“Whoa!” Theo screamed in surprise as his feet were lifted off the ground.
He was yanked back so quickly and violently that it took only a second before he disappeared into the thick growth. He was gone in an instant, and the green shrubs closed tight in his wake.
“Theo!” I yelled, and chased after him, pushing through the bushes.
I yanked the twisted growth out of my way, desperate to catch up. I didn’t even care about the branches that whipped and whacked into my face. I had to get to Theo before Tomac did.
When I finally burst into the circle, Theo was on the ground looking stunned. The vine that had lassoed him was slipping back into the hedge like a retreating snake.
“You okay?” I asked as I knelt next to him.
“That’s a dumb question,” Theo replied. “No, I’m not. Did you see what happened?”
“Yes,” I said, pulling him to his feet. “We’ll find another way out.”
“There is no other way out,” a woman said calmly.
We both spun around to see Tomac standing next to the rock pile. Her golden eyes bore into me in a way that I can only describe as hateful.
“You should have heeded my warnings and kept away,” she said casually, as if discussing the weather.
“We’re not gonna let you hurt any kids tonight,” I said boldly.
Tomac shook her head as if fed up with two annoying kids.
“You people from the Library are a tenacious lot.”
I shot a look at Theo.
His mouth hung open.
It was true. She knew all about the Library.
“You cretins have obstructed the coven’s rightful destiny for centuries. I don’t know whom I hate more: you, or the wretched people of Salem who tried to destroy us.”
I sure hoped she didn’t figure out that I’d taken my hair back from her voodoo sock puppet.
“What happened in Salem was a long time ago,” I said. “You can’t blame people today for that.”
The witch’s golden eyes flared angrily. I guess I’d hit a nerve.
“You think the persecution ended in Salem?” she said with bitterness. “Throughout time, humans have tracked us down. Hunted us. You created lies and told melodramatic stories about us. All because of your own ignorance. I have seen it throughout the ages. What you don’t understand, you destroy. It’s so much easier than trying to learn. You crush our magic so you can continue to live your pitiful human lives in blissful ignorance, thinking you have control over the natural world. Well, you have failed. Miserably. The coven is very much alive, and now we will fight back.”
“Just for revenge?” Theo asked.
“For survival,” she spat, a mad light growing in her golden eyes. “Once the high priestess ascends and the sacrifice is made, the power of all covens will be unified. The stories of witchcraft you have shared for entertainment will become reality. The human blood that flows tonight will become the lifeblood of the new coven.”
The witch half walked, half floated toward us as if being carried on the breeze.
“Marcus?” Theo whispered nervously. “What do we do?”
I wished I had an answer.
Tomac came to within inches of Theo and stared him square in the eye. Theo did his best not to look scared, but he was shivering like a terrified rabbit.
“And what to do with this one?” she asked as she reached up and touched his hair.
“Nothing,” I said quickly. “He’s just along for the ride. I’m the agent from the Library.”
The witch shot a look at me, floated to a spot directly in front of me, and looked me straight in the eye. I had just as much trouble holding her gaze as Theo did, but I tried not to show it. It wasn’t easy. Looking into her golden eyes was like staring into a sea of mad magic.
“Such a noble young fellow,” she said with a smirk. “What hold does the Library have over you? Do they send ravens to haunt your thoughts?”
“No, that’s just you. It kind of sucks, to be honest.”
I really, really hoped the voodoo doll didn’t work anymore.
She took a step closer until our noses were nearly touching.
“If you interfere with the ascent,” she said with a fierce intensity that actually made me dizzy, “I will twist your brain inside your skull until you beg for the sweet relief of madness to mask the pain.”
This wasn’t going well.
“Incoming!” a voice shouted from…somewhere.
A small object came sailing up and over the top of the bushes, headed our way. It looked like a roll of red Life Savers, but it trailed smoke. It hit the ground to my left, spewing out sparks.
“Fuse!” Theo shouted.
A second later, the thing exploded with a loud, sharp crack that sounded like a gunshot.
Both the witch and I jumped away in surprise.
“Fire in the hole!” came another shout as two more smoking fuses sailed toward us from somewhere outside the circle.
I had no idea of what was going on and didn’t really care because it was an opportunity. I grabbed Theo and pulled him toward the wall of bushes. The second two objects fell behind us and exploded with ear-shattering cracks.
“M-80s!” I shouted as we leapt into the bushes.
A quick look back showed that the witch was gone. I didn’t know whether she was running from the incoming barrage or heading for the small altar in the underground cavern to throw some voodoo my way. Either way, it was our chance to get out of there.
As Theo and I pushed our way through the bushes, two more explosions reverberated through the forest.
“Is somebody attacking her?” Theo called out.
“I hope so!” I called back.
This time the bushes didn’t grow in front of us. The witch was busy elsewhere. If she was headed underground, it wouldn’t be long before she discovered that the voodoo doll was bald. I wanted to be as far from there as possible when that happened.
There was one more explosion, followed by a couple of excited whoops coming from the forest we were pushing toward. We were nearly out of the brambles when I heard a high-pitched gas engine fire up. Finally, we burst out of the bushes and saw who was making all the noise.
A three-wheeled ATV sped away through the pine forest. Driving was Nate Christmas. One of his buddies sat behind him, waving his fist in triumph. Both were whooping and hollering with glee.
We watched them drive away with dirt and pine needles kicking up in their wake.
“They didn’t know we were there,” Theo said, breathless. “They were just lighting off M-80s.”
“Fire in the hole!” Nate yelled.
Another explosion erupted behind the bike. They were still at it.
“Yeah, they have no idea they just saved our butts,” I said.
Theo and I took off running through the trees, headed back toward the school. I wanted to surround myself with people. People who weren’t witches.
“What if she comes after us?” Theo asked.
“I don’t think she will. It’s too close to showtime.”
“What do you think she’s going to do?” Theo asked. “I mean, all that talk about sacrifice and revenge and spilled blood, yikes.”
“No question she’s going to try and hurt people.”
“It’s all about Ainsley,” Theo said. “We’ve got to keep her from going to the dance.”
As tired and winded as we were, we didn’t stop running until we made it back to Coppell. Classes were still going on, so we found a place near the tennis courts to stay out of sight until the day ended. At 2:05, the bell rang, the front doors flew open, and kids came streaming into the courtyard.
Theo and I ran for the school. When we reached the building, we saw the ATV that Nate and his pal had been riding parked in front.
“Fright Night,” Theo said.
“Huh?”
He pointed to the giant orange-and-black banner that hung over the front doors advertising the Halloween dance. “They definitely have that ri
ght.”
As we pushed through the mass of kids streaming away from the building, we kept scanning the crowd for Lu or Ainsley, but we didn’t see either of them by the time we made it to the front doors.
“They could be anywhere,” Theo said, frustrated.
“Stay here and keep your eyes open. If they leave the building, it’ll be through these doors.”
“Where are you going?”
“To look for them inside.”
“Hurry. I don’t want to be alone.”
I left Theo in the rush of kids and continued to search. The thought hit me that I might be able to track Ainsley down if I knew where her last class was. I went to the office to see if I could get that info. It was a long shot, but why not?
The school office wasn’t far from the front door. There was exactly nobody working behind the big reception desk. I guess once school was out, the secretary took off even quicker than the students did.
“Hey!” I heard somebody shout.
I froze.
Looking further into the office, I saw Nate Christmas sitting outside the closed door of the assistant principal’s office. He was alone. No posse. A short while before, he had been out in the woods setting off M-80s. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the reason he was sitting there looking glum.
I gave him a quick wave and started for the door.
“Murcer won,” he said.
That got my attention. I turned around and walked over to him.
“Won what?” I asked.
“She’s been blaming me for all the crap that’s been going on around here. I guess they finally believed her.”
Nate’s eyes were red-rimmed, as if he’d been crying. The tough guy wasn’t so tough anymore.
“Why? What happened?”
He nodded toward the assistant principal’s office. “They gotta blame somebody, and I’m an easy target. I’m not exactly popular around here—I get that. But I didn’t do any of those crazy things.”
“So tell ’em,” I said.
“I did. They think I’m lying. You know why?”
I had a pretty good idea but wasn’t about to kick the guy when he was down by saying I knew exactly why. Everybody thought he was a dirtbag.
“Why?” I asked innocently.
“Because it’s easier to blame me than to figure out what’s really going on.”
I couldn’t help but think about what Tomac had said about how people destroy what they don’t understand because it’s easier than trying to learn. She wasn’t totally wrong.
“So what’s going to happen?” I asked.
“They’re gonna toss my butt outta here. My parents are in there now, getting the news.” Nate shrugged. “It’s happened before. I’m used to it. But this time I really didn’t do anything.”
He seemed to be holding back tears.
“I know you didn’t,” I said, and instantly regretted it.
Nate sat up straight. “Then go in there and tell them!”
“I can’t,” I said. “I don’t have proof. But they’ll figure it out. As soon as something else happens and you’re not around, they’ll know.”
Unfortunately, that was all too true. More things were going to happen. Bad things. And soon.
Nate deflated.
“They’re never going to believe me,” he said, totally defeated. “Whatever. Moving on again. New school, new start. It’s getting old.”
I actually felt sorry for Nate. He was a bully and deserved whatever he got for that, but in that one unguarded moment, I got the sense that he was a very unhappy guy. If he kept moving around and starting over, putting on the whole tough-guy act may have been his way of coping. It wasn’t a good choice, but who was I to judge?
Besides, I could relate.
“I hear you,” I said. “I’m not exactly the most popular guy where I come from. I don’t like doing things just because I’m told to do them. That makes a lot of people crazy, including my parents. But I’m not gonna change. It is what it is.”
Nate looked up at me, and for the first time I saw the person behind the annoying act.
“Yeah, it is what it is,” he said. “Kind of sucks.”
“You’re going to be cleared,” I said. “Just ride it out.”
Nate scoffed. “Except there are always gonna be Ainsleys out there acting all superior and putting people down. That’s never gonna change.”
Ainsley.
“Is she in there?” I asked hopefully.
“Nah, she’s already done her damage.”
He had no idea how wrong he was about that.
I backed toward the exit.
“Just tell them the truth,” I said.
Nate shrugged and stared at the floor.
I left the office and stepped into a now-empty corridor. Looking to the front door, I saw Theo frantically waving at me.
Standing next to him were Lu and Ainsley.
Yes!
I sprinted straight for them and skidded to a stop.
“Are you okay?” I asked Ainsley.
“Uh, yeah,” she replied innocently. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
I looked to Lu, who gave me a helpless shrug.
“Well,” I said patiently, “after what happened in the woods yesterday, I thought you might be a little, oh, I don’t know, upset.”
Ainsley looked me right in the eye, gave me a sweet smile, and said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What happened in the woods yesterday?”
Theo and I stood there with our mouths hanging open.
Ainsley waited for an answer with a look of genuine confusion.
I shot a questioning look to Lu.
“Ainsley said she hasn’t been in those woods since she was a little kid,” Lu said.
“Lu tells me you saw something scary out there,” Ainsley said. “What was it? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You don’t remember seeing a white wolf?” I asked, stunned.
Ainsley threw her head back and laughed.
“Now I know you’re kidding. I am so glad you’re going to be coming to school here, Marcus. Your imagination is awesome.”
She backed away toward the front door.
“But seriously, if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know, okay?”
She walked out the door and down the steps, toward the courtyard.
“But not tonight,” she called back over her shoulder. “I’ve got tons of work to prep for the dance. You’re all coming, right?” She pointed to the giant FRIGHT NIGHT banner suspended by long ropes over the doors. “It’s going to be a scary good time!”
She hit the bottom of the stairs and hurried off.
The three of us were too stunned to move. We all watched as she bounced happily across the courtyard as if she didn’t have a care in the world…
…and wasn’t about to ascend to the throne of high priestess of a coven of murderous, revenge-seeking witches.
“She’s either a really good actor or truly has no memory of what happened,” Theo said.
“They must have put some kind of spell on her,” I said. “How else would they get her to do their dirty work?”
“So what do we do?” Lu asked.
“Exactly what we came here to do,” I said. “We ruin their party.”
Theo, Lu, and I watched with curiosity as Ainsley walked casually toward the school’s front gate, on the far side of the courtyard, throwing a couple of friendly waves to kids as she passed them. It was like any other day at school for her, except she was at the center of a centuries-old plan to help a coven of witches take revenge against the human race.
You know, that.
“We have to stop the dance,” Lu said, kicking into Go mode.
“Good, stop it,” I said.
“Seriously?” Theo complained. “That’s all you’ve got?”
I wasn’t paying attention to them. I was still focused on Ainsley. What was she doing? What was going through her mind? Where was she head
ed? I watched as she exited through the wrought iron gate and turned right.
“We need a little more than that, Marcus,” Lu said.
I snapped into the moment and said, “I don’t know how to stop the dance. Think of something. Anything. Lie. Tell ’em there’s a bomb threat, or somebody came down with a deadly virus, or a coven of witches is going to bring down the wrath of nature. I don’t care. Just get ’em to cancel it.”
I started off but Lu grabbed my arm.
“Whoa, wait, where are you going?”
“You stop the dance,” I said. “I’ll stop Ainsley.”
I bounded down the stairs, hurrying to catch up with her.
There was no way Ainsley was in her right mind. She was just as much a victim as anybody. Maybe she was cursed. Maybe she was being groomed for this night her entire life. Maybe she held the power of a thousand witches wrapped up in one pretty package. But she didn’t ask for any of it, and I couldn’t believe that if she were thinking straight she’d be going along with it. My hope was that I could get through to that right-thinking part of her brain and derail the Witchy Express.
I ran through the gate and looked in the direction that Ainsley had gone. When I spotted her, my heart sank.
She wasn’t going home. Not unless she lived behind the school. Instead of continuing down the sidewalk or getting into one of the SUVs lined up along the curb, she rounded the corner of the old brick building.
She was headed for the woods.
The woods Theo and I had just escaped from.
“Damn,” I muttered to myself, and took off after her.
I poured on the speed and sprinted to the end of the building. When I turned the corner, I saw that Ainsley was moving fast and had at least a hundred-yard lead on me. I didn’t stand a chance of catching up with her before she reached the trees.
“Ainsley!” I called.
Either she didn’t hear me or she was ignoring me, because she kept walking without a glance back, just like when she had followed the white wolf. All I could do was run after her. I sprinted across the now-empty parking lot, closing in on her quickly, but she would definitely hit the forest before I reached her.
“Ainsley, wait!”
She didn’t. Whatever this curse was, it seemed to be controlling her hearing too.
I hit the wide stretch of grass that separated the parking lot from the woods. As soon as my feet left the pavement, Ainsley stopped. She was about thirty yards ahead of me, on the edge of the forest.