could it possibly be? Neil leant forward quietly. “Change your ring over,” he breathed in her ear, “just in case …”
Clara nodded and promptly disappeared as she changed her magic ring to the other hand. She couldn’t see Neil now and, reaching out, felt for his arm as he pushed the door open a little further so that they could slip inside.
At first they couldn’t see anybody. Maybe, Neil thought, the door had just been left open by accident; but then again, perhaps not.
Don’t let there be a witch, Clara was thinking. Please, don’t let there be a witch.
Walking silently, they moved from aisle to aisle, slipping between the high bookcases, searching each alcove for the intruder. Then they saw him and Clara breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she thought. It wasn’t a witch, after all; it was one of the staff.
Neil froze, recognizing the German teacher, Herr von Grozny. At first he thought, quite naturally, that the man had come to the library to look for a book but this was not the case. Not the case at all. The man was obviously searching for something, his hands moving swiftly and methodically behind the rows of books.
Neil pulled on Clara’s hand and they moved closer to him. It was a mistake. They realized it the minute the man stiffened. His head lifted and he seemed to sniff the air before whirlinground, his pale blue eyes searching the room.
Neil couldn’t believe it. He knew they were there! Heart beating fast, he tugged on Clara’s hand.
She didn’t need to be told. They had to get away. Nerves tense they moved steadily backwards, very gently, step by step. Herr von Grozny, however, made for the door at a run and Neil’s heart sank as he realized that the room, although huge, was a trap. There was only one way in and out.
Just as Von Grozny reached the door, however, one of the school janitors appeared; a stooped, elderly man with greying hair.
“Is anything the matter, Herr von Grozny?” he asked.
There was a curious, strained silence. Von Grozny straightened and his eyes flashed coldly blue as they met those of the old man. Such was the tension between them that Clara gripped Neil’s hand hard.
“No,” Von Grozny said slowly, “I came down to look for a book.”
“You didn’t find it, then?” the janitor said, observing his empty hands.
“Er … no, I didn’t.” He looked at his watch. “My goodness, it’s much later than I thought. My apologies. I’ll look for it again tomorrow.”
“That’s fine then, Sir,” the janitor smiled. “Off you go and I’ll lock up.”
Von Grozny shot the man a furious, somewhat baffled, look before striding swiftly away down the corridor. The janitor, however, seemed in no hurry to leave. He left the door standing wide open as he inspected the library to see that everything was intact and by the time he returned, Neil and Clara were long gone.
11. Of Wolves and Witches
Once they had escaped from the library, Neil and Clara had hurriedly agreed not to wear their firestones in class in case the witch, whoever she was, sensed their magic. Still trembling with shock, their one idea was to reach the safety of their rooms in case von Grozny was still prowling the corridors. There was barely time to say anything else and for the rest of the week both had waited eagerly for Friday to come so that they could discuss what had happened.
“We’ve lots to tell you,” Neil said to his mother as he and Clara entered the kitchen. Mrs MacLean, however, busy unpacking groceries and feeling more than slightly flustered, hardly heard him.
Frowning as she scanned the assortment of food that lay on the work surface, she sighed as she handed Clara a carton of milk to put in the fridge. “Living between two houses isn’t a picnic,” she observed irritably. “I
always
seem to manage to forget something!”
It was only later that evening when they’d had dinner and were settled round the fire that Mrs MacLean remembered Neil’s words.
Clara nodded and promptly disappeared as she changed her magic ring to the other hand. She couldn’t see Neil now and, reaching out, felt for his arm as he pushed the door open a little further so that they could slip inside.
At first they couldn’t see anybody. Maybe, Neil thought, the door had just been left open by accident; but then again, perhaps not.
Don’t let there be a witch, Clara was thinking. Please, don’t let there be a witch.
Walking silently, they moved from aisle to aisle, slipping between the high bookcases, searching each alcove for the intruder. Then they saw him and Clara breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, she thought. It wasn’t a witch, after all; it was one of the staff.
Neil froze, recognizing the German teacher, Herr von Grozny. At first he thought, quite naturally, that the man had come to the library to look for a book but this was not the case. Not the case at all. The man was obviously searching for something, his hands moving swiftly and methodically behind the rows of books.
Neil pulled on Clara’s hand and they moved closer to him. It was a mistake. They realized it the minute the man stiffened. His head lifted and he seemed to sniff the air before whirlinground, his pale blue eyes searching the room.
Neil couldn’t believe it. He knew they were there! Heart beating fast, he tugged on Clara’s hand.
She didn’t need to be told. They had to get away. Nerves tense they moved steadily backwards, very gently, step by step. Herr von Grozny, however, made for the door at a run and Neil’s heart sank as he realized that the room, although huge, was a trap. There was only one way in and out.
Just as Von Grozny reached the door, however, one of the school janitors appeared; a stooped, elderly man with greying hair.
“Is anything the matter, Herr von Grozny?” he asked.
There was a curious, strained silence. Von Grozny straightened and his eyes flashed coldly blue as they met those of the old man. Such was the tension between them that Clara gripped Neil’s hand hard.
“No,” Von Grozny said slowly, “I came down to look for a book.”
“You didn’t find it, then?” the janitor said, observing his empty hands.
“Er … no, I didn’t.” He looked at his watch. “My goodness, it’s much later than I thought. My apologies. I’ll look for it again tomorrow.”
“That’s fine then, Sir,” the janitor smiled. “Off you go and I’ll lock up.”
Von Grozny shot the man a furious, somewhat baffled, look before striding swiftly away down the corridor. The janitor, however, seemed in no hurry to leave. He left the door standing wide open as he inspected the library to see that everything was intact and by the time he returned, Neil and Clara were long gone.
11. Of Wolves and Witches
Once they had escaped from the library, Neil and Clara had hurriedly agreed not to wear their firestones in class in case the witch, whoever she was, sensed their magic. Still trembling with shock, their one idea was to reach the safety of their rooms in case von Grozny was still prowling the corridors. There was barely time to say anything else and for the rest of the week both had waited eagerly for Friday to come so that they could discuss what had happened.
“We’ve lots to tell you,” Neil said to his mother as he and Clara entered the kitchen. Mrs MacLean, however, busy unpacking groceries and feeling more than slightly flustered, hardly heard him.
Frowning as she scanned the assortment of food that lay on the work surface, she sighed as she handed Clara a carton of milk to put in the fridge. “Living between two houses isn’t a picnic,” she observed irritably. “I
always
seem to manage to forget something!”
It was only later that evening when they’d had dinner and were settled round the fire that Mrs MacLean remembered Neil’s words.
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