Read Online Nettle Blackthorn and the Three Wicked Sisters by Winter Woodlark - Free Book Online

expression was mere inches from her own. “Stop it, let
go!” Nettle grabbed hold of Jazz’s hand trying to extricate her
from the nest of knotted locks. Jazz only tugged harder. “I don’t
know what you’re talking about. I haven’t done
anything.”
    Jazz snarled, “I am going to do to you exactly what you’ve done to
me.”
    Nettle ’s eyes pricked with tears, she tried to turn away, but
couldn’t. Jazz had really, really, really, bad morning breath. “Oh
come on… Why so cryptic? Why don’t you just come on out and say
it.”
    Jazz let go.
Nettle rubbed her smarting scalp, eyeing her cousin balefully.
    Jazz sneered. “I’m sorry you’re dirt poor, having to ride around
in that scrap of junk, in second hand clothes and home-made
haircuts. But don’t be jealous of me, and my family, and our money,
and all that it affords us.”
    “Ah, technically, you don’t have any money,” piped up Bram,
cleaning his lenses with the corner of the bed-sheet before putting
on his glasses to look up at his cousin, owl-like in
expectation.
    There
was a tick in Jazz’s forehead that started to twitch. She stared at
Bram as if he were a little bug she might squish beneath her shoes.
“You know, when mum said she was sending me to you guys, for a
moment I was excited. I remembered how much fun it was hanging out
with you when we were little kids.”
    Huh? That was new. All she’s done since being here was complain and
moan and roll her eyes at me, thought Nettle.
    “But
then, I remembered, listening to all those stupid stories you used
to make-up to impress me. Lies and fibs is what they were, just
like you’re telling right now.”
    On top of the dresser were the l ittle dolls her father had made
especially for her. Nettle had found some time last evening to dust
and polish Private Tonks and comb Little Judy Carbunkle’s golden
hair. Jazz snatched up Little Judy by her ringlets. She dangled the
doll between clenched fingers, while a little smile that didn’t
reach her eyes played on her lips.
    It was Bram
who recognized what was about to happened. “No, Jazz don’t,” he
cried. Nettle caught on just as Jazz’s smile hardened. The older
girl took hold of Little Judy and ripped half her hair from her
head and threw the scalped locks at Nettle.
    “Stop
it! What are you doing?!”
    Jazz
gleefully snapped the wooden doll in two and tossed the body parts
at Nettle. Little Judy’s limp body flopped onto the mattress at
Nettle’s feet. Nettle gathered up the broken doll, completely
shocked. Her cousin had gone mental before, but she’d never done
anything as monumentally malicious as this.
    “Have you gone insane?” Nettle cried . “Seriously, are you demented
or something?”
    Jazz hurled
Krankshaw Tattersfoot at Nettle who easily dodged the rabbit. “I’m
doing exactly what you two did to my bedroom!”
    “ We haven’t done anything to your room. We haven’t even left
our own.”
    Jazz,
near imploded. Howling, she became a whirlwind of destruction. Jazz
swept her hand across the top of the dresser, sweeping hair
brushes, the velvet lined jewellery box, money purse, hair ties and
clips, photographs and sketches, strawberry and cherry flavoured
chapsticks: everything went flying across the room and clattered
across the wooden floor, rolling under the bed and side tables. The
treasured perfume Nettle received on her twelfth birthday, smashed
against the wall, spraying a heady cloud of fragrance throughout
the room.
    Nettle
and Bram could only stare in disbelief. Jazz was growling and
grunting like a wild animal - and she wasn’t finished. She threw
open the louvered closet doors and pulled out a random article of
clothing. It was Nettle’s favourite navy striped jersey. Jazz tore
at the knitted fabric attempting to rip the jersey. All she managed
to do was pull it out of shape. Jazz shrieked in frustration and
tossed the jersey on the ground to furiously pull things out of the
closet and throw them