A Tale of Witchcraft...

by Chris Colfer

  “No…,” Brystal said, and shook her head in disbelief. “This doesn’t make sense.… You protected me from the Brotherhood at my brother’s wedding.… We snuck into the fortress to spy on their meeting.…We tried to save your grandfather.… We tried to stop them!”

  As Brystal listed all the reasons it was impossible for Seven to be the Righteous King, it slowly dawned on her just how possible the truth was.

  Seven had protected her at the wedding to gain her trust.… He had invited her to the castle because he knew they would end up following a clansman to the fortress.… He purposely slipped away from her during the meeting so he could address the clan as the Righteous King.… He exposed just enough of his plan so they would rush back to the castle to save his grandfather.… He led her directly into the king’s chambers to frame her for his murder.… And all the while, Seven had convinced Brystal that Maximus was the Righteous King so she would never suspect him.

  Brystal was so overwhelmed she almost fainted. The fortress felt like it was spinning around her, and she fell to her knees and started hyperventilating.

  “It was you the whole time.…” She panted. “Everything you said was a lie.… Everything you did was misleading.… You made me trust you.… You made me care about you!”

  “If The Tales of Tidbit Twitch is the key to your heart, then I suggest getting a better lock,” Seven sneered. “I thought it would be difficult to deceive the great Fairy Godmother, but you adolescent girls are all the same. All it took was a little smile, a little interest, a little attention, and I had you in the palm of my hand.”

  “But why?” she asked. “What could be worth lying and killing your own family?!”

  “You’re making it sound so personal,” Seven said. “Face it, Brystal, I just wanted what everyone wants—power. And it doesn’t just fall into our laps as easily as it fell into yours. I was seventh in line for the throne—to become king, I had to be creative.”

  “You couldn’t have done this on your own,” Brystal said. “The king and the princes didn’t die naturally! Someone was helping you—someone with magic!”

  The Brotherhood roared with laughter, as if the idea was absurd. The accusation made an insidious smile grow across Seven’s face. He walked closer to Brystal and whispered in her ear.

  “Well done, you’ve finally gotten something right,” he said. “You won’t believe what we have in store next. Sadly, I don’t think you’ll live to see it.”

  Seven snapped his fingers, and a net made of bloodstone was thrown over Brystal. The net was so heavy it pinned her to the platform, and she could barely breathe or move beneath it. The bloodstone burned her skin, and the longer she was trapped, the weaker and weaker she became. Brystal had known this moment would happen—she knew surrendering would cost her her life—but she had surrendered because of Seven’s false pretenses. Seven was planning something that transcended the Righteous Brotherhood, and not knowing the extent of his plan gave Brystal the will to stay alive and the urge to fight him. Unfortunately, the bloodstone drained so much of her energy that it took all her strength just to stay conscious. All she could do was watch what happened next.

  The Brotherhood cheered and applauded as Brystal struggled under the net. While they were distracted, Seven redirected his attention to the back of the courtyard and gestured for someone to come forward.

  “It’s time!” he called.

  “Time for what, my lord?” the High Commander asked.

  “Excuse me, High Commander, but I wasn’t speaking to any of you,” Seven said.

  The Brotherhood went quiet. Before they had the chance to question him further, black smoke blew in from the back of the courtyard. The clansmen parted as Mistress Mara strolled inside and made her way to the platform. The witch was followed by the Shadow Beast, which took the form of a panther, then an alligator, and finally an anaconda as it crawled behind her.

  “What a delightfully desolate location,” the witch said as she looked around the fortress. “I’d say it needs a woman’s touch, but trust me, you don’t want mine.”

  The Brotherhood couldn’t believe their eyes—a woman had never set foot in the fortress before, let alone a witch! The clan were outraged and readied their weapons. Mistress Mara was amused by their reaction and cackled as she climbed the platform and stood at Seven’s side. The Shadow Beast sat next to her like an obedient dog.

  “My lord, a witch has infiltrated the fortress!” the High Commander exclaimed.

  “Yes, High Commander, I know,” Seven said. “I invited her.”

  The Brotherhood were stunned and erupted in protest.

  “How dare you!”

  “Her kind isn’t welcome here!”

  “You’re insulting the Righteous Philosophy!”

  Seven raised a hand to silence the angry clan.

  “Gentlemen, what I’m about to say is going to shake you to your fragile cores, but try to keep an open mind,” he said. “A man’s quest for power is pointless unless he sets his sights on true power. Ordinary power can be taken away, it can be deceived, and it can be overcome—but true power cannot be defeated. No one can achieve true power if they’re limited by prejudice, shortsighted by pride, or married to a single philosophy. They must be flexible, they must play both sides of the coin at all times, and they must use all available resources if they want to become unstoppable.”

  “This is an abomination!”

  “We need to kill the witch at once!”

  “This is a sacred place!”

  “Oh, believe me, I’m well aware of its hallowed origins,” he said. “Do any of you know why it’s such a sacred space? Long ago, your founding fathers used this fortress as much more than a headquarters. Within the walls around us, and deep in the ground below us, lay the remains of the first nine hundred and ninety-nine members of the Righteous Brotherhood. This fortress isn’t just the birthplace of your philosophy—it’s a tomb. And what could make a man more unstoppable than commanding an army of the deceased? After all, you can’t kill a soldier if he’s already dead.”

  The Brotherhood glared at their Righteous King as if he had lost his mind. Seven nodded to Mistress Mara and she nodded back—it was now or never.

  The witch twirled her arms through the air and the Shadow Beast grew into a massive cyclone. The storm whirled around the courtyard, and the terrified clansmen ran and dived out of its way. The wind was so powerful the Brotherhood dropped their weapons and held on to their masks with both hands. The Shadow Beast split into 999 ferocious animals. The creatures scattered to different parts of the fortress and disappeared into the walls and sank into the ground. Once the animals were gone, the courtyard went dead silent. The frazzled clansmen helped one another back to their feet and anxiously waited for something to happen.

  The enchantment was an exhausting exercise for Mistress Mara. The witch hunched over and clutched her chest as she caught her breath. Seven’s eyes darted around the fortress, and he grew terribly impatient.

  “Well?” he asked. “Did it work?”

  Mistress Mara turned to him with a confident smile.

  “Perfectly,” she said.

  The fortress began to rumble as if it had been struck by an earthquake. The clansmen moved to the center of the courtyard to avoid the rattling structure. Suddenly, hundreds and hundreds of decaying hands emerged from the dirt and shot out of the stone walls. The Brotherhood watched in terror as 999 corpses clawed their way out from their resting places. The dead surrounded the frightened clansmen and picked up the weapons they dropped. The corpses faced their Righteous King and saluted him, like a platoon of skeletal soldiers.

  Seven and Mistress Mara were euphoric as they watched the dead come back to life. Brystal had never seen anything so horrifying in her life, but she was so depleted from the bloodstone she could hardly keep her eyes open.

  “What is this madness?” the High Commander yelled.

  “Gentlemen, just like you, your distant grandfathers made an oath
to devote their lives—and whatever may come after that—to serving the Righteous Philosophy,” Seven said. “For the first time, that eternal devotion is being called on today. Allow me to introduce you to the most powerful legion this world has ever seen—I give you the Righteous Army of the Dead!”

  As the Brotherhood observed the army, it was obvious their ancestors were no longer the same men they once were. The corpses were stripped of all personality and humanity and had returned to life as nothing but cold and soulless warriors.

  “My lord, these men will never serve you!” the High Commander declared. “Their oath was to protect and preserve the Righteous Philosophy—and you’ve defied it by bringing them back with witchcraft!”

  “You’re mistaken, High Commander,” Seven said. “Indeed, they devoted themselves to the Righteous Philosophy—but since the Brotherhood appointed me as the Righteous King, the Righteous Philosophy is whatever I say it is. And I believe it’s time for a few modifications.”

  “I—I—I don’t understand,” the High Commander said.

  Mistress Mara threw her head back and cackled at him.

  “Silly old man,” she said. “Don’t you get it? He never cared about your Righteous Philosophy. He never intended to restore the natural order or start a war with the magical community. He simply told you what you wanted to hear so we could take advantage of your Brotherhood. And now that we have an unbeatable army, we’re going to hold mankind responsible for all the—”

  FWITT! Suddenly, Mistress Mara felt something hit her chest. She looked down and saw that a bloodstone arrow was sticking directly into her heart.

  “Actually, Mistress Mara, since we’re on the topic of dishonesty, I have something to get off my chest,” Seven said as he lowered his crossbow. “I never cared about holding mankind accountable either—I fooled you just as much as I fooled them.”

  The witch dropped to her knees and black blood poured down her body.

  “You—You—You betrayed me!” she gasped.

  “No, I used your hate against you,” he said with a snide smile. “Turns out, when you stoke someone’s hate, you can make them do whatever you want.”

  Mistress Mara spent her final moments in shock. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, she collapsed on the platform, and then the witch became deathly still. Like a dying fire, her body started to smoke, then she slowly disappeared from sight.

  Once the witch was gone, Seven moved to the edge of the platform to address the whole courtyard.

  “In a few hours, the world is going to wake to the most dreadful news,” he said. “They’ll learn that, after her assassination of King Champion XIV, the beloved Fairy Godmother went on a rampage, killing Prince Maximus and his five children. The world will be horrified to hear the Fairy Godmother also partnered with a witch named Mistress Mara, and together they devised a plan to raise an army from the dead and slaughter all of mankind. But then the world will sigh with relief when they discover that I—the courageous Prince Gallivant—defeated the evil women and took command of the army myself.

  “I will march into Chariot Hills, I will claim the throne, and thanks to my invincible new soldiers, I will be the most powerful sovereign the world has ever known. My army will expand the borders of my kingdom until every inch of this planet is under my control. We will turn this world into one glorious Righteous Empire, and we’ll destroy anything or anyone that stands in our way.

  “Gentlemen, it’s time for you to broaden your horizons. Forget the Southern Kingdom and the magical community—this Brotherhood’s new objective is world domination and obliterating all species that threaten us! You can join my army and continue to serve me as your Righteous King—or you can stay here and fill your ancestors’ graves. The choice is yours.”

  The Righteous Army of the Dead took an intimidating step toward the Brotherhood with their weapons raised. The frightened clansmen looked to the High Commander for guidance, but there was only one way out alive. The High Commander reluctantly bowed to the Righteous King, and the rest of the clan followed.

  “We remain your humble servants, my lord,” the High Commander said.

  Seven clapped his hands together. “Gentlemen—brothers—you’ve made the right decision,” he said. “Welcome to the Righteous Empire.”

  While Seven gave the Brotherhood their ultimatum, Brystal’s vision started to fade. She had run out of strength and couldn’t fight the bloodstone any longer. Her eyes fluttered shut, her mind went blank, and her heart stopped beating. The last bit of life slowly drained from her body and Brystal drifted into the great unknown.…

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  FAMILIAR FACES

  The witches and lynxes of Ravencrest were enjoying a relaxing night in the graveyard. Stitches, Beebee, and Pip wore tinted glasses and lounged across three tombs as they took in the moonlight. Sprout was soaking her feet in a jar of fertilizer and pleasantly sighed to herself while her body absorbed the nutrients. The lynxes were gathered around the witches and lazily stretched, scratched, and cleaned themselves.

  “I’m so glad Mistress Mara gave us the night off,” Sprout said. “It’s been ages since we had a Self-Scare Day.”

  “Why is it called a Self-Scare Day?” Pip asked.

  “B-b-because it feels so good it’s f-f-frightening,” Beebee said.

  “I just adore moonbathing,” Stitches said. “Can someone pass me the moonscreen?”

  Beebee handed her a bottle of blue lotion and Stitches rubbed it on her skin.

  “Is there a point to moonbathing?” Pip asked. “I mean, does it actually do something?”

  “It g-g-gives witches a nice alabaster g-g-glow,” Beebee said.

  “Be careful you don’t get a moonburn,” Sprout advised. “The last time I got one, I glowed in the dark for three weeks.”

  Pip quickly retrieved the bottle of moonscreen and applied another layer to her skin.

  Suddenly, their peaceful night was interrupted by a boom in the distance. The witches sat up on the tombs and looked at the horizon. Racing toward the manor at lightning speed were four unicorns with silver horns and magenta manes. The majestic steeds pulled a golden carriage behind them, and they galloped faster and faster as they approached Ravencrest’s iron fence. The unicorns smashed into the gate horns first, and it burst open, snapping the chains that kept it locked. Brick and Stone were knocked off the top of the fence, and they hit the ground with two loud thumps.

  As the golden carriage entered the property, the gargoyles leaped back to their feet and charged after the intruders. Emerelda leaned out the carriage window, and with one snap, Brick and Stone turned into emerald statues and froze in their tracks. After the gargoyles were stopped, a dozen trees pulled themselves out of the dirt and chased the trespassing carriage. Xanthous hopped outside the vehicle, and the flames on his head and shoulders rose several feet. One look at the fiery boy, and the trees backed away.

  Stitches, Beebee, Sprout, and Pip were intrigued by the dramatic entrance. The unicorns parked the golden carriage in front of the witches, and Lucy, Emerelda, Tangerina, and Skylene rushed out of the vehicle. Xanthous ran up to join them. The fairies’ first glance at the dreary manor gave them the creeps and they huddled closely together.

  “So this is the Ravencrest School of Witchcraft,” Tangerina said.

  “It’s like a living nightmare,” Skylene said.

  “Thank you!” Stitches said with an appreciative grin.

  “Lucy, what are the fairies doing here?” Pip asked. “I thought you left to find your swans a new home.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah—they’re living the dream,” she said. “Where’s Mistress Mara?”

  Lucy’s sense of urgency concerned the witches.

  “We d-d-don’t know,” Beebee said. “Sh-sh-she left this evening.”

  “Why? Where’s the fire?” Sprout asked. “You know, besides the boy who’s literally on fire behind you.”

  Lucy groaned—she didn’t have time to break the news
gently.

  “Girls, what I’m about to say is going to be difficult to hear,” she said. “You’re going to feel hurt, betrayed, and it’s going to turn your whole world upside down!”

  “Can’t wait!” Stitches said.

  “Mistress Mara didn’t open Ravencrest to teach witchcraft—she was using it to find a host for a horrible curse!” Lucy declared. “She and the Horned One have been secretly plotting to kill the Fairy Godmother and seek revenge on mankind! She used the Enrollment Ceremony to curse me with something called a Shadow Beast—it’s an entity that boosts a witch’s abilities for a single enchantment! A Shadow Beast grows inside a host like a parasite, and if the fairies hadn’t helped me remove it, the curse would have killed me!”

  “W-w-what?!” Beebee said.

  “You can’t be serious!” Sprout said.

  “Mistress Mara would never hurt a student!” Stitches said. “Curse one for a hundred years? Absolutely! But hurt one? Never!”

  “For once, Lucy isn’t exaggerating!” Emerelda said.

  “We witnessed the whole thing!” Xanthous said.

  “And I can prove it!” Lucy said. “Obviously, Mistress Mara hasn’t turned me into a lynx—but if we went into her study, I bet we’d find a Curse Counter with my face on it!”

  Without wasting another moment, Lucy dashed toward the manor, and the witches and fairies followed her inside. She hurried up the grand staircase and led everyone to the tall hallway on the seventh and a half floor. Lucy moved the scaly armchair from the corner and placed it under the door of Mistress Mara’s study. She used the chair to climb into the doorway, but when she turned back, the witches were too afraid to join her.

  “Come on!” Lucy said. “What are you waiting for?”

  “We’re not g-g-going in there,” Beebee said.

  “What if Mistress Mara comes back and catches us?” Sprout asked.

  “I don’t want to be turned into a lynx,” Stitches said. “Not yet.”