Bad Holiday in Witch Town Read online

chuckle, "oh there, I have said it."

  Now Beth did take a step forward, surprising herself and she pointed the mop at the woman. "Don't mock me! I killed her, didn't I? Don't you even care? What is going on in this place!?"

  All show of good humour was gone as the witch regarded her. Now she had a calculating look on her face. "Care?" she mused, "no not really. You have no understanding of the nature of our Covens. We are at war you see. But not a war that can be measured by casualties. Your own act is most unusual. We rarely lose one of our own in this way. But every dark cloud may have a ray of sunshine peeping through."

  "I don't know what you're talking about and I don't want to know!" shouted Beth, her nerves raw, her eyes beginning to sting with tears that she was determined she would not shed.

  "But do you have a choice?" Abigail asked her coldly. "I do not think so. I could take you now and accuse you of whatever crime I choose. I could make your life far more unpleasant than it is at present. Far more. Do you want that? I doubt it very much."

  "What do you want?" Beth wasn't stupid. She knew there had to be a reason for all of this.

  A flicker of a smile twisted the woman's lips and Beth saw that she was no more than a monster in female guise. The witch enjoyed her power games and the control she had over others. "Yes, of course, there is something." she stared directly at Beth and almost without realising it, the girl lowered her makeshift weapon and waited for whatever was to come with passive acceptance. She was so tired. So weary of it all. "I will make a bargain with you," Abigail continued, "I will keep your secret, but in return I need you to find out one for me. Now, that is a very small price to pay for murder, don't you think?"

  Luke shuffled from one foot to the other, but he maintained eye contact. This was an improvement at least.

  Ellie framed the best way to discuss what she needed to in her mind and settled on what she believed was the best approach. "They've asked me to do something," she started, "the Black Coven I mean." The boy didn't comment, only stood there listening, his face blank. "I don't know what they have in mind, but it must be something they think I can help them with." She looked at him, searching his eyes for some small show of friendship or support. But there was nothing. Luke returned her gaze, but he was withdrawn and his expression noncommittal. "The thing is," Ellie went on, "they want me to do something outside of here. That means I will get outside, at least for a while." She paused and checked that the door of the dining room was securely closed. For all she knew the boys who worked in her house may very well be Margaret's spies. Or for that matter, spies for any of the Covens.

  "So why are you telling me this?" Luke finally spoke up. His tone was one of distinct mistrust.

  She almost shouted at him, but just barely kept herself in check. "Because I need advice. I need Zack...and you to help me. I don't know what to do."

  Luke regarded her for several moments, his features still revealing nothing. "Are you going to get help?" He asked this with just the tiniest trace of optimism.

  Ellie seized on even this small sign that the boy still believed there was hope. "Yes, of course. If I can. What do you think I should do? They will be watching me the whole time and I don't even know where we're going yet."

  "Can you use, you know, those Words? Could you get away from them? Get to the police or something?" Luke was trying not to sound desperate, but there was an unmistakable quality in his voice that said how much he wanted it to be true.

  "I can try," the girl told him, "but if it goes wrong they will probably kill me. These women are playing for keeps."

  Luke's smile was not a pleasant one. "These women?" he repeated, "but aren't you one of them now?"

  Anger flared suddenly within Ellie's chest, a hot, tight sensation that demanded release. "I didn't ask to come here," she said frostily, maintaining control at least for the moment. "None of us did. And I didn't ask to have this...power, whatever it is." she clutched her amulet and held it out from her chest towards him. "I didn't ask for this, remember. I'm having to make the best of this, just like you are. And Zack and Beth. If we don't stick together, who have we got?"

  "But that's it," Luke fired back, his own pent up fury threatening to explode. "We're not together, are we? For all I know, Beth might be dead. Have you seen her!? I haven't! And it's driving me crazy! Do you know how many times I've made up my mind to just force my way into the damn house and find her, how many times I've had to stop myself from doing whatever it takes to get to her. No, you don't, because it doesn't matter to you. You're quite happy here, learning your magic powers, learning how to be a witch! So, if you are really going to do something to get us out of here, just get on with it and do it. Maybe then I might believe you're still the Ellie I thought I knew."

  His face flushed, he turned and stalked off and out into the entrance hall, the sound of his footfalls on the stairs fading as he retreated to his room.

  For what seemed a very long time, Ellie just stood there. She tried to think about what Luke had just said, but she found it almost impossible. His words stung her. She felt bruised and battered. Her heart ached.

  How had it come to this? It was a nightmare, an unholy dream and she could not wake up from it. But in the end, she would have to do what she believed was for the best. There was no-one else to take her place. It was down to her and she would not shirk her responsibility. However much she might wish she could.

  24

  Even my friends don't know me anymore. Do I even know myself? I'm Ellie, the girl who prides herself on being unconventional. But being different never made me happy, did it? No-one likes you if you don't fit in, wear the right clothes, say the right things. It's just the same here as it ever was. Same shit, different shovel. I want to get out of here, really I do. But I can't change the fact that I'm not the same anymore. Whatever happens, this Ellie is someone new. And whichever world I live in, they will know. They will know because I will show them. No more being treated like a freak and having to grin and bear it. From now on, this freak will fight back.

  When Luke told Zack about his conversation with Ellie, the other boy was less than impressed.

  "That wasn't fair of you," he said sternly, "what do you expect her to do? I don't see you doing much yourself."

  The other boy sneered at this. "Maybe you like it here too. Maybe that's the problem."

  Zack eyed his friend with a scowl. "Just maybe," he warned, "you should get a grip on yourself and stop acting like a moron!"

  They were supposed to be carrying milk churns from a storage barn to the Blue Coven House, a distance of perhaps half a mile or so. But now Luke put his own down unceremoniously and it nearly toppled over. "So you think your sister can still be trusted, even though she's one of them now? Well, I don't. And you're a fool if you can't see that."

  Zack was getting increasingly irritated by the other boy's attitude and he also put his churn down beside him, although he took a good deal more care about it. "So what makes you such an expert on my sister!? Oh yes, I forgot, you're married to her aren't you? That must give you some tremendous insight into what she's thinking and feeling. Far more than me obviously."

  His face red with sweat and grime, Luke poked a finger in Zack's direction. "You can't even see the obvious when it's right under your nose! And being married to your sister is not my idea of a good time!"

  Zack shoved his hands into his pockets, because he knew if he didn't there was a very good chance he would throttle the other boy. But Luke didn't take the hint and moved in closer, his eyes blazing. "Just back off will you," Zack cautioned him.

  "Or what!?" Luke taunted him.

  Zack couldn't help himself. His hands shot out of his pockets and he had clenched them into fists when finally Leonie came into view. "I think I've heard enough," she told them firmly.

  Luke turned and glowered at her. "We're in the middle of something here!"

  "Yes," the girl said, "and it's been most entertaining. But now can you get back to your work."

>   Zack was happy to assent and hauled up his milk churn, but Luke was far less inclined to comply. "I'm sick of this!" he announced with some venom.

  "Just do it," Zack told him, but his friend was in no mood to listen.

  "So what are you going to do if I don't?" he asked the witch with scorn, "zap me with one of your Words? What will it be this time? Stop!? Go!? Sit down, stand up, do a dance!?"

  "Give it a rest, Luke," the other boy advised him, knowing that this was all getting out of hand.

  Leonie looked from Luke to Zack and then over her shoulder to where Allana was watching the scene unfold from perhaps twenty yards away. "What good will this do you?" she asked, her voice mild.

  "I don't really care," fired back Luke, "I've just had it up to here with all of this rubbish. So, you can do what you like." With this he put his boot against the churn and with deliberate care pushed it over. The lid came off and milk began to stain the ground.

  Immediately Zack put his own churn down and moved to confront the boy. "What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he demanded, their faces now only inches apart.

  "No use crying over spilt milk!" Luke snarled with supreme sarcasm.

  Zack had heard enough and he pushed out at his friend with two open palms, knocking him backwards. "You are being a complete tosser!"

  "Please Zack," came Leonie's voice, "stay out