Hellooo everyone XD Getting close to the final chapters now (sobbing) but the climax is still to come!

Would really appreciate reviews as I have no idea if this chapter is any good :S LOL

Enjoy anyway, more soon hopefully!

Chapter 11

The sun was fading, the sky a palette of a thousand colours merging as one. Constance stared out of the window, not just knowing but feeling that her time was running short. The demon was at greater power at night, taking advantage of when the world was most vulnerable and let its guard down to sleep. They needed to go.

Constance turned to the rest of the silent room; no-one knew what to say. Mildred was trying to stop the tears from falling down her cheeks but they would not cease, cascading like waterfalls of emotion. Constance had never meant for her to become involved, an innocent person caught up in matters a young girl should not have to worry about. It made her angry to know that because of this indescribable thing lurking in the depths of her mind Mildred was suffering, and it made her want to fight it even more; though she could feel her strength and her will wearing thin.

'So...when...' stuttered Miss Cackle, still trying to wrap her mind around the impossible ideas being presented to her.

'It has to be soon. It's growing stronger and there isn't much time left,' Miss Hardbroom demanded. Mildred looked up at her sadly; she knew precisely what her potions teacher meant. She meant that she was growing weaker and that there was not much time left for her, though only a flash in her eyes gave this away. Mildred stood, trying desperately to wipe her eyes and showing that she was ready to go.

'Imogen, Davina, will you be able to keep the girls occupied whilst we are gone?' asked Amelia, rising with the others and realising how time was so against them.

'Yes, but...I don't understand,' confessed Miss Drill. She could sense that the situation was dire, but could not quite comprehend what was about to happen. The only thing she had quite understood by this point was that Constance was in danger; they all were.

'We have to go, but I will try and explain everything further when we get back; there isn't time now,' stated Amelia. She looked at Constance, who was clearly determined but unable to hide her tiredness behind a strong facade.

'I shall meet you both outside,' instructed Constance, 'I need to get a few things.' Reluctantly, Amelia made to leave with Mildred trailing sadly behind. Miss Bat went to make tea and Constance could swear that she saw her wipe a tear from her eye. She looked once at Miss Drill before folding her arms and vanishing.

She materialised in her room, surprised that her aching limbs had allowed her to travel that far, though she crumpled at once to the floor in a graceful heap. It took almost all of her energy to force herself back up, but she needed to test her magic, know the limits of her strength before she called upon them to defend herself.

Constance ambled slowly over to the large wooden wardrobe, taking her flowing black cloak from where it had been hanging on the door and wrapping it around her shoulders. The darkness was looming now, threatening to cast a spell over the sun and plunge the castle into an unrelenting blackness. Constance summoned a potion from her desk, finding it less draining than simply to walk the few steps it took. As it was everything was a struggle; her chest even ached from breathing. She could not go on like this, especially not if she was forced to travel, so she drained the dark bottle of its murky contents and felt a surge of power as it began to work. It was a last attempt, for the last frontier.

Materialising in the courtyard where Mildred and Amelia were waiting, Constance only took a moment to regain her composure and at once knew the potion was working. She despised the pitying look that Miss Cackle was giving her but did not want to waste her newfound strength with an argument.

She began to walk towards the gates, taking long and powerful strides which invited Mildred and the headmistress to hurry alongside.

'Would it not be easier to fly, Constance?' Amelia asked, struggling to keep up.

'Wherever this person is, they will be in close proximity and stationed somewhere permanent; they need to be on the ground and close at hand,' Constance explained. She quickened her pace as they left through Walker's Gate, the darkening sky giving a short warning.

Before long, dusk had fallen and the biting cold was beginning to stab at Constance's cheeks. She had slowed considerably, something which had not gone unnoticed by Amelia who was watching her every move in case something happened, and fallen slightly behind allowing Mildred to take an uneasy lead.

Mildred looked across at Miss Cackle, in two minds about whether to voice her fears.

'What is it, Mildred?' she asked kindly, as though she had heard exactly what Mildred was saying in her mind. She smiled gently,

'It's written across your face,' Miss Cackle explained.

'It's nothing really,' admitted Mildred, 'but I suppose I'm just worried about Miss Hardbroom. With the connection between us, it's like I can feel what she's going through sometimes.'

'And?'

'And she's a very good liar. She can cover her feelings well, but I can feel how weak she is and it scares me.' Mildred bit back tears and lowered her head slightly, pretending to brace herself against the harsh wind whirling through the trees.

'It scares me too, Mildred,' Amelia replied quietly, 'but Miss Hardbroom knows what she is doing. She is strong, even though her body may be weak.' Mildred forced a meagre smile.

'But the thing is Miss Cackle, I don't think that she is anymore.'

'No, she's not.' Mildred and Miss Cackle turned. The voice was Miss Hardbroom's, but it had an unfamiliar quality to it that Mildred couldn't quite place. When she saw her potions mistress, she gasped and put a hand to her mouth. She was standing, her hair loose and flying behind her like a kite, with an unnerving smile that was not her own spreading across her face. Mildred noticed her eyes, flashing red and black, and knew that she was no longer addressing Miss Constance Hardbroom.

'What have you done?' Mildred cried against the now howling wind.

'Oh, it's easy really,' the demon laughed, distorting Constance's voice with a cruelty it had never held, 'once I conquered her mind taking over wasn't a stretch too far.'

'Why? Why can't you just let her go?' Amelia shouted.

'Where's the fun in that? She was offered to me, the sacrifice to allow my return, and very shortly I will take her power and her life; and I will return. She is strong, very strong; most of the others barely lasted a few days. But I have her mind now, it is mine to do with as I wish and I am telling you now, that your feeble attempts will not stop me.'

Mildred did not know what to do. She looked pleadingly to Miss Cackle who was standing by her side, completely aghast.

'Tricky one, isn't it? A conundrum if ever there was one. You can't hurt me without hurting her; would you take that risk?' It laughed again, the sound booming like thunder and echoing through the trees which bowed in the wind.

'Well, if you won't hurt me...' The demon raised Constance's hands and began to cast a spell which was aimed at Mildred. A stream of light flowed from her fingertips and hit Mildred square in the chest, causing her to stagger back. She braced herself for pain, closing her eyes falling onto the wet leaves at the mercy of a much more powerful being; but it didn't come. Mildred opened her eyes to see Miss Cackle at her side, but all of the light could not quite reach its target; something was stopping it from getting to her completely and she simply laid, stunned and winded but perfectly fine.

The demon shrieked in despair as Constance fought back, pulling herself back into her body and taking control. She opened her eyes a fraction to see Mildred and Miss Cackle lying before her; it made her fight even more. The demon receded, defeated for now but aware that the time was coming for its triumph. Constance heard its dying laugh as it retreated to the back of her mind and soon discovered why.

The magic she had been casting at Mildred dispersed, only to reform as a ball of light and launch itself at Constance. Her eyes widened in horror as the light enveloped her, agony as she had never felt burning throughout every fibre of her being.

'NO!' Miss Cackle screamed. She helped Mildred to her feet before trying to reach her screaming deputy, the sound so hopeless and agonising she felt it penetrate her very soul. The light forced Amelia back, though disappeared as Constance fell to the ground. As soon as they were able, both Mildred and Amelia ran to the deputy headmistress and tried to think of something they could do to help.

Constance half opened her eyes, glad to discover that she was once again in control. The light was gone, but she could still feel it within her and as she tried to move it sent a crippling pain across her abdomen which caused her to cry out and double over in desperation. Her head was heavy and everything was agony; even keeping her eyes from closing felt as if it was the greatest task.

'What do we do?' pleaded Mildred, tears falling from her eyes. Miss Cackle raised her arms and muttered a spell, the only one she could think of.

The effects were disastrous. Constance writhed in unbelievable pain, her mind seeming to disconnect from her body as everything, from the forest to her companions, disappeared; everything, to her, was gone except the pain.

'Oh God...' Amelia sat back in disbelief as to what she had just done. She was lost, watching her dearest friend suffer at her own hand and she didn't think that she could take much more.

Constance could feel the sense of hopelessness she knew was coming from Mildred and Amelia. She was the strong one, the one they turned to in times of crisis and she had to act. Lifting her arm, which felt impossibly heavy, she began to chant unknown words which simply fell from her lips as a spell. She felt the energy which had caused her such agony dying within her and as she fell silent, she was left only with the burning sensation which covered her entire body.

She forced her eyes to open, seeing the stunned faces watching over her and begging for an explanation. For the first time in her life, she reached out her arm and, without uttering a word, asked for Mildred to help her stand.

Mildred put her arm cautiously around Miss Hardbroom's waist and pulled her up, feeling her potions teacher's reliance on her weight for support. She was so weak, thought Mildred sadly, and she wondered just what was left for her to fight with. She had battled the demon again to save her, and once more paid the price; she would never let another suffer for her and it was killing her.

'We have to get back to the castle,' said Amelia decisively, 'you can't even stand, Constance.' Her tone was firm but gentle, though Constance shook her head.

'It's too late,' she replied, her voice lacking any of the conviction it usually held, 'it needs to be now, otherwise I won't even make it to the castle.' The thought was grave, almost too much for Mildred to bear as more tears fell. Constance was still leaning heavily on her, not even able to take her own weight.

'But we don't even know what we're doing!' Miss Cackle exclaimed hopelessly.

Constance broke free of Mildred's grip, almost falling back but managing, just, to steady herself. She walked slowly and unsurely forwards, ignoring Miss Cackle's protests. It had to be now, there was no alternative option. Amelia and Mildred watched in awe as Constance walked through the darkness and vanished before their eyes. It took a few minutes for them to comprehend quite what had happened.

'It's...I think it's a gateway,' Mildred followed Miss Hardbroom's path and she herself disappeared into the ether. Miss Cackle had no choice but to follow suit, leaving the realm of the forest and appearing a place concealed in the dead of night. Constance didn't have much longer, she could feel it, but she didn't know what else she could do.

In the forest, the trees bent to the cruel wind's hand. The darkness had finally won, taking over the landscape and covering the castle in the uncertainty of night. Magic crackled in the air, a spark like electricity cracking through the night sky. Something was coming. The moon was no more than a memory, hidden behind a veil of dark cloud as the stars blinked, astounded at how easily the land had fallen to the night. All they could do was watch and wait, the fate of millions resting on one woman's shoulders...

*Uses magic HB powers to conjure a big arrow pointing to the review link XD