by H. Y. Hanna
“Got you!” Caitlyn muttered as she swooped down and grabbed him.
She rose, clutching the squirming kitten to her chest, then paused as she realised that she was not alone. Huddling on the other side of the circle was a small group of people. They hadn’t noticed her—all their attention was fixed on the woman standing in the centre of the circle. This must be Minerva Chattox, Caitlyn realised.
The new “witch” was a tall woman, with flashing black eyes made even more striking by the dark kohl she had drawn around them. She was somewhere in her forties and although not conventionally beautiful, there was something about her that drew the eye. Her outlandish costume of green velvet, though, looked like a cross between a Halloween witch’s costume and a medieval gown, and her lurid red hair looked like it had come straight out of a bottle.
She had her eyes closed and her arms upraised towards the sky, and seemed to be chanting something, whilst the circle of people around her watched, rapt.
“I feel it!” Minerva cried. She had a good voice—an actress’s voice: strong, carrying, and vibrant with emotion. “The magical forces here at the stone circle are responding to my gift—they are converging around me... ahh... yes!” She opened her eyes and smiled at the group gathered around her. “Now... who would like to be first? Don’t be shy. There is nothing I cannot help with—I can cure addiction, impotence, illness, nightmares... find lost loved ones, remove bad luck, bring success in business, get your husband back from the clutches of another woman... Remember, destiny is a matter of choice, not chance!”
A girl stepped forwards, trembling, and said in a shy voice: “I... I was wondering when I might meet someone... you know... like, a nice chap... All my friends have got boyfriends but me... well, no one ever asks me out...”
Minerva gave the girl a knowing smile. “Ah... the path of true love never did run smooth... but fear not, my dear. I will use my powers to call on magic and find your soulmate for you. I will lead him through the mists of time to find you, so that the two of you shall meet before long.” She paused delicately, then held out a hand, adding: “Naturally, this will require a small fee...”
“Oh! Oh, yes... of course...” The girl fumbled in her pockets, then pulled out several notes and handed them to Minerva, who quickly tucked the money into a concealed pocket in her dress.
Caitlyn felt a surge of disgust, which turned to incredulous indignation a moment later as she heard Minerva begin to chant:
“Alakazam... Alakazam... Abracadabra... Izzy wizzy, let’s get busy... Presto chango... Sim Sala Bim... Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo!”
Caitlyn stared at the group, who were watching Minerva with awed expressions on their faces. Was this a joke? Surely they couldn’t believe this woman was serious? Those weren’t magical incantations at all—they were simply random words used by magicians in shows or spoken by characters in books and movies.
Minerva waved her hands in a mystical fashion and twirled in a circle, crying: “Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble!”
Caitlyn gasped in outrage. She recognised the words as the famous quote from the three witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. True, Minerva was using a sing-song voice and garbling the words as she said them, so that at first, they did sound a bit like exotic incantations, but anyone who listened carefully could easily hear the truth.
And yet... the group of people were still watching her as if she were reciting magical words of the greatest power. Caitlyn scanned their faces, recognising several of the villagers, as well as some members of the Huntingdon Manor staff, and she felt an echo of Bertha’s frustration. How could people be so gullible?
There was a commotion suddenly at the back of the group and Caitlyn realised that more people had come up the slope. The newcomers pushed their way to the front of the group and Caitlyn felt a flash of relief as she saw that they weren’t showing awe and admiration on their faces. Perhaps someone sensible had come at last to ridicule Minerva Chattox and point out what a fraud she was.
But the newcomers weren’t laughing—no, their expressions were filled with fear and hatred as they stared at the woman in the circle. Most of them were the villagers who had always been the most hostile towards the Widow Mags, and now it looked like they were turning their pitchforks towards a new target.
“You evil witch!” screamed one of the women, jabbing a finger at Minerva. “I can’t believe you have the nerve to conduct your rituals here like this!”
“How dare you corrupt our village with your filthy black magic!”
“Devil’s consort!”
“Demon hussy!”
Minerva faced them, undaunted. “It’s a free country. I’m allowed to share my gifts with the good people who wish to be enlightened. If you don’t like it, that’s just too bad—but you can’t do anything to stop me.”
One man rushed up to her, waving a clenched fist in her face. “Oh yes, I can! I can make you sorry you ever set foot in Tillyhenge!”
“Are you threatening me?” asked Minerva silkily. “Do you realise what a powerful witch I am? I can curse you and bring all manner of misfortune on you! I can even summon death!”
The man faltered, taking a step back. Minerva tossed her head back and laughed. She raised her arms and glared at the hostile villagers in front of her.
“Run! Run, you miserable sods, before I hex you all!” She waved her hands. “Hocus-pocus... Shazam-shazam... Ipso facto... Mea Culpa... Ali-ali-wham!”
Oh, for heaven’s sake. Caitlyn rolled her eyes. She couldn’t believe how terrified everyone looked. She wanted to step forwards and shout: “Don’t be scared—this woman is a total fraud and she’s just chanting a load of gibberish!” but before she could say anything, there was a flash of white in the sky and a boom of thunder that sounded as if it was right above their heads. The heavens opened and rain poured down, drenching them all in an instant.
Minerva laughed again—a shrill, cackling sound—as another jagged line of lightning cut through the sky. Caitlyn knew that it was just coincidence, but to the frightened villagers it must have seemed as if the self-proclaimed witch really was controlling the heavens, calling down the storm to wreak vengeance on her enemies. People screamed and began to run in all directions, bumping into each other and slipping and falling on the wet grass. Someone blundered past Caitlyn, smacking into her shoulder and sending her spinning.
She stumbled and nearly fell. She reached towards one of the standing stones but before she could grasp it, there was a burst of blinding white light. A lightning bolt snaked suddenly down and Caitlyn gasped, feeling the shock of the impact as it struck the top of the hill. Screams rang out. She stumbled backwards against the stone, clutching it for support. Then she heard a cry of pain and terror. Whirling, she saw that the man who had been threatening Minerva earlier was staggering into the centre of the circle.
“Oh my God... he’s been hit by lightning!” someone screamed.
Caitlyn watched in horror as the man gave another moan, then he crumpled to the ground and lay still.
CHAPTER THREE
“IF YOU’LL WAIT IN HERE, miss, the inspector said he’ll see you as soon as he’s free.”
Caitlyn followed the maid into the Library at Huntingdon Manor, hoping that she wasn’t dripping water onto the priceless Persian rug by the entrance. After the fierce winds and chilling rain on the open hillside, it was wonderful to be somewhere warm and dry. She bent and put Nibs down, glad that she could let him free at last. Holding on to the squirming kitten during the chaos on the hill, followed by the long, wet journey down the slope and through the formal grounds of the estate, had been a challenging task.
“Were... were you up on the hill wi’ the others, miss?”
Caitlyn turned to find the maid looking at her with avid eyes. She didn’t recognise the girl as one of the usual maids who worked at the Manor, although she knew that the old coach house was being converted into a gourmet restaurant and several new staff had been employed. Per
haps this girl was to be one of the new waitresses. She was in her early twenties, with brown hair pulled back in a simple ponytail and bright blue eyes in an open, honest face.
“Yes, I was up on the hill,” Caitlyn admitted.
“An’ is it true that the stone circle up there is cursed?” The girl shuddered. “I heard ’em say the stones come alive in the witching hour.”
Caitlyn raised her eyebrows slightly. “Are you not from Tillyhenge then?” she asked, thinking that everyone in the village was so familiar with the legends, they would hardly act so disturbed by them.
The girl shook her head. “No, miss, I come from one o’ the nearby towns, but it’s only, like, a fifteen-minute bike ride from here.” She gave Caitlyn a shy smile. “My name’s Hattie. I’m one o’ the new girls; I’m going to be working in the coach house restaurant.” She glanced out of the Library window, which had a view over the grounds to the hill in the distance, and added, “I knew ’bout the stones, though—people used to talk about ’em even where I lived—an’ my class was going to come and visit ’em once on a school trip.” She turned back to Caitlyn with a wry smile. “But my dad wouldn’t let me go. He’s real superstitious, you know. He used to say witchcraft an’ magic was everywhere still, an’ he didn’t want me messing around a place haunted by evil spirits.”
“Oh, I don’t think the stone circle is evil,” Caitlyn protested. “I mean, it’s true that there are a lot of legends associated with it, and I suppose there is a... a sort of atmosphere up there. But it’s probably more to do with the fact that the stones are very old than anything else. I’ve been up there to see them loads of times, and in fact, most of the tourists who come to Tillyhenge visit the circle and take photos with the stones. If it was cursed in some way, wouldn’t something have happened by now?”
“But something did happen!” the girl protested. “One o’ the people on the hill—a man from the village—he was struck by lightning, wasn’t he?”
“That wasn’t because of the stones. That was just—”
They were interrupted by the door of the Library opening, and Minerva Chattox was ushered in by a young police constable.
“The Inspector wants to speak to you again after he’s interviewed the other witnesses, so please wait here until you’re called,” he told the woman, before closing the door and leaving them alone.
Minerva gave a huff of annoyance and flounced over to an armchair. Then she noticed Caitlyn and Hattie. The latter had made a startled sound when Minerva stepped into the room, and now she stared at the self-proclaimed witch, her eyes bulging like someone who’d seen a ghost.
“You... you’re—”
“I’m Minerva Chattox, dear,” said the older woman, stepping forwards and offering a hand to the girl as she added smoothly, “I am a magical mentor and professional enchantress, High Priestess and Sorceress Extraordinaire. I use witchcraft to help others unlock the secrets of the universe and live their best lives.”
The girl swallowed, still staring at her. “You do spells for people?”
Minerva gave a tinkling laugh. “Oh, much more than that! I am an extremely powerful witch and I can summon magic to do my bidding in any shape or form: love spells, weight loss charms, hexes on exes, infertility cures, even divining the future and banishing evil spirits.”
“E-evil spirits?” Hattie stammered.
Minerva smiled, a calculating look crossing her face. “Oh yes! Evil spirits are always waiting to possess you and you must be on your guard at all times. That is why protection charms are so important. I can perform purification rituals and cast special spells that will ward off bad luck and misfortune. I’ve done this for many clients in the past, my dear, with great success. In fact, I saved a man last year who was surrounded by terrible malignant forces, and with my help he was even able to protect his daughter, who would have surely died had the evil spirits not been removed.”
Caitlyn snorted loudly. She couldn’t believe the rubbish that the woman was spouting—and yet she noticed that Hattie was staring at the fake witch with an expression of horror in her eyes. The girl seemed completely enthralled. Annoyed, Caitlyn started to say something but Minerva gave her a cold look and cut her off, saying quickly to the maid:
“But you are young and pretty—I doubt that you are plagued by evil spirits. It’s a matter of the heart, isn’t it, that ails you? Perhaps there’s someone special that you’ve been thinking about...?” She raised a suggestive eyebrow.
Hattie flushed.
“Ah, I see that there is,” Minerva purred. “Perhaps he has not noticed you? Or perhaps he does not see you in the right way? Fear not. I can create a honey jar for you—this is a classic spell jar used to ‘sweeten’ someone towards you and ignite passion in your relationship. I will utilise special herbs and oils, a white feather, rose petals, crystals and a ‘sweetener’ such as honey, sugar, or treacle in my working—all you have to do is provide me with the name of the person, their full date of birth, and a picture of him.” She took a step closer to the girl and clasped both of Hattie’s hands in hers, saying in a low, breathy voice: “Then I will work your spell for three days and bury it near living water to release it into the universe. Remember, my child, you are in charge of your destiny. Anything your heart desires, I can help you achieve it...” She paused, then added smoothly, “Naturally, a fee would be required for my time and expertise. I accept all credit cards, as well as cash and personal cheques.”
Caitlyn was disgusted. She couldn’t bear to stand silent anymore, watching Minerva lure another gullible victim into her web.
“I’m sorry, but this is all a load of nonsense!” she burst out. She put a hand on Hattie’s arm and looked at the maid earnestly. “Don’t waste your money on such gimmicks—”
Minerva Chattox made an angry hissing noise. “They are not gimmicks! They are genuine, magical spells of great influence—”
“They’re a load of empty promises!” Caitlyn retorted. “You can’t really do any of these things and you shouldn’t be making these ridiculous claims and taking people’s money!”
Minerva threw Caitlyn a contemptuous look. “You may not understand it, but when you are a powerful witch like me—one who knows how to harness magic—then there is no problem that is unsolvable. I can make these claims. I have countless happy clients who can testify to my abilities. You obviously have no understanding or instinct for witchcraft and I’ll thank you to stay out of things you have no knowledge of.”
Caitlyn wanted to laugh at the irony of what Minerva was saying and show the woman some real witchcraft, to wipe that smug look off her face. But she glanced at Hattie’s pale face and decided that the maid looked frightened enough. She didn’t want to scare the girl even more. Before she could reply, however, Minerva added with a malicious smile:
“And if you doubt my abilities, you only have to look at what happened on the hill this afternoon. It is no coincidence that the man who was struck down by lightning was the same man who was threatening me. That is obviously a sign of the magical forces protecting me and striking down my enemies—”
“That’s not a sign of anything,” snapped Caitlyn, really beginning to lose her temper. “It was just a coincidence! Anyone knows that if you stand on an exposed hill in the middle of a thunderstorm, you’re likely to be struck by lightning. It had nothing to do with you and your so-called powers.” She glared at Minerva. “You should be ashamed of what you’re doing, scaring people and taking advantage of their insecurities.”
If she’d hoped to pierce the other woman’s thick skin, however, she was disappointed. Minerva simply shrugged and said, with another superior smile, “I’m used to people like you, who are envious of my powers—”
“Aarrgghh! I’m not envious of your powers!”
“—and I’m used to dealing with sceptics who try to undermine me,” Minerva continued, ignoring her. “I shall not be cowed by you! I shall continue practising my craft to help those who are in need of my talents
.” She glanced at Hattie, who was watching them wide-eyed, and raised her arms dramatically. “Even now, I can feel an aura surrounding me... Mmm... yes... my natural psychic abilities are arising to banish your negativity... mmm... I summon thee, oh astral spirits... I summon thee...!”
Oh, give me a break. Caitlyn rolled her eyes and started to say something sarcastic but, before she could open her mouth, they were startled by sounds outside the Library.
Thump-thump... thump-thump... thump-thump...
“Wh...what’s that?” Hattie whispered, her eyes wide.
Something was approaching the door of the Library but it sounded more beast than man. Minerva whirled to face the door, her mystical voice and theatrical manner suddenly gone.
“What the bloody hell is that?” she cried.
Then she screamed as the door was shoved open and an enormous grey beast entered the Library.
CHAPTER FOUR
MINERVA SHRIEKED AND reeled backwards, staring in horror at the giant animal in front of her, with his huge head, cavernous mouth, and lion-sized paws.
“Oh my God—what is that?” she gasped.
Caitlyn guffawed. “I... um... I think it’s the ‘astral spirit’ you summoned.”
“Get away! Get away from me!” Minerva cried, clutching her skirts and trying to jerk away.
This seemed to only make the creature even more interested in her. He thrust his huge muzzle into her face and sniffed intently, then opened his mouth to show a set of gleaming white fangs beneath his sagging jowls. His enormous tongue lolled out as he panted loudly.