Elodie, Fletcher and Ellis follow quickly behind.
Ellis
Now where are we going? I can’t say I’m enjoying this bit. We have to be super quiet, and we have no idea where we are going or what we are about to see.
I hurry a bit to catch up with Fletcher and slip my hand into his. That always helps.
I’ve heard enough of the witch’s history and this witch in particular to feel terrified. But I have no choice in all this, so I follow along to an old church.
We duck inside, still invisible, still playing catch up. Nothing I have overheard on the way over has been of any help. I can sense excitement in the air, and fear, but it could just be my own.
The church is empty. No, there are a few witches here, but hidden. I can sense them, because I’m a witch or because I’m head witch? I tuck in closer to Fletcher to ask him if he can sense them too, but the church door opens and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I clamp my mouth shut. I don’t like this.
Fairies have walked in. Will I ever get over how beautiful they are, with their gorgeous fairy wings? So many shapes, colours and size of wings too – you’d think they’d all be pretty similar. If you ever thought about fairy wings.
I shake my head. I need to concentrate. The answer to our problems could come about at any time. We need to be ready.
A fairy who arrived with the witches joins the other fairies. She must be Ellery’s half-sister. I can’t remember her name, but she helped pull the whole trick off.
The doors bang open again and I jump back, almost falling, when five gigantic dogs run in. Then they shift into humans. Ooh, that is weird and creepy and amazing all at the same time. I can’t take my eyes off them. So that’s the shifters arrived, just the vampires to go.
I feel a definite thrill at being here, being able to see something that’s already happened. I can’t think too much about it because it will screw with my head. Like when I saw Molly again.
I’m doing things that should be impossible. It’s odd. But I like it.
Ooh, here come the vampires. They are so bad ass; they stalk into the church like they own the place and I get another shiver. Their leader – I assume he is their leader – is a hot potato. I shift my position so I can get a better look at him, before realising that Fletcher can see me perving on the creepy vampire, and settle down again.
Relax Ellis!
I’m not sure what will happen next. I know some fairies, shifters and vampires have been spelled, and that’s why they have turned up today but, hang on, Sadie’s raising her hand.
I jump again as the hidden witches fly out of their hiding spots and boom, boom, boom; they spell everyone. I sneak a glance at Fletcher and his mum – they both look horrified. I’m guessing this is pretty much against civil liberties or whatever.
Sadie has her wand out now and I shrink back, even though she doesn’t know I’m here. She’s bound them all now, so they can’t move. I feel sick.
“Ellery my little witchlet,” Sadie pats Ellery on her head and I want to cry. Stupid, stupid Ellery... though I like the term witchlet. I wouldn’t mind being called a witchlet. I shake my head, I’m going down a rabbit hole again, instead of concentrating on what’s in front of me.
Sadie’s now threading her way through the people in the church, moving them, like they are her own little puppets, putting them in stupid positions and laughing. She turns to Ellery again. “You did it. I have the power of the entire country right here in this little church. Now I just need to take it and invest it in myself.”
Sadie stands in front of one shifter, a beautiful woman, and my entire body shudders when she speaks. “Laila, head of the shifters of Britain, leader of the Moss Valley Pack, can you hear me?”
Laila nods.
“Speak up sweetie, the people at the back can’t hear you!”
There’s a burst of horrible laughter and I feel that talon scrape along my spine again. I hate this. I hate that we can’t just intervene and change everything.
Laila answers, “I hear you.”
Sadie saunters over to the hot potato vampire. “How about you, Jones? Can you hear me?”
“I can.” His deep voice gives me the shivers and I see Sadie give a little shiver too. She’s so horrid. I hate that I’m witnessing this.
“Can you hear me?” She stands in front of a beautiful fairy.
“I can.” Her voice sounds like music and I feel tears swim in my eyes.
Sadie gives a sigh of contentment and I want to punch her in her stupid face. “Ellery. I cannot believe it, but you’ve done it.”
“What’s next?” a witch calls out.
Sadie beams and gestures to all the spelled creatures. “Aside from the spirits and demons, who I think we’re all happy to leave in their dimension to fight it out amongst themselves, we are the supernatural creatures of Britain. And I will be in charge of them all, of us all. I will be the Queen of the supernatural, and I will have all the power, knowledge, magic and wisdom of all the species for all time. Time gone, and time to come. This headship will continue down my line to my family, in a succession to rival the royal family.”
I shudder. This woman is a maniac, no doubt about it.
She strides over to the head of the fairies and places a hand on her head and pulls out her wand. “Power. Knowledge. Wisdom. Magic. Time gone and time to come.”
