A drop in the potion, p.15
A Drop in the Potion, page 15
part #8 of Spellbound Series
I turned to address my companions. "I don't know if you’re here to watch me meet the unicorn or to impede my progress. Which is it?"
The response was swift and immediate. The butterflies formed a mini tornado. They circled around me like they were preparing to lift me into space with the power of their beating wings. Unlike Daniel’s soft white wings, these wings didn't tickle my bare skin. They felt like a thousand tiny needles pricking my skin. My instinct was to start swatting them away, but they were such delicate creatures that I was loath to hurt them. Although I wasn't sure why they were attacking me, I knew that it wasn't in their nature. I needed to defend myself without harming them. I tried to ignore the pain and focus on how to get away. I couldn't reach my wand with the butterflies pressing against me, so I tried to think of a spell that might work without Tiffany's help.
I closed my eyes and focused my will. “Double, double, toil, and trouble/put these butterflies in tiny bubbles."
Tiny pink bubbles appeared all around me. The sensation of pinpricks was quickly replaced by soft gel. I looked to see the butterflies encased in bubbles like bugs in amber. They bounced against me before floating away to safety. I examined my arms and legs for injury. They were red and irritated, but that was the extent of the damage. I continued to watch the butterflies as they disappeared between the trees. The bubbles seemed sturdy enough to contain them for now. I observed a few bounce off the trunk of a tree without breaking. Good. Whatever they were here for, it wasn't to assist me.
“Keep going, Emma," I told myself. I pictured Daniel's tall frame loping beside me. It was comforting to envision him accompanying me on this journey. Just because I was alone didn’t mean I had to feel that way.
I stopped beside the creek and swirled my hand in the cool water. "I do wish you were here with me, Daniel. Everything seems easier when you're around."
"Will I do?" I glanced up from my crouched position to see Gareth hovering beside me.
“Gareth? How are you here?"
Gareth splayed his hands. "You know I’ve been working with Lyra to manifest in different places," he said. "This time, instead of trying to imagine a specific place, I simply imagined you." He surveyed the forest. "This is where I ended up and here you are, so I guess it worked."
I stared at my vampire ghost roommate in disbelief. "I just defended myself against an attack by a mass of butterflies. I have a feeling they won't be the last obstacle I overcome before I reach the unicorn."
"Well, I don't know how much good I'll do you," he said, “but I'm here for moral support."
"Thank you, Gareth," I said. "It means a lot to me that you’re here.”
"If there's one thing I learned since my murder," Gareth began, "it's to expect the unexpected."
I heard the sound of scampering feet, alerting me to the arrival of a woodland creature or two. I looked around the forest floor, searching for my newest companions.
"Did you hear that?" I asked.
“Aye,” Gareth said. "Typical sounds for the forest, if I recall."
"Yes, except nothing is typical about this forest," I replied.
“Look, only a squirrel," Gareth said, pointing.
"Only a squirrel?" I repeated. "That's like telling Indiana Jones it’s only a snake."
Gareth peered at me. "Indiana who?"
"Never mind." I studied the squirrel, wondering whether sixty squirrel friends would suddenly join it. I shuddered at the thought.
"Is it my imagination, or did that squirrel just grow a wee bit larger?" Gareth queried.
Sure enough, the squirrel was now taller than the berry bush it had been standing beside.
"Oh no," I murmured. Unfortunately for me, the growth spurt continued. I watched as the squirrel grew past the bush completely and its tail grew taller and bushier. Yuck. Their tails gave me the creeps even on a small scale. This was no bueno.
"What do we do?" I asked.
Gareth shrugged. "Gather up acorns and be ready to chuck them?"
I searched the forest floor, but acorns were nowhere to be found. What kind of forest didn't have acorns? Apparently, the magical forest I was now in.
The squirrel’s teeth grew larger along with the rest of it, a fact that made me increasingly nervous.
"Should I run?" I didn't think running was the answer, though. At the rate the squirrel was growing, he would overtake me in a few short steps. His dark eye fixed on me and anxiety festered in the pit of my stomach. This squirrel was out to get me.
Gareth lifted a branch. "You have to try. I'll hold it off."
"Gareth, you’re holding a whole branch," I said. "That's really good work."
Gareth smiled. “Aye. I’m quite proud.” He turned to glare at me. "Now run."
I didn’t wait to be told again. I sprinted through the trees, making sure to stay as close to the creek as possible. At least the creek gave me a sense of direction. At some point if I kept going, it would empty out into Swan Lake.
I jumped over bushes and my legs suffered as a result of the thorns and prickly leaves they encountered. Sweat dotted my forehead and my heart pounded. According to my ragged breathing and outrageous heart rate, my body was not at its best. If I lived through this, I was going to have to get my butt into an exercise program. If Daniel was ever going to see me naked, I wanted to look my best.
Gareth appeared next to me, not a ghostly hair out of place.
"What happened to the branch?" I asked, panting heavily.
He gave me an apologetic look. "It broke. That squirrel has some seriously strong teeth."
"I don't know where to run," I said. "Even if I climb a tree, I feel like he'll be able to reach me."
“Aye, he will. I hate to tell you, but he’s even bigger now."
Not the news I wanted to hear. I slowed my pace in an effort to conserve energy. I wasn't going to be able to outrun the squirrel or hide from it. I needed to use magic, but I didn't want to hurt the squirrel. As much as I disliked the species, it hadn't done anything to deserve being a part of whatever this was.
"Haven't you learned defensive spells?" Gareth asked. "What about the one you used on Mumford?" Mumford was the goblin that killed Gareth. He attacked me in my office, and I survived thanks to the Blowback spell.
"This is different," I said. "Mumford knew what he was doing, but I don’t think the squirrel does."
The sound of bushes being trampled increased my heart rate.
"What does it matter?" Gareth said vehemently. "You hate squirrels."
My legs began to tremble. "I admit that they're not my favorite animal, but it doesn't seem right to hurt him just because I don't like him for some irrational reason." I thought about the butterflies and their protective bubbles. If only there was something I could do like that for the squirrel. Could I form a bubble big enough? It wouldn't work the same for the squirrel because of its size and its inability to fly.
"I know," I exclaimed. I yanked Tiffany from my waistband and pointed her at the oncoming rodent of unusual size. The moment his form came barreling through the trees, I focused my will and said, “Trees stand apart/blow out a dart.”
The tranquilizer dart shot from the tip of the wand and landed squarely in the squirrel’s chest. I repeated the spell, quickly realizing that more than one tranquilizer dart would be needed to take down a squirrel of this size. I continued to back away from the squirrel as its pace slowed. I could see the tranquilizers taking effect.
"Move faster," Gareth urged. "It's going to fall forward."
I noted the gap between us and realized that Gareth was right. I was directly in the landing strip for the squirrel. As it began to fall forward, I gathered all my energy and sprinted out of bounds. The ground shook beneath my feet as the squirrel landed hard on the forest floor. I glanced over my shoulder to see that he’d returned to his normal size.
"That was good thinking," Gareth said.
"Thanks," I said. I noticed his pale skin suddenly looked even paler. "Are you okay?"
"I feel like I’m being pulled back to the house," he said. "I seem to have overstayed my welcome."
I gave him a grateful smile. "I'm glad you were here, even if it was only briefly."
"I'll be cheering you on from the house," he said. "I expect you back by dinner. Magpie and I will prepare a feast for you."
"I look forward to it." I barely finished the sentence before Gareth disappeared. It felt strange to be alone again in the forest. It suddenly seemed eerily quiet. No birdsong or chatter. While I wanted it to calm me, the silence was ominous.
"Okay, unicorn," I said. "I'm overcoming your obstacles. When am I going to get to meet the horse behind the curtain?" Fine, so the unicorn probably wouldn’t understand the Wizard of Oz reference, but so what? I had to amuse myself somehow.
I took the lapse in activity as a chance to return to the creek and rinse my face and hands. I should have used more deodorant this morning. The unicorn would likely reject me based on body odor alone.
I kneeled on the creek bed, enjoying the cool touch of the water on my skin. As I leaned forward, movement in the water caught my eye. A ripple where none should have been. What now? Alligators? I backed away a few steps, just enough so that I was a safe distance from the water. A white head crested and I realized with a start that it was a horse’s head. Was this in response to my request for the horse behind the curtain? There was no horn, so it couldn't be the unicorn. Or could it?
I stared in wonder as the horse emerged from the water and stood in front of me on the creek bed. It was a magnificent creature with powerful legs and a silky mane.
“Hey there, gorgeous guy,” I said. I resisted the urge to approach it, uncertain what to expect.
The horse whinnied, beckoning me with its expressive eyes.
“Are you supposed to take me somewhere?” I asked. Maybe I was supposed to ride the horse to meet the unicorn. That seemed plausible.
The horse lowered its head and nudged me with its face.
“Okay, I’m pretty worn out from the oversized squirrel. Maybe I’m meant to ride you.” I put my hands on my hips, studying the horse’s height. “I’m not exactly nimble. Can you lower yourself so I can try to get on?”
The horse understood. It returned to the creek and waded in until its back was low enough for me to reach. I splashed into the water and climbed on its broad back. Once my bottom settled, I felt…stuck.
“Is this magical glue for my own protection?” I asked.
The horse didn’t answer. Instead it began to swim toward the center of the creek.
“Don’t tell me there’s an underwater kingdom where the unicorn is waiting for me,” I said. “I’m not very good at holding my breath.” Breathing in general had never been my forte.
The horse sank deeper and the water began to swallow me. Instinctively, I kicked out my legs to swim and realized that they, too, were stuck to the horse. I tried to move my hand but couldn’t. My entire body was stuck to the horse—a horse that was about to drown me.
“Help,” I called. There was no one to help me. Sedgwick was gone. Gareth was gone. I was alone.
My teeth began to chatter, due to the cold water or fear—I wasn’t sure.
“Let me off,” I demanded. I ran through a host of spells in my mind, but couldn’t think of one to remove myself from a suicidal horse. Lack of spells aside, I was drained from using so much magic in one day. Although I practiced every day, it was always in small doses. I chastised myself for not preparing enough for the summoning. I should have worked harder. Now I was going to die because of my ineptitude.
I glanced around widely for something to grab onto. A vine, a rock. Anything. The creek seemed to hold nothing except water and this maniacal horse. And me, of course.
“Emma, sit tight,” a voice called.
I looked upward to see Millie hovering above me on her broomstick.
“Sitting tight is kind of the problem,” I gurgled, as water rushed around my head.
Millie pointed her wand at the water and said, “Help Emma find the unicorn we seek/part the waters of this creek.”
Like the parting of the Red Sea, the water separated, creating a dry area for the horse and me. I managed to cough out some of the water I’d swallowed. The horse became agitated and tried to dive back into the creek. With each step, however, the water receded.
“Nice try, kelpie,” Millie called from above us. “Now release her.”
“Kelpie?” I echoed. “How do you know its name?”
“That’s not its name,” Millie said. “It’s the type of supernatural beast that it is. A kelpie. They drag innocent people to the bottom of whatever body of water they’re in and devour them.”
Yikes. I tried harder to free myself, but it was no use. I was still firmly stuck to the deceptive kelpie.
“I’m glued to it,” I said. “How do I cut myself loose?”
“In some cases, people have had to chop off hands and legs in order to free themselves,” Millie said.
My chin jerked up. “Are you serious? I can tell you right now that is not happening here.”
The kelpie made another run for the water, but Millie’s magic kept us both dry.
“I have an idea,” I called, thinking of the squirrel I’d subdued. “Use the tranquilizer dart spell that Ginger taught us. If you put it to sleep, I bet the kelpie loses its power over me.”
Millie didn’t hesitate. She pointed her wand again and said, “For the sake of Emma Hart/shoot me several darts.” Multiple darts flew into the side of the kelpie and it swayed back and forth, fighting the overwhelming desire to fall asleep.
I stroked its soft mane. “Sorry, buddy. Don’t crush me when you fall over.” I called to Millie. “Put the water back, please. Now.”
With a flick of her wand, the creek filled the empty space in the middle. It was just in time as the kelpie toppled over and splashed into the water. In that moment, my body was released from its magical hold. I swam to the side of the creek and crawled to dry land. Millie landed in front of me, remaining atop her broomstick.
“That was a close call,” she said.
And the Understatement of the Year Award goes to Millie. Well done.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “This is dangerous.”
“Did you really think I was going to let you take all the credit for getting the horn?” she asked. “I’m a virgin, too, you know.”
Spell’s bells. Millie was even competitive when it came to virginity.
“Fair enough.” I caught my breath and rose to my feet. “Seriously, though. You have no idea what I’ve been through. This is no place for you.”
“Why?” she demanded. “Because I’m a remedial witch and not a fancy sorceress?”
I sighed. “No, Millie. Because you’re someone I care about.”
Her face fell. “Oh.” She eyed me. “Are you sure you don’t want me to stay? You look exhausted and I did just save you from a murderous kelpie.”
I smiled. “Thank you, I am exhausted and fresh out of magic, but I don’t want to risk anyone’s safety. Sedgwick was hurt and that was more than enough risk for me. I couldn’t bear anyone else getting hurt.”
“Fine,” Millie huffed. “But I’m telling everyone how I saved you.”
I bowed. “Be my guest. Spread the word from the rooftops.” I had no qualms about needing the help of my friends. I had no desire to be a lone wolf in this world. It was only because I wanted to keep them safe that I was determined to do this alone.
“Do you want me to give you a lift?” she asked.
“I’d say yes, but I have no idea where I’m going. My instinct told me to follow the creek, but you see where that got me.”
Millie’s broomstick began to rise. “Whatever your flaws, your instincts have always been good, Emma. You should trust them.”
“Wow. Praise from Millie,” I said. “Must be the magical influence of the sacred unicorn.” I made spooky haunted house noises.
“Very mature,” Millie snapped. “I can see why the Angelic Boy Wonder loves you. Not.”
Instead of flying straight up above the creek where there were no trees, she threaded her way between the trees with expert precision.
“Show-off,” I called after her.
As she attempted to break through the treetops and into the open sky, enchanted vines reached out and wrapped themselves around the shaft of the broomstick.
“Millie,” I yelled, but it was too late.
The vines tugged and shook the broomstick as Millie desperately tried to hold on. I was too far away to help her. Some fancy sorceress I was. She’d saved my life and I was about to reward her by watching her die.
Chapter 18
Millie needed to use magic to free herself, but with both hands on the broomstick, there was no way she could retrieve her wand without letting go. My energy was far too depleted to do anything. I was barely standing on two feet right now. I almost regretted making Sedgwick leave.
As her grip loosened, I bit back a scream.
One good jerk of the broomstick and Millie was thrown into the treetops. The sound of her body hitting each branch on the way down and landing on the ground with a thump would haunt me in my dreams for years to come. I dragged myself through the woods, where I found Millie’s body in a heap at the base of a large oak tree.
“Millie, are you okay?” What a ridiculous question. Of course she wasn’t okay.
Millie groaned, but her eyes remained closed. A gentle breeze caressed my skin and an odd sensation urged me to turn around. Behind me, golden light filtered through the trees. and, suddenly, there it was.
The sacred unicorn.
“Are you kidding me?” I couldn’t believe my crappy luck.
