A Witch Like No Other (34 page)

“
Yes, well-
Ted!” she gasped, staring at the many officers surrounding Ted,
Marlon, James and Pandora. They were handcuffed, guns pointed at
them to make sure they wouldn’
t move. “Mama, look at what they did to my family!
They
’
re being held like criminals!”

“
Yes, I know.
Now Dreamer, listen to me. Listen,” Agnes said firmly, when Dreamer
continued to stare at her family, who stared back helplessly. “Look
at me, darling.”

Dreamer dragged her eyes away from Ted
’
s and looked into her
mother
’
s.

“
Flames
aren’
t something to think
lightly about, Dreamer. They are the only way to kill a witch or
wizard, properly. No coming back.”

“
You were
stabbed but you returned. If they shot at us today
we’
d probably die, but
we
’
d
return. Flames are the only way to do it right, and
don
’
t
they know it.” Agnes glared at the crowd. It looked like the
Mexican Wave, the way they all shrank backwards row by row. “What
I
’
m
saying, little one, is don
’
t be afraid. Embrace the
flames.”

“
Embrace- Mama,
I think the pressure has reached your brain.”

“
It’
s an old trick,” Agnes
replied thoughtfully. “What will truly kill a magical being is
their own fear of dying. Listen to what I say, Dreamer. Embrace the
flames, and they become a gun or knife.”

“
If I welcome
death, I’
ll come
back?”

“
Certainly.”

“
Then what are
they waiting for?” demanded Dreamer, glaring at the massive crowd.
“Let them light us!”

“
We have to
call Marshmallows.”

“
I cant say
their name,” said Pandora through gritted teeth, as the officers
watched them coldly. “But you’
ll get who I
’
m talking about soon.”

“
How can we
call them?” asked Marlon. “We don’
t have a phone.”

“
Too right you
don’
t,” sneered an officer.
“And you
’
re not about to get one. So calling this little hero of
yours isn
’
t possible, I
’
m afraid.”

“
Hello kids!”
said Brown cheerfully, stepping through the circle jovially. “Guess
what Uncle Dave is going to do for you!”

“
Don’
t talk to us like
we
’
re
six,” said Pandora icily, and Brown nodded.

“
I forgot about
that. You’
re still kids as far
as I
’
m
concerned.”

“
What are you
going to do for us?” Marlon asked irately. “Let Mum go?”

“
Oh no,
she’
s going to die regardless
of what I
’
ll do for you.”

“
And
what’
s that?” said James
angrily, Brown looking at him.

“
I’
m sorry, who exactly
are you?”

“
He’
s my brother,” Marlon
said furiously. “My best mate James.”

“
Really? Then I
guess James doesn’
t mind
Dreamer being a witch?”

“
Don’
t answer him,” said
Pandora quietly, looking at James. “He
’
s setting you up:
he
’
ll
throw you in a cell or something.”

“
She’
s not his
girlfriend,” spat Marlon, glaring at Brown. “James is like another
brother to Pandora, and she
’
s like a sister. Right
James,
‘
Dora?”

“
Yeah,” they
said quickly, avoiding his angry eyes. “Yeah.”

“
What’
s your offer to my
kids?” Ted asked coldly, and Brown smiled.

“
You’
re included, Ted. We
wouldn
’
t want Daddy to feel left out, even after his little
vanishing stunt at the prison.”

“
When the
witches are good and dead I’
ll
let you go,” Brown said, taking on a serious note. “You
didn
’
t
need to get wrapped up in this, you lot. All I want is Agnes and
Dreamer.”

“
What about
us?” spat Marlon. “Me and Pandora? We’
ve got magical blood running through us too, from our
mother!”

“
Yes, but
there’
s only so much you can
do,” said Brown gently. “You are third, even fourth class magical
beings. You don
’
t need to get hurt.”

“
Thank God,”
said Ted, relieved. Brown nodded, understanding.

“
Look, you must
know what’
s at stake. I cant
let them live.”

“
Ok, I know
Agnes has done a lot of wild things in her time.” Ted was shaking
with rage. “But she’
s calmed
down since Paul left, Brown! She
’
s been at peace with
Europe for almost thirty four years!”

“
And Dreamer?”
Brown said roughly. “She threatened mass murder!”

“
Dreamer
hasn’
t done a thing to hurt
anyone,” spat Ted. “She was actually a secret, and she might still
be if your father didn
’
t send an ignorant spy snooping round Agnes and
Paul
’
s
home, knowing he probably wouldn
’
t live to tell the
tale-”

“
My father knew
what he was doing!” snapped Brown, glaring at him. “When you join
the police force you’
re almost
signing your life away-”

“
He was foolish
to send him- my parents might still be alive!”

“
They had a
stroke!” said Brown furiously, Marlon saying “Dad,
don’
t!”

The cutting answer that his parents had actually jumped in
front of the spy to save his life as Paul released a deadly curse
which killed them almost left Ted
’
s mouth. He took a deep
breath and closed it, Brown saying “Unless there
’
s some information the
police didn
’
t-”

“
Get lost!”
snapped Pandora, Brown stepping backwards. Then he said “Well,
I’
m just telling you that when
this is over you are free to go back to your uh… normal lives.
Think of this as a fresh beginning,” he added, smiling wryly. “No
magic- nice and normal…”

“
Pa, Mum!
That’
s all I can
say!”

“
Pa,
Dreamer!”

“
Pa?” Dreamer
repeated, looking at her mother. “Mama?”

“
They’
re trying to tell
you something,” Agnes said, staring at her former son-in-law and
grandchildren. “Pa, Dreamer. What does that mean?”

“
I
don’
t know, I-”

“
LIGHT THE
WOOD!!” boomed a voice, and cheers went up.

“
YES!!”

“
Mama,
I’
m scared,” said Dreamer,
voice shaking as flames erupted almost magically around them. “I
cant welcome death a second time-”

“
Dreamer, you
have to!” said Agnes, fear clutching her heart.
“I’
m not coming back to find
my only child gone for good, I wont!”

“
I cant do it,
Mama! I don’
t want to die
again!”

“
Dreamer, you
must stay calm! I know you’
re
scared, but-”

“
Scared!
I’
m tied to a pole, Mama!
I
’
m
scared for my family, Pandora especially! She
’
ll most likely take her
life when I die-”

“
Which is why
you must stay strong, Dreamer!”

“
Mama, I-
ouch!” cried Dreamer, staring down at the flames licking her feet
hungrily. “It hurts, Mama!”

“
Dreamer, you
must stay calm- stay calm!”

“
Mama, I-
there’
s Miriam!” said Dreamer,
staring down at the crowd. Miriam had fought her way to the front
for over two hours, claiming she was going to take pictures when
she was pushed back.

Panting, she stared up at Dreamer. There was no way she was
losing her best friend a second time round. Holding her side, she
mouthed
Paul.

“
Paul,”
murmured Agnes, eyes closed as Dreamer said “Pa-
it’
s short for Papa! Papa, I
need you! Help us!”

“
What did she
just say?” Brown spat, though he read Dreamer’
s lips perfectly. Shaking with fear, an officer
said “She said Papa, Boss.”

“
GET OUT OF THE
STADIUM!!! NOW!!”

The wind blew harshly, dropping several degrees as the sky
turned dark. Lightning flashed across the sky with an ear splitting
shriek, thunder rumbling as everyone
’
s hats flew off their
heads, people screaming. Those who were closest to Dreamer or
looking at the giant screen could see or hear exactly what she was
saying.

“
They
’re trying to
murder me, Papa! Please help me!”

“
Run!” screamed
a woman, beside herself. “It’
s
Paul Black!”

“
TOO RIGHT
IT’
S PAUL BLACK!!” boomed a
voice, which reverberated nicely with the thunder and lightning.
“YOU MORTALS CHOSE THE WRONG TIME TO PULL THIS KIND OF
STUNT!!”

“
Come on,
Miriam! Do you want to die?!”

“
Dreamer!”

The flames weren
’
t even hurting anymore,
she was that frightened.

“
Dreamer, wake
up!”

She wasn
’
t dead- she couldn
’
t be! The flames
hadn
’
t
even reached her waist yet- Pandora saw as well.

“
Mum!”

“
Mum!” yelled
Marlon, as everyone rushed for the stadium exit.

“
James!” cried
a woman, James whipping round.

“
Mum!”

“
That’
s my son!” she
screamed, attacking an officer with her handbag. “Let him go this
instant! He has nothing to do with this!”

The officer obeyed, the woman grabbing her
son
’
s
arm and pulling him with her. James stumbled, looking back
desperately.

“
Coward,”
muttered Pandora, Marlon saying “To hell with him.”

“
Aaaargh!!
Paul
Black!”

“
She’
s dead,” sobbed
Agnes, looking at him. “Our only child- gone forever!”