Jemmy stood in the middle of the circle, surrounded by four witches, while Millie hovered above them.

Tira, Mylar, Anna and Shayna were holding hands to form a circle around him and facing outwards. Millie glared at them.

“This is a witch’s duel, even though the circumstances are a bit strange,” squeaked Gloom in Jemmy’s ear. “Observe. You’ll get the idea.”

“Blast you!” screeched Millie. She rubbed her green hands together, and purple flame blossomed around her fingers, blooming and expanding to into the form of a monstrosity that looked like a many headed eyeless serpent with of gaping maws.

The four witches surrounding Jemmy began to chant.

“Mentor, Mother, Maiden, Crone,

Blood and fire and flesh and bone,

Moonlight, starlight, day and night,

We will always win the fight!”

Jemmy saw their hands glow and a green aura emanated from them. The purple fire lunged for them but as it touched the green aura it shrunk and evaporated.

“Like it hot?” said Millie. Marigold flames blossomed around her fingers and a fire ball formed. She hurled it at Anna, but now the four witch defenders glowed blue and a frosty stars appeared around Anna’s head and then flew towards the fireball which exploded and evaporated in a cloud of hissing steam.

Millie’s fire serpent lunged, but in the blue light, it halted and morphed into a blue rope which flew back at Millie and wrapped around her, binding her hands and feet.

The Bedlam Hag screeched in protest and tried to kick and struggle, but she floated to the forest floor and fell on her side.

Anna stepped forward. “That is how you capture a witch.”

“You’re piling on me four against one!” screeched Millie. “Get these ropes off and face me woman to woman.”

“Sorry, nooo, you’re trying to guilt trip me,” said Anna. “I know you’re no damsel in distress.”

Tira took hold of Jemmy’s hand. Jemmy felt reassured.

“We must lock the Bedlam Hag up,” said Mylar. “Will the council make trouble? What sort of cell can hold a witch?”

“There are ways to combat undesirables,” said Shayna. “The written laws do not cover a woman plotting to rape a warrior, but we can pin Millie down on a charge of vagrancy. As for restraining her, our self-proclaimed Mentor should know how.”

“It’s important to keep her hands bound so she can’t cast spells,” said Anna.

“Yeah, I know about that,” said Tira.

“You must be the only witch to be caught by those metal, non-magical shackles,” squeaked Gloom. “The ones where a witch must obligingly hold out her hands.”

“In Hollowell they hate witches, even the good ones,” said Tira. “Yeah, I didn’t know they wanted to put shackles on me when they said ‘hold out your hands.’”

“Sounds like what they call ‘stranger danger,’” said Gloom.

Mylar wrinkled her shiny green nose in disgust. “I am never, ever going to Hollowell.”

“It is a hole,” Shayna agreed.

“Yes,” said Jemmy. “Mylar, Shayna, you must never go to Hollowell. Ever. Their bigotry against witches is astounding.”

“Yeah, they put me in a cell and they were gonna kill me,” said Tira. “But Jemmy got me out.”

“A great day indeed,” said Jemmy.

“I actually was a damsel in distress,” said Tira smiling.

“You are wonderfully versatile, Sweet Pea,” said Jemmy. Tira kissed him on the cheek.

“It is unusual,” said Gloom. “To be both a damsel in distress and an enchantress. But my Mistress can be both. Millie on the other hand, can only be a menace.”

“I’ll wring your scrawny little neck, imp,” said Millie.

“We will have to take turns guarding her,” said Anna. “And we have to form our own coven. We’ll be proof that there are good witches and that Hollowell are just not fairrrr.”

She drew out the word “fairrrr” in a strange way. Clearly the bigotry of that place rankled with her as well.

“You don’t know the Hollowell justice system. Guilty until proven innocent,” said Gloom.

“That sums it up,” said Jemmy. “Now dear sister, and Shayna too, as new witches, there will be other places you can’t go now. I don’t know them all. I hope Anna can enlighten us.”

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“Hollowell is a no go area. No go,” said Anna. “Don’t do it. I’ve got a short list of places that are almost as bad.”

Millie was staring at Jemmy, her brown eyes unblinking. It was disconcerting. “You can still leave this place with me, warrior. It’s destiny.”

“Don’t make me smack you across the mouth,” Shayna told her.

“I’ll turn you into frogspawn,” said Millie.

“It doesn’t look like you will from where, I’m standing,” said Shayna. She touched Jemmy’s hand with cool green fingers. “I would gladly defend you from any dragon singlehandedly, sweet-face. I only ever wanted your safety and happiness. I am glad you have found happiness in marriage.”

“I knew you were not the jealous type, Shayna,” said Tira happily.

“And I know you are the sweet and innocent type,” said Shayna smoothly.

“Neither of you are innocent,” jeered Millie. “You can’t wait to steal his children and his future. You're ready to gawp and drool all over him. His lean, muscular body, his big brown eyes, that wavy dark hair, his freckled nose and cheeks... Don't deny that you want to overpower him and then mount him!”

“Millie is really warped,” said Mylar.

“Sounds like she projects a lot,” said Gloom.

“Do we have to listen to her talk about my brother in that creepy way? It is just so… ugh!” Mylar shuddered.

“We don’t have to,” said Anna. “Wanna learn how to gag someone?”

Shayna looked down her nose and Millie and curled her blackish lip. “I’ll do it.”

Anna showed her an elaborate finger motion. Shayna got it right the first time and a blackish gag appeared around Millie’s mouth, so that the hag could only glare. Shayna’s green brow gleamed with sweat. “That was quite tiring.”

“As you progress, you’ll get more efficient with how you spend energy,” said Anna.

“Then I will make progress,” said Shayna. “Let any serpent or hag rear their head. Haven’t I looked out for you since that day I carried you through the shallows of the River Colt?”

“Indeed,” said Jemmy.

Shayna was referring to a day twelve years ago when he had been small and had paddled too far into the shallows of the River Colt. Shayna had been there, and she had graciously waded in and carried him out on her back. Being nine years older than him, she had already been nearing womanhood.

Mylar folded her arms and compressed her black cherry lips. “I have had my hands full looking out for him since we were both little. It’s been a full time occupation. The idea of him going on a perilous quest without me and having to rely on his wits made me quite ill. I curse that tradition.”

Jemmy found it very strange to see his sister’s face all bright green. It gave him a giddy, unreal feeling. He had not seen Tira before her transformation, so he couldn’t imagine her without a green complexion. But he had known Mylar so well all her life.

“I know you love your brother, Mylar,” said Shayna. “I never doubted you.” She tapped her long, green nose. “I do not walk around with my eyes closed. I can observe.”

Jemmy was holding Tira’s hand, but he caught himself staring at Shayna, her sculpted features, and her voluptuous bosom. She was a lady who could wear green and carry it off! He remembered there had been a time when he had been smitten with her. He reminded himself that there was only one witch for him, and that was Tira.

“I agree about that tradition. The pressure it puts on the guys to go and do dangerous things is yucky,” said Tira. “But Jemmy’s quest turned out well. And he rescued me first!”

00O00

After Millie had been secured in the lockup, Anna conjured demons to watch her every moment. “They may not stick around, so we will have to take turns guarding her,” said Anna. “Now we’ve gotta hone your superpowers, ladies.”

“Then let us go to my home,” said Shayna. “More space.”

“Then let’s have a witch’s gathering at your place,” said Anna.

Tira was clutching Jemmy’s hand. “Jemmy’s gotta stay with us.”

“Of course,” said Mylar. “Just in case Millie should pull off some trick and get loose.”

“I quite agree,” said Shayna. “Now come, my fellow witches. And you, dear Jemmy. As for Gloom… I have no doubt that he will pop up whether we want him to or not.”

00O00

Anna’s first lesson on witchcraft took place in the marbled hall in Shayna’s mansion. Anna clicked her fingers and the candles all lit themselves at once.

“We’ll be learning about conjuring ghosts today,” said Anna. “Who here has lost a love one? I lost my dad when I was twelve, and then my tiny mom here…” she opened her satchel and held up a funeral urn. Evidently the satchel was enchanted to hold more than it normally could.

Tira’s lip quivered. “I lost my mom.”

Tears shone in her blue eyes. Jemmy put his arm around her shoulders to pull her into a one armed embrace.

“I lost my husband,” said Shayna, showing off a diamond wedding ring on her green finger. “I am a widow.”

There was a ripple of darkness and Gloom appeared. “A rich widow,” he chimed in. “Would you be willing to settle for my hand?”

“Do not be impertinent,” said Shayna. “This is a very serious subject. Sometimes I almost feel as though my husband were still here.”

“The dead we have loved never truly leave us,” said Anna. “That is the first thing I will show you. We will conjure tonight. This must be done with a ceremony. We must all take off our clothes. You too Jemmy.”

Jemmy felt his face grow hot. Stripping in front of Shayna would make him feel self-conscious and as for seeing her naked…

Mylar folded her arms. The candlelight shone off her green nose and cheeks. Jemmy could see that she was annoyed by the way she compressed her lips and gazed at Anna. “Is this absolutely necessary for the magic? For my brother to strip naked in front of you? And Shayna?”

“You are a raw rookie, Mylar,” said Shayna. “You cannot question Anna in the ways of magic.”

Tira put a hand to her green cheek and looked uneasy.

“We have to show the spirits that we are unarmed and have no earthly possessions on us,” said Anna. “Some cultures make the words for ‘unarmed’ and ‘naked’ synonymous.”

“If it has to be done, it has to be done,” said Jemmy.

They stripped down. Everyone got the benefit of Tira’s musty body odour, but the other witches didn’t smell anywhere near as strongly, although Anna gave off a faint whiff. She had the body of a fifty year old lady, with saggy boobs.

“Such a buffet of manliness,” said Tira with a small smile as she gazed at Jemmy’s naked torso.

Shayna was fidgeting, her dark eyes wide. Jemmy was very aware that he was stark naked, and that he could see her round and inviting green breasts…

“Ahem! Why don’t you look at me, Shayna?” said Mylar. “You too, Jemmy. Look at my face.”

It was just as well Mylar was there to kill any sexy vibe. Otherwise how would Jemmy have dealt with having Shayna naked nearby? Would he have caved in and suggested she join him and Tira for a threesome? Even with Anna watching?

Anna held up a tiny blue frog. “Touch this little guy to your chests, everyone.

They passed the frog around. The witches stuck it between their breasts. Jemmy wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to do, so he just pressed it quickly against his chest. It made him feel kind of numb and tingly. In fact, he felt drowsiness overcome him and his vision began to swim.

Anna drew a circle in the air with her green fingers. A circle of blue fire appeared and rose above their heads.

“Come forth, spirits,” said Anna.

Ethereal lights began to glow in the fiery circle and a ghost did indeed come forth…