The Circle of Owls (The Grimalkin Book 3) by Dani Swanson (novels to improve english .txt) 📗

She got her things together and bundled herself up and scooped up her cat that was now normal size – placing the little grey cat inside of her coat. “We are going to make it to the bottom of this mountain today!” Robin declared as she marched away from the shaking mountain. All that could be seen from the void of whiteness were her wild red curls dancing in the wind.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Baba Yaga bent down to the tattered hem of her skirt where the little orange cat was rolling in a bush of catnip. She scooped the cat and the bush up with one hand – cradling the little cat like a babe, rocking him back and forth as she pointed a wand at Thea and Percy. She started to speak to them in tongues. Thea only understood bits of what was being said, but the tone was undeniably hostile. Once again Thea was fixated on the bones beneath the hut that held it in place – not all of them were of animals.

Thea raised her hand in an attempt to ignite a fireball that only fizzled into a puff of smoke in her hand. “We don’t mean to trespass, please put my cat down and we will be on our way.”

Baba Yaga started to speak louder than before, sparks flying from the end of her wand. Thea and Percy were frozen to the ground, as if their legs were stuck knee high in the dirt. Behind her, a fire ignited under a large caldron of water with an unidentifiable concoction starting to stew within.

“She’s going to eat us.” Percy whispered, grasping his legs at the thighs, trying to pull his legs up.

“I gathered that much!” Thea shaking her hand trying to get the fizzle to grow into a fireball.

The twisted tongue of the Baba Yaga continued to spew her magic at them. Fig seemed hypnotized by the herbs she held in her hand.

“She’s speaking Elvish and Fairy speak of the old world…..I can’t make out what she’s saying!” Percy twisted and turned – falling on his butt, unable to get up as his feet were still glued to the ground.

The now boiling goo in the cauldron spewed a scent of an unsavory smell of death and rot that burned the inside of Thea’s nose. She attempted to breathe through her mouth but could taste the bitterness in the air. She continued to scan behind Baba Yaga, looking for an escape – nothing but the snowy trees. “Fig! Wake up! Get out of here!” She screamed at her cat – her hand still letting off nothing but smoke.

Baba Yaga laughed as she walked over to her cauldron to stir her concoction. With a flick of her wrist the sparks of her wand turned into a stream of pink energy that separated into four ropes – wrapping themselves around each of the cemented feet of Percy and Thea. She pulled her wand back over her head and the feet of Thea and Percy started to slowly stomp toward the boiling cauldron; Percy was still on his back, being dragged toward the pot.

Percy drew his sword, stabbing it into the ground to try to keep himself from moving forward – he gripped the handle, knuckles turning white as the blade snapped in half under the pressure. They screamed and begged with Baba Yaga; their voices echoing back to them from the trees – she returned with the same chatter that had been flowing from her lips.

Thea stopped yelling and started to cry. “Percy, stop! Shut up!” He stopped yelling and stared at her with his icy blue eyes. Thea locked eyes with him and started to whistle a happy tune as loud as she could – she wiped tears from her cheeks as she continued the tune, her feet stomping in unison with Percy’s feet.

“What are you doing?!” His brow furrowed.

Above the chanting of Baba Yaga there was a squawking coming from above the trees – the dark figure of a raven was soaring to her happy song. Thea smiled through her tears as Jaeger came and perched on her shoulder.

“Help us, PLEASE!” With a tilt of his head, the whispered words guided the bird to the arms of Baba Yaga. He swooped down, knocking the arm which held her wand – the streams of magic broke, allowing Thea and Percy to have control of their legs. Jaeger grabbed the bush of catnip from the nook of Baba Yaga’s arm, flying far off to the trees where he dropped the bundle. He squawked with delight as he swooped back to the group. Fig shook his head out of his daze – his eyes grew large as he gawked up at Baba Yaga. With a hiss, Fig dug his claws into her chest and leaped to the ground. Thea was unable to use her powers as she tried once more to conjure a fireball. She went to help Percy to his feet – his shirt was shredded on his back as his skin had scraped off in the dirt.

Fig grew to the size of a lion blocking the new sparks coming out of the wand of Baba Yaga. He blew a stream of fire from his ample jaw. The flames stunned Baba Yaga but did not harm her skin. The sparks from her wand turned into four streams as it begun to twist and turn around Fig’s legs – dragging him to her cauldron. Thea started to pick up rocks from the ground, throwing them at Baba Yaga.

Jaeger, with immense speed, came down upon Baba Yaga, scratching at her eyes with his talons; her scream echoed back off the mountains to her hut- blood streamed down her face from dark holes where her eyes used to be. Baba Yaga’s wand went mad with sparks flying into the sky, freeing Fig from her spell. Percy dropped to his knee, pulling a dagger from his boot that he threw, hitting her in the