Legends Of Westbury

Chapter Eighteen

Echo sat on the couch. Her mother was pacing in front of her.

"We need to hurry this up. Jex's training is a good waste, but Henley, he's too good," Calypso said.

Echo didn't speak. She had seen her mother like this more than once. The pacing, the questioning, and the plotting, all pointed to one thing. Her mother was out for something that she couldn't control and she was mad.

"Henley is too important to ruin, but maybe we could- No that's too obvious. Unless we- No no no! Echo! Are paying attention?"

Echo sat straight up, "Yes ma'am. What if we give Henley a vacation? Then he can't train them?"

"No! We need him for you. That little girl is getting too far ahead for you to catch up to without a trainer. I don't care that the committee thinks that she is some special little girl, she's nothing. You are everything."

Echo nodded, even though her hands were curled into fists. It wasn't Isadora's fault that she was the most gifted witch to ever live. Just like it wasn't Echo's fault that she couldn't use magic.

"Mother said that first worlders shouldn't be trusted, well she's right. They are going to steal the wishing stone and everything will fall to the ground."

Echo fidgeted with the skirt of her green dress.

"I have an idea," she ventured.

"Yes," Calypso said impatiently.

"What if we trick them? I could join them on their quest and steal the stone from them. Then we won't have to worry about Henley teaching them."

Calypso looked over at Echo.

"Yes, that might- that might actually work. Good job Echo."

On the outside, Echo beamed with pride. On the inside, her stomach hurt and she couldn't stop fidgeting.

<<<:::>>>

Kelly paced through the garden. She had to find a way to trigger her magic. What if she ran the obstacle course again? It didn't work last time, but maybe it would work this time? How could an obstacle course trigger magic though? It seemed rather silly.

"Hey Kelly!" said Viola, coming into the garden.

"Oh, hey."

"Henley told me what happened with the test, are you alright?"

"Yeah. How did your magic trigger anyway?"

Viola thought for a moment.

"I was ten and running a race against Isadora. I was in the lead, but she hated losing. She made the ground open up in front of me so I jumped over the hole. I jumped fifty feet. Then I started basic training and I found out that I had the strongest aptitude for a witch," she explained.

Kelly tugged on a lock of her hair and continued pacing.

"Don't worry, you'll get it eventually. Magic is funny like that. Different people trigger at different times. Isadora is the youngest person ever to trigger. She was only five! That's why she was sent to live with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was a super big deal," Viola said, with a giant eye roll, "Anyway don't stress about it. I only know twenty people older than you who haven't triggered."

Kelly stopped pacing.

"You do realize that twenty is a big number right."

"Yeah, but most people only know a few. Most people who don't trigger get jobs cleaning and stuff. Because we have a lot of servents I know lots of people who didn't trigger."

"Why?" Kelly asked, even though she was pretty sure what the answer would be.

"Because they can't get very good jobs. Everyone wants someone who can do magic so that things get done faster. But cleaning would be a waste of talent."

"That's stupid."

"Don't first worlders have tons of stupid prejudices? Why is this any different?" Viola asked.

Kelly started to argue, but she knew that what Viola said was true. If the first world had magic, it might look the same.

"VIOLA! MOTHER NEEDS YOU!" shouted a voice Kelly recognized as Echo's.

"JUST A SECOND!" Viola yelled back, "I got to go. Mother can be a pain sometimes, she and Echo are always planning something."

"Planning what?" Kelly asked, but Viola was already gone.

Then, several puzzle pieces fell into place. Kelly knew what she had to do to trigger her magic. Maybe if she tried to find out what Calypso and Echo are planning, she might be able to trigger something in the process. Kelly didn't trust anyone in the castle. Expect Viola. This could knock out two birds with one stone.