Dark Corner

Chapter 22

Dear Prudence

Albert greeted us at the door of the Leaf & Page. “Beatrice is asleep. You must be quiet.” He let us in. I thought about asking Albert about the ghost from the Biltmore basement, but ghosts like humans associate in cliques according to time periods and the way they left the earth. Bradley had served in the Civil War, so the Biltmore ghost was drawn to him. Albert was a young ghost, heartbroken from leaving his beloved. He had no friends in the next world. He didn’t quite understand yet that he was not living.

Pixel lay down on the couch in the sitting room. He didn’t look well either. I sniffed his breath. He had been sneaking drinks at the Orange Peel. He would not be a happy orange cat in the morning. Abigail plopped down next to him and passed out. I paced back and forth. Charlotte was my problem now. She was a Tangledwood yet didn’t seem to have any of their bloodline, not even a shade of Mrs. Tangledwood’s aura. Something was quite different about her. She seemed in all likelihood to be human, but I had a cat sense about her. I leaped onto the window seat and stared onto the cobblestone street. I yawned and half closed my eyes. This was a problem that would wait till the morning.

I’m dreaming again. I hear high-pitched giggles. Prudence is lying next to me on the grass, staring up at the stars. My other sisters are doing the same each talking about their witch star. I look at Prudence as I did when I was a girl with love and acceptance even knowing what the future would bring.

“Terra, I’m going to visit my star as Elizabeth has. And when I do I’ll come back as powerful as her.”

“Prudence, it’s late, and I worry we’ll be found,” I said.

“There’s only a few minutes before May Day is finished. Let’s enjoy them.” She put her hand in mine. “Let’s swear an oath on our witch stars, this night we swear we will always be sisters and best friends.”

“I swear, Prudence.”

“I swear, Terra—”

“What are you girls doing?”

I turned to see Farmer Johnson holding his lantern and a pitchfork. He lifted the lantern, trying to see our faces. We all scattered except Prudence, who stood slowly and walked toward him. “No Prudence,” I screamed. It was too late.

She raised her hands, and his lantern extinguished. He gasped and pointed his pitchfork at her. She waved her hand as though swatting away a fly, and the pitchfork flew out of his hand. Prudence’s eyes burned fire red. She began murmuring an incantation. I ran up to her and begged her, tears streaming down my face. She flung me away. “He knows us, Terra. The secret.”

What happened next, I blocked from my memory or Elizabeth did. I’ll never know for sure. The moment Master Johnson disappeared, Elizabeth appeared. She grabbed Prudence by the back of her hair. Prudence fell to the ground. “Forgive me, Elizabeth. I was protecting the coven.”

“The oath, Prudence, you swore, the oath you promised never to harm a human. To use our powers for only good.”

I felt a warm, wet sensation on the back of my head. I woke to see Pixel staring over me. “Me sorry, Terra. My tummy no good.”