by B. J. Smash
“Stop, Ivy! Stop, Ivy!” the crowd chanted. “We hate you! You belong to Izadora! We hate Izadora! She put us here! You just want to keep us here!”
“You are wrong!” I said, but was pelted in the face with a rotten tomato. It sloshed down my tattered shirt and to the ground but I continued to run, and made it through the archway of flowers.
Never-the-less, the crowd would not have it. They came after me from all sides, grabbing my arm, pulling my hair. My poor scalp was really starting to become sore. I wished that my hair were shorter! As they pulled and pushed me, Ladriant, once again, stepped in. He grabbed a man by the shirt sleeve and shoved him down. Another man was digging his nails into my back got a punch to the face and he flopped to the ground. A woman held my arm tightly and I head-butted her. It probably hurt me more than it did her…but she backed off.
The queen yelled for them to stop. “Stand down! Stand down!” But the crowd would not listen and she didn’t have control over them any longer. The other Fae sat atop their horses and watched like it was a grand play.
Ladriant shoved the rest of the people aside and pushed his way ahead of me. I thought for sure he was going for the bottle but he stopped and turned. He did something totally unexpected.
He faced me and held his arm out to the side. I smiled inwardly…my face hurt too much to smile on the outside. Ladriant was signaling an old elven tactic used in battles. Drumm had taught me this move and we had practiced it a few times, but I was not expecting what was about to happen.
I pushed my way through the crowd, fighting for my life, and ran like hell toward Ladriant. I grabbed his forearm that he held out so powerfully and he clasped mine. Our arms locked together and he spun me around with great speed. At first I was just running on everyone’s face but as he gained speed, I was kicking them hard and knocking them down.
He spun me around in full circles for a grand total of five times and at the end of the fifth circle, he flung me past the rocky valley and to the base of the hill. While in the air, I did three flips and landed on the ground like a professional gymnast.
I was out of reach now and the people couldn’t catch me if they tried. When the crowd realized this, they folded in on Ladriant. He stayed behind and fought them off and gave me the chance to go for the bottle. I would never forget that he helped me.
I passed two strangers arguing. They were stuck in the mud and I think they’d given up. Ahead of me, Snake Man climbed through the brown goo, trying with all of his might to catch up to Tom who was now behind Ella.
In the forefront…William escaped the mud and ran for the bottle. I couldn’t believe my eyes! William?! Of all the people to get to the djinn bottle first! I would have never guessed it would be William! Izadora had told me once, “Never underestimate, anyone.” She was correct on that score. I couldn’t catch him now even if I could fly. No one could. Not Ella, not Tom, and certainly not Snake Man.
William didn’t have his eye patch on and his face glowed with pride. His crooked smile spanned from one ear to the next as he approached the djinn bottle. He reached down and lifted it from the eagles nest. Holding the bottle over his head, he called out in victory.
“Tom! I got the bottle! I got the bottle! Now your mam is free from Magella!” William cried to the heavens.
I had ran past Tom and now looked back to see his face. His dirty blond hair stuck to his forehead. What William had just said, rocked me to the core. “Magella?” I said.
“Long story,” Tom replied, but there was no time for explanations. Tom’s mouth fell open and his eyes bugged out of his head. I turned to see what his problem was.
Ella clung to William’s arm like a big flirt. “Oh William! It’s so beautiful! Can I see it?”
William—being the gentle soul that he is—held the bottle out for Ella to see. “Sure!”
“NO WILLIAM! NO!” both Tom and I screamed.
William was so caught up in the moment that he ignored us. I ran toward Ella. The only thing to do was tackle her before she rubbed that bottle! And as I was closing in on her, she grabbed the bottle from William…and rubbed the side.
I went for her anyway but it was like hitting a rock wall, and I was tossed backwards. The djinn bottle was somehow protecting her from getting plowed to the ground. Ella was now…untouchable.
I stood back and watched.
“Dammit, William!” Tom screamed.
William ran over to me and stood beside me, his head hung low.
At first Ella looked to the sky and took a long, deep breath heaving her chest out. Then a wicked smile spread across her face. She clung to the bottle so tightly her knuckles were white.
“Yesssss!” she bellowed out. “Yes! I will rule...” she began to say, but was interrupted by the white mist that snaked its way out of the top of the djinn bottle. Ever-so-slowly it crept out, making a hissing noise, drifting out before Ella. The mist slowly took the form of a woman; a breath-taking woman with long, black, wavy hair that hit right above her waist.
A long string of pearls hung down over her back and clung to the front of her neck. It was like wearing a necklace backwards but she did it so fashionably. Her back was bare underneath her hair. When she turned to look at us, four peacock feathers stemmed up from her gold belt and fanned out over her breasts, covering them. You could see the center of her chest, but nothing else. Below the gold belt there was nothing but wispy trails of smoke.
She wore gold hoops in her ears and a gold nose ring. Her lips were ruby red and the perfect size for her perfectly shaped face. Her nose was slender and her eyebrows arched high. Her eyelashes were thick and long, and each time she batted them at us…her eye color would change! And her olive colored skin glowed even without the sun.
“I am Sabina. Who dares to disturb my slumber?” At the moment, her eyes were white and she cast an icy look upon us.
If I had just woken up this djinn, her attitude might have freaked me out. I might be cowering, and shaking in my shoes for a moment or two. Not Ella. She took command from her first breath.
“I did. And now you must do as I wish.” Ella’s snotty look didn’t faze the djinn but everyone else gasped.
Ella might think she knows a whole bunch about djinn’s and genie’s but when it all boiled down to it, they were extremely powerful and wicked tricksters.
“Make your three wishes and let me get back to sleep,” Sabina demanded.
Ella lifted her eyebrows and said, “Just hold your horse’s lady. I’m the boss right now. And my first wish will be…”
She looked at me and creases formed around her mouth as she smiled. “I wish that I could have the knowledge of every single spell that Izadora Seaforth knows.”
“Ah man,” Tom whispered.
William, who had been standing by my side, said, “Wow. That’s like taking a bite from Adam and Eve’s apple, ain’t it Tom?”
“Oh shut-up you stupid hillbillies. I can handle it,” Ella said.
We all clamped our mouths shut as the djinn moved her hands back and forth like she was patting silk. She then raised her hands above her head and clasped them. She appeared to be looking beyond us and into a different realm. The next time she blinked, her eye color changed to red.
William grabbed my arm. He towered over me by a foot but his facial expression reminded me of a lost puppy. Tom sneezed and apologized to the djinn, as if she’d strike him dead for disturbing her. Snake Man stood next to Tom, his mouth agape. His snake had buried its head underneath its own tail.
The strange men that I couldn’t remember the names of, had hightailed it out of here. The queen and the crowd couldn’t possibly hear what was going on but they stood watching after us. I noticed that Darvon was now standing next to the queen.
Suddenly, the earth shook and the djinn’s voice changed to a deeper tone, and when she spoke it sounded like bells ringing in her throat. “Your wish is my command. You will now have the knowledge of every spell that Izadora Seaforth knows.”
&nb
sp; A wind whipped through the valley and came for us like a flood of water. The wind appeared as white light and sparks flew out from its folds. It rushed by us, causing me to stumble but I was able to remain standing. William fell for a loop and landed on his back. Tom and Snake Man were forced to their knees as the white light whipped its way around Ella, encasing her whole body, and then disappearing into each of her ears.
“Holy Moses!” Tom yelled.
Ella’s face flashed white, and for a moment I thought she might explode. Her body shook and vibrated. Her teeth chattered and a steady hum escaped her mouth. None of us knew what to do.
Finally she simmered down and appeared more normal, but her breathing was unsteady. She tightened her fists and screamed, “What a rush! The knowledge that I have now…”
She looked to me and if I thought her smile was wicked before, it was pure evil now.
“Oh Ivy. You have no idea. And your sister will be my servant and I will marry her husband.” Ella breathed deeply to calm herself but she continued to vibrate.
So, she was going for my sister after all. She was so jealous of Zinnia that she couldn’t stand it. I would fight to help Zinnia somehow but right now I was helpless. William stood and made his way back to my side. Tom and Snake Man stood as well, never taking their eyes from the djinn.
“Will you save your two wishes or shall I grant them now?” the djinn asked. Her arms were folded over her chest and she wasn’t impressed.
“I will use one more now. Oh this is going to be a good one. The town will surely like it.” She glanced at the townspeople, and a boisterous laugh escaped her mouth.
While Ella enjoyed herself, I noticed the djinn kept looking toward the west. She’d watch Ella, and then glance nervously to the forest. What could make a djinn nervous? I mean…she was a djinn!
Ella noticed that I wasn’t watching her and this made her angry. “Ivy! Pay attention. You are going to enjoy this one. You don’t really like Izadora do you? Wouldn’t you like to be free of her?”
She had my full attention now and no one was going to mess with my mentor. “No. Ella. You will not harm Izadora!” I stood firmly, my feet planted in the mud.
“Oh dear.” She faked a yawn and patted her mouth. “It seems like I’m the one with the djinn bottle.”
“Djinn. I would like you to bring Izadora here. And I will make her powerless. I will let the townsfolk do what they will with her.” Ella belted out a sinister laugh.
“No! Don’t!” I yelled. The townspeople hated Izadora. If she were powerless, they’d tear her to shreds.
“Your wish is my command.” Again, the djinn’s voice sounded like bells. This time, she held out her folded arms and blinked four times. Each time her eye color changed from white, to green, to blue, and then red.
Again, the earth shook but more violently this time. An ear piercing sound like singing crystal caused everyone to clasp their ears. An avalanche of rocks fell into the valley and dirt whooshed up in their wake. This time the townsfolk seemed panicked as a loud rumbling noise came from behind them, and a black tornado whipped out of the forest. Every tree or plant in its pathway was crushed or uprooted. The whirring of its winds made a horrible humming sound.
Screams could be heard as the townsfolk were blocked in by rocks on one side, and a tornado on the other. But just as soon as it started, it ended. The tornado subsided, leaving Izadora standing on a rickety wooden contraption with wheels. It reminded me of the platform that they used to hang witches in Old Salem. I had to laugh a little. All the power that Ella had just harnessed; all of the spells that she had just learned….and she still couldn’t make Izadora stand on the ground. This was due to Aggie; Izadora’s mother. Aggie’s spell specifically stated that Izadora could not touch the ground. If she did, she’d turn to dust.
My eyes focused in on Ladriant. He stood the closest to Izadora and her wooden contraption. I could only hope that he’d defend her, because at that very moment Ella was chanting words and stealing Izadora’s power.
I’d read this spell before. If I remember right, it was on page seven hundred and seventy one. It was only used to take the powers from witches that had abused their power. According to Izadora, it had only been used a handful of times. You had to really abuse your power—and I mean be really bad to the core—for this spell to be used.
I felt pity for Izadora. As soon as Ella finished the chant, Izadora buckled and bent over at the waist. She was sickly. She’d never been without power before. I bit my bottom lip so hard that I drew blood. I already had a fat lip and this made it worse, but I did not care.
The only one…the only person that could save Izadora now…was me.
Ella hadn’t stopped tee-heeing since Izadora appeared and became weak and decrepit. I felt light-headed from my anger. I tightened my fists so hard that my nails cut into my palms. It took every ounce of willpower I had not to clock Ella in the mouth. Not that I’d be able to break the barrier, but I felt like trying.
She was so cruel. So wicked.
The color red shadowed my vision. That only happened when my temper was so great that I couldn’t hold my emotions in. But I swallowed hard and forced myself to calm. I remembered all the times that Izadora told me that I needed to hold back my emotion.
“Do not let the enemy see you sweat!” she’d say over and over.
Somehow, I was able to bring my pulse back to normal. When I did this, I realized that Ella and the djinn had been arguing. Tom, William and Snake Man were all bug eyed and in awe.
“I do not wish to leave Helsberg. Make your last wish.” The djinn glanced at the forest.
“Too bad. I’m the leader. You must obey my wish. If I get you back to Merribay, then I can figure out a way to get three more wishes from you.”
“Ella? Really? You think that’s possible?” I couldn’t believe my ears! She was fool enough to think she could trick the djinn into giving her three more wishes?
“Something in Izadora’s spells tells me that it is quite possible,” Ella said.
“You…are dumb,” I said plainly, but in actuality, I didn’t doubt it. Izadora probably did know of a way to trick a djinn into handing out three more wishes.
“Oh Ivy. You just wait until you get back to Merribay. Oh wait…you won’t be going back to Merribay!” she giggled. “But I will.”
“What about Darvon? Isn’t’ he your boyfriend or something?” I asked, trying to stall her.
“Ha! No. I just used him to get where I am now,” she giggled.
The djinn’s face fell at the mention of Darvon’s name and if I didn’t know any better, I would say the great and mighty djinn was upset. Ella didn’t notice and she called out her wish.
”My wish is for us to return to Merribay,” she pointed at the djinn.
The djinn sighed a lengthy sigh, and said, “Your wish is my command.”
A tunnel of light shot down from the heavens, causing all of us to jump back. Inside this column of light, a swirl of colors circled round and round. It was something to be seen with all the vibrant colors. Reds, oranges, and yellows. It was mesmerizing and I wanted to walk over and touch it. But I knew better. What stood before us was a portal. The perfect way to get where you are going. And it could also be used for time travel. I knew this because I had been reading one of Maximus’ books over the past several months and it was chock full of cool stuff.
Ella stepped into the light and the djinn looked forlornly to the forest, and as she was being sucked back into the bottle, she said, “I’m so sorry Ameena!” Ella sighed with impatience and as soon as the djinn had completely entered the bottle, the tunnel of lights began to swirl around faster and faster. Abruptly, the light shot back up into the heavens, and whoosh…they were gone.
If Ella took over Merribay we were doomed. I had no doubt that she would try to keep us in Helsberg, and the worst part about that – Luican would die. Sadly, that was the least of my worries right now. Saving Izadora was first priority.
Chapter Twenty Two
Snake Man shrugged his shoulders like it was just another day, and began his trek back down the hill. I stood there, dumbfounded. The djinn had just said, “Ameena.” Who the heck was Ameena? One of the townsfolk? A unicorn? A place?
William looped his arm through mine and said, “You better get down there.” He pointed at the crowd.
When I didn’t answer, Tom said, “You okay Ivy? You look like you seen a ghost.”
“I haven’t seen a ghost but something fishy is going on here,” I said. We started to walk down the muddy slope, and the realization of what just happened hit me. Feeling defeated, I said, “Now what am I going to do? If I only tried harder to get that stupid bottle!”
“Hey, it ain’t yer fault. Ol’ doe-eyed William is the one who handed the bottle off!” Tom said.
“I thought Ella was my friend. She let me braid her hair at camp once,” William defended himself.
“That unholy sack o’turd ain’t no one’s friend!” Tom was really letting William have it. While I was a little upset that William had let Ella grab the bottle, I knew he hadn’t meant for it to happen. So, I thought I would put the heat on Tom for a minute.
“Hey, Tom. Tell me why you and William are here for Magella,” I said, remembering what William had said when he picked up the djinn bottle.
William gasped but ignored my question. Instead he looked to the sky and said, “Sun might come out.”
Tom’s face reddened and his mouth twitched. “Well…it ain’t what you think.”
“While we climb over these rocks, tell me why you are here for Magella,” I said. While Tom began to talk, I watched the townspeople closely. They were surrounding Izadora’s wooden contraption and yelling expletives at her. There was no doubt in my mind that I needed to get down there as fast as possible, but I still needed to know what Magella had to do with this race.