Grace couldn't move for the rest of the night. Staring up at the ceiling, she let her mind wander. And empty sort of hollow feeling in her stomach made her thoughts go to a darker path.
What was doing?
Grace is the Gold Witch! She could be sitting on a throne of gold, a handsome man feeding her by hand and doing everything she wished! She wouldn't be so alone anymore, she would have friends. Her sisters. The human race would welcome her with open arms, she'd go out and they'd all want to be around her! Grace wouldn't be so alone anymore, she'd have friends! Witches would talk with her, not like the olden days where she'd might meet one in passing and talk for a few minutes before going their own way. Dragons, Vampires, they're all there, waiting for her to come out of hiding.
If only she had her wand.
But-
The dangers gold possessed were far greater than the wants that Grace yearned for. Gold could easily be cursed with something, it is considered a perfect metal, anybody could get their hands on it and they'd instantly be risen to the top of whatever society they wanted. Dragons would get richer. Vampires would have the means to attack other clans. Greed swallowed up Grace, and turned her into an emotionless Witch who did what her contractors asked.
She couldn't let that happen. Grace was herself. She might change names when they became too painful for her, but Grace was always herself. Whether she'd go by the names of Ginny, Gwendolin, Gabriella, Gloria, Gina, Gretchen, Gwen, Grace, she is still her. Gold is a part of her, but not the only part. Grace didn't know why she was doing this. She is a soft metal. She is suppose to sit back, let the world work around her and let Brass, or Copper work their hearts out. Laying down to take a nap is appealing, but spending a whole day in bed is tiring.
"I'm home!"
There is no way that she could do nothing. Grace couldn't, wouldn't be able to stand it. The boredom would kill her first, she might actually turn herself into gold before she'd do that though. There was only one witch who did that to himself. Glass Witch, who from what Grace knew of, was probably still in the caves of the Bermuda Triangle. After all, Gold was there when they were both attacked by tribal people who lived on the islands long, long ago.
"Grace, what'cha doing? Are you asleep?"
It was horrific. Glass, her name was... Gia at the time. She had lost her wand while running through a dense jungle, and for protection she had cast a spell to large for her body to handle without her wand. The panic on her face, her white hair turning into strands of glass, that was permanently etched into Grace's mind. Maybe she should go back, to find Gia. Try and find her wand and bring her back home to her sisters. That way, she could have her final burial. Gia really deserved it.
"Grace, you're scaring me. Why are your eyes open? Are you okay? Grace, answer me!"
Another person who didn't deserve Grace was Ædelric. He was a perfectly great dragon. He did everything he could for her, and yet she didn't appreciate him. Maybe she should go find him and tell him she's sorry. Sorry because she had left him for heartbreak. He might still be in the cave in France, but Grace knows he hasn't taken in any other Witch since she left. Or maybe he has, and their relationship is a secret.
"Grace. Grace wake up! Please, don't leave me alone. I don't want to be alone anymore! I really like having you as a friend! So please. Wake up!"
There was a ringing in Grace's ear, and it took her a second to realise that she had been slapped. She blinked a few times, then looked at Rose. She didn't look too well.
"Did the date go well? Or was Stephano a dud." Grace casually asked.
Rose made a high pitched noise and threw herself into Grace. "Don't ever scare me like that again! You can keep your ugly painting here all you want, just please don't do that."
"I might've zoned out." Grace said apologetically. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Rose buried her face in Grace's shirt and hugged her tightly. She said some muffled words that Grace couldn't quite make out, and hesitantly she patted the other girls back. Wet spots grew from where Rose's face was onto her shirt. Grace didn't say anything, just let Rose get it out of her system. It was after a few minutes before Rose, her face still pressed into Grace's shirt, spoke up.
"Why don't you ever tell me anything." Rose wetly asked, her voice full of emotion. "I want to get to know you better, and I'd like to know why you hid. But you," her breathing hitched as she started once again to cry. "You don't tell me anything! And then I come home and I try to make you move for fifteen minutes! You're eyes were open, and it was frightening! You didn't move."
Was Rose trying to get her attention for fifteen minutes? Grace hadn't noticed her until she had been slapped. True, when Grace was zoned out a train could pass in front of her and she'd still wouldn't notice.
After a few minutes debating it in her head, Grace finally spoke up. "I kept on hurting people. And after a while, I couldn't stand it anymore. They always got hurt because I was around them, and greed follows me wherever I go. Being a witch of something valuable doesn't mean that it's all for kicks and giggles, and sometimes I am hunted down for what I can do. I ran away because sitting around, looking pretty does nothing to me but cause boredom." She took in a shuddering breath, "I ran away because I fell in love with the human race, even though others don't see the beauty that humans have. I ran away because I wanted to be alone, even though I don't want to be. I want to live my life like a human, because I want to be part of their world, of their community. Not because I'm a Witch."
Rose stilled in Grace's arms. "Oh." She whispered, "that." She sat back, wiping her face with a sleeve of a borrowed jacket of Grace's. "I think humans are pretty cool too. But, I'd like to have somebody take care of me."
"Doesn't everybody?" Grace gave a small smile. "I'd like somebody to care of me, but... not like before."
"What was wrong before?"
"My last contract was with a dragon, and he did everything for me. He didn't even let me choose what clothes I was to wear that day. He'd wait on me, every second, every moment. If I wanted something, he'd give it to me. But, I can't stand it. I couldn't do anything."
"That doesn't sound very appealing."
"Yeah." Grace sighed, "look, Rose. I have to tell you something."
"Ooh, it feels like we're having our first heart to heart here. We need to watch Mean Girls after this." Rose brightened.
"I am going to have to leave in a few days."
"What?!" Rose nearly shrieked. "You can't!"
"I have to." Grace sighed again, sitting up.
"No! You can't! You can't leave me!" Rose teared up again. "Who's going to be my friend after this? Nobody wants to be friends with a small gem like me. Rose Quartz is so common! Nobody wants me!"
"Rose! Hey, listen to me." Grace snapped her fingers, "if I could stay, I would. But I have to go because," she hesitated, finding the right word. "I'm deteriorating."
Rose continued to cry hysterically until the she paused. "Deteriorating?"
"In the 1600s, I lost my wand. And since then, I can't use my magic on big objects. And since I can't let go of my magic, it's turning rotten inside of me. After a huge build up, I could potentially turn myself into gold. And nobody would be able to change me back." She paused, "it would be, essentially, death."
"You're going to die?!" Rose shrieked again, "don't you dare die!"
"I'm not intentionally going to die. That's why I'm leaving. The weird shop guy found me a lead, he told me while you were gone. So, I have to go check it out and hopefully I'd get my wand back."
"Don't die." Rose put her head in her hands. "I like you too much. And your weird looking nose."
"Gee thanks." Grace blankly said. "I feel so much love."
"You are not leaving me! I am going with you!" Rose demanded suddenly. "My check will come in the mail tomorrow, and I can forge a new number on it."
"That would set the Witches Council off."
"But I'm still coming with you!" Rose insisted, and Grace sighed.
What did she get into this time?
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