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
