#Julie might ship Hicsqueak as much as Ada
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World on Fire
5th in the Hecateâs Summer Playlist series
Chapters: 3
Word Count: 18,268
Fandom: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Some violence, injuries, discussion of bullying, Hecateâs ever-present self-esteem issues.
Summary: Just as Hecate begins to find her footing in her new life with an expanded family, a dangerous new enemy threatens to rip it all apart.
Notes:
This story continues Hecateâs adventures over one fateful summer. It is the 5th installment of my take on the Summer Trope Challenge. It will make much more sense if youâve read the first ones. The title comes from the Sarah McLachlan song. Iâve also borrowed a few lyrics from Trainâs Hey, Soul Sister for an impromptu dance party.
Again, thanks to Sparky, who is still editing my fics. I keep promising her that they will be shorter, but she knows Iâm probably lying.
Chapter 1
Hecate studied her reflection in the mirror. Still too skinny, she thought. Wearing only a pair of black stretchy lounge pants and a bra, she could see her ribs and collarbones sticking through her pale skin. Skin that was looser now than it had been the last time anyone had seen so much of it. She brushed her hand over the rough skin of the scar stretching across her side just below her ribcage. The skin was still an angry pink, but healing now. After a little more than a week at Julie Hubbleâs she finally starting to feel like herself. No, she corrected, thinking about the letter in the black envelope that had appeared on her nightstand yesterday morning, she was feeling better than herself.
Pippa loved her. She knew every dark moment, every failing, every regret from Hecateâs life and she loved her any way. Pippa wanted to live happily-ever-after with her.
As if that wasnât magic enough, her powers had returned as strong as ever. Even though the Great Wizard had insisted that they refrain from using their magic, Hecate had been practicing little spells, like doing her hair or summoning objects. Sheâd transferred from Mildredâs bedroom into the kitchen three times. At breakfast theyâd talked about when she might move back to Cackleâs. Sheâd been shocked to realize that she would miss being with Pippa and the Hubbles.
âYou look as beautiful as I remember, Hiccup.â Pippaâs eyes met hers in the mirror as she leaned against the bathroom door.
âI look old, Pip.â Hecate held her arms at her sides, forcing herself not to cover up under Pippaâs gaze.
âNonsense. That girl from Amuletâs was lovely, no doubt about it. But the woman she grew into? Magnificent.â Pippa smiled at the flush she could see beginning on Hecateâs chest. Not wanting to make Hecate uncomfortable, she turned her attention to her injury. âYour side looks better, lots better.â She knelt down and ghosted her fingers across it, smiling at the goosebumps that appeared on Hecateâs skin. âDid it start healing faster once your magic started coming back?â
âI think so. I think the spell that keeps you from using magic to heal it may be similar to a time spell. Itâs still going to leave a scar, though.â
âMm-hmm.â Pippa pressed a quick kiss to Hecateâs side before hoisting herself back to her feet. âGood thing I think scars are sexy, then.â She headed back to the hallway. âJulie should be home in a couple of hours. We thought weâd get started on dinner.â
An hour later Hecate was stirring the sauce for their pasta when a bouncy song started playing on the radio.
Your sweet moonbeam, the smell of you in every single dream I dream,
I knew when we collided, youâre the one I have decided, whoâs one of my kind.
 Barefoot, Pippa began tapping her toes to the music, then swaying, then giving in and bumping her hip into Hecate, who looked at her, rolled her eyes and went back to stirring her sauce. Not to be deterred, Pippa grabbed Mildred by the hand and twirled her around the tiny kitchen, singing along at the top of her lungs.
Hey, soul sister, ainât that Mr. Mister on the radio, stereo? The way you move ainât fair, you know?
Hey, soul sister, I donât wanna miss a single thing you do tonight.
 After her third spin, Mildred caught Hecateâs hand and pulled her in. Pippa spun each of them around until Mildred ducked under Pippaâs arm, dragging Hecate behind her until she came face-to-face with Pippa, who pulled her in and kept on dancing.
Way you can cut a rug, watching youâs the only drug I need.
So gangster, Iâm so thug, youâre the only one Iâm dreaming of.
 Pippa pounded her own chest as she sang about being a thug, much to Hecateâs amusement.
You see I can be myself now finally, in fact thereâs nothing I canât be.
I want the world to see youâll be with me.
 Julie paused in the doorway, watching Pippa work her magic on Hecate and Mildred. Sheâd never say it out loud, but sheâd been more than a little apprehensive about having Hecate recover at her house. Wound tight under the best of circumstances, Hecate had managed to relax and open up, and Julie knew that was due in no small part to the blonde witch currently spinning her around the kitchen.
âWhatâs the matter, Millie-bear? You arenât dancing?â
âMum!â Mildred gave the sauce one last stir before hugging her mother. âI was, but I swapped HB in instead.â
âGood girl, sometimes she needs a little nudge.â The song wound down so Julie lowered the volume. âI should have known this is how it would be â I trudge off to work and you lot have a party. Life just isnât fair!â She gave Mildredâs braid a flick. âCan you handle things in the kitchen while I have a word with Hecate and Pippa?â When Mildred nodded, Julie pulled them into her bedroom and closed the door. âI know we talked about you heading back to Cackleâs this morning, butâŚâ She pulled a folded paper out of her pocket. âThe hospital wants to send me to Frankfort for a symposium on health and safety procedures. The girl scheduled to go came down with strep so Iâm a last-minute sub. I thought Iâd see if youâd have a go as Millieâs full-time magic mum for a few days.â
âB-b-by myself? Take care of Mildred by myself?â
âSheâs hardly an infant, Hiccup,â Pippa reminded her gently. âEven though I have to go to Pentangles during the day, Iâll still come back each evening.â
Hecate took a deep breath and nodded. âOf course, I will. It would be my privilege.â
Julie wrapped an arm around Hecateâs shoulders, ignoring how she stiffened. âYouâll be fine, love.â She squeezed a bit tighter before letting Hecate go.
âAre we going to tell her aboutâŚmagic mum?â
Julie shook her head. âI still want to do it properly, have a real family dinner, and make a celebration out of it.â
âAnd that includes Ada,â Pippa added. Hecateâs grateful smile was all the confirmation Pippa needed that her choice to include Ada was the right one. Hecate deserved all the family she could get.
They went back to the kitchen just in time to see Mildred floating the pot of boiling pasta to the sink and magically tipping the contents into a colander. Julie and Hecate both opened their mouths to tell her to be careful, but Pippa clamped a hand over each mouth just in time.
Pippa waited until the pot had settled back on the counter before calling out âWell done, Mildred!â Mildred turned to look back at them, her proud grin lighting up her face. âWasnât that a textbook moving spell, Hiccup?â
Hecate started to say something about the unauthorized use of magic, but Mildredâs pleased, hopeful look sent the words right out of her mouth. âVery well, done, Mildred. Mr. Rowan-Webb would be quite pleased.â
Julie stepped behind Mildred and planted a loud kiss on top of her head. âDid you help with dinner?â
âNot much. It was mostly HB and Miss Pentangle. I just set the table.â
âWell, I could come home to this every night.â
Hecate took over the pasta, pouring the cavatappi into a pan, covering it with the sauce and adding a thick layer of cheese over all of it. Waving her hand over the pan, Hecate sent a stream of magic across the top, melting the cheese until it was brown and bubbly. Pippa tossed and dressed the salad. Once she was certain everything was ready, Pippa waved her fingers and filled four plates. In moments theyâd all crowded around the tiny kitchen table.
âI never knew you could cook, HB,â Mildred said, after her first bite.
âItâs not so different from potions.â Hecate said, unable to hide a small, pleased smile.
âMaybe while weâre still here we can talk Hiccup into making her famous lemon bars.â Pippa added. âTheyâre quite delicious.â
Mildred poked at her food with her fork. âHow much longer are you staying?â
Hecate looked for impatience or other signs Mildred had tired of her presence. She found none, just Mildredâs normal curiosity.
âIâm so glad you asked that, Millie-bear.â Julie retrieved the notice from the bedroom and handed it to her daughter. âHospitalâs asked me to go to a conference in Frankfurt day after tomorrow, and I thought Iâd ask Hecate to stay here with you while Iâm gone.â
Of all the reactions Hecate expected Mildred to have, bouncing eager brightness was not among them.
âWell, I guess thatâs settled, then.â Julie winked at Hecate.
Pippa leaned over and whispered into Hecateâs ear. âTry not to look so shocked, darling. You are the only one who didnât know sheâd be thrilled.â
Hecate released a breath she didnât know sheâd been holding. The rest of the meal passed in relaxed conversation â Mildred excitedly planning ways she and HB could pass the week.
âI thought,â Hecate interjected, before Mildred could plan another activity, âthat Thursday might be a good day to visit Miss Mould.â
âCan I go, Mum? I want to see Miss Mould again!â Mildred looked back and forth between Hecate and her mother. âPlease?â
Julie opened her mouth to answer, but Pippa cut her off. âThat might be a good idea, actually.â
âWhat?â asked Hecate and Julie.
âIt just occurred to me that Miss Mould was very fond of Mildred. She gave up her magic for her, after all. Perhaps she might be more inclined to help us if she were reminded who she was helping?â
âButâŚâ Hecate tried to formulate an argument that would not remove that bright smile from Mildredâs face. She sighed. Her life had been much simpler before she worried about things like Mildred Hubbleâs smile. She glanced at the girlâs hopeful expression. Simpler, perhaps, but not nearly as bright â and she was determined to be brighter. âIt would be acceptable to me,â she heard herself say. âIf that is agreeable to you, Ms. Hubble.â
Julie raised her eyebrows at Hecate. âWell I donât know, Miss Hardbroom, do you expect anything,â she glanced at Mildred, âunsafe?â
Hecate considered the question. âI shouldnât think so. Weâre just asking for some names.â
âAll right then, love, you can go. But,â she pointed a finger at her daughter. âYou do as Hecate says. SheâsâŚsheâs doing me a big favor looking out for youâŚwhile Iâm gone.â
âI will, Mum, I promise. Hanging out with you is going to be the bats, HB.â Mildred returned to eating with gusto. She didnât notice the wistful look that flickered across her motherâs face, or the quick squeeze Julie gave Hecateâs hand.
Julie pretended not to notice the minor emotional breakdown Hecate seemed to be having. Instead, she cast about for any other topic of conversation. âOh! Iâve just remembered!â Everyone turned to look at her expectantly. âDid any of you lot read the Telegraph today?â All three witches gazed at her with blank expressions. âI thought you were looking for information?â She shook her head. âNo wonder newspapers canât make a go of it anymore.â
âWhat was in the paper, Ms. Hubble?â Hecate drawled in her best âMiss Hardbroomâ voice.â
Thereâs our girl, Julie thought with a smile. âThere was an article about some vandalism at one of the gardens â the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, I think. I donât usually read the Daily Mail, but someone left it in the lounge so I read it on me lunch break.â She hopped up from the table and rummaged through her shoulder bag, returning a moment later with a rumpled newspaper. Smoothing it across her lap, Julie flipped through the pages until she found the article she was looking for. âHere we go. âVandals Strike Kew Gardens.ââ She pointed to the article. âYou can read it yourself, but the short story is somebody broke in to the Herbarium and tossed it.â Pippa summoned her reading glasses with one hand and reached for the newspaper with the other.
âThe Herbarium, you said?â Hecate looked thoughtful.
âRight. I didnât think much of it until I read the quote by one of the botanists.â
Pippaâs finger skimmed the article. âDr. Piety Pendragon. She says they caused such a mess they canât even tell if anything is missing.â She handed the paper to Mildred and placed her readers on the table, much to Hecateâs disappointment.
âThatâs the one. Piety Pendragon â if thatâs not a witching name Iâll eat your hat, Pentangle.â
Pippa frowned, chewing at her lip. âWasnât there a Piety Pendragon at Amuletâs, Hiccup? A year or two above us, perhaps?â
Hecate thought a moment before her face darkened. âYes, there was.â Hecate swallowed â hard â before continuing. âShe was one of thoseâŚparasites trailing along behind Agnes Monkshood.â
Pippa saw the change immediately and pulled her chair even closer to Hecateâs at the tiny table. She draped an arm across Hecateâs shoulders and leaned in close, aware of Mildredâs wide eyes watching intently. âI remember them now, Hiccup. They were some of the worst, werenât they?â Hecate nodded, eyes closed against painful memories. âI want you to listen to me, Hecate,â she reached out and placed her fingers under Hecateâs chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. âLook at me, darling,â Hecate opened her eyes, afraid to see the pity in Pippaâs when she looked at her. There wasnât any. âThose girls donât matter now, Hiccup. They never did. Even then you were the witchiest witch and everybody knew it, my love. They were cruel to you because it was the only time they could ever feel like more than the nothings that they were.â
Hecate took a deep breath, breathing in for a count of five and then slowly releasing it over a count of five. She did this three times before she tried to speak. âThank you, Pipsqueak.â She avoided looking at Mildred entirely. âWas it only the Herbarium? Not the Fungarium or the Spirit Collections?â
Accepting Hecateâs need to change the topic, Pippa leaned back in her own chair, stabbing at her salad with her fork. âIt didnât mention those, no.â
Hecate pushed herself away from the table and started pacing the tiny living room. âOkay, that tells us somethingâŚAre Dimity and Algie still researching spells that could free Agatha from the picture?â
âAs far as I know,â Pippa said.
âWe need to tell them to look for potions, as well.â Hecate continued to pace.
Julie shook her head. âSlow down, Hecate, Iâm not following.â
âYou think somebody tried to steal a potions ingredient, donât you HB?â
âVery good, Mildred,â Hecate couldnât stop her flicker of a smile when the girl sat up straighter and beamed. She returned to her seat at the table. âThe Royal Botanic gardens arenât just used by ordinary people â theyâre used by the witching world as well. No point in having two, after all. I donât think this was vandalism at all, Pip. I think it was a theft. I think all theâŚâ she waved her hands around, âall the disorder was simply to make it hard to find what was missing.  We need to find out what is missing. It would have to be something old and rare, something you wouldnât be able to find in the wild anymore.â
Pippa nodded. âIt would also be something used in its dried form, yes? Thatâs how the Herbarium samples are stored, isnât it? Pressed and dried?â Hecate agreed. âI think we need to talk to Piety Pendragon.â Pippa winced as Hecate blanched at the idea. âI need to talk to Piety Pendragon. I wouldnât subject you to that â even to save Cackleâs.â She winked at Hecateâs look of relief. âBesides, maybe if I turn on the charm, sheâll tell me everything we need to know.â
âWhy wouldnât she? She was your friend, Pip, Iâm sure-â
âHecate.â Pippaâs voice sounded frustrated and angry. âI have told you this before â many times. I had âhangers-onâ at Amuletâs, too many. I had a handful of friendly acquaintances. But I had exactly the same number of friends in school as you did: one.â Her voice softened. âI had one brilliant, beautiful, wonderful friend â and she was all I needed. Sheâs still all I need.â Giving Hecate a moment to process, Pippa turned to Julie and grinned. âNo offense, Hubble.â
âNone taken, Pentangle. Iâm quite comfortable in my position of third wheel.â
Hecate could feel the heat radiating off her face. âThank you, Pipsqueak,â she whispered. She chanced a look across the table at Mildred. The girl was smiling shyly back at her, looking pleased. âHow about I clean up and then we can do something fun?â
âHow about we clean up while you go mirror Ada? Tell her what youâve figured out. Unless someone at Cackleâs knows Piety any better than we do, Iâll go visit her while you lot are at Miss Mouldâs. We can kill two ravens with one spell.â
  âWhat if she only wants ice cream for dinner?â Hecate asked, fighting down a rising sense of panic the closer it came time for Julie to go.
âThen tell her âno,â Hecate â unless thatâs what you want to eat as well, then, have at it. Youâll be the one who has to deal with her bouncing off the walls all night.â
âWhat if she gets sick? Or, or wants to go on a date?â
âYouâre a potions mistress, arenât you? Make her a potion. And, honestly, Hecate, a date? Whoâs going to ask a thirteen-year-old on a date in the next three days?â
âYou know Iâm right here, donât you? I havenât accidentally taken an invisibility potion?â Mildred looked back and forth between her mother and Hecate. She and HB were sitting on Julieâs bed, drinking hot chocolate while her mother finished packing for her conference. She was pretty sure HB was having a nervous breakdown.
âSorry, Millie-bear. Hecateâs just a bit nervous. Running a schoolâs a bit different than just taking care of you, love.â
âWouldnât just me be easier?â
âHardly,â Hecate said into her mug.
Julie reached over and smacked Hecateâs foot. âWhat Hecate means to sayâŚis that itâs different and sometimes things that are different can be scary. Even for her.â Frankly, sheâd been expecting this moment of panic to come, especially since Pippa had been forced to return to Pentangles to deal with an unexpected staffing issue. She would never characterize Hecate as codependent â not at all â but Pippa most definitely brought a soothing balance to the jangly, spiky, potions mistress. âIt will get better once Pippa gets back tomorrow.â She traded one blouse for another â a swap sheâd made four times already. âBy the way, why donât you move back to your room tomorrow night, Mil. Let HB have my room. That way, when Pippa gets here she wonât have to sleep on the couch.â Julie waggled her eyebrows at Hecate â grinning at the flush that traveled up her scowling face.
Finally satisfied, Julie zipped her suitcase closed and hauled it to the bedroom door. She flopped down on the bed where it had been. âYou two will be fine, Hecate. Millieâs going to be on her best behavior, right?â She looked pointedly at Mildred, who nodded vigorously. âAndâŚyou can always text and we can mirror chat and if all else failsâŚyou lot can go to Cackleâs where you can get some help. But you wonât need it. I have faith in you, Hecate.â
She said it in such a way that Hecate knew she was talking about more than just the next few days. If she were honest with herself, Hecate knew that she was nervous about more than the next few days as well. âWeâll be fine,â she said, then cleared her throat and said it again more confidently.
âYou will. Okay, Millie, go get your shower. Just put your mug in the sink.â
âYes, mum.â She slid off the bed and headed to the kitchen. She didnât mean to eavesdrop, really, but when she walked past her mumâs bedroom she couldnât help but hear HBâs nervous voice. She stopped to listen, wondering what else HB was afraid sheâd do.
âJulieâŚabout PippaâŚstaying hereâŚin here⌠I donât, that is to say, I wouldnâtâŚâ
âHecate. Relax.â She shifted over until they were sitting side-by-side. âYou two need to move at your own pace, love. You stay in here. If you need for her to stay on the sofa, sheâll stay on the sofa. And sheâll be happy to do it. But maybe, she could stay in here for a cuddle. Or maybe a little more. Whatever you both are comfortable with.â She bumped Hecate with her shoulder. âIf it makes you feel better, you can always tell her I have a rule that nobody shags in my bed but me.â
âMum!â Mildred shrieked before she could help herself.
âMerlinâs balls!â Hecate moaned, burying her face in her hands.
âMildred Hubble! Get in here!â Julie hooked a finger at Mildred as soon as her face peeped around the doorway. âWhat have I told you â what have we told you â about eavesdropping on other peopleâs private conversations?â
Mildred looked at her feet and twisted the hem of her t-shirt. âThat itâs not polite and can hurt peopleâs feelings.â She looked up at Hecate, still slumped forward, shoulders shaking. Mildredâs eyes filled with tears. âIâm sorry, HB, I didnât mean to make you cry.â She sniffled and crept closer to the bed.
Hecate lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, but to Mildredâs shock, she wasnât crying, she was laughing. âI wish I had a picture of that face! Oh, Goddess!â
âAre you okay, Hecate?â Julie stretched a hand out but didnât know what to do with it, so she dropped it back into her lap.
Hecate tried to stop laughing, but she made the mistake of looking at a baffled Mildred Hubble and lost it all over again. âItâs just soâŚridiculous!â she said, gasping for breath. âSeriously? Iâm fifty years old and getting the sex talk from Mildred Hubbleâs mother and Mildredâs the one whoâs mortified?â She lost herself in another fit of giggles.
Julie blew a great gust of air out of her lungs. âThere, Millie, do you see what youâve done with your eavesdropping? Now sheâs broken.â She tried to sound stern, but Hecateâs giggles were contagious.
Somewhere between hyperventilating and calming down, Hecate started to hiccup. âThere we (hic) Â go, right on sched- (hic) schedule.â
âSo⌠youâre not mad?â Mildredâs eyes darted back and forth between her mother and HB. Frankly, this hysterical laughter coming from Miss Hardbroom was the most terrifying thing sheâd seen in her entire life.
âWhatâs the (hic) point? I canât put you (hic) in detention. Weâve been stuck in the (hic) flat all week. Send you to your room? (hic) Youâre already going there.â Hecate sucked in a deep breath and held it, hoping that would stop the hiccups. It didnât.
âOh, we can still punish her, Hardbroom, donât you worry.â Julie folded her arms across her chest. âIf she wants to listen in on the big girlâs conversations, then so be it. I think itâs about time we had the full-on sex talk so she knows how her mum got her in the first place.â
âNoâŚâ Mildred said, shaking her head.
âHow about we trade stories about each humiliating time something went horribly wrong with our periods? Iâll start with this one time, at Easter massâŚwhite dressâŚâ Julie interrupted herself with her own laughter.
âWhy do you think I always wear black?â Hecate asked, before holding her breath again.
âThatâs okay, mum. I really donât-â Maybe being a frog or bat hadnât been so bad?
âWhat about all those weird little hairs that start showing up around forty? Right when your eyes start going bad so you canât even fix it.â
âAt least (hic) youâre a blondeâŚâ Hecate held up the end of her own dark braid. âShall I tell you what we dark-haired girls get to look forward to?â
Mildred shook her head so hard her plaits went flying. âNo, Miss Hardbroom. Iâm sorry I eavesdropped, Miss Hardbroom. Iâm going to take a shower now, Miss Hardbroom, Mum.â With that Mildred fled the room, trying to block the sound of the grownupsâ laughter.
âWhatâs the matter, Millie?â Julie called after her. âDonât you want to know everything youâve got to look forward to?â She burst out laughing and flopped onto her back. âThat was bloody brilliant! Surely weâve traumatized her enough sheâll think twice about listening in.â
Hecate blew out another gust of air she was holding; after a few seconds of nothing she hiccupped again. âBlast,â she summoned a glass of water and drank it in one go. âDonât blame me when she needs therapy.â
âI guess thatâs why Pippa calls you Hiccup?â Hecate nodded. âFeeling better, then?â
âI think so. I needed that.â
âItâs good to hear you laugh, Hecate. I donât think you get to do it often enough.â
âItâs been a long time since Iâve had things I could laugh about â or people to laugh with, really.â
âI donât think that second bitâs true. I think you just need to let the people who care about you in. Look whatâs happened when you did that with Millie?â Julie glanced at the clock on the wall. âWould you look at the time? What time did Pippa say she would be here in the morning? I canât believe the bloody hospital wouldnât cough up the dosh to fly me to Frankfurt and I have to take the bloody train.â
âAbout eight-thirty, I think.â Hecate had been shocked to learn that, at some point during their estrangement, Pippa Pentangle had learned to drive a car. Hecate hadnât seen the point in it, especially since she didnât own one, but nonetheless Pippa had a license. Sheâd volunteered to drive Julie to London so she could catch the Eurostar to Frankfurt. From there she planned to make the trip to meet with Piety Pendragon. The thought of Pippa meeting with one of their old schoolmates started a cold, leaden feeling growing in her belly. Those old fears that someone would finally make Pippa realize that she could do so much better than Hecate flared again. In truth, they had never really gone away.
âWherever youâre going in that head of yours, just stop.â Julie said. âEverything is going to be fine.â She sat up and scooted over until their shoulders were touching. To her surprise, Hecate didnât lean away; in fact, Julie would swear that she leaned in, just a smidge. âYou can handle a few days with Millie. And you can handle being with Pippa. The only one with any doubts about any of it is you.â She smiled encouragingly at Hecate. âDo you remember what I told you the very first day we met?â
âYou told me I should conjure myself up some manners.â
âThat I did â and you managed to do so. Sort of. Sometimes. Now Iâm going to tell you something else: conjure yourself up some bravery. Thatâs the only thing youâre lacking.â
Hecate nodded and allowed herself to be hugged. She even managed to hug Julie back, just a little bit.
 Chapter 2
Pippa shifted Julieâs car into park. âThat wasnât so bad, was it?â
âNo,â Julie said, unclenching the armrest. âThat just took ten years off my life, that did.â She turned in the passenger seat so she could make eye contact. âYouâre sure you have a driving license? A real one? You didnât just magic up the card?â Pippaâs throaty laugh did not engender any confidence at all in Julie, but she decided to let it go. âYouâre still staying at the flat tonight, right?â
âYes. Everything at Pentangleâs is sorted for now. Howâs Hiccup holding up?â
âWorking herself into a right terror about the whole thing. Sheâll appreciate the friendly face.â
âI hope so.â Pippa frowned. Everything was still so new between them. Sometimes she still felt like she was finding her way down an uneven path in the dark. âI hope me being there doesnât stress her out even more.â
âIâm sure it will,â Julie said, chuckling. âYou two have to learn to fit together again on an everyday basis. Thatâll take some time, love. I know I didnât read her letters; Iâve only got the bits and bobs you told me, but the fact that she wrote them â over the course of thirty yearsâŚYouâve always been her port in the storm, Pippa. Even when you werenât there.â
Pippa brushed a tear off her cheek. Maybe Julieâs right, she thought. Maybe⌠Pippa summoned a small pink journal into her hand. âI wonder if I could ask your opinion on something?â Julie glanced at the journal and nodded. âIâve beenâŚarguing with myself over somethingâŚmaybe itâs sillyâŚbut, you see, once I read Hiccupâs lettersâŚwell, I didnât write letters, butâŚâ
âYou kept a diary?â
âI didnât have anyone to talk to, Iâd always talked to her. Itâs the only time Iâve ever really written about my feelings. Once I filled the book upâŚâ She shrugged her shoulders. âI put it away. I didnât want to think about it anymore. I didnât remember it until I was reading Hiccupâs letters. They were so personal, and private, but she let me read them anyway. I know you know her well enough to know what a tremendous leap of faith that was for her. Now, I canât get it out of my head that itâs only fair for her to get to read mine. That itâs not fair that she revealed so much of herself and I didnât.â
âWhatâs the problem then? Whatâs in there that has you so worried?â
Pippa stared out the windshield at the street, flipping the pages of the journal with her thumb. With a jerk she thrust the book into Julieâs hands. âPick a page. It doesnât matter which one. Read it.â
Julie opened the book towards the front. âI hate her, I hate her, I hate her! Why didnât I listen to all those girls who said she wasnât worth my time!â Julie slammed the book closed and looked at Pippa. She was still staring out the window, arms crossed protectively over her chest. Julie could see the muscles in her jaw working furiously beneath her skin. She opened the book again, this time in the middle. âI wish weâd never met, Hecate Hardbroom. I would have been so much better off!â She closed the book again and handed it back to Pippa. âItâs like that all the way through?â
âEvery page. I reread it last night while I was at Pentangleâs. I canât even say it isnât true, can I? Only that it was true at that particular time, butâŚâ
âYou canât let her read this, Pippa. It would kill her. The things you saidâŚâ Another tear rolled down Pippaâs cheek. She didnât bother to wipe it away this time. âLook, I understand, and thereâs nothing wrong with what you wrote. Itâs what you felt at the time.â Julie tapped the diary with her finger. âYou were what, fifteen? Sixteen? You were hurt and you were angry. You needed to get those feelings off your chest. You both did the same thing, really. She poured her love for you into those letters because she had no one else to talk to. You talked to your mum about things though, didnât you?â Pippa nodded. âBut not the anger. You couldnât bring yourself to say those things about her so instead you poured your anger into that journal.â
âI suppose youâre right, but in all fairness-â
âNO. You asked me my advice. This is it: never, ever let her see this. Do you think thereâs anything in that journal that she doesnât already believe about herself? And if there is, do you really think she needs to add it to whatâs already there?â Her phone beeped an alarm. âBloody hell, I have to go or Iâll miss the train. Pop the boot?â She opened her door and got out.
Pippa pulled the lever. She heard Julie pulling her suitcase out, and in a second or two the boot slammed shut. She jumped when Julie opened the driverâs door and squatted down so they were at eye level.
âYou have to make your own choice about showing her. You already know what I think about it. I know you donât think itâs fair for you to keep it from her after sheâs bared her soul to you the way she did. I get it. But think about this: sometimes what is fair isnât the same as whatâs best.â She stood up, groaning slightly. âGive them both my love when you get there. Oh, and by the way, I told Millie to shift back to her room so Hecate could have mine. In case youâre tired of bunking on the sofa.â She winked lasciviously before closing the door and heading for the station.
She was just about to head inside when she heard Pippaâs voice calling to her. âYouâre incorrigible, Julie Hubble, absolutely incorrigible!â She tossed a two-fingered salute Pippaâs way and headed for her train.
  They werenât kidding, Pippa thought as she tried to find a parking space at the botanical gardens. There was no parking. She gave up looking for free parking and resigned herself to paying seven quid to use the car park on Ferry Lane.
Finally parked, with only one tiny scrape sheâd had to magic off the car, Pippa took a moment to collect her thoughts. Â Not for the first time since dropping Julie at the station, Pippa wished sheâd taken the car back to the flat and gotten her broom. She turned the car off and sent the keys into the ether before turning her attention to the journal. Sheâd spent the whole drive to Kew thinking about what Julie had said. Whatâs fair isnât always whatâs best. Julie was right, and Pippa knew it. Her greatest challenge had always been Hecateâs unshakeable belief that she was somehow unworthy of Pippa. Too cold, too angry, too gangly, too awkward, too dark â Hecate had always seen their differences as flaws on her part. Pippa, though, Pippa had always thought their differences were what made Hiccup wonderful.
She turned the journal over in her hands. Was there anything written on these pages that would help her convince Hiccup that she was worthy? No, she knew that there was nothing but angry words that would only strengthen Hiccupâs feelings of worthlessness. Julie was right. Hiccup could never see this. Pippa stepped out of the car and looked around. The lot seemed deserted for the moment. She set the book down and waved her fingers. A thin wisp of smoke began rising from the binding and in a few seconds, Pippa watched as a line of sparks traveled from one corner of the book to the other, eating the pages and leaving a fine, dark ash on the ground in its place. In a moment the whole thing was gone. With another twitch of her fingers a tiny gust of wind swirled around her ankles, scattering the ashes.
She took a deep, cleansing breath and smiled. Happiness bubbled around in her chest - like getting rid of the book also got rid of the dark, angry feelings in its pages. It felt like a new start. Destroying the diary may not have been fair, but it most certainly was best.
She looked down, checking her appearance one last time: a pink, floral sundress with a white cotton jacket over the top, her half of the Twin Pin fastened in its regular place. She looked like anyone else visiting the gardens on a warm summer day. She started up the road to the entrance gate and, once inside, made her way to the Herbarium, where she expected to find Piety Pendragon.
  âIâm sorry, MissâŚPentangle? The Herbarium is available only by appointment, and since the incident weâve cancelled everything until we sorted everything out.â
âYes, I know, but if you could just let Dr. Pendragon know that Iâm here?â
âPippa? Pippa Pentangle, is that you? As I live and breathe!â
Pippa looked up to see a short, frumpy woman in horned-rimmed glasses waving down at her. âPiety!â She waved back, forcing enthusiasm. âJust the woman I was looking for! Do you have a moment?â
âFor you, Pippa, I have ages! Come on up!â She gestured to a wrought-iron staircase.
âIs there somewhere private we can talk?â Pippa smiled saccharine-sweet at the young man whoâd tried to prevent her entry.
âHang on,â Piety pulled out her phone and sent a quick text before winding her way down the stairs. âPippa!â She held her arms out for a hug; stiffly, Pippa complied. âLetâs go to my office.â She led them a winding trail through the building, stopping here and there to check on the clean-up progress. Finally, she opened a door and ushered Pippa in to a bright, cluttered space that smelled strongly of paper and plants. She waved her hand and a stack of folios floated out of the chair in front of her desk and onto the floor. She gestured for Pippa to sit down and then unceremoniously flopped into her own chair. âI tell you, Pip, Iâm knackered.â She rolled her shoulders before leaning forward and sliding her glasses onto the top of her head. âIâll hazard a guess that this is not a social call, after all these years.â
âIâm afraid not. I need to know what plants were stolen, Piety.â
Piety waved her hands again, and Pippa felt the weight of a silencing spell settle around them. âWhat makes you think anything was stolen?â
Pippa held back a sigh. âHow well do you keep up with the goings-on in the witching world? I know you spend most of your time here. Do you recall hearing about the attack at Cackleâs Academy a bit over a week ago?â
âI did. Bad business that was, werenât people hurt?â
âSeveral. What the papers didnât mention is that something was stolen there, too.â Pippa thought for a moment about how to proceed. âIâm not at liberty to say what was taken, but based on that, when we heard that there had been a break-in here, where the Witchesâ Repository of plants is locatedâŚWell, we fear that someone is trying to undertake a veryâŚparticular type of potion. If we knew what plants they were looking for, then perhapsâŚâ
âPerhaps you can stop that potion from ever getting brewed,â Piety finished for her. She scrubbed her hand across her face before summoning a folded slip of paper. âHereâs what Iâve discovered so far. If I figure out anything else is gone, Iâll let you know. Whatever theyâre brewing, itâs pretty dark stuff judging from those ingredients.â She handed the paper over. It took everything Pippa had not to read the list at once. âSo, whatâs your stake in this? Youâve got your own school, donât you? Youâve got no affiliation with Cackleâs?â
Pippa sat up a little straighter. âHecate is at Cackleâs. Sheâs the Deputy Head. Sheâs also one of the people hurt in the attack.â
âHecate Hardbroom? I havenât thought about that old lamppost in years,â she said, chuckling. She didnât notice the coldness that settled on Pippaâs features, or the increase in static electricity in the air. Or the slight smell of ozone. âI thought you were well and done with that nightmare when she left you high and dry at the broomstick display. Howâd she manage to claw her way back into your good graces?â She finally noticed that several items on her desk were vibrating. Too late, she realized her mistake.
âI begged and pleaded and fought and clawed my way back to her until she let me back in to her life.â
âLook, Pippa, I didnât mean anything by it. I know youâve always had a soft spot for thatâŚfor Hecate, ever since we were all friends back at Amuletâs.â
âYou were never her friend, Piety. That means you werenât ever mine, either. Iâm only here because we needed this information and there was no way in hell I was ever going to subject her to the likes of you again.â Without another word, she raised her hand and transferred herself back to Julieâs car.
  An hour later, Pippa had parked the car back in Julieâs assigned spot and magicked away a slight dent, because, really, who puts support beams that close to the parking spaces?  She transferred unnoticed into the Hubbleâs flat, just outside the living room. She paused a moment, taking in the scene in front of her: Hecate and Mildred sat at the kitchen table, putting together a jigsaw puzzle. She was just about to say hello when Mildred spoke.
âCan I ask you a question, HB? You donât have to answer if you donât want to. Itâs justâŚIâve been thinking about it since last night.â
âIf I said âno,â would you ask it anyway?â Hecate kept her focus on the puzzle.
âNo, Miss. Not if you didnât want me to.â
Hecate raised her head at this. The girlâs face was serious. âVery well, then. Ask your question.â
âWeâre you bullied when you were in school?â
Very slowly and very deliberately, Hecate placed her puzzle piece on the table. âMildred. Hubble. I donât-â
âYou donât have to answer, Miss Hardbroom, really you donât. Itâs justâŚI kept thinking about what Miss Pentangle said, about that Pendragon lady and her friends being the worst and IâŚâ
âYes.â
���What?â
âYes, Mildred, I was. I was taller than everyone else, too skinny, with old-fashioned clothes. I was always too serious, too severe, and when I did speak, I inevitably said the wrong thing. It all made me a very easy target for the other girls. Itâs not a subject I care to think about. Why do you ask?â
Now Mildred squirmed uncomfortably in her chair, studying the table intently. âItâs just thatâŚIf it happened to you when you were my age, then you know what it feels like.â She lifted her eyes to meet Hecateâs. âAnd, if you know how it feels, I wonder why you donât do anything when Ethel does it to me.â She lowered her eyes again. âItâs okay if you donât have an answer.â
From her vantage point in the hallway, Pippa could see Hecate sitting, still as stone, her eyes lowered and her hands balled into fists. Pippa knew that if she opened Hecateâs hands she would find eight bloody crescents cut into her palms. Tempted as she was to sweep in and save Hecate from this difficult conversation, she knew she needed to stay where she was.
âItâs not okay, Mildred. Nothing about your situation with Ethel Hallow is okay.â She flicked her wrist and laid her freshly healed hand across the table in front of Mildred, palm up. After a momentâs confusion, Mildred placed her own hand in it, gripping Hecateâs fingers tightly. âAs to your question, there are several reasons I donât interfere. First, from my own experience, when a teacher attempted to intervene, it just made matters worse â and people just waited to catch me alone.â
Mildred nodded. âEthelâs usually meaner after she gets in trouble, sneakier as well.â
âThatâs what I always found. Iâve also found that you are better able to respond to Ethelâs behavior than I was. Iâve always thought that, if I had been able toâŚlearn to defend myself better, then perhaps I would have beenâŚbetterâŚin other areas as well.â
âIt wasnât exactly fair, though, was it HB? Iâve only got Ethel to deal with, and Iâve got Maud and Enid on my side. You had all those girls and only Miss Pentangle.â
Hecate blinked and blinked to try and keep the tears filling her eyes from falling. She wasnât entirely successful. Mildred Hubble. The girl who always chose to be kind. Even to those who didnât deserve it. She looked at their linked hands. Especially to those who didnât deserve it. âYou are an amazing girl, Mildred Hubble. Please donât let people like Ethel, or me, take that away from you.â
âHow would you take that away?â
âBecause the last reason I donât interfere is that, after all this time, there is still a part of me that is afraid of thirteen-year-old bullies.â
Mildred frowned, thinking about what HB had said. âThatâs okay, HB. Youâre still the bravest witch I know.â She stood up and flung her arms around Hecateâs neck.
Hecate hardly stiffened at all before she was able to wrap her arms around Mildred, squeezing tight before she pulled away, holding Mildred by her shoulders. âIf there is ever, ever a time that Ethel gets too much for you or you want me to intervene, all you have to do is tell me. I wonât hesitate. And Mildred?â
âYes, Miss Hardbroom?â
âI know it doesnât often look or feel like it, but, in these disputes with Ethel? I am always on your side.â She gave Mildredâs shoulder one last squeeze. âNow, why donât you go strip your bed and weâll make sure you have nice, clean sheets for tonight.â Mildred nodded and bounced into her room, waving at Pippa as she passed in the hallway. Hecate twisted in her chair until she was facing Pippa. âHow long were you eavesdropping, Miss Pentangle? Perhaps you should ask Mildred what we do to eavesdroppers around here?â
âJust long enough to know that you handled that beautifully, darling.â She crossed the tiny space and pulled Hecate against her, until her head was resting on Pippaâs heart. âI donât know why you worry.â
âI donât want her to end up like me.â
âNonsense, Hiccup, thatâs all Iâve ever wanted â to be like the witchiest witch I knew.â She let go of Hecate, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before settling into the chair next to her. Sensing Hecate needed to move into less emotionally fraught territory, she summoned the paper that Piety gave her at the Herbarium. âPiety sends her regards.â
âIâm sure she does.â Hecate unfolded the paper and studied the ingredients. âGhost orchid, thatâs rare, exceedingly so. Itâs used in spells that want to counteract the effects of time, I believe. Â It can go thirty years or more between flowerings.â
âLike us then,â Pippa smiled.
âBehave. Spiked rampion⌠purple cow-wheatâŚI can see why they broke in to the Herbarium. Youâd never find these growing in the wild somewhere, and even if you did, itâs illegal to collect them. Though I suppose someone looking to free Agatha probably isnât worried about a little plant poaching.  I assume the âsâ next to it means they also took what was preserved in spirit?â Pippa nodded. âI need to get this list to Ada so she can pass it on to Dimity and Algie.â
âIâve already done, darling. As soon as I got back to the car.â
âI still canât believe you can drive a car.â
âI have many skills, darling,â she dropped her voice till it was low and husky, âI hope to learn a few more soon.â
Hecate glared at her, but the effect was muted by the blush spreading up her throat and cheeks. âI told you to behave. Besides, Julie has a rule that no one gets to shag in her bed but her.â
Just then Mildred walked by carrying the bundle of bedlinens. âArghhhâŚIâm not eavesdropping! Why are you talking about that again?â
Pippa looked back and forth between them, baffled, while Hecate burst into laughter.
  âDid you get her in bed, at least?â Pippa asked as she made room on the sofa for Hecate.
âThe very least. I told her she could stay awake until her mother called and that weâd mirror her back. She wants to know if Maud can come spend the night.â
âHmmâŚâ Pippa tucked her knees under her, facing Hecate. âWhat did you tell her?â
âThat she had to ask her mother. And that I had to ask you.â
âClever girl,â she summoned two glasses of wine. âHere we go, to celebrate your first night as magic mum.â
Hecate took the glass nervously. âDo you think itâs okay to drink while Iâm supposed to be watching Mildred?â
âSince weâre drinking Julieâs wine, I reckon so.â She held her glass out.
âOh, well, thenâŚcheers!â Hecate clinked their glasses together and sank down into the sofa, pulling her knees up and leaning against Pippa. âMmmâŚâ She took a sip. âThatâs nice.â She looked at Pippa. âThis is nice.â
âMore than nice.â Pippa leaned in for a kiss, but stopped when she heard the chime of a mirror.
âPippa?â Piety Pendragon tapped on her side of the mirror. âPippa, can you hear me?â
Pippa slid off the sofa and moved into view of the mirror, pulling Hecate with her. âPiety? What are you doing?â
âYouâŚleft without leaving me a number. I contacted Cackleâs, and the Headmistress patched me through to here.â She looked beyond Pippa now and realized that she wasnât alone â that the tall, pale woman behind her could only be one person. âHecate? Is that you, Hecate Hardbroom? Well met.â She quickly brought her hand to her forehead and bowed. âYouâre lookingâŚwell. Very well.â
Hecate stepped forward, stiffly bending and returning the greeting. âWell met, Piety. Thank you for your help today.â
Piety took in the two witches on the other side of the mirror, both in their night clothes, both holding a glass of wine. Oh. âIâm sorry to disturb your evening, butâŚI discovered another missing specimen: Helichrysum biafranum. I didnât realize it was gone because it was from the Cameroon collection.â
Hecate frowned. âIâm not familiar with that species. Can you tell me about it?â After a halting start, the two witches were soon lost in a deep discussion of the possible uses the missing specimens could have in potions.
Pippaâs phone buzzed. âJulie! How was the trip? Are you exhausted?â She brushed her fingers along the back of Hecateâs elbow. âItâs Julie,â she whispered. âIâll set up her mirror call in Mildredâs bedroom. Join us when youâre done.â Louder she said, âGood night, Piety.â She turned back to Julie and swished off to Mildred.
Hecate turned back to the mirror to find Piety staring at her. Her old wariness returned with a vengeance. âWhat?â She barked.
Piety said nothing for several seconds. âYou. Me.â She shoved her glasses up on top of her head. âIâm realizing what a horrible little girl I used to be and that, in refusing to get to know you, Iâm the one that missed out. Iâm glad you and Pippa worked things out.â
âSo am I,â Hecate said, still waiting for the punchline or the prank.
âIâd like a chance to get to know you now, if you can look past how awful I was back then.â
âThatâŚthat would be acceptable.â Hecate visibly relaxed as Pippa sidled up beside her.
âIâm glad. Let me know if there is anything else you need. Iâll let you know if anything more turns up missing.â She disappeared from the mirror.
Hecate let out a relieved breath. âThat was odd. Why do I feel like you talked about more than plants today?â
âAll I did was make my priorities clear, darling.â She picked up her wine glass and handed Hecate hers. âJulie made it fine. Sheâs checked in with Mildred â and okayed Maud sleeping over if itâs okay with you.â
âIn for a penny, in for a pound, I suppose.â Hecate gulped half her wine down. âSoâŚI donât know what to do now, Pipsqueak.â She could feel the heat start to rise up her chest again. Would she never stop this infernal blushing? âI donât want you to sleep on the sofaâŚbutâŚâ
âThereâs no pressure here, Hiccup.â She rubbed a hand up and down Hecateâs arm. âDo you remember when we were girls? Weâd have sleepovers all the time. Weâd sneak something from the kitchens. Iâd braid your hair. Then weâd spell the stars on the ceiling and talk all night. Why donât we do that?â
âThat â that would be okay?â
âOh, darling, that would be more than okay.â She threaded an arm through Hecateâs and lead her down the hallway. âBesides, Iâm not about to end thirty-odd years of sexual frustration with Mildred Hubble right down the hall.â
  âMildred Hubble! Are you ready? Weâre meant to be at Miss Mouldâs by nine oâclock!â Hecate checked her pocket watch for the fourth time in as many minutes. She heard Mildred clattering down the hallway and stepped out of the doorway just in time to avoid being trampled. The warm serenity sheâd felt that morning, waking up next to next to Pippa â well, slightly under Pippa, truth be told â was gone. The blonde witch had managed to drape herself across Hecate at some point during the night. Now, any peacefulness had been scorched away by the stress of having to get Mildred Hubble and herself somewhere on time.
âIâm ready MissâŚHardbroom?â She looked at her teacher, not sure what to say. Hecate was wearing her normal witching clothes, specifically her long black, tight-fitting dress. âIs that what youâre wearing?â
Hecate looked down at her favorite dress. âWhatâs wrong with what Iâm wearing. Itâs perfectly appropriate.â
âMaybe if youâre going to the Magic Council, not so much if weâre traveling on the Underground.â She gestured to her own jeans and t-shirt. âRemember? Weâve got to be incognito if weâre traveling among the hoi polloi.â
Hecate looked at her dress again. Sheâd had this same conversation with Pippa not half an hour ago. Pippa, however, had wisely yielded the field of battle before heading to Pentangleâs to have her staff start researching potions in their library. âWell I donât know what you expect me to do about it now, Mildred. I donât have anything but this or the sweat pants Iâve been wearing. You and I are not to use magic if we donât want a guard from the Great Wizard, so I canât just summon up some new clothes.â
Mildred thought a minute. HB really couldnât ride the Underground in that. âCome on,â she said, dragging Hecate by the hand into her motherâs bedroom. She opened the cupboard and flipped through her mumâs clothes. âTry this,â she pulled out a flowy black skirt, âand this.â She added a jewel-toned tunic. âJust use your usual belt.â
Hecate looked at the outfit Mildred had put together. She had to admit that it wasnât half bad. âVery well, Mildred, thank you.â She looked at the girl, who stood there looking back at her, pleased grin on her face. âMildred. I may have lost all privacy where youâre concerned, but Iâm not stripping down in front of you.â She pointed to the door. âShoo!â
Ten minutes later they were barreling down the street, Mildred scrambling to keep up with Hecateâs long strides. To say that Hecate was unfamiliar with public transportation was an understatement. Patiently, Mildred read the map and walked Hecate through the pay cards and turnstiles. In fact, Hecate realized, with no small amount of shame, Mildred Hubble did a much better job explaining the workings of the ordinary world to Hecate than she had ever done explaining the witching world to Mildred. One more part of her life she would have to improve, she thought.
At exactly five minutes after nine, Hecate knocked on Marigold Mouldâs door. It opened immediately.
âWell met, Miss Hardbroom, well met, indeed.â Miss Mould bowed deeply.
âWell met, Miss Mould,â Hecate returned, bowing just as deeply. She pulled Mildred in front of her. âIâve brought someone else who wants to say hello.â
âMildred!â Miss Mould pulled her into a tight hug, shaking her back and forth. âLook at you! Youâre well, yes?â She looked at Hecate. âBoth of you?â
âIndeed, Miss Mould. We are well â for the time being. May we come in?â
âOh, of course, where are my manners? Come in, come in! And please, call me Marigold.â She opened the door wider and ushered them into her flat. âHave a seat,â she waved them towards a tiny sofa in front of a window. âLet me get you a spot of tea.â
Hecate gazed at the apartment. It made the Hubbleâs flat look spacious by comparison. The walls and furnishings were violently cheerful. Watercolors of everyday ordinary items covered the walls: a spatula, a taxicab, an umbrella. Marigold had gone to a great deal of effort to transform the dreary little flat into something happy. Not too different from what Pippa and Julie were trying to do with her, she thought.
âI like your watercolors, Miss Mould.â Mildred spotted one of a girl with long, dark plaits. âThat one looks like me!â She pointed. Hecate turned to look at it.
âItâs meant to.â At last, the former art teacherâs smile faltered. âWhen all this getsâŚtoo muchâŚit reminds me of why I gave up my powers.â
Hecate thought back to that day. She remembered what it was like to feel the magic draining from her body â painful, cold, dark. There was a different kind of blackness as well. She remembered despairing almost every choice sheâd made in her life, knowing sheâd never have the chance to rectify any of them. If she hadnât frozen, would she have been brave enough to give up her magic to the founding stone? She believed that she would. Would she have been brave enough to do as Marigold is now doing? To live in the ordinary world completely devoid of magic? She is certain that she would not. Thatâs the fate that still gives her nightmares, even half a year later.
âYou were very brave to do that,â Hecate said softly. âI canât express how thankful we all are for your sacrifice.â She looked around the tiny flat once again. The bright colors almost, but not quite, camouflaged the shabbiness of the furnishings. It was time, she thought, that they started expressing their gratitude in more tangible ways.
âAnd Iâm thankful you spoke so forcefully for leniency, Hecate. This is much better than the fate I could have had.â She set the mismatched tea service on the side table.
Suddenly, three figures materialized in the already crowded space. Smoke and sparks filled the air, and a swirl of magic sent all the watercolors flying. The smell of burnt matches was overwhelming. Hecate tried to get off a protective spell, but a blast of hot magic sent her sprawling backwards, her spell bouncing uselessly to the side.
âLook out!â A manâs voice shouted. âThat oneâs got magic!â
Chest aching so much that each breath burned, Hecate frantically looked for Mildred. She panicked when she didnât see her, fear driving her to her feet before she spotted her, wrapped protectively in Marigoldâs arms while the powerless witch did everything she could to shield Mildred with her body.
If she could just reach them, she could transfer them all somewhere â anywhere. She lunged for Marigoldâs leg â she just needed to touch herâŚJust as Hecateâs fingers closed around Marigoldâs ankle, a thick layer of magic crashed over them, trapping them under its weight. Hecate pitched forward, slamming her face painfully intoâŚsomething? She felt the blood pouring from her nose as she tried to right herself. The lights dimmed and sound became muffled as the layer of magic curved around them, Marigold and Mildred falling on top of Hecate in a heap as the floor tilted and they were trapped in a bubble made of magic.
âIs it holding?â A womanâs voice asked.
ââCourse Itâs holding you, daft cow,â another man answered.
Mildred scrambled out from under Marigold and pressed her face to the bubble, cupping her hands around her eyes in the hope that she could get a decent look at their captors. It didnât do much good; everyone just looked wavy and odd, like Mildred was looking at them through funhouse glass. Behind her, Marigold tried to staunch Hecateâs bleeding nose with a paint-stained cloth pulled from her pocket.
âDid we get that artsy hack?â The woman asked.
Mildred scuttled backwards into Hecate as the man stepped closer to the bubble. âYeah â and you wonât believe what other fish weâve caught â Hardbroom and the girl!â
âNo!â She moved closer to the bubble, pushing the man aside so she could get a better look. âMumâs going to be well-pleased with this, Benjy.â
âBloody well should be! It was right jammy getting all three at a go!â The man called Benjy replied.
âShe wonât be if they get out of that thing.â The third figure moved to join the others. âThat spell wasnât built to hold three people â and it sure wasnât designed for a witch like Hardbroom. We need to get them into the Keep. Now.â He held out his hands and muttered something until the bubble holding them rose into the air and floated towards him, shrinking in size until he could slip it into a pocket of his robe. âLetâs go.â
  Chapter 3
âPick up, pick upâŚâ Julie listened to Mildredâs voicemail message for the third time. Sheâd already given up on Hecate answering. âWhere are you?â Julie chanced a glance back at the hotel clerk. He still looked like he would carry through on his threat to call the police at any minute. Stepping closer to the door, Julie scrolled through her contacts until she found Pippaâs number. If any witch was likely to answer a cell phone, that witch was Pippa Pentangle.
âWell met, Julie!â Her voice sounded muffled, like she was chewing. âHowâs the conference?â
âThere is no conference! I arrived at the hotel where it was meant to be, but theyâre just looking at me like Iâm a nutter! I called the hospital and they said I put in for three days of sick leave, but I didnât. And, and, I canât reach Mildred or Hecate. No one is answering anything.â
âThey were going to see Miss Mould today; maybe theyâve just silenced their phones, or perhaps they left them at the flat. Hang on and let me mirror the flat; weâll see if theyâre still there.â Pippa spun around and faced the mirror behind her desk, tapping it smartly and waiting for the Hubbleâs living room to swirl into view. As soon as it did, Pippa gasped. The living room was in shambles: furniture overturned, drawers emptied.
âWhatâs wrong? Say something, Pippa!â Julie looked over her shoulder; the clerk was rounding the desk, headed her way. She fled to the street outside. âPIPPA!â
âDonât panic.â Pippa forced her voice to be as steady as she could make it. âSomeoneâs been through the flat, but I donât see any sign of Hiccup or Mildred.â She tapped her mirror, switching views from one room to the next. Each one looked the same. She struggled to fight down the panic rising in her chest. What were they caught in the middle of? âBook a ticket home â can you pay cash?â
âI â I think soâŚbut itâll take me almost two days to get back. Canât you magic me back faster?â
âItâs too far or I would. Go buy the earliest ticket you can. Â Donât check out of your hotel; just get your stuff and go. Donât act like anything is wrong.â
âSomething is wrong, though, isnât it? Find Mildred. You have to find Mildred for me, do you hear me?â She sucked in a lungful of air, trying not to be sick. âFind them both.â
âWe will, just get the ticket. Iâll see if thereâs anything I can do to get you back faster. Call me when you know which train youâll be on. And Julie? Wherever they are, Mildred is with Hecate. As long as she has a single drop of magic in her body, she will keep Mildred safe.â
Pippa reached to her chest, fingers wrapping tightly around her half of the Twin Pin. She closed her eyes and concentrated, imagining the two halves of the brooch coming together. Nothing happened. Not a twitch, not a hum, nothing. Her heart hammered even faster. Even if Hecate wasnât wearing her half of the pin, Pippa still should have transferred to wherever it was.
Pippa tapped the mirror again, this time summoning Ada Cackleâs office. She wasted no time as the older witch faded into view. âSomethingâs happened. Iâm transferring to the Hubbleâs flat. Meet me there now.â
âMiss Pentangle?â Ada stood up from her desk. âWait! Can you even transfer that far?â
Pippa closed the connection. She didnât have an answer to Adaâs question anyway. From Pentangleâs to Cackleâs stretched her abilities to their limits, even if Hecate could do it with ease. She pictured Julieâs flat in her mind and, channeling all her love and worry into the magic, waved her hands in the air and vanished.
   Hecate tried not to move, certain that if she did so sheâd be sick â and inside this crowded bubble with two other people was no place to be sick.
âNow I know what the little people inside a snow globe feel like,â Mildred groaned.
Marigold moaned and Hecate realized that the squishy thing she was currently laying across must be her. How unfortunate, Hecate thought, because she still wasnât about to move. Hecate tried to piece together what had happened in the last few minutes. Theyâd been trapped in the bubble; some wizard had shrunk the bubble and placed them in his pocket and then had transferred them here, wherever here was. Hecate tried to swallow the queasy feeling into submission. She hated being transferred by others. Hated it.
Transference spells were tricky. Dematerializing oneself came with an inherent amount of risk. A witch had to have faith in her own abilities as well as absolute control over them. Pippa had been the only witch sheâd ever felt comfortable transferring her for many years. Ada was the only other one at all. She certainly wouldnât have allowed some random wizard to transfer her if sheâd had the choice.
Once theyâd arrivedâŚhere⌠the wizard had taken them out of his pocket and rolled - rolled! â them across the floor like a bocce ball until theyâd bounced against something and suddenly sprang back to their original size, still in the bubble.
âIs everybody okay?â Marigold asked from underneath Hecate.
Reasonably certain that everything in her stomach would stay in her stomach, Hecate grunted an affirmative and sat up, sliding off Marigold as much as possible. Her tidy bun had come partly undone and lanks of hair hung in her face. She wriggled her fingers and returned the escaped strands back to the bun.
âMy head hurts,â Mildred sat up, clutching at her forehead.
âLet me see.â Hecate pulled the girlâs hand away, wincing when she saw the large, purpling lump above her right eyebrow. A tiny cut was oozing blood out of the middle of it. âYouâve definitely hit your head. Sit still.â Hecate tried to stand up, but a layer of condensation was building up on the inside of the bubble, and the curved surface was too slippery for her boots. She wondered if they were also using up their oxygen on top of everything else. The very idea made it harder for her to breathe.
âHave you ever seen anything like this before, Hecate?â
âNo.â She pressed her fingertips against the glass-like surface of the bubble. She released a tiny stream of magic through her fingers. It traveled through the bubble like lightning, only to dissipate with no damage done. A stronger stream produced the same results. âItâs either very old or very new. It appears to be absorbing my magic.â
Outside the bubble, they could just make out the sound of voices coming nearer.
âIâm telling you, thatâs who we have, that Hardbroom bitch and the girl.â
Hecate raised an eyebrow. Benjy, she remembered, that sod of a wizardâs name was Benjy. A door banged open and suddenly the bubble popped, leaving the three of them sprawled on the floor of what looked to be a giant cage. Hecate rose to her knees and checked on Mildred; once again Marigold had placed herself between the girl and their abductors. Marigold rose in Hecateâs esteem with each passing minute.
âThere, see? What did I tell you?â Benjy looked scathingly at a skinny, sullen wizard behind him. âDonât blame me when you couldnât deliver, Samuel.â
Samuel, the wizard boy was called Samuel, Hecate noted. They would regret the day Hecate Hardbroom learned their names.
Benjy sauntered up to the cage, all shark-like grin and dead eyes. âWelcome to our home, ladies. I hope you have a comfortable stay â short though it may be. You know, Iâve heard all about you, Hardbroom. Â Once your work is done,â he let his eyes roam up and down her body, loosing just enough magic so she could feel everywhere his eyes landed. âWe can see what other sort of fun we could have.â The other wizard snickered from the doorway. âCome on, Sam. We need to make sure everythingâs ready when mother arrives.â He spun on his heel and stalked out of the room, Samuel slinking along behind him, slamming the door as they left.
Screeching, Hecate threw a white-hot ball of lightning at the door. It hit the wall of the cage and bounced off, ricocheting off the walls, miraculously missing everyone, until it finally hit the floor and sputtered out.
Hecate let out a long breath, counting out for five and in for five, trying to bring her anger and her magic under control. Â âWho were those wizards?â
Marigold eased away from Mildred. âI donât know. Iâve never seen them before?â
âWhat do you mean you donât know? Thatâs why we came. You said you would tell us who is in Agathaâs coven!â
âI canât tell you what I donât know, Hecate. Those two werenât in the coven, as far as I know.â
âAs far as you know?â Hecate slammed her fist against the wall of the cage, rattling the whole thing. âThis is just like before, Marigold! Half-truths and misdirections! Are you working with the coven again! Once Agathaâs, always Agathaâs?â Blistering pain pulled her attention to her hand. She could see the cross-hatched pattern of the cage burned into her hand.
Marigold stepped around Mildred, moving into Hecateâs personal space, forcing her back until she was pressed against the cage. Hecate tried to keep her skin away from the metal. âDonât you dare! I gave up everything! Everything â to keep Agatha in that picture. You came to me for help this time and I said yes!â She dug into her pocket and pulled out a folded-up piece of paper and shoved it into Hecateâs chest. âIâve written every name of every witch or wizard remotely connected with the coven to help you stop Agatha. Iâve paid every day for my actions â the good and the bad. What have you paid, Hecate Hardbroom?â
âStop it! Stop fighting!â Both witches turned to see Mildred rocking on the floor holding her head. âStop it.â
Hecate and Marigold looked at each other, all the fight gone from them.
âIâm sorry, Marigold. I shouldnât have said what I did.â Hecate smoothed her hands over her skirt, a comforting motion sheâd had since childhood.
âMe, too. I understand why you wouldnât trust me. But, I swear, Hecate, I donât know who those wizards are. Itâs possible Agatha has friends outside the coven.â
âWhy does it have to be Agatha at all?â Mildred asked. âSheâs not the only one in the picture.â
Hecate stared at the girl, speechless, before her lips twisted into a fond smile. âOnce again, Mildred Hubble, you manage to be the cleverest witch in the room.â Hecate sorted through her memories of Miss Gullett. For two people who had lived and worked in the same castle for over twenty years, there were surprisingly few. âShe may have said something about a brother named Benjamin once, but I canât be sure.â
âIt fits. Theyâre both gingers, both have nasty personalities.â Marigold placed a tentative hand on Hecateâs elbow. âHe wasnât just looking you up and down, then, was he? He-â
âYes,â Hecate cut her off and glanced meaningfully at Mildred. âYes.â
Marigold nodded, squeezing Hecateâs elbow before turning away. âWeâve got to get out of this cage.â She turned back, voice low and angry. âWeâve got to get her out of this cage.â
âFor once, Miss Mould, we are in whole-hearted agreement.
âCanât you just transfer us out, HB?â Mildred asked.
âIâm afraid not, Mildred. We seem to be in a Wizardâs Keep.â
âWhatâs a Wizardâs Keep?â
âItâs a cage, of sorts. They were created by the Great Wizard Faraday in the 1800s. They needed a way to contain witches and wizards who had been accused of crimes. It blocks your magic but doesnât take it away.â She shifted around so she could see Mildred better. âYou may have heard of him. In the ordinary world he was a famous scientist. Microwave ovens use something similar to contain the microwaves.â Hecate motioned for Mildred to join her at the cage. âSee how there are three layers of metal mesh? One is silver, one is copper and one is lead. When you stack them together, off-set such as these are, they act like a filter. No magic can pass from the inside to the outside of the cage.â
Mildred started to nod, but the movement pushed her off balance and she dropped to the floor â hard. Her hand grabbed at the wall of the cage, sending a cascade of sparks down on her.
âMildred!â Hecate pulled the girl away from the wall, checking her hand for any injuries. She used her magic to heal the reddening burn on Mildredâs palm. âWhat happened?â
âI just got dizzy,â Mildred slumped against Hecate. âI donât feel very good.â
Hecate waved Marigold over, shifting Mildred until she was leaning against her. Â âMildred, Iâm going to check something, okay? I promise it wonât hurt,â she said in her most soothing voice. âI want you to close your eyes for me and leave them closed until I tell you to open them, okay?â
âOkay,â Mildred said, staring up at her with a glazed expression before she closed her eyes.
Hecate knelt in front of her and opened a tiny ball of light in her palm. âOpen your eyes.â
Mildred opened her eyes and Hecate watched her left pupil dilate in the light. The right one did nothing. Hecateâs stony expression melted into worry before she could catch herself. She met Marigoldâs eyes over Mildredâs shoulder. âThatâs fine, Mildred.â
âThereâs something wrong, isnât there?â Mildred asked, gingerly touching the knot on her forehead. âDo I have a concussion?â
Hecate opened her mouth to lie before she remembered that Mildred was a nurseâs daughter. âI think so.â She stood up and looked around the sparse cage. At least there was a blanket folded up on the floor. âLetâs get you a little more comfortable, okay? You need to be still, but try not to fall asleep. Can you do that for me, Mildred?â
âIâll try. Am I going to be all right?â
Hecate ran her hand across Mildredâs head and down one plait. âOf course you are. Miss Mould and I wonât let anything happen to you.â Marigold helped Mildred shuffle to the blanket while Hecate tucked her in. âRest now, youâre going to be just fine.â
âI hope you never play poker for money, Hecate. Lying doesnât suit you,â Marigold whispered once they were on the other side of the cage.
âItâs not a lie. Mildred will be fine. Itâs simply a fact that I donât know how to make happen yet.â With that, Hecate turned her attention to the cage. She tried to remember everything sheâd ever heard about a Wizardâs Keep, but, frankly, sheâd never paid that much attention to them in the first place. Surely, she should be able to find a way out.
  Pippa crashed into the Hubbleâs living room, dropping to her hands and knees and immediately emptying the contents of her stomach onto the carpet.
âOh, dear,â Ada said, waving away the sick and summoning a moist cloth and some water. âI knew that was too far to transfer.â She helped Pippa to the couch. âAre you all right, dear?â
âNo,â Pippa gasped, trying to tame her writhing stomach. âTheyâve taken her, theyâve taken all three of them.â
Ada handed Pippa a lemon drop. âSuck on this and tell me everything thatâs happened.â
So Pippa did, pouring out everything theyâd discovered in the last few days. Ada listened intently, asking questions and adding her own theories and additions.
âI donât understand why they took her, Ada!â
âIsnât that obvious, dear? Theyâve stolen the picture, theyâve stolen rare ingredients and⌠I contacted an old friend of mine from the Rare Text RepositoryâŚ.and theyâve had a theft as well â an old book of ancient spells. They kept it hush-hush so there wouldnât be an inquiry. Add those up, and the only thing youâre missing is a potions mistress.â
âBut if theyâve got the book, anyone could brew the potion, couldnât they?â
âAs difficult as it was to get the supplies the first time, Iâd gather they wanted the best chance of success and thatâs Hecate.â
Pippa knew that was true. Even during their estrangement, Pippa knew that Hecate was the one the Great Wizard turned to when his own potions makers couldnât brew a necessary potion. She also knew that it was no small bone of contention between Hecate and the Great Wizard that she had refused his appointment to become his lead potioneer. âAnd Mildredâs what, leverage?â
âI assume so, at this point. Even if they didnât mean to abduct her, theyâve certainly figured out that Hecate would do as they asked in order to keep her safe.â
âBut what happens once this potion is brewed? They wonât need Hecate or Mildred anymore. What then?â
âI think, Miss Pentangle, it would be in all of our best interests to find them before that happens.â
âI agree.â Pippa stood up and tapped on the mirror. In a few seconds Miss Drill swam into view. âDimity! Well met.â
âWell met, Miss Pentangle. Has there been any news?â
âNot yet. Iâm afraid I need a favor. Can you fly?â
âI can fly. My legâs recovered well.â
âHow fast can you get to Frankfurt?â
âFour hours, three and a half with a tailwind.â
âThen I need a favor, Miss Drill.â
  An hour later, Hecateâs hands were burned and bleeding with bruised knuckles and raw fingers. Every time she touched the metal of the cage there would be a different reaction: sometimes heat, sometimes electric shocks. Twice it even felt as though her hand was being crushed.
At first, sheâd healed the injuries as she went, but it didnât take long for her to realize that her magic wasnât regenerating the way it should. After that, she did her best to ignore the pain in her hands and kept testing the cage for weak spots. Sitting with Mildred, Marigold offered her steady encouragements, but every now and again Hecate would catch a glimpse of Marigoldâs face watching her. It seemed that Hecate wasnât the only one who shouldnât play poker for money.
âMiss Mould! I think Iâm going to be sickâŚâ Mildred was struggling to sit up.
Hecate abandoned her attempts on the cage and grabbed a bucket from the far corner; no doubt it was meant to be used as their toilet, but so far it was empty. She managed to deposit it in front of Mildred just before the girl chucked up the contents of her stomach. Once sheâd finished, Marigold wiped Mildredâs face with the hem of her skirt and laid her back down on the blanket.
Eyes bright with unshed tears, Hecate smoothed the hair out of Mildredâs face, taking care not to touch the lump over her eye. âIâm so sorry, Mildred. I havenât done a very good job of taking care of you.â
âWe have to get her out of here, Hecate.â Marigold whispered. âSheâs getting worse.â
âWhat do you think Iâve been trying to do, Miss Mould? Having a lark? My magic isnât working.â She looked away. âAnd it isnât replenishing. Too much more and I wonât have any magic, either. Then weâll be in real trouble.â
âWell, Merlin forbid the great Hecate Hardbroom not have magic. We sure wouldnât want her walking in poor old Mariâs shoes, now would we?â
âThatâs not what I meant and you know it!â Both womenâs voices were rising, frustration and fear getting the better of them.
Finally, Mildred couldnât take it anymore. âStop it! Please donât fight again!â She started to sit up, but thought better of it. âSo what if we canât use magic â get over it and just be clever, then! Ordinary people are clever every day.â She scowled up at Hecate. âMumâs clever.â
Hecate scrubbed a hand across her face, hissing in pain from both her hand and her nose. âYouâre mumâs not clever, Mildred. Sheâs bloody brilliant. No doubt she would have already figured out how to free us.â She played with the end of Mildredâs plait. âWeâll do our best to follow her example, wonât we, Miss Mould?â
Marigold squared her shoulders and nodded. âWe will. And weâll try not to fight.â She raised an eyebrow at Hecate, who responded with rolled eyes and a heavy sigh. âYouâve got the most experience with the ordinary world, Mildred. What do you think we should do?â
âDid you try your phones?â She fumbled in her pockets to find hers. The screen had cracked, but it still fired up when she pressed the button. âThereâs no signal. I guess the cage stops that as well.â
Hecate summoned her phone from its usual place and handed it to Mildred, having no idea how to check for a signal herself. Mildred shook her head and handed it back. Marigoldâs was the same.
âAll right then, no help from the modern technology, no help from magic.â Marigold climbed to her feet and started walking the perimeter of the cage. After two trips around just looking, she reached out and tapped the cage wall with one finger, expecting the same sort of magical backlash that Hecate had been getting. Nothing happened. Glancing back, she saw Hecate watching with renewed interest. She tapped the cage again, this time with her whole hand. Again, nothing happened. Grinning triumphantly, Marigold started pushing, pulling and rattling the cage at every joint and seam. One panel on the back side seemed to have more give than the rest of them. She pushed with both hands. She pushed with her shoulder. She sat on the floor and pushed the bottom with her feet, nearly crying out when there was a sudden snap and the corner bent out a couple of inches.
In an instant both Marigold and Hecate were on their hands and knees, inspecting the gap. Hecate tried to shoot a tiny stream of magic through the opening, but it didnât work. There may have been a gap in the cage itself, but it wasnât big enough to interrupt the field of magic.
âCan we make this bigger?â Hecate asked. âLook, youâve exposed one of the screws that connects it to the floor. Maybe if we get rid of thatâŚâ Hecate placed the tip of her finger on the screwhead, gritting her teeth and releasing a stream of magic to try and vanish it.
Marigold pulled Hecateâs hand away the instant she started to smell burning flesh. âStop it!â She held Hecateâs hand up and examined her finger. The skin was white and peeling away. âHeal that.â
âI donât want to waste my magic.â She looked at Marigoldâs scowling expression. âI donât want to burn it all up, we might need it.â She stared at her battered hands. âItâs not about not wanting to be like you. Itâs just thatâŚwithout my magic Iâm not really bringing anything to the table here.â
âDonât sell yourself short, Hecate.â Marigold turned her attention back to the screw. After a momentâs concentration she popped up onto her knees, pulling everything out of the pockets of her flowing jacket: a paint brush, a pen, two pieces of gum and some tissue that may or may not be used already. Grabbing the paintbrush out of the pile, Marigold ripped out all the bristles and held the paintbrush up to inspect. âThis might work. Hecate, stand up and give the metal bit on the end of this a good stomp. Flatten it out as much as you can.â Hecate did as she was asked, and a moment later, Marigold was holding a fair approximation of a flat-head screwdriver. âLetâs see if we can get that screw out. What do you think, Mildred? Are we being clever enough now?â
Mildred didnât say anything.
âMildred!â Hecate crawled across the floor, ignoring the searing pain in her hands. âMildred!â She tapped on Mildredâs cheeks, leaving smears of blood from her hands. After an agonizingly long moment, Mildred began to stir. âCome on, Millie, I know you can hear me. Wake up! Do you hear me, Mildred Hubble? I absolutely forbid you to fall asleep. Wake up this instant!â
Mildredâs eyes fluttered open. âDid you call me Millie? Things must be bad.â
Marigold placed a soothing hand on both Mildredâs forehead and Hecateâs knee. âSheâs clammy, Hecate. And her colorâŚitâs not good. Weâve got to get her out of here now.â
âGet that gap open. Â I have an idea.â
Marigold redoubled her efforts on the screw, making a little progress before the crushed ferrule of the paintbrush started to twist and bend. She was blinking back tears of frustration when a metal hairpin appeared in front of her face.
âTry this. Even if it only works a little bit, Iâve got plenty more.â Hecate wriggled the hairpin hopefully. âIt looks the right size.â
âIt does.â Marigold shoved the bent end into the slot on the screw and twisted. The hairpin was stiffer than the thin metal of the paintbrush, but she couldn���t get a good angle on it. Another pin appeared in her field of vision.
âSideways, maybe? Like a cross-piece?â
Marigold slipped the second hairpin in and it did the trick; the screw finally began to twist. In a few minutes she was able to use her fingers to remove it the rest of the way. âGive me some room,â she said, twisting around so she could use her feet to shove the screen further out. It moved just enough for Marigold to slide her hand through.
âThat should be enough.â Hecate compared the size of the hole with Mildredâs hand, nodding her approval. âI think that will work. Help me get Mildred over here. Weâll need to get her hand through the hole. As long as some part of her is outside the KeepâŚâ
âYou canât be serious! That girlâs not old enough to transfer! Even if she was, sheâs not in any shape to do it.â
âShe may not be, but this is.â Hecate pulled the crescent moon pin from her blouse. âDo you know what a Twin Pin is?â
âI â uh â yes. How do you know what a Twin Pin is? Isnât that magic too modern for you?â
Hecateâs cheeks colored, making her burgeoning black eyes all the more prominent. âI find that Iâm learning to appreciate what modern magic has to offer.â
They roused Mildred enough to get her to crawl over to the opening. Hecate wrapped the pin in Mildredâs fingers and carefully slipped her hand outside the cage. âMildred Hubble.â
Mildredâs brow wrinkled in concentration. âYes, Miss Hardbroom?â
âDo you remember the star pin that Pippa wears? The one that goes with my pin?â Mildred nodded. âGood.â
âWait!â Marigold pulled Hecate to the other side of the cage, whispering furiously. âAre you sure this is a good idea? Do you even know if it will work? If it does, is it going to take all of her, or just the part thatâs outside the cage?â
âI donât know, but what choice do we have? Sheâs getting worse. I donât know how to fix whatâs happening in her head. I donât know what else to do.â
âDonât you think Pentangle will try to use that pin to get to you? Once we send her away with that pin, thereâs no using it to find us.â
âI know that.â Hecate stared at the girl on the floor. âI know that, but Iâve made a promise, Marigold, to keep her safe. To be her champion in the magical world. Iâm sorry that promise puts you in danger.â
âNo. Itâs the right thing to do.â
Hecate dropped down beside Mildred again. âOkay, are you ready?â She waited â too long â for  Mildred to nod. âGood girl. Now squeeze the pin in your hand and think of Pippaâs star pin. Imagine putting the two pins together and-â Mildred was gone. She could only pray that the Twin Pins worked as promised.
âSoooâŚPippa Pentangle?â Marigold asked.
âShut up.â Hecate concentrated and summoned her phone again. It was getting harder to pull up magic at all. Her reserves were critically low. She tapped a few screens and handed the phone to Marigold. Hold this out of the hole and see if you can get a signal through.â
Marigold did as she was told. She was just about to dial Pippa Pentangle when the door burst open and Benjy strode into the room, causing Marigold to jump and sending the phone skittering across the floor, well out of reach.
âWhereâs the girl!â He roared, using his magic to slam Hecate against the cage wall. She just managed to get her hands up between the wall and her face. She screamed as the current scorched through her body. He flung Marigold into the corner, content to get her out of his way. âAnswer me!â Benjy sent a white ball of lightning into Hecate, hammering her to the ground, knocking the air from her lungs. Face down, struggling to breathe, she could feel the tendrils of his magic groping her body.
âStop!â Marigold threw herself between the wizard and Hecate, interrupting the oily flow of his magic. She shuddered.
âThatâs enough!â An elderly witch had transferred into the middle of the room. âForget the girl â we still have leverage enough with the hack.â She stepped closer to the cage, staring balefully as Marigold helped Hecate to sit up. âWelcome to Gullet Manor, Miss Hardbroom. Weâve got a potion for you to brew.â
  âThis really isnât a good idea, Ms. Hubble.â Dimity had to shout to be heard over the storm. âFlying in a little rain is one thing,â lightning flashed, striking a tree nearby, âbut flying in something like this is suicide!â
âBut they have Millie! Iâve got to get back!â
Dimity could hear the fear in her voice. They were halfway back when they ran into the storm. At first Dimity had hoped it would be small, something they could swing around or wait out. But when Mildredâs mother opened a weather app on her phone, they could both see that wouldnât be the case.
Dimityâs nerves jangled, more from excitement than fear. She hadnât flown full out in a good many years. Too many. âAll right, but youâre shifting to the front and weâre riding racer-style, no more of this side-saddle. And I canât keep us dry, not and concentrate. Youâre gonna be cold and wet.â
âI donât care.â
âOkay, then, Ms. Hubble, climb aboard.â
âI think you should call me Julie.â
The rain hit them like an icy blast, chilling them both instantly. Julie was glad to have Dimity leaning over her back; at least that part of her would stay warm. At first, they only had to contend with the rain, but soon theyâd traveled into the heart of the storm. Thunder crashed, leaving their ears ringing; a bolt of lightning zagged past them, turning the air thick with the smell of burning ozone.
Still, Dimity flew, casting out with her powers, trying to find a path between the building arcs of electricity. Julie sat like a natural, Dimity thought; if sheâd had her powers, she would have been an excellent broomstick rider. That moment of distraction cost them; a bolt of lightning she didnât feel coming slashed the air in front of them.
Dimity veered hard, the unexpected shift knocking her and Julie off balance. She could feel them both sliding, but the broom was too slippery from the rain to stop it. She teetered off the edge, barely managing to keep one hand on the broom. She looked down to see Julie staring up at her, hands scrabbling at the air as she fell toward the ground.
âNOOO!â She allowed herself to fall as well, willing the broomstick in her hand to swing around beneath her until she could hike a leg across the bristles and pull herself back on board. Immediately, she plunged into a dive, chasing Julie Hubble down, acutely aware of how fast the ground was coming up to meet them.
A broomstick length from the ground, Dimity slammed into Julie, sending their momentum sideways, both of them tumbling over the soggy meadow, rolling headlong across the grass.
When they finally flopped to a stop in the mud, Julie raised her head just enough to get a look at Dimity. âYou were rightâŚthat was a bad idea.â
âI wasnât gonna say I told you soâŚâ Dimity groaned. âBut I think a piece of me broomstick is stabbing me in the arse.â
Suddenly, the rain stopped and the air got warmer. The women looked up to see a hooded figure standing over them, one hand raised to cast the protective spell around them.
âYou two must be Dimity and Julie. Only a desperate mother and a Star of the Sky would be crazy enough to fly through weather like this.â He knelt down between them and pulled the hood from his face.
Julie studied him; his blonde hair and tanned skin gave him a youthful appearance, but she could tell he was probably a few years older than her own forty-seven years. âWho are you?â
âOh, sorry. My nameâs Peter Pentangle, and my sisterâs sent me to fetch you.â He held a hand out and Julie recognized the crescent moon pin in his hand. âThis should get us back in a jiffy.â He pinned the moon back to his cloak and grabbed their hands.
Julie felt an unfamiliar twist in her stomach and found herself sitting on the floor of Ada Cackleâs office. Only it didnât look like her office, it looked like the command center of a war zone.
âPeter!â Pippa pushed past Ada and wrapped her brother in a fierce hug. âI knew you would find them, I just knew it!â She turned her attention to the soaked women in front of her. âYou must be frozen!â
A warm gust of air washed over her as the drying spell removed every bit of water from her hair and clothes. âAre they back, then?â Julie asked, shivering in spite of the warmth.
The joyous look that had covered Pippaâs face only seconds before slipped away, replaced by fear and worry. âOnly Mildred. Sheâs got a nasty bump on the head, but sheâs all right. Sheâs resting in the infirmary.â
âButâŚthe pinâŚâ Julie pointed at the crescent moon on Peterâs chest. He gave a start and handed the pin back to his sister.
âThatâs how Hecate sent her back. All we could get from Mildred is that theyâre in a magic cage somewhere. We think theyâre being held in a Wizardâs Keep because we canât find any trace of their magic.â
âBut they have to have their magic, she sent Mildred out.â The color drained from Julieâs face. âShe sent her out with the only thing we could use to find them, didnât she?â Pippa nodded, eyes brimming with tears. âHave you tried the phone?â
âThat was one of the first things we tried. A Keep may block cell phone signals as well as magic.â
âBut have you tried since they got Millie out?â Julie could tell by their shocked expressions that it hadnât occurred to them to try again. âIf somebodyâs got âem we canât tip our hand,â she said as her fingers flew over her phone. She opened the âfind my phoneâ app and typed in Hecateâs information. She stumbled only a minute on the passcode. âWhatâs her catâs name again?â
âMorganaâ
Julie typed in the name. It worked. Well, she thought, it was either going to be that or âPippaâ and âPippaâ didnât have enough letters. âWe need to talk to her about her bloody obvious passwords, but for now, Iâm not complaining.â She watched the little compass spin around until it stopped, a map zooming in to a location labeled âHecateâs Phone.â âThere,â Julie held the phone out to Pippa. âSheâs there.â
  âItâs three leaves of calendula, two of calla lily.â Marigold hissed. âYouâve got them backwards.â Hecate shook her head. Theyâd been working on the potion for five hours. Her head and her hands had been aching for six. Her magic was running dangerously low, and she hadnât had anything to eat since last night. âTheyâll kill you if they think you made it wrong.â
âTheyâll kill us both, Miss Mould.â
âProbably. So, letâs try to avoid that?â
âWhat do you think is going to happen once this potion is finished? They arenât just going to send us back to Cackleâs with a hearty âthank you for breaking the Code.â We know who they are. Theyâre going to kill us anyway.â
âYouâre a regular Pollyanna, arenât you?â
âI have no idea who that is.â Hecate added the corrected ingredients and stirred thirteen times clockwise, then three widdershins. âI think thatâs it.â The potion was inky black until it was stirred. Then, a rainbow of iridescent colors swam through it, like oil in the ocean.
âStep away from the cauldron,â Benjy ordered. âGo get it, Sam.â
Sam edged his way towards the door of the cage. As soon as Benjy had conjured up a roiling black mass of energy and aimed it at the witches inside, he opened the door and levitated the potion out of the cage, cauldron and all. âGot it. Letâs get it to mother, right away.â
âI donât know, it might be time for a little fun with that potions mistress. You know, my sister always said that what you needed was to get stuffed â proper-like â by a wizard.
âOh I donât think youâre the man for the job,â Pippa Pentangle said as she slammed into the middle of the room, staff in hand, stopping short from her high-speed transference. In seconds, she was joined by Ada, Dimity, Algernon and even Miss Bat.
Ada fired off the first of her power balls before sheâd even fully appeared.
Algie sent a surge of power through the Wizardâs Keep, enough to blow the panels apart. As soon as the walls fell, Hecate could feel her magic surging back into her system. She coiled up a spike of magic, ready to hurl it at the potion sheâd just finished, but Samuel was too fast. Ignoring everything else, he grabbed the edge of the cauldron and transferred himself away.
Turning to help Marigold, Hecate just caught a glimpse of Miss Bat transferring the art teacher to safety.
âOY!â Miss Drill shouted. âAre you the bloody sod that threw dark magic at me?â
Benjy seemed to have forgotten he was holding a pumpkin-sized orb of dark magic. Belatedly, he tried to hurl it at Pippa, but she was more than ready, focusing a beam of power through her staff and sending it back to him as half a dozen oily shards. He screamed as at least two made contact before he could transfer away.
In the quiet following his departure, the only noise was the sound of everyoneâs breathing.
âHiccup!â Pippa tossed her staff aside as Hecate scrambled over the fallen panels, flinging herself into Pippaâs arms.
Hecate ignored the pain in her hands as she clung desperately to Pippa, needing to feel anchored to something real. âMildred?â
âSheâs fine, darling. You were brilliant sending her with the Twin Pin. Sheâs in the infirmary at Cackleâs right now. Â Weâve got broomsticks ready to get us back to transfer distance.â
Hecate nodded and pulled away, smiling gratefully at Ada and Algernon. She looked at Dimity, smiling her crooked half-smile. âI donât think Iâve ever been so glad to see you, Miss Drill.â
âI didnât think youâd ever been glad to see me period, Miss Hardbroom,â she answered with a cheesy grin and a wink. âNot like I had much choice. Mr. Monkey would never let me hear the end of it if I let something happen to you.â She summoned a trio of brooms. âCan you ride or do you need to ride double.â
âSheâs going to ride double for this trip.â Pippa banished the third broom. âThank you though.â
The flight passed quickly and once they landed on the front grounds of Cackleâs, Pippa and Hecate transferred straight to the infirmary. Hecate needed to see for herself that Mildred was all right. Julie Hubble was already there, sitting next to Mildredâs sleeping form, smoothing her hair in soft, soothing strokes. Red-rimmed eyes met her own and it was more than Hecate could bear. âIâm so sorry, Julie. Iâm so, so sorry.â She waved a hand and vanished, Pippa groping at empty air, not fast enough to catch her arm to keep her from transferring away.
âShe feelsâŚresponsibleâŚâ Pippa supplied.
âShe is responsible.â Julie kissed Mildredâs forehead before striding over to where Pippa was standing. âSheâs responsible for Mildred making it back in one piece, with nothing more than a bump on the head and a minor concussion out of the whole thing.â
âShe wonât see it like that,â Pippa said, sadly. âLet me go find her.â
âShe will when Iâm done with her.â She placed a restraining hand on Pippaâs arm. âWhy donât you let me go find her. I think we need to talk.â
  Julie crawled out onto the roof, huffing more from the climb than she cared to admit. At least Ada was right. She spotted Hecate, huddled on a bench, folded tightly against herself â almost like she was willing herself to disappear.
Julie eased up to the woman, trying not to startle her. âDonât transfer away, Hecate. I want to talk to you.â When Hecate didnât move she closed the gap between them. Sheâd never seen Hecate look so small, so lost as she did now. âI mean it. Stay.â
As much as Hecate wanted to vanish, she knew she deserved whatever Julie was about to unleash. âIâm so sorry, Julie. I didnât keep her safe. I didnât-â A sob broke through her defenses, then another and another. Without a word, Julie stepped close enough to pull Hecate in, wrapping her arms around Hecateâs skinny frame and resting her chin on her head while Hecate sobbed into her chest. She didnât try to soothe her or shush her, she just let Hecate cry it out.
Eventually, the sobs slowed down and Hecate pulled away. Or tried to. Julie tightened her grip and spoke into Hecateâs hair. âYou have nothing to be sorry for. Mildred is safe. Sheâs here and sheâs awake and she wants to know where her HB is.â She released Hecate and moved to sit beside her on the bench. She reached out to take one of Hecateâs hands, snatching her hand away when she heard Hecateâs sharp gasp of pain.
âWhatâsâŚHecate! Your hands!â Julie carefully lifted Hecateâs right hand, trying to get a better look. âPoof me a light.â Hecate cast a tiny spell and a white ball of light blossomed over their heads. Julie gasped when she saw the damage. âHecate. Is this more of the dark magic, the kind you canât heal with your magic?â
Hecate turned away before mumbling âNo.â
âThen why havenât you â No.â She reached out with her other hand and jerked Hecateâs head around so she would have to look her in the eyes. âHeal these. Now.â Hecate didnât move. âHecate,â Julie said, softening her tone. âDonât punish yourself like this. You donât deserve it. You kept her safe, love. You got her out of there even though it cost you your only way to escape. You sent her. Heal them.â She gestured at Hecateâs hands. âI donât want her to think that this is okay to do to herself. I know you donât want that either.â
Choking back a fresh sob, Hecate flooded her hands with healing magic. The burns and bruises disappeared, leaving only a residual ache behind. That would be gone by morning. âShe got hurt, Julie. I was supposed to protect her.â
âYou did protect her.â She clasped Hecateâs freshly healed hands between her own. âDid you know that Mildred broke her arm when she was three?â Hecate shook her head. âWeâd just moved into our flat and I was busy unpacking boxes. I just took my eyes off of her for a minute, but she was out onto that balcony in a heartbeat, climbing up on the railing trying to see over the edge. I ran out there shouting âMillie get downâ or something like that. I suppose I startled her, because she tipped right over the edge. Iâve never moved so fast in my whole life â it doesnât seem possible that I made it, but the next thing I knew I was bent over the railing with my hand around her wrist. I dragged her back on to the balcony, snapping her radius in the process. She wore a cast for six weeks. Did I save her? Did I hurt her? Do I get good marks for rescuing her if it was my fault she was in danger in the first place? I donât know. Iâll never know. What I do know is that balcony door got a baby-proof lock that stayed on there until she was eight years old.â She stood up, dragging Hecate up with her. âBesides, Iâm not finding another magic mum at this point. I like the one Iâve got.â
âEven if she thinks you could do better?â
Julie blew a gust of air out of her lungs. âYou havenât heard about our trip back from Frankfurt, I guess? I nearly died tonight. I convinced Dimity to keep flying through a storm and we nearly got hit by lightning. I fell off the broom when we were hundreds of feet in the air. I was falling for a really, really long time â long enough to be glad that Millie would have you and that sheâd be ok.â
âHow did you survive the fall?â
âDimity Drill is a heck of a flyer. She managed to get under me and sort ofâŚscoop me up right before I hit the ground. Shifted all that momentum sideways. We still plowed out in some field, absolutely trashed her broom, butâŚwe didnât die so it was a good day.â
âStar of the Sky, indeed,â Hecate muttered, already girding herself for the bragging that was sure to come the next time she saw Dimity. Oh, wellâŚDimity earned some bragging rights tonight.
Julie dragged Hecate back towards the window sheâd crawled out of. âSoâŚhow come you guys never mentioned that Pippa has a brother?â
  Hecate transferred into the middle of her sitting room, exhausted. Sheâd sat with Mildred and Julie in the infirmary for over an hour, until both Hubbles were drooping with sleep. She wasnât doing much better herself. Where was Pippa? Being back at Cackleâs left her feeling off-balance and unsettled. She didnât know what the new rules were. All she knew was that she very much needed Pippa right now. She just didnât know what the expectations would be, only that she was too tired to try and find her tonight.
She magicked herself into her pajamas as she walked into her bedroomâŚand froze. There, propped up in the middle of her bed, sat Pippa Pentangle, looking for all the world like she belonged there. Maybe, Hecate thought, thatâs because she does.
âHello, darling, was Mildred glad to see you?â She snapped the book in her hand closed and peered at Hecate over the top of her reading glasses. Those reading glasses! âShe kept asking for you the whole time. We probably shouldnât mention that to Miss Mould.â Flipping the covers back, Pippa patted the mattress next to her. âI donât know about you, Hiccup, but I could use some sleep.â
Hecate didnât remember the last few steps to the bed, just that she was crawling in beside Pippa like it was the most normal thing in the world. She curled into her side, laying her head on Pippaâs chest and wrapping one arm around her waist. âIs this okay, Pipsqueak? I think itâs all I can manage tonight.â
âItâs perfect, Hiccup, absolutely perfect.â
#hicsqueak#Hecate Hardbroom#Pippa Pentangle#the lesbians might be getting a little less useless#hecate's summer playlist#don't mess with Mildred Hubble#Julie might ship Hicsqueak as much as Ada
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Hecate Eats Ice Cream
Iâm in the middle of writing a lemon fic for Feb but Bad Magic came in and futzed with my headcanon. There was a bunch in the episode that everyone is either losing their shit over, being anon-tacked for, or just getting trolled about. Iâve read some amazing thoughts by @meridelclarke @cosmic-llin  @nervouspearl @subcutaneous7 and @cassiopeiasara and wanted to at my shiny pennies mainly so I can keep track of my thoughts. Also, does anynoe else want to see Hecate eat ice cream on a waffle cone, like really bad?
- Hecate is always going to step in, black lacquered nails pointed and fingers spread in defense of those she cares about. It's instinctive for her. Sheâll be the one to give up her magic so the girls have a chance to live magical lives. Sheâll be on guard when Julie (or literally anyone) gets too close or seems to be a threat to Ada or the girls. She will throw herself in front of a power-mad irrational non-witch, knowing the consequences to prevent harm from coming to one of her own. Hecate decided in this episode to let Mildred know that she will be and is looking out for her, even if sheâs unable to see it. Sheâs confessed SOOO much to her! Like almost too much?! Her first name is actually Joy (meanwhile, I lost my mind when she told her my middle name is Hecate, my first name is Joy. What a setup.). She had a best friend named Indigo who was the first person who âsaw herâ when she was a tragically lonely child. She confessed just how lonely she was and the lengths she was willing to go to keep her friend near. I feel for the Hicsqueakers b/c when Hecate says that she cut herself off from her friend, Pippa included, it feels like the real heartbreak for her non-straight childhood might have actually been her love of Indi? It could be Pippa who she was having feelings for but Indi also seems like there might have been something else.Â
- It would be in direct opposition to every moment of character-building in the series if Hecate was confined to the school and its grounds against her will as an adult b/c of some Stockholm-esq reason or because it was lifetime confinement. I also refuse to accept the insane premise that Ada is enforcing the terms of that confinement. Ada is kind and generous to a fault. She finally listened to her Deputy only after it was too late re: Julie - not the first time thatâs happened (see Miss Mould). Hecate is the exact person who would over-punish herself to atone for what she did (AS A CHILD). The witches at Cackles who would have bound her to the grounds would have been Alma and the other faculty of which Ms. Bat would surely have been one of! Even if Ms. Bat didnât agree with the decision to confine her, she would have known all the witches who did. We should probably also mention the emotional trauma a 15 yr. old would face when she watched her best friend be turned into stone in the forest. Sheâd be able to visit her as often as she liked and relive that moment forever. Does anyone but Hecate and now Mildred even know thereâs a statue of a girl in the forest?
- Some temporal mechanics: If Hecate has been punishing herself for 30 years and she started that punishment when she was about 15 (thatâs Bella Ramsayâs current age), then that would make her about 45. I always thought she was closer to 50 bio and maybe 65 in witch years. Letâs also assume Ada is roughly 55. That would have made her 25 when this shit was going down. She could have been at witching college, or working at another school for experience or pursuing a higher level of education like a masters if she was going to be running this centuries old institution. I donât think she was teaching at Cackles, mainly b/c she would have been too young and Alma wasnât ready to retire.
- When Hecate was turned into Softbroom, whatâs the first thing she did (other than let her hair down)? Dance. Dancing is something sheâs loved to do since she was a free-wheeling child experimenting with rules and power, just like most of us did at her age.Â
- Re: miniaturized Ada in the clay castle - Have you ever seen Hecate go on a 2-second face-journey with that much adoration in her expression when looking at anyone other than Ada? She held Ada with both hands in the way you would hold your most cherished possession. As she found when Ada (and eventually her) was stuck in the picture by Agatha, she was able to still see and hear everything. Iâm sure the last thing Hecate would want Ada to feel was small, literally or figuratively. She could have picked up any mini person and held them with concern, but she didnât. She picked up Ada, held her close and smiled tenderly before gently placing her back where she found her.
- WHAT DO YOU KNOW MS. BAT? She has seen it all. I just want to take her out for drinks and listen to all of her stories. She knows them all. Sheâs got the skinny on Ada and Hecate as youths.Â
- Iâm a wee bit shook that Hecate went to Cackles. Massive blow to the headcanon. I wanted Hecate to be Adaâs first hire after coming to Cackles from somewhere like Pentagles or Amulets and witching uni. I thought Hecate went to Pentagles assuming Pippaâs mother ran that school just like Alma ran Cackles. Now it would seem that Pippa and Hecate were classmates at Cackles. Does that mean Pippa started her own school?Â
- Iâm a bit sad for the Hubblestar ship. Julieâs gone. We didnât get to see the closure b/w Miss Drill and Julie. There are still possibilities! I can think of 20 ideas off the top of my head to spin that ship back into existence but I still feel for that loss.
- If Broomhead was canonically supposed to be one of Hecateâs teachers, was she employed at Cackles? When Hecate graduated from Cackles didnât she go to witch uni? Isnât that where she would have encountered Broomhead? I want to know how they plan on handling that influence. If Hecate was already determined to never break the code again, tight bun in place, and then met Broomhead later, what other damage did she do before becoming a teacher?
#hecate hardbroom#ada cackle#tww2017 spoilers#tww17#hackle#otp: all that we are#thanks for coming to my culturepopper talk#i just want to finish my fic but now i don't know how to move on with the new info#i just want to be a fly on the wall in the writers room
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Ok I have a question: I'm thinking of starting The Worst Witch because it keeps popping up on my dash and I'm here for gay witches but what's the tea on all the ships? From what I can gather everyone ships the really uptight goth witch (Hecate?) with just about everyone but mostly with a preppy, pink witch who I think is Amanda Holden? But then also she seems to be married to another, older witch who wears glasses and possibly has an evil twin?
Hi there anon! In my experience the âteaâ refers to calling out, in depth analysis of problems and tension but I feel like you might just want information so thatâs how Iâm going to approach this answer. Now Iâm not much of a multishipper (Iâm Hackle ride or die mostly) but I will try to break down the various f/f ships in The Worst Witch (2017) (bc Iâm assuming thatâs the series you mean. Iâve seen a few eps but am not as familiar with the â98 series). Below a cut to spare my non TWW followers. Also bc this will probably get long:
This is Hecate Hardbroom, Deputy Headmistress at Cackleâs Academy for Young Witches:
The first ship you referred to, the one with Amanda Holdenâs character Pippa Pentangle is Hicsqueak:
They were friends in school, had a falling out and in s1 their ep is âThe Spelling Beeâ I recommend reading all of @amillionmillionvoices fic as well as @matildaswan, @fanchonmoreau and @troiing. Itâs not my ship but I know these are some of your awesome big contenders for that ship (also lovely peeps). Â
Now the next ship you referred to is Hackle which is Hecate and Ada Cackle, Headmistress at Cackleâs:
Ada and Hecate are pretty close and most people at the least understand them as best friends from canon. Also Ada isnât that MUCH older (itâs never stated in canon but the actresses are only 12/13 years apart and itâs implied that both of them taught a lot of the girlsâ mothers together). If you fall into Hackle, feel free to send a follow up question and Iâll give you some recs. I would say Hackle and Hicsqueak are your two biggest ships but there are more!Â
Ada does have an evil twin named Agatha:
There are a few people who ship Hecate with Agatha and the ship name is Hagatha.Â
Now thereâs also love of my life Dimity Drill and some people ship Hecate with Dimity and I think the name is Starbroom:
Then thereâs Mildred Hubbleâs (the girl that âthe worst witchâ refers to) mom Julie Hubble and their ship name is Hubblebroom I believe:
You got your OT3s: Hecate/Pippa/Ada, Hecate/Pippa/Julie, Hecate/Pippa/Dimity, others Iâm sure.Â
Then there are the non Hecate ships like Dimity Drill/Julie Hubble (Hubblestar), Dimity Drill/Marigold Mould (Dimigold I think?), Dimity/Pippa (Pippity). I realize thereâs a common theme of me knowing only the Dimity ones, someone with knowledge of any others feel free to chime in.Â
Itâs a sweet show full of lovely stories, I got some issues with season 2 but itâs worth a watch and the fandom is quite talented.Â
Feel free to send me an ask about anything.Â
#tww 2017#hicsqueak#hackle#starbroom#hubblebroom#and a few other TWW ships#I hope this reads ok as someone who very heavily ships one ship#(at least when it comes to Hecate)#anonymous
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