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Chapter 11- The Witch's Lair

Doreen and the other witches were laughing and she cleaned tears from her eyes. "Oh, my gods," she was saying as she put more popcorn in her mouth. "That was too good."

Teni giggled and tapped Doreen on the arm. "They really thought it would work," she said, laughing.

In the lair of the Witches of Auchi in The Underground, one of the witches, Lydia, had the wonderful idea of connecting a TV to their scrying bowl so they could watch the progress of their latest clients. It had taking some working, and some magic and some electric shocks, but they had gotten it fixed and that was what mattered.

Teni looked at her tub of popcorn and turned it upside down, a little kernel floating down. "Dammit," she said. Doreen snapped her fingers and blue sparks flew around the tub until it was filled with popcorn again.

Blue popcorn.

Doreen smiled at Teni as the other witches joined them in their pyjamas and dressing gowns, all with movie snacks as they watched the screen.

"Do you think they can make it?" Teni asked.

"All those ingredients?" Doreen said. "In one night? Impossible. That was why I gave them the list. There is no way they can get them all, even with a thousand nights."

A witch who didn't wear pyjamas, or night gowns, or particularly like that night's showing, sighed. "But why couldn't we just tell them the truth?"

Doreen's tone became serious. "That girl wouldn't take no for an answer, and Kolawole..." She let it hang as she looked at the witch. "Lina, you know how he is."

Lina nodded and hesitated. "But they could get hurt."

Doreen looked at the screen darkly. "Them getting hurt or failing at this is much better than the alternative." She looked at the witch. "Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen to you is to succeed."

"Shh," Teni said, pointing at the TV. "They're moving."