The Witch is Back

Chapter Seven




“What was that all about?” Jasmine asked, nodding in the direction of Brooklyn and her cronies. Despite the fact that our session had officially started, the others were still focused on me.

I glanced over at Brooklyn with annoyance. “It’s nothing,” I said, wanting to move on.

“That wasn’t nothing,” Sascha said. “Were they talking about our Asher?”

“Because the name is so common that it could be another guy?” Jasmine said sarcastically.

“I’m confused,” Colette said, looking at me, and then over at the others, as if she were waiting for someone to clue her in.

“What are we talking about?” Abby asked, for once more intrigued by our conversation than by a story from one of her books.

Ugh. I so didn’t want to talk about this in front of Abby in case she told Asher about it. He’d either think I was overreacting or would confront Brooklyn about her taunts. And the last thing I needed was for a guy to try to fight my battles for me.

I think I’d proven I could take care of myself. Especially against jilted ex-girlfriends who were the size of a toothpick.

When I didn’t answer Abby right away, Jasmine jumped in. “That Brooklyn girl was just spouting off about how she used to date your brother, and made it sound like she was planning to do some shady stuff to try to get him back,” she said.

“Wait—your boyfriend is the guy who broke her heart last summer?” Colette said, wide-eyed.

Last summer? That meant he’d broken up with her right around the time we’d met.

And suddenly another thought popped into my mind: Had Asher been forced by the Parrishables to break up with Brooklyn like he was forced to get close to me? If that was the case, then the breakup hadn’t necessarily been voluntary. Which meant that I had bigger problems than I’d thought.

“Wait, what are you talking about, Colette?” I asked, interested in knowing more about the breakup.

“Brooklyn was all depressed, for like, half the summer last year,” Colette explained. “Then, she suddenly seemed to get over it, and drowned her sorrows in the other guys at camp. I mean, I never saw anything myself, but that was the rumor at least. Once she’d recovered from the breakup, it was like a switch was flipped and she turned from Suzy Sad-Pants to, well—the girl she is now.” Colette gestured in Brooklyn’s direction.

“Nothing sad about that,” Jasmine muttered as we watched Brooklyn pose like she was at a photo shoot.

“Look, can we talk about this later?” I said, trying to change the subject. The fact that Asher had a girlfriend before me wasn’t exactly something I wanted to have a coven-wide conversation about. “Or like, never again?”

I could tell the others didn’t want to let it die there, but Miss Peggy was calling for our attention again, and I was relieved to have something else to distract us. Even if it was an overly enthused camp counselor romping around onstage.

“How are you all doing?!” Miss Peggy screamed out to the thirty or so of us gathered under the shaded section of the amphitheater. I briefly wondered if she was living out her dreams of commanding an audience while onstage. At least she had the costume part down.

So sad.

We all assured her we were doing fine, some of us with less enthusiasm than others. Jasmine responded with a growl that made us all turn around and give her a look. She just motioned for us to turn around and pay attention to Miss Peggy, who was in the middle of doing her own little happy dance.

How is this one of today’s finest witches?

“For those of you returning this summer, it’s good to have you back! And for those who are brand new, I’d like to give you all a huge Brighton welcome!” Miss Peggy snapped her fingers and a huge scroll appeared behind her, rolling down from where it hovered fifteen feet in the air. We watched as it revealed a painted welcome sign, nearly matching the earlier one she’d held up for us at the airport. No doubt this little deco was her idea, too.

As the banner fully expanded, glitter and confetti exploded above us, raining down like it was New Year’s. Jinx yelped and dropped down to the ground, not realizing that it was a surprise meant for our enjoyment. Others around us “oohed” and “ahhed” at the display.

“Well, that was . . . unexpected,” I said, reaching out to catch some of the reflective bits in my hand. It was a little cheesy, but it was also kind of fun. It made me feel like a kid again, like anything was possible. A look over at the others showed that they were all smiling, too. Except for Jinx of course, who climbed back into her seat shakily.

“We anticipate that this will be one of the best summer sessions yet!” Miss Peggy said. “But before we start the lessons, we need to see where you each stand. Although you’re all superior in your magicking skills—otherwise you wouldn’t be here—everyone excels differently. We at Brighton want to make sure we challenge each and every one of you during your tenure here.

“So, we’re going to start by breaking up into groups, and a counselor will be by to observe you cast your top three spells. We’ll be examining the difficulty of the spell, accuracy, and follow-through, and then will place each of you in a level appropriate to your skills. This isn’t to embarrass you, but instead, to guarantee that you get as much out of camp as possible. Okay, find your roommates and stand in your groups. We’ll be along shortly!”

Everyone began to get up from their seats and we all played a quick game of musical chairs until we were divided by rooms. With Abby and Colette on one side of me, and Sascha, Jasmine, and Jinx on the other, I started to brainstorm which three spells I was going to showcase. Once I’d figured that out, I helped the others choose theirs, and then waited for our counselor to show up.


A woman with fire-red hair walked up to our group, seemingly out of nowhere, and I nearly did a double take as it dawned on me who she was. The matriarch of the world’s most famous family on TV was standing right in front of us dressed in a sparkly black sequined suit. I knew from watching every episode of her reality show that she looked really good for her age. And I noted with admiration that she looked even better in person.

I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn’t get anything out. I’d had no idea that Rose Bradshaw was actually a witch. Of course, this part of her life had never been explored on her show, which pretty much proved that reality TV wasn’t totally based on reality at all. Oddly, this didn’t make me like her or the show any less. In fact, it was rather impressive to know she’d been able to create balance in her personal and professional lives. And now, here she was, teaching at our camp.

This was a woman I’d admired for years. Her ability to create an empire out of almost nothing, securing deal after deal for her kids as well as herself—it was a feat unmatched. As far as I was concerned, she was one of the most powerful business-witches in the world.

And there was so much I could learn from her.

“Hi girls, I’m Mrs. B!” she said, enthusiastically. She was even more of a presence in real life, and I found myself standing a little straighter to emulate her. “Lets see what you’ve got. How about we start with you.”

She pointed at Jasmine and then led the group out into the sun and away from the clutter of the seats.

“Okay, dolls, what are you going to show me first?” Mrs. B asked, placing her hands on her curvy hips.

“I thought I’d do a twister spell,” Jasmine said. When Mrs. B nodded in approval, Jasmine widened her stance and relaxed her body to prep for the spell. Experience had shown us that the more open our hearts and minds were, the better the spell went.

When she was ready, she yelled out, “Aeromus une cyclenae!”

Almost immediately, all the pinecones that had fallen underneath a nearby tree began to lift off the ground and circle around in the air. After a few moments of this, Mrs. B told her she could stop.

“Great job,” the counselor said and marked something down in the notebook she held in her hands.

Two spells later and we’d moved on to Sascha, who performed the clothes-changing spell that I’d created years before (as a way to have the latest runway creations before they were out in stores). I’m sure Sascha was hoping to appeal to Mrs. B’s fashion sense, but when she put the older woman in a bright blue jumpsuit, she wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“Great spell, but no one my age should wear spandex,” Mrs. B said. “Even if I do sort of make it look good.”

She winked at me before motioning for Jinx to begin. Jinx kept her spells on the safe side, but once she’d started casting, it was too late for me to encourage her to step things up a bit. I knew Jinx was capable of more complex spells, but had a feeling she wouldn’t respond to being pushed right now. In the end, she received a polite nod from Mrs. B and a pat on the back from me.

As Abby began to take her turn, my attention drifted over to the other side of camp, where Brooklyn and Eve were waiting to display their skills. Here was my chance to see what the two could do. I watched as Eve went first, performing a few spells that I had perfected when I was just thirteen.

Looks like Mormo is all bark and no bite.

Eve stepped back to join Brooklyn in line, looking prouder than she should have felt about her casting abilities. Then, with a nod of her head, Brooklyn gave the counselor a smile and took her place front and center.

“Last up!” Mrs. B said to me, redirecting my attention. I’d completely missed Colette going and was surprised to find it was already my turn. “And what’s your name, gorgeous?”

“Hadley Bishop,” I said confidently. Then, I did something I would never suggest doing in front of your idol. I totally geeked out. “Can I just say that I’m a huge, huge fan? I’ve read all of your books and seen every episode of your show, and I think you’re amazing. It’s such an inspiration and an honor to have you here.”

“Well, aren’t you a doll,” Mrs. B said, beaming from my compliment. “And from what I’ve heard, you’re a bit of a legend yourself.”

Was she serious? Had my biggest idol really heard about me? Immediately, I began to blush and looked down at the ground suddenly shy. When I glanced back up, I saw Jasmine staring at me, jaw dropped open in shock. I knew what she was thinking, because I was thinking it, too. I hadn’t destroyed Samuel Parris on my own, yet mine was the name everyone seemed to remember.

“Well then, Miss Bishop—dazzle me,” Mrs. B said, kindly.

I closed my eyes and let my mind quiet the best I could while being surrounded by dozens of loud teenage girls and one celebrity. I imagined the spell I was about to do and felt the power begin to build from the tips of my toes.

When I opened my eyes again, my gaze immediately met Brooklyn’s on the other side of camp. Even though I was too far away to actually see her clearly, I swear she was staring straight at me. Taunting me. Without saying anything to each other, it was as if the gauntlet had been thrown.

Bring it on, witch.

Brooklyn went first, calling out an exploding spell that made contact with a tree just a few feet away from her. Splinters flew through the air, but she didn’t move away, just calmly picked chips of wood out of her perfect hair.

Then, subtly, she looked over at me to see what I was going to do.

So that’s how you want to play.

Abandoning the original spells I’d been planning to do, I followed her lead. Aiming at another tree, I quickly squared up and called out, “Exbiliby totalitum!” As soon as the words had left my mouth, the spell hit the middle of the trunk and exploded loudly. The force was so strong that the whole thing shook, causing more pinecones to join their fallen brothers on the ground.

“Whoa! Nicely done, Bishop,” Mrs. B said.

I smiled at her and then quickly looked back at Brooklyn to show that it was her turn. She frowned, straightened up, and prepared for her next spell.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and then smoothed down her flirty teal skirt, which matched the flowery halter she was wearing. Brooklyn put her focus on an overturned log in front of her, which had been left as rustic seating. With a few choice words, the wood began to levitate and then hovered ten feet in the air. Severing her connection with the spell, she allowed the object to fall back down to the ground and land with a thump just inches from her feet.

Looking around for my own log, I finally found the one I wanted, and pointed at it determinedly.

“Hermia Leffner!” I said. Someone gasped behind me as I proceeded to raise an overturned log along with the girl who’d been sitting on it moments before. I lifted them both into the air as easily as if it was a feather. My unknowing participant appeared nervous at first, but the stream of magic was so steady that she quickly recognized that she was no more in danger of falling than she had been when the wood was firmly on the ground. With a grin that I hoped would annoy Brooklyn, I gently lowered the log along with the girl on it. When her feet were back on the ground, the girl jumped up and began chatting excitedly to her friends about her brief flight.

“Good use of your surroundings,” Mrs. B commented. “But a witch should never test her magic on others. Not until it’s been perfected at least. By the looks of it though, this wasn’t your first time performing this particular spell. Am I correct?”


“No, ma’am, it wasn’t,” I said.

“Ew. Please don’t call me ma’am,” Mrs. B said, making a face. “It sounds so . . . old.”

“Right,” I said, embarrassed.

Brooklyn was already beginning to cast her next spell. I’d one-upped her each time, but now I had to bring my A game. Show everyone who was the superior witch at this camp. The crown would be mine.

I couldn’t make out what she was saying since she was so far away, but I knew something was already beginning to happen around us. The hairs on my arms began to stand straight up and I could feel my limbs start to buzz unnaturally. I looked down at my body, trying to figure out what was going on, when the lights in the amphitheater began to dim. Then they all went completely black before flickering a few times, then beginning to pulse.

Then, as if we were watching a light show at Christmas, the bulbs began to go crazy, dancing around to their own unheard beat. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. To my dismay, even Mrs. B paused to take a look.

“Well, that was festive,” Mrs. B said once Brooklyn was finished.

Show-off.

“Okay, last spell!” Mrs. B announced to me.

I had to make it count, so I thought about the most difficult spell that I could do without endangering those around me. The counselors wouldn’t be impressed if I ended up sending someone to the hospital on the first day.

With a final glance at Brooklyn, I cast the spell that would end it all.

“Immobius totarium!”

Nearly everyone in the area stopped what they were doing once the words had been spoken. Some were mid-step. Others were finishing up spells. But now they were all frozen. Except for the counselors. Based on Counselor Crazy’s reaction to my trying to influence him earlier, I’d decided casting on the adults might not impress them after all. Besides, it was better for me if they could actually see what I was capable of.

“Holy smokes—” Mrs. B said, as she noticed that everyone had ceased moving.

“Keep watching,” I said, grinning at her conspiratorially. Saying another spell, I sent pinecones floating through the air and into the hands of the other twitches. And for the ones whose hands weren’t open, I balanced pinecones on shoulders, feet, and various other places on their bodies. Mrs. B smiled as she realized what I was doing and waited patiently as I finished. When everything was in place, I severed the energy I’d been putting into the spell and watched people resume what they were doing.

To the others, it was as if the pinecones had just magically appeared in their hands. But Mrs. B and the other counselors knew what had really happened.

And they were impressed.

You know who wasn’t? Brooklyn.

As soon as time went back to normal, the pinecone that I’d balanced perfectly on the top of her head began to fall and dropped onto the ground in front of her, narrowly missing the tip of her nose as it did so. She jumped back in surprise and then, realizing that I must have been behind it, she glared at me, unhappy about being the butt of any joke. Especially mine.

“Very impressive,” Mrs. B said, closing up her notebook with a snap. “I can see that this is going to be a summer full of surprises.”

“You have no idea,” I answered, returning Brooklyn’s stare.