The Hunt of the Grimalkin (Erresuma Book 1) by Dani Swanson (read aloud books txt) 📕

the girls over. There was a crack of thunder that echoed in their ears, which was followed by the cry of a crow. Thea’s head started to throb as they looked to where the noise came from. Down on the edge of the water was Thalia. She had a thunderbolt in her hand and was pointing directly at Thea, as though she could see where she was.

“Thea!” Thalia yelled in a commanding voice. “You have tried to destroy my coven! You have taken my eyes!  You have destroyed my cousin, and made her a monster! Your wickedness must be stopped and you will be destroyed!” Thalia was hysterically screaming at Thea; the thunderbolt in her hand grew brighter with her anger.

“Thalia,” Thea held her hands up in front of her in protest. “I did none of those things. The ravens took your eyes; not me. I have no knowledge of doing anything to your coven or your cousin. You have to believe me. If I did you or anyone harm, I am so completely sorry.” Tears were forming in the corners of Thea’s eyes as she pleaded with the Crow Witch. “I have one of your eyes right here,” she said as she pulled the bottle out of her bag.

“I won’t fall for your tricks again, Thea!” Thalia screamed at the top of her lungs. “I promised my coven I would bring you back to save Lilly, and I plan on doing just that!”

Robin stood in front of her friend and brought her hands from her sides, to in front of her. The ground shook, and hundreds of small dirt trolls marched out of the ground and started to stack one on top of the other. They formed one large troll that was as large as the chateau. It ripped out a tree from the ground and held it in front of the girls as a sword. Thea’s eyes grew red with emotion as she brought a fireball to her hand.

“Thalia, we are not going to figh…” Thea couldn’t get her words out before Thalia blindly launched a thunderbolt in their direction. It was a direct hit through the heart of the mud troll; sending mud and the tree flying through the air. They were covered from head to toe with the filth that flew through the air. Thea launched her fireball over Robin’s shoulder and it landed in front of Thalia’s feet setting the grass around her ablaze.

“Thalia, I’m begging you! Please, stop!” Thalia was laughing at the sky as she had conjured another thunderbolt and shot it at the girls again. This one, hit Robin on her foot sending electric shocks throughout her body. Robin’s fiery hair was standing out and her body shook uncontrollably as she was being electrocuted.

“No!” Thea screamed as she dove on her friend, rolling her on the ground.

Thalia’s laughter grew louder as another figure came out of the forest, walking over next to her. She had fair skin and short blonde hair that was so light it looked to be white. She placed her hand on Thalia’s shoulder and raised her other hand high above her head. The water in the lake started to rise over the tops of the trees, creating a wall between the forest and the chateau.

“Robin, wake up!” Thea said as she shook her friend. She felt the now familiar surge of energy running through her and into Robin’s shoulders. Robin’s head lifted up off the ground and her eyes opened as she gasped for air. Thea let go of her friend and stood up to face Thalia and the other witch. She felt weak and woozy from healing Robin. Thea brought her arm out from her side and stared ahead. Hatred filled her stomach as she focused all emotions on this one conjuring. She had to save her friend. Thea started to lift her arm to aim at Thalia but she lost her balance and fell over. Her head was pounding. She grabbed her head as she tried to stand again. She reached out and found her staff to use as a crutch and lift herself up.

She looked up to see the blonde hair of Charles running towards the Crow Witch from around the back side of the water wall, with a sword raised above his head. He got close enough to the witches that he swung his sword; nicking the pale witch across her cheek. As he raised his sword again, Thalia reached out one arm and grabbed Charles by his neck. She was strong enough to lift him off his feet. With her free hand, Thalia reached up to Charles’ face and snatched out his icy blue eye. He screamed in pain and dropped his sword as he fell to the ground, clutching his face. Thalia removed the wrappings from her face and inserted Charles’ eyeball into her empty socket. She blinked twice and looked directly at Thea with a devilish smile spreading across her lips.

The witches laughed as they bent down to Charles’ face. Thalia swiftly kicked Charles in the ribs with the tip of her pointed boot. He groaned in pain as she pulled back for another shot. A blue streak of light flashed between him and the witches just as Thea had propelled an immense fireball straight at Thalia.  The fireball hit her in the arm and knocked her over into the other witch. Robin was back to her feet and had Thalia and her friend surrounded with mud trolls.

 “Not today!” yelled the blonde witch as she hurled her water wall towards the group.  Another wisp of blue light came between the witches and Thalia – it grew to a large bubble that surrounded Thea, Robin, and the chateau. Thea looked over her shoulder towards the chateau. Sorgin was standing there with both hands raised above her head; her cane in her left hand pointed towards Thalia. The skull was glowing a