#I’ll get all of the council playlist covers done eventually | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tchallasbabymama · 3 years

Text

Bambi

Hey y’all, here’s Chapter 7 of Playlist.

Check out my masterlist HERE to catch up and read my other stories. Let me know if you want to be tagged!

Word count: 6300

“Ashanti”

The name passed over the king’s lips as his fiancee watched him toss and turn in his sleep. Tamala didn’t know what to do. She was so angry she wanted to smother him with his stupid silk pillows, but didn’t want to risk the whole “charged with having committed a regicide” thing. She wanted to know who this Ashanti bitch was and why her man was dreaming about her with a smile on his face. She made a mental note to butter Shuri up and ask her tomorrow.

The king rolled over away from her and continued to dream about the elusive Ashanti while Tamala snuggled deeper into the covers as a tear came to her eye. She knew he didn’t feel as strongly for her as she did for him, but she hadn’t considered there could be another woman. Could she work in the palace? Is this Ashanti even Wakandan? He travelled so much, it was a possibility…

Tamala sighed and then closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take her, but her dreams were nowhere near as good as T’Challa’s. In his dream, he and Ashanti were making love on a white sand beach on a secluded island off the coast of Greece. Every kiss, every touch felt real. He could smell the sea salt and feel her warm skin against his. The taste of her pussy lingered on his lips as he buried himself inside her over and over and over again. Unfortunately, outside of his dreamland his body was responding to his subconscious in ways he had no control over.

By the time he woke up around 6 in the morning his dick was hard as a rock. He silently shuffled out of the bed and to the bathroom, trying in vain not to wake Tamala. When she heard the bathroom door close she sat up in a huff, ready for him to come back out so she could confront him about this Ashanti girl. She waited and waited for several minutes before she got up and walked towards the bathroom door. She pushed it open slightly and caught sight of her fiance stroking his gorgeous dick in the shower. Any other time she would have gladly gotten on her knees for him at the sight, but this time it just made her sick. Even more so when she heard that name slip out his mouth again.

“Ashanti, mmm fuck just like that.”

Tamala closed the door and went back to bed, facing away from T’Challa’s side. When he returned, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Normally she would give in to his desire for morning sex even though she preferred sex before bed, but this time she pretended to be sleep. She just couldn’t face him yet.

T’Challa was only mildly disappointed, he didn’t enjoy sex with Tamala very much but she was there and he was horny. He wasn’t proud of feeling that way, but at least he was faithful to his fiancee in his waking hours. He still wished he didn’t have to marry her, but at this point he couldn’t back out or his immigration proposal wouldn’t go through. The council had all the leverage over him, so he felt like he had no choice. Tamala was tolerable most days, so he could manage a loveless marriage for the rest of his life, but as far as children went, they had yet to come to an agreement. T’Challa just wanted one or two, but Tamala wanted a whole tribe of little Udakus. Just the thought of it made T’Challa nauseous, but he knew he and Tamala would have to produce at least one heir to the throne. He shuddered at the thought, not of fucking her but of that being the future he had to look forward to.

As much as he tried to not be, T’Challa was still in love with Ashanti in his waking hours, too. Everything reminded him of her, from his mother’s flowers to rainstorms…she loved the rain. He still listened to their combined playlist from time to time, reminiscing on the few short months it took for him to fall head over heels in love. He wished a lot of things in regards to Ashanti, but mostly he wished they had more time together before things went south. Maybe then she would have been able to trust him more and she wouldn’t have left…

It was a dangerous line of thinking that T’Challa cut off when it reared its ugly head. All the what-ifs were almost as bad for him as his guilty conscience, so he shook himself out of it and got up to start his day. As soon as Tamala heard the door shut she let out the tears she had been holding on to. She got up to go shower and get dressed, too. She had a long day ahead trying to figure out who this Ashanti bitch was, and her first stop would be his little sister.

——-

Oh, oh, oh

Mmm mmm mmm

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Oh Bambi I won’t lie

If I weren’t in this spiderweb of mine

If grandfather never had seven wives

Then darling you would be love of my life

Oh Bambi it’s my design

To run the jungle I must be a lion

Or be a cheetah but neither is fine

Don’t wanna hurt my dear love of my life

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Ashanti sang along to the song with Binta as they glided around the kitchen cooking dinner.

“Girrrrl, I just want Jidenna to spank the fuck out of me. I’d be like ‘thank you sir, another?’” Binta swooned at his voice coming through the speakers.

“That man is capital ‘f’ fine. ‘Ruin my uterus and my life’ fine.” Ashanti joked as Kwame entered the room, swaying to the catchy beat.

“This Jidenna?” he asked.

“Mmmhm.”

“You already know,” they both answered at the same time.

“He’s ‘spit in my mouth daddy’ fine” he added.

“Ew, that’s gross!” Binta screamed at her brother while Ashanti had sex flashbacks to her time with T’Challa. There were several times he would have her stick out her tongue and he would spit in her mouth to remind her she was his dirty little-

“Ashanti!” Kwame yelled.

“Huh?”

“Girl were you even listening?” Binta asked her, knife in hand as she cut up the yams for dinner.

“Honestly no, this conversation has me horny as fuck.” she decided it was best to be partially honest, but not all the way. They didn’t need to know she was fantasizing about her ex, she’d let them continue to think she’s talking about the man behind the smooth voice tickling their ears.

“I can’t even blame you,” Binta said as the twins both laughed. Ashanti joined in and went back to her task at hand, but eventually her mind drifted back to T’Challa, “Bambi” providing the perfect soundtrack for the melancholy feeling she got from those bittersweet memories.

Sometimes I hide

When you FaceTime I text you back a lie

‘Cause I’m afraid to look back in your eyes

I’m terrified you were love of my life

The women among the tribe

They will be jealous of this lullaby

I’ll drink alone in my hotel and cry

'Cause now they know you are love of my life

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, my dear, my dear

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Bambi)

Don’t get too near for there’s lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Ashanti was on autopilot through dinner and was relieved to make it back to her room so she could be alone with her feelings. She missed T’Challa. Seeing him at the bazaar the other day only made things worse. She had been doing well, but then when he was in front of her and that same powerful aura she missed so much engulfed her, he had her in his trap once again. If she hadn’t left when she did she would’ve completely forgotten about the man’s fiancee and jumped on him then and there. All those feelings came rushing back to her as the smell of his cologne wafted her way and she knew she had to get out of there before she made a fool of herself. For good measure, she twisted her hips a little more as she walked away and she was sure she could feel his stare on her behind as it twitched out of view.

To distract herself, she decided to work on a necklace commissioned by the River tribe elder, but Jidenna’s words haunted her as her fingers attempted to wire-wrap a large lapis lazuli crystal point.

I wish that we were forever young

I always knew that this day would come

The fork in the road where I cannot run

Between love and many I’m loving one

I got the wedding invitation, Bambi

I’m happy that he wants to make a family

But I cannot promise I won’t run up in the church

There screaming your name, Bambi

No one can take you from me, Bambi

Bambi, Bambi

(Ba bam bam bi)

My dear, I want you here

(Ba bam bam bi)

Oh baby, don’t get too near

(Ba bam bam bi)

Oh oh oh, there are lions, beware

(Mmm bam bam bi)

Mmm mmm mmm

I don’t wanna see the wedding

I just wanna see my baby

Most times Ashanti loved when music spoke to her in that way, but this time she just wanted to block out his words.

The wedding…

The fiancee…

She knew her pining was in vain, and that just made it hurt more. She missed him and regretted her decision, but she really did try hard to not let it get to her. She brought it up with Jamila in therapy and they’ve spent the last couple sessions talking about that regret and learning to forgive herself. She understood the mindset she was in when she made the decision to end things, and she couldn’t fault herself for doing so out of fear. She just wished she could go back in time and do it over, or come to this realization much quicker. Now she had to see wedding coverage on every screen and hologram in the damn country. “What will the princess be wearing?”, “Will the king and future queen have a traditional wedding or more modern?”, and “Royal baby predictions: about a year?” were just some of the Bast-awful headlines she had tried to ignore as of late. It was beginning to be a bit much and she considered going on vacation until after they married since it was only a month away. She had plenty saved up and had never really done anything like that before, so she figured she’d give it a try and take herself on vacation.

Ashanti found a quaint little Air BnB in New Orleans that was well within her budget and allowed for long-term stays. She booked it on the spot, before looking for flights out of the new Wakanda International Airport and found a round trip ticket to New Orleans for $45. Once she paid, her heart rate started to pick up. She was really doing this, she was going to go to a whole other country on her own…and she needed to get a passport asap.

——-

T’Challa was hoping to fly under the radar, and so far the shades and hood seemed to be working. He had left his Dora Milaje back at the palace, much to Okoye’s dismay, because he wanted to do this alone. He wasn’t even sure what this is, but he knew he had to do something.

The king stealthily made his way to the heart of the city. He knew it was probably a bad idea, but he just had to see her again. He walked with the hustle and bustle of the crowds, going unnoticed and therefore not having the luxury of them clearing the path for him. He didn’t mind though, they weren’t rude about it.

As he waited to cross the street he noticed the kid next to him staring at him a little too hard. He checked his surroundings and lifted his shades, sending her a wink. She flashed a snaggletooth smile before saluting him and carrying on her way with her mama. T’Challa shook his head, thinking of the baby girl he wanted to have one day. Wakanda’s future queen.

Speaking of future queens, his wrist vibrated and he looked down to see that Tamala had texted him asking where he was. He rolled his eyes and ignored the message, turning the beads off for the time being.

When Taj’s was in view he stopped walking, disrupting the flow of foot traffic. A couple people cursed him out for blocking the street before he realized he was in the way. He stood on the sidewalk, staring into the storefront. He could make out her profile as she spoke to a customer and the king couldn’t help but stare at her beauty.

The king tried to take a step towards the shop, but didn’t move. He tried again, but was still glued to the spot. His legs had turned to stone and he couldn’t lift his feet to move in her direction. His eyes stayed zeroed-in on her. He watched in awe as her coily hair bounced while she nodded her head, and he missed how she spoke with her hands…it had really been too long. He tried with all his might to move again, but he was still frozen on the spot. He had decided to turn around and go back to the palace when he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to see who it was, and a smile appeared on his face.

“Bisa!”

“Hi dear,” she hugged him and looked over his shoulder at Taj’s to see that Ashanti was still busy and had turned so that her back was facing the window.

“How are you?”

“I should be asking you the same question, out here in disguise spying on my daughter,” she said playfully.

T’Challa laughed as they sat down at a table inside the Mostafa’s restaurant.

“I had planned to actually say something instead of just spying, but I, uh, lost my nerve it seems. I couldn’t go to her.”

There was silence for a moment before Bisa spoke up.

“You still love her?”

T’Challa grew silent again, knowing he shouldn’t say what he most certainly said next.

“Yes, I do.”

Bisa sat back in her chair with a satisfied smirk on her face.

“Good.”

“Good?”

“Yes, good. She still loves you, too. She won’t admit it though. She’s worked through her fear in therapy, but those feelings for you haven’t gone anywhere.” She noticed a tear falling from the king’s eye and she reached out to wipe it away.

“T’Challa, I know you are engaged, but-”

“I have to go through with it, Bisa…for political reasons. I do not love her,” his voice softened with each word and Bisa let out a sigh.

“So you absolutely have to marry her?”

“If I don’t the Mining and Border tribes will not vote for a proposal I have presented them with for Wakanda’s future. She is the Mining tribe princess, so calling it off would anger K’hari, and this would never go through.”

“I thought the king could declare whatever he wanted.”

“No, we are a lot more democratic than most would believe. I have the final say of course, but they can veto my decisions if the vote is high enough. Checks and balances and whatnot…”

“Oh, I wasn’t aware of that…You know, you should go over and talk to her. I bet she’d like that.”

He shook his head. “I thought I was ready, but I need more time. Especially now. Thank you Bisa, you’ve been a wonderful ear.”

“Anytime, son,” she sent him a wink and he chuckled at her nickname.

T’Challa walked back out the door and gave Taj’s one last glance before heading back to the palace.

——-

After her usual morning routine Ashanti strolled into the bazaar, making her way to her shop. She was in a great mood this morning, having dreamed of T’Challa the night before yet again. The dreams used to bring her to tears when she woke up, but now she welcomed them since they were all she could get. She knew that one day they would eventually fizzle out and stop coming to her, but until then she was going to enjoy getting her dream back blown out by the Black Panther.

As usual, her parents were outside cleaning off tables for the morning rush and when they noticed her, there was a certain gleam in their eyes she couldn’t quite place.

“Hi mama, baba,” she hugged them both. “What’s with the looks? I don’t like this…”

Chidi laughed and turned her around so that she could see her shop. Her jaw dropped in shock at the sight before her.

There on her stoop was a huge bouquet of violets, their purple hue seemed to be even brighter than any violet she had ever seen.

Ashanti peeled herself from her father’s arms and walked across the street in a daze. When she reached her door she could only stare at the flowers, noticing there was a note. She was almost too scared to read it, but her curiosity overruled her fear and she reached for the card.

I am sorry, Ashanti. For everything.

-T

In that moment Ashanti knew for sure that he still loved her. Her heart opened up and tears rolled down her face, some bouncing off the purple petals before hitting the ground. She leaned into them and their sweet smell overwhelmed her senses.

Chidi came over to help her move them inside and he smiled at her before giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Give him a call, nugget,” he advised before heading back across the street to his beaming wife.

“Just ‘give him a call’ huh? It’s that easy?” Ashanti said to herself out loud as Jafari entered the shop.

“Wow, who sent those?!” he exclaimed upon seeing the giant bouquet.

“Oh, uh,” she secretly snatched the card and pocketed it. “They’re a ‘thank you’ from the River tribe elder.”

“Funny, I thought they already sent-”

“What are you doing coming in so early?” she tried to change the subject, but he caught on.

“I was in the area…so who are these really from?” Jafari eyed her closely as she struggled to come up with a lie.

“I-I don’t know. No card, see?” He took a look and didn’t see one.

“Ooooh, bosslady has a secret admirer,” he teased.

“No I don’t, for all we know it could be a ‘thank you’ bouquet from somebody.” Ashanti tried to keep the heat off her.

“It’s too big and fancy for a ‘thank you’ bouquet, plus they would’ve left a note. Someone’s sweet on you Shanti.”

“Maybe…well since you’re here can you take over? I have a call to make.”

“Sure thing,” he winked at her and grabbed the broom from her hand. On her way to her workspace in the back, she heard Zina come in before the two started gossipping about who they thought it could be from. They weren’t even close.

Ashanti stared at her rose gold kimoyo beads for a few minutes before she worked up the nerve to activate her communication bead and call him. When she chose his picture her heartrate picked up as the trilling sound filled the air. It continued for longer than Ashanti was used to, so she ended the call assuming he was busy.

As it turned out, he wasn’t busy at all, he was just too nervous to answer her call. When the ringing stopped, his heart dropped and he immediately called her back. When she picked up they just stared at each other and smiled for a moment.

“They’re beautiful, thank you.”

“Anything for you.”

Her heart skipped a beat, but she broke eye contact and looked away for a moment, reminding herself that no matter how many feelings were still involved she would not let herself become his mistress. She had to keep it together.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, by the way. It wasn’t your fault.”

Now it was his turn to look away, fighting tears that welled up in his eyes. He felt a sense of relief wash over him knowing that she didn’t blame him for the incident.

“I blamed myself for a really long time,” he cleared his throat. “So thank you for saying that.”

She could see the pain in his eyes and it was her turn to feel guilty. Moments of silence passed as she stared into his glassy eyes and she contemplated the choices she made. Had she not left him-

“You did what you had to do, I understand that Ashanti. I was never upset at you, only at myself.”

“You had no reason to be, Challa, it was that evil woman,” Ashanti added, tears welling up in her eyes too.

His heart warmed when she called him Challa. He had missed it more than he realized. “I know that now, but…I knew something was coming, I felt it, but I didn’t know what…and for the longest I let that eat me up inside and I…” He let out a heavy sigh.

“You…?”

“I let it drive me to drink. I am an alcoholic, Ashanti. I have been sober for months now, but I was in a very dark place for a long time.”

“That explains the ginger beer at the party.”

“Oh so you were watching me?”

She blushed and tried to hide her grin.

“Everyone was, you’re the king. Oh I never got to wish you a happy birthday, so here it is: Happy birthday!!!”

The two of them shared a laugh.

“Thank you, I really do appreciate that coming from you,” the king said, staring into her chestnut brown eyes as best as he could on a hologram.

“I’m glad. So I guess since we’re sharing, I um…I was too scared to leave my parents’ house for months. I was paranoid and anxious all the time. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat…it took a long time to get back to semi-normal.”

“Why just semi?”

“Because it never really goes away, Challa. It just becomes manageable.”

He nodded his head in understanding.

“How are you now?” the king inquired.

“It’s much more manageable now, therapy has been good. Having a routine helps. I keep myself busy- oh! Speaking of, your sister is a Bast-send. My jewelry business has been booming ever since I opened my commissions back up, and it’s all thanks to her! And you. So thank you both for that.”

“It is as I said, anything for you.”

“You say that like it’s true.”

“Why isn’t it?”

She paused, thinking over whether she wanted to lay it all out there or not.

“Because you’re getting married.”

——-

Tamala made her way down to Shuri’s lab carrying a basket full of fresh mandazi. She knew the princess had a sweet tooth and figured it would be a good way to bribe her for information. As luck would have it, the prince and princess were both there testing out weaponry. They stopped when they heard the doors swoosh open. When they turned around they both kept their poker faces on as they greeted their future in-law.

“Hi Tamala, what brings you down here?” Shuri asked, trying to sound cheerful.

“Well I came to visit family then figured I’d stop by with these! My mama made them right before I got there so they’re fresh. Have some!” She grabbed one for herself then passed them the basket. They grabbed one each and dug in, surprised at how good they were.

“Damn, tell your mama I said I’m coming to dinner tonight,” N’Jadaka said as he reached for another one.

Tamala ignored him and turned to the princess. “So what are you working on?”

“Weapons,”she responded dryly. Her cousin nudged her in her side and she perked up.

“That sounds cool. Hey, Shuri can I talk to you for a second? Alone, if you don’t mind, N’Jadaka.”

“Nah I don’t mind at all. Need anything from me cuz?”

She mouthed “don’t leave me with her” as Tamala was turned around waving goodbye to the prince. The prince read her lips and chuckled on his way out.

“Aight, catch you at dinner then.”

He jogged up the ramp ignoring Shuri’s piercing gaze. As soon as he was out of sight Tamala turned around and her face immediately took on a seriousness that Shuri had never seen from her.

“Shuri I have to ask you a question and I need you to be completely honest with me. Please, as your sister.”

“Ok…” Shuri was nervous about what she might ask, she was such a bad liar…

“Who is Ashanti?”

Her eyes widened and she had to think quickly about how this needed to go.

“Ashanti…oh the artist? Yes she made necklaces for me and mama a while ago. You’ve seen them-”

“Is that the same Ashanti T’Challa knows?” Tamala asked the nervous princess.

“T’Challa knows so many people-” Shuri struggled to make eye contact with her future sister-in-law and that was all the confirmation she needed. It would be easy to find her now.

The next day, Tamala and her personal Dora Milaje warriors walked through the bazaar causing a scene. The princess had never been seen alone with Doras before, so this was a big moment and Tamala was eating it up. She loved the attention she received as the people moved out of her way to let her pass, it made her feel powerful. That feeling is exactly what she needed to harness in this moment, powerful.

Tamala made it to Taj’s and stared at the storefront in disgust. Through the window she could see the same woman he had been staring at all night at his birthday party and she felt sick to her stomach. Just how long had this bitch been hanging around her man?

Two of her Dora opened the doors for her to enter as the customers left the shop to give her space, unused to royalty moving through the city so aggressively. Ashanti turned to see what was going on and the shock on her face was readable all the way from the door where Tamala stood.

“Hello, are you Ashanti?”

“Y-yes I am your highness.” She saluted her and felt her blood boil.

“Well aren’t you…pretty. Hm. I hear you make custom pieces?”

“Yes, I do,” Ashanti said, scared she knew where this was going.

“Good. Well as you know, I’m getting married in a few weeks. I would like you to make me a necklace fit for a queen. Since that is what I’ll be…his queen, Ashanti.”

The artist’s breath caught in her throat. She knew Tamala had to have found out about the flowers or the calls or the texts they had sent each other in the days following their reconnection. They kept it PG, but there was definitely some flirting going on despite the need to remain platonic.

“Ok. Do you have any inspiration or a design in mind?” Ashanti’s voice trembled.

“No.”

“Ok, um-”

“We both know I’m not here for a necklace, Ashanti.” Tamala said as she leaned on the end of the counter..

Ashanti’s legs trembled under her long flowy skirt and her voice caught in her throat. This was the worst case scenario.

“How long have you been seeing him?”

“Who?”

“Don’t play dumb. My fiance, how long have you been seeing him?” Tamala’s voice rose as she got more and more frustrated with the Merchant girl.

“T’Challa? We’re not-”

“Do not lie to me, I know you have something going on with him.”

“Princess, I promise. We were together over a year ago, not now.”

Tamala stood back up from her perch.

“Then why is he calling your name when he sleeps? Tell me that.”

“I-I don’t-”

“You know what? Save it, just don’t come near him ever again or once I am his queen I will have you exiled from Wakanda.” Tamala said in a huff before storming out of the shop, Dora Milaje in tow. It was about time to close anyway so Ashanti shuffled her feet towards the door to lock up and draw the shades. She could see her parents out in front of the restaurant waiting to talk to her, but she decided to go out the back door and sneak home without talking to anyone. Binta was on a date with Kiki and Kwame had gone to stay with Omar for the weekend, so she knew she would have the house all to herself.

Her beads buzzed, signifying a text. She saw that it was from T’Challa and she erased it before even reading it.

Ashanti stripped herself naked and stared at herself in the mirror for a while before turning on the hot water in her bathtub and filling it up just the right amount before sliding in. The lavender bath bomb she dropped in the water had turned the bath purple and she thought of her breathtaking violets. She knew she couldn’t continue to talk to him and that it was really and truly over now, but she could preserve the flowers and keep them forever. She needed to have something beautiful come out of the last two years.

Not wanting to sit in silence, she called out to her kimoyo AI.

“Hey Kim, play music.”

The tears that had threatened to fall from her eyes finally made the leap as the opening chords to “Bambi” played throughout her bathroom.

——

Two days had gone by and Ashanti still hadn’t responded to him. T’Challa had tried texting and calling her, but the calls weren’t even going through anymore. She had him blocked or changed her number without telling him. Either way, he was upset at the sudden loss of contact, but he knew Ashanti wouldn’t just do that for no reason, so something had to have happened to change her heart so quickly.

The king was visibly tense during the council meeting and even more aggressive in sparring with Okoye and his cousin, which neither one of them were opposed to. By day three he had finally had enough and marched down to his sister’s lab. N’Jadaka was there trying out a new upgrade to the Jaguar habit and T’Challa was relieved they were all in one place so he wouldn’t have to do this twice.

“Ayy, what up cuzzo? Like the new threads?” N’Jadaka’s new upgrade included more visible spots than the last one and he was loving the print.

“Looks good on you.” T’Challa tried to muster up some cheer but couldn’t.

“Why the sour face?” Shuri asked her brother, finally looking away from the screen in front of her and noticing his scowl.

“This stays between the three of us.”

His family nodded and looked on with concern.

“I had been…speaking with Ashanti again-”

“Oh no.” Shuri thought she only said in her head.

“What do you mean oh no?” T’Challa was confused at his sister’s reaction. He knew she loved Ashanti like a sister, so her response made no sense.

“I-I mean, um, you finish telling your story then I’ll um, yeah…” Shuri stumbled out.

N’Jadaka sat back and observed them both in his usual way, sure he knew exactly where this was going.

“Ok, well…long story short, we bumped into each other, then I sent her flowers, and we had been texting and calling back and forth platonically since then…until a few days ago. She just stopped and now my calls won’t go through.”

“Wow, so you and Ashanti huh? Tryna get that old thang back?” the prince joked before getting serious when his big cousin shot him a look. “You know I support you, but you gotta be real careful man. You’re getting married in like three weeks, just keep that in mind.”

“Yes, I know but-” he was cut off by a sniffle coming from his sister. “Usisi, what is wrong?” His arm wrapped around her shoulder.

“Tamala, she asked me about Ashanti the other day…all I told her was she was the artist who made our necklaces. She said that she heard you say her name in your sleep…”

“Daaaaaamn,” N’Jadaka said exactly what T’Challa felt in that moment. He knew his sister meant no harm, but somehow Tamala had gotten to Ashanti.

The king knew he had two options. He could drop in on Ashanti and try to make things right or he could confront Tamala. He chose the latter so as not to upset Ashanti any further than she surely already was thanks to his fiancee. He excused himself from the lab before giving Tamala a call. Almost immediately after it started to ring, she answered.

“Hi baby!” she answered with a fake smile on her face.

“Hello Tamala, are you busy?” he asked, keeping his voice even.

“Not too busy for you, I just finished-”

“Great, will you meet me at the panther cave in an hour?”

“Sure thing, baby. Is everything ok?”

“Yes everything is fine. See you in an hour.” T’Challa ended the call and ran his hand over his face in exasperation. If he still drank he would have poured himself a glass right about now. To distract himself, he returned to the lab to check out the new upgrades to the Jaguar habit.

Tamala arrived at the cave early since she had been at her parents’ house not too far from there. Her nerves had gotten the best of her when she realized he didn’t seem to be in the best mood and her mind raced over the possibilities until it landed on the one thing she could think of. Her.

When T’Challa arrived a few minutes later she tried to keep a straight face, but her attitude seeped through and he could sense it a mile away. He sighed and rolled his eyes, they hadn’t even had the conversation yet and here she was, already mad.

“Could this have waited until later?” she asked him, annoyance clear on her face.

“What’s the matter now? You were just in a good mood an hour ago.”

“You tell me, T’Challa.”

He could feel his blood pressure starting to rise so he took a couple deep breaths to calm himself.

“Don’t act like a spoiled child, talk.”

“Oh I’m the spoiled child? Ha! Says the man who wants to have his cake and eat it too.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I am to be your wife and she is not, so you should act accordingly if you want your little proposal to go through.”

A tense silence followed, his suspicions confirmed. The smug look on Tamala’s face irked him to his core because he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

“So who is this ‘she’ you’re referring to?” he asked for clarification.

“Do not play dumb, T’Challa, it does not look good on you. I am talking about your precious Ashanti. I don’t know how long you have been seeing her behind my back, but it ends today.”

“She is my ex and a friend-”

“I saw how you looked at her, she’s not a friend T’Challa…and she’s also not a concern anymore,” she said flippantly.

“What do you mean?” he took a step forward as she stepped back, bumping into the cave wall as he descended upon her slowly, prowling like a cat.

“I mean, I-I-”

“What did you do?” his voice grew, instilling fear in her heart at the cold look behind his eyes.

“N-nothing, I just told her to leave you alone or-”

“Or?”

“Or I’d have her exiled when I become queen.”

“You will do no such thing!”

He pulled back and lowered his voice when he saw the fear in her eyes.

“And no harm will come to her if you know what is good for you.” he turned to leave but stopped and faced her once more. “You may be my queen, but she will always have my heart. Do not forget this is simply an arrangement.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the cave, heading straight for the Talon. As soon as his shadow disappeared from the cave wall Tamala broke down in tears. She knew he didn’t share her feelings, but she didn’t know just how little he cared. After a few minutes of crying, she regained her composure and sat against the wall with her knees at her chest contemplating her future. She had to do something, or the rest of her life she would be stuck in a loveless marriage, but she couldn’t think of what. Eventually it hit her, and the realization broke her heart.

She would have to call it off.

Next Chapter

Taglist: @maddeningmayhem, @theblulife

#cecewritessometimes #black panther fic #t'challa x oc #t'challa #black!oc #playlist

67 notes · View notes

hovercraft79 · 6 years

Text

Shadows of the Night

7th in the Hecate’s Summer Playlist series

Chapters: 1

Word Count: 18,005

Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Some violence, panic attacks, Hecate channels her dark side

Summary:

The Great Wizard is missing, and Mildred’s father is not. Hecate and Julie must face the fallout from the disaster at the Pentangle’s garden party. Meanwhile, Mildred has to deal with a familiar nemesis who’s trying to drive a wedge between her and Miss Hardbroom.

Notes:

This is the penultimate installment of my take on the Summer Trope Challenge. It will make much more sense if you’ve read the earlier ones. They are slowly being added to AO3 under Hovercraft79.

The title this week comes from the classic Pat Benatar song. You know you’re singing it in your head already.

Thanks to everyone for all of your kind comments – they really keep me motivated.

I truly thought Sparky would kill me this week when the word count topped out at over 18,000. She’s still correcting me like a champion, though. I’m gonna have to buy her a freakin’ car as a thank you gift for all this.

Mildred pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. If she could make herself inconspicuous, then maybe she would be able to overhear something important. She shivered. It was cold where she was. Wherever that was. Everything had happened so quickly. One minute, Mr. Pentangle was showing her how to play magical boules and the next…everyone was shouting, and casting spells and HB seemed to be dueling the Great Wizard. Tears burned her eyes whenever she thought about Miss Hardbroom on the ground, strangers grabbing at her, pushing Miss Pentangle away.

Then she was here. Sitting on a stone bench in some underground room. Her mum and Miss Mould had been spirited away almost immediately, unmagicals, they’d called them. Miss Cackle, Miss Pentangle and her brother had been summoned into an office behind heavy doors. Wizards and witches rushed by in every direction – but no one went in or out of the room with the heavy doors. Every now and then, Mildred was sure she could hear Miss Pentangle shouting. Once, she even thought she heard Miss Cackle. She wished she knew what happened to Miss Drill, but no one thought to tell her anything.

She didn’t think anyone thought about her at all.

Suddenly, Mr. Rowan-Webb appeared in front of her, giving a little hop as he settled back into his form. “Ah! There you are, Tadpole! I’ve been looking all over this place for you.” He took up a seat next to her. “This has been quite the night, hasn’t it?” He leaned over and whispered conspiratorially, “If you ask me, it was a lot more exciting than the parties those toffs usually get up to!”

Mildred tried to smile, but she couldn’t quite pull it off. “Do you know where my mum is? Or Miss Hardbroom?”

Algie leaned back, stroking his beard as he deliberated how much to tell the girl. Remembering her uncanny ability to find things out for herself, he decided to just come clean. “Well, I believe your mother and Miss Mould are above ground in the Council chambers.”

“Is that where we are? The Magic Council? But it has all plants and glass, like a greenhouse.”

He nodded. “That’s the top part – the part that’s for show. The real power gets wielded down here, underneath the public building. This is the hub of the magical government, Tadpole. It’s almost like a city, but, instead of a skyscraper going up, it’s a skyscraper going down.” Miss Cackle’s voice could be heard through the doors again, but not her words. Lucky for that, Algie thought. “We’re on the Magisterial floor, where criminal prosecutions begin.” He fussed with his beard again. “It’s where they’ve got Miss Hardbroom – but I know it’s only temporary!” He tried to sound confident but couldn’t quite manage it. “Oh! Miss Drill is being looked after in the infirmary; Miss Bat is with her now.” He left out the bit about Dimity being under guard, reckoning Mildred didn’t really need to know about that. “I suspect you know where Miss Cackle is, as is Miss Pen…”

The heavy doors flew open, and Pippa Pentangle stormed out so fast that the guard wizard who was supposed to be escorting her struggled to keep up. Mildred leaned over just in time to catch a glimpse of Miss Cackle before the door swung shut again. Red-faced and scowling, Miss Cackle was leaning over the desk of a nervous-looking wizard. If Mildred didn’t know better, she would have sworn she was staring at Agatha.

Pippa waited as patiently as possible while the Great Wizard’s guard snapped the lead cuffs around her wrist. Magic Binders, she thought, nose wrinkling in distaste, the price of entry into Hecate’s cell. Observing Hecate through the window, she guessed the glass was one-way since Hecate made no move to indicate she was aware of anyone on the other side.

Hecate sat on the edge of one of the cots, elbows on her knees, head resting against her clasped hands. Binding cuffs glinted dully from Hecate’s wrists as well. Her blouse was torn at the shoulder and her hair was a mess, but Hecate seemed otherwise unharmed. Pippa noticed, with no small about of anger, that Hecate’s white trousers were certainly ruined.

Pippa stepped up to the cell door, pausing to settle herself, trying to work out which Hecate she would find inside. Would it be the one she hoped for? Her Hiccup that was scared and soft and needed her Pipsqueak? Or would it be the angry, obstinate Hecate Hardbroom, furious with the fools who had locked her in another cage.

Hecate looked up at the window then, shame and guilt etched into every line of her face. Pippa sighed. This one, then, she thought. The Hecate she feared the most – the one that blamed herself for every mistake, every disappointment. The one that never could believe she deserved to be happy or to have Pippa’s love. Pippa nodded at the guard, glancing down at the lead cuffs at her own wrists as he opened the door. She stepped gingerly into the cell, approaching Hecate like one would a wounded animal. Which, Pippa supposed, she was.

“Hello, darling. How are you doing?”

Hecate looked at her, relief and happiness washing over her features before she forced the feelings away, schooling her expression back into a stony mask. She turned away from Pippa, staring at her own hands instead. “You shouldn’t have come here, Pip. Even you have to admit that any association with me now would ruin you. Ruin Pentangle’s.” She choked out something between a laugh and a sob. “I’m the mad witch that attacked the Great Wizard. No one would ever want their children around me or anyone associated with me.”

“I don’t have to admit any such thing, Hiccup,” Pippa said, edging closer. “You’re the brilliant witch who figured out someone was impersonating the Great Wizard. The rest of us are just now catching on. Just like our school days, right? You were always steps ahead of the rest of us.” She eased herself onto the cot next to Hecate, careful not to touch her, but close enough she could feel the warmth radiating from her skin. “We’ll get it all sorted soon enough.”

“Sorted? I heard what they were saying, Pippa. Your own mother said it. How long until parents start pulling their children out of Pentangle’s? You can’t have a school without students, and you won’t have students if you’re linked to me.”

Pippa linked their hands, ignoring the slight buzzing that happened when the Binding cuffs touched. “Please listen to me carefully, darling, because I need you to understand me.” She used her free hand to pull Hecate’s chin up until she could look her in the eyes. “I will destroy Pentangle’s Founding Stone myself and turn the entire place into a magical black spot before I’ll give you up again, Hiccup. Let’s get out the truth potion or an honesty spell or whatever you need so you will believe me, because I am tired of having this conversation. You have all of me, Hecate, and the only thing I ask in return is that you stop running as soon as things get hard. I will scrub pots for Miss Tapioca – and gladly – if it means being with you. So please, please, darling, work with me to get us out of this mess instead of against me.”

It was enough – for now, at least. The dam holding back Hecate’s emotions failed spectacularly as she burst into tears, clinging to Pippa as sobs wracked her body. Pippa let her cry, rocking her back and forth like a baby in her arms, whispering the calming words of a lullaby into her hair. Eventually, the sobs eased into tears and finally just sniffly, hitching breaths.

“I’m sorry, Pip. I should have handled it another way.”

“How? Let him hit you with a fireball? I’ve talked to Dimity and Marigold. He threw first. All you did was defend yourself. Dimity is fine, by the way; she’s in the Council’s infirmary, being looked after by Gwen.” She pulled up the hem of her sundress and used it to wipe Hecate’s face. “Don’t take blame that isn’t yours, Hiccup. You’ve always done that.”

“I should have…covered better…when I knew…”

“Hecate. Stop. Looking back, it’s always easy to see how we might have done things differently, but differently doesn’t mean better. If you hadn’t reacted the way you did, he would have left. Poof!” She fluttered a hand in the air. “As it is, he’s also sitting in one of these infernal cells in a pair of lead bracelets being questioned, and there’s practically an army of people trying to find the Great Wizard. That’s because of you, darling.”

“It still makes me an awful lot of trouble,” Hecate said, pulling herself upright. “I don’t know why you put up with me.” She smiled to take the sting out of the words.

“Because you love me. More than anyone else ever has.” Pippa grinned as she watched Hecate try and figure out how to argue with that. “It’s a foolish witch indeed that would give that up,” she booped Hecate on the nose. “And I am not a fool.”

“Not even when it comes to me?”

“Especially when it comes to you, Hiccup. I know full well the woman I’m getting. In fact,” she reached into the pocket of her sundress and held out a circle of silver. “I had this made after I got yours. It was only just ready today…or yesterday? I don’t know what time it is now.” She placed the ring on Hecate’s palm. It looked just like the one she wore on her own finger, but silver instead of rose gold. “You said mine was meant to be a promise. You deserve a promise as well. I’d planned to give it to you after the party, or during maybe, in some romantic little spot…but…” She spread her hands wide, indicating the cell they were in. “Maybe this is even better. I promise I’m not just here for the good bits, Hiccup, but for all the parts. Even sitting in a jail cell because everyone thinks you’ve gone bat-drool crazy and attacked the Great Wizard.” She laughed gently at Hecate, who was still staring at the ring in her palm as if it was the most precious thing in the universe. “May I?” she took it back and showed her the inscription. Just like hers, it had Pipsqueak and Hiccup inscribed on one side. “I changed the words just a little.”

Hecate brushed the tears out of her eyes so she could see more clearly. “Someday is Here,” she whispered. “Are you sure?” She looked at Pippa, then back at the ring, trying to decide if she was meant to take it back, or put it on or even which finger to wear it on.

“I’ve never been surer of anything.” Pippa could tell that Hecate wasn’t sure where to wear it. She pulled Hecate’s left hand into her own. “I meant what I told Mother. I intend to marry you, as soon as you’re ready for that. In the meantime,” she slipped the ring on Hecate’s hand, pleased it fit without any magical resizing, “this will hold that spot nicely – a reminder that the best is still to come.”

Speechless, Hecate lifted a shaking hand to Pippa’s cheek, mindful of the Binder cuff. She pulled Pippa in for a kiss –”

“You’re wanted upstairs!” the guard shouted. “Both of you.”

They both jumped so much that, instead of their lips meeting, they crashed their foreheads together.

“Right this second?” Pippa said, exasperatedly rubbing her forehead. She stood up and pulled Hecate to her feet as well. “I swear, Hiccup, when all this is over, you and I are going somewhere – just the two of us.”

The guard banged on the door, motioning for them to get moving. Pippa pulled Hecate out of the cell. Pippa held her wrists out to have the guard remove the Binding cuffs, but he refused. “But you just put them on!” She tried to make a rude gesture to his back as he led them down the hallway, but the cuff prevented the sudden movement of her hand. Disappointing. Truly.

As they made their way to higher floors, the rough stone floors gave way to smooth tile, then marble. The lighting improved as the walls grew more ornate. Finally, they reached the floor with the Magistrate’s office.

“Miss Hardbroom!” Mildred shouted as they entered the hallway. Mildred threw herself against Hecate hard enough that the older witch nearly lost her balance; still, she managed to keep her feet and hug Mildred tightly. The guard started to pull them apart but backed off as soon as Pippa and Algie interfered. “I knew you’d be okay, HB. I just knew it!”

“Of course, I am, you wretched girl.” She said, smiling into the girl’s hair. When did she get so tall? Gently, she pushed Mildred away, holding her at arm’s length, inspecting her carefully for any damage before pulling her back in for another hug. “I’m glad you’re uninjured as well.”

The guard cleared his throat, and Hecate handed Mildred over to Mr. Rowan-Webb. “I’ll be all right, Mildred. No worries.”

“Yes, Miss Hardbroom, I know you will.” She edged closer to the wizard, looking up to him for reassurance.

“It’ll all come out in the end, Tadpole. Just you wait.” He clapped a large hand on Hecate’s shoulder. “Chin up, Miss Hardbroom.” She nodded before following the guard into the room behind the heavy doors, Pippa hot on her heels.

Benjamin Gullet was not accustomed to failures – or being duped. He poured another glass of Bruichladdich Black Art scotch. He gulped half the glass of the twenty-four-year-old whisky in one go, savoring the burn. If they were going to be driven out of Gullet Manor by a bunch of…schoolteachers…well, there were worse places to land than the home of the Great Wizard.

Especially since the Great Wizard was currently being such an…indulgent host. Benjy raised his tumbler to the striped frog glaring at him from inside a bell jar. “To your continued health, Egbert, you bloody sod.” He gulped the rest of the glass.

“We aren’t here for you to drink your way through the Great Wizard’s cupboards, Benjamin.” Petronilla Gullet scowled up at her eldest son, yet somehow managed to give the impression that she was looking down on him. “It’s your failure that’s put us here. If you’d done as instructed, your sister would be free and no one would be the wiser.”

“Me? If I’d done?” He threw the tumbler into the fireplace, scattering glass shards across the carpeting. “Maybe you should have a go at Samuel – he was the bloody spanner in the works! He was supposed to keep those bloody witches at that beach house; instead he sent them racing back to Cackle’s! We were lucky to get away with as little damage as we did!”

“You’ll watch your tone with me, wizard! Or you’ll find yourself in the jar with His Greatness!” She raised her hand, and a tiny spritzer bottle appeared in her palm. “I’ve no qualms trading you out for your sister. Cassandra should never have been locked into that painting. There wasn’t even a trial.”

“A trial? What would a trial accomplish beyond dragging our name even further into disrepute? As if turning a wizard into a frog wasn’t bad enough…”

“WHAT DID I SAY?” Petronilla swung her arm forward, spraying her potion into Benjamin’s face. With a puff of purple smoke, the wizard disappeared, and a large frog sat amongst the pieces of glass on the floor. “Your sister –”

“WHAT IN MERLIN’S BEARD HAVE YOU DONE?” Rolando Birdsong exploded into existence in the middle of the room. “What was that fool son of yours doing impersonating the Great Wizard?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

As Rolando stormed across the room, Petronilla waved a hand and changed Benjamin back just before he was crushed by Rolando’s boot. “The other one, you stupid witch. He went to a bloody garden party as the Great Wizard! Then the idiot decided to have a conversation with Hecate Hardbroom. I’ve told you and told you to steer clear of that woman!”

“The bloody fool is going to ruin everything! As soon as we can extract the Great Wizard’s power, then we can release Cassandra,” Petronilla hissed.

“Will you forget about Cassandra, Mother, for five minutes? You have three other children you know.” Benjamin grabbed Rolando’s cloak. “Where’s Samuel now?”

“The Magical Council has him.” He looked back and forth between the Gullets. “I don’t know what game he’s playing at, but you need to get out of here. Now.” He waved his hand and disappeared.

“Have a seat, Miss Hardbroom,” the Magistrate, a tired-looking wizard in rumpled robes gestured to the wooden chair in front of his desk. One glance at the still furious Pippa Pentangle and he sighed, conjuring up another chair.

“Why is Hecate still in Binding cuffs? Why is Miss Pentangle in the cuffs at all?” Ada demanded.

“Please, Miss Cackle, you must understand…”

“What I understand, Mr. Thistle, is that, by all accounts, Hec – Miss Hardbroom simply defended herself and, in the process, exposed a rogue wizard impersonating Egbert Hellibore.”

Gavin Thistle closed his eyes and rubbed his temples; today had been a Very Bad Day. If he kept his post after today, it would be nothing short of a miracle. “Please, Miss Cackle, look around you. The entire Council is in disarray. The Great Wizard is missing, and no one has any idea how long he’s even been gone.”

“Then, Mr. Thistle, I suggest you avail yourself of two of the finest resources,” she clapped a hand each on Hecate’s and Pippa’s shoulders, “the Council has at its disposal.”

“Thank you, Ada,” Hecate mumbled, eyes darting every where but at the Magistrate.

Mr. Thistle opened his desk drawer, when a sudden commotion outside drew everyone’s attention.

“Gavin!” A young witch wearing the emerald robes of the Magistrate’s Office burst into the office. “Sorry, Mr. Thistle, well met, Sisters. They’ve just come back from the Great Wizard’s estate. There was no sign of the Gullets, but they think they’ve recovered the Great Wizard.” The young witch smiled brightly, oblivious to the tension in the room. “They’re bringing him here now.”

The Magistrate slammed the drawer closed and raced into the hallway. He returned a moment later cradling a glass jar. He placed it carefully in the center of his desk. “Is it?” He looked up at the three witches in puzzlement.

In spite of herself, Hecate leaned forward and examined the frog. “It certainly fits the modus operandi of a Gullet. May I?�� She reached for the jar. Mr. Thistle nodded in approval, and Hecate gently removed the frog, holding him up so she could see him better. After a moment she brought it to her nose, inhaling deeply. “I can smell a Transformation potion.” She handed the frog to Ada. “I don’t know if it’s the Great Wizard, but it’s someone.”

“Quite right, Hecate. If you don’t mind, Mr. Thistle?” He waved at her to go ahead. Ada placed the frog on the floor in front of her, settled herself and began to chant. “Tale of rat and leg of lizard, turn this frog back into a wizard.” In a puff of purple smoke, the frog disappeared, and a very disheveled, very angry Great Wizard stood in its place.

“What in the name of Merlin and Morgana is going on in this place?” He glared at Mr. Thistle. “How many days have I been in that jar?”

“Your Greatness,” the Magistrate bowed as low as he could from behind the desk. “We, uh, we aren’t sure, sir.”

“You have managed to capture the lot of them?” the Great Wizard asked, exasperated.

Thistle’s face flushed red, “Ah…no, Your Greatness. We did manage to capture the wizard impersonating you, though, sir.”

“You captured?” Pippa leapt to her feet, “You haven’t managed to do anything but transport a frog in a jar! Hecate’s who sussed out Samuel Gullet and spelled him into submission.” She grabbed Hecate’s wrist and held their hands up to the Great Wizard’s face. “And this is what she got for it, Egbert! A night in a cell and Binder cuffs – not to mention that you lot at the Council are letting talk run wild and ruining her reputation!”

With every word Pippa shouted, the Great Wizard’s face grew redder and redder. “Do you mean to tell me, that of all the people I see every day, the people charged with my security and well-being…not a one of them could tell that was an imposter? It took Hecate Hardbroom to figure out that…that…Gullet boy wasn’t me?” He glared at Thistle.

“I believe that is correct, Your Greatness,” Ada said. “Well, I think Miss Pentangle has things well in hand here.” She placed a hand on her forehead and bowed. “Delighted to have you back, Your Greatness. I think I’ll go check on Ms. Hubble and Miss Mould. I expect I’ll see you two back at Cackle’s shortly?” Ada eyed him over the top of her glasses.

“Yes, yes, Ada, they’ll be there shortly.” He waved his hand and the Binder cuffs dropped to the floor. “Tell me what you know…” he sighed.

“Miss Cackle!” Julie Hubble waved the headmistress over as soon as she appeared in the greenhouse. “What’s going on? Where’s Millie? Is Hecate all right?”

Ada spotted Julie and Marigold sitting on a bench beneath a cluster of palms. She wasn’t surprised to see Peter Pentangle hovering nearby as well. “Everything is being sorted. Mr. Rowan-Webb is with Mildred, they’re outside the Magistrate’s office, the Magistrate is interviewing Hecate, but they’ve just returned with the Great Wizard – the real Great Wizard. They found him changed into a frog. If there was any sort of calling card for Petronilla Gullet, frog transformations is it.” She placed a hand on Julie’s arm. “The imposter is also in custody. I imagine he will be for quite some time.”

Julie pulled Ada away from the others. “You mean Millie’s…dad.”

“Are you sure that’s him, dear? Everything was happening rather all at once.” Ada could see the doubt creeping into Julie’s eyes. “Why don’t we go and have a look, shall we? You won’t have to speak to him unless you wish.” Julie’s head barely moved. If Ada hadn’t been watching for her response, she would have missed it altogether. “Come along, then.” She hooked an arm through Julie’s and led her down into the building.

“Will you stay with me, Miss Cackle? I’m…well…I guess I’m a bit nervous.”

“I certainly will, dear. And I think we are well past the point that you should be calling me Ada.” They made their way down to the lower floors of the Council unmolested – the return of the Great Wizard caused too much of a commotion for anyone to be bothered with them. The lone guard outside Samuel’s cell scarcely bothered to look at them once he saw they weren’t anyone important.

Julie stepped up to the glass, taking in the man on the other side. “He’s hardly changed.” She looked at Ada. “How is that possible? It’s been almost fourteen years since I’ve seen him.”

“The extraction spell, I suppose.” Ada could see that Julie didn’t understand. “It’s a nasty bit of magic. I…I almost performed one myself once, and Agatha did. It’s a way of stealing another witch or wizard’s power.”

“But he didn’t have power! He was a plumber! You can’t tell me any wizard would decide to…join the ordinary world and be a plumber.”

“He didn’t have powers when you knew him, but…” Ada thought a moment about how best to explain what she’d learned from the Magistrate. “You’ve been watching the Harry Potter movies with Hecate, correct?” Julie nodded. “I believe there are a few characters who, even though they’re born to the wizarding world, don’t have magic themselves?”

“The squibs? Like Filch the caretaker?” She regarded the wizard in the cell. “You’re saying he was a squib. And that he stole someone’s magic, so he could be a proper wizard.”

“It’s still a bit of conjecture, but that’s the gist of it. Birth records show a youngest son, but he doesn’t show up anywhere past the age of five or so, about the time latent powers would start showing up.” She looked away, embarrassed, before continuing. “Unfortunately, there are some wizarding – or witching – families that…hide away what they see as defective offspring. Or, like the Gullets seem to have done, banished them to the ordinary world. It doesn’t paint a very good picture of our kind, I’m afraid.”

A sad, half-smile pulled at Julie’s lips. “Don’t worry…Ada…the ordinary world is full of parents who disown their children for things they can’t control.” She patted the older woman’s shoulder. “What happened to the wizard who lost his powers? Can he get them back now?”

“I don’t think so.” Ada frowned. “When they found Mr. Birdsong’s body…the paper said it wasn’t…new…do you remember?” Julie nodded. “That was a bit misleading, I’m afraid. The reason they had such trouble identifying it was because it was years old – more than ten.”

“Fourteen, you mean,” Julie turned away from the window, certain she was about to be sick. She bent over, hands on her knees, willing the contents of her stomach to stay where they were. A bag of lemon drops appeared in her peripheral vision. Millie had told her all about Ada and her bottomless supply of lemon drops. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth until she was reasonably sure she wouldn’t chuck up all over the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the guard watching her, his foot ready to kick the wastebasket her way. She nodded at him, hopefully reassuringly. What the hell, she thought, and took one of the lemon drops. Bloody thing actually helped. “You’re telling me that Millie’s father might be a – a murderer.”

“I don’t know, dear. I wish I did.”

Julie spun around to the guard. “I need to talk to him. What do I need to do for that to happen?”

The guard summoned a pair of Binding cuffs. “You’ll need to wear these. No one with access to their magic is allowed in the cells.”

“I don’t have magic,” Julie spat. “Haven’t you been listening.”

He shrugged. “Those are the rules, ma’am. No cuffs, no entry.”

Julie held her hands out. “Fine then, it won’t matter anyway.” She looked at Ada, “you’ll be here when I come out?”

“Of course,” she said, smiling sadly.

“Right then.” Julie nodded, squaring her shoulders and facing the door. She almost lost her nerve when the door opened but stepped through before she could back out. “Dave.”

He lifted his head, “Julie?” He leapt to his feet, but the cuffs reacted to the sudden movement, driving him back onto the cot. “I was right then, wasn’t I? Mildred Hubble is my daughter.”

“No. She’s my daughter. You lost any right to her when you disappeared. You traded her away for your magic.” She sniffed. “Well, you traded me for it. You didn’t know about her. You just didn’t want to be a squib anymore.”

“Skip!” he said, slapping at the cot. “I hate those bloody movies. You see how my kind were portrayed. That hideous Filch – it’s discrimination, I tell…” He trailed off, raking his fingers through his hair. “I never asked for any of this. I was…fine…in the ordinary world. I was happy.”

Julie wasn’t having any of it. “Right. So happy that you stole another man’s magic? Killed him?”

“I swear, I didn’t do either of those things.” Samuel pushed off the cot, freezing in place when he realized Julie had taken a frightened step back. “That was all my mother…and my sister, I guess.”

“The same sister that turned a man into a frog for over thirty years? That tried to boil Mildred after another girl turned her into a frog?”

“I didn’t know about any of that. All I know is that Cassandra went to work at that school. I didn’t know what she did to that wizard. That’s where she got mixed up with Agatha Cackle. She heard about that extraction spell and got into Agatha’s good books to learn how to do it. It was Agatha who talked Rolando into getting his brother’s power. I didn’t know why he did it.”

“You bloody well didn’t think much about it, though, did you?”

“Nobody thought about it,” he spat. “Mother wanted me to be normal, so I wouldn’t be the white cat at the family gatherings. Cassandra found a way and I was summoned home. That was that. And you’re right, I didn’t think too much about it.” He slumped back down on the cot. “If we had, maybe it would have occurred to someone that I couldn’t just suddenly appear with magic. I still had to be a skip.”

“That’s where that Birdsong bloke comes in, isn’t it? Just magic yourself into somebody else.” She shook her head, lip curled in disgust. “A man died, Dave. Or Samuel. Whatever you call yourself.”

“I know, but I didn’t kill him, Jules. You know me. You know I wouldn’t do that.”

“Don’t call me that. I don’t know you at all. I knew someone who never existed.” Samuel started to speak, but she cut him off. “You kidnapped my daughter. She was hurt because of you.”

“No one meant to kidnap the girl. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If she hadn’t been with that Hardbroom woman…That’s who they wanted.”

“Mildred was just…what? Collateral damage?” Julie stepped forward, jabbing him in the shoulder with a finger. “Don’t act like I’m some…muggle fool.”

“It’s true! Don’t act like I’m an idiot either. I didn’t know who she was before she showed up in that wizard’s Keep. But Hubble isn’t exactly Smith or Jones now, is it? Some girl with your last name who looks to be about thirteen? I can do the maths. That’s why I went to the Pentangle’s party. I wanted to see her.” Samuel leaned forward on the cot, spreading his hands in front of him in supplication. “I’d like to meet her.”

“You must be barking mad if you think I’d ever let you near her. She thinks her father was a lovely, decent man. She’d be gutted to find out he was you. You can bet your last pound that I will never let that happen.”

“I can give her a name, Jules – Julie. A proper magic name.”

“She has a proper magic name! The Hubbles are a witching family – even if we’ve got no magic.”

“Mildred deserves to know the magical side of her family. She deserves to have someone in the magical world, not just an ordinary mother who can’t understand what her life is like.”

“She has that! She has someone she loves and someone who loves her. Don’t you dare tell me what she deserves. She doesn’t deserve to have a thief and a murderer for a father. You talk about wanting her to have a proper name, but what is that? The Gullets gave up people they cared about for magic. We Hubbles gave up magic for the people we cared about. I think Millie will stay a Hubble, thank you very much.”

“But I’m her father,” he whispered.

“No. You’re the bloke that got me up the duff.” She headed for the door, turning before she grabbed the handle. “A father would be thinking about what’s best for Mildred – not what’s best for him.” She banged on the door, pushing her way past the guard. “Come on, Ada,” she said, marching down the hallway. “I need to talk to Hecate.”

“Great Merlin, I hate being transferred,” Pippa gasped, leaning into Hecate. “I know, Pip,” Hecate steadied the blonde witch until she found her feet. “I just had too much magic after having it bound up all night.” Her skin had been crackling with it, ever since the Great Wizard removed the cuffs. Her inability to vent it, or her anger, had reached almost unbearable proportions.

“I’m all right, darling.” Pippa straightened, hand still wrapped around Hecate’s arm. “But, let’s walk to the infirmary, if you don’t mind.”

“You don’t think it’s too late?” Hecate checked her pocket watch. It was nearly four in the morning. She just didn’t know if it was Sunday or Monday morning.

“Not at all, she’ll either be awake or asleep.”

Hecate nodded. “I need to pick something up. I’ll meet you at the infirmary.”

By the time Pippa walked to the infirmary, Hecate was already there, waiting at the door, holding Mr. Monkey. “I thought she might like…” She shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, Hiccup.” She pushed open the door and peeked inside. Dimity looked up, smiling gratefully at Pippa.

“Pentangle! You’re here! Does that mean you’ve sprung Hecate from the gaol?” She hoisted herself up, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Get over here, I’m about ‘round the bend from boredom!”

Pippa pulled Hecate in behind her. “Miss Drill,” she waved the stuffed animal in Dimity’s direction. “A friend wanted to come visit.” She settled herself on the edge of Dimity’s cot, wiggling Mr. Monkey in front of her face. “I’m glad to see that you’re well, Dimity.”

“Hah! I knew you loved me, deep down in that dark heart of yours, Hecate.” Winking, she snatched Mr. Monkey away, bapping his little paws on Hecate’s shoulder. “So, what’s been going on? I feel like I’ve been locked in the cupboard while everyone else is having a bleedin’ holiday.”

“If you call being in a cell wearing Binding cuffs a holiday.” Hecate held up her hands, showing Dimity the bruises on her wrists.

“I don’t think I can bear to hear it one more time, darling.” Pippa smoothed her hand down Hecate’s spine. “Will you mind terribly if I meet you back in your room?” She kissed Hecate’s cheek before leaning over and kissing Dimity’s as well. “Thank you for protecting her, Dimity. I hate to think what would have happened without your shield.”

“Anytime, Pentangle. Every time.” Dimity watched as Pippa left the infirmary.

“The Gullets turned the Great Wizard into a frog,” Hecate said, lips twitching until she couldn’t hold back a giggle.

“NOOO! And I missed it?” She threw herself back against the pillows. “It really was like a bloody holiday without me.”

“At least you weren’t in a jail cell.” Hecate deadpanned. “I missed a bit myself,” she said, rubbing her wrists again.

Dimity caught hold of Hecate’s left hand. “I think a bit more happened than you’re letting on, HB. Did you manage to get engaged during all this madness?”

Hecate looked at her hand, warmth spreading through her chest as well as across her skin. “I…I don’t really know. I don’t think so…Maybe?” It felt like too much to hope for.

“Now that’s the sort of thing you really ought to know.” Dimity grinned. “Next you’ll be coming back from a honeymoon not sure if you’re married.” She had Mr. Monkey make a couple of suggestive moves. “I hope you pay attention when you’re shagging – you’ll hurt a girl’s ego!”

“For god’s sake, Miss Drill,” Hecate snatched Mr. Monkey away, cheeks flaming. “I don’t…we haven’t…I don’t know what it means, Dimity.” She looked away. “I know it’s stupid. I feel like a fool.”

Relenting, Dimity leaned forward and placed a hand on Hecate’s knee. “Love can make us all feel foolish, Hecate – even when you’re as suave as me. Just ask her, HB. If you aren’t sure what it means, ask her. If you just want to make sure it means the same thing to you both…Ask her.”

“I’m afraid it’s going to mean more to me than it does to her.”

“Oh, Hecate, for the smartest witch at Cackle’s you can be so thick sometimes.”

Hecate transferred to the kitchens, the potions lab, the roof and the dining hall before finally transferring into her rooms. She hoped she’d burned off enough magic to be able to sleep, but she still felt prickly and out of sorts. Probably not just from too much magic, she thought. A sleepy blonde peered up at her from her sofa.

“Pippa! I didn’t expect you to wait up.” She took two steps further into the room before she found her arms full of one very pink witch. “I’m glad you did, though.” They held each other, neither one wanting to be the first to let go.

Finally, Pippa patted Hecate on the back and pulled away. “Let’s go to bed, Hiccup. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for this day to be over.” She nodded towards the door to Hecate’s study. “Mildred and Julie are already asleep.”

“I’m not sure I can sleep…” she started but allowed Pippa to lead her into the bedroom.

“That all right. I’ll fetch you a glass of wine and sort out that hair of yours,” she batted her eyes at Hecate, “get you out of those terribly sexy trousers and into something more comfortable.”

She giggled when she felt Hecate stumble a bit behind her, but they’d no sooner entered the bedroom when Hecate launched herself at Pippa, devouring her lips, hands racing to touch every part of her at once.

Pippa gave as good as she got, deepening the kiss and grinding their bodies together. In the part of her brain that was still functioning, she knew this was mostly a reaction to everything that had happened in the last thirty-six hours: the dancing, the attack, getting arrested. The ring. She just wasn’t sure she cared why they were wrapped around each other, only that they were. She groaned as Hecate’s teeth bit her lower lip – too hard but somehow, not hard enough. She jerked her head back, banging it into the door frame. “Ouch,” she said, giggling.

Hecate stiffened, eyes flying wide. “I’m sorry! Oh, Pip, I’m so…this isn’t…I can’t…” Hecate’s knees buckled. Pippa grabbed her waist and slid them both down the wall until they were on the floor, Hecate huddled against her, hitching breaths shaking her shoulders.

“Hiccup? Talk to me, darling.” She brushed the hair out of Hecate’s face. “You’re all right; I’ve got you.”

“I’m sorry…It was too much…” her breath caught in her throat. “The wrong reasons…” She pushed herself away, eyes looking everywhere but at Pippa, blinking back tears. “All at once it felt too much like…before.”

“Shhh…Hecate…come back here.” Pippa pulled Hecate back against her chest. “What do you mean that it felt like before, my love?”

She let herself relax against Pippa. “That. Love.” She cleared her throat. “That wasn’t about love, Pipsqueak. It was just about…forgetting everything that happened…It’s like it didn’t even matter that it was you. I’m so sorry, Pip.” She steeled herself against the hurt or recriminations that she knew were coming. Instead, Pippa laughed and hugged her tighter.

“So, you’re saying that if you’d happened to walk in here with Julie or Peter or Dimity the same thing would have happened?”

“What? No – good grief…of course not!” Hecate sputtered.

“Then it matters that it was me after all.” She traced calming patterns on Hecate’s knee. “I knew this was as much about everything that happened today as it was about us. I didn’t care. I don’t care. If I can bring you some tiny bit of comfort, that’s enough for me.”

“It isn’t for me. We’ve waited too long…I don’t want it to be some…desperate go at each other on the floor.”

Pippa shifted Hecate around until she was sitting between her legs, leaning back against her. She wrapped her arms around her from behind. “True, it wouldn’t exactly be wine and roses, but,” she giggled, “it’d get the job done.”

Hecate yawned so hard her whole body shook. “You’re incorrigible, Pippa Pentangle.”

“Only as far as you’re concerned.” Pippa squeezed Hecate tighter and transferred them onto the bed. “There you go, darling. Give us a quick shower spell and let’s get you into your night things. It’s been a frightfully long day.” A few minutes later Hecate was curled on her side, Pippa snuggled up behind her with one arm draped around her waist. “Go to sleep, darling.” She felt Hecate nestle closer, breathing out a soft sigh as she relaxed completely. And this, Pippa thought, is what makes everything else worthwhile.

The afternoon sunlight streamed into Hecate’s bedroom, dragging her awake. She could hear Pippa snoring softly behind her. She stretched, slow and lazy, smiling at the ring on her finger as it glittered in the sunlight. I could wake up this way every day, she thought, should have been for the last thirty years. She twirled the ring around with her thumb. The pang of regret for all the missing time was still there, but the crushing weight of it had eased into something manageable. She spotted a folded paper on the bedside table, her name written in Julie’s tidy handwriting.

Hecate pulled the paper off the table, fluffing her pillow under her head so she could read it more comfortably.

Hecate,

Your great git of a wizard has sent Millie and me back to the flat. I need to talk to you as soon as you’re able. Transfer to my bedroom. Millie can’t know what we’re talking about. I’m glad those wankers had the good sense to let you go.

Love,

Julie

PS- you and Pentangle are cute as a couple of kittens having a cuddle

Hecate snorted, causing Pippa to stir. Rolling over and resting her head on her arm, Hecate gently tucked a strand of hair behind Pippa’s ear, delicately tracing her jawline. Pippa’s eyes fluttered open.

“Hello, you.” She pulled Hecate’s hand against her heart. “We’ve had a good sleep, haven’t we?”

“Good morning, Pipsqueak. You look beautiful.”

“I look like I spent all night in jail. You’re sweet, though.”

“That not a word usually used to describe me,” Hecate said, chuckling. “Julie wants me to go see her.” She handed Pippa the note, hoping she’d summon her reading glasses. Hecate wasn’t disappointed.

“She was in here? While we were asleep? Why aren’t you spitting toads?” Pippa felt Hecate’s forehead and cheeks with the back of her hand. “Who are you and what have you done with my Hiccup?”

“Stop,” Hecate said, grabbing her hand and kissing it before tucking it against her. “She’s the first person that really rooted for us, you know? Did you know she’s who encouraged me to invite you to movie nights?”

“I’m glad she’s your friend, Hiccup. She’s good for you.” Pippa leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Hecate’s lips. “Go get ready, sweetheart. I’ll go get us some breakfast.

Hecate materialized into Julie’s bedroom, barking her shins on a basket of washing. “Ffff-festering frog spawn,” she hissed, rubbing her shin. She flicked her wrist and the basket shifted over to the wall. She limped to the bedroom door, opening it just a crack. Julie leaned against the counter, fidgeting, bouncing one foot and staring into a mug of tea. Hecate didn’t see Mildred, so she opened the door a little wider and flicked a tiny prickle of magic to tap against Julie’s shoulder.

Julie’s head whipped up and she spotted Hecate in the bedroom. Dropping the mug to the counter with a clatter, Julie raced into the bedroom, wrapping Hecate in a relieved hug. “I’m so chuffed you’re all right, love.” She squeezed Hecate harder then pushed her back, hands on her head, then her shoulders examining her for any injuries. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

Hecate shook her head. “I’m fine, Julie.” She held both of the blonde’s hands, if only to make her stop checking over her. “Really. I don’t think you are, though. Tell me what’s wrong?”

“Oh, Hecate, everything is wrong.” She double-checked the door, making sure it was closed. “The man you caught, the one impersonating the Great Wizard? That was Mildred’s father. He wants Mildred.”

The color drained from Hecate’s face. “That throws quite the spanner in the works.” She nudged Julie over to the bed. “Start from the beginning; tell me everything that happened.”

Mildred heard the chime of an incoming message on her maglet. From Ethel Hallow, it said. Nose wrinkling in disgust, she opened the message.

No surprise to hear you’re in the middle of the Great Wizard’s kidnapping and the debacle at the Pentangle’s. No wonder Hardbroom’s filed papers to take you into her custody. Probably the first step to Wormwood’s – and good riddance!

Mildred threw the maglet down, ignoring it as it bounced off her bed and onto the floor. What happened at the party wasn’t her fault, she thought, even if her first time going was the first time anything bad had ever happened. She scooped up her maglet and read the message again. HB filed papers? About her? Ethel had to be wrong about that. HB had been glad to see her at the council; she’d hugged her, even. Though, Mildred realized, that was before she’d been called in to meet with the Magistrate and the Great Wizard.

She thought back to the party, remembering looking up a couple of times to find the Great Wizard looking at her, or who she thought was the Great Wizard. She shook her head, trying to clear away the confusion. She remembered one time during the party it looked like he was walking towards her, but some grownup pulled him off in another direction.

Was the fake wizard interested in her? Did Miss Hardbroom think he was? A pinpoint of queasiness blossomed in Mildred’s stomach. She tried to squash it back down. This was all just Ethel being…Ethel. “Not this time, Ethel, mum would never let HB take me away.” Even as she said it, memories of the party flashed in her mind: Mr. Pentangle greeting her mum with a kiss to the hand and a deep bow, Mr. Pentangle bringing Mum and Mildred drinks, laughing at every stupid joke her mum made, Mum and Mr. Pentangle dancing…

Did her mum want to spend more time with him? Was she in the way? Her mum would tell her, wouldn’t she? If she were dating Mr. Pentangle? Suddenly being sent to live with HB didn’t seem quite so farfetched. Still, HB wouldn’t send her to Wormwood’s, would she? Mildred read through Ethel’s message a third and fourth time, finding it a little more believable with every go. Well, she thought, I’m not just going to take Ethel Hallow’s word for anything; I’ll just ask Mum.

She walked down the short hallway to her mum’s bedroom, pausing with her hand on the knob. She heard voices. Was that HB? What was she doing here? Why wouldn’t she say hello when she arrived? Mildred pressed ear against the door, straining to hear the conversation. When that didn’t work she eased the door open the tiniest sliver. It was a risk, but, luckily, both her mum and HB were focused on each other and didn’t notice. Now Mildred could hear and see.

“She’s my daughter, Hecate! Magic or no, the Council would have no right to take her!”

“The Magic Council always has the right, Julie! I know that’s hard for you to understand, but it’s the way things work for witches and wizards.” Hecate paced back and forth in the narrow space between Julie’s bed and the wall. “If the Great Wizard decides it would be better for her to be raised by someone with magic, he will simply make it so.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “He owes me a favor…”

“A favor! It’s going to take more than a favor…” Julie got off the bed and went to stand toe to toe with Hecate. For a second Mildred thought she might hit her. “You listen to me, Hecate. No one and I mean no one is going to take my daughter from me. I will call the ordinary police, the newspapers and tv stations…everyone will know some nutter claiming to have magic made off with my daughter.” Her voice dropped so low that Mildred could barely hear her. “I will violate every section of your precious Witches’ Code to keep her.”

Hecate pushed past her and stalked to the other side of the room. “And what good will that do? The ordinary authorities will just think you’ve lost your mind.” She turned her back to the door, blocking Mildred’s view of her mother as well. “You promised to look after her, Hecate.”

“You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to let Mildred go without a fight. As long as there is even a whisper of magic in my blood or a breath of air in my lungs, I will fight for her. As far as the magical world is concerned, she will stay with me.”

When Hecate spoke again, Mildred couldn’t see the tears shining in Hecate’s eyes, or the look of utter relief and faith on her mother’s face. She was already scrambling away when Julie crushed Hecate in a bear-like hug. All she had were HB’s words, which sounded more and more menacing each time she replayed them in her head.

Back in her room, Mildred tried to work out what she’d heard. It didn’t make any sense. Miss Hardbroom wouldn’t…She’s Mum’s friend, Mildred thought. She was concentrating so hard she didn’t hear the mirror chime. It wasn’t until Enid knocked on the glass that she finally heard her.

“Millie!” Enid waved from her room. “Why didn’t you tell us?” She adjusted a table mirror sitting next to her so Mildred could see Maud waving from it.

“Hello, Maud, Enid. Tell you what?”

“Only the most exciting thing to happen in the whole witching world and you were there! Millie! The Pentangle’s party!” Enid couldn’t contain her curiosity. “You saw the Great Wizard’s imposter!”

“Is it true that Miss Hardbroom took him out with a single spell! It must have been so exciting!” Maud held up her maglet. “Felicity’s had three different write-ups about it on her blog. I can’t believe she hasn’t interviewed you yet.”

Mildred shook her head. “It wasn’t exciting at all, Maud. It was really scary. Miss Drill got hurt, and they arrested HB.”

“Millie?” Maud frowned. “Are you okay?”

She opened her mouth to tell them about Ethel’s message and what she’d heard Miss Hardbroom say, then snapped it closed, shaking her head. “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“But they caught the imposter. He’s in jail,” Enid said.

“But they still haven’t found the picture, have they? That means the rest of the Gullets are still trying to get Agatha and Miss Gullet out.” Mildred fiddled with some drawing pencils on her desk.

“What are HB and Miss Cackle doing to find it?” Maud asked.

“Nothing. The Great Wizard told them not to.”

Enid frowned into the mirror. “When has HB ever listened to him?”

“You know she won’t go against the Code, Enid. I heard Miss Cackle tell mum that he ordered everyone to stay out of it. If they didn’t this time, there would be some sort of cen…cen…”

“Censure?” Maud supplied. Mildred nodded. “That’s serious, then. A witch could have her powers confiscated for a certain length of time or have property confiscated. Miss Hardbroom could have her teaching license suspended or revoked.” She shook her head. “If the Great Wizard’s threatened that, they’d be battier than a belfry to keep looking.”

“Well, then,” Enid grinned, “I guess we’ll just have to do it.”

“What?”

“Have you boiled your cauldron dry, Enid?” Mildred shook her head. “I just told you – “

“You just told me that the Great Wizard told the teachers they couldn’t. Did he actually tell you not to try and find the picture?”

“No, but…”

“There you go! Tell her, Maud, it’s up to us!” When Maud didn’t respond, Enid flipped the little mirror around. “Come on, Millie! It’s been so boring…Mum and Dad won’t let me go anywhere since you got snatched at Miss Mould’s.”

Mildred thought about it. Technically, Enid wasn’t wrong. The Great Wizard didn’t tell her not to look for anything. Nobody had talked to her at all. Maybe if she could find this picture, everything would go back to how it was before. Maybe… “Let’s do it. Mr. Rowan-Webb didn’t think the Council would get anything done.” She straightened her shoulders. “We can do it. We’ve saved the school before.”

“Excellent!” Enid turned the mirror back around, revealing a hopping mad Maud. “It’s two to one now, Maud. We’re going to save the day!”

“You’re going to make a boil and bubble of things and get us expelled!” Maud shoved her glasses up her nose. “Millie! You can’t let her talk you in to this.”

“Come on, Maud,” Enid taunted her. “We’ve bested Agatha before. Besides, I’ve got a whole bundle of pirated magic we can use: invisibility potions, forgetting powder, disguise potions, even some hiccupping juice.”

“That’s okay, Maud, you don’t have to help. Enid and I can do it ourselves.” Mildred blinked innocently at her. “It’s just…well…it’s just like in the Harry Potter movies, isn’t it? Enid and I…we’ll be like Harry and Hermione hunting the Horcruxes. If you don’t want to, though…”

“No…” Maud twisted one of her bunches, thinking. “It wouldn’t be right not to have all three of us. After all, Ron helped, didn’t he? It takes three people.”

“That settles it then, hey?” Enid grinned in triumph. “We’ll have it sorted in no time!”

“I can’t believe we’ve been reduced to this dump,” Malina Gullet whispered. “We never should have started this. I knew there was no way it would turn out to be as simple as steal a picture, brew a potion and say a spell. Not after that cock up with Samuel at the beach house.” She washed another cup and handed it across. “Not using magic is ridiculous!”

“Belt up, Mallie, before she hears you!” Benjamin Gullet’s eyes darted to the woman reading in the sitting room, looking like she hadn’t a care in the world. He dried the cup and stacked it in the cabinet. “If you’d done your part, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he hissed.

“MY PART!” Benjy elbowed her in the ribs, she dropped her voice to a whisper. “My part! My job was to snatch that flighty artist. We got her. You’re the one that got so distracted by that skinny witch that you let them get away.” She slapped a dinner plate into his chest. “Like she’d ever be interested in you.”

“I didn’t get distracted. And if you’d snatched Hardbroom when you were meant to, she wouldn’t have been in the Keep with the others.” Shoving the plate in the cabinet, he slammed the door so hard it bounced back open. “You’re doing the washing in the wrong order, Mallie. Finish the cups first.” Benjy rotated his shoulders, trying to ease the ache between his shoulder blades that hunching over the sink always brought. “This whole thing keeps spiraling out of control.” Behind him a cracked mirror chimed. “Rolando,” he grimaced. “He’s as obsessed as Mother.”

“More,” Malina agreed, throwing the scrub brush into the sink, splashing soapy water on her clothes as well as the counters. “I still don’t see why we can’t use magic if no one suspects we’re here.”

“Because Darkwood Cottage is already spelled for Agatha Cackle and she had no magic. As soon as we cast so much as a shower spell, it’ll be as good as sending up a flare straight to the Great Wizard.”

“Buckingham Palace?”

“No, Enid.” Maud sighed.

“The London Eye?”

Mildred flopped back onto her bed. “No. Nobody’s hiding the picture in a Ferris wheel.”

“That’s too bad, isn’t it then? I quite fancy a trip to that. I’ve never been. Euro Disney?”

“Stop picking places you want to go, and think about where it might actually be, Enid.” Mildred sat back up. They’d been at the mirror chat for over an hour and it didn’t seem they were any closer to figuring out where the Gullets might have the picture than the Great Wizard. “We need to be clever.”

“How are we supposed to be clever if HB and Miss Cackle can’t figure it out? The Great Wizard has the whole Council trying to find them and they can’t. What makes you think we can do it?” Maud crossed her arms and glared at her friends. “This is worse than double chanting.”

“You are like Ron,” Enid said, “quit whinging about it and think. You’d never find a Horcrux.”

“Enid!” Mildred hated to admit it, but Maud might be right. “I can’t believe we can’t work it out. Grownups are such rubbish at hiding things. They can’t be better at hiding themselves, can they. I mean, my mum’s so obvious with my birthday present. It’s always in the top of the wardrobe, and when it’s not my birthday, there’s an empty spot where it’ll go.”

“And when Agatha tried to take over the school? She hid Miss Cackle in the picture, but then she just hung it on the wall in front of everybody. You could see her moving!” Maud shook her head. “At least when Ethel hid the Founding Stone, she put it in a box in a storeroom at the top of a tower.”

Enid jumped up and down, “That’s it, Millie! You’re brilliant!” She ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook and grabbed a pen. “What’s the most obvious place to hide it?”

“Cackle’s!” “The Great Wizard’s!” “The Gullet Mansion!” Soon they had a list of half a dozen or so obvious locations.

“I don’t think it would be at the Great Wizard’s.” Mildred said. “They would have found it when they found him.” Enid crossed it off her list. “Same with Gullet Manor.”

“Millie…you’ve been at Cackle’s this summer. Did anyone look for the picture there?”

“I don’t think so…I never heard anybody say anything about it.” Frowning in concentration, Mildred thought about all the things she’d overheard, but that just made her think about what she heard HB and her mum talking about. That queasy feeling crept in to her stomach again. “No, they didn’t. But HB and Miss Cackle did add new wards to the castle, so I don’t think they could get back inside.”

“But Cackle’s isn’t just the castle, is it?” Maud asked. “What about Darkwood Cottage? That’s where Agatha and Miss Gullet were last time. The castle wards didn’t have any effect there, did they?”

A slow smile spread across Mildred’s face. “I think we need to visit Darkwood Cottage. What do you say, Maud? Are you going to get me expelled for investigating this time?”

“You know that was just to keep you safe.” Maud looked back and forth between Mildred and Enid. “I think we should check it out. If only to tick it off the list.”

They planned to meet just before dusk. Enid would tell her nanny that she was staying the night with Maud, while Maud would tell her parents she was at Enid’s. “My mum’s on lates for the next few days. I’ll just wait until she goes to work.”

Mildred touched down at the edge of the woods. Enid and Maud were already there, wrapped in their cloaks. Enid carried a satchel filled with her bottles of pirated magic. “Sorry, it took me longer to get out of the flat. Mum didn’t work tonight. I waited until she fell asleep, then left her a note that HB was helping me with my summer potions project.”

“That’s not fair!” Maud cried. “The rest of us don’t get help!” Mildred just stared at her, mouth gawping in disbelief.

“Wait for it…” Enid smirked.

“What? It isn’t fair…oh. Well. Never mind, then.” She shoved her glasses off her nose and marched off into the woods. Mildred and Maud shared a knowing look and followed.

Light from the setting sun barely filtered through the trees when they finally reached the clearing. The cottage looked abandoned, but, Mildred thought, it had looked abandoned before.

“Here,” Enid handed them each a stoppered bottle filled with green liquid, “cheers!” She downed her own bottle and waited for the others to do the same. She watched their feet disappear, then their shins and bodies. “Grab hands!” The girls managed to clasp hands just as they faded entirely from view.

“Remember,” Maud whispered, “we’re only invisible. If anybody is in the cottage they’ll be able to hear us.”

Mildred nodded before she remembered they couldn’t see her. “Right, then. Let’s go.”

Stepping carefully, Mildred led them across the clearing and up to the windows. Pulling herself up, she started to peek over the ledge when a light flipped on inside. Gasping, Mildred dropped back down to the ground. “Someone’s inside,” she whispered. Light streamed into the garden from the window.

“You think so?” Enid whispered. “Here, stand on my back and see if it’s the same ones from before.” She got down on her hands and knees, gritting her teeth as Mildred clumsily tried to stand on something she couldn’t see.

Mildred clutched the window ledge tightly, Enid was really wobbly. She felt Maud’s hands trying to steady her. “That’s my bum, Maud.”

“Sorry,” she said, shifting her hands up. “Sorry, Enid!” She felt something squishy under her boot and heard Enid’s muffled yelp.

“Shhh! They’ll hear us!” Mildred squinted against the glass. How are you supposed to block the glare when you’re invisible? If she leaned all the way over to the left, she could just make out the shabby living room. An older witch, wearing clothes that looked even more old-fashioned than HB’s sat reading on the purple sofa. She’d never seen her before.

Shifting her feet a little, Mildred leaned to the right. There! Mildred spotted the corner of the picture, Agatha’s shocked face stared out at the room. “They’ve got the picture hanging over the fireplace! We found it!”

“So you did. But I’ve found you!”

“Oh, no!” Mildred felt the revealing spell slam into her back, knocking her into a jumbled heap on the ground with Enid and Maud. She tried to scramble away but couldn’t break away from the magic holding her down. She looked over her shoulder and came face to face with the wizard from Gullet Manor. “I know you,” she said, “you’re Miss Gullet’s brother.”

“And you’re the meddling little witch that keeps turning up, like a rotten apple at the bottom of the bin. You’ve brought friends, I see.” Benjamin reached into his pocket and pulled out the ball.

“Stop it, Benjy!” Malina grabbed his arm. “It’ll be a miracle if no one noticed that revealing spell. You know vanishing them into the globe will make an even bigger magical resonance.” She bent down and snatched Mildred up by one of her plaits. “Grab the other two and get them inside. Mother will know what to do with them.”

Hecate closed her book and tossed it onto the coffee table. Flipping open her pocket watch, she realized it had only been fifteen minutes since she’d last checked the time – not quite six o’clock. Glancing at the sitting room mirror, she thought about mirroring Pippa, but changed her mind. Pippa was coming to Cackle’s as soon as she wrapped up her duties at Pentangle’s for the day. Any time Hecate spent talking to her now would just delay her arrival in person.

“What’s happened to you, Hecate?” she asked her reflection. “You used to relish the time you spent alone in your rooms.” That was true, wasn’t it? Cocking her head, she thought about it. Certainly, the solitude of her quarters had always been a welcome respite of the hurly-burly of life at the academy. Her rooms were one of the few places silence could prevail – even the library echoed its share of sighs, whispers and the endless fidgeting of little girls. As a child her hutch had been a welcome sanctuary, a safe place protected from the cruelty of her classmates.

But even then, you had Pippa, a quiet voice in her head reminded her - exuberant, sometimes naughty, always hungry, always touching her, always so very present. Even when she was gone. “There’s a thin line between a sanctuary and a hiding place,” she told her reflection. “You’ve been hiding.”

Hecate took a hard look at her quarters. Pippa’s influence was everywhere: vases filled with flowers, the nubby throw Hecate loved to cuddle under when she marked essays, framed photographs lining her walls. It was more than that, though, she thought. Pippa herself was ever-present, having planted her flag in Hecate’s rooms the first night she stayed over. In the bathroom, a pink toothbrush shared the cup with Hecate’s black one, and a fluffy pink robe hung on the hook next to hers. A book about modern magic sat on the night table on the far side of her bed, pink reading glasses resting on top. And a violently pink coffee mug sporting a glittering unicorn with a rainbow flying out of his bum sat next to her simple monogrammed one in the cupboard. Though, since she seemed to be in a mood to be honest with herself, the unicorn mug’s days were numbered.

It wasn’t just Pippa, though, she realized. The Hubbles had also made their mark in her quarters. On her mantel sat a framed drawing that Mildred had done of Morgana. Her sketchbook and some colored pencils lay scattered across the coffee table. Next to the sofa Julie had a tidy stack of ordinary and witching newspapers. Hecate had never imagined the woman read so much. No wonder she was able to throw out sections of the Witches’ Code with almost as much authority as Hecate herself. “Face it, Hardbroom,” she said aloud, lips quirking into a wry half-smile, “you miss your family.”

She stepped across the room and tapped the mirror. So far, it had always been Julie or Pippa making arrangements, she thought. My turn. “Julie!” she grinned when the blonde picked up. “I thought I’d see if you and Mildred would care to join Pippa and me for dinner? We could maybe play Pandemic again?” Hecate didn’t understand why Julie was frowning at her.

“What do you mean, ‘me and Mildred?’ Mildred’s already there.” She stepped out of the frame a second and returned holding up a piece of paper. “Mildred said she was working on a potions project with you.”

“I haven’t talked to her all day.” Hecate’s eyebrows nearly flew off her forehead when Julie spat a series of one particular short, sharp, Germanic swear word.

“It’s that bastard wizard, isn’t it? He said he wanted her.”

Hecate held her hands up to the mirror. “We don’t know that. It’s her handwriting on the note?” Julie nodded. “Perhaps she…wanted to visit Maud or Enid?” Even as she said it, Hecate knew that wasn’t right. Mildred knew all she had to do was ask and a visit could be arranged. “Most likely, Mildred has taken it upon herself to investigate the whereabouts of that damnable picture.” She rubbed her fingers across her forehead. “I swear by Merlin’s beard, Ada’s going to need a petrification spell to keep me from incinerating the damn thing if I ever get my hands on it.” She looked at Julie, wide-eyed and panicked in the mirror, and raised her hand. “I’m transferring you now.”

“This plan turned out to be an epic fail,” Enid grumbled. They were sitting on the floor in the cellar, back to back with their hands and feet tied. A lantern sputtered on a table across the room, making the whole place feel gloomy and bleak.

“Just be glad we aren’t in the giant hamster ball this time.” Mildred snapped, working at the curtain ties that Benjy Gullet had used to bind their hands and feet. It wasn’t working. Her shoulders hurt from having her hands pulled behind her back and part of one of her feet was numb.

Enid snapped back, “Sounds more fun than this.”

“HB broke her nose, and I got a concussion. I keep telling you that none of this has been fun.”

“Both of you be quiet,” Maud hissed. “Someone’s coming!”

“Well, well, well…three little tadpoles out of their pond.” Petronilla leaned down until her face was only inches away from Mildred’s. “I remember you. You’re the one that Hardbroom woman keeps dragging along behind her.”

Mildred tried to shrink back, her face twisted in disgust. Mrs. Gullet’s breath stank like Miss Bat’s socks. She heard Maud whimper behind her. “That’s right. And she’ll find me and then you’ll be sorry.” Mildred hoped the doubt didn’t show on her face. Not only did HB not know where they were, she didn’t even know they were missing. No one would until tomorrow.

Mrs. Gullet laughed then, dry and cold. “Find you? What’s one more tadpole in a pond? You’ll be long gone by the time they figure out we’ve been right under their noses the whole time. I hope you know how to swim.”

“You don’t scare me,” Mildred said, forcing her voice steady. “I’ve been a frog before. Broke the spell then, I’ll break the spell now.”

“Think so, do you? You’ve got a lot of bottle, I’ll give you that.” Petronilla Gullet smiled down at them, revealing a mouth full of stained, uneven teeth. “But it’s awfully hard to break a spell when you don’t have any magic.” She spun on her heel and stalked up the narrow staircase. “Benjy! Gather what we need for an extraction spell – three extraction spells.” The door slammed closed behind her.

“What are you doing, Millie? Don’t make her mad!”

“Lay off, Maud. It’s not like it can get any worse.” Enid tried jerking her hands apart, but it only jabbed Mildred and Maud in the sides.

“Ow! Be still, Enid!” Maud shoved her with her shoulder. “Your stupid satchel is jabbing me in the back!”

“Maud! You’re a genius!” Millie tried to twist around so she could see the satchel, but only managed to nearly tip them over. “I can’t believe they didn’t take the bag. What all is in the bag, Enid? Is there anything that will cut the ropes?”

“I don’t think so, but I’ve got all sorts of pirated magic, some tuck, and a few other bits and bobs.” Enid rubbed her shoulder against Maud until she was finally able wriggle out of the strap. A few more twists and turns and the satchel was loose on the floor in the open space behind their backs. “Hang on…I think…that loosened the rope that goes around all three of us!”

“Quick! Everybody push as hard against each other as you can,” Mildred said. “When I count to three, try to stand up. One, two, three!” The girls pushed and grunted, nearly falling over twice, but eventually, staggering to their feet. Mildred’s foot was all pins and needles.

“We did it,” Maud panted. “I can’t believe it.”

“All right then, everybody press together and suck in!” The girls did as Enid instructed, and, in a few seconds, she’d shimmied the rope down far enough to push it past her hips. In a moment, they were free. Well, at least they weren’t tied to each other anymore. “Hurry,” Enid stepped in front of Maud, “untie me.” A few grunts and a little rope burn later, all three girls were free.

Mildred looked around the windowless room. Other than the ropes and the lantern, there didn’t seem to be anything useful. “We need to get out of here.”

“Build that girl a gingerbread house,” Enid said, rolling her eyes. She rummaged around in her satchel. “Since we can’t exactly trek out through the parlor, let’s just make them think we did!” She handed out three more bottles of invisibility potion.

“How much of that do you have in there?” Maud asked as she tried to look inside the bag herself. “Where did you even get it?”

“Amazon. I used my mum’s Prime account. They sell everything. This is the last of it, though.”

“Wh-what? Amazon? Dot-com?” Mildred looked back and forth between her friends. “Amazon sells witching supplies?”

“Oh, yeah. You’ve got to click through a cauldron’s worth of drop down menus to find it, but it’s there.” She unstoppered her bottle. “Bottoms up.” Once again, they faded out of view.

Mildred arranged the ropes in the center of the room. “Maybe they’ll think we’ve escaped,” she whispered. “As soon as someone comes in, try to make your way up the stairs – quietly.” She pushed her friends towards the staircase. Hopefully, whoever came in would see the empty room and leave the door open. “When we get out of here, make your way back to where we landed. Since we can’t see each other…”

“Everybody’s on their own,” Maud finished. “Good luck then,” she said, as they awkwardly tried a three-way hug.

“That’s it then, they’re all three gone.” Pippa closed Ada’s office door behind her. “Maud told her parents she was staying with Enid, and Enid did the same.”

“And Millie told me she was with Hecate,” Julie rubbed the back of her neck.

“I’m so sorry, Julie.” Hecate raised a hand to comfort her, then thought better of it. “I should have…”

“Should have what, Hecate?” Julie smiled sympathetically. “You would have had to know she was up to something.”

“She’s always up to something, Ms. Hubble.” Hecate said.

“That’s as may be,” Ada interjected, “I think it’s safe to assume the girls are together. If we must assign blame, I suggest we lay it on the Great Wizard’s broomstick.” She took in the shocked faces staring back at her. “Well, he is the one who did not specifically tell Mildred that she couldn’t continue the hunt for the picture.”

Pippa had also mirrored the Great Wizard while she was out. “Egbert says that Samuel Gullet is still in the holding cell and still refusing to say anything, but I think it’s safe to say that Mildred hasn’t been taken. I’m sure they’ve gone looking for the rest of the Gullets.”

Julie dropped into one of Ada’s wingback chairs, elbows leaned on her knees. “This is what she’s like at school, isn’t it? One scrape after another?”

Hecate’s face scrunched into nervous agreement. “A bit?”

“All right,” Pippa clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “I think we can make a fair assumption that the girls are together. Julie? No luck with the cell phone?”

“Oh, I found the bloody phone all right, right there in the flat.”

“Then we find them the old-fashioned way: magic.” Pippa looked around the room. The entire staff from Cackle’s was there, ready to help. Peter was on his way. Even the Great Wizard had marshalled his forces again. “I know I don’t need to tell you that, the faster we find these girls the better. If they actually do stumble into the Gullet’s hideout…”

Hecate shook her head. “If? This is Mildred we’re talking about – the girl who thwarted Agatha…three times already? Who found our missing Founding Stone, learned how to reignite one and saved us all from being frozen in blocks of ice? I think it’s safe to assume they’ve already ascertained the location of the Gullet’s…lair. We’re the ones that are slow on the uptake.” She paced around the room, thinking, trying to think like Mildred Hubble.

“Hiccup?” Pippa pulled her aside. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that we aren’t going to figure this out in time,” Hecate muttered. “She was too out of it to remember what happened when we were at their manor. I don’t think she knows how dangerous these people are.”

“Perhaps so. It’s also possible that events of the last two years have skewed her judgment when it comes to evaluating dangerous things. After all, she’s taken quite the shine to you, darling.” Pippa took Hecate’s hand in hers, brushing her thumb across the ring on Hecate’s finger. “As have I.”

“I feel the same way, Pip.” She laced their fingers together. “I don’t know what to do. We’re firmly in magic mum territory here and I haven’t a clue where to even begin. How are we supposed to figure out where the Gullets are now? Or Mildred? We’re just assuming the girls are looking in the right place.”

“Take a breath, Hiccup. No one expects you to solve this on your own.” Pippa jerked her head towards the others. “That’s why we’re all here, working together. It’s just hard because no one knows where the Gullets might have gone.”

Hecate’s eyes narrowed. “One person knows. One slimy, lying, sack of… Samuel Gullet knows where they would go.” She dropped Pippa’s hand and stepped back. “Mirror the Great Wizard, Ada. Tell him I’m on my way to talk to Samuel Gullet.” She flicked her wrist and disappeared.

No one moved in the silence following her transference, then everything happened at once.

“Call, Ada!” Pippa spun around, “call, call, call!” Merlin’s balls, Pippa thought, please don’t let Hecate kill him!

“Oh dear,” Ada raced to the mirror, tapping frantically.

“Let’s gather the brooms, Algie, she’ll have a target for us as soon as she gets back.” Dimity ran out the door, Algernon right on her heels.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes, Ada,” Miss Bat said as she stood up from her seat on the sofa. “I’m going to need my good baton.”

“He’s on his way to the Council!” Ada called from the mirror.

Julie clutched at Pippa’s dress. “I’m coming with you. Wherever she says we’re going, I’m coming with you.”

“All right. You’ll ride with me.”

Hecate Hardbroom’s boots echoed down the corridor as she made her way down to the cells. It’s the same sound they made a few days ago, when she was the one about to be questioned, about to be locked away. Raised voices of frightened guards faded behind her.

For once, Hecate Hardbroom enjoyed her reputation. She knew what they whispered about her in the Council halls – that it was she that brewed the potions no one else could. That it was she the Great Wizard spoke of in hushed, respectful tones. And that it was she who had refused the Great Wizard’s request to be named Grand Potions Master for all of magic kind.

Yes, if people wanted to fear her, she was going to make it work for her today.

Finally, she reached Samuel Gullet’s cell block. The sound of her boots had provided ample warning for the guard stationed outside. Scrambling to his feet, the young man waved a pair of Binding cuffs feebly in her direction. Her eyes slid past him as though he were nothing but a stain on the floor.

Hecate shoved both arms out ahead of her, hurling a wave of magic at the cell door and causing it to burst inward. Oops, she thought, I think those are supposed to open out.

Without slowing her pace, she stomped past the guard and into the cell. “Samuel Gullet,” she drawled, spitting the last ‘t’ of his name. “You have information I want.”

Samuel scuttled into the back corner of the cell, cuffed hands held out in front of him. As if that would help. “I don’t have to tell you anything. I have rights. It’s a violation of the Code for Council employees to assault a prisoner.”

“I. Am. Not. A. Council. Employee.” Hecate crossed the room, pleased when he cowered even more. “Your wretched family has taken something from me. Something I value a great deal. I intend to get it back, and you will help me do it. Where is your family hiding?”

“Why should I tell you that? You can’t threaten me!” Magic crackled in the air around them causing the lights to flicker. Samuel’s mouth filled with the taste of metal and, for the first time, he realized that the woman in front of him wasn’t wearing Binding cuffs. Beads of sweat popped out along his forehead.

“Stupid wizard. I’m not threatening you. I’m promising you.”

“I know who you are,” Samuel blustered, “you’re nothing but a schoolteacher at some second-class, no-fee witching school.”

“Oh, Samuel,” Hecate’s voice dropped until it was almost sultry. “How I’m going to enjoy disabusing you of these foolish notions.” She could see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Do you know what it feels like to be skinned alive? You will. I’m the woman who will brew the potion that makes you feel that every day for the rest of your life. How will it feel when every last happy memory has been taken and twisted until it’s the stuff of your nightmares? I’m the one who’ll brew that potion, too.”

“You can’t do that,” he whispered.

“I’m a Hardbroom, Samuel, the last of my line. You’ve heard of my family, everyone has. Powerful? Ruthless? Dark, even? What sort of books do think are in the Hardbroom family library? What sort of bedtime stories do you think lulled me to sleep as a child?”

“You’re mad! Stark, raving, mad!” Samuel felt his feet heating up. He looked down and saw the spiderweb of cracks in the stone beneath them. This witch’s magic was heating up the foundations of the building. “What do you want?”

“Your family has taken Mildred Hubble. I want her back. You can either help me find her and be left to face the Council’s consequences, or you can refuse to help me and face my consequences. Woe to you should something happen to her.”

“Why do you even care about the girl?” He flinched as a fresh crack opened in the floor. Since he’d taken Wilbur Birdsong’s powers, Samuel Gullet had never been afraid of a witch. He was absolutely terrified now.

“I know Julie Hubble has spoken to you and that you threatened to remove Mildred from her care.” The blanket on Samuel’s cot began to smolder where it touched the floor. “You argued that Mildred should have someone from the magical world looking out for her.”

“I stand by that.”

“Julie Hubble told you that Mildred already had someone like that.” Hecate stepped forward until she had Samuel’s back against the wall. “I’m that witch, and I take my obligation to Mildred very seriously.”

Samuel felt the blood draining from his face. “There’s a cottage. I don’t know who it belongs to and I don’t know where it is.” The pitcher on the table shattered, splashing water everywhere. The drops that hit the floor sizzled and evaporated almost at once. “It’s true! I’ve never been there! I just know that it’s somewhere near that school and that Cassandra stayed there with Agatha Cackle before she wound up in that picture.”

Darkwood, Hecate thought, he must be talking about Darkwood Cottage. Without another word she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room. She waved a hand and the temperature inside the cell dropped at least forty degrees, and a thin layer of frost covered everything.

The Great Wizard waited for her in the hallway, moving to keep pace as she sped towards the exits. “That was quite impressive, Miss Hardbroom. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

“Thank you, Your Greatness, perhaps more people would do well to remember that, when it comes to threatening my family, I don’t really have a good side.”

“I don’t suppose it will do me any good to order you to stand down and let the professionals retrieve Mildred Hubble and her friends?”

“None at all, Your Greatness.” As soon as she felt the wards forbidding transference fall behind her, Hecate waved her hands and disappeared, leaving Egbert Hellibore shaking his head. He would need to be mindful of who he called a ‘mere witch’ in the future.

“Thistle!” He shouted. “Here’s your chance to redeem yourself!”

Mildred’s plan worked perfectly – for all of about thirty seconds. As soon as Benjy had opened the cellar door, Enid or Maud had tried to run past him. Whichever one it was had made too much noise on the stairs and Benjy had managed to grab her and hand her off to his sister. The muffled shouting had sounded a lot like Enid as she was being dragged out of the cellar.

Mildred hadn’t moved. She’d hardly even breathed, even when Benjy had clomped down the stairs waving his hands around and around like some weird version of Pin the Hat on the Wizard. At last he gave up, trudging up the stairs. Mildred scrambled to follow him, moving as silently as possible. She was about halfway up the stairs when he crashed back through the doorway, carrying a sack of something. Mildred barely avoided him by swinging under the stair rail and leaning out over the outside of the stairs.

Benjy ripped open the sack, reaching in and pulling out a handful of flour. He flung it into the room, repeating it several times until he’d covered the entire floor with flour and a white mist hung in the air. Mildred hung on to the rail with one hand and covered her mouth and nose with the other. She hoped she wouldn’t cough or sneeze. Benjy threw the remains of the flour against the far wall, exploding flour everywhere before he left again. This time, he didn’t bother to close the door.

Mildred cautiously worked her way up the outside of the staircase, careful not to disturb any of the flour. Luckily, Benjy had already been halfway down the stairs before he started flinging the flour around and the top steps were clear. Listening to make sure no one was around, Mildred swung under the railing and crept into the kitchen.

A cauldron sat in the middle of the stove. The ingredients for a triple batch of an extraction spell were carefully arranged on the table. Mildred tried to remember what Alma Cackle’s spellbook had said about extraction spells. She studied the ingredients on the table. She remembered something about lion’s whiskers. Quickly opening cupboard doors, Mildred finally found a collection of spice jars. She chose some thyme and rosemary and added a pinch here and there to the prepared ingredients. She didn’t know what it would do, but hopefully it was enough to sabotage the extraction spell. She slipped the spices back in the cupboard and tiptoed into the sitting room.

Enid sat tied to a chair, no longer invisible. Her satchel tossed onto the credenza, out of reach. She doesn’t look hurt, Mildred thought, mostly she looks mad. Mildred crossed to the coffee table, checking to make sure no one was around before she reached in and pulled out whatever vials Enid had inside. Enid’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

Mildred nearly jumped out of her skin when Enid started coughing. She turned around in time to see Enid jerking her head towards the coffee table. At first, all Mildred saw was the tea service. Then she spotted it: a small red book laying face down, open to the middle. Mrs. Cackle’s spellbook! Mildred snatched it up and slipped it into a pocket of her coveralls. Hopefully, whoever was brewing the potion for the extraction spell still needed to read the instructions.

The bottles of pirated magic clinked as she pulled them out to look at them. There wasn’t much to choose from. The duplicating potion she’d use on the picture, of course. The hiccupping one? Well, she shrugged, dumping it into the teapot. Anything for a distraction. She heard voices coming towards her and pressed herself against the wall.

“Finish the potion, Mallie. I don’t want this one around any longer necessary. The sooner she’s a tadpole the better. What’s the matter? Why aren’t you going?”

“The spellbook, Mother…I left it right here.” Mallie pointed at the empty space next to the teapot. “Did you pick it up?”

“Certainly not!” Petronilla pulled Enid’s head around by her hair bunch. “What did you do with it, girl? And don’t lie to me!”

Enid jerked her head away. “I didn’t touch it! I couldn’t have, could I?”

The smack of Petronilla’s hand across Enid’s face startled Mildred so much that she bumped the credenza, jostling a candlestick enough to cause the flame to sputter. Petronilla whipped around, eyes raking across the wall.

Mildred held her breath. It felt like Mrs. Gullet was staring right at her. A sudden realization filled her with dread, and she looked down to see her feet gradually fading into view.

Hecate pointed her broomstick at the edge of the woods, intending to skim the tree tops until they reached Darkwood Cottage. Movement near the road caught her eye. Maud Spellbody.

She signaled to the group to land, pulling her broom to a stop just before the girl buried her face in Hecate’s middle. Hecate couldn’t understand a word the girl said, she was rambling on so quickly. “Maud Spellbody!” Hecate shouted, shifting her voice to its most Hardbroomish. The girl quieted immediately, straightening her shoulders and staring at the ground in front of her.

“Hecate?” Ada placed a calming hand on her deputy’s forearm. “Let me, perhaps?” She cupped Maud’s chin in her hand, forcing her to look up. “Now is not the time to worry about being in trouble, Miss Spellbody. Where are Mildred and Enid?”

“I – I don’t know. We were all at the cottage – we found the picture! But, the Gullets found us. They tied us up in the cellar, Miss Cackle!” She started to cry.

“It’s okay, love. You’re safe now.” Julie knelt beside the girl, gave her something to lean on. “You escaped. Did Millie and Enid?” “I don’t know. We took another dose of invisibility potion. We were supposed to meet here – only they didn’t show up! And just now I quit being invisible!”

Ada looked up at Hecate. “I’ll wager the other girls are visible now as well. Not so easy to hide.” She focused on Maude. “If you girls thought you’d found the picture, or the Gullets, why didn’t you tell anyone? Retrieving that picture is a job for adults.”

Wringing her hands, Maud whispered, “I know Miss Cackle. We didn’t think anyone would believe us.”

“Perhaps you should have tried to convince us, nonetheless?”

“Forgive me, Ada, but we are running out of time.” Hecate said, dismounting from her broom. “Miss Bat!” Hecate hustled Maud over to Gwen. “Will you see to Miss Spellbody? Get her back to the castle if things seem to go kettles to cauldrons.”

“Come with me, child.”

Hecate jerked her chin down once before remounting her broom. She raised an eyebrow as Julie scrambled up behind her instead of rejoining Pippa.

“We both know you’re going to get there first,” she said, patting Hecate’s side.

“That would be correct.” Just as Hecate was about to push off, Pippa grabbed her wrist.

“Wait!” Pippa held her cell phone out so Hecate and Julie could see the screen. “Samuel Gullet’s managed to break free of the Magistrates. He physically overpowered his guard when he was being moved to a different cell.”

Hecate closed her eyes, sighing. “Nothing is ever easy.”

Petronilla grabbed Mildred by one of her plaits and dragged her into the middle of the room. “I’ll have no more interference from you, girl!” Throwing Mildred to the floor, Petronilla held her in a binding spell with one hand and used the other to summon everything out of her pockets. She sent the potions bottles crashing into the fireplace. The spellbook flew into her hand. “Disgusting little thief!”

“Thief? You’re going on about me being a thief?” Mildred glared back at her. “You murdered people!”

“Something you should have remembered before you interfered.” She magicked the book into a startled Mallie’s hands. “Finish the potion while I take care of these two.” She held up her hand and a trio of oily dark fireballs danced over her palm.

“Mum…what are you going to do? They’re just children.”

“THE POTION!” Petronilla watched her youngest daughter flee into the kitchen before turning back to the girls huddled together on the floor. “I hope you two have a high threshold for pain. It’s not nearly as much fun if you pass out too quickly.” She reared her arm back to throw, then froze, head snapping up to look at the ceiling.

Benjy materialized beside her. “Flyers, Mother, coming from Cackle’s…” He too looked up at the ceiling.

Mildred and Enid looked at each other, then up, then back at each other. “I don’t know what –” She felt it then. The magic of the wards surrounding the cottage was…changing. Like an engine revving faster and faster. Mildred could feel the spells unraveling, ends whipping free like a hose under too much pressure. With a deafening crack the magic surrounding the cottage ripped itself apart. She tore her eyes away from the ceiling and saw the most wonderful sight: Her mum, standing next to Miss Hardbroom, both looking windblown and furious.

Miss Hardbroom’s crystal staff appeared out of nowhere, and she used it to scatter the dark magic Petronilla hurled towards them.

“You brought an Ordinary to a witch’s fight?” Petronilla sneered. “Standards have dropped at Cackle’s since my poor Cassandra was forced out.”

Mallie rushed out of the kitchen, too focused on Hecate to notice that she got too close to Julie. In a flash, Julie snatched up a table lamp and brought it crashing down on the woman’s head, knocking her cold. “Ordinary or no, I can still do that.”

“Way to go, Mum!” Mildred shouted.

Petronilla slashed her arm down, knocking the air from Mildred’s lungs, effectively silencing her. Julie surged forward, but Hecate blocked her path. “Stay back,” she hissed.

Benjy called up his own spells, readying them just as Pippa, Ada and Dimity popped into view. Peter and Algernon appeared behind him an instant later.

Peter rubbed his hands together until a bright blue disk of magic formed, growing steadily larger until it was the size of a bedsheet. “Give it up, mate. Surrender to us and you get to spend the rest of your days in a nice quiet cell. Keep fighting and I leave you to the witches.” He narrowed his eyes. “Believe me, you don’t stand a witch’s chance in Salem against my sister and her girlfriend.”

Benjy lifted his hand to transfer, but Algernon was ready. “Nope. I don’t think so,” he said, yanking his hands toward the floor. Benjy dropped heavily to his knees. “I looked that spell up after Dimity described it to me. Hee! Right handy, I think.”

Peter flung the blue magic over Benjy like a blanket, smiling in satisfaction as it swaddled him like a baby until he couldn’t move. Behind him, Dimity did the same thing to a sluggishly stirring Malina.

“You’ve lost your allies, now, Petronilla.” Ada stepped forward. “It’s time for this foolishness to end.”

“You’re quite right.” She squared her shoulders and shouted, “I demand a Section Seven…against Hecate Hardbroom.”

Hecate sucked in a breath of surprise but recovered quickly. “Are you mad? You must know you can’t win.”

“I know nothing of the sort,” Petronilla sneered. “A witch’s power grows stronger every year. You are the one who’ll be ceding your power to me.”

“Hiccup?”

“Look out, HB,” Dimity called. “She’s the type that’ll fight dirty.”

Hecate ignored them all. “What are your terms?”

“If I win, I get your powers. Cassandra is released from that vile photograph. I also get the girl.” She gestured at Mildred. “Oh, yes. I know very well who she is. I’ve always known.”

Hecate tried to squash the roiling fear that erupted in her stomach like a volcano. “And if I win?”

“Simple. You keep your powers, you keep the girl, Cassandra stays where she is…and I don’t unleash the Firetrap spell I’ve embedded into the walls of this cottage. Which do you think is faster? Your ability to transfer everyone out? Or blackfire magic?”

“It seems you’ve left me no choice.” She smoothed her skirt and vanished the furniture. Peter and Algernon moved the bound Gullets out of the way. “A moment, please.” Hecate stepped up to Pippa, smiling sadly. “Don’t worry, Pipsqueak. I intend to win.”

Pippa smiled, though it never quite reached her eyes. “I know you will.” She pulled Hecate down for a long, thorough kiss, utterly mindless of all their friends watching. Finally, she pulled away. “Go get her, Hiccup.”

“How tender.” Petronilla shoved her hands forward and a gust of magic sent Pippa slamming into the wall. She dropped to the floor, her golden staff clattering to the floor beside her.

“Pippa!” Hecate let herself be distracted and a blast of power hit her between her shoulder blades. She stumbled forward, sprawling on her hands and knees.

“I’m fine, darling. Take care of yourself!”

Hecate rolled to her feet, only partially dodging the next strike. At least they aren’t dark magic, she thought, wincing in pain.

“Why isn’t anybody helping her?” Julie demanded. “There’s only one old lady and half a dozen of us!”

“The Code doesn’t allow it, dear,” Ada explained. “Mrs. Gullet has called for a duel. No witch can interfere during the course of another witch’s duel.”

“And this bloody code of yours doesn’t prohibit her from taking potshots at bystanders?” Julie looked over to see Peter propping his sister against the wall. Pippa kept pushing his hands away and trying to get up.

“Spectator beware, I’m afraid. For the adults, anyway. The girls would be off-limits.” Ada stepped back as another ball of magic flew past them. “I’d pay attention to the duel, if I were you, Ms. Hubble.”

Julie turned around in time to see Hecate land a solid hit on the older woman, lighting her up with an orange glow and knocking her back a couple of steps. “Is that all you’ve got?” she wheezed. “You do have everyone fooled, don’t you? Resting on the family name while your own powers atrophy?” She muttered an incantation, but Hecate hexed her with a sneezing spell before she could finish it. “Really, Hecate? A children’s prank? Is that why you stayed in that second-rate school? You could only feel powerful amongst the schoolgirls?” Petronilla edged around the room while Hecate kept pace, keeping herself between the older witch and the rest. “I’ll never understand how you managed to trap poor Cassandra in that photo. Obviously, you needed the Great Wizard’s help.” She threw a fireball at Ada, who neatly redirected into the kitchen. “I’ve prayed every day for a year that you suffer the same way my poor Cassandra has.”

“Your poor Cassandra? Miss Gullet chose her fate. Over and over again she chose to misuse magic, to violate the Code. She aligned herself with Agatha Cackle. She tried to kill three students. She helped Agatha cast an annihilation spell over the school while the students were inside. While I don’t need or want your prayers, you need the practice.”

Peter finally gave in and helped Pippa to her feet. She squeezed past Ada and Algernon to get a better look. Julie picked up Pippa’s staff and circled her way around the room.

Everyone tensed when Samuel Gullet flickered into the room, appearing a few feet from Mildred and Enid. “Mother!” He held out his hands in supplication. “Mother you have to stop.”

“I don’t have to do any such thing, Samuel.” She smiled coldly, never taking her eyes off Hecate. “Everything is going exactly to plan.”

“Look around you, Mother. You can’t win.”

“That very much depends on one’s definition of winning, Samuel.” She flicked a few spells into the watching crowd. “You’ve always been an ungrateful child, even after all the lengths your sister went to, so you could have powers.”

“I never asked for that. I was happier in the ordinary world, Mother. Why couldn’t you understand that? Now, please, it’s time to stop.”

“There’s no shame in surrendering a duel you can’t win,” Hecate called.

“But there’s no vengeance in it, either!” Petronilla hurled handfuls of dark magic at Mildred and Enid. Hecate howled a gut-wrenching scream, desperately trying to fling any sort of spell that might redirect Petronilla’s.

Samuel flung himself in front of the girls, taking the full effect of both orbs to the chest. He flew into he air, screaming in agony as his body twisted into itself, shrinking and curling until it hit the floor with a wet cracking sound.

Hecate scrambled across the room, shoving the girls behind her as she brought her hands up to defend against Petronilla’s next blow. It never came. Instead, Hecate looked up to see Julie Hubble standing over Petronilla’s unconscious body holding Pippa’s staff in her hands like a club.

“Call me bloody ordinary again,” she gasped. “Your witching rules don’t apply to me.”

“Mum!” Mildred clambered to her feet and raced into her mother’s arms.

Hecate knelt beside Enid. As soon as she magicked away her ropes, the girl buried herself against Hecate’s neck, sobbing furiously. Hecate dropped onto her seat and pulled Enid into her lap, rocking her as she cried. She sent a tiny flicker of healing across the girl’s swollen lip. “You’re all right, Enid Nightshade. Do you hear me? You are all right.” She rubbed soothing circles across the girls back. “You’re going to be in detention until you graduate Cackle’s, but you’re all right.” She felt, rather than heard, Enid’s slight chuckle. On the floor in front of her, Samuel Gullet, now a snail, tried valiantly to crawl away despite his terribly cracked shell.

“What will happen to the Gullets?” Mildred asked, swallowing a yawn. She didn’t want to get sent to bed, not without her mum. They were back in Miss Hardbroom’s rooms for the night, and Mildred couldn’t get Ethel’s message, or the things she’d heard HB tell her mother, out of her head.

Pippa refilled Mildred’s mug of cocoa before settling on the floor in front of Hecate. “Rub just under my right shoulder blade, darling. I know it’s been healed but it still feels…sticky. Like something is catching on something else.” She leaned forward as Hecate obliged her. “Well, Benjy and Mallie are in custody, as is their mother. Samuel’s been sent to a sort of magical veterinarian. Only his mother can change him back and she’s not willing to do that just now. They’re getting a specialist to repair his shell. I imagine he’ll forfeit his powers. They weren’t really his anyway.” Pippa craned her head to the side, sighing contentedly as Hecate’s fingers began working the muscles of her neck. “How did you get him to tell you where they were, anyway.”

Chuckling softly, Hecate said, “I took advantage of the Hardbroom family reputation – and my own. I may have suggested that the Hardbroom family library was full of all sorts of dark tomes and that my parents may have used them for bedtime stories, so I might be a bit…”

Pippa turned around until she could look Hecate in the eye. “Hecate Hardbroom! Your favorite bedtime stories were all Paddington Bear. You still have them.”

“I know.” She shifted her hands back to Pippa’s shoulder blade. “But people are much likelier to believe it’s the former when it comes to me and my family.”

“Only foolish witches that don’t know any better, isn’t that right, Mildred?”

Mildred startled awake. “If you say so, Miss Pentangle.”

“Of course, I do. She’s just like that t-shirt she’s wearing.” Everyone looked at the image of the hedgehog on her shirt. “All prickly on the outside, but squishy fluffy underneath!” She darted tickling fingers towards Hecate’s stomach.

“Oy! Hardbroom! How many of my t-shirts do you have?” Julie chucked a pillow at them as Mildred yawned spectacularly. “All right, you. Go to bed.” She pulled her daughter into a hug. “We’ll talk tomorrow about what kind of trouble you’re in.”

“Sweet dreams, darling,” Pippa held her arms out for a hug, kissing Mildred on the head when she leaned over and obliged.

“Good night, Mildred,” Hecate reached out to squeeze her shoulder, but Mildred scampered backwards, just out of reach. She dropped her hand back in her lap, puzzled. “Sleep well.”

“You’re coming soon, right Mum?”

“I’m right behind you, love.” She flicked Mildred’s braid and sent her along.

“She’s afraid of me now,” Hecate whispered, “after the duel she hasn’t come anywhere near me.” Tears pooled in her eyes. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t think she’s afraid of you, Hecate, at least, not the way you think.” She pushed herself off the sofa and fetched her purse from the table by the door. “Come sit by me a minute. You’ll have to put your massage on hold a bit, Pip.”

“The sacrifices I have to make.” She held a hand out so Hecate could give her a pull up and they both sat down on either side of Julie.

“I know, as an adult woman, I shouldn’t hate a little girl…” She pulled Mildred’s maglet out of her purse. “But Ethel Hallow is about to do me in. I found this when I was going through her things, trying to suss out where they were.” She tapped the screen and Ethel’s message popped up.

Hecate closed her eyes and let her head drop back on the sofa. “You think she believes this…nonsense? That she thinks I would…take her? To Wormwoods? I thought we were…better now.”

“You listen to me, Hecate Hardbroom. Millie loves you. This,” she tapped the screen with her fingernail, “this has nothing to do with you, love.” Julie threaded her arm through Hecate’s. “It doesn’t matter if Millie believes any of this is true. All it takes is for her to be afraid that it’s true. That little demon said just the right things to push Millie’s buttons.”

Hecate nodded, but she didn’t really feel convinced. “What should we do? I can revoke the papers if you want—”

“Don’t you dare! That is the exact opposite of what I want – or what Millie would want if she was thinking straight. We should have told her about magic mum already. If she knew about it before she got this message, she would have just hit delete and gone on with her day.” She unhooked her arm and stood up, stretching. “We’ll do it tomorrow. Head to the flat a bit after lunch. We’ll have a talk and then we’ll all go out for a nice supper, just like we planned.” She caught Pippa’s eyes. “Make sure what I said sinks in, will you?”

“I will,” she followed Julie’s lead, pulling Hecate up behind her. “Come on, Hiccup, I’m dead on my feet. Let’s get some sleep.” She led Hecate to her bedroom door. “Goodnight, Julie. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

#hicsqueak #almost kiss #how do you throw your back out writing?#hecate hardbroom #hecate's summer playlist #it's tough to be 13

55 notes · View notes