A Witch Like No Other (33 page)

“
Not really.
I’
d just flick my wand and
breakfast is served.”

“
Mmm,” said
Miriam, yawning. “So how come you’
re calling so early?”

“
I
don’
t even know.”

“
You know,
I’
ve been hearing things about
you at the clinic. Why did you threaten mass murder on
Damon
’
s prison?”

“
Those idiots
at NoNonsense.Com need to get a life,” Dreamer replied. “I only
said it to make Damon talk.”

“
Damon?!”

“
I spoke to
him,” Dreamer said, then she paused as she looked over her
shoulder, sensing she was being watched. Ted was watching her,
looking pretty angry. Deciding she didn’
t care, she continued “And yes, I threatened to murder
him along with the whole prison, and after that about ten officers
burst in with their guns yelling
‘
freeze
’
-”

“
Wow,” said
Miriam amazedly. “You vanished, right?”

“
Sure, and
Sergeant Brown started making snide remarks about my father- oh, I
would have hurt him so badly.”

“
But you
didn’
t.”

“
No,” Dreamer
answered. “I left- and now he’
s obsessed with me. He had private detectives watching my
house and everything.”

“
Which is why
you should’
ve stayed with me,”
Miriam concluded smartly. “If you did Sergeant Brown
wouldn
’
t be obsessed.”

“
He’
ll calm down,” Dreamer
said, shrugging a shoulder though Miriam couldn
’
t see her. “Actually, I
take that back.
Hopefully
he calms
down.”

“
Mmm,” Miriam
said again. “He’
s a regular on
NoNonsense.”

“
You’
ve joined that site?”
Dreamer asked icily, and she gushed “No! I
’
d never join something
like that!”

“
Because it was
made especially for my parents,” Dreamer said coldly. “And if what
I’
m hearing is true, me as
well.”

“
Dreamer, your
parents kept you a secret for as long as they could.” Miriam spoke
with plenty of reason. “Thirty years of secrecy- that was
excellent. Until that stupid spy came to Agnes’
house-”

“
And Papa found
him,” Dreamer answered, nodding. “You’
re right.”

“
I know,”
Miriam said smugly. “Remember parent’
s day at school? Agnes and Paul came disguised each time-
it was so cool.”

“
Nobody knew
who my parents were,” smirked Dreamer. “It was great.”

“
What was
that??”

“
Freeze!”
yelled a dozen voices, footsteps pounding the stairs. Ted stepped
backwards in alarm as the officers stormed into his room, holding
their guns up. Sergeant Brown stepped forwards, smiling
broadly.

“
Hello
Dreamer!” He stepped backwards as she glared at him, suddenly in
one of her stunning gowns. He didn’
t even have time to take in the petite nightdress she was
wearing.

“
What do you
want, Brown?” Ted said harshly, glaring at him as well. Brown
smiled, looking at him as he answered “Your woman.”

“
You-!!”

“
Hold him
back!” snapped Brown, as Marlon, James and Pandora left their rooms
curiously.

“
What’
s going on? Mum?
Dad?”

“
Ah, Pandora
and Marlon. And whoever he is,” Brown said, waving James away.
“Kids, I’
m here for your
mother.”

“
What?!”

“
She’
s a witch,” spat
Brown, glaring at Dreamer. “A filthy, disgusting demon who
shouldn
’
t be here on this planet- an outcast! She
doesn
’
t deserve to live, and neither does her parents. We already
have her mother, kids- your grandmother. She
’
s going to be burned at
stake at noon.”

“
Aha!” He
darted for the bedside table, scooping up the two wands. “Mine!
Finally, I have the wands! And the wand of Agnes Black!”

“
You’
re mad,” Pandora
stated, making him turn around.

“
Silence,
Pandora. Or do you want to share a room with Damon
Stile?”

Dreamer felt like she was going to faint. Her mother had
been captured along with her lover and children, and would die and
the hands of these mortals in stupid costumes. And now
she
was about to be captured.

“
Dreamer,
you’
re wandless!” said Brown
triumphantly. “Defenceless! And now, now you
’
ll die at my hands! At
your mother
’
s side!”

“
W-why are you
doing this?” whispered Dreamer, staring at him. “Why?”

“
Because
you’
re a witch!” snarled
Brown. “You don
’
t deserve to live!”

“
So
you’
re going to murder me and
my family?”

“
No,” smirked
Brown, shaking his head. “Never your children. Pandora and Marlon
are only third class magical beings.
You-”
Dreamer
flinched, Brown finishing “Are the real thing.”

Dreamer was glad of that. She didn
’
t think
she
’
d
make it to the stake if she knew Pandora and Marlon would die with
her.

“
Take them to
the stadium. Half of the town’s
there already.”

Dreamer
’
s mind was spinning. Brown smiled at her, saying
“There is a way out of this sticky little mess, Dreamer.” She
looked at him through dazed eyes, making him frown. Her eyes were
hardly focused. “Dreamer?”

She didn
’
t answer him, Brown waving a hand nervously. He
wouldn
’
t be surprised if she was about to
self-destruct.

“
How many of me
can you see?”

“
Three,” she
whispered, swaying on the spot. Brown’
s reflexes were quick: he ran and caught her as she fell,
saying “This isn
’
t how it was meant to be!”

Then he realised that telling Dreamer her mother would die
at noon and capturing her family would be a bit much, even if
she
was
a witch. Still, he could make his proposal.
Staring down into her face as she struggled to stay awake, he
quietly said “Marry me, Dreamer. Choose me, and this can go away.
All of it.”

Dreamer
’
s unfocused eyes suddenly locked on his, making him
yelp. She didn
’
t seem so dazed now. Glaring at him, she said
“Never.”

“
Fine!” He
slammed her onto the carpet, righting himself. “Die at
noon!”

He
threw a tiny black ball at her side before running out of the room,
slamming the door shut behind him. He
’
d used a similar ball on
Agnes- it would only take thirty seconds.

Dreamer stared as the ball hissed, a blue coloured gas
streaming from it
’
s centre. She gasped as she laid there, unable to get
to her feet. Then she saw the mobile. Reaching for it, she
whispered “Miriam, help…”

Staring at Miriam in her pyjamas, the officer gruffly said
“Bryant Stadium. Now. Get dressed properly and go.
I
’
ll
be back in an hour to make sure you
’
ve gone.”

Next
door people were
running to their cars excitedly, saying “Finally
we
’
ll
see the witches burn! What about the sorcerer?”

“
They’
ll never catch
Paul,” a guy across the road called as he ushered his family into
his car. “Miriam! Isn
’
t this great? Agnes Black and her daughter
Dreamer- we
’
ll actually watch them die!”

“
Let us out!”
yelled Marlon, kicking the steel door. “Oi! Let us out!”

“
They’
re not going to let
us out,” Pandora said flatly, sitting in a chair. “Stop shouting,
you
’
re
giving me a headache.”

“
They’
re going to kill Mum
and Grandma Agnes!”

“
They can! And
they will,” said Marlon angrily. “Don’
t you get it?
They
’
ve got Mum and Grandma Agnes!”

“
Don’
t shout at your
sister,” Ted said wearily, rubbing his hands together. The room was
cold, even at ten thirty a.m. They
’
d been in there for at
least three hours, stomachs rumbling. James wanted to wrap his arms
around Pandora, keep her warm. She was shaking with cold. But if he
did Marlon would make sure he broke at least six of his
bones.

“
Cant believe
they got Grandma Agnes,” muttered Pandora. “How?”

Marlon kissed his teeth. “What d
’
you mean,
how?”

“
Come on, you
know who she is,” Pandora answered, looking at her brother.
“She’
s real powerful- you know
the stories about her and Grandpa Paul. What did they do to capture
her? It must have been big.”

“
You ok, Mister
Stone?” James asked, and everyone looked at Ted.

“
Dad?” said
Marlon uncertainly, and Ted looked at his kids.

“
I’
m not going to lie, you
two. I
’
m scared. Petrified. I don
’
t think
I
’
ll
be able to handle it if a police officer told me Dreamer was dead a
second time round.”

That
’
s when it hit them.

Pandora leapt up with James, joining her brother. The three
of them screamed “Let us out!!” and “Open the door!!” or “You
don
’
t
know what you
’
re doing!!”

Pandora pounded harder than any of them, tears falling. She
didn
’
t
get her mother back just to lose her again, no way. No
way.

“
Dreamer.
Honey, are you all right?”

“
She’
s awake,
look!!”

“
What-
what’
s… I
don
’
t
under-”

“
We’
re tied up,
sweetheart.” Agnes spoke softly. “Tied to these stakes.”

That
’
s when Dreamer realised she couldn
’
t move. Thick, rough
rope surrounded her body, hiding her brilliant clothing. Her hands
were tied tightly behind the pole she was fastened to… Dreamer was
furious.

“
Mama, this
gown cost almost six hundred pounds! It’
s not refundable!” Then she caught sight of them on a
giant screen. “Look at me! I look like something ate me up and spat
me out again!”