All Hallowed Out Read online

  I nodded as she took the mushrooms from me and threw them into a cauldron, sighing in relief as the liquid turned orange. ‘This punch recipe needs a couple of days to be just right,’ she said. ‘Melissa, where are you going? I need you to carve Jack O’Lanterns.’

  Melissa ruffled Candace’s hair, causing the girl to squirm. ‘Back in a sec,’ she said. ‘First I have to make a long and mushy call to my boyfriend, and then I have to check on something important.’

  As Melissa headed to the small reception area, I set to work, grabbing a box filled with turnips. In Riddler’s Cove we made Jack O’Lanterns with both turnips and pumpkins, but the turnips were more traditional, and it didn’t feel like Halloween without them. I was just sticking a knife into my first one, when Dizzy fluttered to my shoulder.

  ‘That wasn’t as long a nap as usual,’ I said, snuggling my cheek against him.

  He shrugged his little wings. ‘Couldn’t settle. Hand me one of the smaller turnips. I can gnaw a face into it with my teeth.’

  A sweet burst of laughter sounded beside me, and I turned to see a small, fair-haired girl of about nine or ten, looking in delight at Dizzy. ‘I love your familiar,’ she said shyly. She opened up her backpack, revealing a brown and white guinea pig inside. He was chewing on some kale, and he paused to give me a friendly wave before getting back to business.

  ‘This is Porky,’ the girl told me. ‘My familiar. It’s great to meet someone else who doesn’t have a cat.’

  ‘Porky is gorgeous,’ I said. ‘This here is Dizzy – he’s a Lesser-Known Mango Bat. And I’m Wanda Wayfair.’

  She gave me a sheepish smile. ‘I know. Candace and Melissa are always talking about you. And you’re kind of famous, too. My favourite thing you ever did was save all the weredog kids two Halloweens ago. Well, that or how you discovered Minister Plimpton’s secret lair where she’d been hiding your dad all those years. Or maybe when you fought the members of the Dark Team and won.’ Her face began to redden. ‘Aaaand maybe I’d better stop telling you about all the things you did, seeing as you already know about them. Because, well, you did them. Um … I’m Hailey Byrd, by the way.’

  My eyes widened. ‘Hailey Byrd? It’s great to meet you.’ It really was. Hailey was the newest member of Nemo. She had human parents, and had only recently discovered she was a powerful witch.

  I was about to pass her a turnip, when Candace rolled her eyes and said, ‘Hailey, you know I love you, but you can’t sit here hero-worshipping Wanda. Not when you haven’t finished hanging up the banner for outside the door. And remember – ladders are for humans. Use your magic like I’ve taught you.’

  Hailey sighed and stood up. ‘Sorry, Candace. I’ll go do it now.’

  I was just about to give Candace (yet another) lecture in how to relate to her peers, when she let out a shriek of irritation. I followed her eyes across the hall, realising she was glaring at Tigger.

  ‘Who brought that horrible cat?’ she asked. ‘Poor Kitty is trying to snooze, and he won’t let her.’

  Tigger had gotten his hands on one of the tiny plastic pumpkin lights, and he was kicking it towards Candace’s familiar, a beautiful fluffy white cat called Kitty. He clearly wanted to play, but Kitty wasn’t having any of it. She batted the light away from her, then turned her back on Tigger.

  ‘He’s stressed,’ I said. ‘And hyper. He thinks his witch is in trouble. He came to our house this morning to ask for our help. That’s why Melissa and I were late.’

  Candace gasped. ‘Well, why didn’t you say so? What are you doing here? Why aren’t the two of you off solving the mystery?’

  I raised an eyebrow. ‘Seriously? You texted Melissa that you’d give us warts and boils, and you told me that if I didn’t get over here with your Autumn Zings, you’d make sure my hair turned as orange as a pumpkin.’

  She looked pointedly at my hat. ‘Yes, well … there wouldn’t be much point, would there? Not now that I realise you like orange so much. Look, it’s true – I want to make this Halloween the best Halloween ever. But I’m not a monster. What’s wrong with his witch, anyway? Why does he think she’s in trouble?’

  I quickly explained the situation.

  ‘Ariadne’s in the Night Rooms?’ said Arthur. He’d been standing near the stage, clapping as a young weredog juggled eighteen tennis balls, but he edged his way closer to us. ‘She’s certainly known for overworking herself. She’s one of the most infamous members of our coven.’

  ‘Infamous?’ I questioned. The Albrights were a coven filled with chroniclers. They all lived and breathed words, whether fact or fiction. Arthur was the Tall Tales teacher at the nearby school, and his cousin Adeline was the chief chronicler and librarian at Crooked College. It was a huge coven, though, and as far as I knew Ariadne was no direct relation to either. ‘What’s infamous about being a writer in the Albright coven?’

  Arthur smiled wanly. ‘Well, these days – now that our former coven leader is in Witchfield and we’re being ruled by committee – there’s nothing scandalous about it, whatsoever. But when Arnold Albright was in charge, he very nearly got Ariadne kicked out. He was not a fan of her work.’

  While we talked, Ronnie had been busy slicing up brack and buttering it for the kids, but she paused, knife in hand, and looked curiously at her boyfriend. ‘Why not? Ariadne’s books are amazing. The Witch Who Liked to Vacuum the Stairs is a favourite of mine. It’s hilarious. The bit when the fuse blows? I mean … I just did not see her trying to change that fuse herself. I would have resorted to magic myself at that point.’

  ‘You know how Arnold is,’ Arthur replied. ‘He thinks witches are the be all and end all. He considered Ariadne’s obsession with the human world unhealthy. He said she only fixated on it because she wasn’t all that powerful herself. And then, well … she went and moved into a house in the human world. That tipped Arnold over the edge. Luckily, the rest of the coven overruled him and said he couldn’t kick her out. We love Ariadne.’

  Sometime during the conversation, Tigger had stopped playing with the decorative lighting and drifted our way. He hopped up onto Arthur’s lap, purring. ‘And we love this little guy, too,’ Arthur added with a laugh. ‘So I have to say, I’m a bit worried. All that Kapow Meow can’t be good for you, Tigg.’

  Ronnie joined him, patting Tigger. ‘You know, I was about to set my students to work studying one of that drink’s ingredients – the Nepeta Nippity Nip – after the holiday,’ she said. ‘From my own observations, it’s not ideal, but it won’t do you any harm in the short term. But I mean in the short term. The sooner Ariadne wakes up, the better.’

  I was just about to ask more about the Nepeta Nippity Nip, when Melissa called me into the small entrance hall. ‘Wanda? Wanda, c’mere!’

  As I headed out to her, Ronnie, Arthur and Candace trailed behind, while Dizzy stayed firmly planted on my shoulder, still nibbling away at his turnip.

  ‘Hey guys.’ Melissa gave them all a wave. ‘I heard Wanda filling you in, so that saves me a job. Listen, I’ve been looking through the reservation book, and a group called the Tearful Tea Drinkers have the upstairs meeting room booked for eight this evening.’

  ‘The Tearful Tea Drinkers?’ Candace scoffed. ‘What do they meet up for? To complain about the quality of tea?’

  ‘Em, no. They’re a grief support group,’ Arthur explained awkwardly.

  While Candace winced and looked suitably abashed, Dizzy just stared at Arthur and said, ‘What if they want to drink coffee? Or water? Is that allowed?’

  Arthur pinched the bridge of his glasses, clearly trying to cover up his laughter. ‘I’m sure that’s allowed, Dizzy. Anyway, they have the meeting room booked twice a week, every week. Although their Thursday meeting’s been moved to Friday, because that room is going to be the cloak room during the Halloween Ball.’

  ‘But they are meeting tonight,’ Melissa said. ‘At eight on the dot, which is the time Ariadne noted – the time she figured the “culprit” might be here. Which means you and I should also be here, Wanda.’

  Tigger leapt from Arthur’s arms and hopped onto the desk. He knocked over a cup of pens and a vase of flowers in the process, before looking down at the reservations’ book. ‘And I know who she thought the culprit was!’ he cried. ‘Look – Thomas Flowers is the group leader.’

  Melissa and I squinted at the tiny writing below the reservation. ‘So she suspected Thomas,’ I said slowly. ‘But … of what? Of giving her a sleeping potion so he could gain control of her finances? Or something worse – something to do with The Book That Shall Not Be Named?’

  ‘It’s not looking good for the almost ex-husband, is it?’ Ronnie remarked. ‘And having met the man myself a few times, I–’

  She broke off, as a loud crash came from outside. We watched in horror as a ladder banged across the clear doors, and a small girl fell to the ground.

  ‘Oh my stars!’ Candace cried. ‘It’s Hailey. I told her not to use the ladder!’

  7. Schisms and Schemes

  It took a couple of spells for us to get outside, as the ladder had jammed the doors shut when it fell. When we got out there, the air felt deader than ever. And there was a strange smell, too, sort of like stagnant water, or rotting compost.

  None of that mattered right now, though. All that mattered was little Hailey Byrd. Another member of the Nemo Foundation was outside with her – a werewolf kid called Patter Gaunt – and his face was filled with dread as he stared down at Hailey.

  Melissa ran to them, checking for injuries. ‘What happened?’

  ‘She was up on the ladder,’ said Patter. ‘And–’

  ‘I told her not to use the ladder,’ Candace barked.

  Patter rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah, well, you knew she was going to use it anyw
ay. You know as well as I do that Hailey’s still getting to grips with her power. Anyway, she didn’t fall exactly. Well, she did, but–’

  ‘Which was it, Patter?’ Candace asked impatiently, interrupting him for the second time. According to Melissa, Candace had a huge crush on Patter. I’d hate to see how she treated the boys she didn’t like.

  Patter gritted his teeth before answering. ‘She fell asleep, that’s what happened. Just out of the blue. I saw her head drooping while I was about to hand the banner up to her. I tried to get up there to carry her down, but she started to sway, and the ladder swayed with her and … well, you know the rest.’

  Melissa looked at me. ‘I think she might have hurt her ankle when she fell, but that’s about the only damage I can find. She doesn’t seem to have banged her head. It’s like she’s just … asleep.’

  Tigger was prodding Hailey’s bag, which was lying against a wall near the door. ‘Porky’s asleep too, Wanda. This is bad, isn’t it?’

  I took in a deep breath of breezeless air, then picked the cat up. ‘Yes, Tigger. This is really, really bad. Let’s get Hailey and Porky to Night and Gale.’

  ≈

  In her bed at Night and Gale, Hailey Byrd looked peaceful. Melissa and Candace held onto the girl’s either hand, staring worriedly down at her. Florence had just finished checking her over and was making some notes. The healer’s face was grave.

  ‘Thanks for being here,’ said Melissa. ‘I know our coven have had you running all over the place, what with checking out Ariadne at the Night Rooms.’

  Florence clenched her teeth. ‘Yes, well, the less said about that place the better. You know, there have always been schisms in our coven. It happens at least twice a century. And each time it’s because some schemer puts wealth before health. But Fintan …’ She clutched the medical chart so tight that I could see her knuckles turn white. ‘He really takes the cake.’

  ‘Em … not a fan, then?’ I said. I’m ever so intuitive.

  ‘What’s the opposite of a fan? Because that’s what I am. But as I’ve just told your mother, I can’t see anything funny in any of the potions they’re giving Ariadne. There’s no sign of her power being drained, and there are no magical traces on her, either, so if it was a spell it’s a well-hidden one. I’d really need to test her blood – and there’d have to be a warrant in place for me to do that.’

  She rubbed her temples and turned to Melissa. ‘For now, let’s talk about Hailey. Where are her parents? I know they’re human, but they’re well aware of the supernatural world. They ought to be here with her.’

  Melissa sighed. ‘You’re right, they are aware of the magical world. Her mother works in the Irish government. In one of those departments that know all about us. When she saw the kind of power her daughter had, she brought her to Miles and me, thinking we’d be the best fit for her. They’re away at the moment, on holiday in Italy. I’ve left a message with their hotel but … honestly, since they left Hailey with us, it’s as though they’ve washed their hands of her. I’m not sure they’ll bother to respond.’ She squeezed Hailey’s hand. ‘But it’s okay. Hailey is one of Nemo’s, now. We’ll look after her. Her parents even gave Miles and me the power to make any legal and medical decisions.’

  Florence shook her head, staring with pity at Hailey. ‘Well, she’s lucky she has you. Especially now. I honestly don’t know what’s going on with her until I get her blood tests back, but it’s eerily similar to what I saw when I visited Ariadne. There’s no detectable magic, and nothing is draining her. Her health is almost perfect, other than a mild sprain to her ankle – which would have happened when she fell from the ladder. It’s as though she’s simply in the deepest sleep. The difference between Ariadne and Hailey is that Porky is asleep too. Then again, I’d say the Kapow Meow Tigger’s been drinking is the sole reason he is awake.’

  I glanced at Hailey’s familiar. He was tucked up in his witch’s arms, snoring peacefully.

  Tigger looked up at me, his jaw sawing from side to side as he struggled not to yawn. ‘But I don’t understand why Thomas would do this to Hailey. He didn’t even know her.’

  That had been puzzling me, too. Maybe this was about more than just Ariadne’s money. The sooner I got my hands on The Book That Shall Not Be Named, the sooner I’d get to the bottom of this.

  ‘Wanda.’ Florence was staring at me. ‘Do you think you and I could have a word?’

  With Tigger in my arms, and Dizzy on my shoulder, I followed Florence out into the hallway. ‘What’s up?’ I asked. ‘I mean, other than the obvious mystery of why two seemingly unrelated people would suddenly succumb to some kind of sleeping spell or potion.’

  She winced a little. ‘Well, that is the problem, actually. Doesn’t all of this seem frighteningly familiar, Wanda? Sleeping witches who can’t be woken, no matter how hard we try?’

  Oh, crap. Florence was right – this was hardly an unprecedented event. My legs felt like they might buckle, so I sank into a nearby chair. I sat there for what felt like an age, with Florence, Dizzy and Tigger all staring my way. Finally, the cat grew impatient. ‘What does she mean, Wanda? Tell me. What does she mean? For the love of slow-moving mice, you have to tell me what she means.’

  I stroked his back, hoping to calm his shivers. ‘It’s a long story, Tigger. I …’ I trailed off, staring down the long hallway. A man was rushing towards us, with a woman in his arms.

  ‘Oh good goddess!’ cried Florence. ‘That’s Bryce Blue and Veronica Berry.’

  Bryce reached us in seconds, cradling his wife in his arms. Her long hair swept the floor, and her eyes were tightly shut. The softest of snores came from her before she quietened again.

  Florence snapped her fingers, and a bed appeared in the hallway. Laying Veronica gently down, she looked at Bryce. ‘When did this happen, Bryce? How long has she been asleep?’

  His handsome face was clouded with panic. ‘I got home from a gig last night to be told that she’d collapsed. Her agent was with her at the time, and she sent her straight to the Night Rooms.’ He swallowed. ‘But I’ve been chatting with Mack. He told me Melissa’s worried about that writer, Ariadne Albright. That she’s in some weird, deep, magical sleep – the way loads of us were last winter. I’m afraid whatever’s wrong with Ariadne might be wrong with Veronica too.’

  Bryce and the rest of the band were some of the small circle who knew the truth about what happened back then. He looked pleadingly at Florence. ‘You’re the best healer I know, Flo. Can you help her?’

  ‘I’ll do my best,’ Florence promised, before turning to me. ‘Wanda, you need to get your mother and Christine here. Right away. And if this is Will Berry’s doing again, then someone needs to stop him.’

  8. It’s Got Nothing to Do With What’s-His-Name

  These days I was lucky in love. But before Max, well … let’s just say I attracted bad guys. Not motorcycle riding, leather-jacket wearing bad guys – but the kind of guys who used dark magic and hurt everyone they knew.

  First there was Gabriel Godbody, who had been dosing me with a love potion throughout our entire relationship. And then … then there was Will.

  Will, who had almost brought back the Whisperer, one of the worst evils the magical world had ever known. Will, who had dragged me and everyone I loved into his nightmare world, a dream he controlled, albeit subconsciously. A dream in which we were all moulded into what he wanted us to be. Sure, he hadn’t known he was doing it – after the Whisperer was defeated, he’d left Will with so much power that, even in a coma, he was able to perform the strongest of magic.

  It was no wonder Florence was afraid the same thing was happening again. But could all of this really be down to Will Berry? I cuddled Dizzy close, while more and more people arrived around me. If it was Will, then I just hoped someone else would deal with him, and quickly.

  ‘Wanda.’ It was my mother, grasping my hand. ‘Wanda, have you been listening to us? We need you to go and deal with Will. And quickly.’

  I gawped at her. Our entire coven was standing near her, all of their eyes on me. Finn was in the corridor, too, as well as Gretel. Some had been here for quite some time, but I’d been paying no attention to what was said. ‘Why me?’