Chapter Nine
Little Witch, Little Witch, Let Me In
They walked for almost an hour in mostly silence. Every once in a while, Justin would tell Adrian they were turning left or right and a few times warned him about a branch, but mostly they were just silent. Adrian just kept repeating the words he’d said over the powder over and over again, more for comfort than trying to actually do anything. It was in a language he didn’t understand but was pretty good at reading after his time spent with Rosemary. Adrian only understood two words, and those were death and hide. Neither of them sounded good to him.
“Over here.” Justin’s voice was low. They must be getting close. “See it?”
Adrian looked. He saw trees, broken branches, rocks, and that was pretty much it. “See what?” He lowered his voice to match Justin’s.
“Close your eyes.”
Adrian did so without question.
“Remember the first time you saw Rosemary’s?”
“Yes.”
“How did she help you see it?”
“She told me to look past the tree she was pointing to. She said to make myself see through it, as if trying to see through a mirror.”
“Yes, perfect.” Justin gave his shoulder a squeeze. “When you open your eyes, do the same.”
Adrian nodded and opened his eyes slowly. Justin was pointing to a rock, and Adrian did as he said. “Nothing.” He was frustrated and took in a deep breath. It had taken him an hour to see the cabin he now called home, and he didn’t have that kind of time. He needed to focus.
“You can do it,” Justin whispered in his ear.
He tried once again, and this time a tent began to come into focus. They were at a campsite hidden from all who weren’t looking properly. The tent looked old and small, and the pull of the zipper let them know they were not unnoticed.
“Hello.” Adrian gave a tentative call as he took another step. “We are not here to hurt you. We are friends.”
“Strangers,” a young voice called back. “Mama said never talk to strangers.”
“That’s a good rule, but sometimes you need to ask for help from a stranger.” Adrian offered his hand. A young girl popped her head out of the tent in response. “My name is Adrian, and this is Justin.”
“What do you mean about needing help?” The girl crawled out of the tent, keeping the flap close to her. She was protecting whatever was inside.
“I’m a bear.”
“You don’t feel like it.” The girl stood and leaned in slightly. She couldn’t have been more than four or five. Her hair was plaited, and from the looks of it, it had been done quite a few days ago.
“He doesn’t, does he?” Justin acknowledged for Adrian.
The girl looked Adrian up and down again before giving her attention to Justin. “He’s broken.”
“I came here to get help from a stranger,” Adrian interjected. He hoped the confession would put the girl at ease.
“Is he the stranger?”
“No, it was my great-aunt who helped.” Justin’s voice was low and soothing. Adrian would have to ask him about that later because there was definitely a level of magic added to his tone.
“She didn’t help.” Adrian looked at the girl and then back to the tent. A small wave of magic, strong enough for Adrian to feel, but not strong enough to scare him. A warning. This little one was going to be a force to be reckoned with when she grew up. Adrian quickly took his eyes from the tent.
“She did, just not in the way I thought I wanted her to.” It was true. Adrian went there looking to find his inner bear and instead found a gift of healing and Justin. “But she helped me a lot.”
“The storm.” Justin took a step forward and then dropped to one knee so he was now looking the young girl eye to eye. “It was yours?”
Adrian had assumed it was the young girl’s, but he couldn’t taste magic the way Justin could.
“Not mine.” The girl’s hands were now on her hips. She had spunk.
“Then whose?” Adrian joined Justin kneeling in front of the girl as she spoke.
“Mama’s.” Justin had said the new magic felt younger. Of course, it was the girl’s mother.
“Where is Mama?” Justin looked to the tent briefly and then back to the child, who in turn gave a slight nod before catching herself and meeting his eyes again.
“Will you help her?” For the first time since they found her, she sounded like a scared child. Adrian’s heart hurt for her.
“We will try.” Adrian wanted to lie and say all would be well, but if a witch as powerful as the one who created the storm was allowing her young daughter out here without her, then things were bad. Really bad. “Can we go see her?”
“In the tent.” The little girl pointed. Adrian started to stand and was stopped by a hand on his knee. Justin didn’t want him up yet.
“Is she angry? Is that why there was the storm?” Protective Justin was out in full force.
“No. She wasn’t angry. Mama says to never use magic in anger.” What a relief. “Mama said she needed people to know she was here and the magic would bring them.”
“Did she say why?” There were so many ways to draw attention that would not lead to a town meeting and possible removal of powers.
“No. She said time was almost over, made the storm, and then went to sleep.” That didn’t sound good.
“The illusion, is that hers, too?” It seemed counterproductive to draw in all the attention a storm would bring and then hide.
“No. I did. We always block the tent when we are sleeping.”
“You?” She seemed far too young to be so strong, but Justin had mentioned her magic, so maybe it was. “How old are you?”
“I’m five. Mama says I am the most powerful witch in my generation.” She puffed out her little chest as she said it. It would have been adorable if the situation had been less intense. “I can’t wake her up. I tried. She just lies there, not moving.”
“We felt it. The storm and you.” Adrian’s voice cracked. Please don’t let her mom be dead. “I brought things to help.” He held out the backpack.
“How did you know what to bring?” The girl took a step back, as if aiming to either run or bring forth her magic.
“The person who helped me when I came here.” Adrian stood slowly so as to not scare the child any further. “She was a Unicorn Healer, and she left it for me.” The girl’s posture relaxed a bit.
“Is that what you are? Is that why you feel so off? Mama says Unicorn Healers are to be respected.” The girl dipped her head in Justin’s direction.
“Yes, princess, they are. I am a unicorn, but I am not a healer; my great-aunt was. Adrian is the healer.”
“I’m not a princess. My name is Kit, and I’m a powerful witch.” Her indignation was cute, and now that they had her name, Adrian felt like they were getting somewhere.
“Yes. Yes, you are very powerful,” Justin agreed wholeheartedly. “Can we see your mom now?”
“Help her, okay?” Kit closed the distance and grabbed Justin by the hand. He had won her trust. Adrian just prayed he didn’t lose it.
The scene in the tent was worse than Adrian had feared. On a small inflatable mattress lay a young witch, no more than twenty-five and the spitting image of Kit. Unlike Kit, however, this witch didn’t seem to be breathing. Adrian bent in front of the woman and placed his fingers under the witch’s nose. It was warm, so she was breathing, but barely.
As Adrian grabbed the powder from the backpack, he thought about how to administer it. Normally, the directions for any of the powders they made would be to mix it in a tea and sip it slowly, but that was out of the question for multiple reasons. Adrian took a few pinches of the powder and put them in her cupped hand. Unscrewing a water bottle with his teeth, he added a few drops at a time to the mixture. It was less than sanitary to make a paste in her hand, but options were limited, and it looked like nothing else in the tent would be any better.
Once the powder was almost the consistency of toothpaste, he swiped some onto his finger. “Kit, I am going to take this medicine and put it in your mom’s mouth.”
“Will she wake up then?”
Adrian’s heart hurt. He wanted to say, “Of course she will, and all will be sunshine and roses,” but in all honesty, he had not a clue what was wrong with the woman, or what the medicine he was giving her actually did. “I hope so.”
“Fix Mama.” The little girl was now hugging Justin and crying.
Adrian placed the paste under the woman’s tongue and leaned back. He knew things wouldn’t happen immediately, but he wanted to see a small sign before continuing. The last thing he wanted to do was fill the poor woman’s mouth with the paste and leave her choking.
A small twitch of her eye was all the sign Adrian needed. He added a bit more of the medicine onto the inside of each of the witch’s cheeks and then took the bottle of water and pushed the rest of it into the small opening. He closed the lid and shook it. It was slightly cloudy, but not quite the consistency Adrian was hoping for, so he added some of the loose powder still in the jar, taking care to leave half the jar full in case this plan didn’t work.
Gasp.
Adrian heard the noise but in his head. He gave a quick look around the room. Kit was sitting on Justin’s knee, staring at her mother. Justin was watching Adrian intently, but neither of them looked as if they had said a thing. He looked back to the woman. Her eyes were now moving a mile a minute as if in REM sleep.
Sit. Up. Please.
It was the woman he’d heard; Adrian knew it. How, he had no idea, but for now it would have to do.
“Help me sit her up, Justin.”
Without question, he leapt up to help. There was nothing solid for her to lean against in the tent, so they stayed by her side as supports for seconds that rolled into minutes. The entire time Kit sat on the other end of the bed, rubbing her mother’s foot and chanting under her breath.
Adrian focused on hearing the words the girl was saying. It was now his turn to gasp. They were the same words he’d said over the powder. Adrian joined in, and both of them began speaking louder. Justin joined in after a few repetitions, as if he had just figured out the words. Adrian had no idea if any of them other than Kit had the ability to use the words as more than just noise, but he gave it his all. She was far too young to lose her mother.
Cough.
They kept chanting, only now focused on the still-closed eyes of the witch who had coughed. That was an amazing sign. Adrian had thought for a moment she was dead, so coughing was a great improvement. Now if they could get her to awaken, speak, and move on her own.
Cough. Cough. Cough.
This time was different. This time the woman’s eyes opened. They were not the bright green of her daughter’s eyes; they were dark, and the whites were tinged yellow. They were not out of the woods yet.
“More,” was all the woman got out before her eyes closed again. More what? More chanting? More Medicine?
“Mama.” Kit had stopped chanting, but Adrian and Justin continued. “Quick, she wants the bottle.”
“Huh?” Adrian was pulled from his chanting.
“Mama asked me for the bottle. Help her drink.” Kit was adamant, and Adrian reached for the bottle, gave it a shake, and took the top off as Justin moved behind the witch so she had something to lean on.
Bringing the bottle to the woman’s lips, Adrian poured a tiny bit in, not wanting to choke her. When he felt Kit’s mother swallow, he repeated the action until it was half-empty.
“More?” he asked Kit, who just stared for a moment before giving a slight shake of her head. “Should we lay her down again?” This time the girl nodded.
“Mama says we just need to wait.” Kit lay down beside her mother and snuggled in close. The poor girl had obviously gone through a lot.
“Did Mama say how long to wait, or if we should do anything while waiting?” Justin seemed at a loss as to what to do—not that Adrian felt any more confident.
“She said not long now. She told me to close my eyes, and when I wake up, all will be right.” Kit closed her eyes again, taking the nap mandate seriously. Adrian smiled at the cuteness of it—and at knowing everything would soon be okay.