“You could have killed me!” howled Estelle.
Her face paled or was it a shade of green? Hard to tell in the dim light as she rushed over to a large rubber tree flowerpot and heaved. My power word’s hold on Estelle had vanished the moment we’d stepped into the ley line. Interesting.
“It was nothing,” I mused. I think I laughed a little too. “And here I thought you were made of stronger stuff.” You murdering hag.
Estelle let out another hurl. “I’m dying. You’ve killed me. My insides are on fire! Make it stop! Make it—” she vomited again.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re overreacting. I love jumping the lines. Like riding a really fast car on a really narrow road next to a cliff. One little mishap, and whoops—there you go. Down, down, down, the cliff. That’s what makes it so exciting. Don’t you think?”
She hurled again.
Keeping Estelle at arm’s length, and spell length, I looked around. The common room in Montevalley Castle was fitted with comfy sofas and chairs, two tucked into a nook lined with built-in bookshelves, and a large stone fireplace, which was without a fire at the moment. The hardwood floors were broken up by occasional Persian rugs that probably cost more than a down payment of a house.
The room was dark, dim and lost in shadow. A couple of floor lamps provided the only light, which wasn’t much but enough not to walk into a chair or a wall.
But I wasn’t here to discuss the décor, though lovely.
“Greta!” I howled, my voice loud over Estelle’s continuous stomach failure. “Greta! I’m here. Hello?”
I waited, but only silence greeted me. Damn it. Was I too late?
“I hate you,” rasped Estelle as she bent over and hurled yet again.
“Right back at you,” I spat. “Would you stop already? How much food can your tiny body carry anyway?”
Estelle made a rude gesture with her finger and then bent down and vomited again.
My chest tightened. I glanced at my phone. 11:57 p.m.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
“Greta!” I shouted. “I’ve got her. I’ve solved my case.” Technically no, not without a confession, but close. “Where the hell are you? You said I had until midnight?”
I had no idea where the old witch lived. But she had told everyone that we needed to bring our cases to her. I figured that had meant the castle. Now, seeing it so gloomy and silent, I wasn’t so sure anymore.
11:58 p.m.
I felt sick. I was about to join Estelle in the vomit brigade.
I was too late…
“Hello, Tessa,” said a voice, and Greta stepped out of the shadows of the common room. She was dressed in a long black skirt suit with a white blouse. Paired with flat shoes, she looked like she was off to some important meeting.
Greta snapped her fingers and a raging fire roared into life from the enormous fireplace, lighting up the place as well as a few table lamps. The room suddenly was blanketed in a golden glow.
I grabbed Estelle by the back of her nightgown and hurled her out of the flowerpot and out in the open. Okay, a bit harsh, but this witch had killed her husband and had let Ruth take the fall for it.
“This is Estelle Watch. She changed her name to Patricia Townsend. It’s why we couldn’t find her. She’s Bernard Townsend’s wife. And she killed him. Poisoned him and let Ruth take the blame.” I spoke fast not knowing if my time was up. I just kept going. “She tried to kill me too tonight, but she failed.” I took a deep breath. “She’s the one.”
Greta looked down at Estelle as the other witch kept vomiting, now all over the clean polished floors with a few spills on the expensive rug.
“Hope you have a good carpet cleaner,” I said.
Greta eyed the other old witch with a cold stare. “Is this true? Did you kill your husband, Bernard Townsend?”
Estelle lifted her head at Greta. “Please. Make it stop. It’s killing me.”
“Confess your crime and I’ll make it stop,” said Greta.
Estelle hacked up another volley of vomit. “Yes,” she glowered, and I was surprised how easily that came out. “I did it.”
“Why?” I couldn’t help myself.
Her eyes found me. “Because he cheated on me with Viola Biddle. That whore. So, I poisoned him,” she declared proudly.
I shook my head. “You could have just asked for a divorce, you stupid, stupid, bitch.”
Estelle winced in pain as she hurled again. “You promised,” she pointed a trembling finger at Greta. “Make it stop. I’m dying.”
Greta moved her eyes over to me. “I gather you… jumped a ley line to get here.”
“I did.”
“And moved it to this very spot?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Greta’s face was unreadable as she looked down at Estelle, who was now convulsing. “Ley lines. Some witches just can’t stomach them.” She moved her hand in Estelle’s direction and said, “Utal dimlivic.”
I felt a surge of power rush past me. Estelle’s eyes went wide and then rolled into the back of her head as the witch’s body went limp. For a second I thought she was dead, but the heavy snoring said otherwise.
But I still didn’t know. “Did I pass?” I felt like I was about to hurl myself. “Did I make it?”
And for the first time, Greta smiled. She smiled at me. “Thank you, Tessa. If anyone could have helped Ruth, I knew it would be you. I knew you could do it. Congratulations.”
“Huh?” I said stupidly. Did that mean she cared about my Aunt Ruth? “What’s going to happen to Ruth?”
Greta hadn’t lost her smile as she said, “Ruth will be fine.” She tugged on the front of her blazer. “I’m on my way to speak to the Gray Council to have all the charges dropped. I’ll be visiting Ruth too.”
My eyes went on instant burn. I couldn’t help it. The tears just started and didn’t stop until I was practically sobbing in joy. “So, it’s over? It’s really over? She’s going to be okay?” I asked, trembling and tasting the salt from my tears in my mouth.
Greta’s dark eyes met mine. “It’s over. She’s going to be just fine.”
My knees buckled and I nearly fell to the ground, but it was covered in Estelle’s puke, so I opted to stay upright.
Ruth, my Ruth was going to be okay. It was the best outcome possible. I felt like doing cartwheels.
“This is for you.” From the folds of her blazer, Greta pulled out a rolled piece of parchment secured by a red ribbon.
With my pulse pounding in my ears, I took it and ripped off the ribbon. I stared at a legal-looking, stamped piece of paper. It read:
The undersigned hereby confer this
MERLIN LICENSE
To: Tessa Davenport
For successfully completing the three Witch Trials, as provided and proscribed by the undersigned officers of the Merlin Witch Trials Training Division.
Signed by Course Director: Greta Trickle
I beamed. I was a Merlin again.