Apologies for the delay between chapters. It's been a busy few weeks.
Julie tried to get some shelter from the rain by standing as close to the trunk of the nearest tree as she could. It had been a good five minutes since the drunken witch had abruptly sobered up but she still wasn't making much in the way of sense. Julie wrapped her arms around herself in a hopeless effort to stop the freezing wet air from chilling her bones. The witch had said that a soul had been taken. Was that even possible? She watched as a small cloud of blue smoke popped and dissipated. It was, she assumed, some sort of ritual, some sort of witchy mourning process. After her announcement, the witch had remained at the side of the fallen women and refused to answer any questions. She had pushed up her sleeves and embarked on a series of magical somethings that had seemed to grow more out of control as they went along. It was partly her unease at the seemingly wayward magic that led Julie to seek shelter beneath the boughs of the tall oak. She'd endured a summer of Mildred attempting things and knew to her cost just how far the simplest spell could reach. She shook her head at the memory; whilst she'd never really liked the colour of the walls in Mildred's room, she had been hoping to get another year out of them.
She pushed the memory away as she heard low muttered moans as the witch rose slowly to her feet; Julie was fairly sure she caught a mention or two of dodgy knees amid the curses. The woman's face was set in a frown as she made her way over to the tree.
"I'm guessing we didn't get off to the best of starts." She straightened herself up. "Well met." She made the greeting that Julie was now getting oddly familiar with. Mildred had told her that it was okay for her to reply in kind, but it still felt awkward to do so, so she stuck to what she knew and offered out a hand.
"Julie Hubble. Pleased to meet you."
The witch looked at the proffered hand and then up at Julie and back down again.
"Lily Hogweed." She winced as she spoke.
"I've got some paracetamol if you want it?" Julie's hand reached automatically for the bag that was slung over one shoulder, but Lily waved the offer away.
"This feeling will pass. Unlike the poor witch over there, I will be fine."
"Do you know who she is?" Julie asked, not really expecting an answer.
"New girl on the witches council if I'm not mistaken." Julie caught a flash of something silver in colour appear from beneath Lily's cloak. Her suspicion as to what it was confirmed when she heard the sound of a lid being unscrewed.
"You really think there's time for that?" She chastised, only to find herself accepting the hip flask as it was silently passed to her. She took a nip from the flask and was surprised by the warmth the liquid seemed to give her. "That's amazing," she finally admitted as her voice returned to her.
Lily took the flask back and walked a little unsteadily over to where the fallen witch lay. "I don't know what she ran into, but I think it's safe to say it wasn't good."
Julie found herself keeping her distance. "She was still alive when I found her. Is she…."
There was a shake of the head. "She's still alive."
"But you said…"
"That she'd lost her soul." Lily gently prised open one eyelid and there was the briefest of reactions. "The body is alive but the personality, the essence of the witch has been removed."
"Removed?" Julie raised a hand as she realised that she was simply repeating things in disbelief. "What sort of something could do that?"
"A powerful sort of something." Lily turned her head in the direction of the path that snaked its way up the hill. "The chances are that she was making her way up to the school."
Julie took a firm step forward. "You're saying it…. Whatever it is… is likely to be heading there?"
"It's possible."
"Then we have to get up there and warn them."
"We're too late. That won't be possible."
The witch's defeatist attitude was starting to anger Julie. "Well I'm not just going to stand around here in the pouring rain and do nothing." She took a step forward only for Lily to place a bony hand on her arm.
Come away," the witch entreated, but Julie tried unsuccessfully to shrug off the restraining hand. "That's my daughter and her friends up at that castle."
"I understand, but there's nothing to be done tonight."
"There has to be something, there's always something. It's just a matter of working out what."
"Magic can't get in. This is the limit." By way of demonstration the witch produced a small ball of light from the palm of one hand and propelled it in the direction of the school. It travelled a few metres before fading away into nothingness. "That light should shine for twelve hours," she explained. "There is something in the air preventing magic from passing through. Every spell, every enchantment I used to try and reach the young woman you found failed. It's like there's a huge magic dampening field in the area." There was a slight shrug of the shoulders, during which time she took another belt from the hip flask. "It could be connected to the business with the founding stone, it could be connected to the coven of witches Marigold Mould was consorting with. At this stage it's impossible to say."
Julie chewed her lip as she tried to keep her patience in check. "You're saying nothing can get in, or you're saying that something has already gotten in? I need you to tell me which one it is."
"Based on what I've just shown you, I'd say we're looking at a magic dampening field around the castle. Nothing magical can get in."
"Well I'm not magical…"
"…But you've been close to those who are," Lily pointed out as Julie's attempt to take more than a few paces along the path resulted in her colliding with an invisible barrier. "No matter what anyone might say, a little of it rubs off on you."
The effect of being pushed back by an invisible something was more than a little unsettling. Julie prodded at the empty space in front of her and was disturbed by the way that it refused to yield to her touch. She scratched the side of her head and then gestured back to the spot where the witch she'd found still lay. "If whatever did that to her is now in the school and after my daughter and her friends, then I say we need to find another way in there."
"The situation will not be helped if you become hysterical."
"What!" Julie was at the point of wanting to slap the woman. "There could be something really serious about to go down within the walls of the school and all you're willing to do is nothing!"
"I've not been doing nothing," came the patient response. The woman pointed up into the rain soaked sky. Julie raised a hand and spotted a number of witches on brooms unsteadily make their way towards their location.
"You called in the cavalry?"
The witch frowned. "I called in other members of the witches council."
"How? When?" Julie had been at the woman's side ever since she'd appeared out of thin air. There couldn't have been any time for her to put a call in. She narrowed her eyes. "Do you have some sort of secret spidey sense or something?"
"I'm not sure what that means." There was an awkward few moments of silence as both women watched the steady progress of the brooms. It was Lily who broke the silence. "Don't suppose you have any mints!"
The witch with Melody Evensong's face clasped both hands to her head and prayed for the pain to subside. She was relieved to still be in the relative seclusion of Miss Cackle's office, but that was the only thing she could find to be grateful about. Her head felt as though it was about to split in two and there was a ringing in her ears she dearly hoped would soon ease.
She had let the Hallow girl leave the office, confident that, if asked, she'd recall nothing about their meeting aside from a certain section at the beginning and end. She had tried to sow the seed of doubt within the girl but had been surprised just how quick she'd been to stand up and take the blame for all that had happened. From the moment she'd entered the room and seen the girl in the flesh for the first time, she'd known there and then that things weren't going to be as easy as they'd first imagined. The family tree of the Hallows was littered with names of witches who had chosen themselves over the good of the craft. There had been a hope that the eldest Hallow would carry some of that blood within her, but she was depressingly on the side of the code. So she had let her leave the office and then called upon those others of the coven who had agreed to lend her their strength. She had felt their presence follow her into the school, but they were supposed to remain undetected in the shadows. Hearing Esmeralda Hallow calling them out had caused her to pause for a moment. She felt the push from the others and had reluctantly carried on with the plan.
The shaft of pain arrowing between her eyes told her that she had been right to hesitate. The attempt to take the magic by force alone had completely fallen apart. She closed her eyes and willed the world to stop spinning. She could remember the contact and then the lights had gone out. She had no idea how long she'd been out for, but now she could make out some commotion in the corridors outside. Whatever they had come into contact with had had the strength to just swat them away as though they were nothing more than flies.
Another approach would be needed, but first she had to pull herself together. She pushed the chair back and grasped the edge of the table with both hands. She was certain the affect of the contact would spread like ripples through the group. She had to talk to them, had to get away from where she was before someone found her in her current state. She assumed the clamour outside had something to do with Esmeralda Hallow. There would be time later to find out what, if anything, that contact had done to the girl. What was important now was to get to the rooms she'd been assigned and to report back to the others. This was no longer a straightforward smash and grab.
"Mildred Hubble, there had better be a very good reason for all that squawking!"
Hecate glared at the young girl in front of her as she materialised at the location where the commotion had been coming from. She had been trying to bring the evening's festivities to a controlled and ordered close before any of the girls reached a point where they were no longer able to contain what they'd eaten. She'd kept a particularly close eye on Maud Spellbody - there was one girl, bright though she might be, who very definitely ended up with eyes bigger than her stomach when sweet treats were on offer. She'd been at the point of opening her mouth to announce that perhaps it was time the girls thought about retiring to their rooms when she'd heard the unmistakable tones of Mildred Hubble drifting through the air.
It was a skill that had been honed over many years of teaching, the ability to hear a cry from almost anywhere within the walls of the castle. As soon as her name was uttered, she was able to tune into the sound and establish where the pupil was. She had clicked her tongue against her teeth and departed the room.
"Miss…" Mildred just about managed to stutter the word out. There was fear and worry on the girl's face, and that was enough to let Hecate know this wasn't some sort of schoolgirl prank. She looked to where Mildred was pointing, and immediately took in the sight "You did right to call out," Hecate told her firmly as hurried to the girl's side. As she'd feared the pupil in question was Esmeralda Hallow.
"I tried waking her, but she just won't respond."
Hecate tuned Mildred's voice out of her head and batted the girl away, throwing out some comment about her remaining exactly where she was. She checked for a pulse, and was reassured to feel the steady beating thump beneath her fingers. The girl's skin was cold and clammy to the touch, and there was no twitch of movement to indicate Esmeralda was aware of anything around her.
"Go to the great hall, find Miss Drill and ask her to oversee getting the rest of the girls back to their rooms." She glanced in Mildred's direction as she realised the girl was still hovering around, that same look of fear and uncertainty on her face. "I'll stay with her Mildred. I'll make sure she's fine. Now go." She raised her voice for the last word and that seemed to do the trick. Mildred was jolted out of her frozen state and moments later Hecate heard the sound of boots on stone as her charge scurried off down the corridor on her appointed mission.
She turned her attention back to Esmeralda and silently hoped that her current state was in no way connected to her earlier interaction with the founding stone. She'd tried to warn Ada that they'd need to keep an eye on the girl, but Ada had brushed the concern to one side. Her own sense of relief at magic returning to the young woman overriding other potential concerns.
All that was mere supposition at the present time. The important thing was to find out what was wrong, and to worry about what might be the cause of it at a later date.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the location of the infirmary. She wanted to get Esmeralda there before Ada appeared on the scene.
None of the rooms within the school could be described as comfortable. The staff fared better than the pupils, and if you asked the pupils they believed the cats scored higher in the comfort stakes than they did.
The witch took stock of the small garret room she'd been offered. The shutters on the two small windows were buffeted by the storm outside, they rattled and shook with each gust of wind. The disturbance was enough to see the bats hightail it out of there as soon as she opened the door. There was a small fire in the grate but it gave off barely enough heat to take the edge off the freezing air. The furniture within the room could only be described as functional at best, and the one concession towards comfort was a rather tatty looking crocheted blanket. It was a splash of colour in an otherwise featureless room.
She sighed at the bleakness of it all and, with a deft wave of one hand, checked the room for any magical residue that might indicate the presence of an eavesdropping spell. It wasn't that she truly believed anyone in the school was likely to try and bug the room, it was more a habit borne out of years of experience.
The check came back negative and she sat down at the small dressing table. No matter how many times she'd worn the face of another, it was always more than a little disconcerting to see someone else looking back from the mirror. The temptation was always to let the mask slip, to drop the facade when alone, but she knew it had to remain in place. The witches within the school were not fools; some were gullible, some were past their prime but it would be foolhardy in the extreme to underestimate them. The mask had given her a youthful look; she stared at it, inspecting the clear unlined features, the soft flowing long blond hair. There was a flash of something in the eyes, there always was if one stared long enough; a hint of something deeper. The face of youth was not one that sat easy with her; it had been a long time since she'd carried such a feeling of innocence. She closed her eyes and then opened them slowly, pushing away the thoughts of Melody Evensong that tried to rise to the surface. She had taken more than just a simple body print. It wasn't something that was done lightly and she felt the pull of regret at the thought of it. She glanced at the image in the mirror again. They had done what had to be done. There was the chance to take the magic of a founding stone; that was a chance that only came along maybe once in a hundred years. She believed in the cause, believed in what they were doing. They needed the power that magic would give them, and if that meant taking the essence of an innocent, then so be it.
There was no time to delay. She sat upright in the chair and passed her right hand in front of the mirror waiting for the connection to be made.
There was nothing but Melody Evensong's face staring eerily back at her for a few moments and then the familiar shimmer as the call was answered.
"Well met my friends," she greeted them with a smile, trying to ignore the still persistent feeling of nausea.
"You are in?"
"Is that not obvious?"
She raised a hand as several questions were fired her way at the same time. "You must learn patience," she chastised. "Phase one has been completed. I am within the walls of the school and I have set eyes on the witch."
There was another flurry of questions, and she glanced nervously in the direction of the door. "You will bring ruin down on us all if we are discovered," she reminded them. "I must ask you to show a little reserve, a little patience." She waited for a beat. "That's better."
"You have seen her?"
She rolled her eyes as the questioning voice reached her. "I have done more than that. Initial contact was made."
"If you've seen her then why are you still there? I thought we agreed you'd get in there, obtain the magic from her and leave."
"Things aren't that simple."
"I don't see why not."
"We're dealing with stronger magic than we first thought. The Hallow girl is barely in control of it, but it's too embedded to take without her consent."
"So use force."
She shook her head, instantly regretting the move. She winced and waited for the pain to subside. "There's more than one way to take what we need. Trying to tackle the magic head on will not get us results. She has little or no control over it from what I can see."
"We do not have the time to waste."
"This is not wasting time. She saw us."
"Impossible."
"She sensed the presence of the others." She paused and waited for the barrage of incredulous comments to die down. "The magic has made her hyper aware. She is managing it at the moment, but believe me when I say that she won't remain in control of it for long. She is currently unconscious as a result of our initial contact.""
"We cannot maintain a barrier indefinitely. It has already been noticed."
"The reward is worth the risk."
"So you say."
"I think you're missing the bigger picture. The mighty Hallow family is already on the slide. What could be more damaging to a once respected name than the eldest daughter revealing her affiliation to our cause."
"You're crazy. This was never part of the plan. Take the magic you said. You said you'd get in there and take the magic and we could have what we wanted."
"Well now I've changed my mind. It will take more time, but results are guaranteed."
"Don't complicate things. If you're getting squeamish about the affair then just say. I'll come in and do what needs to be done."
"This has nothing to do with squeamishness. I am not killing the girl, the magic will destroy her before too long. All I need to do is wait. With the barrier around the school she has no avenue of escape. It is fitting that a Hallow will be our saviour."
There was another round of raised voices and she once again motioned for them to be quiet. "We will have her magic. We will have what's left of the family name. I just need time."
"And what if she can't be persuaded?"
"The magic will consume her and we will be here to take it." She allowed herself a smile. "We will have what we want…. One way or another."