21. The Truth at Last #2
“The long-term effects on Ordinary humans are subtle. Depression, brain fog, body aches, rashes, impotence, insomnia, migraine headaches, lethargy.” Buffalo ticked off a laundry list of symptoms.
“Sounds like the cautionary tale in every drug commercial I’ve ever heard.” Maida rolled her eyes.
“In rare cases, it can cause allergic reactions. Some cases of cancer have been found.” Buffalo smiled wryly.
He threaded his hands together and stretched.
Maida heard his knuckles crack. “The effect on magical folk is more profound. We’re still learning about it.
We have a much lower tolerance for synthetic magic and a much higher tendency to become addicted.
And once addicted, it’s very hard to recover.
Shifters become volatile, and then eventually catatonic.
Witches simply go mad. We call the disease ‘the languor.’”
“Is that what happened to my mother and me?” Maida asked.
“Your mother showed all the classic signs of the langour, although back then we didn’t have a name for it.
And you were born a very sick baby,” Buffalo confirmed.
“We couldn’t know how much was because of the synthetic magic your mother was using while she was pregnant with you, and how much was because of other things. ”
“What other things?” Maida asked.
“Prematurity, the difficulty of the pregnancy, and mixed genetics. It’s not only taboo for different magical types to mate because of outdated pure blood ideology.
It can often also be a risk to both mother and child.
Not that this deterred Larkspur. She was determined to fight discrimination with her whole self—body and soul, if need be. ”
“And you?” Maida asked. “How did you feel about that?”
Buffalo looked away from her now. “Let’s just say I was already in love with another witch, and very aware that it would be an uphill battle for both of us to pursue a relationship. But I was willing to try. One night she came to me…”
They had come to a stop near the weeping willow and Maida was pleased to see her swing was still there. It looked like the rope had been replaced, but otherwise the same broad, simple board was hanging where she remembered it.
“I don’t need to know the details, Dad…” Maida spied a small green frog by the side of the frog pond. When she bent to take a closer look he hopped away towards the tree.
“The witch that came to me? She wasn’t who I thought. We’d all been drinking and Larkspur had thought it would be funny to employ a glamor, and show up in my room looking like her roommate. She suspected how I felt about Amrita.”
“Oh no…” Maida’s hand flew to her mouth. “That’s terrible! How could you ever forgive her?”
“We were all so young. Kids do stupid things. Magical kids do especially stupid things.”
Maida looked longingly at the swing. It was practically begging for her to sit down on it, and so she did.
“So she tricked you into getting her pregnant?” Maida asked.
Buffalo leaned back against the tree trunk, studying her, appearing to weigh his words before continuing.
“Not exactly. She tricked me, but it wasn’t as nefarious as that.
I don’t think she actually intended to conceive a child.
” Her father shifted from foot to foot as he spoke, clearly less than comfortable with the details he was sharing.
But he was also determined to spare none of them.
“But once she did, there was no way that she wasn’t going through with it.
Even when the doctors told her how dangerous it would be, given my size and her congenital condition.
It was a miracle that she became pregnant at all. ”
“What condition would that be?” Maida asked.
“She had an abnormally small uterus. Mouse sized.” Buffalo grimaced. “‘Incompatible with gestation’ was what the doctors said.”
“Oh,” Maida said, gathering her thoughts. She felt awful asking the next question, but she felt she must. “Why didn’t she just consider termination?”
“Fates no! She was convinced you were special. She wouldn’t think of it.
Even when her family threatened to cut her off if she went through with it.
She was so determined. She turned to synthetic magic because it was the only way she could carry you to term.
There was no talking her out of it. And by that point, she’d convinced me as well.
You should know this, Maida. I may not have intended to bring you into the world, but once I knew you existed, I was willing to do anything to hold you in my arms and bring you home. ”
“Why did her family cut her off?” Maida rocked gently on the swing, needing the motion to take the edge off this conversation. She had one foot tucked under her bottom and nudged herself with the other, pushing against the bulky roots that bulged up from the ground in front of her.
“We’ve had brief periods in history where witches and shifters have gotten along and lived together in harmony.
Usually when we’ve had to stick together to face a common enemy.
Primrose Court was founded around the same time as the Salem witch trials.
And many of the first shifters to settle there were blamed in one form or another for the outbreaks of plague in the old country.
But even at the best of times, there’s been a double standard.
It’s one thing for witches to mingle socially with shifters.
It’s another thing entirely to mix bloodlines,” Buffalo explained.
“Why not? It’s obviously possible.” Maida tilted her head and gestured down at herself.
“Yes, obviously.” Buffalo smiled at her, his pride shining in his eyes.
“But the Lathrops are a prominent family. Very proper. It didn’t help that your mother was very young and so was I.
Plus, she dropped out of school. This was a true scandal.
They wanted me to talk her out of it, even offered me money to go away.
When I refused, they had me banished from Primrose Court. ”
“I see.” Maida swallowed. “So I guess I’m pretty lucky to be here.” She toyed with the locket, considering whether she even wanted to meet her two remaining aunts. Now that she’d heard this story, she wasn’t so sure. “I guess I understand why my aunts never reached out to me now.”
“Minerva Lathrop wasn’t one to poke her nose in other people’s affairs.
She’s always kept to herself, running that bookshop.
She’s been the caretaker for generations.
Your mother’s sister is another story. Lucretia was very jealous of Larkspur, but she looked up to her as well.
She lost her sister, and then her parents not long after.
It wasn’t easy for her, and she’s grown into a very rigid person.
Lucretia blamed me when the synthetic magic made Larkspur go mad. And I don’t blame her for that.”
“But it wasn’t your fault. It was her decision to take it.”
Buffalo turned away from Maida and walked a few paces. She couldn’t see his face. She could only see his shoulders moving up and down as he breathed. There was the slightest shudder as he exhaled.
“I could have stopped her.”
“If you had, you wouldn’t have had to give up your magic.
Your life would have proceeded differently.
I can understand if you have regrets.” As she pumped her legs to swing higher, her momentum caused a slight breeze.
She felt one of the long branches of the tree brush against her arm. She swatted it away.
“No! I was going to say it was what she wanted, but it was what I wanted too. I could have stopped her, but I didn’t, and I wouldn’t if I had to do it over again. I’m terribly sorry for what happened to your mother and to the Lathrops but I can’t regret it. I won’t ever regret it.”