A Girl Named Zero: Camp Coven

Chapter Nine

"I didn't expect you all to come. This isn't some murder mystery club girls" Reg told us as we walked behind her. We were walking through a part of the camp that was usually blocked off from campers. It contained the original buildings and objects of the founders of the camp. Most were highly dangerous objects and so this area had been made off-limits to the campers. Tonight though our coven was on a special mission. We'd survey the mirror and leave all sorts of surprises for Cornelia. Reg was in on it, she didn't like that her ancestor had gone evil but she knew Cornelia had to be stopped and that my vast powers were the key to it. "We're a coven Reg, we're stronger together" I told her. "Plus I'd rather have Bonnie here in case we're too late. She's a real powerhouse under a full moon like tonight" I added. Bonnie's powers were only ever fully awake during a full moon. Much like how Sarah was at her most powerful during an eclipse. Bonnie almost looked demonic tonight. She'd sprouted black horns and a large dark crown sat atop her hair. Her cloak looked more like a ravens wings than a cloak tonight. "That is the power of a Queen Witch. It's truly a gift to any coven" Reg said. "You look baddass" I told Bonnie. "But then again you always do" I said fist bumping her. Reg unlocked the door to an old wooden building. "Be on your guard girls. Cornelia can nullify other forms of time magic so I won't be much help if we do come across her" she warned us. We entered the building and found ourselves in the foyer of a large dormitory. "Which way?" I asked Reg. "The mirror is at the end of the left corridor" she told us. "Behind that door there" she said pointing to a door on the left side of the foyer. I led us towards it. Before turning the handle I inspected it. "No dust" I told the group. "Someone's been here recently" Heather said stating the obvious. I opened the door and we came in ready to hurl whatever offensive magic we had at our disposal. "Maybe we should have brought Michalo" Leah said quietly feeling bad for Reg freezing him in place. We could see light at the end of the corridor. Bonnie quickly blanketed us in darkness. "Someones here" Heather said once again stating the very obvious. "Heather be ready to summon our familiar" I gave her the heads up. Boulder was a powerful golem and would protect us from taking any direct attacks. "Leah can you use the wood in this building with your magic?" I asked her. "Yeah I can" she answered. "Bonnie you know what to do" I told her and she nodded. Bonnie muted our footsteps as we ran towards the source of the light. Still encased in darkness they would have no idea we were here. Standing in front of the mirror were three girls. I only recognised one though. I stepped out of the darkness and exclaimed "Sarah what in the goddess's name are you doing here?!?" The three girls turned to see me. It was obvious the other two girls were possessed. "Charming your fellow witches now I see" I said remembering her powers. "Simple minded fools. Unlike the two of us Zero" she told me as she took a step towards me. I went to raise my hand but before I could cast anything Leah had morphed the wood between Sarah and myself into Spikes. As far as Sarah knew I had done that myself.  The last thing I needed was for Sarah to charm my girlfriend. "Matter manipulation. What a joke. You should have just told me you were the faerie and I'd have inducted you into the army then and there" Sarah told me. This was a lot of information to process at once. What was most important here and now though was that Sarah was part of the Hedge Army and therefore she was a deadly threat to everyone at camp. "What's with the mirror Sarah?" I asked her, buying myself time as I sent a long distance spell to unfreeze Michalo. I sent a telepathic warning almost instantly after. "Sarah is a part of the Hedge Army. I'm in the old part of the camp. Get help, I'll buy as much time as I can" was what I managed to send him. "The mirror? Oh it's actually your mirror. You just don't remember" Sarah simply said. She seemed to know more about me than I did. How did the Hedge Army know so much? "Tell me then Sarah. What is is a Faerie?" I asked hovering over the spikes towards her. I opened my telepathic link to Leah. "Tell the others I know what I'm doing" I told her. "Do you though?" She sent back instantly, seeming very worried. "She's too dangerous for any of you to reveal yourselves. She can charm other witches. Just play defensive for now and watch. I've already sent out a call for backup" I told Leah before closing the link. Sarah laughed, "all powerful and yet so forgetful" she said through her laughter. "The mirror is a gateway to different worlds. One is your original world. Another is where our general awaits" she told me, clearly monologing now. "Why tell me this? Don't you think I'll try and stop you?" I told her now standing beside her. "You can't stop your destiny Zero. You are the Faerie afterall, the leader of the Hedge Army" Sarah told me. She was lying, in no time in my life had I ever even met a member of the army until now. "If I'm your leader then why don't I remember it?" I asked her beginning to feel confused. The mirror beside us lit up and out of it stepped a face I hoped never to meet in person, Cornelia. "You've brought me the Faerie. You'll be greatly rewarded for this child" Cornelia said through her poisonous-looking smile. Sarah stepped through the mirror and disappeared. "Now" I said out loud. Bonnie was just a fraction too late. Cornelia had grabbed my arm and sent something inside of me. Her handprint burned into my skin. Bonnie then swooped down towards Cornelia and her hands turning into sharp talons she ripped them into Cornelia's skin. I fell to the wooden floor, a fever taking hold of my body. I barely remember what happened next. I know Michalo arrived with the other Coven Mothers and the camp principal. I was told Ms Lovely teleported my coven back to our cabin. Cornelia did manage to escape however Bonnie had gravely wounded her so she'd be licking her wounds for a while. Even immortals couldn't instantly heal from such a powerful magic attack so quickly. Much to Reg's dismay Michalo smashed the mirror after Cornelia escaped. This was all told to me much later as right now I'd slipped into a coma. Cornelia's time magic seeping slowly and unstoppably into my system.