Page 11 of Black and White, Twice the Might (Cadenbury Town #8)

I t doesn’t take us long to get to the manor. Adhan carries Ernest straight up to their room and lays him on the bed. We all follow him in.

Sly steps forward. “Can I check Ernest to make sure he is dark magic free and won’t turn into a zombie?”

By the look on Sly’s face, he expects his offer to be rebuffed.

Adhan nods. “Please, Sly, thank you.”

Sly steps forward and sends his magic out. A moment later, he pulls it back. “There is no dark magic inside of him, and I can’t find any zombie tendencies inside of him, either. But to be safe, I can make up an anti-zombie tea for him to drink when he wakes up.”

“I can help you with that,” Temp offers.

“Thank you, Sly, Temp,” Adhan says to them.

“Come on, Sly, let’s make tea.” And with that, they both leave the bedroom.

As they leave, others arrive. The lady from the glass shop rushes in and over to the bed. “What happened?”

“While you fill Jodie in, let me sort out Ernest's neck,” Justice says, stepping closer to the bed.

Adhan moves out of the way. “Dark magic brought the vampires and zombies to life in the Haunted Walk. A zombie attacked Ernest.”

Jodie gasps.

“Will he turn into a zombie?” the man from the bookshop asks, rushing in with Molly and another lady.

“Sly says not. He magically looked Ernest over and is now with Temp, making an anti-zombie tea,” Adhan says.

“I’ll go and lend a hand,” a lady says, turning and walking out.

I wonder if that is Elaine.

We all watch Justice work his magic on Ernest, literally. After having a good look at the cut on his neck, Justice uses his magic to heal it. “I agree with Sly, there is no dark magic inside Ernest and his neck is now completely healed,” he says, clearing up his bits.

“Thank goodness,” his mother says, sighing.

We’re all chatting as we wait for Sly, Temp and Elaine to come back with the healing tea. I wonder how bad it will smell, or indeed taste. I can never figure out why they smell and taste so bad.

A little while later, the three of them walk back into the bedroom.

“The boys made a good tea,” Elaine says.

Temp hands the mug to Molly.

She cackles out a laugh. “We should keep a tally on who has drunk the most healing teas.”

“That would be me, by a lot,” Sal says, glaring at Molly. “Pretty sure you just gave them to me for the fun of it.”

“Or to heal your broken back,” Jude points out.

Sal huffs and leans into Jude’s side.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who jumps when Ernest suddenly opens his eyes and quickly sits up. “Head rush,” he says, holding his head.

Adhan sits on the side of the bed, looking at Ernest in concern. “Sweetheart, how are you feeling?”

“Alright, I guess. What did I miss?”

“You ate brains,” Sal tells him.

I bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.

Ernest stares at him in horror.

I hear Temp snigger.

“I hate you so much right now,” Ernest tells him, flopping to the side, so he’s leaning on Adhan.

We all chuckle at that.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” Sal says, grinning.

“Really, what did I miss?” Ernest asks.

“You were bitten by a zombie, we brought you back here, and Sly used magic to make sure you wouldn’t turn into one,” Adhan says, wrapping an arm around Ernest.

“And he also helped Tink and Elaine make this tea for you,” Molly cackles while holding a cup out to him.

Ernest screws up his nose. “Pretty sure the magic Sly used is enough to stop any zombie tendencies.”

“Was it though?” Sly asks, grinning like mad.

I watch John take the mug out of Molly’s hand and walk closer to the bed. “Drink, son,” he tells him sternly, holding the mug out to Ernest.

“I added mint, for extra flavour,” Sly says.

Ernest shakes his head. “Yeah, you’re gonna fit right in with us.”

“Drink,” his mother demands.

“Please, sweetheart,” Adhan says, leaning his head next to Ernest’s.

Ernest gives an impressive, dramatic sigh. “Fine,” he says, taking the mug.

From the smell, that healing tea is going to taste rank.

Ernest drinks it down in one and coughs. “I can honestly say the mint didn’t help.”

Sly laughs. “I never said it would.”

“Gah,” Ernest says, handing the mug back to his father and flopping against Adhan’s side again.

“The Dark One also destroyed all dark magic that was still in the Haunted Walk,” Molly announces.

“I can’t believe I missed zombies and vampires,” Cassie says.

“Don’t forget the rock apples,” Ernest says.

“Rock apples?” Adhan asks.

Justice explains about the apple tree. “Everyone is loving the walk, and nobody's getting hurt.”

“Except for Ben and Ernest,” Sion points out.

“True. So now we just need to worry about the Haunted House and the fair,” Adhan says, looking at Molly. “What did you and Cleo decide? Should we close the event down?”

Molly shakes her head. “No, as Sion said, only Ben and young’un have been hurt. We can up the protection around you all to keep you safe. Cleo was going to protect her family.”

“I like the idea of us cackling around a cauldron,” Cassie says.

I hear groans from the others.

Cackling around a cauldron? I wonder what that’s about?

Molly cackles. “Perfect. That’s your task for tomorrow night, witchlings, don’t forget to dress up. Now young’un has been dezombied , I’m off home,” and with that, Molly practically sails out of the room.

“Did she just leave, so she got the last word in and so we couldn’t say no to the cauldron?” Nix asks, looking shocked.

Elaine laughs. “She did indeed. I’m leaving as well. Ernest, call me if you need me. Night, everyone,” and just like that, Elaine is gone.

“I didn’t really turn into a zombie, did I?” Ernest asks the room generally.

“No, sweetheart,” Adhan assures him.

“I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t have, anyway. We just wanted to make sure,” Sly tells him.

“I still don’t understand how it happened. I mean, that zombie was a hologram. I put my hand through it.”

“I think by doing that, you made it solid,” Titus tells me.

I nod. “Okay, class, no putting your hand through a hologram.”

“Is it wrong that I’m enjoying what the dark witches are doing? I mean not Ben and Ernest getting hurt, but it’s making for a great event,” Kean says.

“Someone also caught Shamus,” Ernest tells everyone.

“Really?” Jude asks.

“Yeah, he was drowning his sorrows with Cleo,” Ernest replies, then smothers a yawn.

“All right, everyone, let’s let Ernest and Adhan settle down for the night,” Emily says.

We walk out of the room, Emily closing the door behind us. “Let’s go to the kitchen and have coffee and cake.

“Would you mind if we grab the boys and head back to the B&B?” Sly asks.

“Not at all,” Emily says, pulling us both into hugs.

“Thanks for looking after the boys,” I say.

“They were no trouble and had fun drawing on Nora’s cast. They’re in the lounge.” Emily leads us to the room.

The boys are sitting watching TV. They look up at us and grin.

“Time to leave,” I tell them.

They both stand up.

“Thanks, Emily,” they say.

She hugs them both. “Anytime.”

A few moments later, we leave the house. The boys, thankfully, are both smiling.

“What happened to Ernest?” Xander asks as we walk to the car.

“The holographic vampires and zombies came alive. One of the zombies bit Ernest,” Sly tells them, opening the car.

“So Sly, Temp and Elaine made a tea for Ernest and checked there were no zombie tendencies inside of him,” I add, sitting in the car and closing the door.

“I put the zombies on treadmills,” Sly says, turning around and grinning at the boys, who laugh.

“Did Ernest get too close to one for him to be bitten?” Xander asks as Sly starts the car and drives us back to the B&B.

“He went and looked at one and poked it, then put his hand through it, telling us all it was still a hologram, but as he started walking back, the zombie jumped off the treadmill and attacked him,” I reply.

“You’ve got to admit, it’s making the farm eventful,” Enoch says.

“It is indeed.” I agree.