new world. One just for witches. How do you know we don’t belong here?’
‘What are you talking about?’ Adie looked at her like she was a stranger.
‘I mean that … what if this is where we’re meant to be. Maybe this is our destiny. Maybe we could have wonderful lives here.’
‘Wonderful lives?’ Grace snapped. ‘We’ve been here for four days and so far Adie and Delilah have nearly drowned, we’ve been attacked by a giant praying mantis and a silver bear, and Jenny’s been electronically tagged.’ Jenny stuck her foot in the air for emphasis. ‘What are you thinking?’
Rachel couldn’t tell them what she was thinking, they wouldn’t understand.
‘Never mind. But would it be okay for me to stay here until the ferry leaves? I could meet you on the beach, in the morning, day after tomorrow.’ She went on quickly as the colour rose in Grace’s cheeks. ‘I mean, wouldn’t it look suspicious if I insisted on going back to the castle with you, right after I promised I would stay a little longer? It might scupper your plans if they decide to keep a closer eye on you.’
Suspicious looks went all around the room. Rachel avoided them.
‘Don’t you miss home?’ said Adie.
Rachel’s eyes welled up at the thought of her parents, and she couldn’t stop the tears.
‘I don’t mind if you want to stay here tonight and tomorrow,’ Grace said suddenly, touching her arm. ‘But how will you know where to meet us? I can describe it, but that’s not very foolproof.’
‘Oh, there are maps all over the place here, just point out where the beach is. Look! There’s one right there, on the wall.’
She trotted over to the framed map and traced her finger along the coast.
‘Here? Is it this beach here? Easy!’ She kept babbling, nervous. ‘Alinda will know where it is, anyway, if you’re worried about me getting lost. The Hunters move through the woods all the time. They’re really–’
Grace’s soft look became suspicious again.
‘You won’t tell her what we’re doing?’
‘Of course not.’
The conversation became stilted after that and Rachel felt guilty that the girls weren’t asked to stay for dinner. But even if it had been up to her, she wouldn’t have invited them. They were killing the buzz that the Hunters’ Mansion gave her, and she wanted to feel it for as long as she could. Before she was ripped from a life of adventure, and ferried back home.
* * *
Aura was waiting for the girls when they returned to Tithon. She stood just inside the castle walls as they shuffled messily down the steep gang-plank of the Hunters’ ship. She was wringing her hands and her sweet smile was nowhere to be seen.
‘Aura,’ said Grace, ‘what’s wrong?’
‘You have to come to the arena. The Supremes have summoned you.’
‘Oh, God,’ Jenny groaned, ‘what did we do now?’
‘It’s my fault,’ Aura said. ‘I was telling Arick at breakfast how you all were invited to the Hunters’ Mansion and Victoria Meister heard me. She … I don’t know what she’s done.’
‘So little Miss Prissy’s at it again. That’s not your fault, Aura, don’t worry.’
‘Please hurry. They’re all waiting.’
With a growing sense of doom, Grace and the others followed Aura to the stadium, where everyone sat in the bleachers excepting the Supremes and Hawk Falls, who stood in the centre of the arena.
‘St John’s of Dunbridge,’ Lady Hecate declared in shrill tones, ‘you have been accused of a grotesque crime, and must hereby stand before your accusers.’
Grace shivered beneath the gaze of the crowd, and apprehension filled her.
‘Whatever that Victoria trollop is saying is rubbish,’ said Jenny boldly to the Supremes. ‘She’s a jealous, stuck-up pain in my bum.’
‘Trollop?’ Una whispered.
‘Got that from Mrs Quinlan,’ Jenny whispered back.
‘Nice one.’
Grace shook her head. She was frightened. This was something big, she could feel it, and she didn’t think her
‘What are you talking about?’ Adie looked at her like she was a stranger.
‘I mean that … what if this is where we’re meant to be. Maybe this is our destiny. Maybe we could have wonderful lives here.’
‘Wonderful lives?’ Grace snapped. ‘We’ve been here for four days and so far Adie and Delilah have nearly drowned, we’ve been attacked by a giant praying mantis and a silver bear, and Jenny’s been electronically tagged.’ Jenny stuck her foot in the air for emphasis. ‘What are you thinking?’
Rachel couldn’t tell them what she was thinking, they wouldn’t understand.
‘Never mind. But would it be okay for me to stay here until the ferry leaves? I could meet you on the beach, in the morning, day after tomorrow.’ She went on quickly as the colour rose in Grace’s cheeks. ‘I mean, wouldn’t it look suspicious if I insisted on going back to the castle with you, right after I promised I would stay a little longer? It might scupper your plans if they decide to keep a closer eye on you.’
Suspicious looks went all around the room. Rachel avoided them.
‘Don’t you miss home?’ said Adie.
Rachel’s eyes welled up at the thought of her parents, and she couldn’t stop the tears.
‘I don’t mind if you want to stay here tonight and tomorrow,’ Grace said suddenly, touching her arm. ‘But how will you know where to meet us? I can describe it, but that’s not very foolproof.’
‘Oh, there are maps all over the place here, just point out where the beach is. Look! There’s one right there, on the wall.’
She trotted over to the framed map and traced her finger along the coast.
‘Here? Is it this beach here? Easy!’ She kept babbling, nervous. ‘Alinda will know where it is, anyway, if you’re worried about me getting lost. The Hunters move through the woods all the time. They’re really–’
Grace’s soft look became suspicious again.
‘You won’t tell her what we’re doing?’
‘Of course not.’
The conversation became stilted after that and Rachel felt guilty that the girls weren’t asked to stay for dinner. But even if it had been up to her, she wouldn’t have invited them. They were killing the buzz that the Hunters’ Mansion gave her, and she wanted to feel it for as long as she could. Before she was ripped from a life of adventure, and ferried back home.
* * *
Aura was waiting for the girls when they returned to Tithon. She stood just inside the castle walls as they shuffled messily down the steep gang-plank of the Hunters’ ship. She was wringing her hands and her sweet smile was nowhere to be seen.
‘Aura,’ said Grace, ‘what’s wrong?’
‘You have to come to the arena. The Supremes have summoned you.’
‘Oh, God,’ Jenny groaned, ‘what did we do now?’
‘It’s my fault,’ Aura said. ‘I was telling Arick at breakfast how you all were invited to the Hunters’ Mansion and Victoria Meister heard me. She … I don’t know what she’s done.’
‘So little Miss Prissy’s at it again. That’s not your fault, Aura, don’t worry.’
‘Please hurry. They’re all waiting.’
With a growing sense of doom, Grace and the others followed Aura to the stadium, where everyone sat in the bleachers excepting the Supremes and Hawk Falls, who stood in the centre of the arena.
‘St John’s of Dunbridge,’ Lady Hecate declared in shrill tones, ‘you have been accused of a grotesque crime, and must hereby stand before your accusers.’
Grace shivered beneath the gaze of the crowd, and apprehension filled her.
‘Whatever that Victoria trollop is saying is rubbish,’ said Jenny boldly to the Supremes. ‘She’s a jealous, stuck-up pain in my bum.’
‘Trollop?’ Una whispered.
‘Got that from Mrs Quinlan,’ Jenny whispered back.
‘Nice one.’
Grace shook her head. She was frightened. This was something big, she could feel it, and she didn’t think her
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