The Witches of the Glass Castle (The Witches of the Glass Castle Series Book 1) (10 page)

He walked past a couple of Arcana boys who were sitting on the grass laughing about something. When the boys noticed Dino, their laughter died away. Dino could feel, and hear, their wariness towards him. He glanced back at them briefly and vaguely recognised them from the drawing room. Evidently they had witnessed his aggressive outburst earlier that day.

Dino rubbed his head – the action had become a familiar habit. He didn’t know why he bothered, though – it did nothing for the discomfort inside his mind. But at least the placebo effect provided him with a small degree of relief.

Keen to distance himself from the boys, Dino carried on walking. He cut straight through the gardens and kept going until he reached the sloping embankment. There he stood, looking down upon the maze of pine trees.

Dino gazed absent-mindedly at the ground beneath his feet. The waterlogged mud had mostly dried out, and the grass now seemed inviting with its dewy green blades and the occasional scattering of dainty flowers.

He stamped his foot down on a tiny yellow buttercup, crushing it like a merciless giant. For a moment he felt sick. Sick at the realisation of how much pleasure he had taken from exer
ting his dominance over the tiny flower. It was almost wicked – almost not
him
. It was as though a demon was slowly awakening inside of him, preparing to take over.

He shuddered at the disturb
ing thought.
Don’t be stupid
, he reprimanded himself.
You’re not a demon. You’re just you
.

He moved his foot from the flower and b
ent down towards it. Carefully he plucked the little crushed buttercup and released it into the breeze as a sort of recompense.

As the buttercup tumbled through the air, off on its journey, a hand swooped out and snatched it from its course with the speed and agility of a viper striking its prey.

Startled, Dino spun around. He hadn’t heard anyone approach. But there, just a few yards away from him, stood a man.

The man was older than Dino, although it was hard to tell exactly how much older he was because his strange hollow face was both haggard and robust at the same time. He stood as still as if he were made from stone, and by the looks of his pallid skin he almost could have been made from stone. The man pinched the buttercup between his thumb and forefinger, squashing it into a yellow pulp.

‘I know you,’ Dino murmured.

‘Perhaps you’ve seen me around,’ the man replied in an acid tone. His mouth was coiled into a smile, but his
eyes were emotionless. ‘My name is Tol.’ When he spoke his name, his tongue flickered out like a serpent’s.

Inside, Dino flinched,
but on the outside he held his composure.

‘Nothing to say?’ Tol noted in a low, hissing tone.

‘I’m not interested in introductions,’ Dino retorted. ‘You don’t need to know my name.’

Tol sneered. ‘I already know your name, Dino.’

Dino stiffened. The stranger’s face was unlike any Dino had ever seen. His complexion was sickly and sallow against his dark hair and clothes. His empty eyes were sunken and shadowed, and his hair, although slick, appeared coarse like animal fur. In fact, there was something about this man that seemed inhuman. Yes, he was human in his basic anatomy, but it was as though he was somehow devoid of a life force. He was a shell.

‘It’s an honour to meet you,’ Tol went on.

Dino grimaced. ‘What? Are you drunk?’ He concentrated his mind to gauge the man’s emotion. It was joy. But a
warped
sense of joy. Dino didn’t like it in his head; it felt toxic and spoilt.

‘What do you sense?’ Tol demanded
, his dark eyes still dead.

‘I sense that you need to get back to the nut house before they start wondering where you are.’

Tol growled like a ferocious dog. Despite his bravado, Dino shrank back.

Then, abruptly, Tol began to cackle. ‘Come into my mind,’ he offered menacingly. ‘Have a look around. When you’re invited, you can truly experience the full potential of your gift.’

Dino glared at him. ‘No, thanks.’

Tol
closed his eyes. The veins on his eyelids were purple and bulging. ‘Do it,’ he urged.

Dino licked his lips. For some twisted reason beyond explanation
, he actually wanted to explore the man’s mind. He had never been invited to do such a thing before –previously he had only been forced to hear snatches like the sound of a radio tuning in and out.

Why not?
he wondered, gritting his teeth. Why not see what I’m capable of?

So, with a deep breath, he permitted himself to channel into Tol’s mind. It was simple – all he had to do was allow it. Once their minds had synced together, the sensation hit Dino like a ton of bricks. He wasn’t just hearing the man’s emotions – he was
feeling
them, too. He felt Tol’s repulsive joy as if it were his own. And, more significantly, he could feel Tol’s supremacy, now flowing through him simply by using his mind as a vessel. Dino trembled. He had never experienced such power.

With that
, Tol opened his eyes and broke the connection.

Dino dropped to the ground, exhausted.

‘So, I was right,’ Tol sneered. ‘You are a Sententia.’

Dino staggered
to his feet.

‘You felt my power,’ Tol guessed
. ‘And you want it.’

‘No.’ Dino recoiled at the assumption.

‘Don’t you crave power? The power I have? I can show you how to get it.’

Dino shook his head. ‘I don’t want it,’ he stuttered.

Tol ran his tongue along his serrated teeth. ‘A Sententia’s power goes far beyond mere empathy. I can teach you how to not only hear the emotions of others, but to manipulate their emotions to your will. Come with me.’ He extended his crooked hand.

Dino tensed. ‘No.’

Tol beckoned him closer with his hooked finger.

Dino grimaced
at the sight of the man’s jagged, rotten fingernail. ‘You’re messed up in the head if you think I’m going anywhere with you. Never going to happen.’

‘You’re wrong,’ Tol
snarled. ‘Sooner or later, I will have you. You belong in my coven. You’re
mine
.’

Speechless and sickened, Dino turned and ran full pelt back towards the castle.

Tol didn’t follow him; he simply watched with a cruel smile on his lips.

Dino didn’t stop running until he’d reached his bedchamber. He burst into the room and slammed the door shut behind him, pulling the deadbolt across. When he caught sight of his hands, h
e noticed that they were trembling. The thought of Tol made his skin crawl.

He jumped when Mia poked her head out from behind her gold bed curtains.

‘Where have you been?’ she asked.

He let out a sharp breath. ‘Where have
you
been?’ he returned the question. ‘I’ve been out looking for you all day.’ That was an exaggeration, but he hoped that his irritation would disguise his fear.

It didn’t.

‘What’s wrong?’ Mia asked. She climbed out from her bed and swept over to him. ‘You’re shaking.’ She reached out to him.

Dino pulled
away from her and linked his hands behind his head.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ she repeated. Her eyes started to cloud with concern.

Dino side-stepped past her and sat down on the edge of his bed. He slumped his head into his hands.

‘I don’
t want to be evil,’ he muttered.

Mia walked over to where he sat and stood before him faithfully. ‘You’re not evil.’

‘Aren’t I?’ he challenged.

She placed her hands on her hips. ‘You’re not evil.
Obnoxious, yes. Moody, sure. But not evil.’

Dino peered at her through the gaps between his fingers. ‘Aren’t I?’ he asked again, his voice
becoming softer and more vulnerable.

Mia sighed. She took a seat beside him on the bed. ‘You could n
ever be evil.’ She draped her arm over his shoulders.

Dino dropped his hands into his lap. He wasn’t so sure of that any more. ‘I don’t know
what
I am,’ he admitted.

‘Well, I do,’ Mia replied firmly. ‘You’re my brother. Warts
and all!’ she added with a smile.

Dino reached up and touched
her fingers as they rested on his shoulder. ‘Mia,’ he said hoarsely, ‘I swear, the only thing keeping me sane right now is that you don’t have a power. I hope you
never
get one. It takes hold of you. I wish this had never happened to me.’

Mia fell silent. She had been so excited at the prospect of telling him of her encounter with Colt. But now it didn’t seem like such a good idea.

So she simply smiled and said, ‘It’ll get easier.’

Dino laughed rigidly. ‘What makes you so sure?’

‘Call it a gut instinct. I’ve got a feeling that things are about to change.’

Mia woke up at the break of dawn, still reeling from her run-in with Colt the previous day. He had seemed convinced that she was a Tempestus, but the idea of being able to manipulate the elemen
ts as he had done seemed unbelievable. However, the possibility fascinated her nonetheless.

Mia lay in her bed, far too awake for such an early hour. Her eyes were wide
open and her mind was alert. All she could think about was what Colt had told her – or, more to the point, what he had
shown
her. She hungered for the ability to do those things herself. His words echoed in her head. Had she really created the rain? Colt certainly seemed to think so. Now the only question that remained was how.

That was the final straw. She couldn’t stay in bed for another second. She had to get outside.

Without making a sound, Mia crawled out of bed. Moving as stealthily as she could, she slipped into a pair of jeans and a plum-coloured fitted T-shirt. Dino didn’t stir. He continued to slumber undisturbed behind the thick gold bed canopy.

Mia quickly pulled her hair up into
a ponytail and crept to the bedroom door. She snuck out of the room and closed the door with a gentle click.

The candles in the corridor had burnt out, leaving the stairwell unlit. T
he grand mahogany banister threw ominous shadows across the steps – like a giant spider’s web, and Mia was the unsuspecting fly.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she peered along the corridor. Considering the immense size of the castle, she had barely explored even a fraction of it. Wendolyn had set clear boundaries as to where the Ar
cana were permitted to be. The mere thought of what lay beyond their designated area was undeniably alluring.

E
xpelling the temptation from her mind, Mia returned to her mission and tiptoed outside.

The
sun was just rising and the air was crisp and fresh. Everything was quiet, apart from the quaint sound of the birds chirping their morning song. It was a magical time of day: not quite night, but not quite morning. While the rest of the castle slept unawares, Mia strolled into the gardens. She felt like she was the only person in the whole world. The world belonged to her.

She inhaled deeply, welcoming the new day. As she wandered around the flower beds, she saw them in a new light. Today they were alive – as alive as she was. In fact, everything around the gardens seemed to breathe and flourish in a glorious state of undisturbed beauty.

And then she saw him. Another form of unspoilt nature, astonishingly beautiful in a way that she had never known before.

It was Colt.

He lay on his back beneath a weeping willow tree. His hands were raised above his heart, palms facing skyward. Just inches above his hands, pink blossom petals hovered and danced in a gentle, rhythmic motion.

Mia watched the scene, admiring him
. She had never witnessed anyone so at one, so at peace. And to see him, whom she had feared enormously, lie so docile and connected to the earth – it was quite extraordinary.

A soft breeze embraced his skin and tousled his dark hair across his brow. His eyes were closed and his body was incredibly still; it was as if he were a painting.

Everything about him drew Mia to him. She couldn’t resist stepping closer. She had to be closer.

‘You know,’
said Colt, the abruptness of his voice startling her, ‘a lesser fool than I would kill you now.’

Mia froze. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disturb you.’

Colt carried on, oblivious to her apology – or disregarding it at any rate. ‘You’d be wise to not approach a Hunter, no matter how compelling. Some will lure you in this way, looking for a kill.’ His eyes remained closed as he spoke, the blossom still playing above his hands.

‘Is that what you were doing?’ Mia asked.
‘Looking for a kill?’ She knew she should be nervous, but for some reason she wasn’t.

‘No,’ Colt replied. ‘I’m meditating. Or, at least, I
was
meditating.’ He opened his eyes and the pink blossom petals sprinkled down over his body. Tilting his head towards her, he fixed her with a glare. ‘Well?’ he said.

‘Well, what?’

‘Well, what do you want?’ Colt demanded.

Much to his
irritation, she sat down on the grass.

‘Why are you sitting?’ he exclaimed
. ‘Go away!’

‘Maybe we could talk?’ Mia suggested coyly. She hadn’t expected to bump into him, but now that she had, it seemed like an opportunity had presented its
elf. After all, Colt was the only one willing to help her gain knowledge of her powers. He wasn’t exactly eager, but at least he wasn’t morally obligated to withhold information.

‘I don’t like to talk,’ he replied bluntly. Still lying on the
grass, he eyed her mistrustfully.

‘Then I’ll talk,’ Mia
proposed.

‘I don’t like you to talk, either.’

Mia didn’t move. She smiled at him.

Colt groaned. ‘Why me?’

‘It’s about your powers,’ she explained, taking his response as her cue to begin. ‘Actually, it’s about
my
powers.’

Colt didn’t respond.

‘I need your help,’ Mia told him. She shuffled closer until she was beside him, peering down at his face.

Colt recoiled
sharply. ‘Too close!’

Mia shuffled back. ‘Can you help me?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’ she sighed
.

‘Because I don’t want to.’

‘Please.’ Mia clasped her hands together. ‘Please, please,
please
!’

Now Colt sat upright. He looked at her, thoroughly mystified. ‘Have you got a death wish? I could snap your neck without even laying a finger on you. It would be easy – and fun. And do you know how much remorse I would feel?’

‘Some?’ Mia guessed hopefully.

‘None,’ he corrected.

‘Well,’ Mia held her ground, ‘maybe I think it’s worth the risk.’

Colt pressed his fingers to his eyelids and muttered s
omething under his breath. ‘Fine,’ he growled. ‘One question.’ His sullen green eyes locked on her intensely.

‘OK,’ she granted. ‘Go ahead.’

Colt slapped his hand to his head. ‘No! You can ask
me
one question!’

‘Oh. Right.’ She began to ponder it. If she only had one question, it would have to be a good one.

‘But first of all,’ Colt added, ‘take your hair down.’

Mia ran her fingers along her ponytail. ‘Why?’

Flinching, Colt wrinkled his nose. ‘There’s a cut on your neck,’ he told her.

Mia touched her throat. She was aware that she had suffered a few scrapes as a result of her fall the day before. ‘And?’ she pressed, confused.

‘I can see it. And smell it. It’s…rousing.’

‘What – are you a vampire or something?’ Mia laughed, although the sound of it was a little tense.

He rolled his eyes. ‘No, of course not. But I like the taste of blood.’

With that unnerving reality check, Mia unti
ed her ponytail and let her silken brown hair cascade down like a waterfall.

Colt clenched his teeth. ‘
Actually, that’s worse!’

‘Why?’ Mia patted at her hair, unsure whether to leave it loose or pull it back up.

Colt pressed his hand firmly over his mouth and nose. ‘Because I can smell your scent!’ he shouted through his fingers. ‘Get back!’

Mia scrambled several feet away from him. ‘How’s this?’ she asked in a raised voice. She sat cross-legged on a patch of grass, her hair tumbling over her shoulders.

Cautiously, Colt dropped his hand down to the ground. ‘Better,’ he confirmed, adjusting to the aroma in the air. ‘It’s somewhat diluted.’

Mia stared at him for a moment. ‘What did it smell like?’ she asked before she could stop herself.

Colt grimaced. ‘It smelled like you.’

Mia frowned. ‘And that’s a bad thing?’

Absent-mindedly, Colt trailed his index finger along his lips. ‘I’m not sure.’ He deliberated for a second. ‘Sometimes I thrive off it. Sometimes I despise it.’

Her eyebrows drew together
. ‘Do you often smell me?’

‘Yes.’

‘How?’

‘You’re everywhere.’

‘How did I get everywhere?’

Colt let out a tired sigh. ‘Well, most memorably, we had three days of your bothersome rain.’ He scrunched up his nose at
the memory. ‘But I believe I first picked up your scent in the forest.’

With everything that had happened lately, Mia had almost forgotten about her very first encounter with Colt, when she and Kizzy had been drawn into the forest. ‘So you
did
know I was there,’ she realised quietly.

‘Of course I knew you were there! I’m a supreme Hunter, and you are just a child!’

‘Hey!’ Mia protested. ‘You don’t look that much older than me!’

‘I don’t mean it in that context,’ Colt snapped. ‘You see, this is exactly wh
at I mean – naivety,’ he groused to himself. ‘I’ve been alive for eighteen years. But I’ve also been a witch for eighteen years. You, however, were born only yesterday as a witch.’

‘I was
n’t born yesterday,’ Mia argued. She smiled to herself – it wasn’t often people got to use that phrase literally.

‘Fine. A week ago, then,’ Colt said dispassionately. ‘What’s the difference? You don’t even know how to use your power yet!’

Mia folded her arms. ‘That’s why I’m here. If you’re so fantastic, why don’t you show me how it’s done?’

‘I am fantastic,’ Colt agreed casually. ‘I’m unparalleled.’

‘And you’re your own biggest fan,’ Mia remarked under her breath.

‘It seems to me that
you’re
my biggest fan,’ he retorted with a snide smile. ‘Anyway, as I said – one question.’

Mia gazed up to the sky, contemplating the perfect question. She needed to include everything that she wanted to know in one statement.

‘I’m waiting,’ Colt reminded her.

‘I’m thinking,’ Mia shot back.

‘Then I should warn you that I’m also imposing a time limit.’

‘Of course you are,’ Mia
grumbled, hardly surprised by the revelation.

‘Ten seconds,’ Colt announced.

‘That’s not fair!’

‘No,
darling
, what’s not fair is your clinging on to me like a limpet.’

Mia glowered at him. ‘It doesn’t matter, anyway. I have my question.’

‘I’m on the edge of my seat,’ Colt said with a yawn.

‘My question is,’ she declared meaningfully, ‘how do I control the air?’

‘That’s very vague,’ Colt pointed out.

‘But it’s what I want to know.’

‘Well, it’s subjective,’ Colt reasoned. ‘What works for me may not work for you.’

‘I understand. I still want to know,’ Mia hurried him along, banking on the hope that what worked for him would indeed work for her, too.

‘You need to be in tune with nature, to the point where you
are
nature. Think with your soul, not with your head. Will it so. Watch.’ He raised his palm to her and sent a light breeze through her hair, purposefully pushing the strands back and exposing her throat. His eyes drifted to the graze on her neck. ‘Just a peek,’ he told her with a devilish wink. Then he drew his hand back towards his chest, commanding the breeze to flick her hair back to its original position.

Mia inhaled the air deeply. Her lips parted as she exhaled. Out of the corner of her eye, she s
potted Colt staring at her mouth. It made her incredibly self-conscious.

‘Stop looking at me!’ she scolded him.

‘No.’

‘You’re making me lose concentration,’ she accused.

‘That’s the problem,’ Colt responded huffily. ‘You’re thinking too much. It’s not about concentration. It’s simply about doing. About being.’

Mia ignored him and raised her hand in front of her. The cool air dusted her skin, but nothing out of the ordinary happened.

Move
, she commanded silently, focusing on a scattering of pink blossoms.

‘Stop th
inking!’ Colt yelled.

‘I can’t help it!’

‘You’re not getting anywhere! Cast your mind back to how you did it in the forest.’

‘OK,’ Mia agreed
. Then she paused. ‘What did I do in the forest?’

Colt rolled his eyes. ‘You threw a jackdaw feather. That’s how I knew that you were a Tempestus. You directed a breeze to carry the feather.’

‘I did?’

‘Of course you did!’ he cried. ‘Did you never think to question how a wispy feather could fly like a steel arrow?’