Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Ten - Birthday Surprise

CopyrightⒸ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved

"Happy Birthday!" Cheers rain down on Briar Rose as she sits up in bed, rubbing her eyes against the candlelight.

"Fifteen! Wonder of wonders! Where has the time gone?"

"It's still down with the Sun. Can't we celebrate later? It's too early," Briar Rose breathed, rolling over in bed.

"Up, up, up!" Lucinda shouted, clapping her hands together. "Today is an important day!"

"Birthday wish: Ten more minutes to sleep," the young woman muttered, pulling the blanket up over her head.

"Denied." With a flick of her wrist, Lucinda sent the blanket sailing across the room, where it stuck to the far wall.

"Hey!"

The other two Witches pulled on her arms, lifting her out of bed, an impressive feat considering she was as tall as they.

Groggy, she put on her slippers, not fighting as they took her down the three flights of stairs in the cottage. Once in the brightly lit kitchen, she shook her head, struggling to understand what she was looking at.

On the table, glowing in the light of the stone lanterns, was an outfit.

"Your fifteen! The scores you had on your exams combined with your experience allowed you to get the early learners permit! It can last night!"

"I'm a Curse Breaker?" Briar Rose cried, suddenly fully awake. "I'm a Curse Breaker!"

Jumping up and down, she cheered with the others, smiling so brightly she put the stone lanterns to shame.

"The highest order of magic in the lands," Lucinda congratulated, lifting up her medallion. "The class over mere Witches and Wizards."

Silently Briar Rose put the necklace on, the green silk ribbon fitting tightly around her neck as Lucinda tied it off.

"Welcome Sister," as one, the three Witches bowed at the waist.

"Welcome Sisters," Briar Rose greeted, returning the gesture in kind.

"Sit down, Briar Rose. Eat some cake," Niall commented, waving her hand to reveal a two-tiered white icing birthday cake.

"That smells wonderful!"

"It tastes even better," she admitted with a sly grin.

As the four women had finished their meal, the sun shined in through the windows of the cottage, slanting rays of golden light into the room.

"You're all grown up now dear," Niall commented, holding her chin as she stared at her ward. "All grown up and ready for answers."

The three Witches stared at each other a moment, nodding their agreement.

Briar Rose froze, her spoon hovering over another piece of cake. She had so many questions. Questions she had asked for years on end.

Who were her parents? Why did the Curse Breakers adopt and raise a baby as their own?

They could have left me to any family to raise and came back to ask me to be their student when I was older instead of taking me in. They cut down the students they trained to raise me, spending years out of the cities to be in a cottage in the forest with me.

With Dragons on the loose, everyone with magic had a responsibility to protect. They got out of that responsibility for years.

"You see my dear," Lucinda began, staring at her with ancient eyes. "You were born fifteen years ago today in Skyfort, the castle in Stonesteeple, Alagils' capital."