¨Boke,¨ the principal now spoke up feebly, choking against the invisible hand around his neck. ¨If you're certain it'll make you feel better, kill me. However your friend is right. They'll never let you get away with it. As much as I know you don't believe me, I never meant to kill your mother. I’m just a beast, a monster as she called it. And when beasts lose control, they attack. I did to her what I promised I’d protect her from with my life. I attacked her. I killed her!¨ He broke down at this, startling both of them.
¨I attacked the love of my life like she was nothing but a snack. I’ll never stop hating myself for it. Do you want to know why I never appear around the school, especially during the daytime? I've never touched human blood after that day. I only feed from animals. That's why I'm so weak. You don't believe me? Then swing me towards that window, and see how fast I burn up.. Aaargh!¨ His screams were loud, betraying so much pain as his whole body bursts into flames, the pungent smell of burning flesh hitting their nostrils.
Boke swung him away from the window again, and with a sweep of her other hand, jets of water fly towards him and drowned out the flames. His skin, all red, raw and blistered, didn't heal automatically as Sophie had seen Markus heal that one time he fell during P.E. and tore the skin on his knee.
¨Why aren't you healing?¨ Sophie asked, tasting the blood in her mouth from biting herself from shock when he burst into flames.
¨I can't. My body is too weak from the animal blood I take. I heal very slowly.. Ouuw!¨ He screamed again when he dropped suddenly to the floor. Boke had finally let go. A crowd of students had formed outside the large windows, the staff members forming a wall in front of them to block their view.
¨You killed my mother. You have to pay,¨ she said, approaching him.
¨Boke wait,¨ Sophie called. ¨I have a better idea! Do you trust me?¨ Boke took a moment, but eventually nodded.
¨We want a deal,¨ She said to him.
¨No!¨ Boke screamed. ¨He has to pay!”
¨He will pay, Boke. I promise. Do you trust me?¨ She nodded hesitantly again. ¨Then let me do the negotiating. Okay?¨ She nodded yet again, looking between Sophie and her father doubtfully. She appeared so young, and Sophie found herself wondering again how such a tiny person could do so much damage. No wonder all wanted to put her people down. How many Witches would it take to overpower her?
¨We want a deal,¨ Sophie faced the principal. ¨All this to go away. Boke won't be punished for this.¨
¨I never planned on punishing her or reporting her if she’d let me go. There are now many more witnesses, but I'll use all the power I have to protect her..¨
¨No,¨ Sophie interrupted him, thinking back to the years her mother spent under house arrest, the restrictions on using magic- no, not that again.
¨No protecting her like you did her mother. No house arrests!¨ He appeared shocked that she knew about it. ¨It all goes away. All. A clean slate for her.¨
¨Ok, but it’ll be difficult. The Witches will insist on keeping tabs on her, but I’ll rule this as an emotional breakdown. Nobody can hurt her as long as she's here at the island. Out there though, I'm afraid I can't help her.¨
¨They say the High Council is the supreme court over all..¨ Sophie continued.
¨It is,¨ he answered.
¨You stand for trial again, for the murder of her mother. I'll bear witness. I watched you do it in the death recall.” This time he didn't even seem surprised. ”Should you be found guilty, you get sentenced, and Boke gets immunity.¨
¨Ok, but not just immunity. Boke inherits the Sanguine title... Yes..!¨ He insisted when she started to refuse his proposal. ¨It is the only true protection you'll ever have. That's why I tried to get your mother to marry me, but she was too stubborn. Sanguines hold veto power in the council. No one can ever condemn you.”
”Listen, you might hate my name and all to do with it, so did your mother, but it is the only absolute protection I could ever give to you. Take it please.¨
¨Boke say yes,¨ Sophie begged. ¨Say yes, please. You are my best friend and I care about you. I don't think they’ll ever let you go after the chaos you’ve just caused. Say yes, please. I can't lose you,¨ Sophie brokedown, holding her in her arms.
¨I’ll make him pay. I’ll tell them all I saw. Your mother never confessed. So he didn't justifiably kill her.¨ Sophie went on, ignoring the 'oh god, what did I do?' that came from the shrivelled creature on the floor.
¨Boke.. Please say yes. Think of the promise you gave your grandmother. That you'd live on. Let her death not have been in vain..¨ Now that got through her.
¨Okay..¨
¨Okay?¨ Sophie cried in disbelief.
¨Okay,¨ she repeated, both of them now laughing and crying at the same time.
¨Do we have a deal?¨ Sophie asked the principal, whose skin and charred clothes were still very disturbing to look at.
¨Yes we do,¨ he said, picking himself up.
He got up painfully, walking to the coat hanger in the corner. He grabbed a large overcoat and threw it over his still unhealed skin, wincing audibly. He then walked over to them, reaching out his burnt hand towards her.
¨You have to give me your hand, Boke,¨ he urged softly. ”I have to declare you my daughter in the proper way to ensure it holds.” She hesitated.
¨Come on, Boke. A deal is a deal,¨ Sophie urged her. Boke now turned towards him slowly, and let him hold her hand.
¨Open the doors, please,¨ he requested.
What a shock the staff members crowded around the door were in, anger and hatred for Boke etched in their faces, and confusion to see the Count holding her hand.
¨I present to you, Boke Maiga-Sanguine, my blood daughter and heir,¨ the principal said firmly, even as whispers of 'what', 'impossible', 'he is vexed' began to float around.
¨No harm comes to her, I pronounce as principal, and with my veto power as honorary council member granted to me by the constitution of the Supernatural Realm.¨ Now the whispers stop.
¨The harm this child has caused today, is due to an emotional breakdown, brought upon because of her being so young and having been thrown into a foreign environment. Thirteen is too young an age for all this pressure, and so proper leniency shall be afforded to her hereon.¨ Many grumbled at this, but nothing more.
¨Now Boke, please let down this shield, and you and your friend go back to class. All of you do the same,¨ he raised his voice higher for all about to hear. ¨Go back to classes or jobs now. This is a school, not a cinema hall. The Witch staff can remain behind and help with reinstating the broken windows. ¨ There's only a second's hesitation, before the dispersing began.
Sophie walked out of the administration corridor stiffly, Boke's hand still held protectively in hers. They walked past staff members lined along the walls, who looked back at them spitefully. They'd never forgive this.
Among the assembled students and staff at the main landing were Aimi's and Keira's parents.
¨You are just like my sister!¨ Keira's mother accused bitterly. ¨I want you nowhere near my child, do you understand?¨ Sophie nodded, ushering Boke faster towards the stairs. ¨That girl and her people only bring death and destruction wherever they go. I thought you’d have learnt that from your parents!¨
Sophie clung to Boke, tired of all the stares and accusations, and surprised them both when her wings lifted them off the ground and flew them into their homeroom, arriving before any of their classmates.
¨You can fly!¨ Boke sounded giddy at the discovery.
”That was my first time!” Sophie found herself laughing, the stress of the past tense situation leaving her. ”I can fly!” She half squealed, jumping in place.
”Thank you,” Boke said quietly, half a smile on her face.
”Don't thank me yet. We're yet to nail your mother's murderer.
”Yes we are.” Boke confirmed.
”And here I thought that tonight's dance would be the toughest thing to get through today!” They both
laughed.
~The End of Book 1~
Meet the author
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Ebook Edition: November 2015
Copyright © 2015 by Carol A. Robi
A Different Kind of Witch: a novel/ by Carol A. Robi/ Ebook Edition k12
A Different Kind of Witch Page 22