Any Witch Way (6 page)

There were two closed wooden doors on each stone wall. The walls were lined with shelves holding books, candles, plants and other objects along with bottles, jars, and containers of all sizes. They also held everyday objects like plates, bowls, and glasses. As Sadie looked around the room, Zeno began to speak.

“Um, witch child, you can leave my back now. You’re not as light as you think,” he said with humor in his sleepy voice.

“Oh, sorry,” said Sadie as she slipped from his back like she had been riding centaurs her whole life.  

While she stood in awe of what she was viewing in this small but not small cottage, one of the doors opened and there stood one of the most beautiful women Sadie had ever seen. She was wearing a long deep green velvet dress and an even deeper green shawl was wrapped around her bare white shoulders. Her hair was a brilliant, bright red and hung in long spiraling curls well past her waist. There were vines and flowers woven in a sort of tiara on her head, and three butterflies fluttered around her as she stood while a wren sat on her shoulder. She had milky white skin that looked smooth as sea glass, and her smile was as wide and bright as the sun. As she lifted her dress to walk, Sadie could see she was barefoot. 

She spread her arms wide and began to speak. “Zeno, how wonderful to see you, me old friend,” she said as she approached the centaur and circled her arms around him in the warmest of hugs.

Unwrapping herself from the centaur, she turned to face Sadie. As she looked at her, studied her, an expression crossed her face that Sadie could not recognize.  

“And you must be Sadie. I’ve been waiting to meet you, lass. ‘Tis an honor to meet the daughter of my best friend,” she said as she then wrapped her arms around Sadie in the same warm manner as she did Zeno.

She smelled of cinnamon and vanilla and hugged Sadie with the strength of ten men. When she finally released her after what seemed like a yearlong embrace, Sadie noticed there were tears in her forest green eyes.

“You were my mother’s best friend?” asked Sadie. “How come I never met you or even heard of you?”

Sadie felt a pang of regret as soon as she asked this question for this woman looked as though Sadie had stabbed her through the heart. In the same second, she was a little angry that if this woman had indeed been her mom’s best friend, where had she been for the first ten years of Sadie’s life and the last three after her mother’s supposed death?  

Besides, her head hurt something awful, and in her chest there was a pain, a pain that felt like her heart was going to explode. As a matter of fact, she felt downright horrible, like she had the flu. Sadie didn’t care if she hurt the woman’s feelings; she herself was feeling way too bad to be concerned with manners.  

Looking at Zeno, who had retreated to stand near the fire, the woman named Tara spoke to him.

“Does she know nothing? Is the lass completely unaware of what’s happening? Ach! We must be gettin’ her prepared and in a circle right away, centaur! This is of the greatest urgency it is or my name isn’t Tara of the Isle.”  

When she spoke the last part of the sentence, her voice had risen and immediacy was felt in the words. The earth seemed to respond to those words and a rumble was felt, not so much like an earthquake, but more like an earth shiver. The creatures that seemed to live in her aura flitted about nervously before settling back down on her shoulders and hair. Tara herself seemed to become illuminated from the inside out, and her radiance shown brilliantly in the fire lit room, her brilliant red hair giving off the most intensity. The centaur smirked a little and cleared his throat.

“It’s true, Your Greatness. We had to leave before she was told of anything, and midnight came and went in a small battle with the turncoats. I didn’t think it my place to tell the girl because...well, I couldn’t very well run, fight and carry her on my back, at least not very well, and all the while telling her very vital details about her life. It just didn’t seem plausible. I have delivered her to you safely, and if I am no longer needed, I shall take my leave,” Zeno said with the utmost respect towards Tara.

He looked tired, and Sadie felt a pang of sympathy for him.

“Aye, of course ya cen. I’m sorry, my friend; it’s been a long night here, as well. I’ve ‘ad six dozen or so winter elves to heal who suffered terrible wounds from their battle with the Syndicate and I….” She took a deep breath. “That’s not your worry; take your leave warrior, and I’ll see you again soon, my dear comrade,” spoke Tara as she hugged the centaur once again.

She went to the door with him, put three fingers up to her face, touching her forehead and then her heart and then touched them to his chest. She hugged him once more and sent him into the night. As Tara was shutting the door, Sadie ran to it, wanting to tell Zeno thank you and goodbye, but he’d already disappeared into the cool dark night.

“Let him go, Sadie; he’s got work of his own to do. Fighting the Syndicate takes all of our manpower. And he has his own personal demons to conquer when it comes to them, pardon the pun. I’m sure you’ll see him again, you can thank him then,” said Tara with a warm smile.

“How did you know I wanted to thank him?” queried Sadie.

With a chuckle, Tara responded, “I’m Tara from the Isle. The Isle being Ireland in case you’ve no learnin’ ‘bout that as well. No worries though, I’m ‘ere to take good care of ya now.”

Sadie felt her stomach growl long before the sound resonated up and all through the room. Her face flushed red and she looked down at the floor.

“Aw, you’re hungry, little lamb. Don’t need me powers to figure that one out. ‘Ere, come sit and I’ll fix ya something. You can eat and then sleep. You’re probably feeling a bit wonky at this point.”

“I do have the worst headache I’ve ever had, and my chest feels strange,” said Sadie as Tara led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her.

“That be the change, love, you’re okay. ‘Tis best to sleep through it, I always say,” Tara said as she spooned something wonderful smelling from the cauldron.

She then swept her right hand over the table in front of Sadie; as she did so, a steaming pot of tea appeared as well as desserts of every kind.

“Eat now, then you’ll sleep, and I’ll fill you in on everything tomorrow. My shamrock! ‘Tis almost three in the mornin’. Oh, and don’t worry, you be safer ‘ere than anywhere else on this planet, our world or your former one. Remember, I’m Tara fr….”

“From the Isle, I know, I know,” Sadie said in unison with her.

The two smiled at each other, and Sadie dug into the bowl before her with all the ferocity of a crazed badger. It was filled with the most delicious chicken and dumplings she had ever been witness to and privy to taste. Before Sadie could make it to her fourth spoonful, her head was lying on the table, and she was fast asleep. 

Waking up to the smell of cinnamon buns just coming out of the oven is one of earth’s greatest pleasures, and Sadie’s mouth was watering even before her eyes had fully opened. She felt something on her chest, a vibrating of some sort, and slowly opened one eye to peek. The last twenty four hours had taught her to be careful, if anything, and to expect the unexpected—always.

“GRIMM!” cried Sadie as she maneuvered her hands from under the covers to stroke the purring feline.

“Good morning, or should I say good evening to you, Sadie, pet?”

Through half-opened sleepy eyes only inches away from Sadie’s face, Grimm stretched and yawned.

Sadie was startled for a moment at his speech; she had forgotten he could talk. She stroked his head and scratched behind his ears as she looked around. Someone, most likely Tara, had put her in bed, a very large, very comfy bed covered in thick, down blankets. The window-lined room let the outside in as Sadie saw the forest illuminated in twilight’s pink light. Everything was quiet, peaceful and Sadie felt safe. She remembered she was at Tara’s bigger-than-it-looked-from-the-outside house and smiled at the thought. Her stomach growled, boldly and loudly, causing Grimm to open his eyes again.

“Grimm, get off of me; I am STARVING! Those cinnamon buns smell delicious,” said Sadie as she began to scoot the cat and the covers away.

She slipped out of the warm, snug bed; as she began to head towards the door, she stepped in something that felt grainy on her bare feet. Looking down, she saw she had stepped in salt and that it encircled the entire bed. She looked back towards the sleepy Grimm, who was grooming himself at the foot of the bed, and gave him a questioning gaze.

“For extra protection. Not that you’re not safe here already. No one would dare mess with Tara, but still, you can’t be too safe these days what with the Syndicate having their fingers in lots of pies,” said Grimm right before coughing up a hairball.

“Ew. That’s gross, Grimm,” responded Sadie.

She wrinkled up her nose in disgust and put her hand to her mouth.

“Sorry, these things happen when you’re a cat. Not that I complained about the sounds that came from you as you were sleeping. And the smells that followed, my gosh, you’d think you were part troll,” Grimm stated as he waved his one paw in front of his face while the other went around his throat in a choking gesture.

It was all in mocking, of course, but Sadie felt her usual self-conscious flush rush through her body.

Embarrassed, Sadie turned red almost immediately and changed the subject just as quickly. “Where’s Tara?”

“Oh, about the house somewhere. I’m going back to sleep. You’ll find her, I’m sure,” said Grimm as he quickly resumed cat nap status, but not before covering the hairball with the bottom of the comforter.

Sadie turned and smiled to herself as she headed towards the only door in the room.

I wonder how many other thirteen-year-old girls have ever talked to a cat.  

As she turned the crystal knob of the door, she thought to ask about Mrs. Felis and changed her mind at the sight of Grimm all spread out with his legs in the air sound asleep. Most cats slept curled in a ball. This one was as different as they came. Sadie smiled to herself.

Stepping out into the grand room of the house, Sadie saw it much as she remembered from the night before. Without a moment’s hesitation, Tara stepped through the door that led outside, as though she were expecting Sadie at that very instant. Sadie gasped at the sight of her; she was even more beautiful than she remembered.

“Good evening, witchling, how are you feeling?” asked Tara in her sweeter-than-honey voice.

Her beautiful red curls were pulled back from her face with a silver barrette, and she was wearing another green dress. This one buttoned down the front all the way to the floor and had a black cinched waist line. She was still barefoot, and this time three birds circled her as ivy made a crown around her head. Butterflies alighted on her shoulders, and a little white mouse clung to her sleeve. Inside, Sadie hoped to be as beautiful as Tara one day. Tara smiled at the girl and asked her again how she felt.

“I feel okay. My head doesn’t hurt anymore and neither does my chest,” replied Sadie.

“Good, good. ‘Tis complete then and without incident. Oh, how are your fingers?”

Sadie looked at her hands. All seemed well, and she shook her head. “Okay, I guess, but why?” she asked.

“Oh, no reason in particular, love, ‘cept that sometimes witchlings gain an extra finger during the change,” Tara responded matter-of-factly as she lay a basket of gourds on the table.

Sadie looked at her hands again, this time in a hurry and with much worry. She checked thoroughly for any sign of an extra digit. The last thing she needed was an extra finger. That would make her even further from normal than she ever wanted or thought she’d be.

There’s no hiding, or hiding from, an extra finger.

“So, when can I go home?” asked Sadie. “Or should I say back to the Argyles. They must be worried sick about me, or at least concerned enough to call the police. And…with all the commotion last night from the bookstore, they’ve got to be at least a little worried. I really don’t want to be kicked out of another foster home.”

Tara laughed a full-throated and gorgeously amused chuckle. She brushed her spiraling red locks towards her back and studied Sadie with a curious expression.

“So, you really don’t know a thing do you, lass?” asked Tara.

“I know lots!” cried Sadie, hating feeling stupid and in the dark.

Tara laughed again.

“I meant ‘bout what’s goin’ on with ya, lass,” she said as she headed towards the cauldron.

“I know that some crazy things happened last night—things that now seem like a dream, and I wouldn’t believe them save for the fact that I’m talking to you right now. I know people keep telling me I’m a witch and….”

“Witchling,” corrected Tara.

“Witchling, right, whatever,” responded Sadie with hands on her hips, “and I know I have to get home so I don’t get kicked out of that foster home like all the rest!”

“You don’t ever have to go to another foster home as long as you live, Sadie,” replied Tara with a serious stare on her face that made her look like the powerful witch that she really was. She had turned to face Sadie and was holding a book in her hands that wasn’t there a moment ago.

“I thought we’d start with your family history and then go from there. What do you think?” Tara stated more than asked.

Sincerely confused and a bit hungry, Sadie took a seat at the table.

What’s a girl to do? She thought to herself. I’m curious to know what’s going on. I am interested in knowing how it is that I don’t have to live in foster care anymore. I can at least have some of those cinnamon rolls I’ve smelled before I tell her I just want to be a normal girl.

“You will never be just a normal girl, never again, Sadie. As a matter of fact, you’re more than just a girl now,” responded Tara ever so seriously. “And the cinnamon rolls are to your left.”

Sadie turned her head; the rolls were there, steaming and oozing frosting down their sides. 

“Stop reading my mind!” Sadie halfway shouted. “It’s rude, don’t you think? Plus, you may hear something you don’t want to hear.”  

She then grabbed a bun and shoved half of it in her mouth.

“You really are the clever little daughter of Adrienne MacDougall, and a bit feisty like her as well,” Tara said with a smile as she waved her arms and supplied the table with all sorts of breakfast foods and drink. “I promise I’ll try my best NOT to read your mind anymore, although it’s my inborn gift, and I have a hard time turning it off. Some people do find it hard to be around me because of it. I understand it bothers you. So I’ll do my best, lass.”

Tara laughed, her voice tinkling like bells. “At least I don’t have the problems of the Lorelei.”  

Sadie thought for a minute and decided that Tara really wasn’t all that bad. It was the fact that she was being feisty, as Tara said, or persnickety, as her mother would have said, that made her so quick to argue. She didn’t want to be a bother, especially since this woman had been so nice to her from the start. Sadie did, however, want to know more about Tara and her mother’s friendship. She took a long drink of milk and then looked at Tara.

“Will you tell me about you and my mother?”

“Of course I will child, in due time. We’ve much to go over, much for you to learn, and I feel we’re at the disadvantage as I wasn’t able to guide you through your change,” said Tara, a bit dismayed.

“What’s this change? And why do you people keep calling me 'witchling?' I’m not sure I believe or even want all of this. And I’m really concerned about Mrs. Felis. She was really good to me, cat or old lady or whatever she is. And another thing, I will let you in on a secret about me, Tara, I just want to be a normal kid,” Sadie said with defiance as she stuck out her chin.

“You sound just like your dear mother, lass. She always complained ‘bout wanting to be normal. Always wanted something other than what she had. And when you were born and she took you away to live in the human world, well, that was just unheard of. Upset quite a few in the Guild, I can tell ya that, lass,” Tara stated with a grin before continuing on. “That be one of the reason I loved her so much. She was always one to tip the scales of balance. I do understand why she took you away though, musta been hard for her....”

Tara’s voice trailed off.

Sadie had never thought of her mom this way. Her mother seemed so—uptight. Always watching over her, always right there and quite literally always one to follow the rules. Sadie guessed if she were the witch Tara said she was, she probably didn’t want to draw attention to herself in “the human world,” as Tara called it.

Then it hit her: Mom was a witch!

Her own curiosity grew exponentially, and she could hardly contain herself. What did this mean? She didn’t really die in the car crash? Did she blink or snap her fingers and disappear somewhere?

She really is still alive! I KNEW IT! Could she be…?

“No, Sadie, she’s not still alive,” said Tara softly, gently, as she moved to stroke Sadie’s hair.

Sadie herself softened a little and lost her appetite at the thought of her mother. She pondered what it meant that her mother was a witch.

What good is being a witch if you can’t save yourself?

She contemplated what it would mean if she accepted the fact that she was a witch, as everyone kept saying, and what she could do. She thought about waving her arms and making things happen, and it didn’t seem all that bad. Then, a thought struck her that had so much weight to it that she came alive with excitement.

“If I’m a witch, can’t I bring her back? If I’m not powerful enough, can’t you bring her back? What’s the use of having power if you can’t do something to save someone’s life? Why didn’t she try to save her own life? What if she did and you just can’t find her ‘cause she magikked her way out of the car crash to somewhere else, and she’s still trying to find her way home? Or what if she did all that and hit her head and lost her memory in the process? If she were really dead, she’d be a ghost like the ones I saw in the bookstore. She would come to me; I’m her daughter. We can find her, Tara! It’s possible, I mean, until yesterday I never thought any of this was possible,” said Sadie with excitement and the tiniest hint of sarcasm as she opened her arms to encompass the entire room.

“I’m sorry, Sadie, that’s just not the way things work,” said Tara with a tear in her eye. “If she were alive, I’d know it. Believe me, I tried to find her. Reading minds extends to those minds out of your immediate viewing area.”

Sadie bowed her head and tried not to let Tara see her sadness. She felt somewhat ashamed that she still let her mother’s death rule her world after three years of dealing with it.

Why can’t I get past this? Why can’t I move on with my life? I’ve been to so many counselors you’d think I’d have at least resolved some of the issues with her dying.

“All the counselors in the world couldn’t take away your sadness, Sadie,” said Tara with a soft voice.

“I thought you weren’t going to read my mind anymore?” asked Sadie with a small smirk on her face, trying to lighten the mood she'd created.

“Sorry. Habit,” responded Tara, smirking back.

Just then Sadie passed gas louder than anyone she had ever heard. Tara burst into laughter as Sadie’s face turned five shades of red.

“Well, now, I thought that’d be finished by now,” Tara said through giggles.

“I’m sorry,” said Sadie, “I don’t know what got into me. That just sort of sneaked out.”

“It’s okay, lass. It’s the sleeping potion I gave you yesterday. For some reason it makes people a wee bit full of gas. Sometimes magik, like life, doesn’t go as we plan no matter how good at it we think we are. I’ve been working on it for some time now and can’t seem to fix that one unnecessary aspect of the wonderful brew. Other than that, it does work wonders, doesn’t it? I mean, you’ve been out for quite some time and you feel totally refreshed, do you not?” Tara looked at Sadie with raised eyebrows as she waved her hand in front of her face. “But maybe you should spend some time outdoors until it’s completely over. That’ll give me time to get things ready for your first lesson. And, at the same time, I can air out the room.”

The two laughed and Sadie felt relief instead of embarrassment. For once in her life, it felt okay to just be herself. Tara was a perfectly sweet and wonderful woman that was impossibly beautiful. Sadie felt she could spend the rest of her life with her.

“Now, here’s a scarf, coat, and mittens. It’s a bit brisk out there this evening,” Tara said handing her items that weren’t in her hands a few seconds ago, “I’ll call you when I’m ready for ya.”

And with that, she ushered Sadie out into the crisp fall evening.  

The warm sunlight setting behind the trees temporarily blinded her, and she felt the brisk air fill her lungs. She felt renewed by the fresh air in combination with the long sleep she had. Sadie felt good, better than she had in months, or even years, and she smiled wholeheartedly. Her vision adjusted to the light of the setting sun. She decided to follow a path she hadn’t seen the night before that led off towards a field of huge orange pumpkins and gourds of every color. As soon as she took her first step, a booming voice called her name.