sprung trap, hiding another pressed hand, or something worse, but I kept going, driven on by the memory of Seth’s wild desperation and Emmaline’s accusing eyes.
Many of the spells were completely burnt or illegible, and some called for ingredients I didn’t recognize or couldn’t possibly find, like the tongue of a manatee, or a handful of powdered mandragore, whatever that was. Others were very simple: an instruction to lay a broom across the door, so that none with ille-intent may enter & harm thee . Probably because they’d trip over the broom, jeered the sceptical voice in my head.
At last I came to a stop on a badly charred page. Flakes of ash smudged my fingers, but the words were more or less legible: A Spelle to Releafe One Bewitched from a Charm . I swallowed, and read on, trying to decipher the crabbed letters.
It instructed the reader to light a fire. Then to take a handful of salt and whisper the name of the charmed one to the salt. Then you had to throw the salt into the fire and say a short incantation while the flammes burn brighte . That looked OK; I had salt, I knew the name of the ‘charmed one’, and I could light a fire.
tr="#000000">Feeling rather foolish, I lit the fire in my bedroom grate and waited for it to burn up a little. Then I took a handful of Dad’s expensive Maldon salt flakes from the kitchen – it seemed somehow more witchy than the ordinary kind – and whispered Seth’s name into my fist. When I threw the salt into the fire it flamed up impressively and I read aloud the incantation.
‘Dóð swá ic bidde.’ The words were thick and strange like treacle on my tongue, bitter and hard to speak. ‘þone gehæftend álíese!’
My voice cracked – I swallowed, and cried the final line louder, defying my fear and the mocking voices in my head.
‘Dóð swá ic bidde!’
My voice flung back at me from the rafters, harsh with determination, the strange words ringing long after the echoes died. What did it mean? Did I need to know? Did I want to know?
But as the flames subsided, only silence filled the room. I don’t know what I expected to happen – some kind of sign perhaps. But nothing.
God. Who was I kidding with all this crap? I shut the book, with a feeling of sick disgust at myself, my gullibility, my desperation. But something coiled in my stomach, a clench of nerves at the thought of tomorrow.
The next morning I strode along the cliff path to school feeling half hopeful and half ridiculous. It was all so stupid – and I didn’t believe it anyway. But how comforting if I turned up at the school gates to find Seth snogging Caroline behind the bike sheds and everything back to normal. I ignored the tiny twinge of pain that image provoked – Seth wasn’t mine, it was stupid to feel sadness at the thought of losing what I didn’t really have.
Suddenly a horn blasted out behind me. I jumped convulsively and turned to see Seth pulling up behind me in his dad’s truck.
‘Hi, Anna, can I give you a lift?’ he called.
For a moment I hesitated – torn between wanting to accept and not wanting to enrage Caroline any further. Seth saw my indecision and sighed.
‘Look, don’t worry. I’m sorry I asked, and I’m really sorry about what happened down at the quay. I know I was out of line.’ An expression of bewilderment crossed his face. ‘I acted like … Well, anyway, I understand if you don’t want to accept a lift from me.’
Guilt curdled in the pit of my stomach.
‘Don’t be silly, Seth. Of course I’d love a lift.’ I hauled myself up into the truck and the engine roared into life. He sighed as he rebuckled his belt and gave me a wry look.
‘I really am sorry, and I promise to keep my animal urges under control this time, if it’s any consolation. I don’t normally go around jumping on Cnd between girls uninvited.’
‘Seth, stop apologizing.’ My face was scarlet and I felt like the worst person in the world. ‘Let’s change the
Many of the spells were completely burnt or illegible, and some called for ingredients I didn’t recognize or couldn’t possibly find, like the tongue of a manatee, or a handful of powdered mandragore, whatever that was. Others were very simple: an instruction to lay a broom across the door, so that none with ille-intent may enter & harm thee . Probably because they’d trip over the broom, jeered the sceptical voice in my head.
At last I came to a stop on a badly charred page. Flakes of ash smudged my fingers, but the words were more or less legible: A Spelle to Releafe One Bewitched from a Charm . I swallowed, and read on, trying to decipher the crabbed letters.
It instructed the reader to light a fire. Then to take a handful of salt and whisper the name of the charmed one to the salt. Then you had to throw the salt into the fire and say a short incantation while the flammes burn brighte . That looked OK; I had salt, I knew the name of the ‘charmed one’, and I could light a fire.
tr="#000000">Feeling rather foolish, I lit the fire in my bedroom grate and waited for it to burn up a little. Then I took a handful of Dad’s expensive Maldon salt flakes from the kitchen – it seemed somehow more witchy than the ordinary kind – and whispered Seth’s name into my fist. When I threw the salt into the fire it flamed up impressively and I read aloud the incantation.
‘Dóð swá ic bidde.’ The words were thick and strange like treacle on my tongue, bitter and hard to speak. ‘þone gehæftend álíese!’
My voice cracked – I swallowed, and cried the final line louder, defying my fear and the mocking voices in my head.
‘Dóð swá ic bidde!’
My voice flung back at me from the rafters, harsh with determination, the strange words ringing long after the echoes died. What did it mean? Did I need to know? Did I want to know?
But as the flames subsided, only silence filled the room. I don’t know what I expected to happen – some kind of sign perhaps. But nothing.
God. Who was I kidding with all this crap? I shut the book, with a feeling of sick disgust at myself, my gullibility, my desperation. But something coiled in my stomach, a clench of nerves at the thought of tomorrow.
The next morning I strode along the cliff path to school feeling half hopeful and half ridiculous. It was all so stupid – and I didn’t believe it anyway. But how comforting if I turned up at the school gates to find Seth snogging Caroline behind the bike sheds and everything back to normal. I ignored the tiny twinge of pain that image provoked – Seth wasn’t mine, it was stupid to feel sadness at the thought of losing what I didn’t really have.
Suddenly a horn blasted out behind me. I jumped convulsively and turned to see Seth pulling up behind me in his dad’s truck.
‘Hi, Anna, can I give you a lift?’ he called.
For a moment I hesitated – torn between wanting to accept and not wanting to enrage Caroline any further. Seth saw my indecision and sighed.
‘Look, don’t worry. I’m sorry I asked, and I’m really sorry about what happened down at the quay. I know I was out of line.’ An expression of bewilderment crossed his face. ‘I acted like … Well, anyway, I understand if you don’t want to accept a lift from me.’
Guilt curdled in the pit of my stomach.
‘Don’t be silly, Seth. Of course I’d love a lift.’ I hauled myself up into the truck and the engine roared into life. He sighed as he rebuckled his belt and gave me a wry look.
‘I really am sorry, and I promise to keep my animal urges under control this time, if it’s any consolation. I don’t normally go around jumping on Cnd between girls uninvited.’
‘Seth, stop apologizing.’ My face was scarlet and I felt like the worst person in the world. ‘Let’s change the
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