“And we can’t change any of this?” Fletcher gestures at the frozen figures in front of them, even though he knows the answer.
“It’s horrible just watching it play out and not stopping it. It feels like we’re condoning it.” Ellis is still crying, and Fletcher hugs her.
“I’ll wake them all up, and then we stick to her, like glue. It’s the only thing we can change without undoing years and years of history and causing who knows what problems.”
They all look sad as Elodie undoes the magic, and everybody moves again.
“Get closer to her,” Elodie tells Fletcher, and together with Ellis, he moves behind Sadie.
Sadie beams at Ellery and Fletcher and Ellis hang on every word.
“Ah, Ellery, Ellery, why did I doubt you?”
Ellery shrugs, and Sadie pulls her in for a hug.
“I guess I’ll need your help even more now.”
“For what?”
“For what? You’re a clever witch, Ellery, but an innocent. The next phase, of course.”
“The next phase of what?”
Fletcher squeezes Ellis’s hand. They already know what the next phase of Sadie’s plan is.
“Well, what’s the point of being in charge and having all the power if you do nothing with it?” Sadie asks and Ellery remains silent. “Oh, Ellery, I’m so excited and I have you to thank for it all.”
Ellery smiles thinly. “Tell me about the next phase.”
“I will. I’ve been planning this for years. So, step one, kill off the fae. I know, I know, your sister is half fairy, but we’ll keep her.”
Ellery coughs and Fletcher wishes he could reach out to her, to give her some comfort. Imagine thinking you were helping your species and then realising that you’d set something so terrible in motion?
Sadie continues outlining her demented plan. “But the rest of them? Urgh – they’re too good, too perfect, too kind. We don’t need them, and I don’t want them. It’ll be easy enough to round them all up – quietly – we don’t want the other countries of the world catching on and making us stop. Then we’ll kill them.”
“How?”
“What does it matter? Quickly and quietly.”
Ellery nods. “And then?”
“The shifters are slippery – if you try to have them do your bidding they’ll just shift into a bug and fly away, so we’ll probably kill them, or lock them up, or bind their magic. I keep thinking I’m missing something. If we get rid of the fairies and the shifters, will we really be any worse off?”
Ellery doesn’t answer her, but Fletcher and Ellis wish that they could.
“Ooh, maybe we kill the shifters and use the fairies as slaves. We can clip their wings and subdue them easily enough, I think. Ellery – it’s all still developing, really. As you can tell!”
“And the vampires?”
“Well, we’ll use them first, to kill all the humans.”
“Kill all the humans? Won’t people notice?”
“Maybe. But what else are they good for?”
Ellery shrugs and shakes her head.
Sadie goes on. “For now, I’ll let them all go home, call off their people, stop all the fighting, give them a week or so, while I decide for definite and then I’ll start. It’s so exciting.”
“Very.”
Sadie bustles off to another witch who is beckoning her over, and Ellery catches her sister’s eye. When Alex joins her sister, Elodie joins Fletcher and Ellis, the three of them silent witnesses.
“She’s gone mad.”
“What do you mean?”
“She doesn’t want to stop the war and be in charge of all the creatures to ensure peace. She wants to clip the fairies’ wings, and kill the shifters, or the other way around. She wants to use the vampires to kill the humans and-” Ellery bends in half, breathing ragged.
“Breathe.” Alex takes her sister’s hand and leads her away, smiling, and Elodie turns to Fletcher. “Reading about it all was bad enough, but being here, unable to put a stop to it... awful.”
They are silent, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, until they leave and follow the coven back to their home. They congregate in the hallway, watching Sadie gloat. Elodie whispers, “I think we need to take turns in following her. Even if you two want to stick together, and I go alone. Three is too many, and if we overcrowd her and she senses us, or feels us... I don’t want to risk anything going wrong now.”
Fletcher nods. “We’ll stick together, I don’t want Ellis on her own.”
Elodie nods, assuming that was the stance he would take. “That’s fine. Just be careful. While she’s here, we can all watch her together, but we can’t mess this up.”
They are quiet and sombre faced as they watch Sadie and the other witches celebrate. The only witches who aren’t happy are Ellery and her half-sister, Alex. They are smiling and laughing, but the joy doesn’t meet their eyes.
“I don’t mind being on my own with her, if I need to,” Ellis tells Fletcher. “She won’t know I’m there.”
“We should be fine together but thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m trying to be brave in the middle of a ridiculously scary and horrendous situation.”
Fletcher laughs and kisses her forehead.
They turn their attention back to Sadie and her insane celebrations.
“I feel sick watching her,” Fletcher says. “Knowing that she started all of this, knowing that she wanted to kill everybody.”
“Like Zeta,” Ellis says, clutching onto his hand. “I’m scared. What would happen if they find us?”
“They won’t.” Although he is whispering, his tone is forceful. “I won’t let you come to any harm.”
They stand together, the three of them, silent and watchful, unsure of when Sadie will make her move, and add to the spell.
“She won’t do it here,” Elodie says. “I think she’ll do it when she’s alone. Or with some of her closest friends.”
They have no choice but to wait, and then Sadie slips away, alone, and they follow her.
She hums as she walks through the corridors, pleased with herself. Elodie hangs back and gestures for Fletcher and Ellis to go without her.
Fletcher is ahead of Ellis but still far behind Sadie. They are both walking as quietly as they can, trying to make no noise, breathing through open mouths to make less noise.
Sadie pauses, and so does Fletcher. Ellis just stops herself from colliding with him. Sadie looks around, suspicion on her face. They are invisible, but they both freeze.
She turns and carries on, and they continue to follow her, even more carefully.
Up some stairs and around a bend, she opens her bedroom door. Fletcher ushers Ellis inside and then before he can follow her Sadie shuts the door, locking it.
Fletcher is on the other side of the door, helpless. He cannot hear anything, so he can only hope that she was being careful and cautious and that she doesn’t know about them following her. She can’t do. He shakes his head and tries to magic a way into the room. Nothing works. He puts his ear to the door one more time. He can hear Sadie humming, but nothing else. Ellis must be okay. But he might need some help. He turns and runs back to fetch his mother.
Ellis
Fletcher ushers me inside and before he can follow me, Sadie pushes the door shut and locks it. I scuttle over to the window as far away as I can from her, so she doesn’t accidentally walk into me, and flatten myself against the wall. She’s humming as she takes a seat on a huge armchair.
Then she waves a hand around, whispers something I cannot hear and then says, “You look ridiculous flattened up against the wall like a painting. Who are you and why are you following me?”
She can see me. I peel myself off the wall, I almost faint, I hold out my hand, stupidly, because I could always see myself.
“Are you going to speak or just look at me with your mouth agape like a thirsty dog?”
I shut my mouth and take a seat opposite her. I cannot s
tand. I will faint. Or cry. Or die. “How did you know I was here?”
“I am the most powerful witch in the country. Why are you wearing such strange attire?”
I look down at my jeans and top and look over at her dress. I suppose I look strange to her. I need Fletcher.
“He can’t hear you.”
She can read my thoughts?
“A little. Nobody can hear you, and nobody can get in here without my say so, and I could kill you in a second if I wanted to.”
I clamp a hand over my mouth and think only about cheese. And trying not to throw up.
“Really?” She shakes her head. “You are a very odd young lady. You sneak up on me, invisible, skulking, you try to blend into my wall, you are wearing the most bizarre clothes and thinking about cheese. I might just kill you and save myself from this troublesome conversation.”
“Please don’t.” Now is obviously not the time to think about cheese – I was only trying to block my thoughts so she couldn’t use them against me, in fairness.
“Young lady. This is my coven, and my bedroom. Magic won’t work in here. Are you a witch?”
I nod.
“So try nothing. I’m the head witch, so I’m the most powerful.”
I’m- I almost think it, then I block my thoughts off.
“You’re what?”
I shake my head. “I’m scared.”
She laughs. “You should be. This room is protected. Your young man won’t be able to get in, so you need to tell me who you are, and what you’re up to. Then I will assess the threat you pose, and either kill you or turn you into a mouse.”
I choke. I think I was trying to breathe, my breath got caught, the cough came and now it won’t stop.
She’s not sympathetic to me. She’s just looking at me, like I’m some strange specimen. Which, to her, I suppose I am. I cry. I can’t help it. I’m not feeling brave here.
She rolls her eyes. “Are you an assassin or something? You’re not very good. Who sent you?”
I take a deep breath. I’m not invisible anymore. She knows I’m here. The truth is far stranger than anything I could make up. And if I die at her hand, if she plans to kill me, then what can I do?
“My name is Ellis.”
She holds out a hand. “Sadie.”
I shake her hand, trying not to laugh. This is weirdly formal and polite, given the circumstances.
My story is so strange but then a thought occurs to me, if she can read some of my thoughts, will she know if I’m lying? “Can you tell if I’m telling the truth?”
“I suggest you do!”
“I’m going to. But the truth is very bizarre. I want to know if you’ll know – so you don’t assume I’m trying to trick you, and then you turn me into a mouse, or something!”
“I will let you speak. And mostly I know if someone is trying to deceive me. It’s not a head witch thing, just a Sadie thing.”
“My name is Ellis, and I am from... from the future.”
“The future? Is that across the sea?”
How do you explain such a concept to someone from hundreds of years ago?
I nod my head. “The future is a whole other place.” True. “And I’m not here to hurt you.” Also true. “But I am here to change your mind on something, if I can.”
She looks intrigued and confused all at the same time. I know how you feel, Sadie, believe me!
“What do you want to change my mind about? I don’t like to bend my will.”
“I know you have taken the authority and power from the other creatures.”
She narrows her eyes.
“I know you plan to use that power to your own end.”
She yawns. Actually yawns.
“I know you’re planning to add a clause to the magic spell you performed at the church to ensure that the other supernatural creatures cannot get their power back. So that if a future head witch gives it back to them, they’ll all die.”
This gets her attention. She’s not yawning now.
“Trickery of the blackest variety. If you know something I have only thought, but not yet done, then you are a more powerful witch than I gave you credit for being. Despite how you dress!”
I cannot help but feel a bit impressed with myself.
“Don’t get carried away,” she warns me, wiping the smile off my face.
She closes her eyes and I survey the room, study her. She’s a beautiful maniac. I don’t think she’ll kill me. I feel a little more comfortable, although I’m sure that Fletcher and his mum are on the other side of the door freaking out.
“Oh, they are.” She opens an eye and glares at me. “I don’t know what freaking out means, especially, but they aren’t happy. Nothing they can do, though.”
I smile. What else can I do?
“Let me get this straight,” she says. “Somehow you’ve figured out my dastardly plan and you want me to change it. The problem is you have no bargaining power here. And I love the idea of hundreds of years from now, somebody thinking they are doing the right thing, thinking they are being kind, and the entire damn thing backfiring on them. Killing everybody. Punishment for not doing as they’re told. Delicious. So, what will make me do what you want me to?”
I shrug. She’s got me there. I didn’t exactly plan on being in here on my own. I thought I’d have the backup of two experienced and astute witches to help me out.
I open my mouth and then close it again. Try to get my mind straight when she laughs. Really laughing, actually slapping her thigh – calm down Sadie!
A shiver runs through me, my scalp is tingling like I’ve got bugs crawling through my hair, and Sadie is looking at me like I’m the most delicious prize and she’s the most dangerous lion. A hungry lion.
She claps her hands together. “I’ve got it, little one. I don’t know who you are, where you came from, or how clever you think you are, or how you thought you’d get me to do what you want, but I have an idea.”
I lean forwards. This might be easier than I figured.
“I’m not sure how you knew my plan, but you’re right. I have nasty plans, but I know that after I’m gone, not every head witch will be as despicably horrendous as I am, sadly. So, this little caveat was a trick of mine, a little reminder from beyond the grave of what I’m capable of. I like it. It gives me a thrill... even though I won’t be around to see the consequences or reap the benefits of my planned destruction. So, I will exchange one nasty trick for another. It’ll be your choice.”
I don’t like the sound of this, or the look on her face, she looks worse than sly. She’s positively gloating, and nothing’s happened yet.
That head to toe tingle is back.
She stands up, and I jump, and actually shriek a bit.
“Relax, funny little one. I haven’t even offered you my proposition yet.”
She perches on the little table that’s between our two seats. “Are you a good witch, Ellis?”
I nod, and she shrugs. “I’m not. Never have been, never will be. I want what I want, and I really don’t care who I hurt to get it. I matter, only me, and I’ll step on anybody to get to where I want to go. If you get in my way, I’ll kill you, and I’ll sleep like a baby afterward. I really am a wicked witch.”
I look at her pretty face, sneering mouth, cold eyes, feeling like this might be a trick.
“Shall I change my little plan?”
I try to nod, but my neck won’t move.
“I wanted to add my sneaky little caveat, but I won’t.”
I grin, and she holds up a finger with a pointy nail. “If you will allow me to make a minor change.”
“Go on...”
“I will alter my spell, but instead of killing everyone – except the true-hearted witches, as was my original plan – I will amend it, to only kill the weak-hearted, feeble-minded head witch who defies my wishes and gives autonomy back to the masses. I will sacrifice one but save the rest. What say you?”
I nod, finding it hard to swallow
but glad I’m sitting down, because if I wasn’t, I would have fallen. Fletcher, an image of his gorgeous face, flashes through my head and I know how much pain, distress and heartache this whole business has brought him, and I know what my choice is, because if I can save him one more minute of upset I’ll gladly do it. Sadie smiles, as happy to kill one person as a million of them, unstable as she is, because what she doesn’t know, is that as head witch, I will be the one to defy her wishes and undo the magic.
I will be the sacrifice.
9
She throws open her arms and magical sparks burst from her fingertips, filling the room with light and heat. Ellis remains sitting on the chair, unable to help herself, and unable to do anything without the help from Elodie and Fletcher.
Sadie chants and magical swirls of smoke fill the room, the air gets dark and the bright tendrils of smoke and the electric sparks coming from Sadie’s fingers are the only form of light.
Ellis holds her breath and she can tell when the spell is cast: the room grows freezing cold and then boiling hot and a rolling thunder fills the room, exploding into a cacophony of firework like blasts.
Ellis shivers and Sadie grins, looking at the young witch, not knowing what she has cast for Ellie and her future.
“So, it is done.”
Ellis shudders and closes her eyes, tears running freely down her face. When she opens her eyes, Sadie has vanished, the room is empty; the door is open and Fletcher and Elodie rush inside. Fletcher takes her in his arms, panic making him hold her too tight.
Ellis smiles and wipes her tears before he sees them. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I did it.”
Elodie and Fletcher wear matching expressions of confusion. “You did?”
Ellis nods, keeping the smile plastered on her face. “It’s done. It must have been a head witch thing, but as she started the spell, I spoke to her, and she was in a daze, and I told her the changes I needed her to make and I asked her to repeat them back to me, and I willed it, and wanted it, and sparks were coming from my fingertips and somehow, the magic was altered. She was furious and thinks one of the other witches in the coven interfered. That’s where she’s gone.”
The Accidental End (The Accidental Witch Trilogy Book 3) Page 8