The Circle (Hammer) - By Elfgren, Sara B.,Strandberg, Mats Page 0,96

Vanessa is standing. He’s off by about a metre. Then he turns the envelope over. A red wax seal. Nicolaus carefully breaks it, opens the envelope and pulls out a thin sheet of paper. Vanessa reads over his shoulder.

At the time of my writing this, I have spent five weeks in Engelsfors. Five weeks of clarity. As soon as I returned, the veil was lifted from my eyes and I remembered my purpose and my goal. Still I am plagued by a feeling that this condition will not last.

My first intention was to write a complete account of my history and what lies in store in this Godforsaken place. Then it occurred to me that there is a risk of such a letter falling into the wrong hands, God forbid! This makes me choose my words carefully. I dare not disclose as much as I would like.

Even if the self that is reading this letter has likely once again sunk into the haze, at least I will have help on the way. If I read this in some unknown future it is because my faithful familiar has led me here.

Fear not, my lost self. Clarity will return. The cross of silver shall protect you and the Chosen One. In its vicinity you are as safe as you are at the sacred place.

As a final word of guidance, I give myself this maxim, the full meaning of which I have tried to embed in my memory:

MEMENTO MORI

Minoo reads the last lines again, then puts down the letter on Nicolaus’s coffee-table. The silver cross hanging on the wall opposite her must be the one to which the letter refers. A few minutes ago it was just a strange artefact. Now it has an aura of mystique.

Nicolaus is sitting with the Book of Patterns open in front of him and is twiddling the dials on the Pattern Finder. Cat is lying at his feet purring.

Of course, the cat is Nicolaus’s familiar. Minoo can’t believe she failed to make the connection when the principal told them about witches and their ability to connect with animals.

Witches.

Like Nicolaus.

She picks up the letter, reads it again and tries to understand.

Even Nicolaus is a witch. Everyone’s a witch these days, except her.

Vanessa emerges from the kitchen and jumps out of the way when Cat tries to rub against her calf. ‘Couldn’t you have chosen a more hygienic familiar?’ she asks.

‘Memento mori,’ Nicolaus mumbles. ‘“Remember that you are going to die.”’ If only I could remember what exactly I meant by that phrase.’

‘Well, you remembered it when you wrote the letter,’ Minoo says, trying to sound encouraging. ‘So it’ll come back to you. And your powers.’

‘I hope to God you’re right,’ he says, and twiddles a little more with the Pattern Finder. ‘How does this thing work again?’

‘Like a radio,’ Vanessa says. ‘Sort of.’

‘At least we’ve learned one important thing,’ says Minoo, and points at the cross. ‘Kärrgruvan isn’t the only safe place for us to meet.’

‘That’s a relief,’ Vanessa says, and pulls on her jacket which she’d tossed on to the floor. ‘It’s useless having a place without a toilet. And we can meet here without Her Witchiness knowing about it.’

Vanessa zips up her jacket, and is clearly about to leave. It’s all moving too fast for Minoo. Everything has changed now. They need to sit down and think about what it means. ‘Don’t you think we should tell the principal? This means that you’re a witch, too, Nicolaus. She has to accept you now, doesn’t she?’

‘She may not be in league with demons,’ says Nicolaus, ‘but I’ve got a feeling we can’t trust her and that so-called Council.’

‘Suits me just fine,’ Vanessa says, shrugging her shoulders.

‘And the others?’ Minoo asks.

‘I’ll tell Linnéa,’ says Vanessa. ‘You can tell Anna-Karin.’

‘And what about Miss Ida?’ Nicolaus asks.

Vanessa and Minoo exchange looks. It seems wrong to exclude Ida. It goes against everything that Rebecka was talking about, everything that Minoo has tried to hold on to: that they have to work together. But can they trust Ida?

‘No,’ says Minoo. ‘We won’t say anything to her.’

‘I agree,’ Vanessa says.

‘She’s also one of the Chosen Ones,’ Nicolaus objects.

‘As soon as we’ve found out a little more, we’ll tell her,’ Minoo says. ‘We promise.’

Nicolaus looks at her doubtfully.

‘We can’t be sure she won’t tell the principal,’ she says.

It works. Nicolaus looks dubious, but he nods.

36

THE DOORS TO the school cafeteria open in front of Anna-Karin. It’s dark in there, so dark that she can