OTHERS
| ADRIANA LOPEZ (born EHRENSKIÖLD) – A trained witch and a member of the Council.
Element
: Fire.
Ability:
her talent for magic is weak, but she can control fire to a certain degree. Tried to leave the Council but was punished with the application of a magic link that prevents her from escaping and also makes it very hard for her to disobey direct orders. She is Alexander’s younger sister but changed her surname to her mother’s maiden name. Her familiar was a raven.
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| ALEXANDER EHRENSKIÖLD – A trained witch and a leading member of the Council.
Element
: Fire.
Ability:
turning the elements of other witches against each other. Led the investigation into Anna-Karin’s alleged breaches of the Council’s rules and was chief prosecutor in the Council’s court case against her. He is Adriana’s older brother and adopted Viktor and his sister.
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| HEDVIG ELINGIA – A natural witch.
Element
: Unknown. Member of the Council in the seventeenth century. Matilda’s mother, Nicolaus’s wife. Threw herself on the pyre when Matilda was burnt at the stake.
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|  MATILDA ELINGIA – A natural witch.
Element
: All. The previous Chosen One in Engelsfors. Lived 1660–1675; daughter of Nicolaus and Hedvig. When she relinquished her powers, the Council handed her over to the civil authorities; they convicted her of witchcraft. She was burnt at the stake. Her soul has been caught between the worlds ever since.
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| MAX ROSENQVIST – A natural witch.
Element
: Earth.
Ability
: controlling people’s bodies. Was once the demons’ Blessed One. Minoo broke his blessing, since when Max has been in a coma. Murdered Elias and Rebecka.
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| MONA MOONBEAM – Unknown background.
Element
: Unknown.
Runs a shop called the Crystal Cave. Uses her magic power in the shop to make her customers believe what she foretells. Also has a non-magical instinct for saying exactly what her customers want to hear.
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| NICOLAUS ELINGIUS – A natural witch and ex-member of the Council. Hedvig’s husband and Matilda’s father.
Element
: Wood.
Ability:
controlling plant growth.
Has been alive since the seventeenth century when he was the minister in Engelsfors. When his wife and daughter died, he made a pact with the guardians. He murdered the high officials in the Council’s Swedish contingent in a ritual that made it possible for him to live on and so help the next Chosen One. Calls himself the guide of the Chosen Ones. No one knows where he is. His familiar was a cat.
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| OLIVIA HENRIKSSON – A natural witch.
Element
: Metal.
Ability
: controlling electricity. Olivia can charge amulets with magic and use them to control others. Was the demons’ Blessed One. Murdered Ida, Elias’s parents and many more. The Council removed Olivia after her defeat by the Chosen Ones.
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| SIMON TAKAHASHI – A natural witch.
Element
: Air.
Adriana’s boyfriend and Alexander’s friend. Was executed almost twenty years ago because he and Adriana had attempted to leave the Council.
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| VIKTOR EHRENSKIÖLD (born ANDERSSON) – A natural witch.
Element
: Water. Works for the Council, but has not yet sworn the oath of allegiance.
Ability
: can detect lies, control water and communicate with other water witches by telepathy. Has a twin sister who fell ill after misusing her magic. They were both adopted by Alexander.
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THE BORDERLAND
1
The dazzling white light is growing fainter.
Ida blinks a few times, looks around.
She isn’t in the church any more. She is nowhere. Surrounded by greyness, like a fog but not quite. Much more like
nothingness
.
Matilda still stands next to her in her white smock, holding her hand. Matilda’s reddish-blonde hair, ice-blue eyes and freckles contrast with the greyness around them.
Ida tries to tug her hand free, but Matilda won’t let go.
‘Where are we?’ Ida asks.
‘In the Borderland.’
‘What is—’
Matilda shushes her.
‘Be quiet,’ she whispers. Her fearful eyes scan the grey nothingness. ‘Or they might find us.’
Ida suddenly feels glad that Matilda is holding her hand.
Her hand
.
Moments ago, when Ida was still in the church, she had reached out for Minoo, but Minoo had walked straight through her. But apparently Matilda can hold on to her.
So maybe I’m not all that dead yet, after all, Ida thinks. Can’t be.
She looks at herself and realises that she is wearing her usual clothes. Dark jacket. Pale blue V-necked sweater and jeans.
She touches the silver heart that hangs on a chain round her neck.
Matilda’s grip tightens.
‘Ouch,’ Ida hisses.
Matilda starts running, pulling at Ida, who stumbles until they find a shared rhythm.
The ground is hidden under the veil of mist. It is yielding, almost marshy, underfoot, and Ida can’t hear their footfalls. But at least there is something like ground. She can feel it. And running speeds up her breathing, makes her pulse beat faster. The silver heart bounces against her chest.
