The Accidental End (The Accidental Witch Trilogy Book 3) Read online

  “So we can undo the original magic?”

  “She’s undone it. It is no more. When we go back, we’ll be able to give the other creatures back their autonomy.”

  Fletcher whoops and then covers his mouth. “We need to get out of here. We’ve pushed our luck as it is, and if she’s furious, she’ll be more suspicious.”

  They rush out of the coven house, being careful not to jostle any witches or cause a draught or make a noise. Elodie takes Ellis by the hand. “I’m so proud of you. It sounds as though the head witch magic finally came into play. It’s a strange thing. Only head witches know what it’s like, and it must have been so scary for you. You did a wonderful job. Thank you.”

  Ellis lets herself cry and then the three of them hold hands and leave the past behind. They land on the floor, in the front room, sitting cross-legged on the floor, and if anyone walked in, they would assume that they had been that way the whole time.

  Fletcher shakes his head. “Did that just happen?”

  Elodie nods her head, yes. Ellis remains silent. “Are you okay, dear?”

  Ellis nods at Elodie but doesn’t answer. “In shock, probably. Fletcher, get her some pep. She needs it. It might take a while for you to feel normal – after all, your bodies have just travelled hundreds of years. Imagine jetlag and times it by a thousand.” She laughs and stand up. Ellis remains on the floor.

  “I’ll ring Ember, see if she’s made any progress with the leftover rebels, and then we’ll undo the original magic.”

  “You’re so amazing,” Fletcher says, handing Ellis a drink. “Undoing magic is impossible, yes you can change it sometimes, but what you’ve done, what you did with Sadie?” He shakes his head, lost for words.

  Ellis stands up with a hand from Fletcher and then drinks the pep down in one go. “I need some fresh air.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  “No.” Ellis passes him her glass. “Just give me a minute.”

  Fletcher watches her go out to the garden and then looks to his mum. “Should I-”

  “No, give her a minute. The protections are back up, stronger than before. She’ll be safe.”

  “Is she okay, do you think?”

  “Fletcher, of course she’s not. She’s not a born witch, and she just travelled back in time. Her body and her mind are likely raging against what’s happened, and she’s probably scared and exhausted and missing her family. Of course, she’s not okay. But she’s safe and we’re so close to the end now.”

  “I’m so proud of her.”

  “I know. And give her a little breathing space and you can tell her. Just relax. All of this is new to her and scary to her. A lesser girl would have run away from it all, refused to get involved. She’s pretty special.”

  “I know that.”

  Elodie kisses his cheek. “Now, I will ring Ember and ask her what progress she has made, and then we need to undo the original magic. As soon as possible.”

  “Are you going to contact the other species first or after?”

  “I thought after.”

  “It might be good to bring them in on it?”

  Elodie looks unsure. “I’ll see what Ember thinks.”

  “I’m just thinking it’s a way of proving to them we mean no harm, and definitive proof that we’ve done it. They’ll know without a doubt that we’re telling the truth.”

  “I can see what you mean. I suppose I’m putting off seeing them at all. They’ll be so angry.”

  “They will, but maybe less so if they can see what we’re doing, and if we can explain what we’ve done. We’ve done it. Zeta is dead. Efa is dead. Most of the rebels are dead, and we’ve been back in time to amend the original magic so we can undo it. We can let all the supernatural species take their authority back. They can’t be angry once they know what we’ve done. Nobody reasonable could.”

  “Who says they’re reasonable?” But Elodie nods. “I think it’s a splendid idea. Let me talk to my sister and then we’ll decide. I want to do it today, regardless, so maybe we offer them an invitation to come and see us do it, fix it, whatever, and let them decide. If they’re too angry to come, we can tell them once it’s done.”

  Elodie leaves Fletcher alone in the kitchen and he sits for a minute with his head in his hands, running his fingers through his hair, scratching at his head. His skin feels weird, and his head hurts. They’ve done something so incredible and he wants to tell Ellis how proud he is of her; how happy she makes him, but he needs a minute. He thinks his mother is probably right about the jetlag, and he needs a drink and some food.

  He cannot wait until the end of the day, when the magic is reversed, the other species are all freed, and maybe they’ll all sleep well.

  He makes three sandwiches, one for him to eat now, and one each for him and Ellis when she comes back in. He swigs some pep and then sips at a coffee. He doesn’t want to rush Ellis; he understands her need to have some time for herself, but he doesn’t want to ignore her either. He knows well enough how weird girls can get – he lives with four of them after all.

  Two more minutes and then he’s ready to go outside.

  “Ellis.” He calls out her name as he steps outside, the evening a little colder than he thought. He pulls his hoodie from around his waist and pulls it over his head. “Ellis.”

  She’s not on the swing seat where he thought she’d be, or on the bench. The garden isn’t huge, but it is long. He heads to the bottom end, still calling her name, but not too loudly. He’s not concerned. He knows the extra protections put in place after the demon attack on the twins mean that nobody can get into the enclosed space.

  A prickle of unease passes over him, causing him to scratch at his skin again. “Ellis!” This time he shouts her name, and there’s still no answer. He runs to the very bottom of the garden, and his heart almost stops.

  The gate is open.

  Ellis is gone.

  Ellis

  I cannot stay inside. I don’t want to cry in front of Fletcher or his mum, and I’m not sure what I’ve done, what I’ve agreed to.

  Okay, so I know, but I wish I didn’t.

  I cannot even change my mind, and so I have to accept it.

  When we perform the magic spell that will undo the original magic, I will die.

  The ultimate sacrifice. I will die, so that everybody else can live.

  What the fudge is wrong with me?

  If anybody has asked me – before Sadie did – I would have said my choice would not be selfless. No way, no how. I don’t want to die.

  But when she asked me, I surprised even myself. I must be a good witch, a better person than I even I knew.

  I have agreed to die.

  And now I cannot look at Fletcher without tears pricking in my eyes. I will lose him and everything else. Today.

  I sit on the swing seat and push myself back and fore. If I tell him, maybe he can change it.

  And if he can’t?

  I can’t put that decision on him. I decided; I made the choice.

  Me. Only me.

  And the thing is, if I had made the other choice, the choice where everybody dies, nobody would have known. There were no witnesses to me agreeing to be a sacrificial lamb. And so, it must be my actual choice, my heart felt choice, the choice I want to make.

  Even though it’s making me want to throw up.

  I close my eyes. I don’t have long.

  Today.

  I will die today.

  Without ever seeing my family again.

  My eyes pop open. I have to see my family again. I cannot die without it.

  What the hell have I done?

  I’m not even thinking straight, I probably wasn’t when Sadie asked me the question, and now my head is full of white noise, and I’m running down the bottom of the garden, magicking the gate open, and running through it.

  I don’t even have to think about going home, my feet know the way. I’m so focussed on going home, on seeing my family, that somehow I know wh
at to do. I know how to make myself invisible to them. I do it, and I run around the back and in through the doors, before even checking that there’s nobody in the room who I might scare with the doors suddenly swinging open.

  Luckily the room is empty, and I’m crying with relief and sadness and upset, and I may never get up off the floor where I’ve collapsed into a crumpled heap.

  Then the door opens, and my dad walks in, and I am filled with such a wave of love that I almost make myself visible again and run to him. I wish I was a kid again, where running into my dad’s arms and feeling him cuddle me would make everything better. I know it won’t; it would probably give him a heart attack.

  He’s so lovely. He pulls a drawer out of the fridge, chatting to the dead person as he does so. And I’m crying even more.

  How can I die and live without him, my mum, Isaac, Fletcher?

  I can’t.

  Fletcher will just have to undo it. I’ll tell him, and he’ll save me.

  Maybe we can go back in time again, change Sadie’s mind, save me and everyone else.

  But I know we can’t.

  I already read it in the rules. We can’t go back and change time again. Be careful when you meddle, it’s a one-time thing. Stupid rules.

  I am hopeless and helpless and kicking myself for being so ridiculously selfless when nobody was even there to witness it. What is wrong with me?

  Sacrificing myself for the greater good, certainly doesn’t sound like me.

  I look at my dad, whistling as he works, and I am filled with love for him. Is this why I did it? Would I rather die than watch my family die?

  Of course. Most people would.

  But how did it come to this?

  I’m not even a part of this supernatural world, having this epic species war, and suddenly dying so that everybody else can live.

  That does not sound right!

  As soon as I leave here, I’ll speak to Fletcher. His mum can go through their dark and scary and ancient old book and find something that will keep me alive. Or the creatures will just have to live with me being their head witch.

  I don’t want to die.

  The door opens and Isaac barrels in. My dad puts a finger to his lips. He always makes sure we are quiet and respectable and dignified anytime we are in the funeral parts of our home.

  I ache to reach out and hug my annoying little brother.

  Yes, Fletcher will have to fix this. I had no choice but to accept Sadie’s terms. But I don’t want to die. There must be something we can do.

  Maybe the creatures will all accept us keeping our power over them if it means I don’t have to die. Most of them are pretty normal – they’re not all maniacs like Zeta. Or Efa. Or Layland. Or Peri. Or...

  Breathe.

  I watch my family and slow my breathing right down.

  My mum comes in, and I shuffle across the floor, lean against the wall and watch them.

  I just watch them, like I never usually would have to watch them.

  I watch the way my mum tucks her hair behind her ear, the way my dad’s tongue pokes out when he concentrates, the energy that fizzes out of Isaac, even when he’s standing still.

  I watch them be a family. Without me.

  And I have to cover my mouth so they don’t hear me crying.

  It hurts how much I love them, how much I miss them, how much I wish they could comfort me after all I’ve been through since I left them to go on my imaginary trip to Paris. I want my dad to hug me, my mum to reassure me and stroke my hair, I want my brother to aggravate me.

  I want this complete mess to be over with, and me alive at the end.

  I’m ready to go. To leave them to their day and beg Fletcher and his mum to fix this shit storm I’ve started.

  Damn Sadie.

  Damn going back in time.

  Damn witches and vampires and shifters and fairies and their stupid power play and their stupid war.

  Damn Macaroon. Oh, I wonder where she is and if she’s okay, naughty little puppy.

  I wipe my eyes and drink in the sight of my lovely, lovely family one more time.

  Fletcher will sort this. Or his mother. Or Ember. Or the hive mind of the witches. Somebody.

  I just need to tell them.

  Fun!

  I know Fletcher will be angry with me. His mum might be too. His aunt hates me anyway, but hopefully she’s still off on her errand and I won’t have to face her until it’s all fixed.

  They’ll be able to fix it. I’m sure.

  I have to wait for my family to leave the room before I can leave the house, and then I duck outside. I shut the door and just leave my hand on there for a moment. It won’t be long, and this will all be over.

  I will not think of dying. We’ve been back in time, for crying out loud, there must be something we can do to keep me alive. I’m just one little witch.

  I stand beside the door, itching to go back in, desperate to put off telling Fletcher what I agreed to, and how I’ve cocked everything up. Again.

  If he’s angry, it’ll only be because he cares about me. I know that, but I also know that I shouldn’t have told Sadie that I would die for the sake of anybody else. I wanted her to change the original magic so that nobody would die. Magic can’t usually be undone in that way. I should have fixed everything. And I told him I had. I told him and his mum that I had fixed everything.

  I lied.

  I promised to die so that everybody else would live.

  And then I ran away from Fletcher to visit my family one last time before the end.

  I’m having a grand day.

  Reluctantly I walk away from my home, my family, my lovely dead bodies and head back to Fletcher’s house. Time to face the music and all that.

  A noise behind me has me turning, and even though I’m still invisible, somebody can see me, because they shove a hood over my head and bundle me into a car.

  Fudge.

  10

  Fletcher runs out into the street, screaming inside his own head for his mother, and calling out loud for Ellis.

  He can’t see her, and he instantly feels sick.

  Elodie rushes out of the gate and puts her hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump and swear.

  “Fletcher!”

  “Sorry! Ellis is gone. The gate was open and there’s no sign of her.”

  “Why would she leave?”

  “What if someone took her?”

  “Who? There are too many protections in place. Let me see.” She goes back to the gate and then looks at him, her expression awkward. “Fletcher – this has been magicked open from the inside. Ellis left.”

  “Why? She knows how dangerous it is. I don’t... I can’t...”

  “Stay calm.”

  He’s running his hands through his hair, angry and agitated. “I don’t think I can, I don’t understand.” He looks confused, hurt, worried, angry – all the emotions passing over his face, then the fog lifts. “I bet she’s gone home.”

  Elodie nods. “Get her.”

  “She wouldn’t have let them see her, I’m sure. I’m sure she was just homesick.”

  Elodie goes back inside, locking the gate behind her. Fletcher heads up the hill, cursing under his breath. He gets that Ellis is new to all of this; he gets that she’s scared; he gets that she’s homesick, but he needs to her to stop being reckless and stupid. If she is missing her family, she should have told him. If she’s scared, she could talk to him. Running away and leaving everybody in a panic is selfish and immature.

  It isn’t far to her house, and he’s scowling and muttering as he walks, scowling and muttering and not paying much attention to anything going on around him, and then scowling and muttering as he hears a vehicle screech to a halt.

  And he’s scowling and muttering when he sees Ellis being pulled into a van, a hood over her head, her hands flailing and her legs thrashing.

  It all happens so quickly, in such a rush, that he almost can’t believe what he’s seen. He shakes h
is head, rubs his eyes and watches, helplessly, as the van drives away.

  He runs faster than he ever has back to his mother. There’s no point chasing the van; he won’t catch up with it, and there’s only two possibilities for who is responsible for this.

  The rebels – which he doubts. Ember is tracking the last remaining few at this very minute, or it’s the council members who are still angry at being trussed up and abandoned in Scotland.

  His money is on the council members.

  He crashes into the house, causing Elodie to jump with fright. The look on his face tells her everything she needs to know. “Ellis?”

  “She’s gone. She was walking back down the hill, and someone took her.”

  “Who? Took her where?”

  “I don’t know! They stuck a hood over her head and bundled her into a van and drove off practically on two wheels.”

  “A van?”

  “Yes, with no number plate, just black.”

  “Right. I don’t think it’ll be the rebels. It’s probably the council members, some ridiculous notion of revenge. This is why wars go on and on, Fletcher, this pointless, destructive tit for tat attitude that people have. It’s so aggravating.” As she talks, she’s ringing Ember. “No answer. Come on, let’s go.”

  Outside, she nods at him. “Let’s go to the twins, Erin and Anna. They’ll know what’s going on and they have more sense than some.”

  They fly off at the same moment and land in what seems like seconds.

  They are in a normal street, in a normal cul-de-sac, standing in front of a normal semi-detached house.

  Elodie knocks on the door and then magics the door open. Stepping inside, with zero hesitation, she calls out. “Erin! Anna!”

  Erin comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron, flour dusting her cheeks, the picture of calm domesticity; the complete opposite of Elodie’s barely simmering fury.

  “Excuse me!” The fairy is indignant and confused. Her wings flutter as she moves, shimmering beautifully. “Elodie, what the hell are you doing bursting into my house? And what’s with the attitude? Last time I saw you, you left me tied up, and you forgot about me. Seems I should be the angry one, not you!”