A Witch Like No Other Read Online Free PDF Page A

what she was going to say. Pandora
shook her head at her brother, saying “Not a boy, idiot. I hate
boys and I hate girls too. I hate people. I’ m talking about Miss Hughes, Marlon.”
    “ The shrink?
What about her?”
    “ Her and Mum
were friends. She’ s my
godmother.”
    “ What!”
exploded Marlon. “Your godmother?? Since when?”
    “ She told me
everything when I went there,” said Pandora happily. “She even told
me the church I had the ceremony in and everything, and she talked
about Grandma for a bit too- and I never really spoke about
Grandma… isn’ t it nice, Dad?
Why didn ’ t you tell me?”
    “ I
didn’ t want you to think she
was taking your mother ’ s place, ‘ Dora.”
    Pandora ’ s smile faded as she thought about that.
    Marlon was seething. “Why didn ’ t you tell me?”
    “ Come on son, I
didn’ t know until your mother
died.”
    Marlon ’ s expression cleared immediately, then he
scowled.
    “ You want to
watch her, ‘ Dora.
She ’ s
really attached to you. Remember what happened last time when
certain people were attached to you?”
    “ Shut up,
Marlon!”
Pandora shook her head, but the images were
in her mind again. Stile hovering over her as she played the
piano-
    “ Pandora,” said
Ted firmly, but she didn’ t
respond. “ ‘ Dora, stop thinking about it. See what
you ’ ve
done?” he said to Marlon, who shrugged.
    “ I’ m just warning her,
Dad.”
    “ Yes, and are
you going to warn her if she makes new friends too?”
    “ No,
I-”
    “ Get some
clothes on, Marlon.”
Marlon looked hurt by the dismissal, but he
obeyed.
Before Ted could talk Pandora left as well,
looking as moody and down as she did before she left the house this
morning.

 
* * *
     
    Pandora scrawled Damon Stile ’ s name down frantically,
placed in in her golden box and lit the candle. Closing the lid and
watching as the box began to glow, she breathed deeply. Soon Stile
left her mind totally, Pandora whispering “Thanks, Mum.”
    Dreamer had taught her so much. Pandora climbed into bed,
wondering about her godmother. It wouldn ’ t hurt to have a woman
figure in her life, would it? And Miriam was very fond of her, for
some wild reason. Pandora knew it was because she was friends with
her mother, and had watched her grow from a distance, through
pictures and letters from Agnes and Dreamer. How did she know that?
She just did.
    Ted knocked on her door, Pandora calling
“Don ’ t
come in!”
    “ Will you come
out, then? I miss my little girl.”
    “ Dad,
we’ ve got tomorrow to talk.
And Saturday too.”
    Ted laughed, saying “I only want a hug, ‘ Dora.”
Pandora cringed. Physical contact was out of
the question.
    Ted knew that of course, but it couldn ’ t hurt to try for the
thousandth time. Pandora gritted her teeth before saying “I
don ’ t
want one, Dad.”
    “ All right
then. Sleep tight.”
    “ You
too.”

 
* * *
     
    Pandora ’ s alarm went off at ten a.m., Pandora rolling over in
bed.
    “ Why do I even
have a cell phone?” she muttered, sitting up slowly. “I mean,
it’ s not like I get calls
anyway. I should give it away.”
    She swung her legs out of bed into her slippers, yawning as
she looked at her golden box. Where did Dreamer get it from?
Grandma Agnes, probably. And the spell book as well. Pandora
smiled, knowing that Ted would go berserk if he found out she stole
Dreamer ’ s dusty old book from her bedroom, along with the magical
box and crystal quartz, and her wand. Her wand, Pandora
thought hungrily.
    Ted had burnt all of Dreamer ’ s things in anguish,
except her pictures. Marlon stole some of her things too, but
Pandora didn ’ t know what things. She didn ’ t care. She had her
mother ’ s wand and spell book and box and crystals, and
that ’ s
all she needed. Ha, thought Pandora smugly. Witch in the
making.
     
* * *
     
    “ Pandora,
I’ m sorry for getting at you
last night.”
Pandora ignored her brother totally,
appearing deeply