Witch in Hiding (#1 in the Witches Trilogy) (EDITING)

Seventeen: Falling For You (Not)

I give them a minute's headstart before cautiously creeping forward. I look up the shaft; it's empty.

I climb. The ladder is rusty and the shaft is damp and dark and moldy, and I'm cursing under my breath as we go up. Fortunately the climb doesn't last long and I soon emerge onto the rooftop. Thankfully, there's nothing blocking the shaft at the top. A hatch opening by itself might provoke some awkward questions from Esther and Remiko if they saw it.

Unlike the ladder, the rooftop is actually kind of pretty, looking out over the school compound. The edges are raised, so there's a wall about chest-height to prevent people from falling off easily. Esther and Remiko stand by the edge, still talking. I'm extremely tempted to push them off, but still not daring to get too close, I hang back, taking miniature steps forward when I can.

The good thing about the roof, though, is that they think they're alone, and their voices carry. "...dad will be pissed," Remi is saying, "you can talk him round, right?"

"My dad's not the problem—it's your mom." Esther folds her arms. "She's still on the fence."

Remi scowls. "Anna's causing problems. She's threatening to run away. I wish she would; would save us the trouble of getting rid of her, too."

Up till that point, I was wondering if maybe Esther and Remi's parents were just involved in a really weird affair. But then Remiko says the magic words, and I'm snapped back to reality. There is someone trying to kill me, and someone attacked Abby, and that person is standing right in front of me, talking about getting rid of someone else called Anna.

I'm absolutely certain Remi is a magical creature, but what? Something sensitive to light, maybe, hence the shades? Mel insists there are contacts for that—that's what she's wearing—but maybe Remi is just stubbornly fashionable. And wouldn't Mel know if Remi was a vampire anyway? So that's not it.

"I still think we should do it ourselves," Remi huffs. "We're wasting so much time. Just kill her and be done with it."

"She insists that we could use her." Esther rolls her eyes. "I mean, I guess, but she's a wildcard. I mean, she's still going round with Jess and the others, and who knows what they're going on about? August is coming up. From what I've heard, Vinni is turning into a real problem. She still hasn't got much of a clue how to use her powers, but she's strong, and she's learning fast. It's insanely stupid that—" she stops suddenly. "That she'd come here."

Esther's hand moves, lightning fast, and a glittery dust sails across the air. The particles hang in the air, thick and shimmering, smelling like chemicals and plastic.

Remiko sighs and takes off her sunglasses. "You have really bad timing, Vinni."

I process several things simultaneously. One: Remiko's eyes are yellow. Like Van's. Like a lizard's. Two: the glitter has settled on my body. I'm visible. Three: my legs suddenly feel very, very heavy. Something is growing up it, wrapping my legs, encasing them. Stone.

Not lizard eyes. Snake eyes. Remiko is a gorgon.

I push at the growing stone with telekinesis, but it doesn't budge. I can barely even nudge it—it's like it's part of me. Then I unleash a wind that blows the glitter away, but it's too late—the particles have already clung to me, hundreds and thousands of them, all forming my silhouette, and I can't seem to make them turn invisible too. I try to move, but my legs are lead weights, stuck to the ground.

So I do the only thing left for me to do. I fight back.

Making sure not to look directly at Remiko—I have a feeling that would be Very Bad—I summon a spout of water and hurl it at Esther. She tries to dodge, but I spread my fingers and it unfolds into a wave. It crashes over her. I feel the contact and squeeze my fingers—the water contracts around her, holding her fast. She struggles for a moment, then there's a crack of glass and a bright spark. Instinctively, I release the water—just in time, because electricity shoots up it, falling just short of me when I shove the water away from me.

Esther takes to the air. Red wings unfold behind her.

The stone is spreading fast, up my torso. I can't feel my legs anymore. I think of Rae and, looking at that electricity, I point desperately at Rae and launch a lightning bolt. Her eyes widen; she darts out of the way just in time, but when she looks back at me she's angry. "Remi!"

I almost instinctively look at Remiko, but shut my eyes shut just in time. No point. Something hard and cold begins to spread across my face. It's heavy. My neck starts to ache with the extra weight. It's a problem until I realise the bigger one—I can't see. I can't open my eyes back up. Remi is sealing me in stone.

And I'm pretty sure air doesn't pass through stone.

I start yelling, a little too late. The stone spreads down the back of my head, down my neck, down my spine. She seems to be avoiding my mouth and nose—compassion or cruelty? I'm more inclined to think the latter, especially when I feel myself being moved. I can't see, but suddenly I'm off the ground and being propelled forward. What's forward?

The edge.

I try to reach up to swat whoever's moving me, but my arms find themselves stuck, shoulders encased in stone. My entire chest is soon covered. With nowhere else left to go, the stone starts creeping up to my mouth.

Sins are forgiven if you're about to die, right? "Remiko, you bitch!" I scream.

I don't hear if she replies. My ears are blocked.

I let out an impressive string of curses—at Remiko, at Esther, at the world sucking in general. Then I shut my mouth as the stone tickles my lip. I don't want to know if it can get inside my mouth.

I tip precariously, that moment at the top of the rollercoaster just before you plunge.

Then I feel myself falling.