by M.E. Timmons
Chapter 20
Selene shrank back at the shock of her words and stared at her in horror. Varla looked somewhat smug at her reaction. Selene took the amulet out of her pocket and put it in the box and almost slammed the lid shut. Varla disappeared immediately.
“Where did she go?” Jenson asked, still looking at the spot where Varla had just been hovering.
“The box acts as a kind of shield for the magic. When I put the amulet into it Varla disappears and the remaining energy in the amulet is conserved,” Selene explained, her voice shaking slightly. She sat back down on the grass.
“Are you alright?” Jenson asked, concerned. Selene looked paler than usual and her expression was oddly blank.
She just shook her head. She was too busy thinking to speak. Jenson decided that it would be best to let her think, so he didn’t disturb her.
The decision Selene was faced with was the most difficult decision of her life. The weight of it felt like it was crushing her and stealing the air from her lungs. She set the box on the ground and leaned forward, resting her head on her knees. She felt Jenson’s arm go around her shoulders as he sat next to her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
More than anything, Selene wanted to free the men, once and for all. Still, she wasn’t sure just how much she would do to make that happen. She had to choose between taking a life to get what she wanted, or letting Wicesla live and possibly never freeing the beasts. Was one life worth so much suffering? How could Selene know the answer to such a question?
“Remember the prophesy,” Selene heard Jenson whisper softly. “It foretold of a young witch breaking the curse. No matter which path you choose, you have a chance.”
Selene lifted her head to meet his eyes. Hers were pooling with tears. “I have always valued life,” she said. “Even the smallest animals deserve to live. We all have our purposes in the world. How could I possibly kill someone? I don’t even know how I could do it, since she’s far more powerful than I am. What should I do?” Her tears spilled over and streaked down her cheeks.
“I can’t make that decision for you,” Jenson said. He didn’t know what to do any more than she did, though he didn’t like to admit that.
“Wicesla might not even be evil. She has used black magic, but she’s had reasons for a lot of what she’s done. Besides, she hasn’t been bothering anyone in years. If she was truly evil wouldn’t she have been doing something for all that time?”
“I hate to point this out, but she did kill Tornado,” Jenson reasoned.
“You know, I honestly forgot that she was the one who did that. Perhaps she is evil after all. Does that really justify killing her, though? I’m not even sure Tornado would agree that it does.”
Jenson sighed. “No, it doesn’t. It should never take an evil to end an evil.”
Selene nodded. She had made her decision, but she knew it would be hard to live with, though not nearly as hard as the other option. “I’m not going to kill her,” she announced. “Besides, you were wrong about the prophesy. I read it only recently, and I don’t think I could be successful either way. It talks about heart and honour, and destroying hatred. Killing would lead me on the wrong path.”
“Where does that leave us? Do you think Varla will help anyway? Maybe she can be convinced.”
“No, she’s too bitter. She died hating men, and those feelings haven’t changed. She wouldn’t help us without me doing what she asked. That is, assuming she would have helped us at all.” Selene wiped her tears away and was glad when no more came.
“It’s kind of a waste of the amulet,” Jenson commented, looking at the box.
“There could still end up being a use for it.” Selene lowered her knees, which had been brought up to her chest, and she put the box on her lap. She noticed that a bright purple bar had appeared on the front, right below the clasp. Selene recognized it as a magic meter. It had a black outline, and the purple went almost all the way to the end. There was still plenty of magic left in the amulet. She pointed it out to Jenson, who laughed at it.
“You witches think of everything,” he joked.
He stood up and offered Selene a hand to pull her up. Once standing, she gave him the box and he wrapped his vest around it again.
“I feel like I’m back where I started,” Selene complained as they started walking back home. She felt exhausted because of all that was going on, and yet she didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. The magic required to activate the amulet had also drained her energy, so she was starting to feel like she could collapse at any moment and fall asleep.
“You aren’t,” Jenson reassured her, taking her hand again. “Varla may not be able to help us, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t another way. You have more knowledge now than you did before, and that knowledge could be very powerful if used in the right way.”
Selene knew what he was talking about, and she couldn’t help but agree with him. “Wicesla knows how to end the curse. Do you think she’ll help us if we help her?”
“It’s worth a try.”
When they got back home, Frieda was running frantically between the kitchen and the cauldron. She had her hands full, and she sighed with relief when she saw Selene.
“Dear, I know I said I could spare you, but I got an extra order today and I’m swamped. I could really use your help. Also, the cow really needs to be milked.” She looked pointedly at Jenson, who simply nodded and headed for the barn.
“What do you need me to do?” Selene asked, sighing inwardly. She hoped she had enough energy to make it through the rest of the day.
“There’s a hair growth potion in the cauldron that could really use your attention. I’ve marked my place in the spell book, and this should be everything you’ll need. I’ve got to run next door to do a spell and I’ll be right back.” She dumped the contents of her arms into Selene’s, and then hurried off without another word.
As soon as she was gone, Jenson snuck back over. “Where should I put this?” he asked, indicating the box in his hand, which was still wrapped in his vest.
“Under the couch, if you don’t mind,” Selene answered, almost dropping a turnip. She dropped a small branch of pine needles instead.
“Not a problem,” Jenson said. He stole a quick kiss and then hurried inside. Selene went over to the cauldron before she could drop anything else.
What Selene really wanted to do then was go inside and upstairs to find Varla’s spell book. She desperately hoped that the spell she needed to end Wicesla’s curse was still intact, and not on one of the pages that were missing or falling apart. She couldn’t leave the potion, though, since there was much to do to prepare it. She hated waiting. Patience had never been one of her stronger traits. The fact that she was having a hard time staying awake didn’t help.
Selene was stirring the cauldron the appropriate number of times when she heard Jenson’s voice from behind her, and it was strangely cool. “What are you doing here?” he asked.
Selene turned, wondering what he was talking about, but then she saw that Amber had just arrived. Jenson was standing protectively between them. He had seen Amber coming just as he finished milking the cow.
Amber held up her hands in a display of surrender. “I come in peace, I swear,” she announced.
“It’s alright Jenson,” Selene said. She put the spoon she was using down and wiped her hands on her apron.
He turned and looked at her, and then looked back at Amber. “You trust her, even after she betrayed you?”
“No, but I’m guessing she has an important reason for being here.” She looked at Amber, who appeared uncomfortable. Selene smiled slightly to show that she wasn’t going to be hostile, and Amber visibly relaxed. “Are your parents out?”
“Not right now, but they will be this evening. They were invited to dine with my aunt, and when that happens they’re usually out late. I suggest coming by after seven
, but no later than nine. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“Sounds good. Thanks for letting me know.”
“Yeah...no problem,” Amber said. She gave Jenson one last glance and then she left.
Jenson crossed his arms and turned to Selene. He didn’t look happy. “What was that all about?”
Selene looked around. There was no one there, but she motioned for Jenson to come closer anyway. When he was a little over a foot away she stood. “Andy managed to escape being in the forest. Amber found him and she’s been keeping him in her cellar.”
Jenson scowled. “And you didn’t think I should know about that?”
“There were a lot of other things going on,” Selene pointed out. She was trying hard not to get defensive. “I wasn’t keeping it from you on purpose. I only learned about it last night, or rather very early this morning. Amber followed me to the meadow last night, and then she took me to her house. Seeing Andy there was quite a shock.”
“And yet you forgot to tell me...”
Selene frowned. “Jenson, seriously. With Varla and Wicesla, I wasn’t thinking about it. Don’t take it personally.”
He sighed. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m over-reacting.” He took Selene into his arms. She hesitated at first, worried that he was angry, but she hugged him back. Then he kissed her. The kiss was soft, and yet it spread fire through her body, and she kissed him back more urgently.
He pulled away first. “Selene...”
“Mmm?”
“Is that potion supposed to be turning red?”
Selene glanced at it, and then she swore. “No, it isn’t,” she said, and she hurried to fix it. Luckily it only took a little dried mint leaf to bring it back to the shade of brown it was supposed to be.
“I should probably leave you to your work,” Jenson said, smirking.
“Don’t give me that look,” Selene warned half-heartedly. “But yes, you should definitely stop distracting me before I end up doing something dangerous.”
“Like setting the house on fire?”
“No, that’s not exactly what I had in mind...”
Jenson actually blushed slightly and cleared his throat. “Right. I should be going.” He turned and started heading to the other side of the house, where there was some wood waiting to be chopped. He was in a bit of a daze, and tripped over a rock that was protruding from the ground. Selene giggled from somewhere behind him, and he kept walking, embarrassed by his own clumsiness, and his thoughts.
Later, when both of her parents were home, Selene sat them down in the kitchen and told them about Andy. Her father showed a rare smile, and her mother nearly lost herself in her tears. After waiting so long to see her sons, she was overwhelmed by the opportunity to meet one of them, especially the youngest. They both agreed to go see him.
Selene told Dahlia as well, though she arrived home later after spending the day gathering more ingredients for potions, which was a never-ending job. Dahlia was shocked to hear the news, but she was also excited to meet Andy. She told Henry, and he wanted to go too, since he had known Andy when he was living in the forest.
The whole family ended up going after they ate supper. Selene hoped that they didn’t look too conspicuous as they walked to Amber’s house, since there were six of them. It was a big group, and a larger one than was usually seen walking around, except to go to some event. It also worried Selene what people would think if they noticed that they were going to Amber’s house. Amber had betrayed her in front of most of the villagers, so they might be suspicious of why her whole family was going to her house. Perhaps they would think they were ganging up on her.
Despite Selene’s fears, they arrived without incident, though they did receive a few looks on the way. Amber had seen them coming, and she was out by the cellar door when they walked up. She unlocked the chain and pulled the doors open. Selene was glad that the cellar doors weren’t really in the view of the rest of the village, so no one could see where they were going. Her whole family going into a cellar wouldn’t exactly be normal behaviour either.
Andy rushed to greet her as she arrived at the bottom of the stairs first. She expected his hug that time, so she had no trouble keeping her balance.
“I’m so glad you came back!” Andy exclaimed. “There’s hardly anything to do down here, and no one to talk to most of the time.” There were a few books on the coffee table that Amber had brought him, but he had nothing else for entertainment.
Andy noticed the other people coming down the stairs and almost filling the tiny cellar. They all stared at him, which made him uncomfortable.
“That’s Frieda and Velkan, your parents,” Selene introduced them. “That’s Dahlia, your sister, and her husband Henry, who you’ve met before. Of course, you already know Jenson, too.”
Andy was shy for a change. “Hi,” he said, staring back at his visitors.
Velkan was the first to step forward, and he offered Andy his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, son,” he said.
Andy grinned widely as he shook his father’s hand for the first time. The sight almost brought tears to Selene’s eyes. There were a lot of emotions flowing through the room, even though most were hidden.
Frieda couldn’t help but gather her son in her arms and hold him close. Andy was a little surprised by the display of warmth from her, but it made him feel more relaxed, and he hugged her closely in return. He learned for the first time that his mother smelled like pine and lilac, and that she was a tight hugger.
Dahlia just kind of waved. She wasn’t used to showing affection to strangers, even when they were family. Plus, she had a harder time than the others at seeing him for what he really was. He still looked like a beast to her, though even she had to admit that he was fairly cute for a beast.
“You’re all so good-looking,” Andy observed, sounding a tad awestruck. “I hope I look like you someday.”
There were a few laughs at that, including Henry’s chuckle. “They certainly are a good-looking family. I clearly married to my advantage,” he said, winking.
“I think he was including you in that,” Selene said, smiling.
“And me too, of course,” Jenson added jokingly. “And you know what I looked like before. I don’t think you have anything to worry about, kid.”
“I like you just the way you are,” Selene said to Andy. “I can’t imagine you looking any other way. I don’t want to lose my little sunshine.”
Andy rolled his eyes. He was used to hearing people say that he looked like a sun. He turned to his parents.
“Can I go home with you? Please?”
They looked at each other. It said a lot about their relationship that they could communicate with just a glance. Velkan was the one who answered.
“There must be some way. We don’t actually have much room in the house, but maybe we can set up a cot in the attic?”
“Yes, though we’ll have to move some stuff around up there to make room,” Frieda said. “We wouldn’t make you stay in the attic, of course, but you could sleep there and go up when we have company.”
“You’d have to stay away from the windows, and we should probably move you at night, when no one will see you,” Selene added.
“Really? I’m really going to get to live with you guys?” Andy asked, looking back and forth between them, an expression of gratitude lighting up his features.
“I’d do almost anything to get to know at least one of my sons,” Frieda told him, her eyes brimming with tears. She hugged him again.
Selene shared an excited smile with Andy, and she could tell that he was going to love living with them as much as they would love having him around.