Poor Unfortunate Soul (Villains 3)

“Yes, my dear, you are. Well, at least your father is. I’ll see to it those men no longer bother you, and please keep Granny here out of trouble. We can’t have addle-brained old witches doing half-remembered spells all over the seaside. It can be dangerous, for everyone concerned. And please, leave the search for Circe to me and her sisters. If we need the help of elderly witches and dimwits, we’ll be sure to let you know.”

As unceremoniously as she had arrived, Ursula departed, leaving Nanny and Pflanze to wonder what the sea witch was up to and how she had known they were trying to summon Circe. Clearly they had to be more careful if they were going to reach out to Circe again.

Pflanze watched as Nanny took control of the situation. “Tulip, please see your mother to her room.” Tulip began to protest. She wanted to ask what Nanny had done to her mother and what was going on, but Nanny didn’t have time for explanations, not then. “Tulip, please just do what I say. Do you trust your nanny?” Tulip nodded, knowing there must be a good reason for Nanny’s serious behavior. “Then take your mother to her room and stay with her until she wakes.” Tulip took her groggy mother up to her room while Nanny rang for Hudson, the head butler of Morningstar Castle.

“You rang, Nanny?” Hudson asked as he entered the room.

“Yes, Hudson, please see that Tulip is served her afternoon tea in her mother’s room, and ask all the maids, upstairs and down, to gather as many candles as they can carry and bring them here to me.”

It wasn’t Hudson’s place to question Nanny, but he was clearly puzzled. “Shall I ask the footmen to assist, mum?”

Nanny hadn’t thought of them. “Yes, I need to infuse this room with as much light as possible, and I need to do it quickly, so please—”

“Of course, mum. I will take care of this right away.” Hudson wasn’t in the habit of interrupting his seniors, but he could tell whatever was the matter, it was important—important enough to panic Nanny. He hurried off to complete his tasks.

Pflanze hopped down from the mantel and squinted at Nanny. “Don’t you go giving me the side-eye now, creature! You know exactly what I’m about to do!”

It didn’t take long to get the furniture shifted and all the candles placed and lit, with Nanny orchestrating the scene like the greatest of maestros. The room was brilliant with light, and sitting at the center were Nanny and Pflanze. They were encircled by many rings of candles, which seemed to go on infinitely when reflected in the many mirrors that adorned the room.

Pflanze had heard Lucinda say many times that fire and water did not mix, and she knew even without reading her mind what Nanny was up to. She was creating a wall of fire to keep Ursula from entering their magical circle again.

They were going to summon Circe, and this time Ursula wouldn’t be able to interrupt.

The odd sisters had spent far too much time fretting over the Dark Fairy’s message, leaving Princess Ariel to find her way into Prince Eric’s home by the sea. Luckily for the sisters, however, she hadn’t found a way into his heart. Not yet. “We must focus all our attentions on Ariel,” said Lucinda. “Where are Flotsam and Jetsam?”

“Oh! I’ll get the mirror!” Martha shouted, scuttling off to find one of their enchanted mirrors so they could keep an eye on Ariel and the prince.

Ruby was shaking; she couldn’t turn her mind from the Dark Fairy’s warning. “Why did she have to send that message now, when we’re trying to find Circe? Do you think she’ll interfere?”

Ruby’s endless fretting over Maleficent’s message only succeeded in making Lucinda more infuriated with her ol

d friend the Dark Fairy.

“I won’t have her mentioned again, Ruby!” Trying to distract her sister, she continued: “Look, here is Martha with the mirror!”

“I have them! I have them!”

In the mirror Martha was struggling to drag into the room, the witches could see the images of Flotsam and Jetsam. The two creatures were spying on Ariel and Prince Eric.

“Someone help me!” Martha squealed, tripping on a snag in her tattered dress.

“Good gods, Martha! Why didn’t you bring one of the smaller mirrors? Here, let me help you!”

The ladies successfully propped the mirror against one of the onyx raven statues that flanked the fireplace so that the sisters could warm themselves by the fire while spying on Triton’s youngest daughter. Collectively they wondered if they were doing the right thing. A terrible sense of foreboding and anxiety was just under the surface, threatening to burst forth. They had been very careful not to fall into their old habits of interfering with others, casting harmful spells, or even succumbing to their usual fits of lyrical mayhem. The sisters had in fact been rather subdued, and it was all for Circe. For their dearest little sister. They were even speaking normally, or doing so as much as they were capable, so their sister would accept them. She hated their odd rhyming speech. They wanted nothing more than to make her happy, make her proud of her older sisters. But wouldn’t meddling in the affairs of Ariel and killing her father besmirch them further in their little sister’s eyes? Surely it would.

But could they truly be certain? Perhaps it wouldn’t bother Circe. In fact, they assured themselves, Circe might actually be pleased.

After all, Circe loved Ursula; she had said so herself. And if Circe knew the terrible things Ursula’s brother, Triton, had done to her—not just the legends but the truly awful deeds—then she would help them.

How Triton had treated Ariel would be enough for Circe. She had no regard for fathers who kept their daughters from their true loves and destroyed their most cherished possessions. If Circe were there, she probably would have granted Ariel’s wish to be human without payment, punishing Triton in the process. No, Circe wouldn’t mind their schemes with Ursula. In fact, she’d probably help them.

“I don’t think she would. She’s too good,” whispered Martha. “I don’t think she’d like it at all.”

Lucinda sighed. “We’re doing it for Circe!”

Martha and Ruby weren’t convinced. “But that is what we thought with the Beast prince!” “And now Circe is angry, refusing to see us!”

Lucinda was clenching her fists, willing herself not to unleash her fury on her sisters. “Ursula promises to help us find her! Once she has Triton’s power there isn’t much she won’t be able to manage. Now, please, let’s focus on helping Ursula.”