The black rock began to expand rapidly, the light twisting around it, as though it was some great whirlpool of darkness, hung in the middle of the quaint little cottage. When it was large enough to swallow a person hole, Sage turned to me.
“Quickly.”
My fingertips pressed against the wall, as though I could cling to it like a gecko. “I—I don’t know what—”
“It is a portal. Jump.”
My mouth hung open as I shook my head. “I don’t think—”
A small but surprisingly strong hand closed around my wrist, tugging me away from the wall. Sage shoved my spine, pushing me headlong into the vortex. Darkness engulfed me for the second time in twenty-four hours. I screamed, or, at least, I tried to. My throat burnt, and yet, no sound came out. I drifted, floating, the darkness and silence pressing in on all sides, obliterating all else. If Sage was with me, I couldn’t see even a hint of her.
And then, quite suddenly, light and noise came rushing back.
I sprawled face down on a smooth stone floor. Not the ornate rug in the cottage. Gone was the crackle of flames, the distant twitter of birds. Instead, voices sounded all around me, exclaiming in shock.
I lifted my head.
An enormous, cavernous chamber of stone greeted me. Huge, arched windows took up one wall, beyond which gulls soared in a clear sky. Several women wearing frilly, ruffled dresses stood nearby, staring down at me.
Feet clad in black ballet pumps appeared beside my head, and I looked up to find Sage primly patting dust from her cloak. She winked at me, then turned to the assembled women.
“Sisters! I come with a gift.”
6Blink Twice If You Need Help
“Is that… a human?”
“It is, indeed. Aliza with an A, she calls herself. She appeared at my doorstep not a half hour ago.”
I scrambled to my feet, sliding behind Sage, who barely came up to my collarbone, as the women drifted closer, shock replaced by eager curiosity. Sage might call them sisters, but they did not look related. They were all as short as her, but the resemblance ended there. One had hair of burning orange with skin coated in freckles. Another had tightly wound, black curls and rich dark skin. None had Sage’s blonde hair.
“Aliza with an A,” the redhead said, testing the name on her tongue as she drifted closer. “I don’t know, it’s a strange name”.
“I like it,” said another with upswept, chestnut eyes. “It is quite pretty.”
Clearly, they were all fucking insane. Where was I? Definitely not in the wood. What on earth was going on now? I glanced around, my eyes landing on a large door at the far side of the room.
Noted.
I had a way out if things got hairy, but there was no telling what fresh horrors awaited on the other side of that door. Gulping, I turned my attention back to the women. They couldn’t suspect I was primed to flee. I willed my breathing to slow.
The redhead gave Sage a swift look. The blonde witch only sighed and said, “She knows nothing. I tried to explain, but she did not believe a word of it, not even that I am a witch.”
“So you warped the poor thing here to prove a point?” The brown-skinned woman grasped my upper arms in her warm hands. “Poor girl. You look horrible.”
“She was like that when I found her,” Sage muttered.
Woah. Okay. I didn’t need a mirror to know I wasn’t looking my best, but was there any need? They’d look a little worse for wear too if they’d been through the things I’d endured.
“You did not think to tidy her up?”
“I told you, she did not believe me. Besides, she told me she spoke with a man. I needed her here quickly.”
Several gasps sounded in unison and my muscles tensed in answer.
“A man?” The hands grasping my arms tightened. “What was he?”
“She does not know. I believe she thinks us all human.”
“This man,” the brown-skinned witch pressed, peering up at me with rich, dark eyes, lined at the outer corners. “What shape were his ears?”
Half an hour ago, I might have thought it a weird question, but now, the words just rolled over me as though the witch had asked the time. “Erm, just ear shaped, I think. Like mine. I didn’t really notice.”
The witch visibly relaxed, though shot a pointed look at a nearby companion. “Fetch Granny.” She turned back to me. “My name is Hyacinth, and this is Nairsgarth Castle, house of the Western Witches. You will be perfectly safe and comfortable here.”
“Actually.” I cleared my throat, attempting to inject my voice with a little authority. “I was saying to Sage, I really need to get home to—to the human world.” It felt ridiculous even saying it, but nothing had been normal since I went into those stupid caves. “I can’t stay here.”
Hyacinth gave me a pitying look. “Have your kind truly become so unlearned?”
Reluctantly, I shook my head, glancing again to the window. Glittering ocean spanned to the horizon, revealing no hint of my location. How the tables had turned. I was supposed to be the one people came to for answers. I was supposed to figure things out and set them right. To reassure other people. There were few mysteries that could not be solved with a culture dish or a scalpel.
Not here, apparently. Here, I was unlearned. Here, I didn’t have the faintest clue of where to look for answers. I certainly wasn’t going to get them from this gang of weirdos with their cryptic superstitions and evasions.
“I tried to explain, but she would not listen,” Sage insisted.
“Oh, I wonder why,” I spat, my temper and embarrassment getting the better of me. I was beyond exhausted, and nothing made any sense. This was all bullshit. What had I done to deserve this?
“I understand your desire to return to your world,” Hyacinth said hurriedly. She took my hand in her own, clucking at the state of my fingers. “But, dear girl, there is much you do not know. Our world, beyond the wards of Nairsgarth, is a dreadfully dangerous place for a human. You cannot wander alone. It’s a blessing you made it to Sister Sage in one piece. Why don’t you rest a while, let us tidy you up, and then we will talk more, and see what we can do to help.”
