Dark Spell Read Free

didn’t usually ask her to come over when they were there.
    â€œSit down, dear,” said Rose.
    She looks nervous,
thought Callie.
What’s going on here?
    â€œHave a piece of chocolate cake.” Bessie pushed a plate towards her. “Isobel baked it, so it’s delicious. Much better than Rose’s. I’m sure Isobel would share the recipe if you asked her nicely, Rose.”
    Rose bridled visibly before she realised that Bessie was trying to provoke her, to distract her from hernerves. She poured Callie a cup of tea and watched as she cut herself a slice of chocolate cake.
    Callie felt four pairs of eyes on her as she cut the cake. Why did this feel like an ambush?
    She took a bite and made suitably appreciative noises. It
was
good, but not better than Rose’s.
    â€œHow are things at school?” asked Bessie brightly. “Everything going well?”
    â€œSame as usual,” said Callie slowly.
    What was going on? They
all
looked nervous now. Her fingers began to tingle.
    Rose licked her lips.
    â€œWe wondered if you’d noticed anything… unusual… happening? You know… anything strange… any odd feelings?”
    Callie stared at Rose and the others, trying to pretend she couldn’t feel the prickling sensation surging up her arms now.
    â€œNo,” she said, in a voice that didn’t even convince her.
    â€œIt’s all right. It’s nothing to be frightened of,” said Isobel.
    â€œWe’ve all had it,” Barbara added.
    Callie felt as though she couldn’t breathe. She was going to pass out.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” she gasped.
    â€œYou’re like us, dear,” said Bessie.
    Callie looked helplessly at Rose through the cloud of sparks dancing in front of her eyes. The feeling of pressure in her head, her arms, her hands was becoming unbearable. She couldn’t stop it… she felt as if she wasgoing to explode.
    â€œYou’re a witch, Callie,” said Rose.
    â€œNo!” yelled Callie, slamming her hands flat on the table as she surged to her feet. There was a loud
crack!
and the table burst into flames.

2. WITCH
    Luath howled, a long mournful note. The front door of The Smithy opened and emitted a faint cloud of smoke and a coughing Bessie. Luath howled again.
    “Quiet now, dog. There’s no harm done, just a lot of noise. You see why we sent you out here?”
    The dog wagged his tail and sank back on his haunches, for all the world as though he understood. Bessie disappeared back inside, leaving the door ajar.
    The scene in the kitchen as she came back in was one of determined normality, like a smile through gritted teeth. Barbara and Isobel were concentrating very hard on washing-up, and ostentatiously paying no notice to what was going on round the table, which bore no trace of its fiery ordeal.
    Callie sat, white-faced and trembling, Rose’s arm round her shoulders.
    “What’s wrong with me?” she sobbed. “I’m a freak. I’m a monster. What’s happening to me?”
    “You’re no more a monster than any of us, my darling,” Rose said firmly. “We’ve all been through this. You’re a witch like we are, but you don’t know how to use your power yet, and it can just… flare up like that. There’s no harm done. Look, the table’s not even scorched.”
    “I can’t be a witch.” Callie’s voice rose. “There’s no such thing. Why isn’t the table burned?”
    “If there was no such thing, the table wouldn’t have burst into flames. It was your untrained power that set it alight. But we thought something like that might happen, so we’d prepared the room – put protective spells on it.”
    “And sent the dog out where he’d be safe,” Bessie interjected. “So you didn’t accidentally barbecue him. Singed dog is not a pleasant smell.” She sounded as though she was speaking from experience. “Try not to panic, dear – everyone’s the same when they find out. I can assure you