When the towns local Witch goes missing, her two familiars set out to find her.
Matias only really likes one person, his witch, Eve. So when she goes missing one day he's determined to find her. Even if that means putting up with the annoying crow o...
Selene sits on a chair in front of the table. The items Eve had used for the flying spell are still scattered along it with new items added to the mix. There's a pile of dirt, a red string from my personal stash of yarn, and Eve's blankie, but that isn't for the spell. That's just for me to sit on.
While the girl had been clearing her mind, and hopefully calming down, I'd been tracing the steps Eve had first taken. If we were to take her out of the moon we'd need the reverse word of the flying spell, but that would only stop her from flying. Which means we need to get her out of the moon first.
"I think if we use an item to counter the flowers that should get her out of the moon." I say.
Her brown eyes sweep over the contents before her. "And that item would be the dirt?"
I nod. "If we want her back on earth, dirt is the best way to symbolize that."
She looks up at me. "And what if swapping the flower for dirt just means she gets stuck in the earth?"
The pride that had settled in my chest deflates. "I didn't think of that."
"That's why I'm here." The girl smiles. "I'm assuming we're basing our spell on the one Eve used, correct?" I nod. "Well, if that's the cause, we need to think in terms of a spell that grants someone to be on earth." She starts to hum. "I can't think of anything that would do that."
"I really think the dirt would be our best bet."
Her gaze turns to the dirt pile. "You're probably right. I'm just worried about the spell thinking it means put her in the earth."
"What if, we put into the chant something along the lines of; bring her back to us, place her safely on earth. I don't see any loopholes. Plus, if you're intent is strong enough to bring her back safely how she was before she left, there shouldn't be a loophole."
"Magic is confusing, huh?" She chuckles. With a shake of her head, she says, "I don't see any loopholes, but we don't have much time to sit here and plan."
"No, we don't." I resist the urge to look out the window.
She takes a deep breath. "So, shall we start the spell before the sun comes up?"
I turn and look out the window. The moon hangs just above the horizon. We're running out of time. "Yes." I stand up and move to sit beside her, so that the contents are in front of us. "I want you to tie the flowers to the dirt with the red yarn."
She raises a brow. "And how do I tie that to the dirt?"
"Place the end in it?"
She shrugs but stands up, the chair scraping behind her. She bundles the stems of the flowers together before bounding them togethering with the string, then she places those down and leaves the end of the string atop the dirt pile. "Now what?"
"Now you'll place the mugwort, and the flour between the two." She does that. "Place your hands on both sides and repeat after me. Take the girl out of the moon. Place her safely on earth as she had been before."
"Take the girl out of the moon. Place her safely on earth as she had been before."
I look up, outside to the moon. It shines bright, filling the sky with as much light as the sun does. "Keep repeating that."
The girl repeats the chant over and over. Never once do I tear my gaze from the moon. The light grows around it as a dark form shapes in the middle of it. After some more chanting the shape starts to form into a small person, getting closer and closer. "It's working!" I cry. I'm up on all fours now, but when I turn to Selene my excitement runs away like a mouse.
Sweat beads on her forehead, and runs down into her closed eyes. Her eyes are closed so tightly that wrinkles form at the edge of them. Her hands, which had been opened against the table are now clenched into fists.
"Selene?" I whisper.
"I can't..." her voice is quiet, and filled with pain.
My eyes widen. "Um... Say the release spell of the flying spell!"
"I..." she huffs out a breath. "Don't... know."
I go to jump at the book, but I stop. I can't read. How am I supposed to tell her the release spell if I don't even know it?
Something flies over our heads, sending a cool breeze. I look up in time to see a black blob fly out the window. "The crow?" I ask.
Selene cries out behind me. I spin around towards her. "It'll be okay! I..." I look up at the sky. The figure that came out of the moon is so close. If I tell her to drop the spell will Eve still make it back to us? "Selene, just finish the chant with..." My gaze flicks over the contents on the table. How can we finish the spell?"
"I can't..." she whispers.
With one last glance up at the sky, I sigh. "Release the magic." My heart cries out at the command.
At that, her eyes open. "What?"
"I want to save Eve, but not if it's going to hurt you."
Her eyes are glossy. "Are you sure?" I nod, and as I do she lifts her head to look out the window. "She's so close though."
"Yes but-"
"Stop the flight!" A block blob swishes into the room. It almost collides with me but manages to change it's course to land at the other end of the table. It's the bird. "Witch says stop the flight."
The village girls eyes widen. "You're a genius, Calchas." Her breathing is still labored.
"I wouldn't say that," I mumble. But something in my chest swells for the bird.
"Matias... how do I phrase... the release?"
When I turn back, I see her eyes are squeezed shut once more. "Um..." I rack around, trying to think of how to say it. Eve is so much better at this then me. "As I release the spell, I say, stop the flight which was once taken."
Without missing a beat, she says, "As I release the spell, I say, stop the flight which was once taken." The moment the words have left her mouth, the release of magic is evident in the drop of her shoulders, in the sigh she exhales. She opens her eyes to the window. It takes me a moment to notice how they widen. "She's gone."
I whip my head to the window. With a gasp, I jump to the sill.
The sky is empty. The moon just touches the horizon. "Where did she go?" I cry.
"Did we do something wrong?"
My ear twitches. Footsteps crunch the gravel at the front of the house. Right as I turn to look at the study door the footsteps vanish.
A knock sounds throughout the house.
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