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

as she sweetly patted Agatha on her arm. “I suppose that’s true. You didn’t have to help them with cutting off my head though…” She adjusted the scarf she had tied around her neck to hide her scar.

“If I didn’t help them, Robin would have gotten away, or they would have taken my head too. Unlike you, my head wouldn’t have stayed alive being detached from my body.”

“That is true I suppose.” Sorgin smirked as she adjusted her glasses and fiddled with the skull on top of her walking stick. Agatha was always mesmerized always by the skull and swore that she once saw it wink at her.

“Is that real?” Agatha changed the subject as she was watching the eye sockets on the walking stick’s skull. “Of course, it is, why am I asking that, the better question is, who was it?”

Sorgin’s chipper demeanor quickly changed as she spun the stick around to look at the skull herself. “My brother.”

“I thought Imps were immortal, how did he end up like that?” Agatha questioned as she watched her eyes.

“I’m not telling….” Sorgin said in a mocking tone back to Agatha.

“Fair enough.” Agatha laughed as she settled back in her seat, watching the other members fill into the room. “It is good to see you though, Sorgin. I’ve missed you. What has dear old Cricket been up to while I’ve been gone?”

Sorgin sweetly hooked pinky fingers with Agatha as they sat and watched the room.

“Still trying to figure out how to be the ultimate witch, while making it seem like she’s helping everyone else take over whatever it is that they want to do. The same thing that she was doing before.” Sorgin’s eyes were sad as she looked down at the skull on her staff.

“Don’t you think she was doing that though? Everyone has gained power where they wanted it. She taught the elves how to overpower the fairies in the north. She taught a lot of us how to have more power. She taught the trolls and the dwarfs how to get more riches and how to get out from underground.”

“She’s smart, but all she has done is given people the knowledge they needed to achieve their goals. Her power is truly minimal if you pay attention to what she is doing. You’re probably a more powerful witch than she ever will be.”

“Well I am now.” Agatha smirked.

“Even before you stole your sister’s powers.” Sorgin chuckled. “She’s just really good at talking people into doing what she needs them to do. She’s just a healer with mud trolls. She can do a little bit of the Ether…but not enough to control anything.” Sorgin scowled.

“If that’s how you see her, why do you still follow her? I’ve seen you turn into a dragon! You could just eat her and then take over the circle.”

Sorgin raised her eyebrow with a smile. “I could…but she has that natural charm that the others just flock to. I would have to make way too many deals and trick these people to do what I wanted. Besides, she gives me the power to collect whatever I want to. I have my chateau back. I’m really not in need for all of that power that she thirsts for. I have everything I need.”

“Then why are you still here? What is the point of you being in the Circle? She took away your power of the Circle when she lost the Kingdom of Owls….what’s in it for you?”

There was a long pause as Sorgin watched the room. She saw elves, fairies, dwarfs, witches, humans, and even a giant making their way into the enchanted hall, all of them with their own hopes and dreams of being successful, and all of them ready to do what their leader would have them do now that they have lost everything they thought they had before.

“I feel too invested in her. I need to stick around and see what happens next.” Sorgin said with a smile. “Lilly has the ability to control a lot of people just by looking them in the eye. Thea can control almost all of the powers of a supreme witch, and Penelope is the strongest out of all of them, with the experience and knowledge of being an old bat like me. If she figures out the knowledge that Penelope has on how to take people’s powers, she’ll combine the three of them and rule the universe. If that happens I want to be on her good side.” Sorgin said with a wink as she rested her hands-on top of the skull walking stick. “She may not be the strongest witch there ever was, but she has the passion and the drive to get what she wants. She’ll get there again.” Sorgin tried to hide her emotions from Agatha; Sorgin didn’t need any of the others to know that Cricket had already stolen her powers.

The room fell quiet as the last few people and creatures came into the room. They all pulled out their bird masks and placed them over their faces. Agatha had acquired a new mask of a cardinal that blended in with her red hair- she gently tied it behind her head with a satin ribbon that was attached to the sides.

Cricket entered with grace that was unmatched by anyone Agatha had ever seen. She had to agree with Sorgin – Cricket really did have something about her that made it easy for someone to want to be part of anything that she was doing. She was just naturally charismatic; Agatha wasn’t sure if she enhanced her abilities with a charm, but Cricket was what Agatha needed all those years ago.

Cricket was able to make her feel like she finally had a place where she would belong. She always had a sense of awe whenever she saw Cricket walk into the Circle. Her make-up was always perfect, right down to her crimson lips, and her hair was never out of place as it gently