The Fae Witch || Twilight

10

"Easy, Bella," a voice Bella thought she'd never hear again made her still.

"Cyn?" Bella croaked.

Once her eyes focused, she spotted Cynthia. Unharmed. Bella mustered as much strength as she could, heaving herself into Cynthia's arms. Cynthia let out a surprised oof, Bella nearly knocking the breath out of her. The fear, the shock of it all clutched at her chest. She started sobbing; the kind of sobbing that makes your chest ache. Cynthia gripped her poor sister tight, rocking and whispering sweet words; pecking small kissed atop her head.

Faelynn and Bayard floated to Bella's shoulders. They both rested their wee heads on her shoulders, like how a toddler would hug an upset friend. Edgar and Hadassah joined in on the group hug, and not long after, Bella had calmed into a meek sniffling.

The Queen had then chosen to make an appearance. She glided soundlessly to the girls' sides, her features held warmth; relief even. Bella sat up, silently greeting her.

"You took quite a bit of damage," the queen informed softly, gesturing to Bella's right arm; wrapped in thick, green leaves.

The Queen and Cynthia worked gingerly removing the leaves, also cleaning the sap off her arm. Bella swallowed thickly, staring in horror at the state of her arm. Her entire arm looked as if she at stuck her arm in a vat of acid. Her skin had a melting look to it, and it shone in a slate like fashion. Magic, she assumed.

"You mingled witchcraft with fae magic," the queen stated. "I hope you are prepared for what you've done."

"What... what happened?" Bella nervously wiped at her face.

"Master Mirror escaped," Cynthia informed quietly.

Bella tried to hold it in, but she gasped aloud. She'd done this, it was her fault. The queen sank down onto the bed, placing a comforting hand on her leg.

"You have done something extraordinarily powerful, Bella. You destroyed the dimension that I created," the queen chucked lightly. "That is not an easy feat."

Bella opened her mouth to apologize, to cry. The Queen placed a finger over Bella's lips, silencing her. "You needn't apologize, sweet one. You acted out of love."

The queen then stood, making her way out of the room. "I will let you rest now. We must take care of you first, then we will take care of him."

She glided out of the room, leaving the girls to themselves. Bella locked eyes with Cynthia, her bottom lip trembling slightly. Cynthia knew that look. Bella wanted-no, needed- comfort. She wasted no time in crawling into bed with her sister, allowing her to snuggle into Cynthia's side.

"I thought you were dead," Bella whispered.

Cynthia held her tighter. "I'll never leave you."

After rest, Cynthia and Bella were out in the gardens. Bella's every need was catered to by either Cynthia or any of the surrounding fae, even though she has expressed that they certainly don't have to.

"Oh, nonsense!" One of the random pixies had  exclaimed.

"Let us care for you, silly girl!" A tiny elf giggled, her voice soprano.

Cynthia had never left Bella's side, not once. She was there when Bella had been bathed, reddessed. She was there when they fed her, groomed her hair. Their previous garments were thrown away, now clad in Fae clothing.

Bella wore a simple, yet elegant gown. The sage green fabric made her chocolate eyes pop. The gown was loose fitting, flowing beautifully with the wind. The sleeves were long; trumpet style, so not to irritate her healing arm. Cynthia wore the same style gown, only in  sky blue.

Bella had refused to look into a mirror. For two different reasons. She didn't want to be reminded of Master Mirror, but she also refused to look at herself. She knew she had scars, they spread up the side of her neck, peeking just above her jawline. It would be incredibly difficult to explain to Charlie. She noticed the way Cynthia's eyes gravitated to the scars any time she spoke with her.

Cynthia couldn't help it, all she could think about was how she let this happen. She should have known that Bella would be made to face the trial. Cynthia stared off to the horizon while Bella mingled with the fae. How would she explain this to Charlie? She had let his only daughter to be harmed, scarred. Bella's light gasp snapped her back into reality.

"What's wrong?" Cynthia demanded.

"I'm fine," Bella grimaced.

Cynthia shifted to face Bella, giving her a look that screamed bullshit. Bella sighed, rolling her eyes. "Okay, it's my arm. There's been a few sharp pains every so often."

Cynthia heaved herself to her feet, pulling Bella up with her. As the two walked back under the shelter of the trees, Bella flinched again. Only this was more painful, more violent. She let out an audible, pain filled grunt as the muscles in her arm and neck seized. She fell to her knees, gasping for air as the seizing went as quickly as it came.

The fae creatures that were near simultaneously cried out in pain, some even dropping from the air. Bella and Cynthia shared a concerned look. The Fae Queen seemed to appear out of thin air, causing Bella to jump.

"What has happened?"

"Something's wrong," Cynthia worried.

The queen ushered them back to the room that was set up for Bella. She stumbled into the washroom that was part of the room, placing  her hands under the running spring water. There was a natural spring that flowed through the courts, giving drinking water for the fae. The queen and Cynthia waited for Bella, worriedly. Bella then dared to peek into the mirror.

Her heart lodged into her throat right before she started to cough violently. She coughed up phlem mixed with blood, her body seizing again. The queen hastily waved her hands, using the magic to catch her before she could hit the ground again. She guided the floating girl to the bed, grazing her hands over the crown of Bella's head as soon as she touched the sheets.

"What's wrong with her?" Cynthia demanded.

The queen hummed, still feeling with the magic. "It seems that her body is trying to rid the magic. Her body and mind see it as a virus." She sighed. "I'll have to induce a coma."

It wasn't long before Bella was sound asleep, a coma induced by magic was much more productive. The queen worked tirelessly, having difficulties as Bella had  a subconscious shield protecting her mind. Penetrating the shield was not easy, but with the fae magic at the queen's disposal, it was doable.

"Go rest, my dear," the queen directed the statement to Cynthia. "This may take a while."

Cynthia hesitated by the bedside, but knew Bella was in more than capable hands. She padded out of the room, taking a deep breath before a sob snuck out of her throat.