Before (10 page)

“
This isn’t good. Make sure my grandparents stay
here.”

Cora looked at Tabitha and received a curt nod. Now that her
mother was away, Cora had taken on the role of her coven’s leader.
It felt strange that Tabitha listened to her instructions. Cora
knew that the mob of angry commoners had come for them.

She picked up her dress and ran down the path. The ice cold
sting from the snow that encased her bare feet made her gasp. She
would run barefoot if that meant helping the Whittle family.
Despite the recent rift between them, Cora would help any witch in
danger. It was what a leader should do.

Jack had yet to see her, he was caught in a rather vicious
fight with one of the men who was tightly holding Anne’s arm. She
saw blood spray from a hard punch to a face but she wasn’t sure
whose blood it was. She wasn’t worried about the fighting, Jack
could take care of himself. She was apprehensive about Jack’s
inability to control his anger and, when he was angry, he used his
element. This would bring them more trouble than they already
faced.

Tabitha rushed forward; Cora assumed Tabitha had joined her
now that her grandparents were safe. Her hands were already held
out in front of her. Cora saw the spark there and knew if things
escalated they would be found out. Tabitha wasn’t holding back her
power. Cora sensed that it was time the commoners really found out
what witches could do.

Without thinking, Cora jumped on the back of a person who held
Eli captive. The man’s large hand was wrapped tightly around Eli’s
throat. His face was turning red, his oxygen supply was cut off.
Cora punched with all her strength as the wind whistled around
them. She refused to control it. Eli cursed and took control of the
situation. The man flew back from Eli’s power but she was still
attached to the man.

She landed heavily on the floor, crushed under his heavy
weight. Eli barely glanced in her direction even though she had
helped him. She felt the hurt stab her heart. Tabitha’s strong hand
pulled her to her feet. As she did so, Tabitha’s warm embrace
circled her taking away the cold from the snow that now made sure
her dress was soaked and clinging to her legs.

Cora caught sight of Jack who was forcing his way through the
crowd trying to free his terrified sister. Cora saw the command
pass over Jack’s face. Anne’s eyes widened. He was asking his
sister to use her element, to get herself free. Anne could render
every single person in this mob useless. They wouldn’t be able to
think of what they had to do due to the screaming, the voices that
would be pushed into their heads by Anne. However she was shaking
her head, she still believed they had a way out of this. If they
showed their powers, all was lost.

“
Let her go!!” Jack demanded as he pushed at the man holding
one of Anne’s arms.

The mob continued handling his sister like he hadn’t said
anything. Cora saw his feet lift and rushed to him; grabbing his
hand she couldn’t help but feel the electricity pulse there. Even
now with everything that was happening, their connection was still
there.

“
Let me go!” he spat, looking down at her hand. He pulled
himself free and surged through the crowd.

She stood momentarily shocked until she saw that he was
levitating at speed towards his sister. This was it. The moment
where everyone would know for sure that witches lived among
them.

One man screamed with fright as he saw Jack fly past him
without touching the ground. She held her hands out at her sides;
her element didn’t need much encouragement. It was ready and
waiting to snap. Tabitha gave her the nod, that was her go ahead
and all be damned. If Tabitha was the one to give her permission,
all was already lost.

She could see that commoners were jumping on Jack trying to
force him to the ground. She let the wind pulse around her, the
laughter gliding along the undercurrents. It was so close, so
tightly wound. She couldn’t begin to understand how she still
controlled it.

She looked around her, the noise had gone, now all she saw was
the blur of movement, of angry faces, mouths open as they chanted
silent words. She felt the quick rise and fall of her chest
indicating that she was breathing rapidly. The wind swirled around
her waiting impatiently for her command.

She let it drop back. She couldn’t do it, it would put her
mother in further danger. Seeing the already angry mob lose control
was enough, she wouldn’t be the reason it escalated. She couldn’t
do that to her mother. She saw pride flicker across Tabitha’s face
as she dealt with another commoner who’d stupidly decided Tabitha
was an easy target.

Cora took a deep breath and pushed her way through the crowd
trying to help as much as she could. Jack had pushed his element
which meant that some of the commoners were strewn on the floor,
their bodies were being trampled by the others who had panicked
trying to escape. Faces held a look of shock. Cora pushed her
element to freeze the snow creating patches of ice. At least this
was a good excuse for them falling over.

Cora had focused her attention on Jack so she hadn’t watched
Eli. She should have been aware of what Eli was doing. He was the
most out of control because the woman he loved was being dragged
away. Eli, white with rage, stood aside and cast his element
hitting every person in close proximity. Commoners screamed as
rocks, stone, anything within Eli’s range, were launched at
them.

Cora forced the wind to circle her and felt the pop on her
energy as the stone struck the wind’s protective shield. The cat
was most definitely out of the bag now. Several men turned to Cora
and jumped at her. The protective shield around her held them at
bay. They knew. Cora could see it pass over their faces.

“
No, Eli, you mustn’t!” Anne screamed, her body was held down
to the floor by three men but she continued to struggle to free
herself, to look directly at Eli as she spoke to him. Eli would
only ever listen to her.

Cora assumed that Anne now knew the commoners would take Jack,
her baby brother. That wouldn’t do. She knew that his only chance
of surviving this was for Eli to save him. Cora knew this was the
same for her. Tabitha would have to protect her now.

“
I’m not going to let them take you!” Eli stormed, as a new
wave of rocks flew at them.

“
You must be there for Jack, he will need you. Please,” Anne
begged.

Cora could see the way Anne’s burst of adrenaline seemed to
ooze right out of her. Her body slumped like she had already given
up the fight.

This was the moment the realisation hit them all. Cora’s hands
dropped dejectedly by her sides as she watched Jack stare at his
sister. Her mother, Anne, Jack’s mother, their families had no
chance of escaping their fate. They would be tried as witches, if
you could call it a trial, and this only meant one form of
punishment.

They would be hung, murdered because of their gift.

The barrage of rocks slowed and finally stopped. The commoners
murmured to one another under the shield of their arms. They were
unsure of whether the attack would continue. They still covered
their bodies expecting more. Once they realised it had stopped,
they screamed and charged at Jack.

Cora shouted above the noise but she wasn’t heard. The mob
continued to stalk Jack and Eli, screaming ‘
witch’
at the top of their lungs.
Pitchforks suddenly appeared as if from out of nowhere. She
watched, holding her breath, as one stabbed at Eli, he jumped
aside, the spikes narrowly missing his chest.

Another crowd descended on her. She stepped back holding her
hands out to try and protect herself from the attack that was bound
to happen. Her footing slipped on the ice she’d created. Dirty,
disgusted faces sneered hungrily at her; they knew she was a witch.
They could feel her element pulse around them. She took a deep
breath to push her power.

A burst of fire shot out in front of her causing some of the
leaders to stumble back unexpectedly. Cora sighed as the fire sent
much needed heat into her body. She couldn’t feel her feet, she
would be worried about the risk of frost bite but she knew that
Tabitha could fix it. Tabitha rushed to her aid and stood
protectively in front of her.

“
We have to move, now!” Tabitha called out as a brave, or
stupid, man lurched towards her.

Flames licked hungrily at Tabitha’s hand. His face was greeted
with fire. He screamed and fell back allowing room for more men to
descend on the
apparently
helpless women.

Two men leaped on her from behind, Cora cried out in shock.
They held onto both her arms. She pushed at them, pulling her arms
trying to get free. The wind smashed up against them but they held
on. Okay, did they think that holding her arms would restrict her
in some way? Her power couldn’t be controlled that way. The wind,
her element, simply embodied who she was.

She’d held back her power before now but she’d had enough of
commoners thinking they could stop them. She smiled and pushed her
element out of her body. It hit the men, hard. She had the
satisfaction of watching them fly and hit another group that were
encroaching upon them.

“
Cora, we must go now!” Tabitha insisted again.

“
What about my grandparents?” she hissed.

“
They will be looked after, do not worry. We need to get you
safe. Alizon left me as your guardian and I will keep you away from
these commoners as long as you are in danger. You cannot stay here,
they know this.”

Cora looked over at Jack and Eli. Eli had grabbed Jack but
neither of them looked their way. It finally dawned on her; it
should have done so before now. Hope, yet again, was so dangerous.
Jack believed she’d sent his mother, his sister, to be killed.
They’d brought this fate upon themselves. Eli had allowed the man
to hurt her. Eli and Jack showing their powers first had sealed
their fate. They had to protect what was theirs.

She watched as Jack and Eli fought their way through the
crowds and then started running. She wasn’t going back to their
cottage. It wasn’t safe at the moment. Some of the leaders that had
nearly grabbed them took to the challenge and ran after them. The
rest turned to new prey.

Them.

Tabitha gave her a look, one that said, are you ready? Cora
would never be ready for this. She hadn’t prepared herself for
this. She was about to run away from a life she’d loved to one of
uncertainty and pain. Tabitha grabbed her hand, she nodded and they
ran.

As they ran through the snow with a crowd running behind them,
Cora realised that the landscape no longer looked magical, it
looked cold and harsh, unwelcoming. Her breath mingled with
Tabitha’s as the chants echoed around them from the blood thirsty
commoners hunting them.

11

20
^th
August 1612

“
We must go,” Tabitha whispered.

Cora felt her stomach drop to her feet. There was no amount of
reserve strength that could get her through this day. She couldn’t
do this, simply thinking of this day brought the darkness creeping
into the edges of her mind.

However, she’d told Tabitha, demanded even, that she would go
today. She needed to see her mother. She needed the
closure.

She needed it, she didn’t want it.

There was a difference.

She knew if she didn’t see it, she wouldn’t believe it. This
day didn’t feel like it was happening. So she was forcing herself
to see every excruciating second of it, even if it meant she would
feel broken for the rest of her life.

Her breath quickened to the point that she was panting.
Tabitha held her hands and brought her leaf green eyes level with
hers.

“
I know how hard this day is for you but I’m going to be with
you every step of the way. We will get through this
together.”

Cora nodded and tried to control her rapid breathing rate. The
tears in Tabitha’s eyes told her this day was difficult for her
too.

This was the day that they would both have to say their
goodbyes. How could they do that without being able to touch her?
Hug her? She needed to feel her mother’s arms around her one last
time. She couldn’t come to terms with this being the last
time.

Someone was about to take away her mother, forever. Someone
was to blame for this tragedy happening. She would seek revenge on
that person, even if it was Jack.

“
Will Jack be there?”

Instead of the lust that she would usually feel by simply
saying Jack’s name, she felt hatred, anger. He’d shown himself,
therefore the commoners must have seen his power. It wasn’t hard to
miss a person literally flying right in front of you.

Over the course of the year she’d thought about the situation
with Jack. She’d discussed it with Tabitha at great length and they
had come up with the following explanation. Anne, Jack’s sister had
walked free after her time spent in prison. Her mother had remained
locked up. Cora believed Anne had walked free because she’d
bargained something.