Read Online Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch by Serena Valentino - Free Book Online
Authors: Serena Valentino
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side-eye now, creature! You know exactly what I’m about to do!”
I t didn’t take long to get the furniture shifted and all the candles placed and lit, with Nanny orchestrating the scene like the greatest of maestros. The room was brilliant with light, and sitting at the center were Nanny and Pflanze. They were encircled by many rings of candles, which seemed to go on infinitely when reflected in the many mirrors that adorned the room.
Pflanze had heard Lucinda say many times that fire and water did not mix, and she knew even without reading her mind what Nanny was up to. She was creating a wall of fire to keep Ursula from entering their magical circle again.
They were going to summon Circe, and this time Ursula wouldn’t be able to interrupt.
T he odd sisters had spent far too much time fretting over the Dark Fairy’s message, leaving Princess Ariel to find her way into Prince Eric’s home by the sea. Luckily for the sisters, however, she hadn’t found a way into his heart. Not yet. “We must focus all our attentions on Ariel,” said Lucinda. “Where are Flotsam and Jetsam?”
“Oh! I’ll get the mirror!” Martha shouted, scuttling off to find one of their enchanted mirrors so they could keep an eye on Ariel and the prince.
Ruby was shaking; she couldn’t turn her mind from the Dark Fairy’s warning. “Why did she have to send that message now, when we’re trying to find Circe? Do you think she’ll interfere?”
Ruby’s endless fretting over Maleficent’s message only succeeded in making Lucinda more infuriated with her old friend the Dark Fairy.
“I won’t have her mentioned again, Ruby!” Trying to distract her sister, she continued: “Look, here is Martha with the mirror!”
“I have them! I have them!”
In the mirror Martha was struggling to drag into the room, the witches could see the images of Flotsam and Jetsam. The two creatures were spying on Ariel and Prince Eric.
“Someone help me!” Martha squealed, tripping on a snag in her tattered dress.
“Good gods, Martha! Why didn’t you bring one of the smaller mirrors? Here, let me help you!”
The ladies successfully propped the mirror against one of the onyx raven statues that flanked the fireplace so that the sisters could warm themselves by the fire while spying on Triton’s youngest daughter. Collectively they wondered if they were doing the right thing. A terrible sense of foreboding and anxiety was just under the surface, threatening to burst forth. They had been very careful not to fall into their old habits of interfering with others, casting harmful spells, or even succumbing to their usual fits of lyrical mayhem. The sisters had in fact been rather subdued, and it was all for Circe. For their dearest little sister. They were even speaking normally, or doing so as much as they were capable, so their sister would accept them. She hated their odd rhyming speech. They wanted nothing more than to make her happy, make her proud of her older sisters. But wouldn’t meddling in the affairs of Ariel and killing her father besmirch them further in their little sister’s eyes? Surely it would.
But could they truly be certain? Perhaps it wouldn’t bother Circe. In fact, they assured themselves, Circe might actually be pleased.
After all, Circe loved Ursula; she had said so herself. And if Circe knew the terrible things Ursula’s brother, Triton, had done to her—not just the legends but the truly awful deeds—then she would help them.
How Triton had treated Ariel would be enough for Circe. She had no regard for fathers who kept their daughters from their true loves and destroyed their most cherished possessions. If Circe were there, she probably would have granted Ariel’s wish to be human without payment, punishing Triton in the process. No, Circe wouldn’t mind their schemes with Ursula. In fact, she’d probably help them.
“I don’t think she would. She’s too good,” whispered Martha. “I don’t think
I t didn’t take long to get the furniture shifted and all the candles placed and lit, with Nanny orchestrating the scene like the greatest of maestros. The room was brilliant with light, and sitting at the center were Nanny and Pflanze. They were encircled by many rings of candles, which seemed to go on infinitely when reflected in the many mirrors that adorned the room.
Pflanze had heard Lucinda say many times that fire and water did not mix, and she knew even without reading her mind what Nanny was up to. She was creating a wall of fire to keep Ursula from entering their magical circle again.
They were going to summon Circe, and this time Ursula wouldn’t be able to interrupt.
T he odd sisters had spent far too much time fretting over the Dark Fairy’s message, leaving Princess Ariel to find her way into Prince Eric’s home by the sea. Luckily for the sisters, however, she hadn’t found a way into his heart. Not yet. “We must focus all our attentions on Ariel,” said Lucinda. “Where are Flotsam and Jetsam?”
“Oh! I’ll get the mirror!” Martha shouted, scuttling off to find one of their enchanted mirrors so they could keep an eye on Ariel and the prince.
Ruby was shaking; she couldn’t turn her mind from the Dark Fairy’s warning. “Why did she have to send that message now, when we’re trying to find Circe? Do you think she’ll interfere?”
Ruby’s endless fretting over Maleficent’s message only succeeded in making Lucinda more infuriated with her old friend the Dark Fairy.
“I won’t have her mentioned again, Ruby!” Trying to distract her sister, she continued: “Look, here is Martha with the mirror!”
“I have them! I have them!”
In the mirror Martha was struggling to drag into the room, the witches could see the images of Flotsam and Jetsam. The two creatures were spying on Ariel and Prince Eric.
“Someone help me!” Martha squealed, tripping on a snag in her tattered dress.
“Good gods, Martha! Why didn’t you bring one of the smaller mirrors? Here, let me help you!”
The ladies successfully propped the mirror against one of the onyx raven statues that flanked the fireplace so that the sisters could warm themselves by the fire while spying on Triton’s youngest daughter. Collectively they wondered if they were doing the right thing. A terrible sense of foreboding and anxiety was just under the surface, threatening to burst forth. They had been very careful not to fall into their old habits of interfering with others, casting harmful spells, or even succumbing to their usual fits of lyrical mayhem. The sisters had in fact been rather subdued, and it was all for Circe. For their dearest little sister. They were even speaking normally, or doing so as much as they were capable, so their sister would accept them. She hated their odd rhyming speech. They wanted nothing more than to make her happy, make her proud of her older sisters. But wouldn’t meddling in the affairs of Ariel and killing her father besmirch them further in their little sister’s eyes? Surely it would.
But could they truly be certain? Perhaps it wouldn’t bother Circe. In fact, they assured themselves, Circe might actually be pleased.
After all, Circe loved Ursula; she had said so herself. And if Circe knew the terrible things Ursula’s brother, Triton, had done to her—not just the legends but the truly awful deeds—then she would help them.
How Triton had treated Ariel would be enough for Circe. She had no regard for fathers who kept their daughters from their true loves and destroyed their most cherished possessions. If Circe were there, she probably would have granted Ariel’s wish to be human without payment, punishing Triton in the process. No, Circe wouldn’t mind their schemes with Ursula. In fact, she’d probably help them.
“I don’t think she would. She’s too good,” whispered Martha. “I don’t think
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