Wicked: The Witch's Daughter #48

Instructions

Kendra's POV: I held tightly to the broom as I flew through the sky, the wind whipping past me so quickly that it made my eyes water, but I barely noticed. My mind was somewhere else entirely. Mom and Dad were probably at the Emerald Palace, and I had no idea what Madame Morrible was planning to do with them. Every time I thought about the guards dragging them away, my stomach twisted. I had gotten away, but that didn’t feel like enough. I had to do something. I had to save them. The broom carried me farther and farther into the Western Forest until the trees below became thicker and the paths nearly disappeared beneath the branches. I remembered what Mom had said about an old hideout somewhere in the forest, a place she had used when she was hiding years ago. I had no idea exactly where it was, but somehow, as I flew lower, something about the forest began to feel familiar. Then I saw it. An enormous old tree rose above the others, its thick branches spreading in every direction. Hidden among those branches was a strange little shelter, almost like a nest woven into the tree itself. Branches curved around the outside, while leaves and foliage helped conceal it from anyone below. My heart skipped. This had to be it. I guided the broom toward the tree and carefully landed among the branches. I climbed off and looked around, taking in the hideout for the first time. Mom had told me about this place, but seeing it for myself was completely different. It was small, but it had everything she would have needed while hiding. There was a little sleeping area tucked among the branches, places where she had kept books and other belongings, and small spaces where she had clearly spent hours working with magic. And some of her things were still there. A few books rested where she had left them, along with papers, containers, blankets, and other belongings that had clearly been sitting here for years. Everything looked almost untouched, as though Mom had simply walked away one day and never come back. I slowly ran my fingers over the edge of one of the books. “You really were here,” I whispered. For some reason, that made the place feel less lonely. It was a piece of Mom's past that had somehow become my refuge in the present. I set the broom carefully among the branches and placed Mom's black hat beside it before settling down inside the hideout. I didn't know how long I would have to stay here, so I decided to make myself comfortable. I arranged the blankets into a little sleeping area, moved a few things around, and cleared a space where I could practice. Once everything was settled, I pulled out the Grimmerie. The heavy book landed in my lap, and I opened it carefully. Unlike before, there was nothing confusing about the words on the pages. I could understand everything written in the Grimmerie. Every spell, every instruction, every strange-looking symbol had meaning to me. I still had to figure out how to perform the spells correctly, but at least I knew exactly what the book was asking me to do. I turned through the pages, searching for anything that might help me. There were spells for moving objects, spells involving light, protective spells, and many others that I had never tried before. I stopped at one page and read the instructions carefully. If I was going to save Mom and Dad, I needed to get better at magic. I placed a small stone on the wooden floor in front of me and held out my hand. “Come on,” I whispered. I focused on the stone, remembering everything Mom had taught me. Don't force it. Guide it. I took a slow breath and concentrated. The stone trembled. Then, slowly, it lifted off the floor. A smile spread across my face. “I did it.” The stone hovered for a few seconds before dropping back down. I picked up another object and tried again, then another. Some attempts worked. Others didn't. Once, I accidentally sent a book sliding across the floor so quickly that I had to scramble after it. Another time, I tried lifting a small wooden box and accidentally made it spin in the air until it landed upside down. I couldn't help laughing a little. Even with everything that had happened, practicing made me feel like I had some control over my situation again. But eventually, I closed the Grimmerie and looked out through the branches surrounding the hideout. The forest was quiet. Too quiet. Somewhere beyond those trees, Mom and Dad were waiting for me to come back. I couldn't just sit here and hope they would be okay. I had to be ready. I picked up the Grimmerie again and opened it to another page. “If I'm going to get them back,” I said quietly, “I'm going to need to learn everything I can.” Then I turned the page and began studying again.