The Skinwalker's Apprentice by Claribel Ortega Read Free Book Online Page A

strength in The Priestess’s words that night, and it would be a lesson that she’d keep with her for some time.
    Margo took one deep breath, and leaned forward on her broom, circling The Priestess, and jerking her body up and down so that the broom lurched beneath her.
    “That was good for a first attempt,” said The Priestess firmly, “try again.”
    Margo tucked her chin in and furrowed her brow, drying one sweaty palm on her black skirt, and then another. She took off in a blur, rounding The Priestess like lightening, and then stopping abruptly, almost falling off her broom in the process. She’d startled herself, and sat dumbstruck next to an amused Priestess.
    “You were doing well until the end, try a balance of the two rides,” instructed The Priestess patiently. Margo nodded, and took off for the third time. She kept her body steady, trying not let her nervous energy get the best of her. She rode smoothly around the older witch, her body at a thirty-degree angle as she pulled into her starting position.
    “That was excellent,” beamed The Priestess, as Margo smiled triumphantly.
    “Now comes the difficult part,” said The Priestess. Margo’s chest, which puffed out with pride a moment before, deflated like an undercooked cake.
    The Priestess flew out over the w ater in a blur as Margo watched hesitantly from her perch. The Priestess stopped and turned to face Margo when she was a hundred yards away, where the river became very deep. She grabbed the small chain attached to her broom and held it up, so that Margo could see what she was doing.
    “No,” said Margo softly, “DON’T!” she yelled, realizing what the Priestess meant to throw into the river. The Priestess had unfastened the chain attached to her broom, and threw herself over the edge head first, falling down towards the icy water, her skirts dancing around her as she plummeted.
    Margo raced to try and catch her but The Priestess had already submerged.
    By the time she reached the still flying Priestess’s broom, Margo was panting for air. Adrenaline surged through her body as Margo thought of what to do, looking all around and trying to remember a spell, any spell that might help. Holding her broom with one hand to steady herself, Margo pulled her wand from her skirts and pointed it towards the spot where the Priestess had sunk.
    “ RESORGO ,” she shouted. Nothing happened.
    Damn. She had not learned another spell for resurfacing objects.
    She looked around her to see if she could see signs of bubbling in the water, but it was much too dark by then.
    “ INLUZEO, ” said Margo as she flicked her wand, casting a brilliant light around her and illuminating the water. She hoped like hell the villagers couldn’t see what was happening, but she was hopeful whatever corner of the island they were in, was still concealed by magic.
    Margo could feel the clock ticking inside her head, if she wasn’t fast about it, The Priestess would drown. She swallowed hard and pressed her body forward, tipping the end of the broom towards the water. Waves of fear crashed in her stomach, as she plunged towards the water, prepared to find her teacher at any cost. Faster and faster she fell, the air biting at her face, and the hot acid from her insides creeping up towards her throat. Margo strained to see through the violent air. Just as she was reaching the surface of the water, she pointed her wand at the river.
    “ DIVISIO ,” she screamed, lifting her wand into the air and plunging through river as the entire body of water beneath her shot up with a thundering WHOOSH.
    Margo stopped, and looked above her, the river suspended in the night sky was quite a sight to see. She tried to catch her breath, looking around hurriedly for The Priestess. She did not know how long the water would stay hanging.
    She felt the weight of another body bring the back of her broom down, as The Priestess climbed on, holding onto Margo’s waist. Margo had never been that close