Page 24 of Destiny of the Witch

There was a knock and Ethan and Oscar came in with David following behind them. At the sight of Benji, he let out a rumbling roar of rage. ‘Benji!’

‘We’re going to save him!’ I said. ‘But we need your help.’

‘Just name it,’ David snarled. ‘He is my friend.’

‘He is,’ I agreed. I flicked my eyes to Ethan who was still hovering by the door. His gaze was fixed on the living book hovering in the air. Crud. ‘You found Henry?’ I asked to distract him.

He met my eyes and looked rueful. ‘Yes, with Sarah.’

I winced. ‘Ouch.’

‘Yes. I’ll be discussing the importance of fidelity with him later. I will leave you to … whatever this is.’ He gave me a nod, then stepped out and shut the door behind him. Bother: I could have done without him seeing the illegal grimoire. Sometimes Ethan was a bit of a stickler for the rules, but now wasn’t the time to worry about it. I’d deal with any repercussions later.

I turned to Grimmy. ‘What is this? What are we going to do?’

‘You don’t know?’ David asked in surprise.

‘As nuts as it is, the book is calling the shots,’ I said wryly, aware I sounded a bit crazy. ‘Now, Grimmy, come clean. How are we saving our Benji?’

‘I should think that would have been obvious to someone with your fine brain, Miss Amber. We’ll use me.’

My mine went blank. ‘What?’

‘We’ll useme,’ he repeated. ‘You may recall some time ago that you thrust me into your friend here for safe keeping after an ill-advised jaunt to Edinburgh. Benjamin held me safe, and whilst I was within his body I found I could see and hear everything around me. Not sense it, Miss Amber, butseeit with Benjamin’s own eyes. I do declare, for the first time, I couldsee.

‘ It was an experience that altered me and my perception of the world around me profoundly. When you had to shut Benjamin down, I protected the crystal within him so that it did not shatter as it normally would do in a deactivation. Consequently, you were able to reactivate him.

‘This time, I was not there to save him, but I sense an opportunity both for me and for him. If I join with him, we can usemymagic to power him. As you know, I have bartered with your ancestors, giving them spells and potions and runes in exchange for their very life force. I have within me at least a century of life force. I propose to share it with Benjamin.’

Grimmy twisted in the air to face towards David. ‘Young man, you must thrust me within your friend and align me with his heart crystal. I will do the rest.’

David blinked once, then grabbed the floating book. Before I could even think of an objection, he thrust my sentient grimoire clean into Benji’s chest.

Chapter 17

There was a silence that dragged slowly on. As nothing happened, I wondered whether we needed the power of the runes and the awakening potions to bring Benji back to life. Maybe Grimmy’s life force alone wasn’t enough to kick-start the golem.

Unfortunately, it takes weeks to brew the awakening potions. Luckily there was a potion mistress in Edinburgh whose sole job it was to keep those two volatile potions ready in case the Council needed a golem in a hurry. There was always a golem ready at any one time to be woken up, and I had no doubt that some acolytes were beavering away under someone’s watchful gaze building another body now that we’d awakened both BenjiandDavid. I could travel to Edinburgh to get the potions, but I feared that any further delay would be too much for BenjiandGrimmy.

The aching silence continued and I reached out to grasp Bastion’s hand. His solid presence comforted me, even as despair crept in. I clenched my teeth. No! It wasn’t fair. I had lost too much and I wouldnotlose Benji. I couldn’t. He was such a golden soul that he deserved to live more than many others that walked this Earth.

As always in moments of despair, I turned to my Goddess. Inspiration struck and I grasped the pendant around my neck. Why hadn’t I thought of using it before? Stupid!

‘Sisters,’I entreated silently. ‘What can be done?’

‘Touch the pendant to the golem, Princess. If the Goddess wills it, she will assist in this matter. There will be a cost,’Abigay’s voice said. Despite the warning her words gave me a flash of hope.

‘I’ll pay it gladly if it will bring Benji back,’I replied desperately. I let go of Bastion’s hand and stepped closer to Benji, lifted the necklace from my neck and placed the pendant flush against his chest.

There was a flash of bright white light and Benji groaned. Relief flooded me as his eyes opened. For a moment, they shone with the white light of the Goddess but then it faded.

Benji blinked and looked at me, and his wide innocent smile beamed across his face. ‘You saved me, Am Bam!’Then he grimaced. ‘Why now, Mr Benjamin, we cannot be calling a refined witch – the Crone no less – “Am Bam”. That is just not dignified.’ I blinked as the refined southern accent fell from Benji’s lips. Well, I guess that answered the question as to whether or not Grimmy had survived the amalgamation into Benji.

‘Grimmy!’ I gasped, more relieved than I expected that the book was still with us – albeit trapped inside Benji.

‘Quite,’ he said, his tone also relieved. ‘It seems I have survived the transition from book to golem.’

‘Benji?’ I asked urgently. ‘Are you still okay in there?’

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