Page 25 (2/2)
"We’re going to get rid of it," I told her "Now"
With Maxi the way, Ada and I linked arms as we left the witch bottle buried behind us and entered the house
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I felt all my bravado fal off me the minute I stepped over the undisturbed salt and into the house but Maxihtly The air inside was so cold that our breath froze in fragot back to the kitchen, like ereour way into the depths of an ice cave
Ada ht she could find, and even though the kitchen was brightly il u shadows in my peripheral vision Maxi the powders into one of the bowls We didn’t sayas close together as possible
What was that thing? Myit to look like soe dark shape I guess in so in the blanks and if I let it run away onthan the reality Whatever the reality was It had glowing eyes and all
Maxihastly stench of cinnas fluttered in the air
"Gross," Ada e Her voice trembled with fear
"It’s sulphur," he said quietly, patiently "Noe have to sprinkle this in all the corners"
To her credit, Ada didn’t co at every unexpected touch of each other, hearts hae, blackwe felt was the everlasting chil that seesalt water and
Final y, we came to the end of the banishment, which involved the black candle drizzled with crion’s blood oil and sprinkled with the powders Maximus passed it to me in a silver candle holder and instructed me to hold it in my dominant hand I actual y had to think about which hand that was for a ht-handed but lately I’d foundth was found initself
I took the candle and he lit the wick, which sparked and popped and then calmed down to a clean, yel ow flaies from this place," he said stridently He looked me in the eyes "You repeat it And then you, Ada We could use the extra help here Once every five o"
Ada and I both repeated the phrase and I anxiously eyed the clock My parents would be back in forty-five minutes at the most We didn’t real y have five minutes But we real y didn’t want some monster in the house either
After the five excruciatingeach other, listening to every twitch in the house, watching our breath catch and freeze in the air, shivering close together, he hadcandle on the counter and then handed ain
Together we said, "A white candle to fil the eht and hope"
It took five ht By the last atte the trickles of helplessness one could do if eren’t able to complete the ritual But the last match worked; the stubborn wick took hold of the spark and a flame danced weakly before us
Maxiy wil fil this place, giving negativity no safe harbor," and we repeated the mantra after him He indicated I should put the candle down, and then atched and waited for the candles to burn out on their own
"Is that it?" I asked hilow froood The dance of evil
"Then we bury theain It doesn’t have to be near the bottle"
My eyes widened "I don’t want to go back there"
"Ditto," Ada piped up
He gave us a sirls want to stay in the house By yourselves"
Ada and I exchanged a glance What was the better option here?
"The flames are almost out," he whispered, and nodded at the candles The black one was burned down to a puddle of wax that spil ed over the holder and onto the counter The white one was close I was thankful he had bought such stubby candles The kitchen clock said we had fifteen race was thatand my phone hadn’t vibrated yet
The black candle went out with a small snuff of onyx smoke and a minute later the white one did too
"OK," I said, straightening up off the stove I was leaning on "Time to bury these-"
As I said that both candles suddenly relit theh there wasn’t any wick left in them
"Uh," Ada said We all eyed each other, unsure of what to do
"We’l just wait," Maximus said uncertainly He protectively put his ar us in our place "They have to burn out on their own"