Thistle Witch, page 19
part #1 of Anaïs Blue Series
Immi reached deep under the steering column and pulled a green lever, popping the bonnet. She sat up, leaned back, steadied her stiletto against the door and shoved it open. It didn't make a sound. Even the hinges no longer squeaked. She extracted herself from the vehicle, walked around to the front of the car and lifted the bonnet. Anaïs heard her tapping on various parts of the engine. The librarian closed the bonnet and got back in the vehicle.
‘Well?’ enquired Anaïs.
‘Looks fine to me. Actually the whole thing is in pristine condition. Not that I saw what it looked like before. But what do I know? I'm a librarian, not a mechanic.’ She turned the ignition. Still there was no response.
Anaïs's frustration got the better of her. She slammed her fists down on the dashboard. ‘Start, why don't you!’
There was a minute ticking under the hood and then the engine roared to life.
The librarian shot Anaïs a sideways glance and shook her head. ‘You've got to be kidding.’
Anaïs shrugged and grinned. ‘Maybe it only listens to me.’ The little witch directed her attention to the car. ‘Sorry, I didn't mean to yell,’ she said and caressed its dashboard.
The Morris Minor revved its engine, seemingly in response, before settling into a purring idle.
The librarian straightened in her seat. ‘This is a rather fortunate development. Could you do this before?’
‘Nope,’ said Anaïs, shaking her head and screwing up her face.
‘I guess we can get going then,’ said Immi. ‘Any idea where?’
Anaïs raised her shoulders. ‘Dunno. Your guess is as good as mine. Let's just start by getting out of here.’
The librarian obliged and slotted the vehicle into gear. She pulled out from the curb and guided the little car down the street. The wet cobblestones glistened in the light of the rising sun. The librarian squinted in the glare and pulled a pair of sunglasses out of her coat. The frames were encrusted with fake precious stones and had little wings fanning out from the top edges. She hooked them over her ears. Combined with her big hair, she looked like a throwback to the late 1960s.
Anaïs smirked at her and pulled out her own sunglasses. As she placed them on her head, and their lenses slid down in front of her eyes, the world turned a comforting shade of purple.
At the end of the street the librarian attempted to make a right turn. The chrome-spoked steering wheel refused to budge. She grunted and wrenched at it but the wheel remained in a fixed position, guiding the car in a straight line. The gear lever popped out of first and slotted itself into fourth. The Morris Minor shuddered. Its engine whined, labouring for a moment under the strain, before winding itself up. A low whir grew steadily, running up through the frequencies before emitting a high-pitched squeal. Vibrations ran through the vehicle's bodywork. Its metal panelling sang in tune with the sound of the motor.
The car radio sprung to life. It squelched loudly. The needle shot backwards and forwards across the dial before stopping. The bombastic, slow rock tones of Queen's ‘I'm in Love with My Car’ rose in volume, drowning out the engine and filling the cabin.
The Morris Minor engaged its clutch and shot forward, pinning them to the backs of their seats. A look of panic flashed across their faces and the eyes of both the librarian and the little witch widened. The occupants of the vehicle grasped the edges of their seats and watched the tight, hedge-lined road ahead zip past them in a blur.
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Anaïs’s adventures continue in
Discovering Magic: Anaïs Blue Book Two.
The witch is back.
Anaïs Blue continues her complicated quest. Not only does she have a steep supernatural learning curve, but all is not right with the universe.
Catastrophes of a worldly and otherworldly nature. Trains, planes and enchanted automobiles. Shades, hellhounds and evil entities.
And if that wasn’t enough, what are you to do when the most powerful magic you have goes haywire?
Nobody said being a witch would be easy.
OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
Thistle Witch: Anaïs Blue Book 1
Discovering Magic: Anaïs Blue Book 2
A New Source of Magic: Anaïs Blue Book 3
A Witch’s Calling: Anaïs Blue Book 4
Magic Awakes: Anaïs Blue Book 5
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ALSO BY P J WHITTLESEA
One man. No future. A rich heritage.
Indigenous urbanite Billy knows very little about his ancestry. He is quite content to let it stay that way. One late night out changes all that.
Stranded on a central Australian highway with only the stars and mosquitoes for company, he finds his future determined by a pair of unlikely saviours. And a mysterious supernatural entity.
In an effort to get home Billy embarks on a surreal odyssey. Not only into his heritage, but also into himself.
Tap here to read his remarkable story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
P. J. Whittlesea is an author and singer-songwriter. Originally from Australia, he now resides in Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
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P. J. Whittlesea, Thistle Witch
