The War on Witches by Paul Ruditis

Author:Paul Ruditis [Ruditis, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781443445979
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Published: 2015-10-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Austin checked his watch for the twelfth time since they’d arrived outside the clearing in the woods. It was almost magic time in every sense of the phrase. According to the weather app on his phone, the sun would officially set in two minutes—“the twilight hour,” as Isaac had announced ominously, as if Austin had never heard it called that before.

Austin still wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into. He wasn’t a true believer like the rest of these followers. He didn’t know anything about this supposed “calling” that had passed down to him through generations. He barely knew his own parents. And he still wasn’t all that sure that witches were real. The girl at the museum didn’t do anything witch-like. Not that he could even begin to guess what it was that witches did.

It was feeling more and more like he was part of a cult. And not the benevolent kind of cult that Isaac kept insisting they were. They might not be using evil powers like the witches—if that was even true—but their actions weren’t exactly benevolent. Skulking around the woods at nightfall and preparing to attack a coven of witches wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows.

“I thought we had a job to do,” Austin whispered to Isaac. “Something that didn’t involve me taking magic away from witches?”

“We do,” Isaac said. “You are merely here to witness the beginnings of a new world—one in which witchcraft comes to an end and a new power rises.”

“New power?” Austin asked. That didn’t sound like what everyone else here was talking about. Not by a long shot.

“Our people are in position,” Emily whispered before Isaac could elaborate on his comment. “Are you sure doing this while there’s still sunlight is safe? Wouldn’t it be better to wait till it’s fully dark?”

Isaac hit her with a glare that he usually reserved for Austin. “As I’ve explained, the twilight hour is when these witches will be at their weakest. They will grow more powerful as the time approaches midnight. The longer we wait, the more likely you will fail. And I do not need to tell you what the witches will do to you if you fail, do I?”

“No,” Emily said as she backed away. “Sorry.”

Emily wasn’t the type to be easily unnerved, which made Austin even more concerned about the sway Isaac had over these people. He watched her as she slinked off, stepping carefully so she didn’t rustle any leaves or snap a twig. Austin considered doing either of those things or anything else he could to give the witches some kind of sign they were in danger. If the coven were on alert, maybe Isaac would put an end to this plan. At the very least, he might postpone the attack. Austin would welcome any delay as a chance to get out of whatever he’d gotten himself into.

“For someone who hates magic, you sure know a lot about it,” Austin said, testing the waters. If he got Isaac riled up, maybe he would make some kind of noise that would call attention to them.

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