The tingle from my hands abruptly stopped and I let out the breath I was holding. “Something’s happened to my magical powers,” I said. “I’m not as strong as I should be.”
“You’re strong enough,” Dr Morgan muttered. Her eyes opened and she attempted to move. She winced. “You’ve lessened the pain in my head. It still hurts, though.”
I helped her into a sitting position. “What happened to you?”
She gingerly touched the back of her head and winced again. “I don’t know. Someone whacked me on the back of my head, obviously. It must have happened last night. I was working and I recall it was past six o’clock. I heard a commotion outside and went to the window to have a look.” Her eyes narrowed. “I heard someone come into my office. Before I had the chance to see who it was, I was hit. How long have I been out?”
“All night, by the looks of it. Stanley and I have had a weird night too. What can I do about your injury? I can try magic on you again.”
“No, thank you. I heard what Stanley said about magic hurting you.” She touched her head again. “I’m going to need stitches. I can’t do that myself. Cassia, can you help me back into the human world? I’ll get one of my colleagues to look at me. They’re used to me turning up at unusual times. I’ll tell them I slipped and hit my head on something in my office.”
“Of course.” I stood up and gently pulled her to her feet.
She said, “Before we leave here, tell me what happened to you and Stanley last night.”
“We can tell you later,” I said. “You need to get your head stitched up first.”
She gave me a determined look. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me. I want to know.”
I insisted Dr Morgan sit down before I told her the events of the previous night. I’m glad I insisted on that because she turned pale when we told her. She turned even paler when we informed her of how deserted Brimstone was.
She forced herself back to her feet and said, “I don’t like any of this. Something evil has invaded Brimstone. Take me through to the human world. I’ll get patched up and come back. We need to put an end to whatever is going on.” She wavered on her feet. “Help me over to the door, Cassia.”
I put my arm around her and took her over to the door which led to her office in the human world. Her breathing was laboured and she struggled to cross the room. I opened the door and helped her through to the office which was identical to the one in Brimstone.
I said, “I’ll get someone to help you.”
She shook her head and then grimaced with pain. “No, I can do that. I’ll use the intercom. Get back to Brimstone and find out what’s going on. Be careful, Cassia. And you too, Stanley.”
“But I want to make sure you’ll be okay,” I argued.
Her face was full of grim determination. “I’ll be fine. My anger is stronger than my pain. As soon as I’ve been sorted out, I’ll meet you back in Brimstone. Go now. There’s no time to lose.”
I hated to leave her, but I knew I had to. I picked Stanley up and we left the office closing the door behind us.
Stanley said, “I hope she’ll be okay.”
“She will be. She’s made of strong stuff.” I looked towards the window. “Stanley, did you hear that? Someone’s outside. I can hear talking.”
“They’re back! They’ve come back.” He jumped out off my arms and ran out of the office.
I dashed after him. “Stanley, wait. It could be anyone out there. It could be the warlock.”
Chapter 23
I ran out of Dr Morgan’s building and almost tripped over Stanley who was standing on the pavement outside.
His voice was full of joy as he exclaimed, “They’re back! Everyone’s back. The butterflies are back too.” He lifted his head. “And the gargoyles are back in place. Yay!”
“But where have they been?” I asked.
“I don’t care,” Stanley said. He wiggled his rear end happily. “My nightmare is over.” He stopped moving and turned his head to me. “Actually, I do care where they’ve been, and why they left so abruptly. I want to know why they would do that.”
“Let’s find out. I can see Gran and Blythe sitting on a bench by the gazebo.” I picked Stanley up again. I didn’t normally carry him so much, but there was a smidgeon of fear in my stomach which wouldn’t go away and I needed Stanley near me.
As we walked over to Gran, I cast a quick glance at the Mooncrest Café. It was full of residents and I caught a whiff of something cooking as the door opened. Everything seemed to be back to normal in there.
Gran and Blythe stopped talking as we approached. They had returned to their normal clothes and bodies, thankfully. My heart filled with love as Gran’s face wrinkled up in a smile at us.
She said, “Hello Cassia. I was about to check on you and Stanley. How are you feeling?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied.
Stanley said, “I’m confused. I’ve been through a real rollercoaster of emotions this morning, Esther. Normally, I like fast rides, but I haven’t enjoyed this emotional one at all. Did you rescue us from that cave of golems last night?”
Gran continued to smile. “Yes.”
“And what did you do to the golems?” Stanley asked. “Did you destroy them?”
Gran nodded. “That’s right.”
Stanley went on, “Was it Cherry Dustjewel who told you where we were?”
“That’s correct.” Gran’s smile was still in place.
“Phew,” Stanley said. “I’m glad you got to us in time. Do you know what the golems put in our necks? It made Cassia and me pass out. We’ve been out of it all night.”
Gran replied, “I don’t know what it was, but it doesn’t matter now. You’re fine and so is Cassia.” She gave him another smile.
Stanley hadn’t finished with his questions. “Was the evil warlock in the cave too? Did he bring the golems to life? Was he planning to take over Brimstone? Did you rescue the butterflies?” He paused to get his breath. “Who was the warlock? Anyone we know? Does his name begin with a Q?”
Gran let out a little chuckle. “Stanley, you’re a curious one, aren’t you? You don’t need to worry about anything. Blythe and I have sorted everything out. You and Cassia don’t need to do anything except relax.” The smile came back to her face and stayed there.
Blythe smiled at us too but didn’t say anything.
Stanley looked as if he was about to say something else, but then he closed his mouth.
I said to Gran, “Where have you been? The town was deserted when we woke up.”
“We went for a walk,” Gran advised.
“A walk?” I questioned. “The whole town?”
“That’s right.”
“The whole town went for a walk at the same time?” I reiterated. “Every single resident?”
“That’s correct. It’s such a lovely day, isn’t it? The perfect day for going for a walk.” She turned to Blythe. “We had a lovely walk, didn’t we?”
“We did,” Blythe answered with a smile.
The smidgeon of fear in my stomach grew. Something was not right here at all.
Keeping my voice calm, I said, “Did you find the creature who killed Nitoth and Budomm?”
Gran shared a quick look with Blythe before answering, “Yes, we did.”
“And?” I persisted.
“It was Relloc, the gargoyle,” Gran answered. “Isn’t that right, Blythe?”
“Yes, it is, Esther. It was Relloc, the gargoyle.”
They both had the same smiles on their faces.
“Relloc?” Stanley asked. “Are you sure?”
Esther nodded. “We are. He confessed. We’ve locked him in a cell in Blythe’s house.”
I asked, “Did he say why he’d done it?”
“I never asked,” Gran replied. “We’re going to the Mooncrest Café now, do you want to come with us?”
I shifted to my other foot. “No, thank you. I don’t understand why Relloc would have killed
those grotesques. What reason did he have to do that?”
Stanley tapped his paw on my arm. “Maybe Relloc is the evil warlock.” He looked at Gran. “Is Relloc the evil warlock? Did he make those golems?”
Gran didn’t even blink as she replied, “That’s right. Relloc is the evil warlock.” She stood up. “Blythe, I think I might try some of Gilda’s chocolate cake. How about you?”
Blythe got to her feet. “That sounds delightful. Bye Cassia. Bye Stanley.”
Without a backward glance, the two witches walked away.
Once they were out of earshot, Stanley said, “Something very fishy is going on here. Esther and Blythe are acting weird. I don’t believe for a moment that the whole town went for a walk at the same time, do you?”
I shook my head. “Gran’s acting as if she’s under a spell. Blythe too.” I looked around the town square. “Where’s Quinn Ocean? I can’t see him anywhere.”
Stanley’s eyes narrowed. “He must be behind Esther’s strange behaviour. He’s hiding somewhere. Shall we track him down?”
“Not yet. I want to talk to Relloc. If he did kill Nitoth and Budomm, I want to know why he did it. We’ll go and talk to him now, if he’s there.”
“If he’s there? What do you mean?” A second later, comprehension dawned on his furry face. “Oh, of course. We searched Blythe’s house earlier and we checked the cells. There was no one in them. Was Blythe lying to us just now?”
“We’ll soon find out.”
We quickly crossed the square and went into Blythe’s house. We headed for the cells in the cellar. All of them were empty except for one.
Relloc was in a cell — but he wasn’t moving.
Chapter 24
“Is he dead?” Stanley whispered.
“I don’t know. I hope not.”
We both stared through the bars of the cell at the unmoving creature. Relloc’s lion body was in a sitting position, and his lizard face was staring forward with his mouth hanging open.
I pulled on the cell door. It was locked. I looked around for a conveniently located key but didn’t find one.
I whispered to Stanley, “I need to examine him. I’m going to use magic to unlock the door.”
In a matching whisper, Stanley said, “Okay, but if it hurts you to use magic, stop immediately.”
“I will.”
Stanley nodded. “If he’s dead, why are we still whispering?”
“It seems the right thing to do,” I told him with a small smile. I sent magic towards the lock and it clicked open. I felt a slight twinge of pain, but that was all.
Stanley pumped his paw in the air. “Result.”
I opened the cell door, walked through and took a slow turn around the gargoyle. Stanley was right behind me as we examined Relloc.
We came to a stop.
Stanley said, “He’s as still as a…” his whiskers twitched, “statue. Sorry to be so flippant in the circumstances. Is he dead?”
“I think so. At least he’s not a pile of sand. I’m going to take him to Dr Morgan’s. She can test him for poison when she comes back and see if it’s the same one she found on Nitoth and Budomm. Let’s hope he’s as light as the others.” I reached out for Relloc.
“What will you say if Blythe or Esther see you carrying him through the streets?”
“I’ll tell them we found Relloc in this condition and we need to find out how he died. I’m still a justice witch.” I hesitated a moment. “Or we can take him around the back of the houses so no one will see us.”
Stanley nodded. “That sounds like a better plan.”
I placed my arms around Relloc’s middle and prepared myself to lift him.
“Get your witchy hands off me immediately!”
The sudden loud voice in my ear caused me to jump back and bump into the cell wall. Stanley shrieked and zoomed out of the cell. “He’s a ghost!”
Relloc drew himself up to his full height and gave me a look full of disdain. “How dare you lay your hands on me! Haven’t you heard of personal space? We gargoyles have rights, don’t you know? You can’t lay your filthy hands wherever you want to. I am not a statue to be fondled. I am a living creature with rights and feelings. How dare you! I shall make a formal complaint about you and your roving hands, young witch.”
I moved away from the wall. “I thought you were dead. I thought you’d been murdered.”
Relloc folded his arms. “Well, you thought wrong. What sort of a witch can’t tell the living from the dead?”
Stanley padded into the cell. He jabbed his paw at Relloc. “Stop talking to Cassia like that. You were standing very still. You didn’t even talk when we first saw you. You were pretending to be dead, and you know it.”
Relloc sniffed and looked away from us. “I was merely biding my time. I wanted to know what you were going to say.” He turned his head back to us and I was shocked to see a glint of fear in his eyes. He said, “Have you found out who killed Nitoth and Budomm yet?”
I said gently, “We were told it was you.”
Relloc’s arms dropped to his side. “Me? Who told you that?”
“Blythe did. She said you’d confessed.”
“What?” Relloc exploded. “I haven’t confessed to anything. Why would she say that about me? And when did she say that?”
“A short while ago,” I explained. “To be honest, she didn’t seem herself. Neither did my gran. Relloc, who put you in this cell?”
His shoulders dropped and he sat down. “I don’t know. I recall being on my roof and looking out at the town. Then everything went black. I woke up in here. I presumed I’d been put in here to keep me safe from whoever is killing grotesques.”
Stanley said, “Pardon me for asking this, but are you an evil warlock?”
Relloc’s lizard face twisted in surprise. “An evil warlock? Of course I’m not an evil warlock. Why are you asking me that?”
“There’s one on the loose,” Stanley answered.
“If I was a warlock, I wouldn’t be stuck inside a cell talking to you two.” He shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “What is going on out there? Why would Blythe say that about me? What’s all this about a warlock? And who killed those grotesques?”
I sighed. “That’s what we’re trying to find out. We left town yesterday, but then we were attacked inside a cave, injected with something and brought back here. Relloc, I need your help. You see everything from your position on the roof.”
“Are you calling me nosy?”
“Yes. Tell me what was going on in the town before you blacked out yesterday. Was Quinn Ocean still here?”
Relloc rolled his eyes in disgust. “He was. He was boring everyone with a story about a garden gnome who had an evil twin sister. Those butterflies of his were flying all over the place and dancing with the Brimstone ones.” He paused and his eyes widened. “I remember something now. The little grey man kept looking my way. I thought that was unusual because no one ever looks my way. He kept doing it. It made me feel very uncomfortable so I changed position on the roof and looked elsewhere. Then everything went black.”
Stanley nodded enthusiastically. “I knew Quinn had something to do with this! Do you know where he is now?”
Relloc shrugged. “Isn’t he still outside?”
“We didn’t see him,” I replied. “When we walked around the square earlier, it was empty. There were no residents anywhere. Even the roofs were empty. But now everyone is back. My gran claims everyone went for a walk together at the same time.”
“They went on a walk together?” Relloc echoed me. “At the same time? The whole town? Who is she trying to fool?”
“Me,” I replied sadly. “She wasn’t acting like her normal self. We checked this cell earlier, and you weren’t here.”
Relloc’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t here? Then where have I been?”
“I don’t know,” I answered.
Relloc wagged his paw at me. “You need to start finding answers, young witch.�
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“That’s what I’m trying to do.”
“Try harder,” Relloc admonished.
“Oi! Leave Cassia alone,” Stanley defended me. “We’re trying our best, but it’s not easy when our loved ones are put under a spell and lie to us. We don’t know who to trust or who to ask for help.”
Relloc let out a heavy sigh. “Stop with the pity, cat. That’s not going to get you anywhere. If I was unlucky enough to be a justice witch, I would concentrate on finding out who killed those grotesques.” He suddenly stopped talking and shifted position.
I moved closer to him. “You know something, don’t you? I can see it in your eyes.”
Relloc cleared his throat noisily. “I may have forgotten to tell you something earlier. It’s a piece of gossip really. I don’t pay attention to gossip.”
“Tell me what you heard, please.”
“It was a few days ago. I heard Nitoth chatting to another grotesque. He was worried about his brother and said Budomm had uncovered something unsettling. Budomm was gathering some evidence together before taking any action.”
“Did Nitoth say what the unsettling thing was?” I asked.
“No. If he had, I would have just told you,” Relloc snapped. “Be quiet while I tell you the rest of it. Nitoth got another message from Budomm on the night before he died.”
“What sort of message?” Stanley asked.
Relloc let out a huff of impatience. “You two are really getting on my nerves now. Keep your mouths closed until I finish. I don’t know how the message came to Nitoth. Those grotesques are always whispering to each other. Anyway, the message said Budomm had all the evidence he needed now. He was going to call on Blythe the next morning and give everything to her. Budomm said Brimstone was in grave danger and the only one who could stop it was Blythe.” Relloc clasped his paws in front of him and said in a benevolent tone, “You may talk now.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before?” I asked.
“It was idle gossip. It wasn’t important,” Relloc said dismissively. “I’m not sure it’s even important to you now.”
My hands clenched at my side. Keeping my voice under control, I said, “If I’d have known about Budomm and the evidence he’d collected, I would have talked to his colleagues in Bronze Hollow. I would have found out where Budomm had been and who he’d talked to. Unfortunately, his colleagues are no longer in a position to talk to me.” I couldn’t help but glower at the gargoyle.
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