Robin, who was rubbing his jaw, looked up. “Do you think we’ll ever be like… cool?”
Graham sniffed. “Not while we’re at this school, not unless we modify everyone’s memories.”
Hunter, who had a right sour face, said. “We’re the losers aren’t we?”
I wasn’t listening too much, concentrating on my evil plans which I was brainstorming, having finished my homework. I put my ink pot and pen down and looked up at them, trying to be cool and mysterious.
“We’re not losers,” I said. “We’re just not… respected, yet. We cannot blame ourselves, we had one day to learn Riptide. Straker’s form had a month,” they all nodded, I had them onside. “What we need to do now, is show everyone, that we are not to be messed with…”
Some of them scoffed. “And how?” said Simon. “Do we do that?”
“My parents are evil. I’ve learnt a lot from them over the years. Whenever they think that someone has disrespected them, they show them how mistaken they were. They scare the living daylights out of them.” They were all looking at me with wide eyes. “We do something evil… Something that will make people so scared of us, that they daren’t say anything else.”
***
I had the formation of a plan. A plan to resurrect what dignity we and I, had left. To be honest with you, this plan benefited me more than the others but they knew it would only work with me. Anyway, if we pulled this off, no one would ever say or do anything to us again.
Over the coming weeks, me, Robin and Hunter talked non stop about the plan. Graham occasionally came over to join us, but I don’t think he could decide if he was wanted in or not. Jake refused point blank when I told him the plan and Simon shrugged and sat on the window seat in silence. Dennis spent so much time in the girls dorm, that we hardly had chance to tell him.
“We ought to tell the girls you know,” said Hunter. “They might want to join in, get some girl power back!”
We laughed at him, he was funny. “Yeah, they have been a bit… what’s the word?”
“Hormonal?” Hunter offered.
“No, no…” I said. “Just depressed. Joanna sits on her own in the lunch hall, Jess has come out in Hubris stress spots, Florence and Dawn try and rip each others throats out at every opportunity, Ellen has retreated firmly back in her shell and Gret…”
“Gret is fine,” said Jake. “She a tough cookie, like you say.”
“Fine, Gret is fine…” I said. “But this has torn all our form up, the least we can do is ask them.”
Jake led the way to the girls dorm. We had to walk through three tapestries and up five flights of stairs until finally, along this well decorated hallway with lots of pictures of famous Witches lining the walls, we knocked on the door. None of us, apart from Dennis, who slept in there most of the time, had ever been in the girls dorm. When Dawn opened the door and let us in, we were shocked. I mean, we didn’t say anything, but it was a complete mess. Clothes and stuff just chucked all over the floor. There was even a ghost in here which lit the room up a silvery glow (as the curtains were drawn), it was aimless picking stuff up and putting it into piles looking stressed.
“Oh hey boys,” said Florence looking uninterested. She had a crush on a boy the year above, since then, she didn’t really like to talk to any other boys. Girls are weird.
“We need to ask you something,” I said.
Needless to say, their apathy was contagious. They were not interested. You couldn't blame me for trying. Ellen thought the plan was good, but had a few flaws — our ineptitude for Magic for a start. Jess, who was applying copious amounts of Beatle Bum Gel to her face, thought it was an awful idea and Dawn, who was really quiet, just sat and poked the fire.
This, if anything, made me more determined. I wanted to raise the morale of the girls, and the boys for that matter. In fact, I would be the saviour of the Condors!
CHAPTER SIX
Malakai
“Severton…” I said. There was a sealing noise as the black river froze.
“It’s way too dark under here!” said Graham, as Robin shushed him. We were in the tiny passage, facing the black river leading to the Library. We’d all just climbed down through the grate in the boys’ bathroom. It was my idea, I kind of thought it would be the only way back in the Library as I couldn’t remember the door unlocking Spell that Tina did. The freezing Spell was Robin’s idea.
“Come on…” I said, putting my foot onto the ice, crouching and moving along the frozen river gingerly. Surprisingly, it didn’t crack or anything.
“This is crazy,” said Graham who quite possibly, was right.
“Just space out,” I said as Hunter stepped onto the ice and there was an ominous splitting sound. We stumbled and slipped through the blackness, crouching all the way along the river, until we stepped into the light of the locked Library.
“Woah…” Graham and Hunter echoed.
“Off the ice now,” I said. “Up here…” I climbed up the small stone staircase out of the river and looked around. Moonlight streamed in through large cathedral like windows, casting red and yellow amongst the silvery blue across the teetering oak bookcases.
This was my plan… find some books with evil Spells and plans in. Make ourselves known so that no one messes with us again. And, perchance find the book that Tina wanted for her quest and regain her friendship.
“I am going back,” Graham whispered, halfway up the steps.
I turned on him. “You can’t!”
He frowned. “Yes, I can!” with that he turned, walking back out of the Library, down the frozen river and away. Stupid idiot.
“We need to look for a book,” I said.
“You don’t say,” said Hunter gazing around.
For four hours we searched, Hunter was surprisingly diligent, the embarrassment of being the ‘losers of the school’, as he kept repeating, had seemed to spur him on. We grabbed books from all corners of the Library that looked like they might be of interest and laid them out on the table and one by one and leafed through them.
“There’s a Spell here,” said Robin. “That seals up someone’s mouth!”
“Err nasty,” said Hunter. “Might be useful though. Hey, I’ve got an evil plan. What we do is: ask the Eagles form to join us in the grounds on Sunday for a kind of rematch, but then somehow take them to that floating island, cut the ropes and leave them there!” he laughed.
“Yeah,” I said slowly. “I can see a slight hole in that plan.”
I was leafing through a book about demons, which sent chills down my spine. It was a horrible, nasty old book, something that my parents would love. In fact, when I was young I always had this nightmare, except, I later found out, it wasn’t a nightmare at all. It was real.
In this nightmare I am in the dungeons at home, hanging onto my Dad’s leg. He and Mum were raising demons in this salt circle. And then this thing, horrible, transparent and black, rose up from the ground like drooping tar or an waxwork melting upwards. Then it emitted this piercing scream that went through me. It stared at me with no eyes. Then I wake up sweating. Still gives me the shivers.
“Why don’t we raise a demon?” I said, joking and shivering a little as I tried to imagine it.
“No!” said Robin. “Straker told us about them, you never interfere with their world, they are dangerous and unpredictable.”
The contours of a plan were enfolding around my mind, but to do it would take serious guts. I wasn’t sure if I had those guts. Also, I didn’t know who I was maddest at, my brother Ross, or David Starlight. My secondary mission of finding Tina’s book had failed completely, I mean, it would help if I had any idea what I was looking for.
Hunter was asleep on the table and snoring loudly by three in the morning. I was knackered as well, but I still hadn’t found what I was looking for. We’d found loads of Spells but none that were particularly useful to what we wanted to do. But then, a breakthrough…
“Look, I think this will work,” Robin p
assed me this dusty old book. After I read I smiled and nodded.
***
It took me, Robin and Hunter a week to prepare and collect the relevant bits that we needed. In Straker’s boring-ass lesson, in which he continually teased us about our huge loss, Hunter found an old suit of armour head, covered in a dirty cloth that had gone all rusty.
But, even better… after leaving that lesson I spotted something on the wall. The corridors down in the dungeons always had something frightening, but this was another level. Me, Robin and Hunter had walked another way out of Straker’s lesson to avoid being rumbled as we made away with the suit of armour head, hidden under Hunter’s jumper.
“Stop,” I said, standing back. “Look at that…”
Robin and Hunter turned. “Woah…”
On the wall around us was the biggest skeleton I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know what it was, but it’s spine curved around the ceiling and down. Robin and Hunter didn’t know what I was so impressed with it, until they saw me pull off two long, charred, skeletal hands.
“Ahh, I see…” they chorused.
Robin took three large bedsheets from the Ghosts’ laundry cupboard and, panicking when they asked why, he said he wet himself in the night.
“Next time, use the chamber pot we provide!” called the Ghost.
Robin returned to the dorm very embarrassed. “The ghosts better not say nothing!” he spat.
“Hey,” said Hunter. “We’re already a laughing stock. Don’t think it’ll make much difference.”
While the dorm was free during lunch the next day, I had a scout around the room. I needed something blue and reflective. But I couldn’t find a thing! Then, it hit me. I was wearing it! Taking out a pair of scissors on my desk, I cut off two squares from the bottom of my robes, and cut them into circles. My robes looked even shabbier now, but at least they didn’t trail on the floor anymore. Pleased with myself, I returned to lunch to tell Robin and Hunter what I’d done.
It felt strangely exciting, standing in the boys bathroom, in the dead of night, over our collection of props and objects. Robin had a list of Spells to perform individually on each object so it most resembled what we were after. We practiced all night in that bathroom, trying out different Spells for this and that, arguing which was best.
“I think that will do now, I need my bed,” said Hunter yawning.
“It has to be perfect Hunter!” I said, rubbing my eyes and scanning the list of Spells for an alternative.
Robin took off the armour head, “I agree with Hunter, for once, Avis it’s really late, I’m really tired. Honestly what we’ve got looks good…” Robin backtracked as I gave him a funny look. “You know what I mean… not good… terrifying.”
“Okay fine…” I said smiling, as we stashed the objects away under the grate. For once, this plan felt like it might really work!
After a few more days of planning, the plan finally came to a head - we were finally ready for the first stage of being evil.
The target, was David Starlight…
Me, Robin and Hunter prepared ourself down a dark, empty corridor lined with animal skulls. We couldn’t use the boys bathroom as it was in use. A small grandfather clock on the wall chimed for ten o’clock, lights went out in five minutes.
“It’s time…” I said.
Robin climbed on top of Hunter’s shoulders and I threw the huge grey sheet over them. I passed Robin the armour mask, the shiny blue eyes and the long skeletal claws. Together, we said the Spells that transformed the collection of objects into a terrifying effigy. Small horns poked out of the armour head, which now looked like a long skull. The blue robe patches now shined bright beneath the skulled face. The long grey sheets, now a seamless black cape covering them in shadow. And the long skeletal, charred hands needed no Spellwork.
The person who now stood over me was not Robin and Hunter… it was Malakai.
They looked pretty dam terrifying in the darkness as they stood over me. Robin had found this Spell that deepens your voice and when he spoke it made the floor rumble. Hunter wore these big, thick black boots that he said didn’t make a noise, a gift from Partington who grew impatient with Hunter’s flat footed stomping. But, as Hunter said, “Wearing these will make it seem like we’re gliding along…”
Moving was a little trickier, Robin wobbled around on Hunters shoulders.
“Hold tighter!” I said. “Right, come on, let’s do this.” We walked slowly, through the darkness until we reached our destination. Outside the Eagle form’s dorm room. We waited, breath held, hearts beating. Any minute now David Starlight and the other Eagle boys would turn round that corner and see us. We had tracked them all week, found out where their dorm was, what time they use the bathrooms, everything.
Then at last, the sound of footsteps. I drew myself up to my full height and glanced one more time, up at the huge cloaked, skeletal face and blue glowing eyes of Malakai.
I heard the boys laughing jovially, light from the fire brackets illuminating the path ahead of them. But then, as they turned the corner the lights went out. Four of them stood there in the darkness looking about.
“That’s strange…” one of them said.
They didn’t see us at first… but then, with a click of my fingers, one fire bracket nearest us sparked blue flame. Slowly their eyes all moved as one towards us. Their faces froze, eyes wide, petrified to the floor. I recognised all of them from the Riptide match, their faces were the ones that laughed at us on the floor. You could have cut the silence with a blunt blade.
I looked down at my nails, inspecting them thoroughly. “Oh…” I said gently. “Hello boys.”
It was then, that David Starlights voice echoed along the corridor.
“Oi Jason! … Jason? Steve? What are you guys looking at?” he called in his bullish manor.
As he came round in his spotted pyjama’s, he circled his frozen friends, then caught their gaze and followed it. He saw me, grinned then as quick as lightning, his whole mouth dropped. Wiped from his face in one swipe. His eyes rolling upwards at the fake Malakai.
I stepped forward and spoke slowly. “Not so confident now are we boys?” Taking a moment to enjoy myself and mentally photographing their terrified faces, I did my best Blackthorn act. “Did I not mention it? I’m Malakai’s apprentice…”
David’s mouth twitched, his eyes gazing at the immense Malakai. “You? Why you?” He said it in a small voice, clearly some bravado remained.
“I’m a Blackthorn. This is who we are and believe me, the Spells he’s already shown me… Reptlylidiulis!”
From the ends of my hands grew a green and brown light that morphed into a giant snake. Giant neon fangs snapped the air in the front of them.
“AHHHH!” they all cried, stepping back.
“Please Avis,” gibbered one of them, hiding behind David. “We’ll do anything, please!”
I smiled. “Yes you will. If I hear you say anything nasty to anyone in my form, then something much worse than a snake will be after you…” My eyes rolled upwards to Malakai and with a loud poof of green smoke, the snake disappeared.
David was breathing heavily, his eyes darting around. “I’m not scared… you can’t do anything to us. We haven’t done anything wrong!”
I tried to smile confidently, but it was rather weak. David seemed confident all of a sudden.
“…YOU…” said Robin in the deep rumbling voice. “WILL OBEY AVIS BLACKTHORN.”
David backed away. “Yes… yes…” he said in small voice. “Anything…” The voice had scared him into submission! For once, Hunter had actually come up with an idea that worked!
But then, the worse possible thing happened. I was about to tell the Eagles to go, to run away and tell everyone that Avis Blackthorn is Malakai’s new apprentice, when… I… we all… heard this muffled… ACHOO!
“What was that?” said David looking around.
Impossibly, Hunter must have sneezed, because our fake Malakai began swaying. H
unter began flailing around. Robin lost his balance on top. Then, just as I aimed a balance correcting Spell at them - Hunter fell, tipping Robin backwards into the wall. With a sickening crunch Robin hit the floor. The grey cloak flying off over his head. Hunter and Robin lay in a tangled heap. The metal armour head now rolling away down the corridor. Both lay groaning.
What on earth did I do now?
David and the rest of the Eagles realised they’d been duped. I thought it was all over. That they’d call for the Lily and I’d be expelled or something. But no, it got a lot worse than that…
The five Eagle boys looked livid. David’s face went a puce purple colour with rage. His golden pendant lit up a fiery orange. I covered myself ahead of a tirade of Spells. But then, they looked away from me, into the darkness of the corridor. Then, they scarpered. As fast as they possibly could back the way they had come.
“What the hec?” I said, watching them run. What could have possibly made them run like that?
I felt this icy cold tingle run down my spine. Like someone had placed an ice cube down my shirt. I recognised that feeling. It was one I’d had nightmares about. One I never cared to have again. I turned slowly. Standing in the shadows, eight feet tall, skulled face hidden by shadow and gliding towards us with blue glowing eyes and long skeletal fingers… was the real Malakai. I couldn't speak, my breath caught somewhere in my stomach. Robin was tangled under the grey cloak, and Hunter lay panting on the floor, both oblivious to the impending danger. A voice echoed round my head, deep and awful.
“You could never be my apprentice. This insults me. Malakai does not employ dirty seventh sons!” spat the voice that resembled splitting wood. My heart was beating, I couldn't even run, my feet were frozen to the spot. “You are a disgrace to the Blackthorn name.”
This horrible whistling noise lit the air. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. An inky black substance rose from the cracks in the floor like a waxwork melting upwards. It looked straight at me with no eyes. Time stood still. My heart beating petrified. All at once it shot at Hunter. The demon leapt on top of him, screaming with joy as it began attacking him.
Avis Blackthorn: Is Not an Evil Wizard! Page 9