The King continued to stare at Luna, “The council has come to an agreement, that we shall test the spell on one participant first… to ensure that it will work for the masses.” The King turned in his seat to address the rest of the council, his face growing stoic. “And given the situation, I believe that it would be best that we perform the first test on Sir Alec Blackwater.” He suggested, gaining a collective gasp from the table. Even Luna felt her breath catch in her throat at the notion.
Madam Hawthorn cleared her throat and the room grew quiet again. “Given the circumstances, I am in agreement of the King’s assessment.” She smiled politely at the King, “To have Sir Alec cured of the curse would mean that we would have two High Wizards of the high bloodline that would be available to break the curse. I think it would be foolish to waste the Lady Blackwater’s powers on anything else.” She passed a stern glare up both sides of the table, daring anyone to disagree with her.
There was a chorus of nods and mumbles as the council fell into quiet agreement, even Luna could see the logic in the King’s decision; Sir Alec was better suited for the job, all she had to do was cure him and then Eranox would be fine without her.
“Then it is settled.” The King clapped his hands together, “Sir Alec shall be the first subject of the trial cure.” The King turned to the man on the left of Madam Hawthorn, “Sir Hawthorn, we will require more of the potion, you are dismissed from the council to prepare.”
Quietly the man rose from the table and excused himself from the room, though the rest of the council remained.
CHAPTER TEN
Lucas shifted uncomfortably in his seat as the door closed again, he looked up at Luna trying to catch her eye. He was trying to tell her something, his head shaking stiffly as though he wanted to warn her about what was about to happen, though she couldn’t decipher the look on his face.
She wasn’t sure what was going to happen next, but Lucas looked nervous, and she could tell that she wasn’t going to be prepared for whatever it was that the King had planned.
Luna looked around the room, searching for a sign of what was coming, though the room remained the same; a table and a gathering of council members. If any of them knew what was about to happen, they hid it well.
The chatter swelled and then subsided again as the King waited for the room to become quiet before he continued talking, it seemed that the meeting of the council wasn’t over just yet. Though Sir Hawthorn had departed there was more to come, and everyone seemed excited about what was about to happen next.
Finally the room fell silent again, the council members had turned to watch the King with rapt attention, ready for him to continue with the meeting. Luna could feel her heart racing, though she didn’t know why just yet. Lucas looked concerned across the table from her, he wasn’t watching his father. He had turned away to watch Luna, which wasn’t helping her as she tried to stay calm.
The King cleared his throat, “Lady Blackwater,” He turned towards Luna again and the council followed his gaze, “there was a time when we had hoped that your parents were out in the other worlds, finding a way to save us; a way to break the curse and bring us the aid that we so desperately needed to restore Eranox.” His voice was low, many of the council members leaned forward in their seats to listen as he spoke, afraid to miss a single word.
Luna stared at the King, trying not to feel so uncomfortable, though she was sure that he was getting to something more important than her parents failed quest.
“Now,” the King tipped his head sadly, “The curse is spreading again, and we are running out of time to make a change. We can no longer wait for the others to come and save us, we must do it ourselves or watch Eranox crumble beneath us.”
The King rose from his seat, walking to a side door within the chamber that Luna hadn’t even noticed before that moment. The council members turned in their seats to watch him.
“Sir Hawthorn may have finally found a way,” The King continued, preparing himself for something, “But before we test his cure on your father…” He rapped on the side door three times, “We must know that you can work the magic.”
He stepped back to the table quickly as the door began to open.
The strange side door opened and two Knights entered pulling a cage behind them. Inside was a small animal that Luna couldn’t quite catch a good look at from her spot at the table, she stayed in her seat, as the council gasped with horror.
The room fell into absolute silence as the council members turned, staring at her as though they expected a display of her powers, as though she was there to entertain them.
Luna could feel her heart beating in her chest, she hadn’t come prepared.
“What is that?” Luna hissed across the table at Lucas, trying her best to keep her composure, though she knew that she was losing it.
Lucas glanced her way, but he didn’t answer. His face was stuck with a silent terror, and Luna knew that he was expecting something horrible was about to happen.
Instead, the King answered, “This,” He gestured kindly to the cage as it rolled to a stop near the head of the table, “is a cat, Lady Blackwater. It is a creature that is often kept as a pet, normally docile and quite friendly when tamed.” He smiled, turning to the room like he hadn’t just explained what a cat was, clearly he didn’t expect that Luna had encountered one before on Earth. “This cat was cursed quite recently, only a night ago.”
He reached out for Luna’s hand, and she rose from her seat, letting him guide her around the table towards the cage. “Would you be willing to try lifting the curse, if I guided you through it?” He asked kindly, his voice low, though Luna knew that the rest of the council was listening.
Luna knew that she would have to say yes, the rest of the council was watching her, this was the reason that she had come back to Eranox. She dared a glance back at Lucas, he looked surprised that they were asking her to try already. She hadn’t even had time to get a proper explanation of what it was they were expecting her to do.
The King cleared his throat lightly, waiting for Luna’s answer.
“Um, sure.” Luna answered nervously.
“Thank you Lady Blackwater, we appreciate your cooperation. If this works, we will be able to lift the curse from Eranox, one victim at a time… until we are able to find another way…”
The King turned to the council, they had all stood from their seats and were watching with great interest.
“This is in no way ideal as the cure we had hoped for.” The King spoke again, “But with Lady Blackwater’s help, Eranox may survive and live to thrive again.” He smiled at the council as they clapped with excitement.
The pressure was building in the room, and the longer the King spoke the more riled up the council became, they clearly had high expectations and Luna was starting to feel like the room was shrinking around her. There was no escape from it, there was no more time to prepare herself. Even Lucas looked scared for her, and in that moment she wondered what was going to happen to her if she failed.
What would the council think if she wasn’t unable to lift the curse? Would she get to go home? Would they let her leave alive? For a moment she wasn’t quite sure.
“Are you ready?” The King whispered, not waiting for Luna to answer.
He reached beneath his cloak and procured a bottle from his waist, “First we must release the potion onto the creature, it helps separate the curse from the being.” He instructed, handing Luna the small vial.”
Luna looked down at the small glass vial in her hand, the thick murky liquid inside felt warm through the glass, “I just pour it over?” She asked quietly, releasing the cork.
“Yes.” The King answered, staying back while Luna approached the cage.
The scent from the vial smelled putrid, like it had gone moldy while it had been bottled up. She wondered how long the small vial had been kept, waiting for a High Wizard to use it, she wondered if it was even still any good.
She gripped the vial in
her hand as she took another step towards the cage, trying to keep her hand from shaking so she didn’t spill the precious liquid before she was ready.
The cat seemed normal, perhaps because it was daytime and the effects of the curse were more prominent at night. The small creature sat still in the cage, staring ahead as though no one were in the room with it. It’s casual blankness was a symptom that Lucas had explained to her in the Gateway. There was no doubt in her mind that the cat was cursed, it didn’t even blink as she approached it.
She took another step towards the cage, breathing slowly to calm her nerves as she reached the gilded bars that contained the still cat. Slowly she reached up and tipped the vial over the cage, the thick liquid seemed to float down in a cloud, enveloping the cat as it poured out of the small bottle.
Luna stepped back and handed the empty vial and cork back to the King, “And what do I do next?” She asked, keeping an eye on the cat in the cage, it still hadn’t moved a muscle, though the potion hovered over it like a second skin. She was surprised that the cat wasn’t reacting to it at all.
“Here.” The King tucked the spent vial away and reached for her hand again, “I want you to feel the power, I will guide you through it.” He whispered only to her, drowning out the rest of the council so she could concentrate, “Feel the cat’s life force, focus on it, you will know where the curse is.” He explained.
“Okay.” Luna nodded, reaching her other hand out towards the cage, she closed her eyes as she concentrated, trying to find the cat in her mind.
“Once you have the cat, feel the curse, feel the curse lifting from the cat out of its body.” The King’s voice drifted into Luna’s mind. “Push it out with your power.”
Surprisingly, Luna could feel it. Like a rush of fire coursing through her veins, the magic flowed through her. She imagined the cat, so frail and still, its spirit separating from the darkness that had taken it over. She could see in her mind as the dark began to separate, the burden of the curse lifting. The ashy cloud hovered over the cat, waiting for her next command.
“What do I do with the curse now?” Luna asked, squeezing the King’s hand in hers to be sure that he was still there to help her. “It’s out, but what do I do with it now?” She held her eyes closed, afraid to let go of the curse, afraid that if she did it would find another host.
“Dissolve it Lady Blackwater, send it back to the stars.” The King’s voice was even and calm, he still held her hand firmly rooting her in the room.
Luna twisted her palm, imagining the swell of darkness burning up into ash and disintegrating into nothing. When she felt that it was all gone, she opened her eyes.
She was dizzy, the King held her as she swayed, trying to stay on her feet as the room around her twisted.
“Bring Lady Blackwater a chair.” The King’s voice sounded like it was underwater, though his hand was still holding hers, she gripped it tightly afraid of letting go.
Lucas appeared beside her, gently helping her sit down in the chair that had been set behind her. “Are you okay?” He whispered, leaning in close, his face swaying before Luna.
“Did it work?” Luna asked, turning her head to look at the cage again as the nausea began to fade.
The cat was staring at her, it’s green eyes were curious. It stretched and yawned, pawing at the bars of the cage before it began to pace, suddenly alive again.
“Oh my, it worked.” Madam Hawthorn exclaimed, stepping closer to have a look at the specimen in the cage, “Very impressive Lady Blackwater.” She smiled at Luna with excitement.
Luna tried to smile but she could tell by the look on Madam Hawthorns face that it had come out as more of a grimace.
“Oh dear, you look pale, are you alright?” Madam Hawthorn leaned forward hovering in Luna’s face.
“She’ll be okay.” Lucas answered gently, stepping forward to edge Madam Hawthorn out of the way.
The King clapped his hands together, drawing the attention back away from Luna. “As you can see, the cat has been relieved of the burden of the curse.” He waved his hand towards the cage and the gaze of the council followed, “The cure that Sir Hawthorn has been perfecting has finally been tested successfully and we can move forward with a cure for Eranox.”
“And now Lady Blackwater will cure Sir Blackwater?” Madam Hawthorn asked, not ready to lose all of the attention quite yet.
The King chuckled, “I do believe Lady Blackwater could use a rest, and Sir Hawthorn will require some time to produce a larger batch of the potion.”
“What’s next then?” Luna asked quietly, wondering just how much longer it would be before she was able to get that rest that the King had mentioned.
“The cat shall remain guarded through this nightfall.” The King advised, tipping his head to the two Knights who stood silently behind the cage before he turned back to the council, “We wouldn’t want to make any mistakes here, we need to wait until the time of the curse is upon us to ensure that it has been fully lifted from the cat.”
The room nodded in agreement.
“At this time I think we should adjourn for the day.” The King turned back to the Knights, “Guard this cage, and alert me if there are any changes.” He advised them, stoically the two Knights nodded as they began to take the cage out of the room and into the side chamber where the cat had been kept before Luna had lifted its curse.
Slowly the council exited the room through the main doors, leaving Luna with the King and Lucas.
It was time for her to get some answers.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The King waited in silence until the doors had closed before he spoke again. As the last member of the council finally departed and the Knights closed the doors back over from the other side the King finally turned to face Luna again.
“You did well on the test.” He smiled, clearly relieved that Luna had been as powerful as he had hoped. “How did you feel?” He asked, watching carefully for a sign that she might not be up to curing something larger.
“It was strange.” Luna admitted, “But I think I could get the hang of it.”
The King looked to Lucas for an explanation, not sure of Luna’s Earthly slang.
“She thinks she could do it again.” Lucas repeated.
“I am glad to hear it.” The King continued to smile, “If the cat remains unchanged through the night our next step is to capture Alec Blackwater and have him cured.” The King repeated the information he had mentioned earlier in case Luna hadn’t understood, “Once he is cured, he will be able to assist you in healing Eranox from this curse. There will be less pressure on you once the true High Wizard is restored.” He reminded Luna, his face pensive.
“Once he is cured I could go home and let my mom know how things are going?” Luna asked, checking Lucas for a reaction. She wasn’t sure if Lucas had mentioned anything to his father about Luna returning home.
“I don’t see why not, for a quick visit.” The King nodded, “But we would still need you here to accelerate the cure.” He added, reminding Luna that she would still be needed once Alec returned as High Wizard.
“How will they capture him while he is still cursed?” Luna wondered aloud. The Gateway was a dangerous place and he could be anywhere inside of it.
“The Knights are already searching for him. Two teams are scouring the Gateway during the day while it is safe.” He sounded like he had it all planned out, “When he is found, he will be caged in the Gateway and only transported here to the castle when we are ready to have him cured.” He answered plainly.
“So there is no chance that he could escape and spread the curse in Eranox…” Luna continued, seeing the logic in the King’s plan.
“Precisely.” He nodded.
“We will still be needing you for a few days.” Lucas reminded her, “Are you prepared to stay? Until Alec Blackwater is able to take over at least…” He asked offering Luna the out that he had promised her.
“I think that I will be okay to stay for a fe
w days.” Luna agreed, hoping that her mom wouldn’t be too worried about her back on Earth, “But I should probably go back to let my mom know I’m okay, once Alec is ready.” She added.
“That is agreeable.” The King nodded, “Now we wait,” He clapped his hands together, signaling the end of their discussion. “I am sure that Lucas has some time to show you around, you should get to know more about Eranox while we wait for Sir Alec to be captured.” The King smiled, a twinkle in his eye as he ushered the two of them towards the door.
Lucas shook his head, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, “Okay father, we get the point, you have things to do and need us out of your way.” He reached towards the door.
As he opened it a young girl fell into the room.
“Oof.” She collected herself off of the floor. She had clearly been listening with her ear pressed against the door and been caught off guard when Lucas had opened it. Her cheeks were red as she looked up at Lucas and the King guiltily. “Sorry…” She dusted her dress off and reached for Lucas’ hand to pull herself back up to her feet.
“Ezzie.” Lucas chided, “You know that you aren’t supposed to be here.” He led her from the room before the King could say a word.
Luna followed, wondering who the strange girl was and why she had never seen her before.
“Is that her?” Ezzie asked, looking over her shoulder at Luna, “Lady Blackwater?” She hissed, giggling under her breath.
“Yes, Ezzie.” Lucas answered, rolling his eyes, “Her name is Luna, she is here to help”
“Oh, that’s a pretty name.” Ezzie squealed, peeking over Lucas’ shoulder again to stare.
“What were you doing down here Ezzie?” Lucas finally stopped walking a few paces from the council room doors, lowering his voice, “You know you aren’t allowed at the council meetings… you shouldn’t have been listening…”
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