The Witches in Oz (Book 2 in The Witches Series)

Chapter 18 There's No Place Like Home

I couldn't process time, night turned to day and day turned to night, days slipping into one another like water. My mind was a fog and my eyes unseeing as I blindly followed my friends and family. Somewhere along the way we had left the sands behind for woodlands.

"Welcome back." Avery looked marginally less friendly than when we had left.

I wondered just how many days had lapsed and figured I didn't actually want to know the answer-knowing I would regret it.

"I think it's time we sent you home."

We dismounted our horses, tying them up outside the huge greenhouse so we could reunite with our family.

My parents were beside themselves in welcoming Olive.

"My word." My Grandpa noted Margot's form in Maxime's arms. He then looked to me and I looked away, ignoring him so I wouldn't be asked any uncomfortable questions.

"We are preparing for the worst." Avery informed, all of us following in tow. "I suspect that both the Bloodwood and Saltwood Covens will be siding against us with Dalewood, seeing as they have always been more accommodating of Demons."

"Prejudiced." The Demon muttered.

"I thought there was some sort of treaty between you all?" My mother asked.

"Even if it were written in blood, it would never be unbreakable." Avery stopped beside a stone well, that looked like it was out of a fairy story. "This here is our portal, and it will take you back to your town of Bloomwood." She slapped the mossy stones with her hand. "I wouldn't recommend returning. Who knows how long this war will last, but I can tell you that this realm will not be the same as it is now."

"I feel kinda guilty." Drake spoke up.

"You didn't do anything." Maxime rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't say that." Avery truly was pissed at us for pissing everyone else off and unleashing the end of her realm. "It's time to go."

"Ladies first." Will gestured to Iris.

"If you were a gentleman, you would test it out first." She retorted apprehensively.

"Christ." Fed up, Maxime pushed past everyone and stepped into the well, falling straight down and into the darkness.

One by one everyone fell through the well.

I waited until last.

"I sense something different about you." Avery noted, her hazel eyes scanning my figure.

I just stood there, not knowing what to say.

She shook her head as if maybe she hadn't noticed anything at all different. "Good luck, stay safe."

"Same to you." I returned, stepping up onto the edge of the well. I looked down into the abyss, sucking in a breath before stepping off.

I fell down and down, recalling my visions and one of my favourite childhood novels, Alice in Wonderland.

In an instant the darkness slipped away and fell face first into a corn field.

"Urgh!" I grunted from the heavy impact.

I sat up and dusted myself off, noticing that I couldn't see anyone else in the field before standing. The field had all but died, having withered so I could see over it to recognise I wasn't too far from our house.

I set off walking, noting how entire sections of the field were just hunks of rock and dirt from where corn had been pulled from their roots via a twister. The closer I got to the house the worse the damage was.

My brows furrowed as I cleared a fallen fence, unable to see the mansion over the destroyed flower fields. I sped up my face and gaped as I discovered that the mansion was a mess of rubble, uprooted trees and mangled metal cars.

"All our hard work." My mother was in tears in the middle of what used to be our kitchen. "It's all gone."

"Maybe we can salvage the foundations." Drake tapped a wall and the entire thing crumbled.

"All my clothes!" Iris shrieked from nearby. "They're covered in shit!"

"The town's block off at the welcome sign." Rae and Bianca appeared. "I think something must have happened in town."

All of us gradually made our way onto the road and began to walk.

True to their words there were barricades set up over the road, as well as police tape. We climbed over it and kept walking until we could see just what devastation had been wrought.

"I was expecting Bloomwood to have a little more bloom to it." The Demon remarked at the destroyed shops and houses.

It was a disheartening sight.

"What do we do? Can we stay?" Ren asked to no one in particular.

"I guess we have to move." Our father answered, reluctance written all over his face.

Bloomwoods didn't know how to move, our roots had remained fixed in place for longer than anyone could remember and there was no telling whether we could take to soil anywhere else. Only time would tell.