Sorry I took ages :S Hope this is okay!!!!!!!
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Chapter Fifthteen: The Recovery Mission.
My eyes fluttered open at the sound of horses stirring awake in the surrounding stables and I immediately began to stretch my tired muscles. There were a few yawns amongst the horses which made me smile and then began to trot around, stretching their muscles. I liked the atmosphere around me right now. Staying with the horses is a good experience- do not mock me, it is true. They are just like humans in ways – they get hungry, they moan, the envy things others have and they can feel different emotions. There were a lot of strong emotions swirling around the room – some were annoyed to have woken up, others were excited for a new day and the odd one or two was depressed to be away from another. We were all on the same page which makes me think we are not all that different. I was surrounded by beautiful tamed horse, I wanted to tend to them and ride every single horse. Maybe I could later – after all, I do own the stables and the horses.
I lay there in the hay, my torso on top of mother’s slumbering form, staring at the roof. It was homed to a few owls, sleeping peacefully in little clusters that looked like different families. I sighed; Alexander would be going crazy over the sight of in his eyes ‘the vermin’ overhead. I smiled remembering him frantically swatting pigeons away when we first met in the palace gardens. When I bring him back, I think we will release doves when we are married like the wedding planners suggested. I could imagine my love, squirming at the sight of the doves, holding onto me for protection. I wanted his arms around me again, now would be wonderful as it is a bit chilly in the mornings. My heart fluttered at the thought. Stop it Mercy! I thought to myself before I drifted into a deluded fantasy of Alexander and I that I would regret later. You’ll have him again soon, I told myself sternly just about believing myself.
I sat up from mother’s back and arched my stiff back. Maybe sleeping draped over a horse all night was not the best of ideas. Suddenly, I felt slight movement on my chest just below the material of my dress. It started as a tickle and I started to giggle but then my chest began to sting in pain. Something was…biting me?
I pulled at the top half of my dress and saw something black crawling on me. Screaming, I jumped up frantically shaking to try and get the insect out of my bosoms.
There was a soft sound of laughter behind me as I shook the bug out of my dress and watched it drop onto the ground and burrow under the hay. Along with relief, I felt a little annoyed. “Mother this is not funny!” I scowled, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. I must have looked like a fool just a moment ago.
“I’m…sorry…” she choked between laughs. She stood up and rested her head lightly on top of mine. “I thought you were just a dream Mercy. I’m happy I woke up to find you still here, entertaining me so much.”
Any negative things I felt at that moment dissolved into happiness as I wrapped my arms around my mother. “I can say the same thing mother.”
We stayed hugging for a little while, before mother noticed Nathaniel had come earlier and left some food for us both. I got a few pieces of warm bread and cheese and mother had some oats and fresh hay to eat. Also, a bucket of hot water, a towel and a dress that look a good two sizes too tight for me so I presumed it was Beatrice’s. Once we finished the bread and cheese, we ate the sweater things he brought, mother had the apples and I the grapes. All the while we talked about my life so far some more; mother was dying to hear more of my fiancée and also of how we met. She was not sceptical or angry or sad that he was the duke’s son, she looked happy that I was happy. Plus, mother told me she had felt no remorse or animosity towards the duke for her death. She understood his actions and accepted them as there was not much she could do about it. My mother was inspirational.
“Good morning girls, I see you found breakfast alright,” Nathaniel said cheerfully, stalking into the stable.
I smiled. “Yes, thank you for that Nathaniel.”
He nodded and grinned. “No problem. When do we leave?” he asked, excitedly.
Mother exhaled, “Why are you so eager to go to my old home child?”
Nathaniel shrugged and blushed a deep red. “I want to see a ritual. Mercy did one and I saw and it was very impressed. This ritual is really big so…”
“Hold on a moment, were you listening on our whole conversation the other day?” I asked.
“No…maybe…I overheard things…” Nathaniel mumbled.
Mother snorted. “Yes you did over hear things whilst your ear was pressed against the wooden walls perhaps?” Nathaniel looked away clearly ashamed and mother and I just laughed. “We’ll leave at around midday. Your father should be working then still, right?”
I nodded. My heart was beating heavily against my chest. If we got caught, and the Daemon still had a hold on father then this could cost our heads. Though, we had to save father and set things back to the way they are meant to be by sneaking in and getting the paper. We had to be careful, father sometimes closed the shop early.
“Okay, I’ll go pack some things for the journey and leave Mercy to wash,” Nathaniel bowed and left.
Mother lazily wandered around the stables amongst the other horses, leaving me to wash alone. The water was warm at first, but by the time I was clean, it was freezing and so was I. Blast the English cold mornings. I dried myself with the towel and put the fresh dress on. It fit me snugly and I was warm but felt very….open. The neckline was far too low for my liking and it hugged my curves too much. I guess the whore fashion is what comprises most of her wardrobe.
Mother came back in as I was tying up the draw strings at the back of the dress. “You look gorgeous.”
I beamed at my mother and began to attack my hair with my hands, trying to comb and flatten the frizzy mass of brown hair. “Mother, you should have told me my hair looked like a birds nest!”
“Well, personally I thought you looked amazing.” Mother chuckled and I rolled my eyes.
“When the Daemon’s are out of the way, I will bring you back to life so you can be human again. Then you can brush my hair like you used to.”
The atmosphere around us seemed to change very quickly. It became, dark and miserable – all the things not should not be at this moment. “Mercy, you can not bring the dead back to life sweetheart,” mother said, glumly.
I turned to her and stared. No…she’s lying….she’s mistaken. She must be mistaken. “No mother, there must be a spell to bring the dead back to life.”
“Mercy, if there were a spell like that then I am sure you or your father would have brought me back to life as soon as I died.”
I felt like I was in a glass room full of air that made me delusional. Air that made me sure of one thing and one thing only; that things would be alright. Now, as mother told me there was no hope of bringing the dead back to life, the room has shattered on top of me, cutting me deep with its sharp, cold shards. The ray of hope that I would bring mother and Alexander back began to grow dimmer and dimmer.
“Mother you said the ritual can banish the daemon and set things right. It was not right for you to die so it must change your fate! It has to!”
“Mercy, who am I to say I was never meant to die? How can anyone know when they are meant to die? I might have been due for dead, an hour, a day or a year later than I did die. If you do that ritual, you cannot have me on your mind like that – the purpose is not to get me back, its to banish the Daemon that follows our family. To protect your children and the generations to come. Focus on the next line of your family sweetheart. When you’re married and you have your first child, I promise you that you will get the same desire as any other mother. You will want to make sure him or her is happy and safe no matter what. Don’t think of what won’t come out of this ritual, think of what will become.”
Tears threatened to escape my eyes. “Mother, I need to bring people who died cruelly at the hands of the Daemon back. I cannot live without them.” The light grew dimmer and Alexander and mother’s human form were become increasingly harder to see.
“It is okay Mercy, I know it is hard but life is cruel. The important thing is that I am here and I am going to help you get through this. I know it is strange calling a horse your mother and talking to one – god knows how out of place I feel in this body and strange being treated like a horse – but we will cope. Mercy, we have each other again and that is what matters. As for the other people who have died…then that is extremely unfortunate and there is sadly nothing we can do about it.”
I was now crying. “I do not care what the Daemon has done or what it’s done. I am going to put it right mother. If the ritual won’t bring people back, then I will search the world till the end of time for another way.” I meant every word. I’d search for centuries if need be and wait till the day Alexander, my mother and I are reunited as the same species again.
Nathaniel knocked on the walls, with his hand over his eyes before mother could respond. “Mercy, are you descent?”
“Yes Nathaniel.” I said, trying to control the quiver in my voice.
He removed his hands and held up a sack and a big saddle. “Can I saddle you up now Bella?”
“Yes but my name is not Bella, it is Viola.” She informed him.
I watched as Nathaniel placed the saddle around mother and made sure it was very secure before tying a bag to mothers back.
He then held out his hand to me and helped me onto mother’s back.
Mother and I were led out into the dim morning and Nathaniel jumped up and sat in front of me so effortlessly and skilfully I blinked a few times. Mother led the way to our old home on top of hill. As the cold air hit my face and brought Goosebumps on my skin, I pondered on my mother’s words. Her words kept echoing in my head - ‘you can not bring the dead back to life’- how could she have no hope? I want to bring her back, I want to bring Alexander back so my mother can meet my fiancée and meet my future children. I wanted my mother to share the happiness I had found with Alexander and for her to heal father’s broken heart. The images of the last time father genuinely smiled flashed before me which made me smile as well. He looked handsome when he smiled, but that has not looked like that in years been for years.
Within an hour, mother came to a halt, panting a little, on top of the little hill over viewing the village. Ahead, was the house I grew up in. It was not much; just a four stone walls, three windows and a door from the outside, but it was home to me.
“We’re here,” I announced.
Nathaniel looked at the house and tilted his head to the side in confusion. “This is all there is?” he asked.
“Of course.” I answered.
“But…your witches…”
“I do not see how that affects the house you live in.”
“But could you not have made a bigger, better looking house with your magic?”
“Yes but we are mere servants. Some witches choose to do good and help people. Many witches are doctors and such. Our family is humble and we do not require such luxuries. Plus, would it not look a tad odd to have a middle class family living in a Villa or a large castle?”
Nathaniel nodded, still a little confused. He probably would have everything under the sun if he had our powers but when you’re actually born with them then you think differently.
Nathaniel jumped off of mother’s back and untied his bag. He had a container of water which he gave to my thirsty mother.
As he helped me off mother, he asked, “Do you still have a key?”
“No, it’s back at the villa in my jewellery box.” I whispered.
Nathaniel thought for a moment, furrowing his brow then bent down to mothers bowed head and said, “you wait out here whilst we go in.”
She grunted, too pre occupied with her thirst to answer properly; that was probably Bella responding.
I walked around to the front of the house to the door.
“I still can not believe this is it.” Nathaniel muttered.
“Oh pack it in Nathaniel,” I scowled at him. “There’s more to that this.”
I did not even have to use magic to open the door, I used my nail to pick the lock and the door swung open. Looking towards Nathaniel, I gestured for him to go ahead.
When he stepped inside he sighed in disappointment. I chanted a short spell and soon after heard the extremely surprised gasp from him followed by, “Oh lord!” I grinned.
Once I got inside, I looked around. The room was much larger than the house as people saw from the outside. There was the large fireplace with our dinning table in front of it. Large Pictures of our family hung around the room along with my artwork I did as a child; mostly flowers and butterflies since I was only little. My brother face was ripped out of the pictures though. I barely remember what he looks like…Hell, I do not even know if he's still alive! I was banned from contacting him.
Around the room were around seventeen door. Some would lead to a long walkway and the secret rooms we did private rituals and spells in and others that I had not been aloud to be in myself. Three of the doors were my families’ bedrooms. Mine was fourth on the right, my parents on the opposite side and my brother next to mine. My parent’s room had not been entered since mother’s death. It was too painful to be in that room because in that room her smell, feel and the memory of her lingered on making her difficult to forget for even a second. Father stayed in my brother’s room.
“Um…okay it’s really big inside, I’ll give you that but I do not see any witch things. It looks like the average home.” Nathaniel said.
“Oh really? So your home has one of these…” I walked over to the first door on my left and opened it. Inside, there were howls, chirping, scurrying and a lot more animal sounds inside. It had swirling lines of colours and glitter. This was our personal means of transport in case of emergencies.
“What is that?!” he gawped.
“Our unique way of travel. If I wanted to go to the forest, I just step through. If I wanted to go to the market,” I paused and thought the new destination and soon after heard the commotion and shouting of low price goods coming from the door. “I just think it.”
Nathaniel eyes were bulging from his sockets. “That is incredible!”
It may be the fact that I had told no mortals about these sort of things but I became eager to show off my home. I showed him most of the rooms. The spell rooms with special equipment and ingredients for potions, the room were we kept the magical weapons that had been passed down throughout the Thompson family generation. Nathaniel just looked around in awe at all the things we had to offer. I skipped out the rooms I was not aloud in; I know its silly as those rules were set around the time I used to touch everything remotely interesting but it was still enforced to me so I did not enter. Some secrets were best stayed unknown.
I told Nathaniel I wanted to be alone whilst I was looking through mother’s spell books and he happily agreed to it. Though, I was a little wary that he might break something or worse.
Once I found myself outside of my parent’s room, I did not feel anything. The sadness I used to feel when I was near it was not there anymore. I was not sure whether it was the fact I knew my mother was alive now or that the whole film of sadness that draped over me when I was near has now deteriorate since I left.
The door handle felt cold as my fingers wrapped around it, pressed down and pushed forward to open it. I hadn’t set a foot in this room for so long, so long the specific details were a haze. Inside the room, the air was thick, damp and so dusty I could make out the tiny particles floating around. I coughed and choked a little on the air but gritted my teeth to bare it; I had to ignore it and find this ritual.
My family was a humble family so all that was in the room was a big bed and a single wooden wardrobe made by my father. It was sad to see the spot were my mother and father used to sleep covered in a film of dust and cobwebs but I had no time to satisfy the urge to clean it.
Carefully, I walked over to the bed and lifted some of the sheets that covered the floor and peered underneath the bed. A few spiders scurried out making me jump. “Shit,” I cursed. Taking a deep breath I half lunged under the bed and felt around frantically for the cold metal item I needed. Once my hand felt the ice like surface I gripped it and hauled myself from under the bed. It took a lot of courage but I didn’t scream when I saw some spiders on my dress and instead calmly brushed them off of my skirt.
Before me was a large, silver trunk. It was no ordinary trunk though. The bottom of it appeared to be averaged depth and held what appeared to be de several dresses. Only a witch’s eye could see the real contents of the trunk.
Inside was meant to be a pile of books, a little bit deeper than the height of the trunk but there was nothing. There was none of mother’s spell books at the bottom of the trunk at all. My heart raced ahead. No one had been in here to take them…no one but Thompson’s and people mother allowed could even look into it. Yet, they were missing and no doubt so was the ritual instructions.
As I peered carefully at the bottom I saw a torn piece of paper at the bottom and quickly retrieved it. On the piece of paper, there was two pictures on it: one of which was what looked like a pearl or crystal ball with a single orange flame inside of it and the other was a silver sword with two dents inside of it handle that looked like the contents of the dents had been removed.
Some things in my head clicked and I came to the realisation that the books were stolen and so was the recording of the ritual. Some one had come in here and taken it. Thompson’s were the only witches that have inhabited this town for decades and there were no presence of witches in this town for years; we would have felt them if there was. Only magical beings can see in this trunk – only people we allow can see the true inside of this house! Mortals see a small room with four doors to bedrooms rather that the seventeen we have. They don’t see the portal door or potion room or any other rooms that is not of there concern without our permission! How could someone enter this room without father or I detection it? It did not add up.
The atmosphere around me seemed to get tenser and frightening as I heard heavy footsteps in the house and silent grumbles that was definitely not Nathaniel. Father had come home.
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:OOOOOOOOOOOO
WHO STOLD THE RITUAL?
HOW COULD ANYONE HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE THOMPSON HOUSEHOLD?
WILL MERCY AND NATHANEIL BE CAUGHT BY FATHER???
Find out in the next chappie::::: Facing The Facts.
VOTE COMMENT FAN PEOPLE!!!!
Love, Monique xxxxx