The Apprentice Witch Trilogy by James Nicol

Author:James Nicol
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Chicken House
Published: 2020-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

RETURN TO LULL

iss Gribble?’ Mayor Belcher’s face peeked out through the grille in the gate. ‘Where on earth have you been?’ He looked both relieved and frightened. ‘Open the gates!’ he shouted, and there was a rumbling sound as the gates swung inwards. Mayor Belcher rushed forwards, followed by Lull’s chief of police, Constable Perkins. The mayor seized Arianwyn’s hands.

She stumbled back a little, shocked by his reaction and the worrying fact that he was still in his pyjamas! ‘Where have you been?’ he gasped.

‘In the wood, collecting samples, of course. You knew where we were going, Mayor Belcher,’ she explained slowly. ‘But we had to come back sooner than planned, because of the hex—’

‘Sooner than planned? Miss Gribble, is this some kind of joke?’ the mayor asked, his voice husky. He looked at Arianwyn, then at Colin, then at Miss Newam, searching their faces for an answer. Finally he looked at Tas and gave a little squeak of dismay.

‘Hell-oh!’ Tas said, waving.

Just then, Salle came running to join the group under the high arch of the gateway. Bob followed at her heels, speeding up and dancing around Arianwyn until she lifted the moon hare into her arms, a pink velvety nose brushing her cold cheek in welcome.

‘Are you OK?’ Salle asked. She studied Arianwyn very carefully.

‘Will someone please explain what’s going on?’ Miss Newam snapped. ‘Anyone would think we’d been gone for years, not just a day!’

Everyone fell silent. Constable Perkins coughed, his eyebrows so arched they looked as though they might lift off from his face and fly into the air.

‘But you’ve been gone for over two weeks,’ Salle offered quietly, her eyes wide.

‘What?’ Arianwyn asked. She suddenly felt rather sick, tiredness and hunger hitting her along with this bizarre news.

‘Oh, dear – I think you’d all better come straight to the town hall,’ Mayor Belcher said softly. But he eyed Tas with suspicion. ‘Ahem, about your . . . companion—’ he began.

‘I don’t think you should allow it within the town, Mayor Belcher,’ Miss Newam said quickly. ‘He is a . . . feyling. And for all we know, those creatures could be spreading the hex through the wood. The place was completely crawling with them!’

‘But they helped us,’ Arianwyn said, outraged, but simply too tired and too baffled at that moment to say anything further.

‘I think we should follow Miss Newam’s guidance. As a C.W.A. official,’ the mayor said. He turned and walked back through the gate before anyone could argue.

‘I’m sorry, Tas, wait here and I’ll sort this out in a jiffy. I’ll fetch some food as well. But I just have to—’

He shook his head. ‘Tas OK.’ But his face remained serious and set. ‘Tas have to go, find others.’ He pointed back to the wood.

‘Oh, but I thought—’

‘Tas have to give girl-with-star something.’

‘Are you coming, Miss Gribble?’ the mayor called from further along the street.

‘I’ll be there in a few minutes,’ she replied. She turned back to Tas. His right arm was extended towards her, holding a piece of paper tightly in his fist.

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