Beyond (Simon Snow Series)

9

                                    PENELOPE
          "Morgana, Shepard, you think you could stop fangirling over the thing that tried to kill us all for just a minute?"
          He'd been going on about that thing-- from what was supposed to be our meeting with the Coven-- for thirty minutes now.
          However long we've been in the car, we don't seem to be going anywhere. We're moving fast, but all the surroundings look like they've been going in circles. In a way it reminds me of America- endless rows of corn and trees, with the occasional farming house. Everyone in the car is silent during the ride.
          My mum has a pained expression on her face, possibly just because she keeps having to squint to see the road in the sun. Agatha is staring out the window, Shepard, who had been bombarding me with questions, is now quiet in the seat behind me. Simon and Baz are sitting in the way back, both avoiding eye contact, every once in a while one of them checks behind us to make sure we're not being followed. They've had a weird thing going on for a while, I don't really know what happened. Maybe nothing happened. Maybe what "happened" was them. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe they never loved each other, but just thought that that's what would make the most sense after all of this. That would sure be easier than falling apart now.
          I almost wish I had never loved Micah. And maybe I didn't, except that I did. Maybe it would be easier if I had never met him, if he hadn't spent a semester abroad at Watford. He did comfort me though. Whenever Simon got attacked, or when we both got attacked, he would be able to calm me down, make me feel better.
          Don't make the same mistake as me, Simon. Don't let him slip away...

          Soon we're slowing down, and at first I'm confused, because there is nothing around for miles (but I suppose that's the point of a secret hideout: the secret part).
          The only structures nearby are the trees looming over each other, standing not far from us. I climb out of the van, Shepard and the others following. Mum walks quickly from the van and into the trees, not caring that there isn't much room, just enough for her to squeeze through.
          Simon has a little trouble getting his wings through,  but once he's clear we move on. Mum finds a path and leads us down it.
          "So, where are we going?" I ask her.
          "We're going to the Coven. Or, what's left anyway."
          A wave of nausea washed over me when I spoke. "What happened to them?"
          "Shortly after you all left," she turns to give me a death glare, then continues forward, "we all were attacked by something."
          "Was it the same thing that attacked us? That woman?"
          "No. Only a few saw him."
          "Him?"
          Mum nodded. "We don't know what he was, just showed up one day. He walked into the Coven and demanded the attention of everyone. He told us that because we had failed, and because Davy had failed, that we were unfit to run the World Of Mages."
          "That's insane," I argue. Maybe the Mage had failed, but that doesn't mean she had. Watford had been doing just fine the past year, with her as it's headmistress.
          "I suppose it's not the most ludacris idea I've heard," she said, shaking her head. "Things haven't gotten much better since Simon defeated the Humdrum."
          We're keeping our voices soft, aware of Simon walking a few feet behind us.
          "Of course they have! The dead spots have shrunk, Watford is safe again-"
          "You know I'm going to have to disagree with you there." She gestures around us to the trees, which appear gloomy even in the sunlight. "Otherwise we wouldn't be... here. Some of the students have even gotten into fights. Some still defend the Mage, while others see things like you and I do."
          I roll my eyes. We would've gotten into something dangerous eventually. It's practically engraved in our DNA. "Mum, I don't understand why anyone would be upset with you. After the Mage, you'd think people would be happy with anyone. Plus, you've been running Watford
and keeping it up. Without you we wouldn't have a School of Magicks in the UK."
          "I appreciate your support honey, but I'm just doing my best."
          We all are.