Wicked: The Witch's Daughter #50

Instructions

Kendra's POV: I had been living in Mom's old hideout for several months now, and although I still missed Mom and Dad every day, the place had started to feel like home. I had spent most of my time practicing magic and studying the Grimmerie. I was getting better. Things that had once taken me several tries were becoming easier, and I was beginning to understand how much magic was actually contained within the book. But I still had no idea how I was going to rescue my parents. That changed when Chistery finally found me. I was sitting among the branches, reading through the Grimmerie, when I heard wings approaching. I looked up and saw him landing nearby. “Chistery!” I exclaimed, quickly getting to my feet. “What are you doing here?” He looked around before answering. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.” I smiled and hugged him. “I'm okay.” He looked relieved, but there was something serious in his expression. “There is something you need to know,” he said. I immediately became concerned. “What happened?” Chistery explained everything he had learned about Madame Morrible. She was still free, but not because Glinda had forgiven her or decided she wasn't dangerous. Morrible had threatened to destroy parts of Oz with her storms if she was imprisoned again. Glinda had been forced to let her remain free because she was trying to protect innocent people. I stared at him in disbelief. “So she's threatening everyone just to stay free?” Chistery nodded. “That's what she is doing.” I looked down at the Grimmerie in my hands. Suddenly, an idea began forming in my mind. “Wait.” I quickly opened the book and began turning through the pages. “There was something I saw before.” Chistery watched me curiously. “Something that could help?” “Maybe.” I flipped through the pages until I found the section I was looking for. My eyes moved across the words, and my heart began beating faster. There it was. A spell designed to block a person's ability to use magic. I read the instructions carefully, making sure I understood every part of it. If the spell worked, it could prevent someone from using magic. I looked at Chistery. “Madame Morrible's storms are magic, aren't they?” He nodded slowly. “Then if she couldn't use magic anymore...” I didn't finish the sentence. I didn't have to. Chistery understood. “You could stop her.” I looked back down at the Grimmerie. For months, I had been thinking about how I could rescue Mom and Dad. I had imagined sneaking into the Emerald Palace, confronting guards, and using magic to protect myself. But none of those ideas had felt possible. This was different. If Morrible couldn't use her magic, she couldn't threaten Oz with her storms. And if she couldn't use her storms, maybe Glinda could finally put her back in prison. “I think this might be the answer,” I said quietly. Chistery looked at the page. “Do you know how to perform it?” “Not yet.” I traced my finger along the instructions. “But I can learn.” I closed the book for a moment and took a deep breath. The idea frightened me. I had never used magic against another person before, and I didn't know what would happen if I tried something this powerful. But then I thought about Mom and Dad sitting in that cell. I thought about Morrible threatening all of Oz just to keep herself free. And I thought about how long I had been hiding in this forest while they waited for me. I opened the Grimmerie again. “If this works,” I said, “I might finally be able to get them back.” Chistery nodded. “Then we must be careful.” I nodded too. He was right. I couldn't rush into this. I needed to understand the spell completely before I even considered using it. I looked at the words on the page again, determined to memorize every detail. For the first time in months, I felt like I had a real plan. It wasn't going to be easy, and I was still scared, but I wasn't helpless anymore. I had the Grimmerie. I had my magic. And now I might have a way to stop Madame Morrible.