COVENS

Chapter Five

"That truly was the dumbest thing you've ever done," Clara states, traipsing along ahead. "And you!" She whirls on Ellis, who ducks. "I didn't know you were such a bad influence, someone as shy as you."

He grins with embarrassment.

"Hey, how did you speak through Ichabod's mouth?" I ask, turning to him.

"Oh, yes! I was going to ask about that too," Clara says.

"Oh." He shrugs. "It's just a spell my mam taught me. I'll show you guys how to do it later, if you want."

We endure a breakfast of doughy bread and jam, then a mind numbingly boring lesson about various plants and their uses. A continuation of the lecture in the gardens. I fall asleep at the table.

Something snaps an inch from my nose. I jerk awake. A bony old hand is right in front of my face. I look up and see Nettles sneering at me above it.

"My lesson boring you, Fletcher Smith?"

I wipe my face and sit up quickly, eyes darting to Mildred and back again. The girl is trying to suppress a laugh. Morgan, Warner, and George snicker.

"No, Ne- Gammer Nettles," I say.

She measures me then turns with a huff. "Outside, everyone. We will practice our flying and then the rest of the day is yours."

"Yours to practice your potions, I say," Dafydd adds.

Oh no. Clara and Ellis give me looks. I broke my broomstick last night. Nettles is going to be so angry with me.

I slowly follow the others and we split off to retrieve our brooms. I trudge behind Clara.

Suddenly, she whirls on me. "Take my broom, Fletch."

"What?" I start back, surprised.

"Take mine. I think Nettles will let me off easier than you. She doesn't seem to like you much, does she?"

I shake my head with agreement. "No, she does not. Are you sure? You still might get in trouble..." Especially cause the old witch might fly off at any second and curse you.

"Take it. I don't like flying much anyway." She smiles at me, and her sparrow settles on her blue cap, a worm in its beak.

"Clara..." I don't know what to say. I let her down last night, and here she is. Covering for me without a thought. "You are the nicest person I've ever known."

She grins. "And don't you forget it."

I snort.

The lesson flashes by quickly. Nettles indeed forgives Clara for "losing her broom" and procures a new one for her from some branches on the forest floor.

Afterwards, Ellis and I agree to let Clara work on her potion first. Mostly because we feel bad for the night before. Well, I don't actually care to work on my potion, but anyway...

Ellis hovers over Clara's shoulder as she works. I toss an apple up to the ceiling over and over, before finally getting bored and going to watch too.

"At the exact moment it turns black..." Ellis reads. "Add 5 powdered hen-of-the-woods mushrooms-"

"-and 2 calabar beans." Clara murmurs. "I have them." Her eyes are glued to the bubbling brew in front of her. Her fist hovers over the cauldron. Suddenly, it turns inky, and she gasps and drops the ingredients in.

"Ace! Now stir in a righthand direction for four minutes or until you can smell ice..."

"What does ice smell like?" I muse. I take a bite of apple.