Small Town Witch

by Kristen S. Walker

  When we were finished casting the spell, I handed the half-empty bottle of oil back to my mom. “I hope it holds this time.”

  She looked up and down the gap. “When the fence is back up, this should be pretty secure.”

  “No problem.” I bent and brushed dirt off of my jeans. “Hey, have you talked to Akasha lately about what’s bugging her?”

  Mom frowned. “No, what’s wrong with her?”

  I shrugged. “She’s just been saying that she doesn’t really like school this year, but she doesn’t want to talk to me about it much.” I rubbed the back of my head. “She’s been writing in her diary a lot.”

  Mom sighed. “I’ll take care of it.” She turned back toward the house. “I’ve got to get cleaned up and start dinner before you leave. You did finish all of your homework, right?”

  “Yeah, it’s all done.”

  I went in after her and jumped in the shower. After that, while I was waiting for my hair to dry before I could get dressed up, I went downstairs to look for a drink.

  I found Mom sitting at the kitchen table alone. Akasha’s diary was open in front of her. Akasha had disappeared to another part of the house.

  I stopped short in the doorway. “Mom, what are you doing? That’s her private diary!”

  Mom closed the book and looked up at me. “Don’t yell, Rosamunde, I’m right here. You were the one concerned about your sister. I’m just finding out what’s wrong.”

  “I told you to talk to her about it!” I walked over and reached across the table for the book. “You can’t just go snooping like that, she’ll hate it. She freaked out when she thought I might look in there.”

  Mom picked up the book and stood up from the table, holding it away from me. “I’m not a big sister who is going to tease her about the book, I’m her mother. I need to know the truth so that I can help her.”

  I folded my arms. “That’s ridiculous. Being her mother doesn’t make you entitled to go through her stuff. Some things have to stay private.”

  “Some day when you’re a mother, maybe you’ll understand that a child’s privacy is not as important as her safety.” Mom put the diary down on the table and walked away.

  I ran upstairs and looked around my own room. How many things did I have that I didn’t want my mom seeing? Letters from Lindsey, my books of poetry—where could I hide them that Mom wouldn’t find them? Somewhere that she’d never think to look. The underwear drawer was too obvious, and so was under the bed.

  Then I saw my school bag sitting open on my desk. Maybe I could take them to school and hide them in my locker.

  To keep them safe until Monday, I slipped them inside my textbooks. I made sure that my notebook full of homework was on top of the stack, just in case Mom wanted to check that I’d finished my assignments. Hopefully that would be good for a few days, at least.

  After the family dinner, I got dressed in a hurry. I always wore the same dress for any kind of special occasion. Mom made it for my thirteenth birthday, the perfect outfit: the fabric was soft against my skin, a bright blue cotton blend, and the design was simple, with little puffed short sleeves and a long, full skirt. Last year Mom had to let out the bust area a little because it was growing tight, but otherwise it fit me perfectly. I did most of my growing at the end of elementary school and by now I’d resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t getting any taller.

  I had to rush because I was stopping on my way to pick up Heather, and her house was in the opposite direction of the Faerie Court’s local castle.

  It took a certain amount of concentration to fly on a broomstick, especially when I lived in an area known for very large trees. I had to be careful because of my dress. But flying was a feeling like none other, and once I’d seen the view from up on a broom, I knew it was worth any inconvenience.

  I maneuvered the broom up between the trees that surrounded my family’s house and then floated up into a sky painted in the golds and pinks of an early autumn sunset. The sun was sinking below the horizon, and the pale crescent moon, which was almost half full, was also in the west, although still high up in the sky: it would still be up for a few more hours. There, I paused for just a moment to take a deep breath and enjoy the lovely sight.

  Then I bent low over the broomstick and zipped over the ridge. The wind blew my cape so that it flapped and billowed out behind me, sending a shiver of cool air down my spine. A few birds veered out of my way as I passed them, but otherwise the sky was clear.

  Below me, the road wound back and forth across the mountainsides, but I flew straight, to the north and a little bit west. The sun was setting over my left shoulder, but it would be in our faces coming back from Heather’s house; I hoped that it wouldn’t bother her too much.

  I flew fast until I was near Heather’s street. Then I had to slow down to a cruise because it was harder to recognize her house from above. I remembered that we had turned left there, and then there was a large oak tree—ah, there it was. It looked the same as the last two times I’d dropped her off, with the curtains closed in the windows, no cars in the driveway, and the garage door closed. It looked as if there was nobody home.

  I landed lightly in her front yard, adjusted the cape on my shoulders, and walked up to ring the doorbell.

  Heather answered the door. She was wearing a long, dark purple formal gown, and her black hair was swept up into an elaborate mass of curls that must have taken a long time to arrange. She was also wearing a heavy amount of make-up on top of her pale skin, amethyst jewelry, and a corsage of white roses.

  I grinned. “You look like you’re going to be crowned prom queen.”

  She looked down and smoothed the dress. “Is it too much? I didn’t know what was appropriate, and then my mom wanted to help me get ready—”

  I shook my head, then peered over her shoulder into the darkened house. “Are your parents here?”

  Heather stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her. “They’re resting. They don’t like being, um, active before dark. They also asked if I could try to be home by one.”

  “Oh, of course.” I was still learning vampire etiquette. “Do you have a jacket? It can be a little cold flying.”

  “Oops. Wait here.” Heather went back inside the house. A minute later she came back wearing a white lace shawl over her shoulders and clutching a small white dress purse. “Now I have everything.”

  I eyed the delicate shawl, doubting that it would keep her warm. “That looks very—pretty,” I said. “Well, try not to drop anything.”

  I stepped down off the porch into the yard and sat down on my broom. Heather stood there and stared at me helplessly.

  I pointed to the space beside me. “It’s easier to fly side-saddle, as they say, instead of astride, when you’re wearing a long skirt. If you sit here sideways, but facing the other way, then you can hold onto me and keep your balance. It’s easier the second time.”

  Her look told me that she wasn’t any more confident than she had been the day before, but she approached the broom and sat down gingerly. I kept the broom perfectly steady. “That’s it,” I said. “Make sure you’re centered. Now put your arms around my waist, and hold on tight.”

  Her corsage tickled as it brushed the underside of my arm when she slid her arms around my waist. I lifted my right arm and put it around her. Confident that she was secure, I glided the broom up slowly until we were above the treetops.

  The sunset was also beautiful with all of its shifting colors. I’d arranged us on the broom so that Heather would be facing a little away, instead of looking directly into the sun, so I hoped that she could appreciate it without being uncomfortable.

  I turned the broom southeast and flew us off to the Faerie Court on Quiggs Mountain.

  Doe’s Rest Castle was a tall, sprawling complex of mismatched buildings, rising up on the peak. The largest building was modeled after medieval castles, but since it had never been used as a true fortress, it was more fanciful than defensive, with de
licate towers and elegant trim. Surrounding the castle were buildings in a variety of other architectural styles from the past century, lavish amenities like swimming pools and athletic courts, fields for the horses and stables. At the heart were the gardens, full of colorful flowers and fancy topiaries, and of course the Grove of rowan trees.

  I felt Heather catch her breath at the sight. I smiled, glad that she got to see it, too.

  “It’s so big,” Heather said.

  “Yeah, Count Duncan and his wife, Serafina, keep adding on to it.” I smiled. “Hold on tight, we’re going in for a landing.”

  After circling around the estate once, I let the broom drift down until we landed in the driveway before the front door, careful to avoid the cars that were arriving with other guests. A servant, dressed in emerald and gold livery, came forward to take my cape and broomstick. Then he bowed and stepped aside so that we could enter.

  “One moment,” I said. We’d both spent a lot of time getting ready for tonight, but now the wind had messed up our hair and our formal dresses were wrinkled from sitting on the broomstick. I reached into one of the hidden pockets of my dress and pulled out a charm. This one was a bundle of sticks and dried flowers tied together with a silver thread. I held it out in my hand, palm up, and told Heather, “Touch this.”

  She looked questioningly at me, but did as I asked. I whispered a word to activate it.

  Magic made my skin tingle as the stray hairs slipped back into place and the wrinkles smoothed themselves out. I grinned. “Much better. Ashleigh made that for me. That’s how she and Glen ride a horse to school every day and always show up looking nice.”

  Heather looked down at the transformation and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That’s a useful trick.”

  “Yeah.” I looked up at the sky, where the last sliver of the sun was just about to slip below the horizon. “Right on time. Let’s go.” I couldn’t wait to see her reaction to the wonders on the other side of the door.

  I took Heather’s arm and pulled her through the large double doors into the mansion. She wanted to stop then and stare at the elaborate marble hall just inside, but I kept going. We stepped out the back onto a wide terrace and then down two shallow steps into the main garden.

  Just as our feet touched the grass, the sun set, and right on cue, the chamber quartet in the gazebo across from us struck up the first notes of a song.

  I gave Heather a minute to take in the sight of the main party area, and then I began to point out the features, starting with the cluster of tables set out to one side. “The refreshments are there. The green fountain always has a non-alcoholic beverage, like sparkling punch,” I said. “The gold fountain has champagne.”

  Then I turned her to a pond filled with water lilies and floating candles. “That’s the dance floor.”

  Heather stared in confusion. “I don’t see anything.”

  “It floats in mid-air. It’s invisible so you can see the pond.” I pointed to a space flanked by two white crane statues. “That shows you where the way up is. And there are more ballrooms inside.”

  Count Duncan, in an emerald doublet and tights, was escorting his wife, Serafina, in a golden gown, making the rounds to greet their guests. Emerald and gold were the official colors of the county. Behind them hovered one of the knights of the count’s personal guard, Sir Allen, more to make him look good than to actually protect him, since no one would threaten the count at his own party.

  They came over and greeted us with a nod and a smile. “Miss Rosamunde,” the count said. “Welcome to the Autumnal Equinox celebration. Who is your friend?”

  I made a deep curtsy to the count. “Your grace, may I introduce Miss Heather Prasolov. She is a new student at my school, Crowther.”

  Heather managed to pull off a curtsy of her own, which earned her a large smile from the count. “Ah, the new student!” he said. “I welcome you and your family to Golden Forest County. Your family name sounds Russian. Do you have a patronymic?”

  “Um, no, Count Duncan, sir,” Heather said, blushing. “I was born in America. My parents dropped their patronymics when they moved to this country.”

  Serafina said, “Many families choose to adopt new traditions when they move to a new place.”

  Heather nodded. “Something like that.”

  The count turned back to me. “And what about your mother, Rosmerta? Will she be joining us at all this weekend?”

  I shook my head. Count Duncan always asked Mom to come to Court, but she almost always came up with some excuse not to show up. “She sends her regrets, but she has things that require her attention at home. In the garden.”

  He smiled. “Well, let her know that we miss her company. Now, I’m sure you’re eager to see your friends. Please, enjoy the festivities.”

  We curtsied a final time and he led his wife away. As they left, Sir Allen lingered another moment and stepped closer to me.

  “Your sister is not here either?” His gaze swept the room, unable to find Akasha.

  I shook my head. “She still doesn’t want to come back, sorry.”

  The knight frowned, but turned away to follow after the count without any further questions.

  Ashleigh and Glen found us next. Ashleigh was wearing a huge golden ball gown with a hoop skirt underneath, but she moved in it easily. Beside her, Glen looked dashing in emerald green with golden trim.

  “Lady Ashleigh, Sir Glen,” I said, curtsying to them like I had for the count.

  They laughed and hugged us both. “You know you don’t need to be formal with us,” Ashleigh scolded me.

  “I fear that if I insult you, my lady, then your noble champion will rush to defend your honor, and I cannot possibly best a knight in a duel,” I said, winking at Glen.

  Heather turned shy again, looking down at the floor. “Congratulations on your knighthood,” she said to Glen.

  Glen flashed her a warm, reassuring smile. “Thanks. That stuff comes tomorrow, though. Tonight’s all about having fun. Would you save a dance for me later?”

  “Of—of course,” she stammered. “I’m not a very good dancer, though.”

  Ashleigh laid her hand on Glen’s arm. “Oh, don’t worry, he’s a very good lead. We have to keep making the rounds, but we’ll chat later, okay?”

  The couple moved away, and I saw that more of our friends from school were starting to arrive among the older guests. I turned and saw Domenico arriving with Zil on his arm, which surprised me a little, although she abandoned him a moment later and made a beeline for the punch fountain. Lindsey was beaming on Peter’s arm, and I braced myself to say hi.

  “Oh, good, both of you girls made it!” Lindsey said. She grabbed Heather and blew air kisses on her cheeks.

  Heather stiffened, but she smiled and murmured, “Hello.”

  When Lindsey leaned in to do the same with me, she pinched my arm and whispered in my ear, “She’s not your date, is she?”

  I shook my head. “I just gave her a ride here. Be nice.”

  Lindsey let go of me and turned back to look at Heather. “That dress looks great on you. The dark color really brings out your pale skin.”

  Heather blushed. “Thank you. Your dress is lovely, too.”

  Lindsey took a step back and twirled to show how her skirts spun out, revealing panels of varied shades of pink. The colors shifted and twinkled in the light, so subtle that it took me a moment to realize that it was an enchantment. “Do you think so? I worked on it mostly during the summer, before I got so busy with school starting. I wanted something that I could dance in.” She looked over her shoulder at Peter and smiled at him.

  Peter said, “Let me get you a drink. Do you girls want anything?”

  “Sure, we’d like some punch,” I said.

  He nodded and headed for the refreshments. Meanwhile, Heather had stepped forward with wide eyes and was fingering the fabric of Lindsey’s dress. “You made this yourself? That’s amazing.”

  Lindsey grinned. “My mom did
the hard parts. I did the little enchantment and a lot of things like the straight seams to attach the panels together—the busy work.”

  “She’s being modest,” I said. “Lindsey designed that dress. She’s going to be a world-famous fashion designer someday. If you stop by the art class at school, she has a portfolio full of her fabulous design sketches.”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. Well, at least I try to mix it up a little. I think you’ve worn that dress at every single party and dance I’ve seen you at since you got it for your thirteenth birthday.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, but suddenly Lindsey caught sight of something behind me and her face fell. I turned to look.

  Lindsey’s ex-boyfriend Robert stepped out onto the terrace. Beside him was Daniela, another girl from our school. Daniela was wearing a slinky black dress with red ruffles, like a flamenco dancer, and her curly brown hair was down loose, with a large red flower over her left ear. Daniela was a xana, which was like a faeriekin except that she lived in a river—her family name, Estanislau, came from the local Stanislaus River, or maybe it was the other way around. Like all faeriekin, Daniela was drop-dead gorgeous in a way that made us humans look dull and plain.

  Robert led Daniela right past the three of us without saying hello, but he glanced at Lindsey with a cold expression. They stepped up onto the empty dance floor that floated over the pond, and began dancing very close together.

  I moved closer to Lindsey and put my arm around her. “That’s a cheap move,” I muttered under my breath.

  I felt her pull herself up straight and she lifted her head defiantly. “I expected something like this,” she said. “That’s fine. I’ll just ignore him.”

  “Do you think you can manage to do that all night?” I said. “It’s pretty tacky the way they’re flaunting it.”

  “I’ll manage somehow.” She turned to Peter, who had just returned carrying four cups of punch by the little handles. “How about we go for a stroll through the gardens? It will be an hour or two before the dancing starts.”