Escape to Witch City

by E. Latimer

  “I—yes,” Emma stammered, but Gerty was already gone, running full tilt down the narrow road leading to the square, her billowing sleeves flapping behind her.

  “She’s forcing him to control the ravens.” Emma turned back to the others. “That’s why she took him.”

  “What happens when she gets all of the keys?” Eliza’s voice was strained. “What happens when she doesn’t need him anymore?”

  Maddie blanched. “We’ve got to save him.”

  “Let’s go.” Emma shoved the cat statue into her bag before kicking off the ground once again. They were going to get Edgar.

  The three girls were halfway down the next street when a flare of orange fire appeared over the rooftops in the distance. Several streets away, a pillar of white smoke began to rise against the sky.

  “What was that?” Emma asked.

  “I don’t know. Look!” Eliza jabbed a finger toward the smoke. It wasn’t just smoke that was billowing into the sky. The flock of ravens had shifted, turning into a giant funnel as they rode the hot air from the flames.

  The girls exchanged a glance. Where Edgar was, his birds went.

  The streets were chaos now, filled with witches all staring up at the smoke. More witches in flight shot past overhead. They were all heading in the same direction, and a moment later the bells began to toll again, an alarm sounding out over the city.

  “Edgar,” Eliza mouthed, and Emma nodded, feeling her skin go hot and cold.

  Before any of them could move, there was a squawk and a flash of black, and a raven came barreling between them. Emma squeaked and leaned back instinctively, which sent her zipping back several feet.

  The large, glossy bird had landed in the middle of the road beneath them. It shook its wings out and tucked them away before fixing them with a piercing, black-eyed stare. Emma watched in astonishment as the raven hopped closer, ducking its head and bobbing up and down at them.

  “I think…I think it’s trying to say something.” She had to raise her voice over the noise of the bells.

  “Maybe Edgar sent it,” Maddie said eagerly. “Maybe he’s trying to tell us where he is!”

  They paused to watch the bird for a moment, and it watched them back, head cocked to one side. Then it crowed impatiently and took another series of sideways hops toward them.

  Emma was suddenly sure Maddie was right: the raven had been sent to find them. As she watched, the bird suddenly fluttered into motion, launching itself into the air and winging away down the street.

  “Quick, follow that raven!”

  It was very odd, attempting to follow a bird down the street. Emma and the others raced after it, down twisting side roads and bumpy alleyways, between rows of shops and stands. It was rather touch-and-go, and Emma worried they would lose the black bird among the rooftops. Several times she had a near miss, so fixated on keeping an eye on the bird that she almost ran into the side of a building. Making things even more difficult, the city itself seemed to sense a threat, and the streets had begun to shift very rapidly. One moment Emma was looking at a wide-open lane, and the next she found herself heading straight toward a very tall, crooked building that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

  The raven gave a throaty cry and banked sharply, and Emma gasped, doing her best to follow before she slammed straight into a sign hanging on the front, which was shaped like a giant boot. It was frustrating, but Emma and the others forced themselves to slow down and carefully navigate the bends and forks in the roads that appeared and disappeared.

  Thankfully, it didn’t take them long to figure out where the bird was heading. Over the tops of the buildings, they could see the stage where the dancers had been only a few hours ago.

  “The parliament!” Maddie cried, as they made a beeline through a strangely empty square and straight for the steps of the building. “How is she hiding there? Isn’t it swarming with witches?”

  “They’re all going for the smoke, the explosion,” Eliza said, and then turned to look at Emma with wide eyes.

  Cold dropped down Emma’s back as she met Eliza’s stare; she knew they’d realized the same thing at the same moment. “She’s distracted them.”

  Eliza nodded. “It’s a decoy.”

  The parliament. The well of fire. The city’s core. Emma’s mouth tasted sour, and her throat felt thick and tight. Whatever the queen was planning, it couldn’t be good.

  The raven flew straight to the statue at the front of the parliament building and settled on the upraised hand of the witch. When Emma landed at the base and looked up at it, the bird cocked its head and made a hollow clicking noise.

  Emma kicked off and flew past the statue, straight up the length of the stairs, before settling down at the top near the entrance. The others followed, stopping at the wide double doors. Emma looked around, confused.

  The guards were nowhere in sight.

  It didn’t seem like a good sign, but there was nothing for it but to push on.

  She took a breath and pressed on the right door. It swung open easily. Emma marched through, her own pulse thrumming in her ears, and then stopped just inside the short hallway beyond, pulling up so quickly she nearly spun backward. There, standing in the front hall, his face miserable, was the witch hunter, Tobias McCraw.

  He was already shaking his head frantically. “Sh-she found me. I’m supposed to guard the door.”

  Emma narrowed her eyes at him, half triumphant. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted!”

  McCraw’s brow was creased as he looked first at Emma and then at Eliza and Maddie. “I can’t let you past.” His voice broke strangely on the last note. “Sh-she has my mother. If I cooperate, she says she won’t hurt her.”

  “She has Edgar too.” Emma edged toward the inner door, dismayed when Tobias stepped solidly in front of her, shaking his head.

  “I’m so sorry, but I can’t let you—”

  “You’re happy to let us past, in fact, you were just about to go.”

  Maddie’s voice, from behind her. Emma watched as Tobias McCraw blinked, looking suddenly dazed, and then nodded slowly. “Uh, yes. I’d be happy to let you through. Go ahead, children.”

  He stepped aside, holding the door open for them.

  Emma darted a look at Maddie, who shrugged apologetically and hissed, “What other choice do we have?”

  She was right.

  Emma stole through last, making sure the others got past. She felt a wave of guilt as she did so, and whispered as they slipped by, “I’m sorry about this.” She’d have to apologize to him again later on, for accusing him of lying when she’d first arrived in the city. She really had been wrong about him.

  Tobias McCraw only nodded at her and then gave her a lopsided, slightly baffled smile before closing the door behind them.

  They paused at the second set of doors. The right side had been left open a crack, and Emma inched forward and peered through.

  The room beyond was lit by gas lamps along the walls. The flutter of wings drew Emma’s attention upward, and she saw ravens circling just below the wide-domed windows, the flickering lantern light flashing across their black wings.

  Two people stood in the center of the room within the circle of chairs, facing one another across the expanse of the crystal well. Edgar was on one side, standing very straight, his face pale but determined. And on the other side was Queen Alexandria.

  Emma felt the back of her neck prickle as the queen stepped around the well and closer to her son—and by chance, to her. Now she could hear it, the faint thud-thud, thud-thud—the Noise that had followed them in the In-Between, that she’d sensed in the forest, that she’d heard in the square.

  The same pulse she’d attributed to the witch hunter, all that time.

  Speaking of the witch hunter, Emma didn’t see any sign of Tobias McCraw’s mother. She chewed her lower lip, though
ts racing. That might mean the man was lying, and that he was simply helping the queen because he was on her side. If that was the case, they’d have to account for how fast Maddie’s lie would wear off.

  “Can’t you make your birds get here any faster? Do remember that lives are at stake, young prince.” The queen held up what looked like a sheaf of papers—posters, Emma realized—and shook them at Edgar with a poisonous smile.

  “Don’t threaten me.” Edgar drew himself up. His face was fierce, his chin in the air. He spoke as if he’d loaded every ounce of princely contempt into his voice. “You’re a murderer. You have the blood of children on your hands.”

  Emma couldn’t help but admire his firm tone.

  The queen gave him an icy stare. “Witches, not children. They’re monsters, Edgar.”

  “Remember who you’re talking to. I’m one of those monsters.” Edgar shook his head, his expression full of disgust. “And you are too, I finally realize. The difference is that you’re too much of a coward and a hypocrite to accept it. I’m ashamed I ever called you my mother.”

  Queen Alexandria drew back, her face pale. Two spots of color were visible high on her cheeks, and she looked suddenly furious. Then slowly, her expression hardened. Emma’s blood ran cold as the queen’s mouth twisted into a sharp, vicious smile.

  “You think I came after you because I wanted you back? You’re a means to an end, Edgar. You can get me the keys, and I can take them back with me. And then I will wipe my sister’s little town off the map.”

  “You can’t,” Edgar snapped at her. “They’re bound to know what your plan is. They’ll stop you going through the In-Between.”

  The queen laughed—a short, contemptuous sound. “Lenore is an idiot. She thinks I’m restricted to her pathetic In-Between, as if I’m not more powerful than all of you put together.”

  Emma felt a stab of alarm, and beside her Eliza shifted, like she was about to leap forward. Maddie kept glancing over at her with wide eyes, but Emma put one hand out to stop her, her mind working furiously.

  They had no plan, not really. They’d been in such a hurry to find Edgar that they hadn’t stopped to think what they’d do once they found him.

  Silently, she mouthed at Maddie, Lie to her? And then, pointing to herself and Eliza, We’ll go for Ed.

  Thankfully, Maddie seemed to understand. She looked very nervous, but she nodded and crept forward a little.

  After what seemed like forever, the queen turned away from Edgar, staring down into the crystal basin. She was facing away from the door now. Emma nudged the others and nodded, kicking off the floor again, into the air. She bellowed at the top of her lungs, “Maddie, now!”

  This had the effect she wanted, as the queen whirled around to face her, her face slack with shock. It gave Maddie time to step forward, and say loudly, “Y-you have to get to the In-Between. The keys are waiting for you there.”

  There was a second of silence as the queen stared at Maddie, brow creased. Emma held her breath, blood rushing in her ears. It had to work.

  If it didn’t…

  Queen Alexandria’s brow suddenly softened. The posters she’d been holding slipped out of her grip, hitting the floor at her feet with a soft thwack. “Ah, yes. I’ve got…to get there.”

  Emma almost laughed in relief as the queen turned for the door and took a staggering step toward the exit. Out of the corner of her eye, Emma could see that Eliza had crept sideways and was now beckoning wildly to Edgar.

  Edgar nodded, eyes wide, and began to edge slowly sideways, away from the well.

  Emma relaxed ever so slightly as Edgar put more space between him and his mother, but she froze when the queen stopped abruptly. Alexandria shuddered and shook her head, her face twitching. And then her expression shifted from blankness to sheer fury. She began to whirl around, hands raised. Panicked, Emma launched herself into the air.

  A moment later, Emma’s shoulder struck the queen across her cheek and temple. She felt something slam into her stomach, something that knocked the wind out of her and sent her plummeting downward. Together they hit the marble floor, and a scream of pain and outrage sounded deafeningly close to Emma’s left ear.

  The queen screamed again, scrambling to her feet. And then, to Emma’s surprise, she swooped forward and grabbed a handful of posters from the floor.

  Before any of them could move, the sound of pounding footsteps echoed through the room, and then Captain McCraw came hurtling through the door. The queen stood, frozen, as he charged toward her, his face screwed up in determination.

  “Let go of my mother!”

  Emma had a split second to wonder what on earth McCraw was talking about. Then he collided with the queen with an awful crash, knocking them both flat. The queen’s eyes went wide as she hit the marble floor and she screamed in outrage, snatching at his cloak, clawing at his face. Then there was a loud crack and a puff of smoke, and Queen Alexandria and Captain McCraw were gone, papers floating gently to the ground in their wake.

  For a moment no one said anything, and then Edgar asked softly, “Is she…gone?”

  Another crack rang out, and the queen reappeared directly behind Maddie, her face filled with vicious triumph. Emma had time for a wordless scream of warning, and Maddie turned just as the queen shoved her violently into the marble wall. There was an audible thwack as Maddie’s skull made contact, and she crashed to the floor. Her face was white as she curled her knees up to her chest.

  “Maddie!” Edgar launched himself forward, and there was a shrieking cry from overhead as several of the ravens plummeted out of the air, hurtling toward the queen.

  Queen Alexandria screamed, throwing a hand up to protect herself. She disappeared, and the ravens plunged through the empty air with disappointed cries. Edgar gave a shout of outrage, which cut off abruptly as Queen Alexandria materialized behind him, snaking an arm around his throat.

  “No!” Flames sprang from Eliza’s fingers and raced up her arms, and Emma scrambled up from the floor, rage crashing through her. They stood across from the queen, flames lighting up the space between them. Emma looked down at the posters scattered across the floor, blood rushing in her ears. The queen, the way she was vanishing and reappearing…

  “Eliza, the posters! You’ve got to burn them!” Emma glanced down at the nearest one, shocked to see the face of Captain McCraw, his eyes wide in terror, his arms thrown up in front of him. Her gaze whipped to the other papers, and a horrified shudder went through her.

  There. On the nearest sheet of paper, a detailed painting of a woman in a black robe with golden buttons, her blond hair pulled back in a tight bun, a look of shock on her sun-lined face. And there. Another poster: her fellow guard, one hand thrown up, his mouth frozen open in surprise. And the poster beside them—an older woman with salt-and-pepper hair. Tobias McCraw’s mother.

  They were all there, frozen in the papers. Trapped.

  Emma leapt forward and snatched the posters, heart beating furiously. This was far worse than she’d thought. “She’s using these.” She raised her voice above the sound of the ravens, thrusting one of the posters up for Eliza and Edgar to see. “Look.”

  Edgar stopped struggling against the queen’s grip to stare at the image of Tobias McCraw’s face, a look of horror spreading across his features as he realized what the queen had done. Eliza, too, figured it out. Her flames flared higher, and she cast an arm down at one of the posters, sending a ball of flame across to curl and blacken the paper.

  There was a pulse pounding in Emma’s ears now, so familiar—though faster than usual—and she knew if she opened the door all the way, if she let the power crash through her in a rush, she could stop the queen’s heart in her chest. Instead, she cracked it open a sliver, and then a tiny bit more, clenching her teeth in concentration.

  Queen Alexandria released Edgar abruptly, shoving him so that he stumbled and
hit the ground on his hands and knees with a grunt. She started to turn for Eliza, eyes on the burning poster, when she froze. Her face went white, and she pressed a hand to her chest.

  Sweat broke out on Emma’s brow. “If you move, I’ll stop your heart. Eliza, the posters.”

  Eliza rushed forward, casting flames onto the papers strewn across the floor, which began to shrivel and blacken rapidly.

  Alexandria was still clutching at her chest, gasping. Her eyes snapped up and met Emma’s, and Emma felt a cold chill drop down her spine.

  Before anyone could move, a voice rang out across the room.

  “Everyone please stay exactly where you are.”

  Lenore Black stood in the doorway. Perched on one shoulder was a large black raven, and when Emma glanced over at Edgar, he’d hauled himself up into a sitting position, and was now staring at his mother with a cold smile.

  When the raven on Lenore’s arm spotted him, it gave a satisfied croak and launched itself into the air; it flew across the room and landed on Edgar’s arm. The prince reached up to place one hand on the bird’s feathered back.

  “You’re finished, Your Majesty,” Lenore said firmly. “Time to give up.”

  As Lenore spoke, Emma saw them. Council witches stood silhouetted in every doorway, blocking each exit and entrance to the stone room. When she glanced up, she could see more overhead, hovering over the domed windows.

  The queen was surrounded on all sides.

  Relief swept through her.

  “Emma, you and the others behind me, please.” Lenore’s voice was firm but steady, and Emma turned to obey. Before she’d taken a step though, the queen began to laugh.

  It was a high, unpleasant sound, and it sent shivers down Emma’s back.

  “Something amuses you, Your Majesty?” Lenore’s voice was cool, but Emma was sure she detected tension beneath it.

  “Only this,” the queen said, still smiling. “I have hunted you and your filthy kind all my life, and I don’t intend to stop now.”