The Salem Concord Book 1: Interview for a Wizard
Page 41
Chapter 14
Saturday
It was early Saturday morning. The sprinklers turned on automatically in perfect, synchronized unison covering the lawn in a soft, wet mist. The beautiful San Francisco bay could be seen in the distance as the morning welcomed a new day. The huge building stood at the top of a hill - - Pyewackett Private School for Witches. The castle structure overlooked the bay with its ancient tall towers and high-pitched roofs. Its manicured lawn and spacious surroundings welcomed private school girls every morning, except for today. It was the weekend, and no girls were found roaming the halls or meeting for a quick chat between classes on a Saturday morning. It was very quiet and very peaceful. A large, concrete wall surrounded the property, and security cameras kept the elite student population under surveillance at all times. Pyewackett Private School for Girls excelled in modern education, Folk history and sciences, social skills and magic. The school was renown throughout the entire country, but not to the Folk world, and especially not to the neighboring Folks.
A small, cute cottage sat not far from the school building and dorms. It was located in the back of the property with bright flowerbeds and a swirling walkway that led to the front porch. This was the home of the Pyewackett head mistress, Mily Breezy. The front door of the cottage opened and a tall slender woman with a long neck and huge hips came out holding, what appeared to be, a cup of coffee. She wore rollers in her blond hair and a long, pale, pink nightgown that stopped just short of the floor, revealing her fluffy pink slippers as she walked. She made her way down the well-paved walkway to the morning paper. Slowly, she bent over while balancing her cup so as not to spill it.
FLASH!
Coffee spilled all over her slippers. Mily cursed and quickly straightened up. She immediately turned, surprised to find Beifar standing behind her, wearing his tall, pointy hat and long, black cloak.
“Officer, Is there a problem?” She smiled revealing a row of ugly, coffee-stained teeth.
“I think we should go inside, Miss Breezy.”
Mily Breezy was a middle-aged woman with very pale skin, large bug-shaped eyes, long and skinny hands, and a pointy nose that deviated just a little to the left. She must have broken it at one point in her life. Later Jesse would remark that Mily Breezy looked like the perfect, evil, wicked witch.
“What is the problem?” asked Mily.
“We have reason to believe that you assisted Raven Fidgewidge with his escape from jail. That would make you an accomplice.” The wizard raised his eyebrows, but Mily wasn’t able to see them underneath his wide-brimmed hat. “However, if you were to answer a few questions…”
Mily interrupted. “Not here…the girls. Please, let’s go inside.”
The wizard agreed. Beifar cautiously followed Mily with the tip of his staff pointed at her back. Once inside, the wizard closed the door behind him. Mily didn’t stop. She slowly led Beifar through the house and into the kitchen. Moly’s small house was just as cute inside as it was outside. A collection of odd furniture pieces occupied most of the space with decorative sofas and chairs. Art deco lamps and figurines adorned tabletops and colorful paintings hung on the different colored walls. The center table in the living room was full of different, ornate picture frames of Mily with someone. Beifar looked closer and noticed that it was a man, but could not identify him. In each picture he was facing away or an object obscured his face. It was very frustrating, but Beifar was certain that in each picture the man accompanying Mily Breezy was Raven Fidgewidge. No doubt a secret identity hex was placed on the pictures to conceal his identity.
The wizard did not enter the small kitchen at first. He stood at the doorway and studied the house. There was more than one way into the small kitchen. Each end of the kitchen provided an entrance, one from the dinning room and the other from the living room. He searched for items that looked suspicious, but most of all, for her wand. There was no indication in the house that Mily Breezy was a witch. However he never relaxed, or lowered his guard.
“Please, officer….”
“Agent Mahgo.”
“Oh, an agent from the Department?” Mily looked impressed. “Well, please sit down while I make us some coffee. I… uh… spilled mine outside.”
The wizard slowly crossed the kitchen and sat behind a small kitchen table, his back facing the wall, his staff still pointed at the witch.
“To begin,” Mily turned on the coffee maker, took the pot in her hand and walked over to the sink, “I did help Raven escape. I was in love with him, and somehow…well, you know how that goes agent Mahgo, don’t you?”
She turned the hot water knob, and filled the pot half way.
“How did you get him out?”
“Oh, that was a simple spell that did not allow the garbage truck to close the dumpster all the way.” She returned the pot half way filled with water to the coffee maker. “It was Raven’s job to get in it and get out without being detected.” She faced the wizard and smiled.
“Where is he?”
“Raven?” Mily opened the cupboard over the sink, and reached for a large coffee container with both hands. “The last time I spoke to him,” she undid the top, and reached inside. “He was…”
Mily pulled out her wand and whirled. The blast punched a hole inches from Beifar’s head. Mily cursed at her miss.
The wizard kicked the small table forward causing it to fall on its side. As Mily screamed, another blast shot from her wand missing Beifar and blasting an additional hole in the wall, as he ducked behind the small table. Trapped, Beifar aimed his staff at the ceiling light, causing it to shatter into tiny sharp pieces. Mily yelled as she covered her head with her arms protecting herself from the shower of sharp, cut glass. With all his strength, Beifar leapt from behind the table and ran out of the kitchen. Mily shrieked, and another blast tore through the wall just over Beifar, sending pieces of flying debris everywhere. Dust filled the room making it difficult to see. Beifar crouched low as he ran. The witch screamed again hysterically, and another blast caused more plaster to fall over the wizard’s head. Beifar kept running. He needed to. It was his only defense. Mily knew exactly where he was going, and aimed her wand in the same direction. Blast after blast filled the walls with holes, dust and drywall covered Beifar as he barely avoided every attack. Then an unexpected explosion rocked the house as one more blast struck the light switch on the wall, causing a spark. Smoke filled the kitchen. Mily was outraged, overcome with madness. She took aim, pointed her wand at the other entrance to the kitchen…
FLASH!
Suddenly, Mily felt someone behind her. His staff came from behind, over her head, and knocked the wand out of her hand. She screamed and bent to get it, but the wizard pulled her back with his staff, both arms pulling at each end. The witch was pinned against Beifar.
“Ligo!” he shouted.
Mily dropped to the floor. She was all tied up, helpless. “When Claw finds out…he’s…going to kill me!” She cried.
Beifar stepped over her, bent down taking her wand and tucked it inside his cloak pocket. He then turned to Mily, took hold of her shoulder and,
FLASH!
They were both gone.