The Enchantress (Wicked Book 1) (3 page)

Dear Mr Oliver and Mrs Cara Harmer,

There have been some terrible events
unfolding in the past few months. Deaths of innocent.
We worry that someone is trying to re-create your daughter, and they have had
no success.
We believe this is the workings of the Wicked.
We can’t stress enough our concern for both her and your safety and think that
it is time you bring her to the Grand Manor.
We believe with good reason that whoever is behind these terrible murders will
be coming for her next.
Please consider bringing her here. We have a place for you all.

Yours sincerely,

 Estella and Leo Mayfire

  ‘Re-create me? What do they mean?’
  Laura’s head was swimming with unanswered questions and frightening thoughts.
Words like
murder
and
Wicked
flickered in the darkness of her
mind as she closed her eyes, trying to make sense of the letter.
  Drew took the paper from her hands and read it. As he finished it, he shook
his head, raising his eyes to her, ‘I don’t know exactly what this means, but
I’ll take you to Stell and Leo and they’ll be able to explain everything, I’m
sure.’
  Drew stood easily and held out a hand to Laura. She took it gratefully and hoisted
herself up off the ground.
  All of a sudden a hot rush flooded through her body, prickling her skin and
obscuring her sight. It appeared as though the world was spinning around her
and her hand flew to her head as she tried to steady herself.
  ‘Ace?’
  Drew reached for her, but she lost her balance and fell backwards, unable to
right herself. He was behind her in a flash, lifting her up into his arms. Her
eyelids fluttered and she could see the spinning sky blurring at the edges of her
vision, the world around her growing darker.
  Then, the blackness swallowed her whole.

‘Quick, lay
her down here,’ a woman’s panicked voice said, breaking through the hazy
darkness of Laura’s mind.
  She tried to open her eyes, but it was as though she were stuck underwater,
and she still hadn’t breached the surface.
  She was in agony, that she knew, but she couldn’t comprehend much else. She
could see pulsing red lines blaring against the lids of her eyes and she felt
as if there was a scorching fire burning through her veins.
  She registered the sound of mumbling people around her, but the water dragged
her back down into its murky depths before she could understand what was being
said.
  She drifted in and out of consciousness as she was worked on. Eventually the
pulsing subsided and once again her mind was consumed with black nothingness,
taking the pain with it.

‘She has
lost a substantial amount of blood,’ Laura heard the same woman from before say
as she regained consciousness. ‘Combined with the level of shock and trauma she
has experienced, it’s a wonder she isn’t in worse condition.’
  Gradually, she opened her eyes.
  ‘Hey look, she’s waking up,’ she heard Drew say.
  Drew?
  For a moment she was confused, wondering who Drew was. Then the green eyes
came back to her. She remembered him now. But that’s not all she remembered.
  At first her, vision was blurred, but slowly the musky bedroom came into
focus. Moonlight streamed through the window, spilling out over the foot of her
bed and illuminating the room enough for her to make out the oak wood dresser
and her sad pile of belongings resting atop it. Laura noticed a woman with hair
almost as white as the moonlight resting by her side, watching her with bright
blue eyes.
  ‘Laura, how are you feeling?’ She asked, her voice both gentle and motherly.
  ‘I feel confused.’ Laura finally said, ‘where am I?’
  ‘The Grand Manor,’ Drew answered before the woman could.
  Laura knew the Manor.
  She looked up at the woman, ‘who are you?’
  ‘I’m Estella Mayfire,’ she replied, resting a hand on Laura’s leg and giving
it a light, reassuring squeeze. ‘I knew your parents.’
  Knew. Past-tense.
  Anxiously, Laura swept her gaze across the room, ‘Dad?’ She whimpered, but
she already knew the answer.
  She remembered what happened.
  The sadness in Estella’s eyes made that moment all the more real for Laura,
and she choked up.
  ‘There was nothing you could do,’ Estella whispered, taking Laura’s hand.
  Blinking hard, Laura pulled away. ‘How long was I asleep?’
  Her father had implied that she could trust these people. That they would
help her. But she still didn’t know them.
  ‘Three days. You had some pretty nasty injuries. Some stitches were required
but you are on the mend now. They are the dissolvable stiches. We thought they
would be more comfortable for you so you don’t have to worry about removing
them,’ Estella babbled nervously, ‘and don’t worry, you should heal quickly
with the help of my remedies.’
  Laura attempted to lift herself into a sitting position, but fell back with a
cry. However, it wasn’t the physical pain that caused this. The pain stemmed
from the memory of her father. His body. The blood. His lifeless hand. And
then, a new memory came to her. One of her mother being dragged to the car.
  ‘We need to find my Mother!’ Laura said desperately, bolting upright.
  ‘We are working on that, there are people talking with the force as we speak,’
Drew said, hoping to ease her mind.
  It didn’t help. She wanted her mother to be there, with her. She needed her
at this terrible time. She wanted to cry on her shoulder, hug her and have her
mum tell her that everything was going to be all right.
  But she wasn’t here, and Laura had to find her. She had made a promise, and
it was one she intended to keep.
  She started to push off the thick blanket. ‘I should be out there too.’
  Estella rested her hands on Laura’s shoulders and lightly pushed her back
down, stopping her from moving the covers off her any further, ‘and you will be
out there, as soon as you are better.’
  ‘I have to help!’ Laura shouted ripping the blanket from the bed and tossing
it to the ground.
  She swung her legs over the side of the mattress trying to ignore the aches
of her body, but her injuries were still tender and a fiery blaze to shot up
her arm. She cried out as the pain engulfed her. Then, it all became too much
for her. She felt sick, tired and scared. She was in tremendous pain, physically
and mentally, and she had never in her life felt more lost or alone than she
did right at that moment. She began to cry, hysterically.
  Estella looked at Drew and he nodded, quietly leaving the room as Stella took
Laura into her arms.
  ‘I want this to be a dream,’ she sobbed, her voice cracking on each word.
  ‘I know, I know.’ Stella brushed her fingers through Laura’s hair, soothing
her as she cried.
 Laura was absolutely wrecked. How could she possibly go on knowing she would
never see her father again? Never hear his laugh, never see him smile, never play
games of cards with him. They were little things, but they were things that she
cherished so deeply now that he wasn’t around to continue doing them. She cried
for that. For what she had lost. For the piece of her heart that had left her,
and for the life she would never get back. She wanted her mother to be there to
give her some kind of comfort. So they could cry together and hug each other
and move through the hardship with one another to lean on.
  She didn’t want to do it alone.
  That was when she made the decision. The decision that these people were the
ones she would have to let in. They were the ones that she would have to lean
on. She decided to give them a chance, like her father asked. But not only
that, she decided she would do everything in her power to find her mother, and
she would do it in her father’s honour. She would no longer hurt for him, but
she would live for him. She would fight for the life he gave her, and she would
make the most of it. She would be strong, like he had asked. She would be brave
and hold herself together. With this in mind, she began to calm down.
  She now had one goal: to find her mum. That was what she would focus on above
everything else.
  That was it.

‘We expect
you to welcome Laura into this home with open arms. She has been through a
terrible ordeal,’ Estella was telling the occupants of the Manor, ‘and we
expect you to share some of your things with her. She currently has next to
nothing.’
  They stood in the library, the fire blazing in the corner, illuminating the paintings
that hung above and couches placed around it’s warmth. Rows upon rows of full
bookshelves lined the back wall and in the middle of the room sat the enormous
circular table the students of the Manor gathered at to study.
  ‘I’ve got spare clothes she can have’ Grace supplied eagerly. She liked the idea
of having a new housemate.
Estella smiled appreciatively at her.
  ‘Are you sure we can trust her?’ Gemma asked cautiously, uncrossing her arms
and looking from one person in the room to the next, hoping at least one of
them would realise her concern.
  ‘Her parents were very dear friends of ours,’ Stella said, ‘I guarantee we
can trust her.’
  ‘We’ve never let humans into the Manor before,’ Gemma continued.
‘She is not of the human race. We will explain it in detail but once we have
discussed it with Laura. We don’t what her finding out from all of you before
she even knows for herself.’
  ‘Find what out?’
  Estella turned and noticed for the first time that Laura stood guardedly in
the doorway.

‘Oh you’re
awake!’ Estella smiled happily.
  ‘Yes, I couldn’t stay cramped up in bed any longer.’ Laura whispered, ‘sorry
but, find what out?’ She repeated.
  After lying awake for a few moments, she had come to the conclusion that she would
not only lean on these people, but she would trust them. The way Stella had
stayed with her until she had fallen asleep, making sure she was all right, and
the way Drew had made sure she had arrived at the Manor safely, and the fact
that they promised to help with the search for her mother, well, if that wasn’t
enough to prove she could trust them then she didn’t know what was.
  ‘Laura, this is something we should discuss alone.’
  Laura stiffened, eyes wandering around the room, seeing the others for the
first time.
  Laura could only assume that the strong built man with sandy brown hair,
watching her with ocean-blue eyes through spectacles, his hand resting
protectively upon the small of Stella’s back, was Leo.
  Her suspicions were confirmed when Stella came over and lead her into the
room, acquainting her with everyone.
  A dark, blonde haired girl with an oval shaped face and thick build was
introduced as Gemma Spark.
  A boy with a wide smile that filled his face and kind brown eyes, shook her
hand, presenting himself as Logan Walker.
  Next, a small framed girl by the name of Grace bounded forward, her pixie
haircut and emerald eyes reminding Laura of Drew, and pulled her into a hug, telling
her she was so sorry for her loss and to come to her if she ever needed to
talk.
  Lastly, a golden skinned boy gave her a dimpled smile, shaking her hand and
informing her that she could call him Caspian. As she turned back to Estella,
she caught the flash of a tattoo on his bicep. A pang of wonder flooded through
her.
  ‘It’s nice to meet all of you,’ she said, allowing a smile to fill her face,
even if her heart wasn’t quite in it.
  Estella turned to everyone, ‘Okay all, time for you to head to bed. Leo and I
need to talk to Laura in private.’
  They were quick to leave, giving Laura reassuring smiles and waves as the
passed by. For the first time, Laura felt a spark of hope.
  ‘I don’t know where to start! There is so much you don’t know.’ Estella
began.
  For a moment, Laura wanted to stop Stella from saying anything else as
anxiety flooded her. She was afraid of what she would hear, but despite that,
she needed to know.
  ‘Start at the beginning,’ Laura supplied, her eyes finally free to explore
the room.
  That was when she noticed the unbelievable paintings that hung over the
fireplace. With wide eyes and a gaping mouth, she studied the portraits before
her, drinking them all in.
  All three paintings contained a throne much like ones seen in movies, covered
in red velvet and gold lace. In the first painting, sat a man, his left hand
extended in front of him, his right set firmly on his knee. He couldn’t have
been much older than thirty and had the bluest eyes Laura had ever seen. Upon
his outstretched hand hovered a shimmering blue sphere the size of a basketball.
Within the perimeter of it was what looked to be entwined vines of… lightening?
She wasn’t sure.
  The next painting was much the same, only it was a red-head woman holding a
glittering sphere of bright purple lightening.
  The final portrait contained an older man with jet black hair that cascaded
down his shoulders, a long, ugly, crooked nose, and a sinister smile. Both his
hands were outstretched, a blazing red ball of light sitting calmly within
them.
  Slowly, Laura turned to Stella. ‘What are these? What am I?’ she whispered.
  ‘That, we don’t exactly know. I guess I should start by telling you this:
Witches and Wizards exist.’
  Laura’s heart began to race, ‘don’t be ridiculous, and don’t lie to me.’
  ‘It may take a while for you to believe it, but it
is
true,’ Leo said
kindly, ‘we are not lying Laura.’
  Laura once again looked around at the paintings. ‘So I’m a Witch?’
  Stella shook her head, ‘not exactly. I am a Witch, Leo is a Wizard, as are
the others of this manor. All we know is that you are an Enchanted, like us.
Someone of the Spirit World deemed good.’
  ‘An Enchanted? Sounds elegant.’
  ‘Your grandmother was a Witch, and she fell in love with a human. Only this
human’s body possessed a Spirit. They then-‘
  Laura cut in quickly, ‘wait, what’s a Spirit?’
  Stella’s eyes were sparkling with excitement, ‘Spirits are Angels or Demons
who possess a human’s body when they are on the brink of death in order to save
them, or in a Demons case, take advantage of them. The Angel looks after the
body until the soul has healed. The Demon uses the body to do its bidding.’
  ‘I- wha- how are they formed?’ Laura furrowed her brow as fear gripped her. There
was so much more she wanted to ask, but she could barely slow her thoughts down
enough to grab a hold of the questions and let them tumble from her mouth. She
still wasn’t quite sure she believed it.
  ‘Angels and Demons are the children of the Gods and Devils of course, however
some Angels are formed when an Enchanted dies, and when a Wicked – someone like
us but who has been deemed evil at heart – dies, their soul is never quite at
peace and they become what we know as a Demon.’
  Laura didn’t say anything. She couldn’t.
  Stella took this as a sign to continue, ‘So, your grandmother and a human
possessed with a Spirit fell in love and when they had their child, she
survived and was born an Enchanted Warlock. Part Angel, part Witch and very powerful.
On most occasions, the child dies before birth because the mother can’t supply
what is needed to keep the baby alive, but sometimes, if the baby is strong
enough, it manages to survive, and your mother was one of those survivors. Once
she was old enough, Cara realised that she didn’t want the life she was
expected to lead, so she left and took up occupancy in the human world.’
  ‘And she met my father?’ Laura guessed.
  Stella nodded, ‘yes, and when she fell pregnant with you everyone was sure
that both of you wouldn’t make it. She came to us for help and we did the best
we could to look after you both. The child of a human and anyone of our race needs
air and because Warlocks, Sprits, Witches and Wizards don’t require it the
child has no way of receiving it. They then suck the life from the mother’s
soul in order to survive until it ends both of their lives. Remarkably, you
both made it. Your mother wasn’t meant to have survived her own birth let alone
giving birth to you. I don’t know how you both did it, no one does. It was a
miracle. We don’t know exactly what you are because we have never seen it
before,’ Stella was speaking faster and faster as she tried to explain
everything to Laura, ‘your mother then took you away to live in the human world.
You wouldn’t remember any of that of course because you were only a baby, but she
didn’t want you to grow up in this sort of life, fighting evil, risking your
safety. You were her miracle.’
  Laura shook her head astonished, ‘I could have killed her?’ she whispered.
  She couldn’t believe that her mother had been through such pain, such terror,
all to give birth to her.
  How in the world could any of this be possible?
She asked herself. It seemed
ridiculous.
  ‘Don’t blame yourself, Laura. It was a long time ago and you both survived,’
Leo said gently, giving her a warm smile as he reached up and readjusted his
glasses.
  ‘I still don’t understand; why did those people take my mother then?’
  ‘Because they want you. You have great power, more than anyone has ever seen before,
and now people want you,’ Leo said.
  ‘But how? I have never done anything before. I have no power,’ Laura
insisted.
  ‘You do, you just don’t know how to use it because you haven’t had the
training.’ Stella said calmly.
  ‘If I haven’t done the training then how is it possible for everyone to know
I have power?’
  ‘You have the power of a Warlock mixed with the power of a human, which means
you live and breathe. You have warm blood running through your veins, a heart
beating in your chest, air filling your lungs, and that is something no one of
our race has. Not even Warlocks. We may not know your exact powers, but we know
you are definitely nothing like anyone has ever seen before,’ Leo explained.
  Laura didn’t know what to feel. Part of her wanted to believe their words but
another part of her wanted to turn and run and keep moving forever. Everything
she had heard seemed absurd. Silly. Unrealistic. She was human. Magical powers
and creatures didn’t exist. That was stupid. How could any of it really be
true?
  She shook her head, ‘I just.. it’s all so.. I don’t know if I can believe
it.’
  Leo gave Stella a look and she closed her eyes for a moment before giving him
a short, sharp nod. Leo clasped his hands together, rubbing them as if to warm
them from the cold. Then, he turned them outwards, palms up.
  For a moment, nothing happened. Then, unexpectedly, something started to appear
in his hands. Something glowing blue like a light bulb. It was the size of a
nut, then a golf ball, then a tennis ball. It continued to grow bigger, the
light filling the room. The whole library glowed a brilliant blue and Leo’s
face was full of concentration.
  Then, as quickly as the glistening ball had appeared, it began to dissipate,
growing smaller until suddenly his hands were empty. The two of them looked up
at Laura with hopeful eyes.
  Her jaw dropped open, and for the second time that week, she fainted.