The Wraith of a Snowy Sea Part 5

Zendaya sat beside Elizabeth on the rowboat as they pushed deeper into the Lighting Bug Swamps, to the witch’s house. She wasn’t sure this was going to work out well, but either did the others which only added to her dismay. Apparently, Spencer missed a dinner that Circe put on for him many years ago, leading Zendaya to question how old the Captain was? No could or wanted to get her an answer.

                This Circe, one of the most powerful witches of the sea, was in love with Spencer, something he knew and used to his full advantage for a quest. The Pirate King, Circe quickly found out wasn’t in love with her at all and vowed to kill him if she ever saw him again.

                Which explain why everyone thought it was a bad idea to even try to ask her for help.

                Twiggy wasn’t very happy with the idea of going to see a mad witch for help. He didn’t want to be changed into something unnatural. Then Elizabeth quickly pointed out if Circe was going to change anyone into something unnatural it would be Spencer and suddenly the thief was fine with going to see her.

                The rowboat was getting closer with the lantern leading the way when the boat stopped dead in its track.

                “This isn’t good,” Spencer said before the sea beast lifted them into the air with massive tentacles. They all moved, but the black and green tentacles ripped the wood apart like paper standing against a freshly sharpened blade. They all started to fall into the nasty water, but the endless tentacles caught them squeezing the air from their lungs.

                Zendaya tried to scream from the pain but the monster squeezed with enough might to silence the cries. She wanted to fight back, but the beast was far too strong for any one of them to act. She glanced around to see the other having the same problem.

                “You are very brave,” a smooth voice said from the night, “or very stupid, Spencer.”

                One of the tentacle lower Spencer in front of a tall squirrel dressed in white stained by the swamp with deep brown fur and powerful red eyes. She had her paw on her hip and a scowl on her face.

                “Hi, Circe,” Spencer said through the hard squeeze. “You are looking lovely tonight.”

                “I’m going to turn your bones into glue,” she said with a grin.

                “That sounds painful,” he said with a playful smile.

                “It will be because you will be alive for most of it.”

                “Of course,” Spencer said, “but before you do that can you help this lovely girl find the killer of her father? A killer who uses a wraith, I might add.”

                “A wraith, huh?” Circe asked looking over at Zendaya, who was nodding hard.

                Zendaya sat in the old hut with the swamp water under the floor. She glanced around the room with the moss growing on the walls and over the skulls collected on from years passed. The witch poured each of them a cup of tea as they all sat at the table.

                Elizabeth and Twiggy started to drink the hot tea while Spencer stared at it unsure if he should drink or not.

                Zendaya picked up the tea but wasn’t sure she trusted the witch either. She waited for a moment to see what happened to the others before drinking it herself. They seem fine, and the tea was strongly mixed with sugar and berries. It was good.

                In fact, it was the best tea she had ever had before in her life. She drank it quickly.

                “I have missed your tea,” Elizabeth said with a big smile on her face.

                “I have missed your company,” Circe said to Elizabeth. “I wasn’t going to kill you.”

                Elizabeth smirked at her. “I know that.”

                “You were just going to hurt me, right?” Spencer asked.

                “Still thinking about it,” Circe said with a wink at him. “Now, tell me about this wraith,” Zendaya told her everything that had happened to her and her father on the ship.

                “I have always wanted to summon one,” the witch said, “but it takes a lot of magic to do so.”

                “How much magic?” Spencer asked.

                “Too much,” she said. “So much it could kill a Spellcrafter like me or take years off my life.”

                Spencer's eyebrow shot up, and he asked, “Could there be more than one Spellcrafter summoning it?”

                “No,” she said shaking her head, “that’s not how the spell works.”

                “How do you know that?” Spencer asked.

                “I once had the spell,” She told him.

                “Then any idea who could summon it?” Zendaya asked.

                “Well,” Circe said standing up heading for a cabinet. She opens it and then pulled a small bag out of it. “There is a Spellcrafter named Nightshade, who lives in Wellstone, that could have summoned the wraith.”

                She placed the bag in the middle of the table. In the bag was a small duck skull with a black rudy embedded in it.

                “He is the leader of the Nightwalkers Guild,” She told them, “and he has the power to do it.”

                “But why would he do it?” Zendaya asked. “My father did nothing wrong to him.”

                “That you know of a child,” Circe said. “Your father didn’t tell you everything about his life.”

                “Yes, yes, he did,” Zendaya protested.

                “Oh, really?” Circe asked. “Did you know your father was a close friend of mine? We even had a few moments of love together.”

                Zendaya didn’t say a word and looked away with a locked jaw.

                “He got me this skull,” the witch said. “It was a lovely gift.”

                Zendaya stared at the duck skull wondering what it did, but Circe said, “And now you can take it to Nightshade to buy your way into his good grace and find your revenge for your father.”

                “Thank you,” Zendaya mumble.

                “Just make whoever did this pay,” Circe said.

                “We will,” Spencer told her taking the skull. They all stood up heading for the door.

                “And Spencer,” Circe said with a harsh smiled, “if I ever see you again ---”

                “I know, I know,” he said opening the door, “you’ll kill me.”