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

and sent her off….thus stealing the riches and the souls of people who were innocent! On top of that, how many of the people who serve with you are actually doing so because they want to? How many are here because you’re blackmailing them or because they fear you?” Thea was doing her best to hold her emotions together, trying not to allow Cricket so to see how upset she really was.

“Most of the people who are part of the Circle of Owls feel the same way I do…They are tired of seeing others who don’t deserve their powers have so much control…or they have had things taken from them because they were too weak to stand up to those who were doing them wrong. I am their leader. I make sure they are getting everything that they want out of life.”

“What about someone like Lilly? You forced her to hurt other people…and her mother? You kept her locked up here for how many years? You have Lilly so messed up in the head that she doesn’t even know how old she is! She did nothing to you, yet you used her for your own gain…” Thea voice trailed off as she could see that Cricket was no longer amused by what Thea was saying.

“First of all, Lilly and her mother did things against their own coven. Violet was controlling the magic of her sister. How was that fair to my dear friend Fern? Lilly tried to burn down the entire market, should she be able to go on with her life without being held responsible for that?”

“That’s not what happened at all. Have you actually spoken to Lilly about all of that?”

“Now see Thea, you weren’t there to witness what happened, and even if you were, you don’t remember. You have a perception of what happened, not the facts.”

“Neither do you! And your punishments that you think you’re giving are just benefitting you! Using Lilly to hurt others is just to benefit you!”

“Again niece, that is your perception of what is happening. The population is too large, Lilly was just too much of a ticking time bomb that couldn’t be left out amongst the general population, and Violet was repressing her coven and stopping needed progress. You’ll learn the truth and start to understand that I’m really the hero in all of this, and not the villain you are painting me to be.” She looked at her watch and motioned for Thea to eat the food at the table. “I really must be going, but we will continue this conversation later. I will teach you about the good the Circle of Owls is doing, and you’ll be part of the family again.”

Thea opened her mouth to speak but Cricket was already gone through the door and had locked Thea inside of her room.

“Perception.” Thea kept muttering to herself before she moved the chair over to eat the food Boog had left for her.

“I’ll show her perception.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Agatha had made herself at home, back with the Circle of Owls. She had changed into some clothes that were a little more comfortable for her style and wrapped her fiery hair into a tight bun on top of her head. She had reacquainted herself with her friends in the circle, and finally made her way to their new meeting room. It wasn’t as grand as the old circle, but it was still a large room. Someone had enchanted the old sunroom to be large enough to seat over 300 creatures in it: with chairs stacked to the ceiling and the windows were only one-way reflections so they could see out onto Monkey Tree Village, but no one could see in.

Agatha looked around the room until she saw a seat next to the Imp Witch. “Hello dear Sorgin, how are you doing today?” Agatha sat down with both legs folded under her as she smiled at the silver-haired witch.

“You decided to be part of the Circle again? Something is different about you….you smell different…..” Sorgin warily was examining Agatha through her glasses.

“I no longer have to choose between my sister and the circle, Sorgin. I am at peace with it, and I will do what I want now to make myself strong. Robin is not going to hold me back any longer.”

“Where is your sister? She wasn’t with the rest of them when we captured her friends.”

“She’s dead.” Her voice had no emotion to it as she adjusted her legs out from under her. “I don’t have to worry about her being in the way any longer.”

“That’s why you smell different!” The imp witch leaned in and took a long whiff of Agatha’s hair. “You absorbed your sister! You finally have her powers!” Sorgin dropped her voice down to a low whisper and looked around to ensure that no one was paying attention to their conversation. “How did you do it? Does Cricket know?”

Agatha playfully returned Sorgin’s smile and she responded and said, “I’m not telling you, and no she doesn’t.”

Sorgin’s expression soured as she backed away from Agatha. “After all I’ve done for you, and you can’t share with me how you figured out how to do it.”

“What have you done for me, that I haven’t already repaid you for?”

“I kept your sister for you, while you joined the Circle of Owls. I didn’t tell anyone that I had her locked up for you, so you could figure out how to steal her magic.”

“And in return I gave you Thea, and you didn’t do anything right with her.”

“She was broken when you brought her to me! What am I supposed to do with a witch that doesn’t know how to use her magic?”

“More than you did with her!” Agatha chuckled as she leaned her head to touch the head of Sorgin. “You silly old witch! You just wanted both of them for your collection anyways! I gave you exactly what you wanted – we both won in that situation.”

Sorgin smiled