A Witch and her Familiars

Chapter Eighteen - The Return

"Just follow my lead," Daphne told Sabine, who stood with her borrowed wand ready. "I don't know how this is going to work for you, since you're not drawing magic from inside yourself, but I always picture magical energy like water. The pressure builds up inside me, and I push it out like a wave. But it's different for everyone."

Sabine nodded. "I'll try my best."

"You'll do great. You look just like a witch!"

"Thanks," she said, but her smile was tight. She was nervous.

"Sabine, you don't have to do this," Daphne reminded her.

"No, I want to help. This is how I can."

"Okay. Rhode, stand back. Let's do this."

Daphne closed her eyes. She knew it would be harder this time, since she was relying mainly on her own well of energy instead of an outside source. But she had been to the Coven before, and could visualize it in her mind. Coven, she thought as hard as she could, trying to keep concern for Sabine out of her head. Coven! The Grand Coven! She could feel the power building inside her. When it reached its peak, she let it go, screaming "Sabine, now!"

There was a grating shriek, like the sound of metal being torn. A flash of light filled the room as a portal bloomed on the wall. Wind whipped around Daphne, tugging at her hair and clothes, pulling her forward.

Then the world fell silent. Daphne felt her feet touch upon solid ground again and heard Sabine whisper, "I did it! I really did it!"

"No..." said Rhode. "We didn't."

Daphne opened her eyes and was greeted by darkness. She blinked, trying to get her vision to adjust, but before that, a familiar smell crept into her nose: books. They were back in the Library. "What?" she gasped. "How did we get here?" she asked, looking around in shock at the high shelves.

Sabine stood, all the joy from the moment before drained away. "Oh no... did I mess up?"

"I don't know," Daphne said anxiously.

"You know, it is much easier for a portal to be created in a place it has been created once before," said a voice from out of the darkness between the shelves. "Many inexperienced witches struggle with this."

All three girls gasped and instinctively clustered closer together. Daphne raised her wand, her nervousness expressed in the way the tip trembled. "Who's there?"

"A friend," the voice answered, and a man stepped smoothly out of the shadows. His small pince-nez glasses glinted in the light. It was the librarian from before, the one that had turned them over to the Coven.

Rhode leapt in front of her friends, glaring at the old man. "You're no friend of ours. Daphne, Sabine, run!" she shouted.

"Wait! I want to help." He held his hands out, showing that he was not holding a wand. "And if it's not too much to ask, young lady, could you please quiet down? This is a library, after all."

"Is this quiet enough for you?" Rhode spat, raising her middle finger at the man. She whispered to her friends, "This has gotta be a trap. I'll distract him, you two go! I'll find you later."

"It's not a trap, and don't bother running; you'll only get lost," the librarian said. "See? I can hear what you were whispering because I stay away from loud noises. You should do the same."

"Why aren't you trying to capture us again?" Daphne asked suspiciously.

He smiled. "Because I'm on your side, at least for now."

Sabine stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "I knew it! You must have heard what we said at our trial and realized how wrong the Coven is to treat mortal lives as if they were nothing!" She turned to her friends. "Guys, if we can change his mind, we might be able to change the minds of everyone, even the Coven! We can change the world!"