Page 92 of Rewitched

Rune rubbed his face, scratched at the stubble across his jaw. “I know, I know. I’m just trying to think rationally.”

“I’m afraid we are way past rational and straight into delusional levels of blind revenge.”

Belle reached for the front door handle and slid the chain across to open the door. But it promptly relocked itself of its own accord. She turned to see Artorius at the top of the stairs, a hand outstretched, using his magic to fasten it shut.

“Rune is right, Belle. I will not allow you to put yourself in danger for me. You’ve been through enough, and that was only the surface of what the Gowden sisters are capable of.”

He slowly made his way down the stairs, gripping onto the banister as he continued. “You are rushing to think of your grandmother and of myself, for which I am most grateful. But you are failing to consider other consequences of this new information,” Artorius continued. “Think for a moment.”

Realisation marked her face. “Morena and Bronwyn. It’s them, isn’t it? Sabotaging my lessons. They want me gone, by any means necessary.”

“I suspect that explains why Morena was so reluctant to allow you to even have a chance at endarkenment in the first place,” Artorius pointed out.

“But then, why did Bronwyn encourage the mentorship?” Rune asked.

“I really miss when I didn’t have to consider dark magic traps and killer witches as part of my day-to-day contemplation,” Belle said, more to herself than anybody else.

“Bronwyn evidently had ulterior motives up her cloak sleeve in pairing us. She may have assumed it would be easier to take us down together in one fell swoop. She knew that your failure would ensure mine, too. The coven would shut its doors to me forever if I failed to provide adequate mentorship to you. She underestimated us both in many ways. And of course, we’ve had a helping hand along the way.”

He gingerly took a step to the bottom of the stairs and continued.

“Didn’t you say it was your sooth stone that encouraged you to accept the offer of mentorship? That it seemed to be guiding you towards something this whole time?”

Belle faltered. “I did.”

“I regret to side with him over you.” Artorius rolled his eyes in Rune’s direction, who muttered something about wondering why he bothered. “But I do think Mr. Dunstan is right. We should not rush to Hecate House just yet. We may have one final witch to speak to first. And one final challenge that we are yet to undertake.”

Belle stared up at the ceiling and inhaled deeply. “If you’re about to suggest that the next logical conclusion is communicating with my dead grandmother…”

“The grimoire couldn’t be clearer,” Artorius said, recalling the Necromancy allegory.

Eternal sleep, peaceful gift,

When death has come, soft and swift.

Another room across the way,

Ne’er far from those who have to stay.

Call with heart to gently rouse

Their bleary eyes, the hazy drowse.

Part of thine self, a splintered soul,

Unbroken since the bell did toll.

“It is asking you to communicate with someone who has passed, someone who was part of thine self, a splintered soul.”

“It must be her, Belle,” Rune agreed. “Your stone, her protection spell, the Gowdens, Artorius, everything we just watched in the mirror…Your grandmother is the missing link to all of this.”

“But Morena’s memory curse…She won’t remember a thing.”

“Outstanding magic washes away when death comes to take a witch. She will have returned to her true self when her eyes closed to rest,” Artorius said softly.

AS THE THIRTIETH moon of October lay low and charmed in the charcoal sky, as though it were intrigued by their endeavours, Artorius offered an arm to Belle. Conjuring the spirit of Alvina Blackthorn was not something that had been on Belle’s bingo card when October first arrived, but it strangely felt a perfectly fitting end to what had been a month of unabridged chaos across both her magic and non-wicche-related life.

“The fact that it happens to be Samhain morning will certainly work in our favour, I would wager. The veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest for Halloween,” Artorius explained, as the three unlikely friends moved the furniture aside to clear the living room floor. Once armchairs and clutter had been stacked at the walls, Belle, Rune and Artorius (just about) sat cross-legged together in a circle.