Spell Catcher Chapter Nine (edited 11/22)

“Ok, ready?” I asked as we walked down the hall. The polished floor reflected the afternoon sun, making it hard to see.1

“Ready for what?” Sienna asked with a confused expression on her face.2

“I’m going to see Tamora while mom’s busy with this meeting.”3

Jenna pushed up her glasses. “But she said to stay out of it.”4

“Yes, but she also told us to go do what girls our age do. So were going to do just that.”5

“And what pray tell is that?” Jenna grabbed my arm.6

I shook her off, “hang out with a friend.”7

The shrugged and followed me to the kitchen.8

* * *9

“Hello Mrs. Day. Is Tamora home?” I asked as sweetly as I could. 10

Tamora’s mother had a puzzled expression on her face as she looked at us. I figured she was wondering why we were here. We weren’t friends with Tamora and we’d never been to the house before.11

“Yes she is.”12

“May we see her?”13

She looked at all three of us as if trying to understand why we were here. I guess she decided she didn’t understand girls our age because after a moment she said, “of course. I’ll call her for you.”14

“Oh don’t bother Mrs. Day. We’ll go to her. Which room is it?” Asked Sienna.15

“Second door on your left.”16

“Thanks Mrs. Day.”17

We walked down carpeted hall lined with photographs. Some of them looked to be very old. Their white and black pictures shown bleak on the stark white walls.18

The door was open so we stepped inside. A four-poster bed with pink bedcovers dominated the square room. Posters of various actors and actress hung between huge pictures of Tamora.19

She was lying on her stomach on the bed. Singing off-key with earphones, she was kicking her feet in the air as we walked in. She looked up and hurried to her feet, throwing the earphones down. “What are you guys doing here?”20

Sienna closed the door behind her. The latch clicking into place had a hollow and ominous sound that fit perfect with the look of horror on Tamora’s face.21

“Tamora I think you had better sit back down.” I told her calmly.22

She fell back against the bed. “What do you want?”23

Jenna and Sienna went to sit on either side of her. Tamora had on blue stretch pants scrunched up at her knees and an oversized white t-shirt knotted at one side.24

“Relax, were not here to hurt you.” Sienna said soothingly, patting her shoulder.25

A look of terror pasted itself on her face when she looked at Sienna and jerked away suddenly. She inched over only to bump into Jenna. She realized she surrounded26

“Tamora, we saw you at my mother’s workroom window yesterday.” I was still standing in front of her and I had my arms crossed. “What did you see?’27

“I didn’t see nothing.” Now that she knew what information we were looking for she was getting confident and a superiors sneer came across her face.28

“So you admit you were there?” My voice was hard.29

“I admit nothing.” I detected weariness in her voice.30

Sienna patted her arm again, “you’re just making this harder on yourself.”31

Tamora jerked out from under her touch as if it burned. She sighed and looked down at her hands lying on her thighs. “Really guys I didn’t see anything. Just you guys with an old dented bowl.”32

Jenna got Tamora’s attention, “did you tell anyone about what you saw?”33

Tamora just looked at her. Jenna tried again while pushing up her glasses. “Did you tell Elder Graves about the bowl?”34

“Yes.” She replied softly.35

“Why Leeanna Graves?” I asked I was so disgusted with Leeanna I couldn’t call her an Elder.36

“Why should I tell you? What’s in it for me?” She became impertinent and the sneer came back.37

I leaned my head back and sighed at the ceiling. The adrenaline I was running on was slowly dwindling away and the frustration was taking over. “When this is all over and names are being brought to the surface you’re going to want something positive hooked to yours. If you help us we will make sure my mother knows what you did.”38

“If your mother is even High Elder after this then it will help, but what if Elder Graves is and she finds out I helped you. I’ll be in trouble.” She sneered. “Do you know what will happen if she finds out. That woman scares me.”39

“What has Elder Graves done for you?” Asked Jenna from her side.40

Tamora looked at her. I watched as a range of emotions ran over her face, anger, frustration, disgust, anger again, then sadness, ending with a puzzled expression. Finally, “it’s not what she’s done, its what she’s going to do.”41

I took a deep breath to calm my excited nerves. We were getting somewhere now. “And what is she going to do?” I almost rubbed my hands together. But I didn’t want her to know she was headed in the direction I wanted.42

Her shoulders rose as she took a very deep breath, deeper than the one I had just taken. In a quiet and trembling voice she said, “When she becomes High Elder she’ll make my mom an Elder and…”43

She stopped and we waited for her to go on. The seconds ticked by and I shifted my stance, willing myself to be patient. But every nerve and muscle tensed and relaxed as I stood staring at this girl who had been a thorn in my side since we were five. Since the day she tore the head off my favorite doll. Since she shoved me in a mud puddle on picture day. Since I gave her a black eye that same day. It got worse after we discovered boys weren’t gross. Especially after I went to the Valentine Day with Roger, her lab partner and her secret crush. I had over heard her telling her friends about him. So I asked him in science right in front of her. That was the best as of yet.44

So I waited and the frustration mounted.45

“And,” I urged.46

She looked at me with sad eyes and I almost felt sorry for her but then I remembered this last time she got the three of us in trouble. And I hardened.47

“Once she is High Elder your mom will be thrown out of the coven along with you and both of you,” she looked at Sienna and Jenna, “and your families.”48

They both looked at me and Sienna asked with fists balled up on her thighs. “Can she do that?”49

I shook my head, but I didn’t shake it for no. It was more a shake of I don’t know. “I’m not sure. Once an Elder becomes the High Elder she or he can change the laws with the approval of the Elder council.”50

“How exactly does that work?” Asked Sienna gritting her teeth in anger.51

“It’s like a pyramid. High Elder is at the top. She or he can make changes to laws, promote and demote etc., but only if most of the Elders approve. The Elder Council is next. They help rate spells and keep the High Elder from becoming greedy. Also they help the High Elder solve the problems in the coven. The rest of the coven is either a full witch or a star apprentice.” I explained.52

Jenna looked at me with a question on her face. “I’ve never heard of anyone being thrown out of the coven except your father.” She threw up her hand to forestall my objection. “What happens when that happens?”53

I shrugged, “we’ll have to ask my mom.”e54

Jenna turned to Tamora and touched her arm, "Does she have information on the rest of the Elders? Or just Elder Eden and Elder McCarthy?’55

Wide-eyed Tamora shook her head, “I don’t know. I didn’t even know that she had anything on Elder Eden and Elder McCarthy.” She stopped and swung her head looking at each of us. Fear had crept into her yes. “If she has dirt on every Elder just think of all she could do. She could make them agree to everything she wants.”56

Crossing my arms again I looked at her, my mouth was a hard line and my eyebrows were drawn together. “What do you care? Isn’t that what you and your mother want?”57

Her head stopped and she stared at me with pleading eyes. “No, no! I only want what my mom deserves. I think the system works most of the time.”58

“Well now the system will break down and she’ll have absolute rule. Now one will be safe.” My voice rose. “Do you really think she’ll keep her word?”59

“Y-yes.”60

I bent down and grabbed her shoulders. I shook them while saying, “Dream on little girl. She’s using you.” I was angry. Angry at her, at Leeanna, at my mother and so angry with Calvin Younge, my father. I poured that anger into my next sentence. “Like my father used Elder Graves and my mother.” I was gritting my teeth so hard my jaw ached.61

“Baylee!” Jenna had grabbed one of my arms. “Baylee, stop it! You’re hurting her.”62

I looked down and Tamora had tears on her cheeks.63

Softly from my other side Sienna took one of my hands from Tamora’s shoulder. “Baylee, it’s alright?”64

I took my other hand away and walked out the door.65

* * *66

“Baylee!” A low muffled voice called from a distance. It was like I had stuffed cotton in my ears. “Baylee.” A hand landed on my arm. The contact cleared my head.67

“Baylee.”68

“What?” I called, anger radiated out from my body.69

“Slow down.” The hand eased from my arm as I slowly became aware of my surroundings.70

The air had taken on a bite and I wrapped my arms around myself trying to keep warm. Jenna held out my coat and I folded myself into it. Around me darkness had fallen. Stars winked at me as if they and I shared a secret. Frogs, crickets and an owl were conducting the evening symphony around us as I stopped and gazed at the distant horizon. A light scent of pine drifted around me. Drawing me down to the earth and its solid existence.71

“Baylee?” Come that muffled voice again.72

My eyes cleared and I searched for the familiar voice. A voice of reason and intellect. “Jenna?”73

“Baylee are you alright?” Sienna asked, clearly worried.74

I blinked, my head was thumping with the beginning of a headache. I just wanted the world to be quiet. I had learned so much today. And I couldn’t think. There was too much distraction.75

Across the path leading home sat a tree. A soled, earth loving tree, one of natures children. Roots, that’s what I needed. I strode over to it. I reached out and laid my hands on the rough bark. Feeling the familiar bumps and ridges I let my mind sink into its solid form. At once my mind cleared. With each cleansing breath my muscles relaxed and a sense of peace enveloped me. I laid my cheek
against the cool bark, smelling the musky wood, feeling it scratch my cheek. Calmly I looked at my friends who were studying me with worried expressions.76

“I’m alright guys. Really I am.” I saw movement behind them and I lifted myself from the tree. “What are you doing here?”77

Tamora stepped around Jenna. “I want to help.”78

Sienna glared at her. “Don’t you think you’ve helped enough?”79

She dropped her head and kicked a pebble on the path. “I want to make it better. Make it right.”80

I squared my feet and put my hands on my hips. “If you really want to help, want to make things right you have to tell my mother everything you know.”81

“If you come clean maybe we can stop whatever Elder Graves is going to do.” Jenna said while pushing up her glasses.82

“And maybe we won’t get in as much trouble,” put in Sienna.83

“Ok.” Came her reply, softly.