by Mona Hanna
“Who are you?” someone called out. “Did you cause the wind? How did you do that?”
“Is everything that’s happening because you people are here?” someone else said. “Did you bring this trouble to us?”
Ariel didn’t know what to say. They had brought the trouble. They had endangered the town and its people. Could she convince the people to help them, or would they just be angry and hate them?
“I’ll explain everything as best I can,” Ariel said. “But know this. There will be a battle at dawn. We need every witch who can get here by then to join us. We will fight for you—we will save your town. But we need help. I’ll tell you what you need to know, but understand a darkness is among us, and we can’t stop it without help. So bear that in mind as you listen. Your homes—your lives—depend on it.”
A hush settled over everyone. Ariel looked into the eyes of the people, knowing they didn’t deserve any of this. She felt someone’s arm go around her and turned her head to see Brayden. She was so grateful. She needed all the support she could get.
“First let me tell you what a High Witch is…”
Chapter 20
Ariel stopped speaking and waited for the crowd to react. She felt so nervous, having just told them about her and Hallie, about the spell they’d cast, and about Innes coming to hurt them all. She didn’t know what the people were going to say. The townfolk had every reason to hate Ariel and her friends, after losing so many of their people in the fire. Ariel only hoped the fact that they needed their help would make them willing to listen.
“So this Innes person is going to return at dawn and wants you and Hallie to surrender to him?” a middle-aged man called out. “Or else what? What’s he going to do?”
Ariel gulped. “He—he won’t stop trying to hurt everyone. He’ll keep bringing pain and maybe death. But that’s why we need to fight him. If my group and any witch who can join us band together—”
“No! No!” another man called. “You brought this pain to us—you should give yourselves up! You should surrender to him. He’ll stop then, won’t he? You cast the spell knowing full well that something horrible would happen, and now it has. Why should we suffer any more when you can stop it? Why should more of us die when he only wants you two?”
“Just wait a moment,” Sean said, moving forward to face everyone. “Hallie’s my wife. She’s an amazing, wonderful, strong person, and does not deserve to be captured by Innes. Yes, Ariel and Hallie cast the spell which brought Innes, but they cast the spell to help every witch in the world! It was their duty to do this—how could they deny helping thousands of women? Yes, some of your people died, and for that, we are truly sorry. But how many witches have been hurt or killed over the years, at the hands of people who didn’t understand them? People who took advantage of them—people who hated them for merely being themselves, and persecuted the poor women? I wager those of you who would so easily ask Hallie and Ariel to give themselves up see witches as being less than others. But they’re not. And it’s high time someone stood up for them.”
“So the question is,” Brayden said, “who will fight with us? Ariel and Hallie aren’t surrendering—that’s final. But they will risk their lives trying to save your town. So who will fight with us?”
A tension filled silence surrounded them. Ariel held her breath while she waited for more people to yell at them, to tell them they were awful for what they did. She did feel bad, but she knew her and Hallie had done the right thing by casting the spell. But did anyone in the town agree?
“I—I will fight with you,” a quiet voice said.
Ariel peered out, trying to see the owner of the barely audible voice. The crowd moved around, and a young woman came near the front. She had thin brown hair, wore old, flimsy clothing, and seemed to be shaking. Ariel smiled at her. “Thank you,” she said.
“I will fight with you,” another voice called out, louder, bolder. A tall, dark-haired woman came forward, around twenty-five, wearing a long black dress. “I’ll help you stop the scoundrel.”
“Me too.”
“Me too.”
The crowd was jostled this way and that until more and more women stood at the front; young, older, tall, short. Ariel’s heart filled with joy at seeing all the people who would help them. These were her sisters. These were her coven.
“Thank you all. Our first step is to gather as many other witches as we can—anyone who can get here soon. Meet back here when you’re done, and then we’ll prepare for the fight. Whatever Innes tries to do before dawn, me and Hallie will deal with. Please hurry—we don’t have much time.”
The witches dispersed, leaving in various directions. The group of townspeople also disbanded, although Ariel didn’t miss some of them giving her nasty looks. She tried to ignore it. There was too much else to focus on without being hurt by the scorn of others.
Ariel let out a deep breath, ready to go back inside for a while to rest, when she noticed the young witch who had first come forward standing by herself, a little farther away. Ariel beckoned the woman to come forward with her hand.
“Hello,” Ariel said when the girl approached. “Thank you so much for being willing to help us. What’s your name?”
“Sera,” she said softly. “I—I’m sorry, but I don’t know anyone I could bring to help. Can it just be me?”
“Of course,” Ariel said. “You can come inside with us. Would you like something to eat?”
Sera’s eyes lit up. “Yes please.”
Ariel led the way back into the house, the others from her group already going inside. Ariel wondered if Sera had somewhere to live. She looked very skinny, like she barely had anything to eat, and quite weak. They would have to do something about her being out on the street, if that was the case. But one thing at a time.
***
Everyone sat quietly in the front room, eating the lamb sandwiches Brayden and Sean had prepared. They were all starving, it being well past lunch time, and the group having skipped breakfast that morning due to nervousness about casting the spell. Ariel glanced over at the new people in their midst—Sera, and Alexandra’s sister, Nina, and her two children. Alexandra had introduced Nina to everyone, and then the two had been speaking in harsh whispers to each other ever since. Ariel was curious about what they were saying but wasn’t going to pry. She imagined the two had a lot to talk about.
Ariel looked back at Sera, sitting on the floor in the corner. She had devoured her sandwich and was now looking at her plate. Ariel guess she was about seventeen years old. Ariel looked down at her remaining meal and tore off half of her sandwich, then walked over to Sera and sat beside her. “Here,” Ariel said, handing her the food. “I’m not hungry any more.”
Sera smiled at her gratefully, took the sandwich, then quickly began eating. Ariel wondered about Sera, about her past, where she was from, and then she looked over at all the other people in the room. Hallie sitting with Sean, his arm around her. Brayden sitting with Cameron and Raven. Alexandra and Nina together with Nina’s children. And her mind went to the two babies still asleep in the other room, who she and Alexandra had checked on before eating. All these people were her friends, her family. They were all connected to her—even Nina and her children, as they were Julia’s family. And Julia was part of Ariel’s group, as she was a High Witch who Ariel would always try to protect.
These people were part of Ariel’s life and always would be. She couldn’t bear the thought of Hallie and Sean returning home. Ariel was filled with a sense of belonging, of being part of something larger than her. Which is something she had wanted in the back of her mind for months. She had a responsibility—not just to stop Innes, but to help other witches—all other witches. They needed more than just what the spell gave them—they needed help, needed support, needed people they could turn to when they were in trouble. People who could help them learn to use their magic, if they had no one else to help them. Ariel knew it was her job to help the other witches—she could feel it, deep inside. Her
job was to raise Erica, be a wife to Brayden, and to help people. She could sense all the people she was now connected to belonged to this calling too. She didn’t know how it was going to work out, but she didn’t need to. Things worked out how they were meant to. She was sure of it.
They just had to survive tomorrow. Get through one last huge battle. Battle one last demon. Oh, he wouldn’t be the last. There would always be darkness to dispel, problems to overcome. But if they could get through this, they could get through anything.
Chapter 21
“I still don’t trust him,” Nina said, sitting on Alexandra’s bed. Julia was playing on the floor with her two cousins. Ariel had taken Erica to the spare bedroom to nurse.
Alexandra took a length of her hair and twirled it between her fingers. “He’s changed—you haven’t spoken to him. He’s different now, Nina. Besides, it’s my life—if I want to give him a chance, I will. I just… I don’t want to be alone anymore. But it’s not just that—I miss him, and he should be part of Julia’s life.”
“Does she know?” Nina said, looking down at the children. “Don’t say too much—she hears everything.”
“I know, and no, she doesn’t know who Cameron is,” Alexandra said. “There’s time for revealing that later. Cameron’s going to help with the battle—did I tell you that?”
“Yes, you told me that,” Nina said, rolling her eyes. “I can’t believe you were with these people all this time and didn’t tell me. I was wondering why I hadn’t heard from you! I could have helped! And I’m certainly going to help now, although if it was me, I would’ve told everyone to get out the moment they arrived.”
“Ariel saved Julia’s life,” Alexandra said. “If they hadn’t come here, Julia would have been taken from me. I owed it to them to hear what they had to say, and I know it’s true about Julia being a High Witch. I saw her shape-shift into a cat! As well as everything else she can do. My little darling is so strong, so powerful, and I’ll need all the help I can get with her.”
Nina sighed. “Alright, I see what you mean. But what about after tomorrow? If the witches succeed in defeating Innes, are you going to see any of your new friends again? Or will they all just go home and that’s it? You’ll have Cameron—although that remains to be seen—but have you let these people into your life only for them to disappear? Who will help you with Julia then?”
Alexandra frowned. She hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but she just assumed that Ariel and the others would always be in her life. Ariel didn’t live that far away, and although Hallie would be returning home, Alexandra figured one way or another she would always know these people. What would she do if she never saw them again? How would she deal with Julia’s magic? And she would miss them—she would miss all of them. She became teary.
“No—no, sweetie—I didn’t mean to make you cry… I just wanted you to be aware that… oh don’t be upset. I forget how harsh I can be sometimes.”
Alexandra wiped away her tears. “That’s alright. I needed to hear it. But please don’t speak badly about Cameron. You’ll have to get used to him, and I don’t want you two arguing. I—I think I love him. I think I never stopped loving him. I want to be with him, to see where this will go. I’m so happy he’s here. You don’t know what it means to me.”
Alexandra teared up again, and Nina reached out and put her hand over her sister’s. “I think I do know. And if him being here pleases you, then it’s alright with me. But remember, if he hurts you, tell me straight away. Don’t you hide anything from me again.”
Alexandra smiled. “I won’t. It hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen you, dear. You’re so dramatic.”
Nina flicked her curly hair back. “I was supposed to be an actress. You know that. But then I had children, and… well, things change.” She glanced down at Julia. “I wonder how she’s going to change our lives. An all-powerful witch. Her cousins will never be able to trick her!”
Alexandra giggled. “I’m more worried about her getting her way in everything when she gets older. How am I going to teach her to behave when she has the power to do anything she wants! I mean, Ariel and Hallie are perfectly nice, but they didn’t know what they were until recently. Julia will always know. But I think she’ll be okay. Her heart is good.”
“You didn’t say that when she was first born. ‘Won’t stop crying for two moments,’ I think you said. But she is lovely. Because of you.”
Alexandra smiled. “Thank you. Oh my, Julia. So much ahead of you. So much ahead of us both.”
***
The witches came.
It was twilight.
Ariel’s group went outside the house, alerted to the visitors by the sounds of people talking. There were hundreds of them, standing in the street. Women of all ages—from teenagers to elderly. Hallie stood beside Sean, in awe of how many people were there to join them. Some of them held torches, the flames lighting up the darkening sky. It was all the group could hope for. Their coven at last.
The women grew silent when the group formed before them. Ariel looked at Hallie and gestured for her to come forward. She walked over to Ariel and stood beside her, both of them standing slightly in front of the rest of the group. Hallie gulped, trembling slightly with nervousness at all the people watching her. She looked at Ariel, and she appeared nervous too. But Hallie could tell she was happy.
“Thank you all for coming,” Ariel called out. “You’re all very brave. We have a lot to do to prepare for tomorrow. First of all, ask us any questions you want.”
The women murmured among themselves for a while. “I felt the power this morning,” a teenage girl called out. “I was being harassed at work, pushed about by a man who always tormented me for having magic. He was shoving me and then I felt a surge of power, something I’ve never experienced before. I pushed him back—which I’ve never done before—and he flew across the room. He looked horrified and scrambled away. I didn’t know what happened, then my friend came to me and told me your story. I’ve felt the power. I know it can make us strong.”
“That’s wonderful,” Ariel said. “I want us to practice using our magic together tonight, but I don’t think the rest of you will feel the power surge until you’re faced with Innes. But if we can learn to work together, we’re part of the way there. Is there anything else before we get started?”
“I want to hear Hallie speak,” a middle-aged woman said. “She’s the other High Witch, but we’ve never heard from her.”
Ariel looked at Hallie, and Hallie felt such fear and vulnerability that she felt ill. But she took a deep breath and prepared to speak. “I’m not used to talking in front of others,” Hallie said.
“Louder,” Ariel whispered.
Hallie gulped, then nodded. “Ariel taught me to use my magic. I’ve seen what she can do, and I learned I can be strong when there’s trouble. Don’t be afraid, those of you who are quiet like me. You can do this—we can all do this. We just need to stand firm when we’re faced with Innes. You’ll all receive the extra power, and we can use it to defeat him. It will work. I’m sure of it.”
Hallie stopped, finding herself shaking all over. She berated herself—You were able to fight Nicholas, but speaking in front of a group terrifies you? She had to get better at that. She looked at Ariel, and her sister witch rubbed her arm, smiling. Hallie breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alright,” Ariel said. “I want us to get into groups of about twenty. I’m not sure how many of you are here, but this will help us to figure it out. Then we’ll separate you all into your different fields of magic, then work on using our magic together within smaller groups, then in larger groups, and finally as one. There isn’t space to do all of this here, and I don’t want us to disturb the people who live in this street any more than we already have. I want us all to go to the field where me and Hallie cast the spell. There’s enough room for all of us there. Try to get into groups now and join hands, then me, Hallie, and our friends, Cameron and Raven, will transport u
s all to the field. We might have to make few trips to get everyone there, but once we’ve all assembled, we can get started.”
The witches murmured in agreement, and Ariel turned to Alexandra standing behind her. “You and Nina can stay with the children?” she asked.
“Yes, of course,” Alexandra said. “Nina can stay with me all night with her children—she sent word to her husband to join us when he finishes work, so he should be here soon. We’ll be fine.”
Ariel smiled at her. “Thank you so much. Please look after my little girl.”
Alexandra nodded, and then Ariel turned to Hallie.
“Alright, here we go. Brayden and Sean, you come with me and Hallie. We need to get moving.”
Alexandra turned and went inside, followed by Nina. Raven and Cameron walked out towards the witches as they formed groups, and then Ariel and Hallie walked forward too, their husbands by their side.
Hallie firmly clasped Sean’s hand. She guessed he could tell how nervous she was from her body language and imagined he could almost hear her heart racing in her chest. But she was a little excited, not just afraid. She would enjoy working with the other witches. She was ready.
***
They worked long into the night. Fires were lit around the field to provide light and warmth as the women worked. Brayden watched in awe as his wife and Hallie led the others in using their magic. He and Sean couldn’t do much, as they had no powers, but they were there for moral support and to do whatever else they could. Cameron and Raven assisted with the groups at first, when there were lots of them. When the women first formed groups of about twenty, Ariel counted and found there were over three hundred women. Their own army. Then the women were divided into groups of the same core power—shape-shifting, controlling fire and water, being able to call things to yourself, and those who could receive visions. One of the women from this area said their power wasn’t physical—what could they do? But Ariel said they could still help. It was about them all working in unison, and when the witches received their extra power, they would be able to act then.