NINE TIME MACHINES: Do you want to undo your entire life on planet earth?

CHAPTER 109

"Qira," said Xaxu. "State the facts before we vote."

"With pleasure, sister," she said, and everyone turned her way. "We have thirty-three Karmic Islands to activate, thirty-three keys to be won to bring Mother's Beacon Earth alive, thousands of humans to snatch from their families; and their future rests on one girl, a rhesus null whom Kat seems to think can withstand twenty-seven mirrored years asleep. If this Mary fails, the ninth witch dies and Fantum becomes the black wand. This, sisters, is the dilemma before us."

"What say you, witches?" Xaxu asked.

"Yes!" the seven shouted in unison.

"Yes," Fantum borrowed Jarka's purr, and stared at Kat as if she'd be doing it for the last time.

"Yes," said Xaxu with a heavy heart, and then, "are you really sure you want to do this?"

"There's no other way. Don't worry. I'll come back and hand you the first key myself."

She sighed. "Okay, let's do this, then."

The witches descended their thrones and met at the centre of the circle. Then they placed their left hands upon the blue ball above the triangle, and sank into a deep silence. Together, they focussed on Kat's goal, the islands, the people, their players, and finally merged their colours over the circle. Kat was the first to blow upon the earth. The rest followed her lead. Then she said her secret word and released more of herself. Another long silence followed. And when Kat had sunk deep enough, she summoned the spell from her mind and placed it before her sisters. They in turn drummed up a force so strong it was unmatched by any of their previous encounters. They joined hands, each fully aware of what was at stake, knowing that if Mary failed, Fantum would possess a power no one wanted her to have. Still, Xaxu began the spell.

"We witches are joined together, to cast a spell on thee. The circle that sits below us must give up thirty-three. And when the time is over, we'll plunder all the earth. A new world in the making, or death before the birth."

The sisters followed; first Qira, then Raea, Fejj, Suke, Jarka, Mira, and Fantum. Now it was Kat's turn. Would she go through with it or change her mind and attack the humans? They waited anxiously, Fantum more so than the others. Kat eventually spoke up. And when she did, she not only uttered the words but did so more thunderously than the others. Finally, she added words unknown to them.

"The one, who came before us, must walk the earth again. Our mother and protector; avenger and our queen. Through death the gate will open. From darkness she will rise. Great mother of all witches, and ruler of all time."

As she said the last word, the two circles started spinning and her throne – the etched triangle, sucked her in beneath itself, transforming the room from black to white. Then it stopped and great sadness overcame them. The ninth witch ceased to truly exist for the first time since they were initiated in the cave.