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

With her other hand, the frail body of Penelope came flying out from the trees. She was breathing in their essence at the same time.

“Stop! You’re forgetting something!” Charles had emerged from the trees with the Baba Yaga in tow. He held the purple crystal, now glowing with its souls and powers swirling within. For a brief moment Cricket looked worried and had stopped spewing fire and was back up on her two legs. Cricket tilted her head to the side before starting to speak to Charles.

“You’re going to want to give me that back, before anything happens to you, or your friends.”

“Happen to my friends? You already killed Robin!”

“You killed Robin?!” Thea screamed. Suddenly she no longer felt weak and was full of rage as she tried to fight against the pull of the Ether.

Dean emerged from the darkness, no longer covered in mudtrolls and was at his brother’s side.

“Thea, she stole Robin’s powers and then killed her by pushing her down a flight of stairs! She’s dead!”

Thea stumbled as she tried to attack Cricket. She wasn’t able to conjure anything that she could attack Cricket with, and her legs trembled as she tried to move. Everything just fizzled in her hand and burnt out. Cricket just smiled at her.

“It’s all right little man, I took Thea’s powers too. Soon, all the most powerful witches in the realm will be a part of me, and I will be the only one with any power.”

You will never have all the power! I will make sure of that!

The Baba Yaga started to grow as she pushed Cricket with the Ether. Penelope and Thea both tried to push her too but couldn’t conjure anything to aid the Baba Yaga. Dean drew his blade and he too was leading the charge toward the fight. Penelope was so weak she fainted as she tried to walk. Thea went to her aid and helped her out of the clearing.

Cricket started laughing as she too started to grow matching the size of the Baba Yaga. The white streak of Ether was not stronger than the flame streaming from Cricket’s mouth. Regardless of the amount of power the ancient witch gave, Cricket was now stronger, overpowering her. She stomped and kicked those charging her legs with one swipe. Dean was unfortunate enough to catch one of her immense hands, sending him flying off into the trees.

The noises from the battle at the castle couldn’t be heard by Thea as she started to panic and only heard the high-pitched noise of the Ether squealing through the air. She made her way to where Penelope was sitting in a slump in the brush of the trees. She healed her as best she could with the slight power that she had left.

“Wait child.” Her grandmother placed a light hand on her cheek. “What’s his name? Charles? Charles! Come here with that!”

Sparks were flying through the darkness – the smoke from the burning trees covered the forest floor with a thick haze that concealed all of the movement throughout the forest. Charles stumbled over roots and what he assumed were fallen bodies as he made his way to where Penelope was calling for him. The crystal started to glow as Penelope took it from his hands.

“Now, that’s a good boy.” Her voice was raspy as she took his sword as well. She quickly shaved parts of the crystal off the mass, collecting it in the palm of her free hand. “Take a deep breath in!” She turned to Thea and waited for her to comply, before blowing the purple dust into her face, filling Thea’s mouth and nose with the burning sulfur powder that made her feel sick to her stomach. “Don’t you dare throw that up!” Her grandmother had placed her hand over her mouth and was sternly looking into her eyes as Thea gaged.

Thea was about to ask what was to happen, but she didn’t need to, she could feel the power start in her lungs, and move through each of her veins soaring through her blood, until each one of her veins were glowing in the dark, filling with the power of those who’s magic was stuck within the crystal.

“Now you, young man.” She turned to Charles who was cautiously watching the fight between the giant witches.

“I’m not a wizard, ma’am, it would be wasted on me.”

“You have had power ever since that eyeball was put into your head! Get over here. I don’t have time to argue with you.” Charles bent down to look Penelope in the face and was greeted with the same burning sensation that Thea had experienced. His chest felt tight as he gasped for air, he grabbed his chest and fell to his knees. He had never experienced such a rush as he had with the dust flying through him. His single eye started to glow.

The space between the fire and the Ether between Cricket and the Baba Yaga grew smaller as both witches were losing their energy.

“No throwing up now! My turn Thea, hurry up and blow this into my face.” The old witch poured the dust into Thea’s hand and smiled as she closed her eyes – Thea blew the dust into her grandmother’s face and watched as she started to glow. The wrinkles in her face smoothed out and the grey hair melted away into the raven black hair that she had on her own head. “That feels so much better.” Penelope looked down at her hands as she watched the age spots melt away.

“Do we have our powers back?” Thea asked as she started to conjure a fireball, but it was no longer the normal orange flames as it was a hotter flame in blue.

“We have some of our powers, some of other people’s powers….it’s like a new hybrid witch. You may have weaker powers from what you once had, but you might have stronger ones that you never had before. Unfortunately, we won’t have time to figure that