5. The little Witch

Sage

I sat on the academy lawn with Ash, Dakota, Kayda and Daisy eating lunch in the warm sun. The older half had vanished which was not unusual nowadays, while we all usually hung out alot there were days when they felt things were going on that we were too young for. It infuriated me but usually Rori would relent and tell me anyway. As we got older the age gap stretched and we found ourselves being protected by older siblings and friends more and more. It bothered me and Ash more then anyone as we grew up in the Palace with the twins, and Ben. we were the ones in-between the two groups as my half sister Kayda, Dakota and Daisy were a year younger then us but still apparently Rori, Ben, Eoin, Arthur, Amira and Morgan were out growing us a little. However Ash and my sister Kayda were together always totally inseparable trouble makers.

I spotted Arthur suddenly appearing on the far end of the lawn using his siren call he called me luring me over to him no one else noticed as I drifted towards him unable to stop myself.

"you know I hate it when you do that." I said as he pulled me behind a tree and I shook off his eery merman call. The very power that traditionally lured Fishermen and fishing boats onto the rocks and to their deaths so it always filled me with dread.

"I'm sorry but needs must." he sighed. "I needed to just talk to you alone."

"Then send me a text message I hate when you use that creepy siren merman lure thing." I muttered.

Arthur looked pained and a little guilty before he replied

"Okay next time I will text." he sighed. "look I need your help Sage." he began. He told me all he knew and I listened intently when he finished I mulled it over in my head.

"So basically you want me to use magic to open his locker and switch out the potion you think is in there?" I said as Arthur nodded.

"Yes so whatever happens tonight is on Rori's own free will and clarity."

"Nothing will happen she likes Ben." I smiled. Arthur perked up slightly at this and appeared a little uneasy.

"Has she told you that?"

I shook my head at the stupidity of it all

"She doesn't have to Arthur I can tell by how she speaks to him and I know she always goes out of the way to provoke and poke the Bear in him. His possessive reaction and attention excites her." I told him. "Did you know." I eyed him suspiciously.

"Of course I knew a blind man would know." he scoffed.

"Does Ben know?" I asked wearily.

"Recent events suggest Ben does know." Arthur muttered.

"Fine." I sighed. "When are we doing this thievery?" I asked. Arthur smirked down at me.

"Free now little witch?" he asked.

"Okay let's go." I nodded.

"Okay you go first I'll met you at the locker room doors." Arthur whispered I looked at him surprised.

"It looks a little weird if we appear together from behind the bushes. People might talk" he smiled.

"You wish." I snapped tossing my purple hair over my shoulder and walking toward the sports complex.

Arthur met me there a few minutes later and he went in first once he was sure it was empty I slipped in after him. Arthur was leaning against a locker with a small smile on his face as he watched me look around a little uneasy being somewhere I had never been before and somewhere if caught I would be in serious trouble for.

"You seem nervous little witch." Arthur teased. "Thought you were a rebel."

"I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. "lets just get this done Arthur and get out of here." I mumbled as he indicated the locker on his right. I looked at the locker code and concentrated on it with a wave of my hand it clicked open and Arthur and I peered inside slowly.

"You do it." I said to him. "I am not going to rummage through a boys gym locker the smell in here is enough." I muttered as Arthur stepped closer to the contents laughing, after a minute or two he pulled out a small vile and handed it to me.

"What is it he asked?" as I carefully opened the cork top and sniffed it.

"I smell Dill for its lulling and soothing properties, lavender and rosemary have love properties, deadly nightshade for numbing anaesthetic properties, a small amount of monkshood which is a wolf poision. There is other stuff but I am certain it's a potion to suppress her emotion, her wolf, numb her to be suggestive and submissive with a bit of a love potion in the mix." I said as surprise and fury crossed over me.

"Shit." Arthur muttered "Part of me thought Ben was wrong that Anthony was innocent and it was nothing."

I sighed feeling pissed off myself Sir Anthony always seemed like a good guy but I guess the temptation of the Moon Goddesses blood in his heirs veins was too much to keep his basic human morals in check. He had just proven he wanted power and now we knew this he was a major liability.

"Can you replace it with a copy that's safe so he doesn't know yet?" Arthur asked.

"sure." I nodded as I waved my hand and a second vile appeared but it was empty, opening my back pack I placed water, a small bit of sage, rosemary and cinnamon in the vile giving it the same colour and herbal look as the original. Arthur held out his hand for the original but I pocketed it.

"I think it is best in my hands." I smiled as I gave him the fake and he put it back in Anthony's locker shutting it. We moved quickly to the door and Arthur poked his head out before he signalled me and we both moved away from the sports complex.

"Does Rori know?" I asked him and Arthur shook his head. "Should she not be told?"

Arthur stopped and faced me

"If she finds out Ben heard him she is less likely to believe it plus its a choice she needs to make for herself." he whispered. "Come on he smiled let's get a coffee we still have time." he added as I followed him to the coffee pod on the lawn.

I sipped my ice latte in a comfortable silence with Arthur before he suddenly spoke.

"Why purple?" he asked gesturing to my purple hair.

"I like purple." I shrugged. "Why don't you like it?" I asked.

"I like you with your blonde hair." He admitted and I froze. "You never wear it blonde anymore. Why is that Sage?" he asked softly. I thought about it for a moment did I tell the truth or did I brush this off easily and say nothing to Arthur.

"When I was little I had my dad's brown hair but after my mother died and as the years passed as if by magic overnight I got her blonde hair. I can see in my Dad's eyes that even though he is happy now me looking like my mom Sasha hurts him. Queen Charlie too looks at me sadly when it's blonde so I colour it and their eyes stay light." I truthfully told him.

Arthur looked pensive for a moment and the shrugged.

"That's part of life Sage. I think if you want to be blonde and be yourself then be blonde." he offered me a bite of his cookie and smirking I took it.

"Are you going to this party tonight?" Arthur asked. I shook my head and sighed

"nope." I replied licking the cream off my straw absent mindedly as he spoke. "I wasn't invited to be fair I usually go with Rori but she apparently has a date who might now be the biggest asshole in the school." I replied.

"Do you want to go?" Arthur asked.

"Are you asking me?" I asked him a little surprised.

He shrugged "Sure why not. We're friends right?" he added and I nodded.

"I got to go I have history. I'll pick you up tonight Blondie." he winked as I picked up a few strands of my purple hair looking at it pensively.

I went to potions ironically and there I had the time to research what really was in the vile exactly but I was correct in what I had first thought it was indeed exactly as I had told Arthur it was. My heart sank there was no doubt Sir Anthony had a bad intention. I met Rori after class and we walked to the Palace with two gaurds as Eoin and Ben had basketball. When we entered her bedroom and she tossed her book bag on the floor kicking off her shoes I decided to ask her the question that was burning me.

"Are you looking forward to going out with Anthony tonight?" I asked as my friend became uncomfortable. She sat on her white sofa and I sat next to her.

"Not really." she sighed and I looked at her shocked.

"What I thought you liked him." I said. She was taking off her knee high socks when she paused.

"I did." she began. "I mean I do." she sighed. "Sage I kissed Ben." she relented.

"Excuse me." I gasped.

"Yes and it was more then once and amazing." She smiled clearly remembering it. "I wish I was going with Ben." she added softly.

"So why aren't you?" I asked.

"I said yes to to Anthony and he is my friend I don't want to hurt him." She said as she stood and put her stockings in her laundry basket. "I am just going to tell Anthony about me and Ben and then go to the party and hang out with everyone." She called as she entered her closet.

"I guess its a plan. I'll be there with Arthur he asked me at lunch." I called back and she appeared from her closet with an arm full of dresses.

"With Arthur?" She was so high pitched in her tone dogs would howl.

"Its just as friends." I swallowed. But I had lost her she was now back in her closet pulling dresses for me. Eventually after showering and putting on make up I was standing in a black leather mini skirt with an off the shoulder lace white tight top that left about an inch of my mid rift on show. On my feet were white converse as Rori pushed me down at her vanity table.

"Okay hair." she smiled as she brushed it.

"I'm just going to leave it down and......" I trailed off as I ran my hand over my hair removing the hair colour glamour spell and revealing my long natural white blonde hair.

"I love it." Rori approved as she stood back. She wore a white short sundress with a low cut front with little buttons and it was backless. It had small little green poka dots on it. On her feet was a pair of white ballet pumps. Her long red hair was curled but was pinned to fall over her left shoulder. She had a smoking eye make up and a soft lip gloss.

"Girls." King Emmett Rori's father knocked on our door I believe there is two young men downstairs waiting for you two. Rori opened the door and looked at us both as a smile played on his lips he pulled out his phone.

"photo because you girls look so amazing." he added.

"Dad." Rori groaned but we stepped closer to gather and posed.

"Bye dad."

"wait rules." he called as we groaned again and turned.

"one, No ditching your assigned gaurds. Two, no drinking. Three, no drugs. Four, no magical mood enhancers. Five, no sex." He listed off at the mention of sex Rori yelled "Goodbye dad" and pushed me onto the lift.