Page 55 of Black and White, Twice the Might

Sly sits on the side of the bed next to Ernest, closes his eyes, and touches Ernest’s arm.

As he works, everyone else joins us.

CHAPTER 20

Ernest opens his eyes, practically shoots up and flings himself into Adhan’s arms. “Oh! Thank God. Please tell me the others are alright.”

“Everyone is fine, look,” he says, pulling back.

Ernest looks. “Thanks, Sly,” he says, sending him a small smile.

“You’re welcome. It would seem only dark magic could bring you all back.”

“All back? Wait, did we all have the same dream? Haunted House, dead bodies?” he asks.

“Yeah, we did,” Temp says. He’s standing wrapped in Ben’s arms.

“Sly and Justice rescued us,” I tell him.

“How did you know we needed rescuing?” Ernest asks Sly and Justice.

“Ebby always wakes first. But this morning I did. I waited for Ebby to wake, but something felt wrong. I used my magic to look for him and found him trapped in a dream at the Haunted House. I pulled him out, and a few moments after he woke up, I heard the brothers shouting for help. I figured everyone might be trapped in that house. Ebb went to help Titus, and I went tohelp Sal. When Ebb couldn’t get to Titus, he realised only dark magic could bring you all out. Justice got himself out and then helped.”

“When you all vanished from the Haunted House, I figured the dark witches had done something, but still, seeing and finding dead bodies was crushing,” Justice says, sadness reflected on his face. “My magic went practically black, and I managed to shatter my dream and wake up.”

“I was never so happy to see one of us as when Sly came running into the clothes flying room and pulled me out of there,” Temp says.

“I was in the attic. Justice got me out,” Titus said.

“I was in the dining room,” Ernest says.

“Me too. Sly got me out,” Nix says.

“I was in the clothes room. Justice rescued me.” Sal says.

“I was in the clothes room. Sly rescued me.” I add.

“I was in the attic,” Justice says. “I know it was only a dream, but, yeah, that’s going to stay with me for a while.”

“Same,” we pretty much all say.

“Let’s go downstairs. I think we could all do with coffee,” Adhan says.

“So much coffee. I’m gonna be needing a vat of coffee,” Nix says.

“I’ll make sure you have some, baby,” Cam says, leading Nix out of the room, the others following.

We’resat around the kitchen table, all of us troubled. Us witches by what we saw and the Stones because there isn’t anything they can do, except hold their partners. None of us are talking for the moment.

Thankfully, the boys and Nora are in the lounge having breakfast and watching TV with Connie.

“They actually found the perfect way to unsettle us,” Temp says softly. “Kill us one at a time.”

“I’ve never felt as helpless as I did in the Haunted House. Nothing I did worked,” Nix says.

“Once I figured out what was happening, I tried blasting my way out of the dream, but nothing I did worked either until Justice showed up and pulled me out,” Titus tells us.

“Your magic is almost back to your light grey,” Ernest says, looking at Justice.