Transylvania's Most Wanted Read Online Free

to the clearing, the road
ended at a pair of tall, black gates. As well, Pendle Hill is
surrounded by an impenetrable hedge ten feet tall.
    No one was tending the gate, but Tom could
see some cottages on the other side and some witches walking around
in black dresses, so he started to roll down his window to call to
them, but Miss Kensington said that was not necessary. She pointed
at the gate and Tom looked to see it begin creaking open on its
own. He put the car in gear and drove inside the village.
    It wasn’t so much a road they followed, more
of a path that weaved among the cottages with thatch roofs and a
few trees. Miss Kensington instructed Tom to head to the center of
the village as they passed close to stumps covered with odd things
– lit candles and small clay jars, black cats at rest, and often, a
witch practicing her dark art. As he drove through the village, Tom
was witness to sudden smoke apparitions, blue orbs, and even acts
of levitation.
    “Where we headed?” he asked.
    “There.” Miss Kensington said pointing
ahead, where, built partially inside the hollow of a large Knotted
tree, was a cottage. “The Eldest Sister lives there, she is nearly
a thousand years old.”
    Hanging from the lowest branches of the
tree, were a number of trinkets and wind chimes and above them in
the higher branches sat several black vultures. Tom reluctantly
parked underneath them.
    Tom and Miss Kensington got out the car and
approached the oval-shaped door of the cottage, which creaked open
on its own. He followed Miss Kensington inside as the door closed
behind them. A fire was roaring in the fireplace and placed on the
window sills and shelves were lit candles, but still the room was
dimly lit.
    “It’s been a long time Domitilla,” a voice
said and as Tom looked toward where it had come from a candle
alighted on a table without anyone placing a flame to it. He saw
the witch sitting there then.
    Looking at her, you would have never
expected her to be nearly a thousand years-old. Not that he knew
what a thousand year-old witch should look like, but she was not
shrunken by age or bowed over, in fact except for her long, grey
hair and a somewhat large nose she looked quite remarkable, as her
face was not much wrinkled and her skin still firm.
    “It has sister-witch” Miss Kensington said
humbly.
    “Oh please call me Pricilla,” she said.
“Inspector Flynn,” Pricilla said turning toward him. “I am honored
to meet you.”
    “Thank you,” he said removing his hat. “How
do you know who I am?” he asked thinking some witch intuition must
be involved.
    “Your picture in the newspaper,” Pricilla
explained seeming to realize Tom had expected some more magical
cause. “Most recently your wedding announcement.
Congratulations.”
    “Oh, yes” Tom said. “Thank you.”
    “Come over and sit by me, both of you.” Miss
Kensington and Tom did as she asked and came and sat at the table.
“Why have you come to see me today?”
    “It’s probably nothing, but we are looking
for a witch named Pandora. Do you know her?” Miss Kensington
asked.
    “I know of every witch, yes.”
    “Does she live here in the village?”
    “No,” Pricilla said. “Does this have
something to do with the prince and princess that are coming to
visit?”
    “Well yes,” Miss Kensington said. “Pandora
came from that realm also.”
    “ Yes I knew that. For that
reason I don’t think Pandora ever felt like she was one of us. She
has, for the most part, lived a very solitary life out in the
woods, although she comes here to ask some question or another
every now and then.”
    “When was the last time she came here?”
    “Just yesterday.”
    Miss Kensington and Tom exchanged glances.
“Why did she come here yesterday?”
    “She wanted to go into town. I don’t think
she ever has before.”
    “Did she tell you why?”
    “She said she wanted to find a friend or
hers.”
    “Did she mention this friend’s