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

it with such a force that it knocked everyone from their feet, pushing them back to the trees.

The magic and the souls left the crystal and went to Cricket as if she was calling for it -drawing the energy to her like a magnet. She started to laugh as her skin glowed brighter with every piece she absorbed. Her body rose up, levitating in the air with her hands extended to the sky. She started to slowly rotate as her hair swarmed around her spinning her into a cocoon.

The laughter started to fade as Cricket fell silent. Her skin started turning red and was burning from within. She started to panic and then a high-pitched scream escaped her throat – loud enough that it shook the castle walls, causing it to crumble beneath the battle.

Cricket’s cocoon continued to spin around her until nothing could be seen of Cricket’s body. Inside, Cricket was trapped in the darkness – her skin was burning, and she couldn’t move her arms. The cocoon tighten- squeezing Cricket until she was crushed under the pressure turning her into nothing more than dust, which fell to the ground. The Baba Yaga blew a breath that started a strong wind – spreading her ashes through the sky – leaving no trace of the witch behind.

The sun was starting to raise in the East, and the noise of the battle was nonexistent – those who had survived cautiously made their way to the clearing in the trees.

“Is she….dead?” Dean questioned with his sword drawn, warily walking up to join Thea.

“It looks to be that way.” Thea said as she finally eased into Dean’s embrace. He helped her walk over to the two cats, once again healing them from their injuries.

“No. I can still see her.” Charles said as he looked through his witch’s eye. “What did you do to me?” He said as he turned to Penelope, who was busily tucking pieces of the crystal into her pockets, Thea’s bag and into the dress of the Baba Yaga.

“I merely helped you with your own power, Charles.”

The Baba Yaga nodded at Penelope before taking the largest chunk of the crystal and swallowing it whole. She, retreated into the trees with a lone surviving dragon following her overhead. Patting the pocket with the shards of crystal in it, she stopped and turned, looking at all the death that had taken place. There were no members of The Circle who stayed behind, most of them died in the battle- the rest ran for their lives when the castle fell. Those who survived from the Kingdom of Owls were bloodied, struggling to move as they came from the shadows into the sunlight.

So much that I have created has been ruined by greed – the innocent creatures and forest that was lost.

Thea and Penelope could hear the words of the Baba Yaga in their heads as they watched the ancient witch raise her hands above her head, making the rain fall from a cloudless sky, putting out the cinders and flames.

“They say that sun showers are lucky.” Lola emerged from the trees to join the others. She was no longer a furry squirrel but was back in her human form. “Maybe that will help the few of my people who are left.”

“You’re back to being a human.” Thea smiled as Lola just shrugged.

The rain washed away the ash. It washed away the battle.

“What happened to Cricket? And Lilly? Wait…where’s Agatha?” Thea spun around looking through the trees, stepping over the bodies that were scattered on the ground. She found her, laying against the tree, her back had been broken – leaving her lifeless body in the grass.  “Oh no….” Thea’s voice was barely audible. “She’s dead.”

They all sat in silence as they took in everything that had happen to them. The loss of their friends – loss of the castle.

The bodies of the fallen – both friend and foe were brought to the clearing where Cricket was last seen. They were burned once the rain had stopped.

Before the sun was high in the sky, Thea had a pyre made, and the twins were cremated together as Thea knew they would want to be – after all, they were apart of each other, and that’s how they were meant to be. The muddy purple that made up the bit of their essence which was left within the shells of their bodies danced up to the sky as the fire burned. Penelope raised her hands as the essence swirled in the sky and pushed it into Thea. Thea could feel their power swim in her belly.

“Why did you do that? I don’t want any more power.” Her face was twisted in confusion as her grandmother just looked back at her and smiled.

“The power won’t be for you, my love. You’re just holding it for someone.”

Thea started to question what was happening, but her grandmother hushed her as they watched their fallen friends get a proper send off.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Thea, Dean and Charles escorted Penelope back through the mountains to be with the Ice King. They stayed there for quite some time treating it as a vacation after their long adventures. They spent their days visiting with Penelope and Irving and their evenings playing in the snow with the penguins. Thea started calling Penelope “grammy” per her request, as they made up for many years of bonding that Thea had lost.

“Grammy, can I ask you something?” Thea was winding yarn for Penelope to work on the scarf she was knitting.

“What’s that dear?”

“Why did you keep some of the crystal? Why am I carrying this around with me?” In her hand she held multiple chunks from the crystal.

Penelope just smiled as she calmly set her knitting down on her lap and started to pet the silky fur of Tinker laying next to her.

“Do you remember when you were told that no one witch deserves all of the power? Well, though the Baba Yaga is one of the