A Tale of 3 Witches Read Online Free PDF

everything into a gigantic cauldron that swung over the hearth. She fumbled inside her cape and produced a pack of matches. With one strike and a swift toss, the fire was blazing within minutes. Then she joined Birdie and Tillie. They formed a circle around Stacy, holding hands and chanting.
    "Powerful Hecate, hear this spell, charge this tool, charge it well. Guide The Seeker on her quest. You know all, you know best."
    The room filled with energy and they began to move around Stacy, almost as if in a trance, gathering speed with each circle, chanting faster with each pace.
    The cauldron began to bubble, the flames beneath it hissing and snapping at the air. Stacy closed her eyes, felt her lap grow warm along with the energy in the room.
    Then the velvet package began to pulsate, ever so softly.
    And a spark shot from the fire onto Stacy's lap. She yelped as the velvet disintegrated, then exploded into the air as ash. What remained was a dagger with a gleaming gold blade, the length of her arm.
    She jumped up and swiped at her jeans. "Hot! Hot!"
    Birdie, Lolly and Tillie broke the circle. Birdie rolled her eyes at Stacy as Tillie said, "Great. Now we have to do it all over again."
    Birdie sighed. "This could take a while."
    Tillie agreed. "How much time do we have until Mara gets back?"
    "Until noon, I would think," Birdie said. "I sent them the long way."
    Stacy looked at both of them, speechless.
    *   *   *
    It took Mara and Gus an hour and forty-five minutes to reach the address.
    "Are you sure this is it?" Gus asked, pulling the car down the gravel driveway. "I feel like we've been driving around forever."
    Mara checked the address Birdie had scribbled down for her on her makeshift map.
    "2012 Black Hawk Lane. That's what it says on the mailbox."
    Gus continued down the dark driveway, passing over-grown oaks with gnarled limbs that reached out and scraped the hood of the car. A black cat darted in front of the vehicle and Gus slammed on the brakes, jostling Mara in her seatbelt.
    They looked at each other.
    "That's not good," Mara said.
    "No kidding." Gus coughed. "I almost garroted myself with the damn seatbelt."
    He adjusted the seat belt and was about to put the car in reverse when the cat catapulted itself through the open driver's side window.
    Gus screeched as the cat landed in his lap, its sharp little nails digging into Gus's leg. "Get him off!"
    The cat sprang toward Mara, climbed onto the dashboard and flicked its tail, staring straight ahead.
    Mara giggled. "Maybe he's a guide."
    They both stared at the cat who let out a howl and pawed the windshield.
    "Well, you heard the cat. Onward, driver." Mara said, nudging Gus.
    Gus sighed and stepped lightly on the gas pedal.
    The house was a football field away. Although, as they got closer, they saw it wasn't actually a house. It was an old railway caboose, painted dingy red.
    "Someone takes their recycling seriously," Gus said.
    They got out of the car, cat in tow, and headed up the rickety steps.
    The door creaked open before Mara had a chance to knock.
    The inside of the caboose was dark. But as Mara's eyes adjusted, she could see a man sitting in front of her, on a rocking chair. He was hunched over so far, his hands practically scraped the floor as the chair moved. He was holding on to his last lock of dark hair and looked to be about 150 years old.
    The cat snaked around the man's feet, then jumped on his shoulder.
    "What do you want." He muttered. "Why are you bothering an old man?"
    "Are you..." Gus cleared his throat. "Steve Charon?"
    As the man turned his face, the light from the open door illuminated him. Mara noticed the man was blind.
    "Who's asking?"
    "Birdie Geraghty sent us, Mr. Charon." Mara said. "She gave me this to give you."
    She placed the coin in his hands that Birdie had given her.
    "Birdie? Haven't heard that name in years." His hands closed on the coin. Then he brought it to his nose, smelled it and smiled, showing large, empty gaps