Witch - By Fiona Horne Page 0,8

was looking at me questioningly. ‘Do you think I’m weird?’

‘No, Bryce,’ I said, ‘I think you’re really cool.’ And I meant it.

The next night I was scraping plates into the compost bin after the best vegetarian feast I’d ever eaten. Amelia and Alyssa’s mother had made Greek tofu salad, vegetarian lasagne and coconut soy ice-cream with hot cacao sauce for dessert, and I had gorged myself on all of it.

Mrs Torre had fire-red hair like her daughters, but while theirs was wild and curly hers was smooth and straight and hung to her waist. She looked like a hippy, wearing a yellow crocheted top and orange drawstring pants. On each finger she had big crystal and silver rings – even on her thumbs. She caught me looking at them as I helped clear the dishes.

‘Every crystal has a different use.’ She held out her index finger and I examined the large pink stone. ‘This is rose quartz: aligned with love and compassion.’

But it was the black ring shaped a bit like a skull on her thumb that really intrigued me, and I held her thumb lightly, looking closely at the stone.

‘That is one of my most potent pieces – black onyx. The ancient Egyptians carried it to protect them from the dark gods of the underworld.’

I shuddered, but Mrs Torre continued pleasantly, ‘Not that we really need to worry too much about that in these modern times!’

She patted my arm and turned to the twins, who were busy over at the counter making tea – three pots of tea, to be exact. The teapots were made from white, fine bone china and had long elegant spouts and handles shaped like pointy fairy ears. They carried them carefully over to the kitchen table and we all sat down.

‘You must each drink your own fate,’ Mrs Torre said as she presented a teapot and matching cup and saucer to each of us. The words sounded ominous, but she had a twinkle in her eye.

Amelia and Alyssa laughed. ‘Oh, Mom!’ they both said. ‘You’re so dramatic.’

‘Well, your fate is a serious thing to consider,’ Mrs Torre said. ‘The future is created by the steps we take today, after all,’ she finished.

I was excited. It seemed like all of a sudden my life had taken off at a million miles an hour. Three days ago the tree had come down, yesterday Bryce had told me he saw ghosts, and now I was having my tea-leaves read by the psychic mother of my new friends. My head was spinning. Maybe America was the place I was meant to be, after all.

Mrs Torre dimmed the lights. A candle on the table emitted a strong, heady scent. ‘Girls, close your eyes and take a deep breath.’ Her voice sounded silky and hypnotic. I did as she asked, and straight away I sensed a different, otherworldly energy starting to permeate the dining room.

‘Wonderful – I feel the energies are aligned to reveal your destinies. You may now pour your tea,’ Mrs Torre said after a moment.

I opened my eyes and watched Alyssa and Amelia pick up their pots and carefully pour their tea, not spilling a drop. I was a little nervous and had to concentrate to stop myself from splashing it. Steam swirled from the tea like mist as I gazed into the blood-red depths. What were we drinking?

‘Raspberry-leaf tea,’ Alyssa said quietly. It really was amazing the way they could read minds.

‘Drink, girls,’ Mrs Torre commanded.

Together we sipped the slightly bitter tea, slowly and constantly until the last drops were drained, each leaving a small damp pile of leaves in the centre of our cup.

‘Excellent! Now please place the cup upside down on the saucer with the handle facing towards you and turn it three times in a clockwise direction.’

I did this, but as I turned the cup the third time it seemed to get stuck and I couldn’t move the handle back to face me.

Mrs Torre looked at me intently. ‘There is a lot of fate in that cup,’ she said.

‘Really?’ I said hesitantly, not sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Mrs Torre smiled and turned to the twins. ‘Well, let me begin with Amelia and Alyssa. Joined at the hip as you are, my psychic goddesses, I shall read you together.’

With a flourish Mrs Torre flipped over their cups and gazed into them. Craning my neck, I could see that the leaves had formed intricate patterns that laced the sides