Chapter Sixteen
I brace for the heartbreak.
I know what my Grandmother’s answer will be. I can see it in her eyes. But Forsythia needs to hear it before she will believe it.
However, the second Cordelia confirms her fears, Forsythia screams. It’s the sounds of torment and pain. The terrible noise is enough to bring anyone to tears, knowing instantly what it means and feeling pure empathy for the poor soul.
It’s the sound of a heart tearing in two.
As the decibel amps up, the vibrations begin to fill me with unfathomable pain. Oh no. This isn’t just a scream. This is something much more.
When I look at my Grandmother, I realize the sound is affecting her too, only on a much larger scale. The sound abruptly stops without any needed intervention, but before I can even attempt to console Forsythia, her magick billows out, slamming into us. If not for my shield still holding strong, more of the village would be made aware of exactly what this woman is.
Her hair has come out of her braid and is flowing behind her in a breeze that is solely her own magickal essence. Her eyes are not their usual lovely yellow but are glowing like stars made of pure golden light. The room begins to dim and I quickly realize that her magick is somehow seeping out of my shield. I spare a glance at my Grandmother, but she is on the ground on her hands and knees, unable to even lift her head, let alone help me.
I have to stop this. I close my eyes and focus hard on my word. Just one. That’s all I need.
Requiem
I shove a pulse of my air to carry the magick directly to Forsythia as fast as possible. Her eyelids begin to lower immediately, as does her hair, and she begins to descend from a hover I hadn’t even noticed a moment ago. Shifting my position, I catch her so that she isn’t injured and lay her on the bed next to Ori. When I get over to Cordelia and offer her my hand, she bats it away as she stands. Since she doesn’t appear injured and she would know better than I would, I let it go.
She shifts moving cautiously to Forsythia, and ever so gently brushes the stray hairs from her face. Her own holding a look of pure awe. “Never in my life did I ever think I would witness this.” She looks at me with wonder shining in her eyes. “You truly have found what’s been missing.”
Since I’m really not sure how to respond, I squeeze her free hand gently before letting my attention wander back to the woman who holds more power than I have ever witnessed in my entire life.
Cordelia shifts and begins to move from the room. “I am going to gather a few herbs and supplies that we will need for the next step. We won’t want to let her rest for too long, as her friend will fade before night’s end.” I nod in understanding as she continues, “I will not mention your arrival to anyone, so that we may have enough time to take care of things before others come by to visit, but you are easily recognizable, so we will need to work quickly.”
She glances back at Forsythia’s resting form before closing the door. Her awed words are whispered so quietly that I barely hear them.
“ Noctifer Witch. ”
My eyes fix on the face I narrowly assumed belonged to a nymph when I first saw it.
Noctifer Witch.
Yes, that was my thought as well. It’s nice to know I wasn’t alone in that theory though, and Cordelia’s words are as much of a confirmation as we are bound to get at this point.
Forsythia isn’t just a powerhouse of her magick. She is the powerhouse of all magicks. A myth among the magickal world. The one who has not one affinity, but all of them. No wonder her mother kept her a secret. Her abilities tip the balance established by the Gods, that we magickals have become so comfortable with.
How has she been able to keep it all bottled up this whole time?
Pulling the chair as close as possible to the bed, I sink my tired body down into it. Grabbing a hold of Forsythia’s hand, I feel that tingle of electricity again. What is with that? I brush that thought aside, too tired to give it much thought. I could go for a meal and a swim. But sitting here, watching her gentle breaths, I know I wouldn’t be able to leave her side.
I don’t think I will ever be able to leave her side.
Giving in to the exhaustion, I let my eyes slide closed on that thought. I hate to admit it, but it just feels right. Being with her feels so damn... right .
Stifling a yawn, I let my head sag. I just need a little rest before we continue.
Fluttering wings
A beautiful clear night sky– that should be reflecting fluffy clouds and warm sunlight
Fear, happiness, agony, relief
My mother’s lifeless body
Forsythia’s smile
All of these things at once, and yet none of them at all. A voice I do not know whispers close…
“Help her, or all is lost. Save her, or you are lost.”
Then I’m drifting into the dark nothingness again, hearing only the sound of my beating hearts.
Except I only have one.
“Wake up you lazy turtle!” My eyes snap open to the sound of my Grandmother’s voice and the light slap she gives my arm. “The sun has set and I have let you both rest as much as I can, but we have to make haste if we hope to get her any answers.”
Glancing out the window, I notice that the sun has almost gone to sleep, but the stars are still waking, so we aren’t too far into night just yet. Looking back at Cordelia I see that she brought in a table with some herbs and is mashing them with her pestle. She glances up at me, then at the hand I’m still holding of Forsythia’s, before smirking and letting her attention go back to her work.
Ignoring whatever assumptions my Grandmother is clearly making in her head, I shake my own slightly. Trying to clear the muddled thoughts from my sleep.
Such a strange dream...
When my back cracks a few times, I suddenly wish I hadn’t fallen asleep in this horrible chair. That’s twice now that I have slept in really shitty places. I deserve a bed. My stomach growls, and I alter my plans slightly. I deserve a nice hot meal, a soak, and then a bed.
I stand, allowing my body the full stretch it needs, and look down at Forsythia with a deep sigh. I’m not looking forward to this, but it has to be done. Might as well get on with it. First I need to secure the area and give us privacy again.
Walking over to the door, I run my hand along the bottom, pushing my magick into the word needed to seal us inside.
Signaculum
Going to the window above the bed, I notice that our dragonfly friend is hanging out on the other side. I will have to remember to ask Cordelia about the little creature before we leave the village. Running my hand along the sill, I repeat my warding spell here as well.
With that done, I blow a small stream of air and twirl it with my finger. Encouraging it to expand until it encompasses the entire room, taking care to not startle Grandmother’s preparations. and I push the words of my magick into the gentle encompassing breeze.
Sonus Scutum
With all of our protections and safeguards in place, I look to Cordelia. She places the herbs into the steeper of a teapot and closes the lid. When she looks at me and nods gently, I know it’s time.
Touching Forsythia’s arm, I use that as an anchor for my spell so that I don’t accidentally catch Ori as well. I let my air travel down my arm, channeling my magick and carrying my word of intention right to its target.
Surgit
Her eyes flutter open, and her gaze shifts to me. I notice that they’re back to their beautiful floral shade of yellow, and that they are shining with fear and a little confusion. She lets her gaze drift around the room, taking in her surroundings.
“We let you rest for as long as we could,” I tell her in the most soothing voice I can. Comforting isn’t my forte though, so I know my tone is a little gruff. She sits up gently and scrunches her eyebrows together, before looking down at Ori. She goes impossibly still, and I can feel her magick ebbing dramatically, but she hasn’t lost control...yet.
I give her some time to digest everything, but after a few moments, she looks up at me as a lone tear escapes. Something tickles my cheek, and when I bring my hand to it, I discover that I have a tear on mine as well.
Thankfully, Cordelia breaks the silence. Her tone is much more soothing than mine. “Here child, I have something that will help you.”
She hands the teacup to Forsythia, who takes it in both hands. “What is it for?” She croaks out, her throat no doubt sore and dry from the screaming.
“It will help you keep calm and focused. This won’t be an easy process, but it is very time sensitive. So we must be as quick as possible.”
Forsythia nods and sips the tea, her shoulders visibly relaxing a little after she swallows the first sip. Meanwhile, Cordelia begins to run a ribbon through a tincture of some kind, before sending her magick along through it as well.
Erit Tranquillitas Et Dolor Libero
Once she seems satisfied with the ribbon, Cordelia takes it over to Ori and carefully ties it around his neck. Forsythia watches as she continues to sip the tea. Studying Cordelia’s every move. “What’s the ribbon for?” She asks once Grandmother has it secured.
“This will ensure that he doesn’t feel any pain, and will also keep him calm.” My grandmother has one of the biggest hearts I know. I can’t say why exactly, but it means a lot to me that she is taking extra care with Ori. While she would never turn away an injured animal, she is truly going above and beyond in this case.
Forsythia simply nods as she finishes her tea, then hands the cup back to Cordelia with a quiet, “Thank you.” Her gaze travels back to Ori and she shifts her body, adjusting so that he will be able to see her without moving. “How long will we have?”
Cordelia sighs softly and answers her honestly. “I truly don’t know. He is fading quickly, so not long but hopefully, it will be enough to get some of the answers you deserve. The ribbon will prevent him from feeling pain, so when his time comes, he will be able to travel peacefully. I truly wish I could do more, child. I am sorry.” I hear the sorrow in her voice and see Forsythia sniffling.
Feeling the need to give them both a gentle push, I finally speak up. “Are we ready?” I ask them both, needing us all to be on the same page for this next part. Forsythia nods, but her eyes don’t leave her friend’s feathered body. I look at Cordelia and get a single solemn nod from her as well.
Running my hand across Ori’s head, I gently push my magick.
Revertere Ad Nos
His eyes open and latch immediately onto Forsythia’s. The ribbon prevents him from moving his body, but it won’t keep him from turning his head slightly, which he does as he takes in his surroundings. He looks back at Forsythia with understanding.
“Ori? Can you hear me?” she manages to ask on a shaky breath between sniffles.
“Yes, I can hear you.” He moves his head to look at my Grandmother before speaking again. “I know what you are doing with your magick right now for me, and I thank you for it.” Cordelia makes a humming sound as she continues to concentrate on slowing the hex so that Ori can talk. She already has sweat beading on her forehead. I can almost hear the clock ticking down.
“Right, well, let’s dive into things, hm?” He says looking between Forsythia and myself. “Did someone give you tea?”
On a watery laugh, Forsythia throws her hands in the air before responding. “Oh my Gods Ori, now is absolutely not the time for the tea debate.”
He chuckles, but continues on, “Actually, the tea your mother and I, well... and this woman here, have given you serves an important purpose. You are special, Forsythia. For centuries, you were a rumor. A myth among our people. Now the Gods have brought you here. The teas are not magickal, but simply the right combination of herbs that have been known to help tranquilize one’s nerves. On a magickal less powerful, it would knock them out as good as any truly strong mead for days. However, on you, it simply lets some of your magick go dormant. It was necessary for safety. Yours and others.”
“So that’s why you always grumbled about me drinking my tea. You were protecting me?” Thanks to the calming effects of the tea, she is able to hold in her anger, but a little creeps out in her tone as she grows increasingly impatient. “From what? What am I, Ori? And who… Who are you? ”
I have to admit, the tea must be working wonders because her magick is only lightly fluttering and hasn’t gone batshit crazy like earlier. If it did, I would be freaking out pretty good right about now.
“All very good questions.” He says in the same tone he has been speaking with, but his eyes flutter for a brief moment. I look at Cordelia and notice that she is swaying a bit. I pull over the chair I was resting in earlier and gently nudge her to take the seat. The last thing we need is her falling over and breaking her concentration. She nods in appreciation but doesn’t speak as she continues to hold off the hex for as long as possible.
“Let me speak as much as I can, and hope that I answer as many questions as I can in the time we have left. I can feel my energy waning.” Forsythia nods and a fresh river of tears flows down her cheeks. “You are not a half-breed. You are more than that. You are all. You contain the magickal abilities of all non-fae magickals. The stories call you the Noctifer Witch, whose magick is so powerful, she can bring upon the night, during the day.”
My thoughts swim back to my dream…
A beautiful clear night sky– that should be reflecting fluffy clouds and warm sunlight
I shake my head, sure of the simple coincidence of my exhausted mind, and focus on Ori’s words.
“You are the most powerful magickal alive. No fae or non-fae can wield the powers you can. With training of course.” He glances at me, and I nod.
He looks back at her with wonder in his eyes. “You are Forsythia Grimshaw. Daughter of Elswyth Grimshaw and—“