Different

Chapter 18

"What the hell!" Mrs. Perrin caught me as I was sneaking into the apartment late at night. "Where have you been? What happened to you?"

I was careless. I forgot to cast healing charms. Maybe because my mind was preoccupied with so many things. Matt disappeared right after I recognized him. No, he didn't disappear on his own accord. Someone summoned him.

My escape wasn't smooth. I thought I could teleport myself away, but perhaps the forest had incantations that kept witches from teleporting out. I had to find my way out, inventing spells along the way, getting nowhere until campers found me and helped me out.

"I, ah, um," I stuttered. I didn't know what to say.

"Come with me." She beckoned me. "I'll put bandages on your wounds."

"Don't bother, Mrs. Perrin. I know you're tired."

"Are you sure?" She frowned. "Should we call the police?"

"No, no..." I shook my head, hoping shaking it will convince her to just leave it all up to me. "But can I borrow your phone?"

"Sure." She went to her room and came out holding her old handset. "Here."

I dialed Matt's number. He wasn't picking up. I tried five times, gave up, and returned the phone. I had to go to Madame Veronica's.

"Where are you going!" Mrs. Perrin shrieked.

I didn't respond. It wasn't difficult to find a vacant alley where I could safely teleport without anyone seeing.

I was outside Madame Veronica's house. The gates were locked. It was as far as my teleportation spell could carry me. I tried teleporting again, but my body just slammed into the gates. My knees smashed into the pavement. I began asking myself what was I doing this for.

The flashes of light made the manor's windows flicker. Faint screams could be heard from where I stood.

"Madame Veronica!" I couldn't imagine her being in trouble. She could handle herself. Or so I hoped. As much as I needed answers for Matt's whereabouts, and she was the only person I could ask questions to, I was suddenly filled with dread. I remembered the strangers in her basement. And this time something was going on inside her house.

People were yelling inside. I wanted to find out what was going on, because whatever it was I was sure Matt had something to do with it. I needed to get to the bottom of it.

The gates wouldn't budge no matter how hard I tried to shake them. My blasting charms didn't work. The transfiguration spells, vanishing incantations, and anything else I could think of were to no avail.

The cold gates remained sturdy, but so was my grit. There had to be something there, a knob, a lever, a weak spot that could afford me entry. Looking for signs for a secret passage on the walls was to no avail. But something dawned on me. I could touch the concrete. I could touch the cold rods. I stepped back, imagined the invisible barrier, frowned, and smirked.

Veronica's protective enchantment worked for magic, but not for physical intrusion. There was no other option but to climb my way in. My arms and shoulders hurt even more.

I let out a sigh of relief as soon as my feet landed on the ground. I was halfway between limping and running. A growl stopped me in my tracks. It was a man's growl, and it came from inside the house. The windows flickered again. I stood agape, wondering whether I was prepared to deal with whatever was in there.

"Madame Veronica!" I called out. My hands shook the large doors. Magic could not open them. But there had to be a way. If someone was able to gain access to her house, then there must be a way in.