Read A Witch Like No Other Online

Authors: Makala Thomas

Tags: #love story, #romance novel, #sorceror, #fantasy novel, #fantasy about magic, #fantasy about a witch, #romance 2014, #a witch like no other, #makala thomas

A Witch Like No Other (7 page)

BOOK: A Witch Like No Other
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But- but just
say she was alive-”


She
isn’
t,” said Miriam gently.
“You went to the funeral, didn

t you?”


Yeah I did,
but they kept the coffin closed,” said Pandora, thinking. “And- oh
gosh! Those guys carrying it said it was real light as
well!”

Miriam cringed as she remembered, hidden by the public who
had come to pay their respects. She

d never cried so much in
her entire life that day. She

d lost her best friend,
didn

t
even get to see her one last time.

What if all that was buried was the coffin,
nothing more? Miriam felt sick to the stomach. What if Dreamer was
alive?


I mean,
she’
s a witch,” said Pandora.
“You think she

d just go?”


I
don’
t want to have this
conversation, darling.”

Talk to her, Miriam.


What?” said
Pandora, when Miriam leapt up. “What is it?”


Would you like
to go for a walk, Pandora?”


Ok,” she said
curiously, getting up. “How come?”


Because
I’
m your godmother, love. Come
on.”


Wont your boss
be angry with you?”


I’
ll handle
him.”

Sure enough, when Tony Pets left his office
to see Miriam leaving with Pandora, he marched up to them
immediately.


What on earth
is going on, Miriam?”


Nothing,” said
Miriam flatly. “I’
m just
taking Pandora for a walk.”


To get some
air,” Pandora added, and Tony smiled at her.


You would be
good for my Alice, Pandora.”

Pandora raised an eyebrow. “Who?”


His daughter,”
Miriam said, amused. “Alice is your age, Pandora.”


Wow,” she said
dryly. “Can we go now, Miss Hughes?”


Pandora,
I’
ve told you already you can
call me Miriam-”


No she cant,”
interrupted Tony, eyes narrowing. “Why can she?”

Miriam glared at him. “Because she

s my
goddaughter.”

Tony stared at her, then he looked at
Pandora. “She is?”


She is,” said
Pandora cheekily. “Can we go now?”


Yes we can,”
Miriam said, then she looked at Tony. “Unless you have an objection
to me taking her for a walk in the park?”


I… no,” Tony
said awkwardly. “No, not at all. But Miriam, if
you’
re a relative I think
it

s
best if we change Pandora

s mentor-”


No!” said
Miriam, aghast. “You cant do that-”


If you change
Miss Hughes I’
m not coming
back,” Pandora told Tony stonily. “My dad pays you big money, I
know he does. If… if I have to change just because
she

s
my godmother, that

s out of order. I wont come back, and
I

ll
bully your daughter until she has to come here too.”


Now really
Pandora, you’
re
overreacting-”


So you think,”
Pandora replied flatly. “Can we go, Miss Hughes?”


Of
course.”

 

* * *

 


That
wasn’
t very nice, threatening
him about Alice.”


He’
s stuck up,” Pandora
replied. “He deserved it. Who is she?”


She’
s a lovely girl, but
she has some issues of her own.”

They sat down in front of the lake, cross
legged on the grass.


What issues?”
asked Pandora, and Miriam smiled at her.


I cant tell
you that, love.”


Are you her
mentor?”


No, of course
not.”


Then tell me,
Miss Hughes- please?”

Miriam shook her head, amused. Pandora
pouted, turning to look at the lake.


Swans,” she
said musingly. “Mum loved swans.”


Did
she?”

Pandora nodded. “Especially the black
ones.”

Miriam felt her stomach drop. “There-
there

s black swans?”


Sure,”
shrugged Pandora. “Only nobody really sees them.”


Maybe because
they don’
t exist?” suggested
Miriam, but Pandora shook her head as she said “They do, because
Mum showed me one.”


I’
ve never heard of or
seen a black swan, Pandora.”


Because you
haven’
t seen something with
your own eyes, does that mean it doesn

t exist?” asked Pandora,
staring her full in the face. “Or because something seems
impossible, does that mean it cant happen?”

Miriam opened her mouth, then closed it.
Dreamer had done a lot of impossible things in her time, including
turning an annoying boy who was besotted with her into a toad,
making her pen write lines by itself when they were in detention,
bewitching the Head so that they had an extra week off, giving her
rival chicken pox at college- talking to Miriam even though she was
dead?
Miriam shivered, Pandora gazing across the
lake. Miriam looked too, smiling at the sight of the beautiful
white birds.


They’
re lovely,
aren

t
they?”

Pandora nodded, eyes filling. “I want her
back, Miriam.”


Dreamer? Of
course you do- we all do, but-”

Miriam broke off, staring at the water. Swimming towards
them was a beautiful, elegant black swan, it

s beak ruby
red.


Told you,”
breathed Pandora, slowly getting to her feet. “I told
you.”


Pandora, come
back-”

Pandora ignored her, walking towards the graceful bird.
Miriam cursed magic under her breath: that bird
wasn

t
there ten seconds ago.


Pandora!”

Oblivious to her godmother

s calls, Pandora
crouched down next to the bird as she whispered “Hi. See what
happens when they don

t believe?” The bird nodded. “You just appeared,
didn

t
you?”

The swan crooned softly, Pandora reaching
out to stroke it. Suddenly the bird made a weird rasping noise,
like it was choking. Miriam leapt to her feet at that:
“Pandora!”

The bird heaved, as if it was trying to force something up.
Pandora

s eyes grew wide as the swan began to sparkle, Miriam
grabbing her arm and pulling her back as she said
“We

re
leaving, Pandora-”


We
cant!”


We have to!
Something weird is going on-”


It’
s my Mum,
Miriam!”


She’
s dead!” said Miriam
angrily. “Dreamer

s dead, Pandora!”

The bird gagged, something gold appearing in
it

s
mouth. Miriam stopped struggling with Pandora as they stared at it-
the swan heaved again, whatever it was dangling from
it

s
beak- before Miriam could stop her Pandora darted forwards, grabbed
the thing and pulled-


Pandora,
no!”

The bird shrieked, Pandora falling
backwards- BANG!!

Miriam cried her name as smoke swirled around her- she
couldn

t see!


PANDORA!!”


I’
m here, Miriam,
I

m
here!” Pandora grabbed her hand. “Look at this!”

Miriam didn

t want to look, the smoke clearing. She stepped back
in shock as she looked at the lake: the birds were gone. Every
single swan and duck- gone. The black swan had disappeared as
well-

Pandora shook Miriam frantically, saying
“Look!”

Miriam dragged her eyes away from the lake to look at what
Pandora was dangling in her face- she screamed. She
couldn

t help it.


She’
s alive,” breathed
Pandora. “She has to be!”

Miriam shook her head, staring at the heart shaped locket
with her friend

s name on the front in swirly writing:
Dreamer.

 

* * *

 


Have some tea,

Dora, and calm
down.”


If she is
alive she’
s got some
explaining to do,” said Marlon darkly, drumming his fingers on the
kitchen table. “I

m not joking.”

Miriam said nothing, very shaken up. Ted gently but firmly
told her to stay the night, in the guest room. Miriam accepted the
offer without hesitating: she didn

t want to be
alone.

Pandora had rushed home with Miriam hot on her heels,
excitedly telling Ted and Marlon what happened at the park, and
what happened with Dreamer

s picture- but she
didn

t
mention her golden box.

Ted said nothing, Marlon said a lot, Miriam
couldn

t speak. Ted made everyone some tea with biscuits on the
side, deep in thought.

Could Dreamer be alive?

 

* * *

 


Ted?”

Ted looked up, then he smiled. “Hi Miriam.
What

s
the matter?”

Miriam hesitated, then she came and sat next
to him on the sofa.


I know you
probably don’
t think she could
be alive, but-”


I
didn’
t before,” confessed Ted.
“Now I

m not so sure.”


Well, this is
going to sound crazy, but today before Pandora came, I…” Miriam
stopped, then she took a deep breath. “I heard
Dreamer’
s voice.”

Whatever Ted was expecting, that wasn

t it.


You… you heard
Dreamer’
s voice?” Miriam
nodded, looking down at her lap. Ted hesitated, then he said “So
did I.”


You did?” she
said hopefully, and he nodded. “So I’
m not crazy.”


Far from it.
What did she say?”


I was looking
forward to Pandora visiting…”


Shh!”
whispered Marlon, glaring at his sister. “They’
ll hear us!”

They were on the stairs, listening hard to
their father and Miriam.


And then she
said ‘
you really love my
little girl, don

t you?

And I said yes, thinking someone came in, but
only her mother could have called Pandora her little girl, nobody
else in their right mind except you-”


You breath
stinks, camel mouth!” hissed Pandora. “Go floss!”


Shut up,
hermit!”


What did she
say to you?” asked Miriam shyly, and Ted hesitated. Then he said “I
was wondering what to do about Pandora, and she said- these were
her exact words, mind.”


I know,
Ted.”


Have a cup of
coffee first, Teddy Bear. Then talk to her.”

Pandora

s heart pounded as Miriam said “Was she
right?”


Oh yes, we had
a talk about college. But before that, Miriam, I… look, I was so
shocked when I heard her voice I fell out of my chair- and not just
that,” said Ted breathlessly. It sounded like
he’
d been dying to get it off
his chest. “The kettle started boiling on it

s own
accord.”

Marlon clapped a hand to Pandora

s mouth as she gasped,
whispering “Shut up,

Dora! Do you want them to hear us?”


She always
used to make me a hot drink,” said Ted sadly. “Coffee in the
mornings before I went to work, and tea when I got back
home.”


What about the
locket?” asked Miriam. “Do you recognise it? Dreamer had it on
after I came back from America- when I was eighteen.”


It was her
mother’
s first,” Ted answered
heavily. “Before, it said Agnes. When she handed it down to
Dreamer, the name changed… and Dreamer was eighteen when she got
it. I guess if Dreamer was alive she

d have given it to
Pandora on her eighteenth birthday- and if she is alive then…
it

s
obvious she wanted Pandora to have it. Real obvious. She did say
Pandora would get it when she

s old
enough.”

BOOK: A Witch Like No Other
8.54Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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