The Diviner stood and a hush fell over the crowd.
"Welcome!" Cordelia Nawfar announced, raising both arms to the heavens.
A flash of lightening lit the sky, as though in answer.
Or had she done it?
The laws of nature didn"t apply here.
All bets were off.
A witch"s life was a freak show.
And the Glaring was getting freakier by the minute.
"Tonight, you must get your rest," Nawfar continued. "Tomorrow is another day of compet.i.tion. The regatta begins at nine sharp."
"Sounds like a canoe race or something." Abby looked like she"d swallowed a lemon. "How boring is that?"
"There must be more to it," Tally mused.
"There always is." Evelina agreed.
"Before you go!" Nawfar"s voice silenced the crowd. "An added word of caution. The recent deaths are thought to be the work of a Reef Hag. Reef Hags may take any form, but usually use the same host for years, so be on your toes. The Council has stepped up its efforts to apprehend it, but in the meantime we must do all we can to remain safe."
Evelina stretched on her tip toes to peer above the crowd. "I need to find Lily." Removing the sharp barb had reduced the swelling in her finger, but she still felt a bit wormy-not quite her self. The sooner she got the results back and knew what she was dealing with the better.
"Wow!" Lily exclaimed when Evelina finally tracked her down. "Nasty." Lily stared at Evelina"s finger with an expression of awe, adjusting her spectacles to get a better look. "How did you get that?"
"From this." Evelina held up the small sample bag. "It was stuck in my ring. Do you think you can find out what it is?"
"Sure." Lily stuffed the bag in the side pocket of her white tunic. "If you don"t mind waiting until Monday when I get back to the lab. Mother won"t allow me to use the equipment on my own. Spider research comes first, but I"m sure I can slip it in."
Grat.i.tude swelled in Evelina"s breast. "Thanks." Pleasing her mother was like a religion to Lily. Evelina couldn"t fault her for that. If her mother was alive, she"d probably feel the same way. "It"s better if we keep it quiet for now."
"Maybe you should see a doctor or something." Lily eyed Evelina"s finger with a look of wonder and disgust. "In case it"s infected or something."
"It"s fine." Evelina squeezed Lily"s shoulder offering a rea.s.suring smile. "Gotta go," she said, though she hated to. Seeing Lily was like going home-her only real connection with the past, except her Cosmic Calls to Grammy Crimm. Growing up together at St. Cecelia"s had forged a bond like family. "See you later."
"Be careful." Lily looked concerned. "The Reef Hag could be anywhere."
"I will." Evelina waved. "You too."
Evelina caught up with Abby and Tally at the edge of the jungle.
"Shake a leg!" Abby called, waving furiously.
Evelina sprinted forward and in seconds was plunged into darkness, out of sight of the firefly chandelier.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom and locate the path. When she did, she spotted Tally a few feet away.
Abby raced on up ahead.
After a mile of twists and turns they skidded to a halt out of breath.
"Sorry, Ev!" Abby slapped her on the back. "Sucks about the arranged marriage thing. Cliff told me all about it. But you know what they say, there"s lots of fish in the sea, or in our case, warlocks. Unless," she huffed, "you want to be his concubine. And then I"ll understand."
Evelina slanted her a dour glance. "No thanks." As usual, Abby had the sensitivity of a bull moose. "I"ll pa.s.s."
"Hey, you never know." Abby spread both hands in the air. "It could be the perfect thing. I thought you artist types liked your freedom?"
"We do, but..."
"No ties. No commitment." Abby"s tone grew introspective. "Doesn"t sound half bad, come to think of it."
"What"s that?" Tally pushed ahead of them, pointing.
"It looks like a sign." Evelina moved closer. The noxious odour of rotten eggs wafted past her nose.
The sign read, The Putrid Pothole.
"Holy stink pot!" Abby pinched her nose. "What a stench!"
"I don"t remember pa.s.sing this before." Evelina tried not to gag. They certainly would have remembered if they had. "We must have taken a wrong turn."
"Too much chatter," Tally said. "We shouldn"t have been talking so much. Now we"re off course." Since she hadn"t been the one talking, clearly she was chastising them.
Abby marched closer. "Something"s bubbling."
A mist rose around them.
The ground began to move.
Something hissed.
Evelina spun around. "What was that?"
Abby froze. "I didn"t say anything."
"I thought I heard something-a whisper."
Abby took a few steps back. "It wasn"t me."
"Let"s go." Evelina turned back in the direction they came.
The ground rose up beneath her, undulating like a serpent"s back.
Her heart gave a jolt.
"Run!" she yelled.
She sprinted at top speed, but gained little ground.
What was happening?
Evelina shook her head, attempting to clear it.
Something was wrong.
She didn"t feel quite right. Her skin tingled. Her blood rushed-faster and faster with every step.
She began to sweat. Her swollen finger throbbed. Her hand shook as she wiped the dampness from her lip.
Tally screamed.
Evelina spun around.
She could only see Tally from the waist up.
The bog was swallowing her like a digesting stomach.
Evelina raced back.
"You"ll never make it!" A raspy voice whispered inside her head. "Go back! Go back! Run! Save yourself while you can!"
Evelina sliced a look at Abby, racing beside her.
Her expression failed to alter, as though she hadn"t heard it.
Evelina shuddered.
What the H!
She must be losing her marbles.
Her vision blurred.
She attempted to blink it away.
She grasped Tally"s arm, just as Tally sank to her armpits.
Evelina stretched as far as she could, taking care to avoid the burbling ring around Tally. She held her breath. The sludge stunk like rotting cabbage, making her eyes water.
Abby grabbed Evelina by the waist to keep her from slipping.
"Don"t interfere. Let her go! It"s meant to be!" The voice screeched in her head. "You don"t belong here. This isn"t your concern. You"re not really one of them."
"No!" Evelina gritted, hanging on to Tally with all of her might.
"It"s over!" the voice hissed.
"One, two, three," She huffed. "Pull!"
With a loud slurp and a pop, they jerked Tally out.
A ginormous orange snake shot out of the ground. It was covered in scales the size of platters. Two spiked horns rose above its glowing yellow eyes.
It hissed, displaying huge silver fangs the length of samurai swords.
"Oh no you don"t!" Abby picked up a branch, wielding it like a club. She hammered it on the head. "Get lost! Get out of here!"
Its eyes rolled back in its head.
It landed with a thud in the green slime, as though knocked out cold.
"Whoo hoo!" Abby cheered, shaking the club in the air.
Another silver scaly head rose from the mist.
Evelina"s heart gave a leap.
"Holy c.r.a.p!"
The thing had two heads!
It grabbed the club in its fangs, knocking Abby on her b.u.m, as the rest of it slithered out of the muck. It rose higher and higher, spitting the log miles in the air. The log landed with a crash, somewhere in the trees.
Evelina"s head whirled.
"It"s too late!" the voice whispered.
Evelina"s finger throbbed. Talons of doubt clawed at her heart. A deep misery weighed her to the spot.
The serpent pulled back as though to strike.
Tally screamed.
A jolt of electricity shot through Evelina"s veins. She raised her hands in the air. "Thunder, battle, and blood!"
Crack!
A jagged bolt of lightening hit the snake straight between the eyes.
It shrank by half, but kept on coming, blue smoke puffing from its slanted nostrils.
Evelina"s mind raced.
She only knew a few spells.