Scarlet Letter Home Reading Report

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Unicorn, the Witch, and the Lucky Charm

Isabel streaked diagonally though flanked trees with crisscrossed branches.

“Come on,” Emma said and took off, sprinting down a path behind Isabel. I stumbled along, leaping over tangled vines and hurdling bushes until my side hurt. Finally, the woods fell away and we started across a meadow. To the left, ogres were marching up a dusty trail toward a row of caves high on a hill. Gray smoke rose from the fires that lined the cavern mouths. To the right, I could just make out Cotton and a dark witch, who was leaning against a broomstick. As I got closer, I saw she had her long, lanky green fingers clamped around his neck. He was suspended about three feet off the ground, frantically

I should turn you into a toad and wallop you with my broom. But I’m not in the mood. I am in the mood for this, though. “She raised Cotton’s amulet high above her head without looking at it and tossed it hard against a rock. I watched the jade explode into a million pieces. She clenched her yellow teeth and with her free hand, she tried to snatch me by the neck. Luckily, I managed to sidestep her swing.

“The boy’s right, you need to let him go,” Isabel hissed as she circled around and around in the air, gathering friction. Then she lunged at the witch.

The witch took a few steps backward, and screamed, “Stand aside, stupid bird.”

“I’m warning you.” Isabel tossed a red-hot fireball at the witch.

The horrible hag simply raised her hand, and the inferno fizzled out.

“Now what are you going to do?” she mocked. “You got any more tricks up your sleeve, feather brain?”

“Oh, she’s making me so mad,” Emma mumbled her voice cold, and her face bright red with rage. “She doesn’t know who she’s messing with. I have a black belt in karate.”

“I’m not sure if that would help right now,” I said calmly. “But it’s good to

“It’s nice to meet you. That was close. For a second I thought she was going to deep-fry us for lunch. Thanks for your help.”

“Yes, thanks to Sage we’re safe,” Cotton, croaked hoarsely. “Sorry, my voice is a little raspy after that horrible ordeal.”

“Poor Cotton,” chirped Isabel, who was hovering above us in a cloud of smoke. “You need to go home and have your wife make you a nice hot cup of tea with lemon.”

“Wife? Didn’t you hear? She was kidnapped.” He shuffled his feet and large tears ran down his tiny, red cheeks. “And now that the stone in the amulet has been smashed, I’ll never be able to get her back.”

“Oh dear,” Isabel cried and started flying frantically around in a loop. “What shall we do? What shall we do?”

“Just thinking about my sweet wife, breaks my heart,” Cotton sobbed. Then a smile crept into the corners of his mouth. “She was away baking me my favorite stews, chock full of delectable, frazzle-topped yellow berries or green hawthorn branches.” He sighed mournfully and stared straight ahead. “That’s all gone now. The poor, helpless creature was ripped from my arms by that beast. Oh my, how am I ever going to get her back?”

“I know where she is.” Sage blinked and transformed herself into a lovely tree nymph. “I saw her on a