Page 47 of Bewitched By the Wicked Witch
Paige gaped at me with undisguised disbelief. "You cannot be serious. You're planning to confront a bloodthirsty mob while wearing what amounts to theatrical costume pieces?"
I paused, a lacy black negligee dangling from my fingertips like a battle flag. "Not costume pieces, darling. Strategic psychological warfare disguised as high fashion. There's a significant difference in both intent and execution." I tossed the inadequate garment aside and continued searching. "Ah, perfect!"
My Halloween costume from several years ago emerged from the depths of my wardrobe, clutched triumphantly in my hands.
"How exactly is this performance going to prove your innocence?" Paige asked, her eyes wide with alarm as if she feared I'd finally lost my grip on sanity entirely.
"It's not intended to prove innocence," I explained, already formulating the next phase of my plan. "I need them to believe they've successfully eliminated me whilewe actually escape and retrieve Callum from whatever predicament they've created for him." Another loud bang from upstairs punctuated my words, and I could feel time slipping away like sand through an hourglass. "We're running out of time to find those missing girls."
Paige's expression crumpled with grief and desperate urgency. "You think I don't want to find them too? One of them was my best friend, Sage." Her voice cracked with barely contained emotion. "But they're literally about to burn you alive. If we're going to take action, it has to be now."
I turned away from her to focus on the magical solution, rifling through drawers packed with aged tomes and loose parchment covered in arcane notations. "We need a location spell," I insisted, my voice gaining strength with conviction. "Something powerful enough to cut through whatever concealment magic is hiding them."
"They already attempted standard location spells," Paige reminded me, her voice heavy with unease as she leaned against the doorframe. "Remember? The results were completely inconclusive."
"Not just any location spell," I clarified, my resolve hardening into something approaching ruthless determination. "Something that operates in moral gray areas. Something that pushes boundaries." "Sage," Paige cautioned, her voice taking on a firm edge as her eyes narrowed with concern, "you already have enough complications on your plate. Why would you even consider making things worse by dabbling in questionable magic, or potentially something even darker?"
I released a deep sigh, frustration etching itself intoevery line of my face. "Because I'm absolutely exhausted by all of this persecution and false accusation," I replied, my voice carrying a mixture of defiance and weary resignation. "At this point, I might as well become exactly what they've always expected me to be."
The corset strings pulled tight, creating an uncomfortable but dramatic silhouette as the rigid boning pressed against my ribs, making each breath a conscious effort. The midnight blue skirt swirled gracefully around my ankles with each movement, the fabric catching light in ways that made it seem almost alive, shifting between deep purple and emerald green. I settled the pointed hat carefully on my head, its wide brim casting mysterious shadows over my eyes while my unruly curls spilled out beneath it in wild profusion.
With a final strategic adjustment of my neckline (because if you're going to make a dramatic statement, you might as well make it memorable), I turned to face Paige and Cosmo, striking an intimidating pose.
"Well? Do I look sufficiently evil for their expectations?"
Paige's mouth fell open, her eyes becoming round as saucers. "You look like you stepped directly out of a historical portrait of Maud Blackstone herself. It's uncanny and more than a little terrifying."
Cosmo tilted his head, appraising me with a critical feline eye. "You need darker lipstick. And perhaps some dramatic eye makeup for that extra touch of calculated malevolence."
I snapped my fingers in recognition. "Excellent observation,Cosmo."
I retrieved my makeup collection and set to work, transforming my face into a mask of sinister beauty that would have made my ancestors proud. Outside, the mob's chants grew increasingly loud and hostile, their anger practically radiating through the walls of my sanctuary.
"Blackstone! Come out and face justice, you wretched creature!" Tommy's voice rose above the general chaos, dripping with self-righteous fury and excitement.
I applied a final coat of mascara while rolling my eyes at his dramatic proclamations. "Yeah, right. That overgrown adolescent wouldn't recognize real justice if it introduced itself formally and provided references."
Paige wrung her hands nervously, her brow furrowed with deep worry. "Sage, are you absolutely certain about this approach? Maybe we should just remain hidden and wait for Gran to resolve things with the council..."
I whirled toward her, my skirts creating a dramatic swirling effect. "And allow them to believe they've intimidated us into cowering submission? Absolutely not, cupcake. It's time to demonstrate what actually happens when someone decides to cross a Blackstone witch."
With a exaggerated flourish and genuine magical intent, I summoned my power. The familiar spark ignited instantly, crackling beneath my skin and racing through my veins like liquid lightning. I closed my eyes and focused my will on creating a convincing illusion above, where I knew the mob had gathered in their torchlit congregation.
"By the power of moon and starlight, let them witness me in their sight," I intoned, feeling magic thrum throughmy voice with tangible force. "A wicked witch of fearsome renown, to bring their petty schemes crashing down!"
The air around me shimmered and warped as the illusion took hold with satisfying intensity. To the mob gathering outside, it would appear as though I had materialized from thin air, hovering above them in all my dark, terrifying glory. Through my security monitors, I could hear their gasps and shrieks of surprise, followed immediately by a renewed surge of outraged hysteria.
From the safety of my underground sanctuary, I projected my consciousness into the illusion, making it appear solid and devastatingly real. I allowed the image to solidify until it seemed as though I was physically present, then fixed my gaze on Tommy with a vicious grin that promised unpleasant consequences.
"There she is! The vile temptress responsible for our community's suffering!" Tommy screeched, his fervor reaching fever pitch levels of poorly disguised madness.
Through the illusion, I gestured dramatically, sending him flying backward along with several other mob members, using protective magic to create a barrier around my property.
I cackled with savage glee as Tommy tumbled head over heels into the seething crowd, his scrawny form creating a domino effect of confusion. The mob scattered like startled chickens, their angry shouts transforming into yelps of fear and bewilderment.
"You dare to accuse me, Sage Blackstone, of such heinous crimes?" I projected my voice with supernatural amplification, letting it echo across the entire town square. "You, who have persecuted and ostracized me since birth, simply because magic flows through my veins?"
I swept my arm in a grandiose gesture, sending a powerful gust of wind rippling through the mob. Hats went flying and skirts billowed dramatically, exposing frilly undergarments and knobby knees while several people clutched desperately at wayward toupees, their faces flushing red with embarrassment and indignation.
