The Circle of Owls (The Grimalkin Book 3) Dani Swanson (best books for 8th graders .TXT) 📖

EVIL! I could never do what you do to others!” Thea was flicking her wrists, out of habit, trying to conjure a fireball as she shrieked at Cricket. These actions only made her aunt laugh, as Cricket made a turning motion with her hand, and Thea’s collar started to glow a bright green, sending electric shocks though her skin – knocking her down to her knees. Immediately, Thea was unable to speak as she pulled at the collar.

Cricket clicked her tongue as she wagged a finger back and forth in front of Thea’s face. “That is no way for you to act. You are judging me, without even knowing anything about what I am doing….and you think I’m evil? I’m just taking what I deserve. Why should other people have more magic, or be more beautiful than I am? Why should some witches like your grandmother or the elves, be able to live for hundreds of years without growing old, when the rest of us are stuck in these shells that break down, and die? Why don’t I deserve that?”

Thea had made it back up to her feet, breathing hard as she was pulling the collar away from the burns on her neck. “That’s what makes us all unique, is that we’re all different. Even different witches have different abilities. If we were all the same, you still wouldn’t have powers that are greater than anyone else’s.” Thea was glaring at the witch, trying to see what she could do to get past Cricket to escape.

“Those words come easy from a witch who stole all of her mother’s power. It’s a shame that you don’t know how strong you really are Thea, but then again, we couldn’t let you run around knowing how strong you really are. I found that memory erasing charm just in time.” Thea’s expression hardened as she glared at her aunt. “When Lilly couldn’t exstract your soul, I knew I had to do something to stop you. Mother thought she was stopping us, but she forgets how smart I am.”

“I wouldn’t have hurt you or my mother! You’re my family!”

“Funny, you’re my family, and I didn’t have any problems putting a stop to you.” With the tone of Cricket’s voice, Thea could tell that she was speaking the truth. Thea realized that regardless of their relation by blood, Cricket had no feelings toward her. “Your mother feels the same way toward you too. We both want complete power.”

“From my understanding of it, Cricket, my mother thinks I’m the reason she lost her powers, and that I was out to get her. From what I’ve been told, I just wanted my mother. I’m a good person, Cricket, I wouldn’t have done anything to hurt you.”

“Even if it meant that we would have been getting away with hurting other people? And how do you know you really were a good person? From the memories that other people gave to you? Stories that you heard over the last few years? I doubt any of them truly knew you. Or if any of them understood what you, and you alone, can do. Really, me giving you that confusion charm was more beneficial to you than anything.”

Thea started to rub her temples as her headache was back in full force. When she was captured, they must have taken her bag and all of her arrowroot tonic.

“That is one of the unfortunate side effects – those headaches will never really go away.” Cricket walked over to her and placed her hands on Thea’s temples. Instantly, the pounding in her head stopped as Cricket backed away.

“You’re a healer too?” Thea questioned in disbelief as she watched Cricket spit a bit of black bile into the corner.

“You didn’t think you were the only one, did you? You had to get it from somewhere.” Cricket crossed her arms as she leaned against the wall.

“I guess I never really thought of it like that. I didn’t realize that powers were passed down.”

“Our powers really don’t make us special, Thea, it’s about mixing them together to create the right combination for the ultimate power.” Thea could hear some excitement in her voice when she started to explain her thought process to Thea. “Some families are shape shifters – like being able to become the Grimalkin – some are healers – some can talk to animals, and some, like you, have so many levels to their abilities that it is like they are almost the perfect witch. Do you know how old your grandmother truly is?” Cricket only paused for a moment but didn’t really wait for any type of response from Thea. “She’s over 400 years old. She knows how to keep herself youthful and alive! She may look to be in her seventies, but she’s been around for more lifetimes than the rest of us combined.”

Cricket had walked over to the mirror and was examining her wrinkles in the mirror – pulling her skin tight around her eyes and then letting it go. “Well, she’s not the only one who has figured out how to do it. The answer is souls. Eating the souls of the humans will keep me young forever! I almost had everything I wanted, before you showed up at the Kingdom of Owls and took it all away from me…” Her voice no longer had excitement, but was cold, softly passing through Cricket’s lips. “I had a Kingdom, people who served my every whim, youth, riches…..and just like I told Celeste, you came and undid all of that.”

Thea was quiet as she watched her aunt move back across the room toward the door, fearful that she would get zapped again if she were to say anything to the witch.

“I can see it on your face that you have something to say to me, go ahead and say it. I won’t hurt you this time.”

“You stole the kingdom from the king. You had him under a spell! You turned Lola into a squirrel