crimson swirls, the magic in me fighting for another glorious release. “That’s not your magic to use.”

  Think about what you want, then send it out to do your bidding!

  I concentrated on the network magic being released back to the town and sent a bolt of bright crimson straight towards the deranged teacher. She pulled back just before it hit, mouth falling open in a scream that never came.

  The crimson spread around her entire body, encasing her within its rich glow. A pinpoint of white appeared in the centre, flowing out and becoming the thickness of a pencil, a rope, a post.

  As the white light escape from the prison of her body, Miss Armitage began to shrink. Her body stooped with the thinning bones and flagging muscles of age. The skin on her face and arms lost its youthful lustre, sagging into wrinkles. Her blonde hair dulled into grey.

  She fell to the ground, sobbing as the last of the network’s magic danced away to take its place in the neural spell surrounding Riverhead. Marcus picked up the shaken Maryanne, cradling her in his arms and shielding the child’s eyes from the show.

  When the last of the magic had gone, the crimson dissipated, singing a song of triumph and release. I inhaled it back into me, revelling in the warm glow inside my chest.

  “You’ve ruined me,” Miss Armitage said between sobs. “That was my last chance.”

  Glynda panted as she sprinted up the hill toward us. “This event was a travesty and I’m ashamed you arose out of our coven.” As she arrived at my side, I wondered how much of the display she’d witnessed. When she slung a friendly arm around my waist,
I guessed she’d seen most of it.

  “Marcus, could you ensure Maryanne gets home safely? Her mother’s frantic.”

  “Of course.” He walked away, giving the recovering girl a piggyback, a stunned expression on both their faces.

  “This is why books are dangerous,” Glynda said with a sniff, fixing her gaze on Harriet. “And it’s why they should be protected in a library, under the careful eye of a librarian who isn’t going to let the town weirdos wander off with them.”

  Poor Harriet blushed as crimson as my magic. “I’ll do a better job in future, if you let me.”

  Beezley nosed at the woman on the ground. “What’re we going to do with her?”

  “Miss Armitage will come home with me. I’ve already alerted the supernatural council and they’ll meet us tonight.”

  My thoughts on that must have shown clearly on my face because Glynda laughed. “I know, it’s the worst thing possible but there was no other option. At least I got to call them and tell them we needed their help.”

  Harriet and I took an arm each of Miss Armitage, holding her tightly even though she seemed too drained to escape.

  “And I think we owe you a debt of thanks, too,” Glynda said, kneeling to look James in the eye. “You have a strong sense of right and wrong to fight against such a powerful compulsion. I’ll be sure to tell your parents exactly how highly I rate your actions today.”

  He blushed and walked with a lighter step as we travelled down the hill, Beezley trotting at his side.

  Once Glynda and her prisoner were loaded into her car, we waved goodbye. “How about we walk you home now, James?”

  “I’d like that.”

  We were halfway there, when he gave a huge sigh of relief, twisting his head from side to side.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, bending over.

  “Fabulous,” he replied with a tearful smile. “The last hooks of my teacher just got out of my head. I’m free of doing her bidding.”