Witch Land (The Cindy Chronicles #2) (5 page)

Read Witch Land (The Cindy Chronicles #2) Online

Authors: RaShelle Workman

Family Tree

Leo stepped between us and separated our hands. “I’ll not ask you to leave again nicely. The next time it’ll be with a Witch Blade to your navel.”

Mizrabel
lifted her head and laughed. “Dear boy, don’t make threats you aren’t prepared to keep.”

I was in shock. Had that woman just called me her daughter? Did she mean it literally or figuratively? Like
, we can both do magic, so that makes me part of a long line of witches, which means we’re somehow connected… “Merde,” I swore quietly. My head and heart pounded as one. My palms started to sweat, which was a big deal for me because I wasn’t one to sweat. Like, ever.

“
I’ll leave as soon as I make my toast.” She spun in a circle, taking everyone in at once. “To Cinderella.” She caught me around the waist and pulled me into a hug. “To save them, you must leave them and search for the glass lyre.” Mizrabel pulled me closer. I heard shouting, but it sounded far away. “When you find it, bring it to me. I’m not the evil monster I’ve been made out to be. You need my help to save this world. Remember that, Cinderella. My daughter.”

Her words repeated over and over in my mind.
I really wanted to ask her about the whole “daughter” thing. It was starting to freak me out, but it didn’t feel like the right time. What seemed important was finding the damn glass lyre. “Where do I begin to look?” I asked, not expecting an answer.

She stepped back and blew some kind of red powder at my face.
“You’ll find it in the most expected place, near the most unexpected person.”

“
Like, can you give me a demographic area?” I asked, wiping the powder off my face. I needed her to be more specific.

Mizrabel
put her hands on her hips. “Go home, child.” With those three words still lingering on her lips, the sorceress vanished.

What happened after
Mizrabel left was kind of blurry. People loitered around. They spoke words, but it all sounded like a muffled foreign language. Someone lifted me and I was carried, then laid on a bed.

Quilla appeared. Between her sneezing and her bright yellow and green outfit, there was no way I could mistake her for anyone else. Her concerned face came close to mine. She peered into my eyes
—s did Leo and the King. Even AnnaBelle and the leopard I hadn’t talked to yet… what was her name? Violet. Even she came into the room and looked at me. I couldn’t figure out what they were doing or what was wrong with me. I knew I needed to get out of bed and begin looking for the glass lyre.

The whole thing sounded ridiculous, but I felt in my bones it was what I needed to do.

Finally everyone left me alone. The lights turned off. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine what Mizrabel could’ve meant about going home. If she was my literal mother, wouldn’t that mean this was my home? But if she actually meant where I was raised, then I would need to go back to Salem. And if I’d seen a glass lyre in Salem I’d remember it. Wouldn’t I?

My mind ran through different places within my parents
’ house. Next I moved on to Snow’s, and finally Professor Pops. Could it be at his house? I scoured each room with my mind, trying to remember all I’d seen, but it was impossible for me to recall every detail. I needed to be inside each room.

Which meant going home.

Had this past week in Polonias been a total waste?

I knew the answer was no. If I hadn
’t come I wouldn’t have met Mizrabel. And meeting her seemed like the most important thing at the moment. She’d told me what to do to save Polonias.

But why?

I rolled the questions around inside my head, trying to determine an answer. Exhaustion won out in the end and I fell asleep.

Fireworks

I don’t know how long I slept, but when I woke all my dreams were in the forefront of my mind. The dreams were of my mother—well, the woman claiming to be my mother. Mizrabel.

She
terrified me, filled me with sadness and fear like I’d never known... but a tiny part of me, buried deep in the corner of my mind, wanted to get to know her. Feelings of guilt and pain raged through my body and I knew that was why I’d had such crazy dreams.

Guilt.

Sunbeams touched my cheek and I opened my eyes.

Leo stood at the window. He peered through the glass and I wondered what he saw, what he was thinking. He no longer wore his party clothes
; instead he had on dark jeans and a forest green button up shirt. He’d rolled the long sleeves up to his biceps. Light shone in his hair and on his thick dark lashes. His lips, the shape of his jaw, and the trimness of his waist were gorgeous. He was gorgeous.

“
How long have I been asleep?” I asked, sitting.

Leo turned slightly and a smile bloomed across his face.
“You’re okay.”

I moved to the edge of the bed.
“Yeah, I think so.”

He sat next to me.
“Sorry your party didn’t end the way it was supposed to. Cake and fireworks were part of the finale.” His face grew dark. “But Mizrabel showed up and ruined everything. Do you remember that?”

“
I do. I’m not sure what she meant or what I should do.”

His eyes left my face toward my body. I followed his gaze.

“Crap.” I was in a white tank and it didn’t cover much. “How did I get in this?” I asked, pulling the bed covers up to my chest.

Leo stood. He rubbed the back of his neck and turned away. He seemed uncomfortable.
“AnnaBelle started to help, but she turned into Anna and Belle and, well…” Leo trailed off and shrugged.

“
Got it,” I said with a short laugh.

“
Quilla came in and finished getting you ready for bed.”

“
Oh.” That made me feel a little better.

“
Why don’t you get dressed, and then we can talk.” He used magic to open the door.

“
Sure.”

“
I’ll meet you in the kitchen in thirty minutes.” He walked out of my room and the door closed behind him.

I washed my face, put on some lip-gloss, and threw my hair in a high ponytail. Since Leo was in jeans, I figured I should be too, so I put on a pair of sandblasted skinny jeans, a boho-chic white blouse with a gray tank underneath. To complete the outfit I put on a pair of gray suede boots. The heels were flat and the tops zipped just under my knees. Totally casual, but adorable.

When I was finished, I used magic to
open the door. Quilla was pacing just outside my door. A hand flew to my throat in surprise. Her outfit was flamboyant as usual: Bright yellow and pink dress, hair teased with butterflies pinned in, black pointy boots and black and pink polka dot tights. “What the hell?”

“
Sorry, Cinderella,” she said breezily, walking past me and into my room.

“
I was just leaving to meet Leo.”

She
didn’t seem to hear me. The door shut and Quilla grabbed my hand. “I’ve been up all night thinking about miserable Mizrabel and what she said. Have you had a chance to think about it? Her fritzy toast, or curse, or whatever you want to call it.”

I gave her hands a squeeze and dropped them.
“No, not really.” I turned toward the window.

The land of Polonias was beautiful, full of color, and vibrant with life.

“No?” Quilla asked, moving to stand next to me. “How could you not?” She waved her hand and my bed was made. Then she sneezed. “I mean, that woman is dreadful.”

I sig
hed. “Apparently that dreadful woman is my mother?” The question moved off my lips with the hope that Quilla would deny it.

She didn
’t though. “It’s true. We hoped to wait a while before you found out.”

“
So who’s my father?” I crossed my arms and turned away. “Never mind, I don’t think I want to know.”

Quilla shut the curtains, throwing the room into darkness.
“It’s better if you know everything. The sooner, the better at this point, but first you need to find the glass lyre. I spoke with Violet, the recordkeeper, and she said it’s been mentioned several times in the Life Scrolls.”

“
What about Mizrabel? Why would she even suggest that I find them? Why would she try to help me?”

Quilla shrugged.
“It isn’t that your mother is against us, she’s just never been with us.”

“
If I go back to Salem, will you come with me?”

Quilla
’s face softened and she touched my hair. “Haven’t you figured out that I’m always with you? Even if you can’t see me.”

She didn
’t answer my question directly, but I got the sense if I needed her she’d be there. “Okay, well, I guess I’m going home… or back to Salem.” A lump settled in my throat. I’d be back in my room, the place where Gabe and I had spent many nights together. He’d kissed me, told me he loved me. And he’d broken up with me there. I didn’t want to go back alone.

“
At least you won’t be alone.” Quilla said and opened the door.

“
I won’t?”

Leo walked in.
“My magic is stronger than yours. I’m going with you.”

Home Again

I liked the idea of Leo going. At the same time I didn’t. It could get awkward. “Um, that isn’t necessary, Leo.” My heart sped up.

Leo tucked his hands in his front pockets.
“I’m going.” He threw his shoulders back. “That’s final, Cinderella.”

For h
im to use my full name made me feel like a child being scolded by an unhappy parent. I didn’t like it. Through gritted teeth I said, “Since when did you start making decisions for me?”

He signed.
“This isn’t about you. It’s about this land. As the Prince I’ve been commanded to come with you.” He raised an eyebrow and I got the feeling he wanted me to understand. This had to do with his father, the King. He’d told him to go with me, which meant he had to go. He wasn’t given a choice.

“
Fine,” I said. “When do you leave?”

Leo stepped close.
“Now,” he said, taking my hands.

That reminded me
: I needed to practice the method of travelling from this world to Earth and back again. He’s said two words. What were they again? Avardas. Stolendra. Avapa. Stolapa. I wasn’t sure. My hand made a fist around the hourglass charm tucked in my cleavage.

Leo gave me a funny look
and stood next to me. He was so close I could smell him, like morning sunshine and man and citrus, a heady combination.

“
Besides,” he whispered. “You need me to get you back.”

I thought about the
last time we journeyed across the worlds together, of the way we’d travelled to get to Polonias. I’d been in his arms. My face grew warm.

“
Right.”

The colors in the room start
ed to swirl like mixed paint, and I didn’t even have time to say good-bye to Quilla. I focused on Leo’s face. His eyes were closed and I knew he was concentrating. I wondered if I should be doing that, too, but I wasn’t sure where he was taking us, and I would’ve hated to do anything to mess him up. It was backward from the last time: a strong heat followed by gray-black mists. This time, as we moved through the mists, I saw the shadows of those dwelling there—red and yellow eyes bored into me and I clung harder to Leo. When the wet air vanished, we stopped. Leo opened his eyes, and a little piece of my heart softened.

“
You’re a good guy, right, Leo?” The question had him backed into a corner, because if he wasn’t a good guy he wouldn’t want me to know that, so he’d lie. But I hoped he was.

His hands found the belt loops at my hips and he pulled me closer.
“I’m
your
guy, Cinderella.”