Any Witch Way (5 page)

“Wait, I didn’t say that out loud, the part about my mom being an assassin, or did I?”

Sadie hated that she was second guessing herself, but after everything that had happened, it was to be expected she thought. “You read my mind. So…I guess there must be something to all of this, or it’s that I’m crazy or I’m still dreaming or….”

“No, Sadie, you’re not crazy, not yet. You might be though after you hear the rest, or should I say, see,” said Grimm as he jumped up onto Sadie’s lap and began grooming himself ever so casually and with a bit of cat-smugness.

Before Sadie’s mind could register a talking cat, little sparks of colored light began to pop and crackle throughout the bookstore. Each pop and crackle appeared like colorful fireflies and just as quickly, blinked out as if they never happened. From these little bursts of multi-colored light, creatures and beasts of every sort began to appear—the types of creatures and beasts you only read about in mythology books or see in the movies.

There was a centaur vigorously pulling his tail which had been caught in the front doors as they shut. His long black hair and mane ran down his human back to his horse body from the Mohawk on his head.

I didn’t even hear the bells on the door jingle.

A green–skinned elf jumped down off the top shelf of books closest to Mrs. Felis without a sound, his pointy ears twitching back and forth. Five twinkling faeries fluttered and then alighted on the shoulders of Mrs. Felis, who had taken her usual place in the chair next to Sadie. Two lumpy gnomes put down books they had been reading on urban mining techniques and began to waddle towards her. Grimm looked up at Sadie while she sat in utter amazement; if cats smiled, he did so.  

Everyone was right about me. I am crazy! There is no way this is really happening!

A group of ghosts, seven old women carrying knitting bundles to be exact, came in chattering amongst themselves. Sadie heard one of the two gnomes tell the ghosts to stay out of them, as they passed in and, well, out, of the little guys while they formed their semi-circle before the sitting nook. From out of the aquarium splashed two blue water sprites, leaning over the side with big wide grins and twisting their deep azure hair around their webbed fingers. Three old women, dressed in long black flowing clothing and covered in what looked to be fireplace ash, popped into existence next to Mrs. Felis. Each one carried a very large bag with her. The one stroked Mrs. Felis’s frazzled hair and smiled at her as the others began to brush ash from their clothing and mutter to each other about “the trip.”

Sadie took it all in as Grimm began to purr on her lap. A smile spread across her face and then she laughed out loud, a laugh so strident it silenced the now chatter filled bookstore.  

All eyes were on Sadie. Heat rushed to her cheeks, and she felt the familiar knot of uncomfortable tension twisting in her stomach. She tried to clear her throat, but it came out a loud, choking squeak.

“Well, does this human speak or does she only make animal noises ‘cause I can get that at home from him?” asked one of the gnomes as he hooked a gnarled little thumb at the other one.

“Hey,” the other one said thumping the first one on the head. “Watch it or I’ll feed yer lumpy carcass to the Hell Hounds.”

(Though as he spoke, his speech came out sounding like a tea kettle boiling over.)

“All right, all right, Elgarbam and Whistle, stop the bickering or I’ll turn you both into a plate of Forgur cookies and everyone else—be diligent, time is of the essence,” said the tallest of the three old women.

“May I?” queried Mrs. Felis to the woman who was just speaking.

“Yes, Abigail, you may. I know this has been, well, difficult for you to maintain,” she replied with a smirk.

As Sadie sat staring in amazement, Mrs. Felis’s entire body began to shrink. Her clothes began to become too big. Arms went up into her shirt sleeves. Legs disappeared under her skirt and her head and neck were lost within her blouse. Within a matter of minutes, all that was left of Mrs. Felis was a pile of clothing. Sadie stared in amazement. What had happened to her only friend? Just then, the pile of clothing began to move a bit. The movement was not dissimilar to that of a mole tunneling underground. Two seconds later out of the neck of the blouse popped a very plump, very grey, very unusual cat. The only thing that let Sadie know this was, in fact, Mrs. Felis, was that she still wore her glasses.   

“Well now, that’s better,” said the cat while adjusting her glasses with her paws.

Sadie was speechless, not that she would have spoken or even taken a breath at this point. Too much had happened, too many fantastical things, too many unbelievable creatures stood before her very eyes, and Sadie thought she might faint.

“I’ll take a drink now…and I don’t care what’s in it,” Sadie rapidly spit out.

All of the creatures laughed and one of the old women clapped her hands. When she did so a table full of every drink known to man (and some not) appeared before Sadie’s eyes.

“This is just too much; I’m going to go now,” said Sadie as she tried to get out of the chair and leave. As she went to stand her legs gave out on her, her sight became a little blurry, and she plopped back down again.

“All of this can seem a bit…much, can’t it, my dear? Take a moment to catch your breath. Let it all sink in, and we’ll get started,” the taller old woman said very matter-of-factly.

She then turned to Grimm and Mrs. Felis and asked, “How much does she really know? And be quick about it, we’ve got fifteen minutes ‘til the midnight hour.”

Sadie checked her pulse by her wrist, much to the amusement of the fairies who giggled in unison. She also noticed that the bookstore smelled less like musty old volumes and more like a pine forest. Since Mrs. Felis had turned into a cat, the fairies had taken to flitting around the gnomes’ heads. Their giggles sounded like a high pitched twinkling of bells as they fluttered about the bookstore alighting here and there to poke about. The two gnomes, who she now knew to be Elgarbam and Whistle (Whistle, for obvious steam-propelled reasons) went back to their reading and arguing, thumping each other along the way. The centaur was busy in conversation with the ghosts, and the water sprites kept splashing water onto him, much to his dismay. Sadie sat in utter amazement as the three old women spoke with Grimm and Mrs. Felis the cat, all of them talking about her like she wasn’t even there.

As Sadie sat and watched and listened, she began to get very irritated and annoyed. She was mad that all of these…people…were paying her no mind, still speaking about her like she was invisible and all after abruptly revealing themselves to her without warning.

She started chewing her bottom lip, wringing her hands. When that didn’t work to calm her fury or get attention, she began tapping her foot on the floor in a very loud, very hurried fashion. When no one still paid her any mind, she began to feel the pangs of resentment much like those she felt towards the mean kids at school who teased her and caused her so much pain.

The anger took over, making her tremble; when it filled her up like an overstuffed omelet, she stomped her feet, stood up, and yelled, “ENOUGH!”

As she did so several books flew from their places on the shelves and crashed into the wall opposite.

Once again, the bookstore became silent and all eyes were on Sadie when they weren’t on the books that had flown off the shelves by themselves. The centaur started clapping.

“Bravo, little human child. Such power, such a display of it and when it’s still ten minutes to go before you’re a witchling…and three years ‘til you’re a full witch I might add,” he said with his deep and gravelly voice as his applause died down. “You must be carrying some power within you the likes of which we haven’t seen in millennia.”

“I’M NOT A WITCH!” Sadie screamed. Lowering her voice she continued, “Nor do I want to be a witch. This is not…normal; I just want to be normal, like everyone else, like every other kid, with a real family, with friends other than my books. Normal, where you don’t see knobby little dwarfs and sparkly fairies or GHOSTS! What’s that all about? I just want to be normal. NORMAL!” her voice rising as she spoke. “NORMAL not…not…THIS!”  

“Look at that, the human is hysterical, someone slap her,” said Whistle.

“Oh, oh, oh, I will!” shouted Elgarbam and raising his stubby little arm.

“And I’m not a dwarf, I’m a gnome. Dwarves are so…tall,” said Whistle, trying to cross his arms in defiance.

“Yeah, and what’s wrong with ghosts,” asked one of the disgruntled knitting circle.

“Once again, everyone calm down. No slaps, Elgarbam. Or pinching either,” she said to a very small imp Sadie failed to see earlier. “She’s okay, a bit in shock maybe, but she’s seen and learned lots so far tonight. All of this can be a bit much on a human child first coming upon the change. Imagine if it were you seeing and hearing things you had always been told only existed in fairy tale books,” said the tallest old woman as she approached Sadie.

It was all said to no avail though, for Sadie had fainted dead away in her chair. 

The shock of the cold water brought Sadie back with a start. She heard thunder boom and lightning strike somewhere close by as she blindly wiped water from her face. She slowly blinked her eyes open, gradually taking in her surroundings and remembering. She remembered something about teas being switched. She remembered Mrs. Felis saying something crazy about her being a witch. And then she remembered all the magikal creatures she had seen, and her heart began to race. She was not happy—again. When she decided to genuinely focus on what was before her, she was looking into the face of the centaur and the tallest of the three old women.

“Sadie, listen to me. You MUST get out of here. Just trust Zeno to get you where you need to be. SADIE, FOCUS! Your very life depends on it!” said the old woman while she shook Sadie by the shoulders.

In a quick scan of her surroundings, Sadie saw that the only two “beings” left in the bookstore were the Centaur and the tall, old woman.

And me, thought Sadie, ‘cause I’m a witch.  

Lightning struck again, illuminating the outside as though a light switch had been flicked on. Sadie thought she saw odd shapes in the darkness just outside the bookstore doors.

“Why do I have to go somewhere? Where am I going? What’s …,” but she was cut off by a very loud, very angry, and very persistent banging at both the front and back doors of the store.

“Quick, get on my back,” said the centaur named Zeno as he grabbed her by the arm and deftly swept her onto his muscular body. “Hold on tight; this may not be easy.”

“I’ll meet up with you after you get her to Tara’s safely,” said the old woman sternly. Raising her left hand to the sky, she snapped her fingers and was gone.

“Who is Tara? Why do I have to go there? What’s happening?” questioned Sadie but to no avail. Zeno just looked at her with a firm jaw and bared teeth.

He then pulled a quiver full of golden, glowing arrows and an ornately decorated golden bow from somewhere behind some books on a shelf. Sadie thought he must have hidden them so those two impetuous gnomes wouldn’t steal them. She didn’t like anyone who wanted to smack her so she didn’t feel bad for thinking them thieves. He possibly hid them so he didn’t have to wear them. They looked heavy.

No, that’s silly, how could they be heavy to a very muscular centaur named Zeno? And he’s probably magikal, too, isn’t he? I mean, he is a Centaur. Aren’t they magikal?

Zeno began to move towards the large bay window in the front of the store. Out in the darkness Sadie could see eerie red eyes, flashing green ones, and some angry yellow slits peering in at them. She almost thought she saw gnashing and snapping teeth, very large dagger-like teeth, but she couldn’t be sure. As Zeno pulled an arrow and placed it, ready to shoot, he looked back over his shoulder at Sadie with his eyes flashing intensity.

“Lie low on my back, little one. Hold onto my mane, and use what little power you have to help get us out of here alive,” he said to her, voice low and deep.

“But I don’t have any power, and I don’t want it anyway. This is crazy; I’m not a wit….”

“YES, YOU ARE!” he shouted and then lowered his voice. “Yes, you are not a full one yet, but in the beginning stages. We don’t have time to argue this point, child of the moon, just do as I say if you want to live to see tomorrow,” and with that he turned around and aimed.

The glowing arrow smashed through the window without a sound, save for the whooshing through the air. Miraculously, the glass had all fallen away and outside could be heard an agonizing moan. The magikal arrow must have reached its mark. Roars and screams and cackles rose up out of the night, and Sadie felt Zeno’s muscles ripple under his skin. He took off at remarkable speed towards the now-open window, his bow and arrows flying at supernatural speed. Sadie held on tight to the thick, black mane that ran down his back as she tried to see what was happening. They flew through the window in one colossal leap, out into the night to put faces to their foes.

Immediately Sadie felt someone or something grab her ankle. She looked down to see some sort of half snake-half man thing trying to pull her off of Zeno’s back. She screamed at the sight of it and kicked furiously as she tightened her grip to the point of making her knuckles white. Its scaly, razor-sharp fingers raked her leg, leaving rips in her pants as Zeno turned and shot the beast between its cold, steely eyes. It imploded upon itself in a mess of green ooze and then disappeared completely into the ground.  

“Do what I told you, Sadie! Use your magik! Remember the books flying off the shelves!”

He tried to shout above the mayhem as he spun this way and that, rapidly shooting arrows at the creatures that were trying to get them.

Sadie was scared. Really, beyond doubt, frightened to her utter core. Though she didn’t truly believe she was a witch, she did know their lives were in danger and she should listen to Zeno.

It’s worth a try.

She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate amongst the chaos.

What do I concentrate on? In the book store I was angry, though I still don’t believe I did that to the books. I guess anger is the key here.

Sadie thought hard and went deep into herself to find what angered her most. A thousand memories flashed through her mind, and she settled on the anger she felt at Death. She was angry with Death for taking her mother from her so soon and without goodbyes. She felt the anger she had towards Death for not even giving her as much as a body to say goodbye to or have a proper funeral for. She was angry at the lonely little plaque at the graveyard, placed without a service, and the absence of family to rally around her. She remembered the very moment she’d realized what it meant for her mother to be gone and to have no one else in the world she could rely on. It was the first time Sadie had felt utterly alone. Her anger began to change form. The anger had turned to sadness and a lump caught in Sadie’s throat. She tried to fight it, but it was no use; she was overcome with sadness. The tears welled up in her eyes, and her stomach turned sour. Her heart ached, and she couldn’t help but cry. As she held on tight to Zeno, she relived the pain her mother’s death had caused, and she felt as though she could die herself.

As she was consumed with this wretched feeling she had lived with for the last three years of her life, she felt something pulling on her shoulders with a bony, claw-like grip. She turned to face this next opponent, and saw, hovering above her, a creature mankind could not imagine. It had the body of a bird, a vulture quite possibly, with scaly vulture legs. Its enormously long and sharp talons were trying to maintain a grip on Sadie’s shoulders. The head was that of a man, contorted in anger and fierce warlike determination. Its wings were vast and leathery, bat-like, and flapping up quite a wind.

If these things had been female, Sadie would have thought them to be Harpies since she had read about such beasts recently. Through tear-filled eyes, full of sadness and despair at the memory she was wrapped in, she almost gave in and let the man-vulture take her.

Why not? I can be with Mom again, and I won’t have to deal with all of this.

She started to loosen her grip on Zeno’s mane and her body began to lift off his back.

NO! Sadie—LIVE!

She heard her mother’s voice saying very clearly in her mind. Warmth flooded her body from head to toe. It was the warmth that love can fill you up with, and it gave Sadie a surge of energy and newfound strength. She faced the man-vulture and grabbed one of its wings when they flapped downward. It was tough and leathery and horrid to the touch, but she didn’t care.

I WILL NOT GIVE UP, MOM, she screamed in her mind. 

Pulling as hard as she could, trying to knock it out of the air and get it to release her from its talons, Sadie’s outlook began to change. Because of her newborn determination and strength, it became off-balanced, and it was hard for the creature to remain hovering above her. It began to drop a little in altitude. Sadie wrestled with the thing frantically, and they soon were at a stalemate. It was just too strong. Sadie grew weary and became frustrated.

“I WISH YOU WERE GONE!” she shouted. And in a burst of white light, the man-vulture was flung across Main Street and hit Winslow’s Hardware store, knocking out one of its windows.

“Good shot, Sadie,” said Zeno while he shot a troll who had a club the size of an oak tree. “Hold on, we’re going to make a mad dash for our very lives, and it may get messy,” he yelled over the explosion of the troll.

Grey goo rained down on everything, including them, as they made their getaway. Sadie was surprised at how much grey goo a troll was made of; as Zeno ran, she tried her best to get it off of her. It smelled like liverwurst, and she wanted no part of troll slime.

They ran down Main Street until they reached the end where farm country began. The troll explosion provided good cover for their escape, and no one seemed to be following them. The storm that had been raging began to subside as they continued on, never slowing their pace, just going deeper and deeper into vast open country.

“Why didn’t anyone in town hear what was going on?!” yelled Sadie towards Zeno’s ear.

“Because when we are in your world, we wear a glamour. You’ll soon learn what that is, how to use a glamour, and how to see through them. Just hold on and try to rest a bit ‘til we reach Tara’s neck of the woods,” shouted Zeno back at her. Sadie could hear fatigue in his voice.

At last, after what seemed like ages, they arrived at their destination. At least, Sadie assumed it was their destination because they began to slow. They were at the edge of a very large, dark forest, and in a great clearing stood a tiny stone cottage with a thatched roof. It seemed much too big a clearing for such a small house. It looked like the country cottages Sadie had seen in postcards of England that one of her foster families had stuck on their refrigerator. It was small enough that Sadie knew it could only be one room, and she wondered how she, Zeno, and this Tara person along with whomever else was there would all fit inside together.

Smoke was coming from the chimney in circular puffs and light shone through little square windows that bordered the front door, making it look strangely inviting. The closer they got, the more Sadie relaxed.

“Are we here?” she asked Zeno.

“Yes, but still, be on alert,” he responded.

Sadie’s eyes darted all around, taking in her immediate surrounding and looking for any signs of danger—not that she even knew what to look for. Apparently what she thought she knew of the world didn’t apply anymore. Either that or the rules had changed.  

They walked on, not on a path or anything, for nothing led to this cottage. Sadie realized that the forest had become quiet, not that she knew anything about the woods or what was in it. She was a town girl. To her left, the imposing trees seemed to be pushing themselves in a defensive line around that side of the house. To her right, where the cottage was, she saw the same thing. There was also a huge pile of firewood that rose up and above the roofline of the house. As they came within twenty yards of the dwelling, she heard a noise in the darkness of the trees. Zeno appeared unaffected by it and kept walking. She wondered if he were too tired to notice.

“Don’t you hear that?” she asked in a hushed whisper as she gripped his mane tighter.

Zeno didn’t answer and kept walking. Sadie was growing annoyed; this was the second time he hadn’t answer her questions tonight.

The storm was gone completely, and the air smelled crisp and clean, like fall air does. Sadie inhaled a long, sweet breath of fresh air just as they reached the door. As Zeno raised his hand to knock, from around the corner came a hulking, great figure much larger than the house itself. Sadie froze on Zeno’s back, prepared for him to either shoot the beast or run. Her stomach went upside down as she realized it was a troll. She was frozen and sick with fear, still remembering the liverwurst smell.

“Hello, Zeno, it been long time no see you, what say? Who small human?” queried the dark, mountainous shape before them in a voice so deep Sadie thought that only elephants in India could have heard it.

“Greetings and peace be your friend, Alroy. We’re here to see Tara. I’m pretty sure she knows we’re coming,” replied Zeno as the creature stepped out of the shadows and into the light cast from the tiny windows.

The troll began to lower itself down, kneeling on the ground next to them, grunting and groaning all the way. Sadie could hear bones cracking and skin squishing as it settled on the ground. Its huge head bent forward on its muscular neck; with eyes as large as Sadie’s head, it looked at her with the gentlest expression, all things considered.

“Human smell funny, not all human, not all witch, what give here?” asked the creature with a worried look on its face. 

It began to scratch its bald, lumpy head and study Sadie with its gigantic puppy dog eyes. Sadie realized trolls were completely different when they’re alive and not reduced to grey slime and goo. She even thought she may like this one, though it still smelled like liverwurst and its breath was what she thought a camel’s butt might smell like. (Not that she wanted the opportunity to find out.)  

“This is Sadie, and I’m sure she does smell funny. She’s in the middle of the change. And if what I’ve seen and my instincts are correct, she’s going to have quite some power in her. It’s been a long night, Alroy; if it’s all right with you, I’ll find you later and fill you in on the battle. I know how you love a good battle. Right now, I’ve got to get this child in to see Tara,” said Zeno as he knocked on the door.

Before he had finished his second rap, the door swung open and in they stepped, his hooves clacking on the stones of the floor as he ducked to fit through the frame. What Sadie saw inside was enough to shake her senses once more. She questioned her eyes and rubbed them as a gesture of sight correction.

The small cottage she saw from the outside opened up into one large room, a sort of kitchen/living room combination. It was much larger than the outside made you believe. The ceiling went on forever, it being an enormous cathedral-type, supported by great wooden beams. A large, black cauldron was bubbling as it hung over the fire in the fireplace, giving off a delicious scent she couldn’t quite place. A table was in the center of the room, large enough that ten big comfy chairs encircled its thick, wooden, circular presence.