brimstone witch 11 - grotesque murder

by April Fernsby

  Budomm nodded. “An army that knows no fear. An army which can’t be destroyed.”

  Stanley interjected, “They can be destroyed, Cassia knocked them all down and broke them.” His tail dropped. “But then they came back to life.”

  I said to Budomm, “When did you see Quinn in the cave?”

  “This morning,” he said. “I saw him go into the cave and I heard him talking to himself about attacking Brimstone. Then a black shadow came out and flew away. I was hiding behind a rock so he didn’t see me. I knew Brimstone was in danger. I knew I had to tell Nitoth and then he’d tell Blythe. He had to tell her not to trust Quinn.” He looked at the ground. “I never got the chance to return to Bronze Hollow. I was going to tell Yolanda about Quinn. As soon as I left Nitoth, that shadow appeared and chased me down the path. I can’t remember anything else.”

  I said, “Budomm, this happened yesterday. Something strange has happened in Brimstone since then. Stanley and I thought Quinn Ocean was behind it, but we didn’t know what he’d done exactly. With all the information you’ve given us now, we can do something about him. I can use my magic, and I know many spells which might help.” I looked down at Stanley and added, “Since we landed here, I’ve felt my magic increasing. My fingers are tingling with it, and I don’t feel any pain.”

  Stanley smiled. “That’s great news. We’re going to need a lot of magic.”

  Budomm gave me a long look as if weighing up his next words. “Did you ever talk to Quinn on your own? Did he ask about your life and the things you’d done?”

  I thought back to the cave where we’d been injected with something. I let out a small groan. “Stanley, I think Quinn must have been the one who attacked us in the cave. Do you remember when I said I thought I’d been telling someone all my secrets?”

  Stanley nodded. “You thought it was a dream. You told someone about our investigations, and the magic you’d used.”

  I groaned again. “It wasn’t a dream. I must have been talking to Quinn under the influence of a drug. He must have done something to my magic because when I used it later, it hurt me.”

  Stanley said quietly, “What has Quinn Ocean done to you, Cassia? Has he stolen something from you?”

  “I really don’t know.” I stopped talking.

  Budomm put his stone hand on my arm and said, “If Quinn has stolen some of your magical powers and he knows all your spells, how are you going to defeat him?”

  Chapter 29

  No one spoke for a minute.

  Then Stanley said, “The golems won’t be able to get into Brimstone, Cassia. Esther and Blythe put a spell on the town to protect it from them. And to keep warlocks out. At least, that’s what they said they were going to do. Didn’t Luca see them casting a spell using that special spell book of theirs?”

  “Yes, but Quinn was with them,” I reminded him. “He could have seen which spell they used, and then used another spell to counteract it. He could be in possession of that spell book and all the valuable information it contains.”

  Stanley sank to the ground and muttered, “This keeps getting worse. How are we going to fight him if he’s got all the good spells?”

  Walter picked Stanley up and said, “Don’t be downhearted, little one. There is always hope. I know that Esther and Blythe are excellent witches. They won’t let Quinn Ocean get away.”

  I thought of Gran’s vacant stare and false smile. I said, “Walter, Gran wasn’t herself when we left Brimstone. I thought she was under a spell, but I think it could be something worse.”

  Stanley buried his head into the crook of Walter’s arm. His muffled voice came to me, “No. Don’t tell me. I can’t take any more bad news.”

  Walter looked at me. “What’s on your mind?”

  “The life force was taken from the gargoyles and grotesques in Bronze Hollow,” I explained. “Every single one of them. Where would it go? Can it be collected somehow?”

  Walter nodded. “It can be collected. Those poor creatures. I must go to Bronze Hollow and put things right there.”

  I thought about the spell I’d cast to keep the creatures safe in Bronze Hollow. “I might have to come with you. There’s a chance my magic is still working there. I’ll need to remove the protective spell which I cast.”

  “Back to your question, why are you asking about the life force of a creature?” Walter persisted.

  I said, “If Quinn is the evil warlock—”

  “He is!” Stanley interrupted me.

  “If he is the warlock, he’s done something to the residents in Brimstone including Gran and Blythe. As horrible as this thought is, I think he might have taken their life forces and put them into his army of golems. Walter, is that possible?”

  Walter gave me a grim look. “Not only is it possible, I’ve heard of it happening. It was years ago in a faraway town. The golems took on the appearance of local residents, but not completely. The golems were not natural in the way they spoke and interacted with everyone. I’ve heard they could smile, but the smile never reached their eyes. ”

  Stanley lifted his head. “That’s just like Esther and Blythe. And Luca too. And the whole town.” He turned to look at me with dread in his eyes. “Cassia, is that what’s happening in Brimstone? Is it full of golems who are pretending to be our friends?”

  I gave him a small nod. “I think so.”

  Stanley’s voice rose. “But where is the real Esther? And the real Blythe? Are they still alive somewhere? Are they?”

  I looked at Walter hoping he could answer that for me. He gave a small shrug and said, “It depends what Quinn’s done to them. He could have left them as a shell of their former selves and be holding them prisoner somewhere.”

  I found a modicum of hope and clung to it. “Walter, if Gran’s life force or personality has been transferred to a golem, can the procedure be reversed? Can I have my gran back?”

  He gave another shrug. “I’m so sorry, Cassia, I don’t know the answer to that. But I can try to find out. Someone will know what happened to those other golems when they took over that town years ago. I’ll send some messages out. It might be a while before we get any replies.”

  “Thank you.” I looked at Stanley’s little face and said, “We’ll do what we can now. Don’t worry, Stanley, we won’t be defeated by a warlock. If I don’t defeat him, then someone else will. I’m not the only witch in these lands.”

  “But what if Quinn has already got to the other witches?” Stanley asked. “He’s been visiting other towns. He could have put his evil plans into action there. The other towns could be full of golems already. You saw what the residents were like in Marbled White and Speckled Wood. All the joy had gone from them.”

  I lifted my chin. “I refuse to give up. We need to find out where Quinn is now, and then we’ll get someone to keep an eye on him.” I turned to Nitoth and Budomm. “I need your help, please. I know I said you shouldn’t go back to Brimstone, but would you consider doing that? If Quinn has returned to the town, you could send me a message to let me know. I would go myself, but I want to help Walter with the creatures in Bronze Hollow.”

  Walter said to the grotesques, “Take some of my butterflies with you. They can make themselves invisible. And if they surround you, you’ll be invisible too.”

  Nitoth nodded. “We’ll go there straight away. We can ask some of the other grotesques in Brimstone to help us.”

  I shook my head. “You can’t. They could be golems too. Don’t talk to anyone in Brimstone. Keep out of sight. I’ll cast a protective spell on you as well.”

  Nitoth said, “We’ll keep out of view as much as possible. I know some good hiding places which give a great view of the town.”

  Once my spell was cast, Budomm asked, “How do we get to Brimstone from here?”

  “Leave that to me,” Walter said. He raised his head and let out a low whistle. A small cloud of butterflies flew down to him. He smiled at them and whistled some more.

  The butterflies mov
ed over to Nitoth and Budomm. They surrounded them and lifted them off the ground.

  For a second, I wondered if I was sending the grotesques into the face of danger. I said to them, “Be careful. Very careful. If there’s any danger, come right back here immediately.”

  Walter laid a hand on my shoulder. “They’ll be fine. I’ve told my butterflies to stay with them. If there’s the slightest hint of danger, the butterflies will protect them. They have strong magical powers. The grotesques will be safe.”

  “I hope you’re right,” I said as I watched Nitoth and Budomm moving away. “Can we go to Bronze Hollow now? I want to help the creatures, and hopefully bring them back to life. Is it okay with you if we go now?”

  “Of course. Let me send some messages out first. I need to locate Yolanda, and we have to find out more about those golems who invaded that other village and what happened there. Knowledge is power.” He squeezed my shoulder. “There is always hope. Never forget that.”

  “That’s what I’m counting on.” I managed to give him a smile.

  Not long later, Walter, Stanley and I arrived in Bronze Hollow. Everything was as we left it. The four houses in which we’d stored the stone creatures were still full of them. I removed the protective spells from the buildings and then Walter entered the nearest one. He still asked for Stanley’s help even though I’m sure he could have managed on his own. I was glad of that because it kept Stanley’s mind occupied.

  I waited outside the houses while Walter and Stanley got to work. One by one, confused-looking gargoyles and grotesques came out of the houses. They all had the same questions. Rather than answering each one, I waited until I had a small group and then talked to them at the same time. I gave them brief details on Quinn and what he could have done to them. I also told them that Yolanda was missing.

  One of the smaller gargoyles asked, “Why would Quinn do this to us?”

  “I don’t know the answer to that, sorry. But I will find out. Have you got somewhere safe you can hide?”

  The gargoyle shared a look with his friends. They nodded as if picking up on his unspoken question. He said to me, “We’re not going to hide from anyone. We will help you to get rid of the storyteller. What do you want us to do?”

  I saw their faces fill with determination and the hope inside me increased. I said, “I don’t know yet, but thank you for the offer.” I pointed to the other houses where Walter and Stanley were working. “Could you tell your friends and colleagues what’s happened, please? That would save me some time. I want to go over to the cave where the golems were. I won’t go inside, I just want to see if Quinn could be there. Will you let Stanley and Walter know where I am?”

  The gargoyle nodded.

  I added, “If I’m not back soon, perhaps someone could come over to the cave to make sure I’m not—”

  “Dead?” the gargoyle interrupted.

  “Yes. Thank you. I’m sure that won’t happen.” I gave them a smile which I hoped was full of confidence before getting on my broomstick and flying away.

  I returned to Bronze Hollow ten minutes later. The main street was now full of stone creatures who were talking in low tones to each other.

  Stanley ran over to me as I landed. He cried out, “You shouldn’t have gone to the cave on your own! Quinn could have been there waiting to attack you!”

  “He wasn’t there,” I said. “And neither was the cave. It’s completely vanished.”

  “Vanished? Are you sure?”

  “I am. I flew over and over the area where it had been. The land there is flat now. I don’t know what’s happened to the cave.” I looked over at Walter who was walking towards us. He had one of his pink butterflies on his shoulder.

  He stopped in front of us, pointed to the butterfly and said, “I’ve been told that Yolanda is in Brimstone. She’s still alive.”

  There was a flurry of movement behind him as a small cloud of pink butterflies came into view. Nitoth and Budomm appeared from the cloud and landed at our side.

  Nitoth announced, “Quinn Ocean is in Brimstone.”

  Before I could react to that, I felt a heavy weight on my shoulder. I looked that way to see Cherry Dustjewel sitting there.

  The little fairy twisted her hands together and exclaimed, “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Cassia, something terrible has happened in Brimstone!”

  Chapter 30

  I let out a nervous laugh and said, “It looks like we’re going to Brimstone then.”

  Stanley said, “We need help. We can’t just fly into Brimstone and confront Quinn without help.” He paused as if weighing up his words. “Cassia, if he’s stolen some of your magic, will you be strong enough to stand up to him?”

  “I don’t know, but we can’t stay here and do nothing.” I looked at the little fairy perched on my shoulder. “What’s happened in Brimstone?”

  Cherry’s hands were still twisting together. “The storyteller is standing in the middle of the town. He looks different. He doesn’t look friendly anymore. And everyone is standing in front of him and not saying anything. Even your tall friend, the one who you kissed. He’s got a strange look on his face.”

  My shoulder was starting to drop under her weight, so I carefully picked her up and said, “The residents in Brimstone are golems. Somehow, Quinn’s managed to make them look like the beings who live there.”

  Cherry’s hands flew to her face. “No! That can’t be!” She lowered her hands. “But where have the real residents gone? What has Quinn done with them?”

  I managed to force a smile on my face. “I’m trying not to think about that. Not yet anyway.”

  Cherry looked towards the end of the street. “He must have put them in the cave where the golems where. He must be keeping them as prisoners.”

  My smile died a little. “The cave has gone. There’s no trace of it.”

  “There must be! Caves don’t disappear.” Cherry tapped her tiny chin. “I’m going to find that cave. And I know some trolls who can help me.” She flapped her wings and rose away from me. “That’s what I’m going to do. And I’m going to do that right now.”

  Before I could tell her she was wasting her time, she flew away. I opened my mouth to call after her.

  Walter raised his hand to stop me and said, “Let her go. Let her help. She may find another way into that cave.”

  I wasn’t convinced, but I didn’t say anything.

  Walter continued, “You must accept help, Cassia. You don’t have to do this on your own. There is strength in numbers.” He gave me a kind smile.

  I sighed. “I know, thank you. I’m just not sure what to do first.”

  Stanley advised, “We need to know what we’re dealing with. How strong is Quinn? What are his plans for Brimstone? How many golems has he got? And more importantly, where is he keeping Gran and all the others?”

  I picked Stanley up. “Do you think Gran is still…you know?”

  “Alive? Of course she is. She wouldn’t let herself be defeated by an evil warlock.” He gave me a confident smile. “And neither will we. Let’s make a plan of action.”

  I kept Stanley in my arms as I talked to Walter about the best way to approach Quinn Ocean. Walter told me how he could help. Nitoth and Budomm offered their help too.

  “There is something you could do,” I said reluctantly to the grotesques. “But it’s dangerous. Actually, there are two things you can do.”

  Nitoth put his arm around his brother. “This isn’t a time for anyone to be scared. Tell us what you want us to do.”

  I did so.

  Once again, the other gargoyles and grotesques asked how they could help.

  Stanley gave me a shy smile. “I’ve got an idea. It’s a bit cheeky, though.” He told me what his plan was. The gargoyles burst into laughter, and the grotesques folded their stone arms and looked disgusted.

  I stroked Stanley’s head and told him, “We might need to do that.”

  Walter agreed to stay in Bronze Hollow a
nd to keep everyone safe there. He gave Stanley and me a warm hug before we left. He said, “You are not alone. Remember that.”

  “We will,” Stanley said.

  We made the final preparations and then flew away from Bronze Hollow.

  Not a word was spoken as we headed towards Brimstone. Our beloved town soon came into view and we could see immediately that things were not the same.

  Quinn Ocean was standing in front of the gazebo. From our elevated position, we could see how his silver hair caught the sun. He looked taller and seemed to take up more space. The residents were lined up neatly in front of him just as the golems had lined up in the cave. No one was talking, and no one was moving. I could see Blythe, Gran and Luca standing in the front row. Well, the golem versions of them.

  Only one being noticed us flying lower. Quinn raised his head and watched us with his silver eyes. He smiled, but it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was full of malice and cunning.

  We landed a few feet away from him, got off the broomstick and defiantly stood our ground.

  Quinn let out a small chuckle. “Cassia. Stanley. I knew you’d be back soon. We’ve got a lot of talking to do, haven’t we?” He looked down at the black creature he was holding in his arms. The creature was sleeping peacefully.

  My heart missed a beat.

  Stanley cried out, “Oliver! Cassia, that’s Oliver!”

  Chapter 31

  Quinn looked directly at us and ran one finger down Oliver’s back. With that evil smile on his face, he looked like a James Bond villain. He said, “I’ve always wanted a pet. I found this in Esther’s cellar. He was just lying there, all cosy and quiet in his basket. I’m going to keep him. I think I’ll change his name. I’m not keen on Oliver.”

  Stanley leaned against my legs and I felt his body trembling either with anger or fear, perhaps a mixture of both. He whispered, “Oliver.”

  “You’ve been into Gran’s cellar?” I asked.