Super Freak (16 page)

“That’s yet to be seen. Someone had to do it, and you had the most opportunity. I can forgive you your nature, William, especially after spending the last few centuries as a beast myself, but I cannot forgive you for murder.”

“Be reasonable, Edmund,” Mrs. Sanderston’s velvet voice smoothed over the room. The tones were so soft, I thought if I held out my hand I would feel them brush past. “This affects your own descendants now, you know. The girl you’ve taken is your great-niece’s best friend. How do you think she will feel about all this?’

I held my breath. It was Edmund. I hoped, for everyone, he gave in to her persuading. My heart fell when he spoke again.

“You’re tricks don’t work on me, Genevieve. And I am sorry, but I think it’s time I carry through on my threat.”

I heard a step come toward us and I stood, grabbing the shelf for support. Edmund, with the same dark hair and broad shoulders as my dad. There was no denying he was part of my family. But I’m not sure who was more shocked. He stood there, his jaw hanging open and staring.

One hand reached out and he breathed Elspeth’s name. “You look so much like her, I thought you were her, sent to torment me.”

“I think–” My mouth didn’t want to form the words, so I had to clear my throat and try again. “I think I can explain this. To everyone.”

A vein throbbed in Detective Crowne’s forehead. Angry didn’t even begin to describe his expression. “Child, I don’t know how you got in here, but you have no business here. Leave.”

I crossed my arms. “No.”

Surprise and something else flickered through Edmund’s eyes. He was close enough that if he wanted to grab me as a hostage, he would have already done it. I nodded to him. “You want to know what happened to Elspeth, right?”

He stiffened, shaking his head. “I already know what happened. I only want justice for it now.”

I shook my head. “You think you know what happened. But I think you’re wrong. Elspeth isn’t dead.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Edmund’s voice was rough. “This won’t save your friend, my dear.”

I looked down and nodded at the others. “I’m not worried about that.”

Diana stood with Leo and Kevin and pandemonium broke out. Diana’s father, already restrained by my dad, threw him aside like he weighed nothing. I’m pretty sure his feet didn’t hit the floor. He swept Diana into his arms, his hands stroking her hair and tears, pink with blood, traveled down his face.

Edmund didn’t move when Detective Crowne grabbed his arm. He just turned to me and extended one hand. “If you found her, then maybe you do know what happened to my sister.” He looked at the detective. “Please, I’m not running away. I just have to find out.”

I think Crowne would have refused, but Mr. Grouseman took possession of Edmund’s arms, grabbing them in one of his huge hands. “I’ll see that he doesn’t get away, Crowne. Let’s see what Caroline found out.”

The detective sputtered. He was all set to refuse, but Mr. Sanderston moved forward. “Crowne, get in the car. So far, she’s done more than any of your men. Although, I look forward to find out just how they got away from Viola.” His intense gaze honed in on Kevin, who gulped and looked away. “I’m sure it will be quite interesting.”

Our little procession returned to my house quickly and efficiently. The only one who didn’t seem to want to go was Ms. Widdershins. I noticed several times that she hung back, only to be pulled forward by my mom or one of the officers. More than once her eyes turned to me, and the coldness I saw there made me shiver.

We all gathered in front of the birch, as I asked, and Detective Crowne staked up to me, every muscle in his body tense. “We are all ears, Miss Bennings.”

I’m pretty sure it hurt to get those words out. I moved next to the trunk, and even before I touched the surface, I could feel warmth rolling off it. When my fingertips touched her, the heartbeat was clear as day.

“Are you Elspeth Bennings?” I asked.

The branches jerked violently.

Edmund’s face made me want to cry. He looked torn between misery and anger. “All this proves is that you can train a tree. You’re a Bennings. That isn’t a difficult thing for a dryad.”

I stomped my foot. “I’m not a dryad. I’m not magical at all. Why can’t anyone get that through their thick heads?”

Edmund looked at my parents. My dad shrugged at him. “We didn’t understand either, but it’s true. Caroline has many talents, but none are magical.”

Some of the fight went out of Edmund. He stared up into the branches of the tree, looking a little like a lost boy. And then I saw it. Written all over his face as clear as day.

“You haven’t got any magic either, do you?” I said, moving closer to him.

His mouth drew into a tight line. “Don’t be ridiculous child.”

I waved a hand at him. “Oh, you do right now. But you’ve borrowed it. Black magic. Not your own.”

He backed away from me. “I’m a partial Void. My magic rested in latent abilities I had no access to. Useless abilities to see spells and how to undo minor charms. I had to use black magic. William was destroying her, even though she couldn’t see it. Even when I locked him up during the full moon it didn’t matter in the end.”

Mr. Grouseman’s voice was still more animal than man. “I’m a shape-shifter, not a beast, Edmund. I have never hurt a human. I’m fully aware of myself when I shift.”

“But Cynthia–” His face turned toward Ms. Widdershins, who stood at the back, still and straight. There was something about the way she watched us, like a snake waiting for the right moment, that made me uncomfortable. “You told me he poisoned her. That was why she started to get sick.”

I wanted to pat his arm; he looked so lost.

Ms. Widdershins took a few steps forward, her icy glare centered on me. “You just couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you, Caroline? Helped Edmund escape my charm that kept him manageable as my pet, exposed Elspeth’s location?”

“I didn’t help him at all,” I protested.

Edmund didn’t look back at me. “You got too comfortable, Cynthia. It wasn’t hard to save up a little magic and escape that horrible form you trapped me in.”

Ms. Widdershins’ eyes didn’t leave my face. “If you left well enough alone, none of this would’ve happened. I’ll teach you a lesson you aren’t likely to forget!”

Everything happened in slow motion. Her hand rose, a ball of smoke and flickering purple light flipping off her fingers. I watched it, like it was headed straight for someone else’s chest. I didn’t even really have time to panic.

Just when I realized things were about to hurt a lot, someone shoved me sideways, and I landed hard on my side, bouncing on the roots of Elspeth’s tree.

The ball of magic crackled through the air where I’d stood, grazing Edmund’s shoulder. He fell back, a grunt mixing with a cry of pain. I blinked, delayed fear making my whole body feel like it was full of jelly. Edmund met my eyes briefly, then looked away, his hand hovering over his shoulder, where his clothing smoked and smoldered.

Everyone froze for a second, processing the fact that Widdershins, my teacher, tried to kill me. Then everyone moved at once. No one, though, moved faster than my parents. They both slid behind Widdershins, their faces more angry than I’d ever seen in my life. Dad’s eyes blazed with magic. It looked like he had green flames instead of irises.

“You dared to touch my child?” His voice boomed around us.

Mom’s face lost some of its fury though she stood beside him. I guess she realized something no one else did. Though her fingers turned to slender twigs, and her blond hair was now a solid mass of leaves and twigs, she tugged on Dad’s arms. He shook her off, though he was nice about it.

“Think about what you’re doing,” Mom said.

He didn’t seem to hear her. He planted his feet, and his legs turned to tree trunks. Widdershins took a couple of steps away, but he reached out and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her back. His skin was already mottled and rough, and his clothes faded into tree bark.

“You are done now, Cynthia Widdershins.” His arms turned to limbs completely then, and based on the way the witch’s eyes widened, he squeezed. I’m pretty sure things would have really gotten ugly, but Edmund staggered to his feet and put a hand on what might have been Dad’s shoulder. It was hard to tell because his body was mostly tree at that point.

“Believe me, I understand, but you have to release her. She has much to answer for.”

Dad’s voice was like the creak of wood in a windstorm. “She touched my child, destroyed my family before I was born. Her punishment has been a long time waiting. Why not make her answer for it now?”

Ms. Widdershins let out a squeak as Dad tightened his hold on her.

Mr. Grouseman stepped up to Dad’s other side, and shook his head. “You’ll be no better than she is. Besides, we’ve all waited this long. A little longer won’t hurt anything.”

For a few heartbeats, I wasn’t sure he listened. Then the blaze in Dad’s eyes lessened, and the texture and shape of the limbs wrapped around the witch turned to something more like flesh and bone rather than bark and wood.

“You’re lucky,” Dad said, his voice back to normal. “I’ve never lost my temper before. Be glad they were here to save you.”

Ms. Widdershins fell to her knees, panting, when Dad finally released her. He took two giant steps to me and swept me up in a big hug. I didn’t argue when he squeezed a little tight.

“I’m so sorry, Caro, that we didn’t listen to you sooner.”

“It’s okay, Dad.”

Mom joined him, and I didn’t really mind when twigs poked my sides and face.

Detective Crowne and Viola, who materialized from nowhere with her MIST counterpart, stood on either side of Widdershins’ crumpled figure. Viola flicked a glance at me, and it was clear she’d find us later and give her opinion of what we’d done.

Edmund knelt on the ground next to Ms. Widdershins and lifted her face with one hand. “What really happened to Elspeth?”

Ms. Widdershins expression softened, and I was surprised at the transformation. She looked like an old woman and very sad. But it lasted only a few moments before her face twisted into an ugly frown and she pulled away from him.

“Elspeth. Everything was always about Elspeth,” she snarled. “She wasn’t poisoned. You dryads are a hearty bunch. I didn’t have enough poison for that. Though if I had, I might have thought about it.”

Edmund flinched as if she struck him. “I don’t understand why you were always so jealous of her. I thought you’d gotten past that.”

“Past it? When she kept throwing her friends at you and thwarting my every attempt to get your attention? When she finally succeeded, and you kept hanging out with Lizbeth Harper?

“You stupid man, I was in love with you. Am in love with you. Your sister was your whole world, and then you started seeing more of Lizbeth. So I told you about William and her, and instead of falling over yourself in thanks, you were so focused you forgot about me. I put up with it as long as I could.”

Edmund groaned. “Cynthia, you don’t understand anything.”

She sliced her hand through the air. “Save it. I got even. You stole my heart and you trampled it. So I forced your sister to go dormant and made you stay with me, my very own pet, for the last couple centuries. Where Lizbeth Harper couldn’t have you.”

“But why?” Mr. Grouseman asked. He sounded like someone was strangling him. “Edmund as your pet? How is that love?”

“I couldn’t very well spell him into loving me. It wouldn’t work. He was a partial Void. Magic doesn’t work on him easily. I did the next best thing, though it took almost all I had to overcome his magic-blocking abilities. If he couldn’t love me, he would at least be with me, and be no one else’s husband.”

“Why Elspeth?” Mr. Grouseman’s voice was soft. “She was nothing but kind to you.”

Ms. Widdershins pulled her hands through her hair. “It was a show! She knew what she was doing. That she was keeping me apart from her brother. I showed her what it was like to hear everything and see everything and be able to do nothing.”

“You’re an even bigger fool than I was, Cynthia,” Edmund said. There was no kindness in him now. “I wanted my sister cared for because I intended to marry you. Lizbeth Harper was helping me design your engagement ring because she was a gifted artist when I was not.”

The witch looked like someone told her the moon really was made of blue cheese. Her mouth hung open, and there was a sheen on her eyes. But it didn’t last long.

“An easy thing to say now. I suppose you’d do anything to have me change her back.”

“It would help to undo at least some of the pain you’ve caused.” Edmund’s voice was soft.

Widdershins’ sneer indicated how little she cared about that.

The tree behind me shook, leaves drifting down around us. Widdershins looked up, but her expression didn’t soften. “Tired of being silent and still, Elspeth?”

Another shake and more leaves. This time, Widdershins face did soften a bit. “Me too.”

She pushed to her feet, and Viola and Detective Crowne tensed. “I don’t know, though. Why bother giving in now? You could bring someone in to do it.”

Viola rolled her eyes. “Listen, you old hag, you used black magic for this. We’re not stupid. We’d have to use more to undo it. You’ve caused everyone heartache, and you’ve managed to fix it so that it isn’t likely to get better. Just undo this.”

Widdershins raised an eyebrow. Viola grinned, but it wasn’t nice. “Or you and I could take a walk over there and see what kind of arrangement we come up with when we’re out of sight of this bunch. Witch to witch.”

To an outsider, it would look like they were having a staring contest, and even though Viola didn’t change, something about her grew scary. Darker. After a few tense moments, Widdershins dropped her eyes, and her shoulders slumped.

“Fine.”

Her hands raised and Detective Crowne tensed. Viola reached out and tapped his arm and he seemed to relax a bit.

Purple fog swirled around Widdershins hands, curling through the air like a snake in the grass. It was slow at first and sweat beaded on the witch’s forehead. The purple fog grew a little darker, and I noticed that the others all watched it closely. When it got close to Diana and her dad, they both backed up a step.