Any Witch Way (13 page)

But she knew that would never happen again and set her jaw as she pushed her hair behind her ears.

The curious pair, invisible witchling and stout little glamoured gnome, walked on to the end of the block and turned left. They approached a set of street side basement steps, and the gnome began to descend, looking over his shoulder at Sadie.

How can he see me?  

She followed, wanting to get out of the cold more than anything at this point. The stairs led to a brick hallway under the house above. It was dark and all Sadie could make out was the light at the other end.

Ah, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.

She laughed to herself and gripped her backpack tighter. She followed, not really seeing the gnome, but hearing his feet scuff on the dirty brick ground. As they drew closer to the light, Sadie relaxed at the thought of spending time with Tara again. Stepping through the entryway, into a large brick anteroom, she heard the gnome shout, “NOW!”

Her arms were grabbed by two huge imps—the biggest imps she had ever seen, with the same sickly grey warty skin as the one at Tara’s the last night she had seen her. Sadie was shocked; she thought imps were only small, child-sized creatures. Two more imps snatched the earrings from her ears and danced away from her laughing. The gnome stood staring at her expressionless.

“What’s going on?” asked Sadie. Utterly confused and now becoming angry, she wanted answers.

The gnome who had been her guide began to transform into the hideous imp that had been in the bubble with Tara. He laughed and drool hung from his jowls, swinging with each evil snigger. He looked as immoral and menacing as he did that night at Tara’s, only there was a new scar across the top of his boil infested skull. Grey ooze and yellow pus crusted and stuck to it in places, and Sadie felt queasy. She scrunched her eyes as a newfound headache settled in; she went a bit limp in the hands of the imps that held her. It moved closer, its breath reeking of rotting fish.

“You will make a trophy addition to my collection, my collection,” it said as it stroked the scalps that hung sash-like from its putrid body. Sadie eyes fixed on the red felt that hung from a string around its neck. “Oh, you like this? It was a gift from that stinking gnome friend of yours. He did put up quite the fight, quite the fight.”  

Sadie now recognized the red felt as Whistle’s little hat, and she choked back sickness. The imp had turned it into a purse of some sorts; as he reached into it, crackles of colored light popped and fizzled out over top of Sadie’s head.

“HA! You can’t do a thing can you, Sadie? Your magik is useless, a waste of time, as is keeping you alive, keeping you alive. Take her to the dungeon, to the dungeon,” it said. “But first, we’ll not lock her up with this. We’ll not make the same stupid mistakes as before, as before.”

It grabbed her backpack, ripping the straps right off the bag, leaving them dangling from her shoulders. Though it did hurt a little, Sadie did not cry out. She was resolute in the fact that she would not show these disgusting creatures who either had a hand in or did kill Whistle, any signs of pain or sadness.

The two foul-smelling imps dragged a fighting and kicking Sadie down a dark passage off to the left of the original entry. It was lit by sconces sporadically placed along the brick walls. The more she fought, the tighter their grip. She eventually gave up, letting them drag her limp body the rest of the way.  No way am I going to walk to my imprisonment and death; they can carry me.

They stopped in front of an iron barred door and pulled on it to open, the creaking and groaning of the hinges filling the silence. They threw her in and slammed the door hard, the noise echoing in the grimy, damp, dimly lit cell. For the second time that day Sadie sat alone in the dark, wondering how she ended up where she was, as the imps slouched off down the corridor.

Listening to their footsteps and grunting fading away, Sadie slumped down along the only dry spot in the cell and rubbed her temples. She could smell the imp’s foul stench on her skin and clothes and tried not to be sick. She threw the remaining backpack strap to the ground in disgust and punched the floor, skinning her knuckles. Sparks of unrefined magik fizzled out around her.

“Sadie, is that you?”

A smile spread across Sadie’s face and she scrambled to the barred cell door. Straining to see in the dimly lit dungeon, she did make out several other cells similar to her own. The voice seemed to have come from the cell directly across from hers, and she trembled with excitement and joy.

“Elgarbam? You’re still alive! I am so glad to hear your voice,” said Sadie.

A brief flash of guilt surged through her body as she realized that in all the commotion she had just been through, she had not thought of her friend that much. She clung to the bars of her cell desperately and spoke again.

“Everything is a mess, Elgarbam. Everyone thinks I’m a traitor, that I have this Heart thing they’re all looking for. They all hate me. Except Hannah, she tried to help me, but it all went wrong. An imp, the same imp that came to Tara’s tricked me. He saw me when I was invisible, tricked me into thinking he was a gnome, one of us, and he led me here. And I don’t understand, it seems like all the magik is working…differently. And Ms. Cabot even thinks I’m working with the Syndicate; she put me in some sort of walled-in room in the dark. Whistle’s dead, it’s all falling apart, and I haven’t even cast my first spell and I’m….”

“Ssshhhh. Not so loud, they’re probably listening. Even though they’re probably off roasting kittens on a spit by now, I don’t trust them not to somehow be listening. And you’re babbling again. One thing at a time, witchling,” said the gnome.  

Elgarbam scuffled his way to the front of his cell, his little knobby fingers trying to wrap around the bars as his pale little face peered out.

“I’m so glad to see you. Things are such a mess,” cried Sadie.

“First things first, witchling-friend. How did you not see the imp for what he was? Witchlings, witches, and well, just about all creatures with magik can see through glamours. Why didn’t you? This can only mean they’ve unlocked some sort of stronger magik than we have. Or something about the laws of magik is changing. That is bad, very bad indeed.” 

After what seemed like an eternal night of listening to the screams, moans, and groans of other prisoners, the very same gnarled imp who had been the cause of all Sadie’s troubles to date was standing in front of her cell. She didn’t know how long he had been there—staring, glaring—but when she awoke, he was there, nonetheless, in all his smelly, warty, evil, pus-covered glory.

She pretended to still be asleep.

How long have I been out this time?

He continued staring at her as if he were looking for something.

I don’t even remember finishing my talk with Elgarbam.  

The imp shuffled a little to his right, scratching his boil covered head and licking the pus from his fingers. Sadie stifled her gag reflex and continued peeking out from one barely opened eye.

“I can see the gas we pump in here keeps them knocked out for quite some time, Master, quite some time,” it said to a dark figure that had appeared in the gloom. “I didn’t find any sign of the Ataraxia Heart in her bag, but I did find her talisman—a very powerful one I might add. She’s from the Raven Skull Clan, Master, but you already knew that, already knew that.”

So that was my talisman, and now I’ve lost it. And, they can destroy a part of me if they destroy it. Great, I’ve screwed up again.

The imp crouched down to her level and tried to peer closer at Sadie. She squished her eyes shut even tighter and tried to control her breathing. 

“It could be hidden somewhere on her person; we just threw her in here, ya know,” it almost whispered in its raspy breath.

A rat scampered past Sadie’s head and crawled through the cell door as she lay on the cold dungeon floor. The tall, dark figure squashed it with his boot-clad foot, and the imp grabbed up the oozing remains and gobbled them down with no regard for couth, or even what he was eating.

“Never mind the girl…for now, Gok. We’ll get what we need from her later. I need you to send another message to the Guild. Use that other gnome; the one I think they call Elgarbam. Remove more body parts this time and come see me for the parchment; we’ll deposit this message within an organ. Maybe then they’ll begin to listen, just give us what we want, and stop trying to fight us. It’s become so…annoying,” said the tall, dark figure.

“Yes, Master, but if I may, what about the girl, what about the girl? Can I at least perform some torture on her to see if she’ll reveal anything? I’ve got some great new toenail pulling techniques, and I haven’t used my pus juicer in a while. I’d love to force her to drink, to drink,” suggested the nasty imp.

Sadie could hear excitement in his voice which made her slightly tremble.

The figure in the shadows laughed a little. It sounded familiar to her, like she had heard that voice before.

I’ll bet its David’s father. He must have seen me and was just making sure the imp took me where he was supposed to.

“Not yet. In due time, my faithful servant. You will be wearing her hide or her scalp or whatever it is you like to wear of your sufferers soon enough,” the Master replied before disappearing into the blackness from whence he came. As he departed, he barked more orders. “Mutilate the gnome, and bring the remains to me; I have a message to adhere to its goody-goody insides.”

Sadie trembled at the thought and bit her lip. She didn’t want to lose yet another friend in such hideous and horrible ways. Panic began to set in and roll through her in waves of nausea.

I have to do something.

She thought about her options, if any, as her anger built. Little sparkles of crackling red magik appeared in the darkness above her head and fizzled out before hitting the ground. The imp stood up from his squat quickly and backed away from her cell.

“Little deceiver. Nasty little liar. Pretending to be asleep, to be asleep. No doubt you’ve heard our next move, but it matters not, witchling. The Master has spoken, and it shall be done, shall be done. There’s nothing you can do about it either. So give up now. Your friend is going to die, going to die. But you, if you beg forgiveness and hand over the Ataraxia Heart, maybe the Master will show leniency before killing you and forgo the torture.

“You shake your head no? Well, then, I’m off to get my implements of agony to take care of your short friend across the way. Think on your options, tricksy traitor, tricksy traitor and run your fingers through that hair to get the knots out. I want it perfect when I wear it on my sash, on my sash.”

The imp slithered away down the dark hallway. Sadie waited to hear a door shut before she moved. Though none came, she was sure he was gone as his smell no longer disturbed her senses.

“Elgarbam, wake up. WAKE UP! We’ve got to do something and fast,” Sadie called to her friend.

A slight shuffling was heard, and Elgarbam appeared at the bars of his cell door. He looked bleary eyed and tired, worse for the wear, and a bit put off.

“I have to accept my fate, Sadie. I’m but one little gnome held prisoner by iron bars. What little magik I do know is of no use to me now. Maybe you can save yourself….”

“I don’t even have my magik, but I’m willing to try. Sometimes magik isn’t always the answer, Elgarbam.” Sadie was getting angrier. “We’ve got to at least put up a fight, if not to live then to try and save…well, just about the entire magikal world!”

Fizzles of light showered down from above her head. Though she was getting used to it, she was still amazed that she created these showers of radiance.

As Elgarbam and Sadie stood facing each other, holding on to their cell-door bars, a dark figure appeared further down the hall. It was black as night, hooded, and carried a sickle in its left hand. It appeared to be about eight feet tall, and the closer it got the less air they seemed able to breathe. They watched as it floated slowly past them and continued on down the dark corridor until they could see it no more.

A chill ran down Sadie’s back as she realized what they had just seen. It was Death. Sadie was no expert, but she knew enough to know that if Death were that close to them, things weren’t good.

As Sadie ramped up for another inspirational fight speech to deliver to Elgarbam, she was suddenly startled by soft fur rubbing against her bare arm. Shocked, she unconsciously began touching the spot and scanning the dark cell for its source. Looking down, she let out her breath as she recognized the feline in front of her.

“Grimm! Oh, my gosh! How did you get here? We’ve got to do something; they’re going to kill Elgarbam! We’ve got to….”

“Sssshhhhh! It doesn’t matter right now how I got here, just that I am here. Stand back from the cell doors,” he ordered.

Sadie moved to the back wall of her cell and heard Elgarbam do the same. The cat stood in the middle of the dungeon corridor and turned three times widdershins. As he did so, a blinding white light exploded into the area, lighting up and then eventually blinding everything from sight. When Sadie could see again, the cell doors were gone, and Grimm sat perfectly still admiring his work.

“You can come out now,” he said to the girl and the gnome.

Cautiously, Sadie and Elgarbam each came forward to meet in the middle with Grimm. Sadie hugged the gnome tightly with tears in her eyes and reached for Grimm to give some good scratches.

“Oooch, girl, you’re crushin’ me wee bones,” garbled Elgarbam.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m just so glad we’re free and you’re alive. But we’ve got to get out of here and fast. Grimm, what do we do?”

The cat rubbed his head on Sadie’s leg, causing that same old feeling of calm in her, and licked his paw before speaking.

“I’ve caused a…distraction, if you will, that has cleared the back entrance. All you have to do is follow this hall to the end (he pointed with his paw), and you’ll be on Main Street. Elgarbam, don’t use a glamour; put a spell on yourself to change into a…a backpack…and let Sadie carry you….”

“I’ll not have a weak girl carry me. I’m a proud and strong gnome who….”

“Do you want to be eviscerated?” The gnome shook his head emphatically.

“Then do as I say. And once you’re in town, head out on the north road to Tara’s. You’ll know where to turn off when you reach Shuddering Seamus,” Grimm stated. “Now go, there’s a war on, and it seems the Guild is losing.”

Sadie and Elgarbam began to move quickly, with catlike stealth, down the corridor to the exit. Sadie quickly spun back for one more question. “Grimm, how did your magik work with all those iron bars, and who is Shuddering Seamus?” But the cat was nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, Sadie, that’s not important right now. We’ve got to get to Tara’s. Don’t worry so much, girl-child,” said Elgarbam. He waddled towards the light with Sadie following close at his heels. When they reached the brick alcove that would put them out on the street, the gnome stopped.

He began to mumble some words; as he did so, his little body began to sparkle and pop. From his feet the crackling bursts of light began and traveled up his body towards his little head. When the light show was over, in his place lay a burlap bag somewhat resembling Sadie’s old backpack the imps had taken.

“Well, don’t just stand there staring, put me on your back,” said the Elgarbam bag.

Sadie giggled, picked him up, and swung him onto her back. “You’re a bit heavy for a backpack,” she said.

“I’m not a backpack, I’m a gnome, remember? And my weight is none of your concern,” he quipped back.

“El, can you tell me how our, well, your magik didn’t work in the dungeons of iron, but Grimm’s did?”

Unbeknownst to Sadie, the gnome smiled at her shortening his name to El. No one had ever called him that before—and he liked it.

“Cats are inexplicable creatures. They have nine lives and can do many mysterious things. They’ve had much time to learn lots of magik. They’ve been witches’ familiars for many moons, far too many for us to count, but at least five thousand human years. And even though they serve the witch or human they live with, they always have their own agenda.

“They always worry about cat politics first and ours second. Who knows for sure, but I’d reckon a guess that it was ‘cause he wasn’t in the cells, behind the bars like we were. Though to tell you the truth, little witchling, I really have no idea, and I wouldn’t admit that to just anyone. Now, c’mon, let’s get to Tara’s house.” 

 “Makes sense I guess,” Sadie said as she began to walk Main Street. “I don’t know anything about anything—yet, as far as magik goes. I’m just glad he came to help.”

*  *  *

After following the dirt road north out of Cranberry Grove for about an hour, it soon became an even more choppy and unkempt dirt road. This dirt road wound on for another two hours before they came to a Y. At the head of the Y was a giant, twisty, knotted, and bent old oak.

“Well, now, what do we do?” asked Sadie. “We don’t know which direction to take, and I see no signs of someone called Shuddering Seamus.”

“That’s because you’re not really looking,” said a voice from nowhere, but obviously near. “Oh, I shudder at the thought of not being recognized.”

Sadie looked around and saw no one. Elgarbam began to pop and crackle, changing back to his gnome self, and slid off Sadie’s back. He shuffled over to the giant oak and laid his knobby little fingers on its trunk.

“Good to see you again, Seamus. How’s this November weather treating you? Not too cold is it?”

“Oh, it makes me shudder; it’s so chilly. I can’t wait for summer. ‘Course, I shudder to think of all those birds making nests in my branches come spring. The babies’ squawking all the time, the mess; oh, I shudder to think of it,” said the tree.

Sadie walked closer to the oak; as she did, she looked for some sort of face. When she reached Elgarbam, she saw two eyes slowly open that had previously been camouflaged within the folds of the bark. Then she recognized a knot in the tree to be a nose and just under that a mouth opened to speak.

“I had some of those tree rats with the bushy tails, the ones you call squirrels, taking the rest of my acorns. Now I’ll never have one grow near enough to talk to. Oh, I shudder at the thought of being alone for all of my time,” said the giant old oak.

And, indeed, the tree seemed to shudder in the chilly breeze.

“Which way to Tara’s?” asked Elgarbam.

“Oh, you don’t have to go yet. I shudder at the thought of your leaving so soon. Can’t you stay for a couple of years, just enough time to get to know each other again,” begged the tree.

For a tree, a couple of years is the equivalent to a blink of an eye to a human, so his request wasn’t that out of line though Sadie was a bit taken aback by it.

“We must get to Tara immediately. It’s of the utmost Guild importance. This witchling and I are on important business,” Elgarbam replied.

His little chest puffed out, and he held his head high, looking very much like a tiny general in a tiny position of command.

“I haven’t met this one before though I did see her pass in the night with that centaur Zeno. I shudder to think I haven’t been properly introduced. Maybe she could stay for a while?” the tree asked.

“Tell you what, my woody friend, I’ll bring back a birch and plant it for company if you give us the right way to take,” Elgarbam replied.

“Oh, I shudder at spending time with a birch; they shed and peel and I don’t like messes. Bring me a cherry tree; they’re so pretty in the spring time. I shudder to think of the beauty,” the oak said with a tremble.

“It’s as good as done,” responded Elgarbam. He pounded his little fist against his chest in a firm, oath-assuring thump.

“Then take the road leading east, I think. Wait, no, west. No, it’s east. Sorry, I shudder at how many times we’ve had to change directions lately, what with all the fighting and treachery about. And I’ll see you again soon, with my cherry tree friend in tow. Oh, how I shudder to think of the conversations we’ll have. See you soon, gnome; goodbye, witchling with no name,” the tree said.

“My name is Sadie, and we’ll see you again soon Shuddering Seamus.”

The tree became stock still, frozen, and far from his recent stature. Not a branch moved. His face disappeared back into the camouflage of the bark. Elgarbam smacked his hand on his head.