Any Witch Way by Annastaysia Savage Read Free Book Online Page A

clapping.
    “Bravo, little human child. Such power, such a display of it and when it’s still ten minutes to go before you’re a witchling…and three years ‘til you’re a full witch I might add,” he said with his deep and gravelly voice as his applause died down. “You must be carrying some power within you the likes of which we haven’t seen in millennia.”
    “I’M NOT A WITCH!” Sadie screamed. Lowering her voice she continued, “Nor do I want to be a witch. This is not…normal; I just want to be normal, like everyone else, like every other kid, with a real family, with friends other than my books. Normal, where you don’t see knobby little dwarfs and sparkly fairies or GHOSTS! What’s that all about? I just want to be normal. NORMAL!” her voice rising as she spoke. “NORMAL not…not…THIS!”  
    “Look at that, the human is hysterical, someone slap her,” said Whistle.
    “Oh, oh, oh, I will!” shouted Elgarbam and raising his stubby little arm.
    “And I’m not a dwarf, I’m a gnome. Dwarves are so…tall,” said Whistle, trying to cross his arms in defiance.
    “Yeah, and what’s wrong with ghosts,” asked one of the disgruntled knitting circle.
    “Once again, everyone calm down. No slaps, Elgarbam. Or pinching either,” she said to a very small imp Sadie failed to see earlier. “She’s okay, a bit in shock maybe, but she’s seen and learned lots so far tonight. All of this can be a bit much on a human child first coming upon the change. Imagine if it were you seeing and hearing things you had always been told only existed in fairy tale books,” said the tallest old woman as she approached Sadie.
    It was all said to no avail though, for Sadie had fainted dead away in her chair. 
     

 
     
     
Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire
     
     
     
    The shock of the cold water brought Sadie back with a start. She heard thunder boom and lightning strike somewhere close by as she blindly wiped water from her face. She slowly blinked her eyes open, gradually taking in her surroundings and remembering. She remembered something about teas being switched. She remembered Mrs. Felis saying something crazy about her being a witch. And then she remembered all the magikal creatures she had seen, and her heart began to race. She was not happy—again. When she decided to genuinely focus on what was before her, she was looking into the face of the centaur and the tallest of the three old women.
    “Sadie, listen to me. You MUST get out of here. Just trust Zeno to get you where you need to be. SADIE, FOCUS! Your very life depends on it!” said the old woman while she shook Sadie by the shoulders.
    In a quick scan of her surroundings, Sadie saw that the only two “beings” left in the bookstore were the Centaur and the tall, old woman.
    And me, thought Sadie, ‘cause I’m a witch.  
    Lightning struck again, illuminating the outside as though a light switch had been flicked on. Sadie thought she saw odd shapes in the darkness just outside the bookstore doors.
    “Why do I have to go somewhere? Where am I going? What’s …,” but she was cut off by a very loud, very angry, and very persistent banging at both the front and back doors of the store.
    “Quick, get on my back,” said the centaur named Zeno as he grabbed her by the arm and deftly swept her onto his muscular body. “Hold on tight; this may not be easy.”
    “I’ll meet up with you after you get her to Tara’s safely,” said the old woman sternly. Raising her left hand to the sky, she snapped her fingers and was gone.
    “Who is Tara? Why do I have to go there? What’s happening?” questioned Sadie but to no avail. Zeno just looked at her with a firm jaw and bared teeth.
    He then pulled a quiver full of golden, glowing arrows and an ornately decorated golden bow from somewhere behind some books on a shelf. Sadie thought he must have hidden them so those two impetuous gnomes wouldn’t steal them. She didn’t like anyone who