Sellemae's wrath

By Graham Davidson

In Australia's Blue Mountains, during the mid-nineteenth century, ten-year-old Patsy rescues what she believes to be a fairy from a spider-web, triggering a sequence of events that challenge everything she's believed about herself and the world around her.

A perilous journey into the realm of an evil spider queen brings three generations o

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rack & Rune Publishing
• Release date: Oct 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9780645308006

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The Witches of the Cross-worlds

Book 1

Sellemae’s Wrath

By Graham Davidson

Copyright © 2017 by Graham Anthony Davidson

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

First Edition 2018

Special thanks to my colleagues in the HWC Children’s Writing Group for their contribution as the manuscript worked through various drafts and my sister Evelyn for her diligence weeding out typos and other gremlins.

ISBN: 978-0-6453080-0-6

Published by Rack and Rune Publishing

rackandrune.com

Chapter 1

Patsy worried the crisp mountain air turning her breath to steam might give her away.

She should have been preparing for when her tutor would arrive, quizzing her about steam driven locomotives and all the other marvels of the modern age. Instead, the reluctant student stood peering around the corner of the house, watching the rickety sulky carry her parents away from the majestic manor and onto the road to Blackheath. Once it was out of sight, and the clatter of horse’s hooves had faded into the distance, she stepped away from the house, turned, and skipped her way to the bottom of the garden, away from the housekeeper’s ever-watchful eyes.

She sang to herself as she went, Magpies and kookaburras … Patsy loved singing, it was her favourite escape from the boredom of the rigid routine imposed by her parents. It also helped her forget that her tutor, the cranky old widow, Mrs Bradshaw, was due to arrive at any moment.

The very thought of it made her anxious, especially after Mrs Bradshaw had lied so much to Patsy’s parents by saying she’d been rude and insolent.

On reaching the bottom of the large yard, she looked over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of Mrs Bradshaw’s carriage approaching the house. She took cover behind a shrub. Then, when one of the servants had taken Mrs Bradshaw inside, Patsy slid down the grassy slope and through the bushes leading to the dark world of the creek. Her father had warned her many times to stay away from its snake-infested banks, and Patsy knew she’d be in trouble for avoiding her lessons. But that mattered little as she picked herself up and ran down the creek to her favourite playground. Once there, she pretended not to hear the servants calling in the distance, and celebrated her escape by skipping stones where the creek opened into an expansive pool.

The servants’ voices soon stopped as, one by one, they gave up, leaving the cicadas and a multitude of birds singing in the bushes as the only sounds around her, a kookaburra’s laugh rising loud above it all. Patsy felt sure she’d be safe for now. She’d rather face her father’s anger later in the day than spend the next six hours with a cranky old widow criticising everything she said or did. Old widow? … more like an old witch, she thought.

Patsy picked up another stone, crouching low as she drew her shoulder back and prepared to throw. Then something caught her attention. At first, she thought it might have been her imagination, or even one of the servants. But when Patsy focused on the sound, she heard it for what it was: a tiny voice pleading for help.

She called out in reply, careful not to be so loud as to be heard from the house, Hello?

There it was again, Help! Faint, but nevertheless, a voice.

Where are you?

The voice replied, I’m near the big rock, across the other side of the pool. I’m stuck! Please, help me!

Crossing would mean Patsy’s dress and stockings would be soaked up to her waist, but she was already going to be in trouble, so what did that matter?

She slipped off her shoes and waded across the cold pool.

Please, do hurry, Patricia!

Patsy stopped. How did you know my name?

I’ve known you since before you were born. I knew your mother, and your grandmother, when they were young girls … like you.

Patsy stood in the middle of the pool and folded her arms. There was something about this that didn’t seem right. You say you know my family, but I think you’re lying. You’re a stranger, and my mother has told me since I was little not to trust strangers.

Oh Patricia, what can I do to convince you, to help you understand? I am no stranger. I am a fairy … the fairy who watches over you, and has watched the first-born daughters of your family for a hundred generations.

Hmmph. Patsy wasn’t convinced, but her curiosity compelled her to continue crossing the pool, her feet squishing in the mud at the water’s edge when she reached the other side. A leech waved its head nearby in search of a host. Watching it for a moment, Patsy thought to herself that where there was one, there were always more, so she would have to be quick.

She leaned against the enormous rock, then twisted around to examine the dark space beyond. This can’t be! Her jaw dropped, and she wondered if her mind might be playing tricks on her. There, stuck in an enormous and intricate web, was a beautiful fairy, no more than twenty centimetres high, with long slender limbs. A few centimetres from her right hand a small wand dangled, appearing ready to fall any second.

Despite the fairy’s size, Patsy saw the relief in her eyes at the hope of rescue. At last! Now please, Patricia, if you can just take my wand and place it in my hand, I’ll be able to free myself. Then I’ll grant you any wish your heart desires.

Patsy reached out to do as the fairy requested, then paused. She thought about what she’d read in some of the books on fairy tales in her parents’ library. How do I know you’re a real fairy, and not some sort of evil pixie pretending to need help?

Excuse me, child? I don’t quite understand.

How do I know I can trust you?

I’m not sure I believe this! I could swear I just heard you express doubt. Are you serious? I’m a fairy! Come now, if you can’t trust the fairy who watches over you, then who in this world can you trust? As I told you before, I’ve been watching over your family for countless generations! What more could you need to know? Please, you need to release me, or the spider will come and it will be too late!

Patsy withdrew her arm, stood up straight and asked, Why haven’t you revealed yourself until now, when you suddenly need my help?

The fairy let out a long sigh. Oh Patricia, it’s so very hard to come to terms with your doubts. Yes, I’ve worked hard to stay out of sight throughout your life, but it doesn’t mean I haven’t watched over you, as all good fairies should. We used to be happy to let children see us from time to time, but there’s so few of us left now. She choked back tears. Those of us who remain aren’t prepared to risk being seen. I called for help only because I could see no other choice.

Her resolve softening, Patsy asked, Why do you insist on calling me Patricia? I hate being called Patricia, you should know that if you’ve been watching so closely. Why can’t you call me Patsy?

Oh, sweet, innocent child. We fairies are duty bound to respect the wishes of a child’s mother in such matters. It would go against everything it means to be a fairy if I ignored such a fundamental understanding, one that has stood throughout the ages.

Patsy shook her head. I don’t know. She stood in the leech infested water, wondering how it would feel if she were the one stuck in that web. What if the fairy’s nose became itchy, or even her foot? How frustrating would that be? You’ll grant me a wish? All I have to do is hand you your wand?

Whatever your heart desires, dear child.

Patsy hesitated, then thought of how much she’d love to have her old tutor back. Why did Miss Lawson have to go and get married, leaving her stuck with cranky old Mrs Bradshaw? Focusing on her wish, she leaned over and removed the fairy’s wand from the web, taking great care as she placed it in the fairy’s right hand.

The fairy gave Patsy a warm smile. Thank you, sweet child.

The fairy swung her wrist and used the razor-sharp tip of her wand to free her right arm. In mere seconds, she’d cut away the rest of the threads holding her captive. Oh, it feels so good to be free! The fairy stretched her limbs, then flew about, circling Patsy’s head before coming to rest on the rock. I fear I’ll need to rest awhile before I can fly off. My wings need time to recover from being so restricted within that horrid web.

Patsy looked smug. Good, you’ll have plenty of time then to grant my wish.

The fairy waved an arm dismissively and laughed. "Oh Patsy, you’re hilarious! You actually believed the bit about granting a wish? Anything your heart desires? You need to accept reality!"

Already anxious about having to face the consequences of skipping her lessons, Patsy started breathing heavily. She clenched her fists and felt the pressure building in her temples.

But the fairy paid little attention to the danger brewing. "Why would I have been caught in that death trap if I could perform magic? You want to know what our wands are for? Do you ever grab a stick to cut down the spider webs in front of you when walking through the bushes early in the morning? Think about it