The world at the back of the house
PROLOGUE
Once upon a time, in the heart of an ancient forest filled with wildlife of all kinds, beyond the paths and sounds of people, behind the magical mists that led into the unknown depths of the thick vegetation, there stood a single house. A large, two-story building cramped between the trees, bent and curved in impossible ways to fit their embrace, as if it had grown brick by brick along with the giants around it since they were just sprouts. A house with brilliant blue roof tiles that sparkled even under the dark night sky, stained glass windows in wonderfully carved cases, walls almost completely covered by poison ivy and a tall chimney that curled around branches, with a dragon’s angry head formed out of the copper at its top, seemingly ready to unleash fire, smoke and brimstone against its enemies. A creepy as well as somewhat solemn structure, closely surrounded by dozens of mulberry bushes and swarms of butterflies.
***
Two travelers hid on top of a high hill, some hundred steps away from the house. They had been walking in the thick forest for what felt to them many long hours and sunlight was hardly reaching most of the area, especially this deep. Yet the little time of day that had passed since they entered was apparent around them by other signs; singing birds and flying insects or the occasional glimpse of wandering deer and boar, hares and snakes and even a party of frogs they nearly stepped on during their ascend on the hill. Of course, the travelers felt uneasy anyway, just being there – it was a witches’ house they were spying on and that’s always uneasy – but at least they weren’t surrounded by howling wolfs or freshly awoken bats and owls and the additional fears, plain or supernatural, real or not, of any forest at nighttime.
“What d’you think?” asked the man of the pair, as they made themselves comfortable behind a large fallen trunk and took a peek at the building through the wood’s slits and crannies. “I told ya.”
“Oh, Pete… you told me, indeed.”
“Dozens of generations of witches have lived in that one.”
“I thought you were crazy for bringing me here, while they’re waiting for us elsewhere.”
“An insignificant detour. Just a peek and we’ll soon be back on our way.”
“Not that insignificant; we’re so deep in the woods, not even the sun can shine properly.”
“But it’s worth it, isn’t it?”
“Truly. And how did you find out about it?”
“A guy I met on my travels some years back; he grew up somewhere in this township and had told me about it. I’ve seen it a couple o’ times but, now that you’re with me, I thought we’d take a look together. Legend says this house’s been here for more than a thousand years.”
“And how did you know where to find it in this huge maze of trees?”
“The guy told me there’s only one path from one side to another; and the house can be found easily next to it – as you can see – if one is willing to walk deep enough in an enchanted place like this forest.”
“So, these witches are not hiding.”
“No, they’re certainly not.”
“And they really have been co-existing with plain people for that long?”
“Yup.”
“Amazing; when, in other places, witches are hunted like rabid animals, to say the least.”
“Other witches in this township are also hunted if found out. But this is – reportedly – home to one of the oldest and most powerful witch families in the country, maybe even the continent. I suppose hunting them would be much more difficult and dangerous than letting them be; especially when they live so far away from the town or any other settlement. And the family itself didn’t ever really concern themselves with anyone else, not even other witches in the area. I mean, apart from occasionally buying food or drinks or such in town.”
“Or asking the services of a healer, obviously; you said there’s a sick witch in there at the moment.”
“Yes, that too.” He smiled. “But only the Master Healer.”
“Why so?”
“He was the only one willing to even come near this house since he was a young man, long before he became Master of his craft. Seemed to have also established, early on, something of a friendship with the family.”
“And no one had any objection about that? How did he make it to Master if everyone knew he was friends with witches?”
“Apparently, he was a very skilled healer; and a very kind man. Everyone loved him enough to get passed this…disadvantage.”
“And, of course, him being happy meant the family was happy; and keeping away from the plain peoples’ business.”
“Of course.”
“Was he a witch too? Maybe one in hiding?”
“Nope.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t, but it’s unlikely.”
“Well, I guess we’ll never know now.”
“Indeed.”
“So…” she took a bite of the famous sour bread they’d bought in town “…how many people live in there now?”
“Except from the sick witch-woman and a strange girl that’s been taking care of her, as I was told by the baker yesterday… I’ve no idea. He might’ve known more and others might know more but no one’s talking; and I’ve tried.”
“I’m sure you have, Pete” she scoffed.
“The Master Healer surely knew more. But he would never gossip about any of his patients, much less these ones.”
“Well, no point in wondering. After all, it seems everyone’s gone from the house. Window shutters are closed; no smoke from the chimney.”
“No smoke doesn’t seem that telling. It’s a warm day.”
“But it’s just one day among many other cold ones and it is still winter, even if it’s coming to its end. I would assume than even a witch – especially a sick one – would care for a warm house in her condition.”
“Still, I wouldn’t make anything of that; but then again, both that and the shutters… whenever I’ve been here around this time o’ year, that beautiful stained glass was the first thing that caught my attention; even before the bright blue roof tiles. Breathtaking designs, I tell ya; and I’m not one to usually properly appreciate these things.”
“Indeed, you’re not” she observed, quite impressed.
“I even remember” he went on “some lyrics about those windows that some brave bard, who’d wondered by accident around here many years ago, had sung in a summer celebration I once attended at the south of the township. They shouldn’t be closed shut; at least, I think.”
“So, as I said; all gone” she repeated. “The witch is dead. And the strange girl… who knows?”
“You might be right” he admitted. “And it does make sense, now that the Master Healer is-”
The man stopped talking and both of them jumped out of their hiding place, their bodies tensed. The hill they were standing on had started shaking and a hollow humming filled the air.
“Earthquake?” asked the woman.
“I’ve been traveling in this township since I was a young boy; there’s no earthquakes here” he looked around them, visibly anxious.
“A large landslide then? But there’s no mountain or anything else to cause this.”
All creatures around them, terrified by the commotion, started running away and falling on each other – some of them nearly hit the travelers. The humming was growing louder and louder.
“Where is it coming from? Where is it coming from…!?” he shouted as he gathered his things and hastily secured all the items hanging from his knapsack.
“We should stay here, we’re on a high place and it’s the safest!” she shouted back as she followed his movements and then tightened the large tool belt around her waist.
“But the hill might start crumbling!”
“It would’ve by now, we’re shaking like church bells!”
“Where the hell is this thing coming from!?”
“Oh, my God, Pete! Look!” she grabbed his jaw and made him look towards the house.
A thick fog suddenly surrounded it; and the trees at its sides – along with the dragon’s head on top of the chimney – were swaying back and forth uncontrollably, like a flower stem during a windstorm.
“I guess she’s-she’s not dead after all…?” she asked in a trembling voice.
“Are we really staying to find out?” he asked back in terror.
They slid clumsily down the hill while the trunk that previously offered them shelter started rolling downwards behind them.
CHAPTER ONE
The shaking and the terrifying sounds that’d disrupted the peace of the forest suddenly stopped. The metal door at the back of the witch’s house opened abruptly into it and hit the inside wall.
Two figures – one tall, one short – came flying through and tumbled on the wooden floor. A weird, small cloud followed and hovered right above the two, as the door closed forcibly behind them. They all stayed still for a while and then the tall figure sat up and looked around for a few moments, while coughing and spitting.
“Can’t see a thing” a woman’s voice wondered aloud after catching her breath. “Oh, the shutters” she realised and snapped her fingers.
Two large oil lamps on each side of the metal door were suddenly lit, breaking the deep darkness with their warm light.
“Are you alright Eseld?” she turned to the short figure beside her – a girl with cherry blonde hair, bright eyes that were sparkling red and a very crooked, weirdly cute nose.
The girl nodded and silently stared at the woman.
“I’m fine too” the woman said, dismissing the girl’s worrying look.
The girl sighed and then got up and looked right above them. “Are you alright, Mr. Penrose?” she asked towards the cloud.
The intangible thing immediately dissolved, leaving the ethereal form of an old man with a bony and tired body, empty eye sockets, sharp nose and a freakishly distorted mouth – permanently wide open with swollen gums and broken teeth all over – sitting comfortably in the air above them.
“I’m-” he started to say, but then another voice – a new one, hoarse but female too – cut him short.
“Oh, of course, Eseld darling. Pleeease, ask the ghost if he’s alright. Don’t mind about me cramped in here, literally suffocating.”
The woman opened the large leather pouch hanging from her waist. An impressively big and black toad came out and looked at them through narrowed green eyes.
“Really, Eseld? The ghost? You’re asking the ghost if he’s alright?” the toad repeated. “I was nearly smashed in my leather prison, but you’re more worried for the one who flies and doesn’t have a body or even a life to worry about!?”
“Miss Kerensa, I’m worried about everyone” pleaded the girl and bent over to caress the toad’s head. “But it’s Mr. Penrose’s first time passing through the door. And I know Miss Be would never smash you. Hasn’t done it not once; and we three have gone back and forth many times already.”
“We’ve walked back and forth many times, not flown!” yelled the toad.
“Kerensa” the woman sighed. “The pouch, a leather prison? That’s a new one.”
“Thank you dear; it came to me as you shoved me in there with no warning.”
“We were in a hurry.”
“Yes, I know, but I can handle myself.”
“I didn’t want you to handle yourself. I wanted us to get back before we got killed.”
“Nonsense, we would’ve been fine.”
“My spell was fading and-” the woman stopped to cough again and then went on. “And I wouldn’t be able to help you with the creatures hunting us.”
“You didn’t have to help me. You could’ve gone through properly – walking, you know? I would’ve stayed back, dealt with the creatures and come back here later.”
“I would never leave you alone against so many.”
“I am stronger than any of them.”
“Not in this form and, surely, not all of them attacking together.”
The toad scoffed. “I couldn’t draw a proper breath in there, you know.” She lightly kicked the pouch.
“You don’t even need breath” said the woman.
Eseld stepped in. “And even if you did need it… you Miss Kerensa have a young, strong body whereas Mr. Penrose is so old-”
“-he’s already bloody dead, Eseld!”
“Don’t mind her, girl” the ghost finally spoke – his soft, condescending voice slightly echoed around them. “I am fine; and thank you for asking. Can’t ask an amphibian to have respect for the elderly, can you?”
“You’re. Not. The elderly” Kerensa snapped at him. “You’re. Dead.”
“And you’re a bitter thing, having no compassion for a dead man” he snapped back.
Kerensa looked at him and then at the woman. “I really wish he wasn’t dead.”
“Oh, you do?” the ghost sounded surprised.
“Of course” she turned back to him. “Then I could’ve had the joy of killing you with my poison.”
The woman started laughing, but it turned to a deep cough once more. She covered her mouth with her hand and when she removed it, her palm was full of pinkish saliva and a bloody tooth swimming in it.
“Miss Be… is it, maybe, time to rest for more than a few weeks before attempting another passing?” the girl asked calmly.
“Eseld… is it maybe… time to… to stop it with that… that dreadful nickname?” the woman replied as she tried to catch her breath again.
Kerensa chuckled; a dreadful sound, like a saw on a tree trunk. “Bersaba, you utterly enjoy that nickname. As well as I hate this thing you stuffed me in.”
The woman snorted. “That’s true” she admitted with a sad smile.
“Miss Be-” Eseld started speaking again.
“Don’t.” The toad didn’t let her finish. “You know she’s stubborn as an ox. So, you don’t suggest anything in a sweet tone” she added and turned to Bersaba. “Eseld’s trying to say that it’s obvious to all that you’re getting much worse by the day; now even more than before.”
“Well thank you, dear Kerensa” the woman replied. “I hadn’t noticed the blood I’ve been spitting for the past few days and the tooth I just lost.”
“If you don’t rest and heal properly this time – if proper healing is even possible at this stage – you’ll die. I mean, you’ll die soon, anyway; but you need to not die before you do what you want to do, right? The state you’re in now? You’ll get killed before the upcoming fight even starts.”
“I know.”
“Honestly, you might drop dead long before that. Possibly before we reach the destination of our next trip.”
“I know.”
“Or you might draw your last breath before we even pass through the door once more.”
“Kerensa!”
“What?”
“I know!”
“Then don’t make fun of the poor girl when you know she’s worried about you! You will rest much more than usual. Right?”
The woman halfheartedly nodded in agreement.
“Right” repeated the toad and turned to Eseld. “Come on” she said and started walking slowly, making the old floorboards creak. “We’ve been gone longer than any other time; the dust must’ve covered everything. Go prepare her bath and I’ll clean the bedroom.”
Eseld went to the bathroom and opened the door. “Seems fine!” she yelled while removing the shutters from the two small windows. “And we have some firewood in here. I’ll turn on the stove immediately! But could you bring some more from outside Miss Kerensa!?”
“Yeees I will, please lower your voice!” the toad shouted back.
“Hope they’re not damp!”
“Humans would call that a beautiful day” Kerensa spoke softly – mostly to herself – once she opened the front door of the house. She sighed with disappointment at the feeling of warmth and the faint smell of the first brave flowers. She looked at the firewood pile resting on the outside wall; the only spot bathing in the few sunrays that reached the area through the trees. “They’re certainly not damp.”
“What, Miss Kerensa!? I didn’t hear you!”
“I’m saying they’re not damp!”
“Good! I’m waiting!”
“Oh, are you?” Kerensa mumbled, and her expression soured much more as she stepped outside.
The girl returned to the corridor and looked at the woman, still sitting on the floor near the metal back door. “Come, Miss Be. The water will be lukewarm very soon, as you like it.”
“Will you go-”
“-of course” Eseld immediately realised what Bersaba would ask. “As every time, I’ll just help clean your fresh wounds and then go to call on the healer, while you enjoy your bath.”
The woman got up slowly and tried very hard to walk gracefully to the bathroom, denying the helping hand of the girl with a nod.
Kerensa popped in the bathroom sometime later, rolling several pieces of firewood near the large stove. “Find a few dust-eaters on your way back from the town, will you?”
“Miss Kerensa” laughed the girl. “You know that, with all the fuss of our return, the poor creatures won’t be coming near the house for days, no matter how hungry they are.”
“Oh. Yes” realised the toad frustratingly, trying to estimate how long it would take to make the house a home again, the old-fashioned way.
“I think we’re all really tired from that last trip, Miss Kerensa.”
“I’m fine, Eseld.”
“Any other time, Miss Be wouldn’t remind me about the healer and you wouldn’t forget about dust-eaters.”
“Well, good thing we have little perfect you to remember everything, isn’t it?”
The girl turned to look at the toad, genuinely surprised and hurt.
“I’m sorry, maybe I am tired” the toad admitted unwittingly.
“Well, Miss Kerensa, this last trip was especially-”
“-nope. Nothing different about this trip. Still just tired.”
The toad left the room, ending the conversation.
“Let her be” said the woman. “You know her. And now that we’re so close…” she let her voice fade and removed her clothes in front of a large mirror.
“I know Miss Be” the girl started filling the bathtub with heated water from the stove, through a copper pipe system connecting the two.
As she checked the temperature and made sure they’d have enough firewood, she took a worried sneak peek of the witch’s naked body. The long, dark and braided hair, the toned muscles and tanned skin, the almond brown eyes and thick dark brows.
“Just give me a moment” she said, trying to sound indifferent and calm. “This one’s almost filled and I’ll come hold you.”
As every time they did this, the woman waited patiently. She stood perfectly still, just looking at herself. Just looking at the image of how she once was, the memory of a better time and a better world, the feeling of health and the tingling of an unknown yet exciting future.
“Very well” Eseld’s voice startled her after a while. “I’m here; let’s get on with it.”
Bersaba raised both her hands and covered her face. “I, Bersaba of the First Blood, daughter of Carys and Aron” she chanted in an altered voice, “seek myself again. The self underneath the shell, the self behind the magic, the true self of now.”
“We really have to do something about your terrible spell poetry” the girl observed, trying to lighten the mood.
“It works, doesn’t it?” the woman smirked and continued chanting.
Eseld held her breath while an ominous black mist covered her friend. Moments later, the muffled cries from within made her shudder, but she did not move. And when Bersaba finally emerged from the mist and collapsed in her hands, she held herself firm in place even though she was half the woman’s size.
As every time they did this, Eseld’s heart dropped at the sight of the woman’s real body, no longer hidden by spell. The long, dark hair was no more; only a few strands were fighting to hold on to a skull full of dreadful, purple spots. The face was covered in burn marks and one of her beautiful eyes was gone, its socket sewn shut. The torso and limbs were no longer plump and toned but boned and pale, almost yellow and full of scars and bumps filled with puss. Awfully smelling lesions that wouldn’t heal anymore had covered her legs. Her nails were gone and her teeth would follow soon enough, as it’d been apparent a while ago.
The girl helped her walk the three steps to the tub and laid her in the water. Bersaba sighed loudly in relief. Her head slowly tilted backwards and her eye closed.
Sometime later, she woke up by the sound of Eseld’s voice; she was humming a tune of her people while sitting on the floor next to the tub. She always chose that tune when she was really worried. She could also hear Kerensa still going around the house, grumbling now about the appalling state of the kitchen. They’d forgotten to properly close one of the side windows and several animals and insects had come in and made an absolute mess.
She smiled. “You know, this shall be the very last time we do all this” she said without opening her eye, trying to ignore the pain in her bones.
“You don’t know that” answered the girl after a few moments.
“Yes, I do.”
“I can feel your magic shining bright as always.”
“But my body’s dimming like never before. Kerensa knows it and you know it, although I try to pretend as always. That’s why you mentioned me taking more time to rest when you’ve never done that before. That’s why Kerensa also stepped in to clearly agree with you when she’s never done that before.”
“It’s just one of the harder times, that’s why I-”
“-it’s the hardest time by far, Eseld. I’m already preparing to give my all, once I heal and we go through the door again. And you need to prepare, too.”
“I’m always prepared.”
“I’m not talking about the fight.”
“About what then?”
“For this whole thing to be over. For me to be over.”
“I’m always prepared” Eseld insisted and then got up and went to pick up a fresh piece of linen.
“Haven’t you gone to get Jory yet?” Bersaba changed the subject.
The girl hesitated to answer for a moment. “I’ve gone” she said and went to the other side of the room, to get a large piece of cloth.
“What’s the matter? Is he going to be late?”
“He’s dead” she sighed.
“What!?” The woman jumped up but immediately retreated back in the water, her face a mask of unbearable pain.
“Please don’t stress, there’s another one coming!” the girl’s tone changed once more. She grabbed the cloth and run back to the tub. “The apothecary said that, after Master Jory’s death, this other healer left her specific instructions; if you’re in need of medicine and care, she should immediately call him and him only.”
“Jory is dead…?” Bersaba repeated, utterly shocked by the information.
Eseld still tried to calm her. “The apothecary sent him a message immediately – to that other healer I mean – and we were lucky! He was in town helping with a twins’ birth gone wrong. He replied as quickly that he’d be here before sunset. Please, don’t stress. Please.”
“Jory’s dead. Jory… oh, the poor man.”
“’Twas something that fell on his head; a tree branch or something. Eight days ago. They said he didn’t suffer. And he had no family, so they won’t suffer too.”
“Oh, dear Jory…we were together just two months ago.”
“Yes, Miss Be; we were.”
Eseld’s eyes sparkled with a hint of a tear, but she blinked a few times and it was gone.
“Oh, Jory; my father liked you so much. My whole family was so fond of you, always.”
“I mean…” Eseld tried to find the proper words. “He was very old, Miss Be. Very old.”
“I hope your dust finds its way to the stars” the woman whispered, ignoring the girl.
“I mean, it would happen eventually” the girl insisted.
“I know you liked him too, Eseld; you don’t have to pretend to spare me the grief in my condition.”
“I mean…if not a branch, then a harsh cold or a twisted fall would surely take him in less than a full day.” The girl now ignored her.
“Eseld.”
“Yes?”
“Indeed, he was long past his prime.”
“Very, very long past.”
“Even such an unforeseen death is not so overwhelming for such an old man as it is for others younger. But it is still a loss of a talented, good, giving man. An honest man among plain humans. A rare man.”
The girl looked at her, silent for a few moments. “Or he could have choked on his food or succumb to diarrhea from those almonds he ate by the dozens” she persisted on her seemingly indifferent reaction.
“Eseld.”
“Yes?”
“I know you’re sad.”
“I hardly spoke with him about anything apart from your treatments.”
Bersaba smiled compassionately. “If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“You’ve told me.”
“Oh Jory, poor man.”
“Well. The poor man’s dead” Eseld spat another harsh remark. “Can’t do much about that; we need to think about you now.”
Bersaba sighed, realising she wouldn’t get through to the girl. “What do we know about this new healer?” she changed the subject again. “Is he skilled?”
“The apothecary said that he was born somewhere else, at the northern edges of the township. But he came here as a young man to learn from Master Jory, as many others did. After receiving his basic credentials as a general healer, he left and had been traveling the country for many years. Obviously, he must know about you; much more than other people, since he gave instructions for you to be treated only by him. Probably Master Jory informed him appropriately.”
“Probably.”
“The apothecary also said that the man came back to work in town eleven months ago, per Master Jory’s personal invitation.”
“So, he’s also quite skilled. Very good.”
“And he worked as his delegate in town, given that the old man didn’t have the stamina anymore to take care of everyone who needed his services. Master Jory considered him, quite vocally, his best student.”
“Oh, very good indeed.”
“Yes, I thought so too.”
“But will he demonstrate the same discretion as Jory?”
“You mean if he will keep his mouth shut about what he sees and hears in here?”
“M-hm” the woman nodded.
“His teacher would’ve informed him about that, too. And healers are generally discreet in this world too, aren’t they? I’ve met no one else apart from Master Jory, but I know that much.”
“Yes, they are; generally. But I also haven’t known anyone else in this world as closely as Jory. I don’t know if his absolute discretion was because of our personal acquaintance and mutual liking or if I can credit it to his professionalism only. Healers or not, having received warning or not, many plain people tend to be ignorant chatterboxes about anything magic.”
“We’ll keep our eyes and ears fixed on this new one. I’m sure we’ll be able to establish on this first visit if he is a chatterbox.”
“And what then?”
Eseld flashed a broad smile. “Then I guess we’ll have no other choice but to use a curse; to help him understand the importance of silence.”
Bersaba closed her eyes again. “I’m so sorry to ask this of you. I know you don’t like using your curses like that.”
“You know I wouldn’t even think about it in any other case; but your life is more important to me than anything or anyone else. When you’re involved, Miss Be, there’s no debate in my mind.”
“Thank you. But don’t curse him with anything unbearable. He remains a healer and if he is as good as rumored, other people will need him too.”
“I’ll think of something a mere human can manage. But I can’t be sure what’ll happen in case he sees you like this and starts screaming in terror. I’ll curse him then and there if that happens, and I don’t know what kind of curse will come out in such a sudden fashion.”
“Oh, he won’t be screaming, Eseld. He is an experienced healer; he must have seen as bad or worse than me.”
“Not sure about that. You’re in worse condition than most plague victims” the girl attempted a joke.
Bersaba opened her mouth to explain to the girl how she’d failed that attempt; but no words came out. She suddenly leaned her head outside the tub and vomited violently on the bathroom floor. And then she lay there with half-open eyes, unresponsive.
Eseld fell on her knees and checked Bersaba’s pulse. Weak; but it was there. She pulled her out of the tub as gently as she could and wrapped her up in the fresh cloth.
“Is she out of it?” Kerensa popped in again.
“If you felt it, she must really be out of it.”
“She will soon be totally unconscious.”
“Dangerously?”
“No; her body and mind need it.”
“Good. Let us go to the bedroom then” the girl said and started dragging the woman, making the floorboards creak.
CHAPTER TWO
Just as the setting sun filled the sky with colors, they heard heavy banging on the front door. Eseld run while weirdly stretching her left hand’s fingers. She then unlocked and opened.
“You’re the healer?” she asked in doubt once she saw the young man standing in front of her.
He wore a gray wool shirt, black pants and boots, a black cape with an embroidered hood covering his shoulders and back, down to the ground. He had dark skin and eyes. His long, black hair was partly braided and the upper parts of his cheeks were tattooed with deep red ink in strange patterns.
Both the embroidery and tattoos reminded her of something, but she couldn’t remember exactly what.
He smiled warmly at her. “I’m Delwyn Bowen, General Healer by education and profession. You called for me.”
“I know healers of this township and others around it, wear white robes and light brown capes with really long hoods. They hold a staff with a snake’s head carved on top and carry many small satchels for their herbs and potions.”
The man nodded in agreement. “They do choose this attire to ensure they would be recognized from afar and avoid being robbed on the road. Many non-healers too, choose similar attires while they travel, for the same reason. Everyone knows that robbers and even killers would think twice or thrice before touching a person of our profession.”
“So? Why do you look like a robber more than a person of your profession? And no staff” she showed him whole.
“Neither the staff nor the clothes are a requirement. I don’t need a staff to help me walk when I’m tired and I do not fear of robbers.”
“That’s very brave of you; or stupid.”
“I received some defense training as a young man. I’ve chased away most of the robbers I’ve met on my travels.”
“Oh.” Eseld was not impressed. “Do you not fear of killers too?”
“I do if they have a bow, as everyone would. But if they come close…” he let his voice fade and revealed a large dagger hanging from his belt “…not so much.”
“Great” she snorted. “A healer that wishes he was a fighter.”
“Just a very good healer with basic weapon knowledge” his smile broadened.
“That remains to be seen.”
“The good healing or the weapon part?”
“Even better” she rolled her eyes. “A funny one.”
“Well, I’m entering the house of a witch I do not know. Every skill might come in handy.”
“Are there witches you do know?”
“I thought the embroideries on my hood and my tattoos would make that obvious.”
That’s what they were! she thought. “Indeed, they do” she lied. “Hence my question” she tried to hide it.
“Fair enough” he smirked. “Yes, I know other witches. And these are protective charms and spells, as you surely have surmised.”
“Surely.”
“Nothing suspicious.”
“If it was suspicious in any way, Mr. Bowen, poison ivy here would’ve taken you in her arms by now.”
“Ah” he exclaimed nonchalantly but gave a worried side look to the wild plant that grew on almost every inch of the outside walls. “So, I think we’ve covered the basics. Now, can I come in?” he raised his leg to take a step forward.
“Where’s your medicine?” she raised her hand to stop him.
He smiled again – although it seemed a bit forced now – and uncovered a large backpack under his cape.
“I dislike small satchels, which are also not a requirement. But I assure you; in here, I have everything your mistress might need.”
“Not my mistress; my friend.”
“Oh. I am so sorry. You’re obviously a halfling; and I, stupidly, thought that you were a witch’s servant.”
“You know halflings too?”
“I know a bit of them; there’s no mistaking those red eyes.”
“Most people fear me just because I come from the witch’s house. They don’t even look straight at me, let alone observe my eyes.”
“I’m not most people. And I apologize again for calling you a servant. What I know of your kind… I mean, they’re generally described as witches’ servants and I made an assumption without even asking” he made a deep bow.
Eseld felt a flush of awkwardness in her belly.
“So” he continued. “You already know I’m not a threat. You can let me in and I will answer every other question you have.”
“Where’s your Healer’s Coin?” she coldly asked again. “Master Jory had his Master Healer’s Chain and you, not a Master, should have the Coin.”
He took a large, round metal object out of his pocket and gave it to her.
“It should be visible at all times; and I know that’s a requirement” she scolded him while turning the coin around a few times before giving it back.
“Of course, you are right” he admitted. “Master Jory always said the same. Delwyn, you don’t dress like one of us so, at least, carry your Coin somewhere visible as the rest of the healers; on your forehead if you could, he joked. Don’t make me worry about you now that you came back, just as I did when you were gone. The town is surely not the unknown and remote paths that you encountered in your faraway travels. But it does have its own dark corners and they are not to be dismissed just because of the presence of constables just a yell away” he exclaimed in a weird voice that didn’t sound like Master Jory at all.
But Eseld noticed the nostalgia in his eyes – that seemed to suddenly shine with tears – just before he dropped his gaze on the ground.
She was hit by the awkwardness again. “I’m sorry for your teacher’s loss” she said in a lighter tone. “We liked…my friend, that is, liked him very much.”
“Thank you. I loved him dearly” he tried very hard to not let the tears escape.
“So. Which other witches do you know?” she immediately changed the subject, feeling a terrible knot forming in her throat.
He didn’t have the time to answer. Kerensa stretched her body behind the girl’s legs.
“There’s a bell you know, Mr. Bowen” she spat at him. “This is not a barn door for you to bang your filthy hands on. This is ancient, perfectly carved and preserved oak.”
“Oh, hello! Ah, yes. I’m afraid that there’s no bell; not anymore” he answered with an innocent look, not at all fazed by the talking toad, as he showed them the rope of the doorbell, apparently eaten and cut by something.
“Bloody rats!” Kerensa yelled and hurried off towards the kitchen.
Eseld chuckled, but observed him through the corner of her eye.
“Um… Miss Bersaba then?” he asked. “I understand you want to make absolutely sure who you let in your house, but the message said she needed me as soon as possible.”
“She’s sleeping now and her heart rate and temperature are quite good. I don’t want to wake her up just yet. So, other witches?”
He sighed. “Many I know of; but only a few personally. And only one closely. My grandmother.”
“I see. Which line?”
“Fourth Blood, second family branch.”
“Ah.”
“You know them?”
“I know some of that branch live in hiding on the outskirts of the township, a few days up north.”
“They did; but not anymore. The entire branch died some years back. My grandmother’s brother was the last of them.”
“No offspring of them inherited the powers? Even a little?”
“We can only activate very simple, previously prepared spells and charms by others, most of them passed down through the generations” he pointed at his hood and tattoos. “Like many plain people can. But no magic of our own.”
“Pity.”
“I don’t really dwell on it.”
“So, did your grandmother tell you anything about us? I mean, more than here lives the strongest witch family that most people know? Or do you appear that indifferent with every creature of magic that you meet?”
“I rarely saw my grandmother practice anything more than the fixed spells I already told you about. She was used to hiding since she was a little girl. We were educated in all things magic, of course, in order to be prepared if we presented powers. But, apart from these specific hours in our basement during the week, we strictly did not even talk about it. I knew that the witch family living here was of a higher bloodline. I knew they didn’t care to hide their true nature like us and therefore weren’t living properly among plain people as our family or others did. I knew we had to respect them, but we were instructed – almost threatened, to be honest – not to have anything to do with them or else our cover might be blown and our lives turned upside down.”
“I see. Pity” she repeated.
“For whom?”
Eseld smirked but did not answer. “And did Master Jory knew of your family?”
“Yes.”
“Did he talk about us? I’m suspecting you were specifically called back in the township for more than just helping him with patients that he couldn’t visit as easily and often as he wanted or should.”
“He called me back firstly because of my skills, you know.”
“Never implied otherwise. You were the delegate of a Master Healer; that is not an easy job. And everyone knows he considered you his best student and for him to state something like that so openly… it was unusual, to say the least. For that, I have no reason to consider you no less than a highly skilled healer, even if I’ve not seen your work with my own eyes.”
“Thank you.”
“So, what did he say about us?”
He snorted, amused. “When I came back, he told me about Miss Bersaba in some detail. That she is a very special witch he’d known since her childhood. Said she suffered from the ailments of old age and many sicknesses. And that she would need me to take care of her from time to time if he was gone and she remained alive. I think he felt his old age weighing on his shoulders for a while now. He certainly didn’t know he would pass that suddenly; but he knew it was coming.”
“I suppose he did. Left you notes?”
“Some. Never kept many notes on anyone.”
“Kept everything in here” Eseld pointed at her head.
“Yes, he did” Delwyn flashed a sweet smile.
“Anything else?”
“He said we would talk some more, but at another time and place; somewhere safer, more isolated. Many ears would walk around him day or night.”
“Wise man.”
“Concluded that we might visit Miss Bersaba together in the near future, when something like that would be possible. And that, in any case, Eseld would be able to explain everything in more detail. I’m assuming that’s you.”
“Indeed.”
“He considered you a great assistant, for him to say something like that. Are you a healer, too?”
“No, of course not. I’m a halfling, remember? Most people that know of us, consider us evil monsters just because of our eyes; and most witches think we’re just servants, as you pointed out earlier.”
“That’s…” he seemed embarrassed again. “That’s not a reason to not be a healer; maybe not an official one but-”
“-what I meant by anything else” she cut him short, feeling the uneasy warmth in her stomach for a third time, “was, anything else like… you didn’t seem to mind Miss Kerensa being here and talking. Or even existing.”
“Miss Kerensa…? Oh, you mean the toad. Well, I didn’t mind you existing. I know things beyond other people’s knowledge, as we’ve made clear.”
“Still, the presence of my kind among humans is not that… unusual as Miss Kerensa’s.”
“I cannot agree, Miss Eseld. My family almost never dared to practice any complex magic for a century or more; but most of them kept animal companions of higher wisdom. Especially my grandmother had many talking animals as friends throughout her life; therefore I am used to them, much more than halflings.”
“Mr. Delwyn!” The girl suddenly turned very serious. “Miss Kerensa’s exquisite green eyes are not those of a plain talking animal! She’s a Higher Demon from the Third Great Cauldron of Darkness!” she announced like an experienced town crier.
“Thank you!” The toad cried out from the depths of the house.
“Demon?” The man’s body suddenly shivered, and he took a small step back. “You have a demon living with you?”
Eseld noticed the change in his demeanor immediately. She was immensely satisfied with this useful person, who already knew plenty of magic and accepted it. But she also felt a much more intoxicating delight when humans trembled in terror, at the mere thought of creatures as Kerensa. Her red eyes sparkled some more, almost unwillingly.
“Are you coming in then, Mr. Bowen?” she gestured with a sly smile, so rare among her usual joyful ones.
He lowered his gaze again and pressed his lips; took a deep breath. “Master Jory knew about the demon? That the toad is a demon?” he asked again in a low voice.
“Of course, he did” she answered somewhat puzzled, thinking he seemed now more angry than afraid. “Miss Kerensa’s been with Miss Be for many years and she’s certainly not one to be discreet of her true nature, especially around plain humans.”
He crouched a little; looked around nervously, taking deep breaths. His lips moved imperceptibly for some moments, but no sound came out. “Well, then” he finally said, stretching his body to stand tall once again. “Master Jory clearly stated that I have nothing to fear in your house.”
“As long as you’re here to take care of Miss Be.”
“I wouldn’t come otherwise.”
“Then his words were absolutely true. And I assure you” she reminded herself that he was there to help and she shouldn’t find amusement in any discomfort he might feel, “that the stories people tell of demons have been hugely exaggerated by their fear-”
“-I’m not afraid of her” he interrupted the girl.
And passed the threshold.
He stood still as she closed the door behind him – and discreetly locked, realising there was much more to be revealed by his last reaction.
“I apologize for my words” he immediately mumbled. “Demons are…”
“No need, Mr. Bowen. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about everything once you’ve seen Miss Be and started her treatment. Or do you have anywhere else to be this evening?”
“All of my patients are taken care of by other healers until I’m finished here. Master Jory instructed me to arrange it so, every time I visit.”
“Wise man indeed” she repeated.
“And you may call me Delwyn.”
“Very well. Come on then” she took his hand. “Miss Be’s room is at the end of the corridor, to the left.”
“Ouch!” he yelled suddenly.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” she apologised profoundly, showing a few small needles stuck on the edge of her left sleeve. “I’m always sewing something and they’re everywhere on me!”
She wiped the few drops of blood on his palm with her left index finger. “There you go, nothing to it” she pushed him slightly in front of her.
And then quickly licked her finger, tasting his blood, before following him quickly.
***
“That Jory fellow, methinks, was not very truthful in what he said” Mr. Penrose formed slowly in the air above the front door, once the girl and the healer went into the bedroom. “I mean, that this one has nothing to fear in here.”
“You have an opinion about that too?” Kerensa came out from the shadows.
“Well, he is afraid of you.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“Just because he said so?”
“No. Because he really isn’t,” she replied. And, honestly, why not? she thought.
“He might be pretending.”
“Are you also half-deaf? I told you he really isn’t, because I can tell. And do you know of any plain person who can pretend that well in the presence of a demon?”
“Well… he hasn’t seen me yet” Mr. Penrose said arrogantly. “I’m definitely one to stir people’s deepest fears and I understand this world doesn’t have many real ghosts, regardless of the stories people tell.”
“You think you can terrorise humans more than me!?”
“Oh, are we turning this into a competition? Would we like to test his fear capacity?”
“Were you that stupid when you were alive? He’s not here to entertain us.”
“Ah, yes… and thus we circle back to what I said before. He will have to see her. As she is. As she really is. That’s not nothing to fear.”
“Bersaba saved you, you filthy memory of a person.”
“Of course, she did. What does that have to do with her hideous appearance? I tell you; I was utterly horrified when I saw her as she really is.”
Kerensa took many deep breaths to restrain herself from screaming at him every foul word she knew. “He’s an experienced healer” she managed to say through her pointy teeth. “Humans get very sick all the time. Most of them look and smell worse than what even I can stand.”
“I’m betting a minute, before he comes out running and screaming” the ghost whispered mockingly.
“I wish you could shut that sinkhole you have for a mouth” Kerensa whispered back.
CHAPTER THREE
Once they were both in the bedroom, Delwyn turned to his right; saw three oil lanterns hanging from the ceiling over the empty fireplace, away from the bed on the left. Their soft light filled the space with weird shadows and blind spots, making the room seem much bigger and creepier than it actually was.
But his eyes immediately slid to the window on the wall across. “Twilight is almost gone” he whispered.
“The hour of the witch is upon us” Eseld whispered back in fake awe.
He did not react to her joke and instead pointed at the large stove near the bed. “That won’t do. We need to use the fireplace; it’s big and could properly heat the room in minutes, making her as comfortable as possible.”
“No open fires for Miss Be.”
“Why?”
“You’ll know when you see her up close. She’s fine with the stove.”
“And how will I see her? There’s no light close to her and you’ve hung these lanterns very high.”
Eseld smiled and took a tall, plain stick that rested on the wall next to the door. She stretched and hit the ceiling twice. A large weaving of runes and symbols started glowing a strong, warm light directly over the bed. “You’re not the only one using very simple pre-prepared spells and charms” she gloated.
“Indeed” he agreed enthusiastically.
She uncovered Bersaba’s naked, decaying body under the heavy quilt. The woman did not stir in the slightest. Her inexpressible face looked like a monster’s terrible death mask.
“Deep sleep” he stated, snapping his fingers close to the witch’s ears.
“Yes.”
“Will she be able to wake up at all…?” he wondered.
“Yes” Eseld assured him. “She is very much alive in there; just needs to rest. Last few weeks have been very strenuous.”
Delwyn just stared at Bersaba, calm and collected; observed every inch of scarred skin, every wound and lesion, every bruise and twisted bone.
“You said, no open fires…so, how long ago happened the one that burnt her?”
“Three years. Almost to the day.”
“That’s why Master Jory started treating her so often in the first place.”
“Initially.”
He bent over to better inspect some bumps on her chest. “Were the extensive burns, what left her vulnerable to other diseases I also observe and suspect?”
“Not really. I mean, after the fire, she was left with many, many scars. Lost an eye and her spleen, and part of her liver. Her lungs were almost destroyed; never worked at full capacity again. But she survived. And Master Jory helped her get back on her feet. And helped her keep her sanity; gave her back a quality of life she could never’ve had with any other healer at her side.”
“I’m finding it hard to believe she survived at all, let alone anything else.”
“Her magic is potent; kept her alive enough for Master Jory to work his own kind of almost wondrous skills.”
“But these scars are all over her body. Which means…”
“Oh, yes. She wasn’t simply burnt in a fire. She was literally on fire.”
“And her magic helped her survive that?” he exclaimed. “That’s unthinkable, even for a higher bloodline. What is she, Third Blood? Second?” he asked while he continued checking the body and his eyes reached Bersaba’s bloated belly.
And then he gasped and his eyes widened. He stood up and stepped away from the bed; slowly turned to look at Eseld.
“She’s of the First Blood?” he pointed to the elaborate mark around her bellybutton.
“Well, of course. How else, would you think, there’d be a demon living here without making a chaos out of everything?”
“I didn’t think the First Bloods existed anymore. I’ve heard stories that… I mean, I know they’re so powerful; but she doesn’t seem that way. She just looks like a very old, very sick woman.”
“Yes, she does look that way.”
Delwyn caught the remark. “She’s not old and sick?”
“Oh, she’s sick.”
“But not old?”
“Indeed.”
“Is it the demon’s fault?”
“What? No, of course not” she protested, remembering again his reaction at the door. “Miss Kerensa is her trusted familiar. Why would you think that?”
“I just… I’m sorry; I don’t know” he apologised and cleared his throat. “So, how old is she?” he asked again.
“Thirty-one. No, no; thirty-two, this summer.”
His jaw dropped. “Bloody hell, I’m thirty-six.”
“I’m very happy for you, but that is not our point.”
“No, I was just… I was…”
“Relax, I was joking. I know what you meant.”
“Joking Miss Eseld? Really?”
“Miss Be has been battling this – really, all of us have been dealing with what you see – for some time now, Mr. Delwyn. We have to joke frequently, in order to keep our despair at bay.”
He stirred in his place, visibly ashamed. “Um, it’s just Delwyn. And… so… how did the fire happen then?”
The halfling girl sighed. “Three years ago, another witch came into the house and attacked; left Miss Be for dead.”
“Another witch? Another First Blood?”
“Not by title; but she holds great power too. Even if she didn’t, though, she came without warning and just before the sunrise.”
“Miss Bersaba was sleeping.”
“Yes. I didn’t know her then. It was only her and Miss Kerensa, who was held from doing anything by the other witch’s magic, for just mere minutes.”
“Which was, apparently, enough to set the house on fire.”
“Not the house; just Miss Be. It was a magic fire. Miss Be’s bedroom and some parts of the house suffered some damage, but it was actually from her running around frantically, trying to save herself.”
“Shit. Ah, I’m sorry.”
“Although I don’t use that language, I do believe shit is a valid word for this particular situation.”
“But Miss Bersaba did save herself, eventually.”
“Indeed.”
“And how did Master Jory make it to her in time? Did the demon call him? I mean, if she was alone and so badly burnt, even her magic couldn’t keep her alive for so long before she succumbed to the wounds and the shock, both physical and mental.”
“A few days before, Miss Be’s father had died; peacefully in his sleep, of old age. His dead body was still in the house. It was on that morning that his private funeral would take place and Master Jory was coming to escort Miss Be for the ritual, since she was the last of the family. He was friends with both her parents for many years.”
“And witch funerals conclude with burning the body on a pyre… oh fuck, what an irony! Poor girl! I’m sorry Miss Eseld, but fuck!”
“Oh, don’t mind me. I said I’m not using the language, but I’m definitely thinking it.”
“And the other witch? Why did she come here? Did she leave unscathed? Where is she now?”
“Siobhan; that is her name. They were friends once, the both of them; had a rather hard falling out, four years ago. They didn’t talk or see each other. But apparently, Siobhan hadn’t let go of her bitterness. She attacked Miss Be and thought she’d killed her. And then, she went back to her world through the magic door at the back of our house.”
“Back to her what?”
“Her world.”
“Another world than this?”
“Yes.”
“Through a magic door at the back of your house.”
“As I said.”
“This house we’re in now.”
“Exactly.”
“There’s a magic door at the back of this house leading to another world” he stepped back again, stretched his hand to the wall behind him for support. His breathing became somewhat strained and heavy.
“Do you need a moment, Mr. Delwyn?”
“Just Delwyn. I’m… I’m fine.”
“I don’t think you are.”
He looked around quite dazed, then looked at himself. Took his boots off and threw them away from the bed.
“We need to clean her before applying treatment” he announced nonchalantly. “And I shouldn’t even have come close to such a sick and sensitive patient before cleaning myself. I was careless.”
“I’m sure there’s nothing you carry that she’s not already exposed to. We did come from the other world some hours ago and the house was in a worse state than your boots. You can clean yourself now.”
“You just came from the other world.”
“We did” Eseld smiled compassionately. “And she had a proper bath the moment we arrived back here.”
He took a deep breath. “She needs to be cleaned again. Her wounds and lesions, open as they’ve been left, must have gathered more dust and dirt since that bath. How long were you gone? Was her bedroom properly cleaned?”
“It was. And I’ve put water on the kitchen stove and cut some good quality linen in strips for you” she answered calmly.
“Good. And medicine. Has Master Jory left any medicine that he used on her last time?”
“Yes. But it must’ve gone bad by now.”
“I need to see what he used and in what combinations.”
“His few notes not enough?”
“I’m not sure. Right now, I just need to do things I know.”
“Is reading words not one of them?”
He scoffed. “Please, Miss Eseld.”
“They’re over there” she didn’t persist. “In the large box next to the fireplace.”
“Good. Let us go and bring the water and… oh; I took my boots off. Why did I take them off before gathering everything?”
“Don’t worry, Mr.… sorry; just Delwyn” Eseld reassured him. “I’ll bring whatever you need. Take some time. Gather your thoughts and any more questions you might have for me.”
“I’ve all the questions in the world.”
“Which one?” she laughed and left the room.
***
Kerensa heard the bedroom door open and tensed. Even though she’d been adamant with Mr. Penrose, she too didn’t think it impossible for the young man to come out trembling and white as a sheet. When she saw the halfling girl closing the door behind her, she sat back and swallowed her poison.
“What happened? Did you tell him?”
“Not everything yet” Eseld sighed and went into the kitchen to check on the kettle.
It was almost boiling over. She removed it and put another one on, filled it with fresh water.
“Can you handle the soup for later, Miss Kerensa?”
“Of course. Is he treating her yet?”
“He needs some time to process the information.”
“About her being a First Blood and the fire?”
“About the magic door and the other world.”
“To be expected. So, did you curse him?”
“Why would I do that? I didn’t say he doesn’t want to help.”
“So, what’s the problem?”
“He’s just… struggling. It’s not pleasant.”
“Well, no one cares how he feels.”
“Of course, we care, Miss Kerensa. How he feels determines how he acts. Miss Be is really sick, after this last journey.”
“Yes, tell me how sick she is because I’d no idea.”
“Miss Kerensa, Mr. Delwyn probably thinks he only has to make her comfortable. Keep her alive if possible. He probably assumes we love her too much to let her go. It’s actually really sweet of him to want to help with such a seemingly purely sentimental task.”
“So, you’re afraid he won’t be able to handle that he actually has to bring her back on her feet and ready for another journey through the door?”
“The most arduous journey.”
“The last one.”
“Miss Kerensa.”
“What?”
“A little bit of optimism, please.”
“I prefer realism.”
“But optimism has carried us so far.”
“I think you’re confusing it with revenge, girl.”
“If you, Miss Kerensa, the closest to her for the longest time, cannot believe in her, how can an unknown man be motivated to do his best to heal her?”
“Who said I don’t believe in her? I find revenge an excellent motivator.”
Eseld sighed.
“Is he a talented healer, child?” the ghost asked. “Even if he is motivated, could he have her on her feet and ready?”
“Yes, Mr. Penrose.”
“How do we know?”
“Oh, come on; there must be a way to hit a ghost somehow!” Kerensa snarled.
“What is it now, amphibian?” he exclaimed with a sorrowful tone and dramatically grasped his chest. “What has this poor old man done to you now?”
“He was known as Master Jory’s best student, you daft ol’ air filth! By Master Jory himself! Of course, he’s the best to be found!”
“Mr. Penrose” Eseld stepped in, “indeed, that is the very best credentials for a healer to carry around.”
“I beg you, girl, find me a way to hit him.”
“Now, Miss Kerensa, there’s no need for-”
“-oh, I assure you there’s a very urgent need!”
“Both of you just… please. Mr. Delwyn needs to feel relaxed in here. He has such straining work ahead of him. And we need him to want to come back for many more visits through many more weeks.”
“You tell her, child” mumbled the ghost.
But Eseld suddenly looked at him, startled. “Oh, dear; I’d nearly forgotten he hasn’t seen you yet, Mr. Penrose. I’ll have to talk to him about you, too. So many things to talk about in so little a time.”
“I can come in; talk to him with you” Kerensa offered, weirdly.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t like humans. You don’t want to have a calm conversation; you just want to see why he’s not really afraid of you.”
“Is that a bad thing? We have to know more of him as he of us.”
“Just… no.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Please, Miss Kerensa. For now.”
The toad gurgled for a few moments and then spat on the floor.
“For now,” she repeated, angrily.
“Thank you. I must go back” Eseld walked back towards the bedroom door, trying to hold properly the large, overflowing kettle in her small hands.
“Filthy, insensitive creature” spat the ghost to the toad.
“Stupid, incompetent apparition” hissed back the demon.
CHAPTER FOUR
When Eseld went back in the room, she saw the healer sat on the floor, frantically writing in a big, leather-bound book, with the contents of the medicinal box spread all around him.
“So, Delwyn? What do you think?”
“You said you just got back from a trip to… oh, dear, to the other world.”
“Yes.”
“That exists behind your back door.”
“We’ve established that.”
“Yes, I’m sorry. So, what I found in the box was strong medicine.”
“Quite strong.”
“Very strong medicine, Miss Eseld.”
“Indeed” she remained calm.
He sighed, frustrated. “And I thought… I mean, in the beginning I thought I was supposed to, just… I don’t know; just make her comfortable enough until the inevitable end. What I mean is, she travelled.”
“Yes, she did.”
“And I’m guessing you didn’t carry her. She travelled on her own two feet.”
“You’re right.”
“And these types of medicine are given mostly to young people.”
“She is one of the young people.”
“Yes, but I mean… we give them to young people we expect – or want to somehow jolt their body – to recover. And I cannot understand, how someone so sick as her could have taken such medicine, hold it in and then recover enough to get up. She should have been dead just from trying to digest one of these bottles’ content. Many of these plants and pulps are strictly forbidden to use at all. I had no notes on these.”
“I think no one does. Master Jory kept improvising every time, to achieve the best results. And this last journey was an extremely difficult one. But it’s her magic; her magic helps.”
“As it did the first time? After the fire?”
“As it did every time.”
“Every time?”
“Every time she made a journey through the door and came back in need of rest and care; in order to travel again.”
His eyes opened wide. “She’s been hunting the other witch?”
“Siobhan. Indeed, she has been; and wants to keep doing it.”
“So, you want me to get her on her feet? Not just make her comfortable? This is not… I don’t know how to do that. Miss Eseld, the state she’s in now, I don’t know if she’ll make it through the night!”
Eseld left the kettle and the linen strips she was carrying on a small wooden table close to the fireplace. She then approached him; took a small leather sac out of her pocket.
“She’ll make it. Here you go; it’s honey-blood.”
“What?”
“A drink from my hometown in the other world.”
“You’re from the other world, too?”
“No blood in it, of course” she said, ignoring him. “It’s just its dark colour that inspired the name. Somewhat sweet and warm but very mild, don’t worry. It will not hinder your senses or skills; but it will relax you a bit.”
“I need to get on with her treatments. I don’t know how to, but I need to.”
“You cannot treat her if you cannot understand what you’re treating and what your goal is.”
“I know my goal, impossible as it is.”
“But if you let me tell you some more things about Miss Be as a person and the level of her magical abilities, maybe it will not seem as impossible.”
He reluctantly took a sip as Eseld sat opposite him.
“So” she went on. “Miss Be survived the fire. Master Jory healed her. Of course, as I said earlier, she would never be the same as before. She was better than what you see now, but she certainly wasn’t as before. And apart from her physical wounds, she had almost lost her hope and peace of mind. What Master Jory achieved was giving her back those, more than fixing her broken body as best as he could.”
“Because he was a friend.”
“Almost, yes.”
“But I’m not.”
“Her hope and peace of mind are not in grave danger now. But, after so many travels through the door, her body finally is.”
“So, she healed the first time and started hunting the other witch. Siobhan. She wanted revenge.”
“Yes. But she couldn’t go to the other world and walk around looking like someone that people and Monster Hunters would mistake for a Harpy or a Mummy Woman or a half-troll; and would love to kill and sell her blood and body parts to the Alchemists’ Market.”
Delwyn took another sip. “Cannot recognise half of the words you just said, but I think I get the idea. It would be dangerous for her.”
Eseld giggled. “Indeed. And there was another setback to her new appearance; it wasn’t just her appearance. Her body was healed enough but not properly. She would get very tired very easily. She would lose a lot of time resting between searches. And finally, if she wanted to fight Siobhan once she found her, if she wanted to be able to use her offensive magic at full capacity, she couldn’t be like that.”
“Strong magic in a weak body is almost no magic at all.”
“True. So, she did something to… let’s say, correct that circumstance.”
“Something magical, I presume.”
Eseld nodded. “She transformed herself to how she was before the attack. Before the fire.”
Delwyn took a third sip. “I’m sorry, what? She has transformation magic?”
The girl suddenly seemed annoyed. “Of course, she does! She’s a First Blood witch!”
“I apologise. Yes. So, she transformed herself. But, wait; I’m guessing she’d been travelling through the door for many years.”
“Since she was a little girl. As her whole family had done for generations.”
“So, she had other people she knew.”
“Yes.”
“So, if she transformed herself to look like before, they would recognise her. And if they recognised her… I mean, Siobhan thought she’d killed her. If Miss Bersaba went back and everyone saw her, Siobhan would then find out and hide or attack again to finally finish her. Wouldn’t it be easier to appear as someone else and use the element of surprise as Siobhan did?”
“Yes, very well Delwyn! So much new and overwhelming information and your mind still manages complex thoughts related to that information!”
“Thank you…?”
“You’re welcome. And you are quite right in your assumption; and she thought of that. Did an excellent job of disguising herself when she was in plain sight.”
“I see. So, she… no, wait again.”
“What?”
“If she transformed to look like before, it wouldn’t make any difference, Miss Eseld; her insides would still be…” he started to say and then the sac almost fell from his hands. “Did she transform her whole body?” he asked, terrified. “Did she cast a forbidden spell!?”
“Of course, I meant she transformed her whole body sir! Why would she transform at all if it was only for appearances? Is vanity some secret, powerful weapon I’m not aware of?”
“Oh dear, she cast a forbidden spell…”
He started hyperventilating but Eseld made him focus on her.
“And you surely know” she said calmly and slowly, “that every spell comes at a cost. Small spell, small cost. Big spell, big cost.”
“And three years ago, she bloody cast a forbidden spell. What’s the cost for that? Dear Lady of the Stars, how is she still alive!?”
“She didn’t cast it only then. Forbidden spells don’t last for more than a few months, even for the First Bloods. But Miss Be didn’t find Siobhan in those first few months. So, she came back before the spell was undone, transformed into her real self, rested and healed enough to cast it again. And then did it again. And then again. And every time she transformed back, she was a bit worse than before the previous spell was cast and needed more time to recover. And now… here we are.”
“It’s unthinkable she even lasted that long. Unthinkable.”
“As I said many times already. A First Blood; a strong one; from the strongest bloodline.”
“Unthinkable” he repeated.
“Optimism and determination can make even a plain human do unthinkable things, can’t they?”
“That’s not optimism, Miss Eseld. In Miss Bersaba’s case, it was quite possibly the thought of revenge that kept her going beyond any plain human or witch expectation.”
“Well, whatever it was” she pressed her lips, annoyed again. “Brought us here.”
“To the end of the line.”
“Yes, truly, this shall be…wait; I haven’t told you everything. What do you mean, the end of the line?”
“She’s obviously at the end of her life.”
“She is alive in there. Truly alive. There’s no death shadow over her.”
“I’m just a human healer, Miss Eseld; a very good one, but still.”
“Well, there’s no witch healer, if that’s what you’re implying. In this world or the other. She has been like that before; and Master Jory brought her back.”
“No, she hasn’t. You told me that every time she transformed back after a journey, she was worse than the last time. So, even Master Jory might tell you the same if he was here now. Can’t you see how frail she looks? I’m afraid her insides might be like spiderwebs.”
“I think you underestimate spiderwebs.”
“She might have been strong and lucky until today. He might have been enough until today. But this might be the limit for both witch and healer. Even if she survives, she might not be able to cast another spell; even the plainest of them all.”
“I assure you; her powers still shine bright.”
“Or she might not survive another journey to the other world or a comeback from a complete transformation.”
“She doesn’t need to survive the whole journey or the transformation back to how she really is. Mind you, her words not mine. Because, at our last passing through the door to the other world, we found Siobhan at last” she answered nonchalantly. “And we already have a plan to kill her.”
“What?”
“So, she doesn’t need to survive a comeback. She just needs to survive Siobhan.”
“But his changes everything once more, Miss Eseld! You don’t just want me to get her on her feet to travel, but to ensure she is healed enough to succeed her ultimate goal these last years. Are you sure you’re trying to motivate me? Because it seems you keep putting more weight on me.”
“Please, Delwyn. I know you don’t know her enough to be personally invested in her survival or success. But you now know enough of her to understand that she’s not just another patient, plain human or witch. She wants this more than anything. She has sacrificed her whole life for this. Even when she isn't awake, she will work with you. Her magic will work with you. Just… please, don’t give up before you even start. Please, just do your best.”
Delwyn got up. “Master Jory was personally invested.”
“Maybe even more than her, at times. It was his kind words and devotion as well as his healing skills that brought her back the first time and many more after that.”
“I won’t be able to be as close to her as he was. You don’t need me to just do my best but much more than that. And I don’t know if I can do that for her sake.”
Eseld stretched slowly, prepared to touch him with her cursing hand. “Delwyn, please-”
“-but I can do it for his” he interrupted her.
She took a deep breath, stepped back and buried her hand in her skirt’s deep pocket. “Of course, whatever works for you” she mumbled.
They didn’t speak more. Both got up and went to the kettle. Delwyn added some drops of liquid in the hot water.
“It’s just St. John’s wort and lavender with some almond oil.”
“I know; for infections and good mood” the girl said.
“You know your plants, Miss Eseld.”
“Just a thing or two. Nothing much” she dismissed his compliment and dipped most of the linen strips.
“We’ll use these to clean our hands, feet and face as well as Miss Bersaba; keep a few pieces for yourself.”
“I’m clean; I also had a hot bath and no open wounds.”
“I just assumed you would take part in the treatments.”
“I am.”
“Not if you don’t follow proper procedure.”
“Aw, alright” she scoffed.
He looked at her, somewhat confused. “Surely Master Jory was following the same steps before any treatment.”
She stayed silent for a few moments. “Indeed” she said finally.
“So, why… oh.” He now gave her a compassionate look. “I’m sorry for your loss too, Miss Eseld.”
“It’s nothing. Just…we always had a similar conversation with Master Jory, every time he came here” she said in a low voice. “I would complain about him making me rub my hands and nails clean or washing her again, even though I would always help her bathe thoroughly before his visits. And then he would insist and then I would complain some more. It was nothing. It was just… just something we did.”
“You miss him.”
“We were not friends.”
“You obviously had some kind of relationship; even if it was only through Miss Bersaba. And from what you say, this something you did was a genuine connection, a ritual of some kind; pleasant and anticipated by you both.”
Eseld did not answer. She just took a piece of cloth from the kettle, squeezed it, turned away from him and started cleaning herself, hiding her teary eyes.
***
“What would you have done if there was no new healer specifically for your case?” he asked a bit later, as he squeezed another cloth and started dabbing very carefully the lesions on the witch’s legs. “If Master Jory hadn’t prepared for what would happen after his death?”
Eseld tended to the inflation on the witch’s chest. “When I realized he had thought of that, it seemed so fitting of him, you know? I think, deep inside, we all knew he would take care of her even after he was gone, whenever that might be. But when I first found out he was dead, not knowing about you, my first thought about what to do was… I don’t know” she admitted.
“We wouldn’t be able to do anything” Kerensa’s voice startled them. “And Bersaba would eventually die before having her revenge. And all that she did and suffered these three years would be in vain.”
The toad was already sitting comfortably on a small wooden stool next to the fireplace, away from the light. She was barely visible, save for her piercing green eyes.
“Demon” Delwyn said in a deep tone, merely stating the obvious, as if the word had been hanging from his lips and he couldn’t hold it anymore.
“Miss Kerensa. You scared us. Please don’t do that again” Eseld scolded her. “What if Delwyn had been doing needlework or something equally delicate? You might have put Miss Be’s life in more danger than it already is.”
The toad scoffed. “Is it already just Delwyn? Are we already friends then? And, you know, Bersaba doesn’t care about her life. Why should I?”
The halfling girl didn’t seem to mind that remark. She just shook her head, like a mother only mildly disappointed with her child.
“You wouldn’t travel with her or, I assume, protected her on many occasions if you didn’t care” he said as he continued with his work.
He sounded a bit strange, a weird tension in his words.
“I’m her familiar. I travel and I protect because such is our bond.”
“You don’t like your bond?”
“Our bond exists. There’s no feeling about it.”
“So, you don’t care what happens to her?”
“I know what happens to her. She dies.”
“If there’s no feeling, why are you so angry with her?”
“I’m not angry.”
“Delwyn” Eseld whispered. “Mind your tone.”
“Maybe you’re angry because you do care” the young man went on.
The girl raised her voice a bit. “Delwyn. Your tone.”
“I’m. Not. Angry” Kerensa insisted.
“Well, you’re clearly exhibiting some feeling. Which is weird because, as you said, there’s no such thing” he kept provoking.
“My poisonous tongue can easily reach you at that distance” she threatened.
Eseld suddenly hissed like a snake at both of them and pointed at the unconscious Bersaba; they both fell silent, although the tension remained.
He spoke again after a while, changing the subject. “And what would you have done Miss Eseld, if me or someone else had come but didn’t want to stay? If he or she wished initially to help but ended up screaming and trying to run away from here?”
The girl sighed and pretended to stretch her body, checking discreetly Kerensa’s demeanor. “Well, in that case, I would have to make you stay, wouldn’t I?”
“And how would you do that? With the threat of Kerensa’s… did you say you have a poisonous tongue?”
“It’s Lady Demon to you, Delwyn. I don’t remember giving you permission to use my name” the toad snapped.
“And it’s Mr. Bowen to you, Kerensa” he snapped back and finally raised his eyes directly at her.
They stared at each other for some moments. Eseld could swear she felt the temperature of the room dropping a few degrees.
Damn it.
“Miss Kerensa, you should come and help me heat some more water” she pleaded.
“He should acknowledge his place first.”
“His place is to heal Miss Be. Right, Delwyn?” she said to him behind her teeth, demanding his attention.
He did not oblige and his eyes stayed fixed on the toad. “Did you ask the same of Master Jory? To acknowledge his place?”
“I didn’t have to.”
“Maybe you didn’t want to.”
“Maybe.”
“Please, both of you-”
“So, why do you want to, now?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.”
“Nor do I have to bow myself to you.”
“Please, both of you, stop!”
“Do you want to die, human?”
“Do you want your companion to die, demon?”
“You don’t know if you can save her.”
“If anyone can, it’s me.”
“Miss Kerensa-”
“Silence, girl!”
“Do not silence me!” Eseld shouted in a scary voice and her eyes flared for a moment like fire sparks.
No one moved and no one spoke for several moments.
“Are you alright Miss Eseld?” Delwyn dared to finally ask.
“She used her curse-voice on me” Kerensa answered. “She does that when she’s really, really angry. The voice alone without the blood and the curse-hand, does not hurt anyone. But it is exquisitely surprising, even for me, when it comes out of such a cute and kind creature.”
“Curse-voice? And the blood? What blood?” Delwyn asked and immediately his eyes opened wide. “So, when you pricked me before, with the needles you used for sewing… that was to get my blood in case you might need to curse me?”
The toad laughed. “She hasn’t sewn anything in her life, so… the needles are just for getting others’ blood. But I’m impressed you figured that out that quickly.”
“A halfling Curser…” he wondered in awe, while he stared at Eseld out of the corner of his eye.
She seemed to not pay any attention to them.
“Her sixty-two years – despite her childlike appearance – didn’t faze you at all?”
“I knew she was a rare elder halfling because of the blond hairs throughout her natural cherry color. But a halfling Curser? I never even knew that her kind could have such strong powers.”
“Yes, yes, our Eseld is one of a kind” Kerensa admitted, somewhat unwittingly. “Well, then… we should talk some more, some other time, Mr. Bowen” she rolled her poisonous tongue around her body.
“Until that other time then, Lady Demon” he unsheathed his dagger.
She belched as loud as she could; and then she jumped from the stool and disappeared mid-air in the darkness.
Delwyn huffed in relief. “That was close.”
Eseld suddenly run to him and poked on his belly. “Sometimes, Kerensa’s feelings bleed into Miss Be and the opposite. If your little game with Miss Kerensa’s anger did anything to make Miss Be’s situation worse, I will-”
“-my little game? I’m quite sure it was the demon who created a situation out of a plain conversation.”
“I’m quite sure you made her very uncomfortable by forcing her to talk about her feelings for Miss Be.”
“I made a demon uncomfortable, poor her!”
“You are a very perceptive person, Delwyn; that much is obvious. But I am too. And I would like to know what is your problem with demons.”
“I have no problem-”
“-no. You do not do that, not after this whole situation you started. You know about them. Apparently more than other humans do; maybe even more than other witches do. And you, initially, seem to fear them somewhat; but not enough to not provoke them. You agitated Miss Kerensa enough that her anger could have woken up Miss Be from her deep resting sleep, or maybe worse. Not to mention you put your own life in danger!”
“I’m-I’m sorry.”
“You should be.”
“Anyway, we need to finish cleaning Miss Bersaba and immediately start a basic treatment until I come up with a proper one for her current situation. We don’t have much time.”
“Oh, we don’t? I wonder why!” Eseld exclaimed angrily.
“I said I’m sorry.”
“I don’t need your apology” the girl looked at Bersaba.
She then resumed her position on the opposite side of the bed. “You surely know better, sir!”
“I do.”
“Indeed! I will not have you acting like an ignorant child in this house.”
“I won’t.”
“It’s already tiring, having an ancient demon acting like a child around here.”
Delwyn couldn’t help but smirk at these last words.
“Oh, hush” she almost ordered him. “And there’s also a ghost in the house.”
“What?” he immediately went stiff again.
“I’m just saying; in case you have a problem with those, too.”
“I didn’t think ghosts were real.”
“Not many in this world.”
“Is it from this world or the other one?”
“He is from the other one.”
“Is he as ill-willed as the demon?”
“Miss Kerensa is not ill-willed or otherwise. She’s just a demon. Not her fault if plain people don’t understand that and want to attribute human characteristics or behaviors to her kind.”
“I suppose.”
“You do?”
“Should I also apologise to her?” he asked shyly while checking Bersaba’s teeth and gums.
“Delwyn. I did not scold you now or before because you were in the wrong about Miss Kerensa’s feelings or for standing up to her utterly ludicrous demands and threats. You are a smart and kindhearted person. And although rather witty – which, mind you, I don’t disapprove of – you seem generally well-mannered. So, I would love to know what prompted you, a healer with good knowledge of the magical world and its rules – and an extremely special patient to take care of and so little a time to do so – to act like that. Did I overestimate you that much?”
He took a deep breath. “My grandfather died at the claws of a demon. Many years ago, when I was a young boy.”
“I am so sorry for your loss. But what does that have to do with Miss Kerensa?”
He looked at her, surprised. “I mean… he created a familiar bond. He did everything right. The demon stayed with him for a few days, acting like all was well. And then, killed him in his sleep. Demons cannot be trusted. There’s no honour for them as there is with other animals or creatures that bond with witches. They just do as they please.”
Eseld looked at him, also surprised. “No, they don’t; and I would’ve thought that what happened just minutes before, would be ample proof of that. Miss Kerensa has never hurt Miss Be.”
“But everyone said my grandfather did everything right.”
“No, he didn’t. No one can claim a demon as a familiar except a First Blood – or maybe a very strong Second Blood; but very rarely. Animals and other magical creatures? Yes, of course, depending on each individual’s power. But demons? They’re from a whole other plane of existence. And there is no way for a Fourth Blood to bond with one. You were partially right. The specific demon that your grandfather called, most definitely did as they pleased – and, I must say, the call alone was an impressive feat on its own for a witch of his level and someone who didn’t even practice proper magic casually. But they were never bonded with him. Of course, they must’ve been a curious one, thinking they might see what this world is about or even play with the unassuming witch for a while before ending his life. But, again; they didn’t do that out of conscious spite, as we might perceive it.”
Delwyn slightly tilted his head to the side. He seemed to not comprehend completely what she was saying.
“Are you alright?”
“So” he exclaimed in a low voice. “What you’re saying is that my grandfather had no hope; that he never had hope.”
She tried to find something good to say, realising his shock about the circumstances of his loved one’s death. “He certainly had ambition” she chose her words carefully. “And demons are what they are. As I said, we do a great disservice to ourselves and them, when we freely attribute characteristics we know, to creatures we don’t.”
“Or when we practice magic that we have no experience with.”
“Indeed” she admitted reluctantly. “Again; it was very impressive that he managed to draw this demon out from the Cauldrons.”
“I now think it was just stupid.”
“Oh, definitely stupid. But impressive nonetheless.”
He raised his head to look at her, seemingly offended. And then, he burst out laughing.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bersaba opened her eyes; she didn’t feel dizzy and her sight was clear. She looked around. Her room was bathed in a wonderful, pale – midday? – sunlight and smelled of tangerines and cinnamon.
She discovered she could move, if only a little. Under the heavy quilt, she touched her body; it was neatly dressed in linen bandages. Her head and bones weren’t hurting as much as usual. And her mouth wasn’t as dry as she expected.
“Jory…?” she called with a tone just above a whisper.
A man rushed over to her. “Can you hear me?”
“Oh. Mr. Bowen?”
“You know my name? I thought you were in a deep sleep.”
“How could I not know it? Kerensa comes here every night when Eseld goes to sleep and will not shut up about your exchange of insults. I could hear her even if I was at the gates of the death world.”
He laughed.
Such a kindhearted laugh, she thought.
“It’s been two weeks since I first came here. Nice to finally meet you, Miss Bersaba.”
He helped her sit up and offered his hand. “And it’s just Delwyn” he added.
“Nice to finally meet you, Delwyn” she offered hers and stared at him for a few moments. “And it’s just Bersaba.”
Such a kindhearted look, he thought.
***
“How are you faring in our house, Delwyn?” she asked much later, when the sun had set and the young man had come again, to refresh the pulps on her lesions and change her bandages. “Has Eseld answered all your questions?”
“Many of them, yes” he replied, while trying to help turn her body.
“You seem much more nervous in your movements than in the previous days.”
“Eseld was right; you were very much alive in there.”
“Well, then? You weren’t that nervous before.”
“You weren’t awake before.”
“I wouldn’t think an experienced healer like you, would be afraid to witness my pain in my expressions.”
“With people as frail as you, I’ve only tried to manage their last hours or days on this earth. I wasn’t trying to bring them back on their feet.”
“So, as long as you didn’t witness it, you didn’t care about their pain?”
“They didn’t care” he replied.
He hugged her to support her back and loosen the linen strips on her torso.
“Well, you tried your best as Eseld wished; and succeeded. I feel I’ll be back on my feet soon. Thank you, sir.”
“If it wasn’t for your magic, I’m not sure I could do anything.”
“My magic can only support the proper concoctions, the steady hands and the unconventional methods of a rare talent. Never thought I’d meet anyone that could meet – or even surpass maybe, in the future? – Jory’s healing skills.”
“Eseld was a vital part of the procedure. Knew everything about you; your habits, your usual diet, old wounds or illnesses – even as a child. Her words guided my hands every step of the way.”
“She’s been a vital part of my life, during the last two and a half years.”
“She told me you found her in the other world.”
“During my second passing since the fire, yes.”
“She told me about her cursing hand. I’d never heard of a halfling with such power.”
“She’s a rare creature indeed, even in the other world. And she’s one of the strongest and most talented Cursers – of any kind – I’ve ever met.”
“Where is she, by the way? She opened the door for me when I arrived before sunset and disappeared.”
“She’s gone through the door.”
“The door?”
“Indeed. She’ll be doing that often, while I recuperate; to make sure nothing goes wrong with our plan to kill Siobhan.”
“So… Eseld’s not in the house” Delwyn stated and shivered as he laid her back on the bed and started massaging and stretching her legs to help the blood flow. “Will she be gone for long?” he asked, trying to seem indifferent.
“I didn’t think you’d be needing her here that much, now that I’m awake.”
“I don’t; I was just asking.”
She stared at him again with her one eye. “Ah, yes; my beloved Kerensa” she gave him a concerned look. “Is she constantly trying to intimidate you?”
“More like terrorise me.”
“She does not like humans.”
He scoffed. “You don’t say.”
“But then again, you don’t like demons, so… but she’s just fascinated by you in her presence. Most people would piss their pants, to say the least.”
“If I pretend to be really afraid of her, will she go away?”
“Oh, no. She can sense these things. But I’ll talk to her.”
He started massaging her hands and arms. “No need.”
“You’re the person who helps me heal. She shouldn’t act like that.”
“I’m the person who helps you heal, to then go and die. She most certainly has every right to act like that.”
“I don’t need you to speak for me, Mr. Bowen” Kerensa’s voice suddenly right behind him, made him jump slightly in his place. “I am so sorry if I startled you. Did I startle you, Mr. Bowen? I hope I didn’t.”
He took a deep breath and turned to look at her, flashing a forced smile. “Of course, you don’t need me to speak for you, Lady Demon. And, please, do not worry yourself; I wasn’t startled in the least and I thoroughly enjoy your presence, in any circumstance.”
“It’s so nice to see you get along” Bersaba observed.
Both glared at her.
“What? Oh, I’m sorry; are you the only ones allowed to play pretend?”
CHAPTER SIX
Delwyn jolted from his sleep. The sharp pain in his muscles made him realise immediately; he wasn’t in his bed.
The large armchair that Eseld had dragged in Bersaba’s bedroom – for him to use while he sometimes monitored her breathing and vitals through the night, even now that she was conscious and seemed to progress really well – was comfortable enough to rest for an hour or two. But for a grown person to sleep in for more than that, not so much.
“A nightmare?”
Bersaba’s voice to his left sounded fresh.
“You’re not sleeping Bersaba” he didn’t ask while he searched for his glass of water on a small shelf to his right.
She smiled. “I can’t. It’s great to feel alive again.”
“You should rest” he coldly observed while gulping the water, like he’d been in the desert for days.
“I’ve been deep sleeping for two weeks and then slept some more this last week, while you were weaning me off the heavy drugs. I’ve never rested so much for more than a fortnight – except, of course, right after the fire.”
“You’ve never been that sick; not even after the fire.”
Her smile was gone. “Yes, well… spring is here and everything is awake and glowing. I can’t have the glow; so, I’ll enjoy the awakening. And watch over you for a change.”
He looked at her sitting up on the bed, trying to sound calm and collected. “I’m sorry for being rude. I had a nightmare, and it’s getting the better of me.”
“No need to apologise. I’ve seen and I’ve behaved much worse; and without a nightmare as a proper excuse.”
“I’m sure that’s not true.”
“I think you know better than trying to make feel better just for the sake of it.”
“I do know better.”
“Yes, Eseld has said you’re a very good judge of character.”
“And I’m sure that you could never be much worse, at least without a legitimate excuse. That clear and brave gaze is not one of someone cruel or bad-mannered.”
She smiled again. “Half a gaze.”
This time, he smiled back. “Wonderful gaze.”
She looked away. “If you’re such a good judge of character, you should also know by now that I don’t enjoy empty flattery. At all.”
“I do know; and I don’t enjoy it either. That’s why I just state what I see and feel.”
He looked at the thin blanket that someone had thrown clumsily over his legs.
“It still gets chilly at night; and I couldn’t reach your cape on the other chair” she said.
He awkwardly took it off and got up. “You need the warmth more than me, Bersaba.”
“Delwyn, if you don’t sit and cover yourself again, I’ll turn you into a bug and give you to Kerensa.”
“You wouldn’t do that” he said but sat in the armchair and covered himself again.
“Well…” she giggled.
He lied back and closed his eyes. “Thank you; for watching over me.”
“Thank you for really trying to save me.”
“I’m a healer; that’s what we try to do.”
“You went above and beyond with your treatments; and you never gave up.”
“Master Jory did the same.”
“But you didn’t know me as Jory did.”
“Well, you’re obviously an important person to save.”
“Did you do it because I’m a First Blood witch then?”
“I meant important to those who love you.”
“Oh.”
“And they really love you. It made a significant difference to what I was willing to try in order to save your life.”
“I love them too.”
“I can see that. But we have much more work to do. You’re far from being on your feet or able to withstand a fight with another powerful witch; and it remains difficult to reach that state.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good thing then – now that I’ve met you – that I like you too. That will keep up the determination.”
“To succeed?”
“To try anything.”
“I guess I cannot ask for more than that.”
Delwyn sighed. “I don’t like that you spend yourself to death, chasing someone that has already taken so much of your life, while your loved ones cannot do anything else but watch. But I truly hope I can give you more than just trying.”
“That would be the greatest gift.”
“And if and when that time comes, I hope you realise then… I’ll have given that gift to you; not Siobhan.”
“You should sleep” she pretended to ignore him.
“You should sleep” he replied and turned his back on her.
He jolted back up immediately; this time, it was a pillow that had landed on his head.
“Are you a child, Bersaba?”
She tried not to laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. It must’ve been Kerensa.”
Delwyn threw the pillow back at her.
“Are you a child, Delwyn?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Kerensa must be a terrible shot.”
He turned around again and smiled.
CHAPTER SEVEN
On a sunny spring afternoon, almost five weeks later, Delwyn held his breath as Bersaba took her first steps around her bedroom. Not entirely on her own, though; her right arm curled around his and her left one rested on Master Jory’s old staff – that the young man had been allowed to keep after his death. But still; it was her own bony legs carrying most of her frail body’s weight.
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me my life back one more time” the witch said.
“One last time” he replied, somewhat bitterly.
“Nevertheless; I’m back.”
“We still have work to do, Bersaba. You need to find more patience to hold on to.”
“But the hard part is gone. I’m on my feet and my magic’s already pushing to come out. Pretty soon, I’ll be able to cast the transformation spell again and everything will be so much better.”
“Yes, it…” his voice faded.
“What?”
“I-I…”
“What, healer?” Kerensa emerged, as always, from the shadows behind him, making him lose his step for a moment. “Toad got your tongue?”
She giggled at her own joke; a terrible sound, almost as terrible as the joke.
The young man ignored the demon and cleared his throat. “Doesn’t matter.”
“You’ve quickly become a friend of this house and this family” Bersaba insisted. “And I never thought I’d say this of any other person in this world except Jory. I assure you, you can speak your mind freely.”
He tucked the few strands of hair on her scalp behind her ears, so they would not block her one eye’s already poor sight.
“I’ve said this before” he hesitantly said. “But I really… I really wish you wouldn’t let all our work be in vain. Keeping you alive and bringing you to your feet against all odds? That is something to behold and cherish, not throw away.”
She started to walk again. “I really wish I could do that.”
But he stopped her, looking honestly sad. “Is it that important to kill Siobhan? More than enjoying what little time you’ve left with this family of yours? I thought you’d realise by now but… are you that blinded by revenge?”
Everyone froze in their places, at the shock of his bold words to her.
“Again, with your big mouth” Eseld mumbled.
He looked apologetically at her and then turned at Kerensa.
“Oh no; please” she told him. “Please, go on. I am enjoying this immensely; it shall be quite a fight.”
He sighed and then, finally, looked at Bersaba again.
She stared back at him. Her only eye met his gaze, unfazed. “Are you waiting for me to get angry, Delwyn?”
“I think you’re mistaking me for Lady Demon.”
The witch giggled. “I am doing both” she said.
“What?”
“What you asked before. I’m killing Siobhan and spending what little time I have with my loved ones.”
“It’s not the same as living here peacefully.”
“Obviously.”
“Didn’t Master Jory ask you? To stop?”
“Oh, many times.”
“I see” he concluded, visibly disappointed.
“Poor little healer” Kerensa scoffed, next to his ear.
He angrily stretched his hand to push her away. She easily avoided him and hopped around them to irritate him more.
Bersaba ignored them.
“I feel I’ll be able to transform, maybe in a few weeks” she wondered aloud.
“We’ll see” he added with a stern look.
“I feel fine.”
“We’ll see” he insisted.
“Anyway; my point is…whenever that happens, I’d like to go somewhere. Would you like to accompany me?”
“In the other-the other world?” he asked, trying to sound calm; but failing.
“No.”
Her scarred skin stretched to a broad smile of yellow, rotten teeth.
“Well, then… if there’s no other patient to take care of at the time” he reluctantly agreed.
“Indeed. And I will try to explain then; what’s important for me.”
“There’s no need.”
“Of course, there is. I don’t like you thinking of me as someone blinded by revenge.”
“I don’t like to think of you like that either.”
“Really?” she seemed surprised, and her eye lit up.
“Absolutely” he seemed surprised as well and his eyes lit up too. “I’ve only known you for a few months now, but I already appreciate you much more than that.”
“Thank you” she awkwardly dropped her gaze now.
“Alright” he said, nervously looking around.
“Alright.”
“Good.”
“Good.”
“Indeed.”
“Can I continue walking now?”
“Please do.”
“Ah, you’re both making me sick” Kerensa spat out the words and got lost in the shadows again, while Eseld tried very hard not to laugh.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Delwyn was sitting in the drawing room, enjoying a cup of splendid spicy tea and the first edition of Rare Magical Herbs he'd borrowed from the house’s library, waiting for Bersaba to finish her bath so they could go on with her treatment.
The ghost appeared through the wall at the opposite side of the room.
“How about your other patients, Mr. Bowen? How fare they?”
The healer’s hand that was holding the cup, trembled just slightly; just for a moment – not a drop of liquid was wasted.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Penrose. They are quite well, thank you for asking” he answered without taking his eyes off the book.
“Not one of them died?”
“It’s been a good week.”
“Seems it’s been a few good weeks; since you’ve been coming here every day lately.”
“I usually come here in the afternoon, after I’ve visited all my other patients” Delwyn corrected him.
“Aye, but still; every day” Mr. Penrose insisted.
“Well, not every day; haven’t been here since Bersaba walked, four days ago.”
“You and other healers had to save those children that got poisoned from that well, didn’t you? Otherwise, I bet you’d be here.”
“Are you spying on me, Mr. Penrose? Did Kerensa put you up to this?”
“You trying to stretch my nerves with the mention of her, boy?”
“I’m just asking.”
“No one put me up to anything. I get bored in here. And I’m a ghost, you know. I can go where I want and do what I want; and I wanted to see and hear things and people, outside this house. The town is the closest settlement I could find. Not my fault you’re staying there, too.”
“Ah; I apologise then. You and I haven’t spoken much since we met and I assumed-” he paused and shook his head. “Doesn’t matter what I assumed. I apologise for calling you a spy. And as for me, being here so often… Bersaba was very, very sick; I had to come every day, if she’d have even a slight chance of surviving.”
“I know; I’m just saying. You seem to, genuinely, like it here. Apart from Bersaba’s treatments, I mean.”
“I do” Delwyn admitted. “I do like it here. Apart from Bersaba’s treatments” he repeated with a smirk.
“I knew it” the ghost grinned. “Must be nice to feel safe after so many years of hiding your magical heritage.”
The healer finally looked at him, a bit puzzled. “There were always people that knew about my family’s powers in the distant past. And we weren’t really practising anyway, so I wasn’t really hiding anything.”
“But those people didn’t know that your family still had powers.”
“Apart from Master Jory and two close friends of the family… no.”
“So; safe in here to be who you are and talk about it freely.”
“I never had powers, Mr. Penrose; there wasn’t as much risk for me as you’d imagine.”
“But others in your family did. In many ways, you had to protect people older than you, didn’t you? Grandparents and great-aunts and the lot. For a child, that’s… that’s backwards, isn’t it? And on top of that, protecting witches in this world? Oh, don’t start me on this world and magic. I’ve learnt many things while you were doing your healing and medicine and whatnot. And witches are a big, bad, bad thing here.”
“Oh, I know Mr. Penrose.”
“Bersaba and her family were very powerful and very indifferent to plain people around them; an excellent combination for others to leave you alone, even if they’d like to see you dead. But other witches – less powerful witches – are not the same, are they?”
“Indeed, they’re not.”
“Other witches would get their houses burnt if they were found out, to say the least.”
“They would.”
“Not so much they could do without warning against an angry, ignorant mob.”
“Not so much anyone can do without warning” he pointed behind him and to the right, towards Bersaba’s bedroom.
“Therefore, as I said; in here…safe.”
Delwyn stayed silent and still for a while, but then he breathed deep and exhaled slowly. “The safest I’ve felt in many years” he finally said. And then he went on, mimicking someone else’s voice. “Delwyn is such a good boy… for a witch family’s spawn, that is.”
“People been saying that about you?”
“That’s my favourite, of all the things I’ve heard them whisper since I could understand words.”
“That’s sad.”
“Oh, and the other ones. From when I came back from my travels” he cleared his throat. “If it wasn’t for that tainted blood running in him, he would surely make Master Healer after Master Jory retires or dies, without any objection or competition. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the Lord Mayor who let him publicly train as a healer in the first place and let him be the delegate of the Master, no one would accept him anywhere near their sick.”
“Plain people are stupid.”
Delwyn seemed to ignore him and continued. “And Master Jory! What a gem of a man. To risk his own reputation on a descendant of witches. Even if the young man doesn’t have any magic, that filth never goes away.”
“As I said. Plain people; stupid.”
“I’m one of the plain people, Mr. Penrose.”
The ghost threw his deformed head back in a weird laugh and then pointed at the healer with his right, broken index finger. “Bersaba was dying, boy” he said. “I know magic; and I’m telling you, without a doubt. Even with her powers, she was closer to death than any other time; as you guessed when you first saw her.”
“You don’t know that. You only met her a few weeks before me.”
“That filthy demon and Eseld said so, away from your ears. And I told you, I know magic. Didn’t need those two anyway, to recognise the physical body’s impeding death despite the magic’s strength. And you, without Master Jory’s years’ long experience, brought her back; for however long that lasts. Nothing – and I mean, absolutely nothing plain about that.”
Delwyn did not answer and turned to the book again.
The old man sighed and quickly changed the subject. “That bedroom of hers was a music room before she was sick, did you know?”
“I didn’t.”
“Her mother had a clavichord in there. They all used to play.”
“That’s nice.” Delwyn didn’t seem to pay much attention.
“We have clavichords in my world, too. I didn’t know how to play. I didn’t like music in general. Most of it sounded like irritating noise to me.”
“M-hm.”
The ghost glided in the air and approached the healer.
“You’re not afraid of me Mr. Bowen, are you?”
Delwyn raised his eyes once again. Mr. Penrose obviously looked like someone who had suffered greatly before he died; his appearance could truly haunt someone’s every living moment.
He thought very carefully of his words before speaking them.
“I am… aware of you. Obviously, you’re something – I’m sorry, someone – that I never thought was real; or even then, someone I never thought I’d see with my own eyes.”
“But you’re not afraid. This wonderfully terrifying face doesn’t stir your insides.”
“Your existence makes me feel a bit… uneasy. But I’ve seen many men and women at the latest stages of several sicknesses that affect their appearance in equally terrifying ways.”
“Oh.”
Delwyn heard the disappointment in his voice. “But, you know, you remain most unique, Mr. Penrose. You are a ghost, a real ghost. I might not seem as afraid as you would… like? But I assure you-”
“-it’s that damned sorry imitation of an amphibian, isn’t it? She’s scarier than me.”
Delwyn felt like he had to apologise; or maybe laugh. But held himself on both.
“Mr. Penrose” he chose a strict tone, to get the old man’s attention. “She, too, does not scare me; not in the way you mean it or she’d prefer. But she is a demon. And her appearance is not as striking as yours, but it’s what I cannot see that makes her more intimidating.”
“Don’t try to make me feel better, boy.”
“Is there a competition I’m not aware of?”
“Only in my mind, it seems. In reality, who could compete with a demon?” he sighed and turned to leave.
Delwyn left his cup hastily on the small table beside his chair and got up. “Mr. Penrose!”
The old man stopped halfway through the wall.
“Aye” he answered half-heartedly.
“I think… we’re talking about people who know that Kerensa is a demon, right? I mean, if you both appeared before someone who knew nothing of her? They would see just a harmless toad next to a real, absolutely real, absolutely appalling and most terrifying ghost! Wouldn’t they?”
The ethereal, shrunken body seemed to suddenly stretch two metres tall.
“They would” he answered, thinking about it. And then shouted, “They would!”
His terrible hole of a mouth opened wider – if that was even possible – in something that looked like a genuine, heartfelt smile.
He turned again and left but returned almost immediately.
“Drink your tea, Mr. Bowen! Bersaba’s done with her washing and it’s an unspeakable shame to leave spicy tea grow cold!” he said hastily and left again, for good.
***
“That’s… unexpected” Delwyn admitted when he saw Bersaba’s three front teeth in a cup, on the table next to the bed. “The infection in your gums had disappeared; I’m sure of it.”
“It had” Eseld reassured him. “Her mouth has had a proper smell for many days now.”
“Esheld!” the witch scolded her and then hastily covered her mouth. The sound of her words was coming out distorted.
“What, Miss Be? A foul smell would be the first indicator of the infection coming back; Delwyn had said so. And there was none of that.”
“Almost nine weeks of you getting progressively better” he mumbled, trying to think. “I think you still seem alright, but I’d like to-”
“-more than alright, I should say!” Eseld exclaimed. “She’s been walking all day, every day, with the cane!”
Bersaba started speaking, wanting to say that Master Jory’s staff was not a simple cane. But she realised the word would come out wrong again, due to her lost teeth; and she stopped immediately. “Not a cane” she finally said clearly enough, although with great difficulty.
“What do you mean?” The girl did not understand. “It helps you walk. It’s a cane.”
“Not a cane” Bersaba insisted.
“But what-”
Delwyn stepped in. “She means a staff, Eseld. It is a staff. Master Jory’s staff.”
Bersaba looked at him, terribly grateful.
“Oh, alright” Eseld admitted. “That thing. Staff, cane… it does the work.”
“No” Bersaba grabbed the halfling’s hand. “The right word.”
“What are you doing Miss Be? Why should the right word matter that much?”
“I’m guessing she wants you to be respectful” Delwyn answered again.
“To whom?”
“Esheld!”
“What did I do now?” the halfling looked at the healer for help.
Bersaba sighed with disappointment. “Nothing. But… what he told you. Be reshpect-be what he told you.”
“Again; to whom?”
“To everyone! To me!”
“When did I disrespect you, Miss Be?” asked the girl and then turned to Delwyn. “She might not be alright, after all.”
Delwyn raised his hands to plead with both of them.
“It was Master Jory’s staff and he loved it” he said. “Carved it himself when he was a young boy, only dreaming then of becoming a healer. I guess Bersaba would like you to be respectful to that. The memory of him.”
“Well, why didn’t she say that? Why didn’t you say that, Miss Be?”
“Because her words are not coming out properly right now, Eseld.”
“What do you mean?”
He tried to discreetly direct her look with his own, to the witch’s lost teeth.
“What? Because of these? Is it because of these, Miss Be? I can perfectly understand what you’re saying, these are no problem.”
“They are.”
“No, they’re not. I mean… look at you. Do you think I’d mind a few teeth missing, when you look like that?”
Bersaba pressed her lips angrily. “Not a cane” she just repeated.
Eseld threw her hands in the air. “I know! I know it’s not a bloody cane, alright!? I know it was his and now he’s gone! And he’s not coming back and his memory…” she stumbled. “His memory…” she let the words fade again.
And she turned again to Delwyn. “You will have to deal with this; because I only can tolerate so much!” she yelled and stormed out of the room.
Delwyn did not say anything. He just took a seat next to the bed and waited.
“That… my fault” the witch said after a while, still choosing her words carefully.
“Yes, it was. You know she remembers him dearly and misses him terribly; and dare I say, even deeper than you? The staff doesn’t matter, when he is gone.”
“He and her…they healed me togever.”
“Together, yes. They might have been guided by their love for you initially; but they, obviously, found some kind of honest friendship between them in the process. You cannot doubt that, even if she tries so hard to hide it.”
“My fault” she repeated.
“Although, I also understand you.”
“You do?”
“Eseld and I are concerned with your health; as we should be. But we tend to forget that you’re still a young woman, obviously and understandably angry to be examined and talked about as a lifeless subject by your dear friend and a man you’ve only recently met. Now that I think about it, I’m surprised you didn’t explode at us much, much earlier.”
“Vanity… bad. No priority.”
“It’s not vanity Bersaba. It’s your dignity; and it should be a priority. I thought I made an effort to be as respectful to you as I could, considering I would often have to see you naked as you were born and witness many embarrassing sicknesses of the body. But apparently, it wasn’t enough.”
“No. You… good. All of you, good. But when I became better, it all looked… alright. I didn’t mind… the naked and the talking like I’m not here. For I became better.”
Her eye filled up with tears. “But now… everything going bad again. And I’m…”
“Angry” he finished her sentence. “And you are most right to feel this way.”
“But then… I’m alright. I mean, in my magic. Only my body failing.”
“May I?” Delwyn asked to draw the quilt that covered her body. “I understand being examined again is the last thing you need right now, but I need to see what’s wrong and what can we do about it; immediately.”
“I know. Do what you need to do” she almost spat the last words, visibly tired of trying to control her speech as well she could – and drew away the quilt herself.
***
“Apart from the teeth, nothing else seems worse” he said after some time. “But I’d like to test everything again, inside and out, as if it was my first visit. Are you in pain?”
“No. I did not feel when… my gum bled and… you know” she showed her teeth.
“You didn’t feel pain even when they fell?”
She nodded, no.
“Maybe your powers, apart from holding you all together, cloud your pain too. But this is not good. Such a state can only last for so long.”
“I won’t be able to… turn young again?”
“I’ve no idea Bersaba. But maybe you should do it sooner than later? Before the magic starts failing too. I really don’t know what to say or propose anymore. If we were in uncharted territory before, now we’re just falling through an utterly unknown void. And, although we thought you were doing much better than expected, that doesn’t seem to be the case after all. I mean, you were doing much better than expected; we didn’t imagine that. But, the matter of fact is, your body might be shutting down for good, this time. Whatever we do.”
“I need to turn young again.”
“If you insist on killing Siobhan, yes. Since you don’t feel anything wrong with your magic yet.”
“Alright.”
“But I need to finish my testing first.”
She nodded, yes.
Delwyn got up. “I’ll go and get my bag; left it in the library.”
“I will be here” she derided.
“If I see Eseld, should I send her back here? For you both to explain your feelings and apologise properly?”
Bersaba’s eye shone like a jewel under the warm light on her ceiling. “Only if she…” Bersaba mumbled and let her voice fade, dropping her gaze.
“I’m sure she would love to.”
***
Some hours later, deep in the night, Delwyn came out of the bedroom, ready to leave after an exhaustive examination. Eseld was waiting right outside, holding a large package in her small hands.
“I’m sorry I left you alone in there, after we made up with Miss Be. There are many things to do in the house, although it doesn’t seem like it.”
“Don’t worry. I enjoy your help and company, but I’m used to working on my own.”
“So? How is she?”
“She’s sleeping now; heart rate and temperature, still in acceptable levels.”
“But?”
“But… everything is failing. It doesn’t show just yet, apart from the teeth; but it’s quick and it’s literally melting her, inside out. If she transforms soon, maybe she will trick the body for a while longer…? But I really don’t know, I’m just guessing at this point.”
“The transformation takes some time. We need to prepare. If she’s not focused and collected, it won’t work.”
“Then you should do that. As soon as possible.”
He caught her trying to hide the tears she was holding back.
“Is that for me?” he asked awkwardly, pointing at the package. “I’m always grateful for your food and drinks, but I still have leftovers in my home, from my last visit.”
Eseld hastily wiped her eyes. “Oh, no” she said, somewhat apologetically. “It’s not for you, although I could prepare something quickly.”
“No need” he tried to reassure her. “I was just making conversation.”
“Thank you.”
She smiled and then stayed still, like she was thinking of something. “Do you have other patients to attend to, Delwyn? I mean, right now?”
“No. But I would like to get some sleep.”
“Oh, yes; I’m sorry.”
“But if you need something, I can stay a bit longer.”
“I don’t need anything. But I think maybe you do.”
“I do? Like what?”
“Maybe… to see a world where you’re not looked down upon, as a descendant of witches?”
She tilted her head towards the end of the corridor; towards the metal door at the back of the house.
He felt a shiver on his spine.
“Have you been talking with Mr. Penrose?” he pretended to scold her.
“I really, honestly and truly have no idea what you’re talking about” she looked at him sideways with a smirk.
“I see” he smiled. “So. Are you going again?”
“Yes.”
“Will you be late?”
“We’ll be back before sunrise.”
“We?”
“If you want to come, after all.”
Delwyn looked at the door, half hidden by the darkness of the corridor.
Another shiver.
“I don’t think so.”
“Alright.”
“At least for now.”
“Just tell me when you’re ready.”
“I may never be.”
“Understandable.”
He turned to leave.
“But, Delwyn?”
“Yes?”
“We’ll be gone soon. And, whatever happens with Siobhan, we’ll stay in the other world.”
“I know.”
“I mean, for good.”
“I figured.”
“You have no one here to care for; you’ve told me at some point, I remember. There’s no family, no lover and just one or two friends but not really close ones.”
He forced a smile. “Well, me and my big mouth indeed, Eseld.”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable; I’ve done that quite enough today with Miss Be. I’m just… I just wanted to say that we want you with us. We really, honestly and truly – and I mean it this time – consider you a friend.”
He tried to joke. “By we, you obviously mean all of you except Kerensa.”
Eseld managed only a really sad expression. “When Miss Be dies, Kerensa will be free to return to the Third Great Cauldron of Darkness. Whichever way that death comes – be it during a fight or serenely on a bed – it will come sooner than later, won’t it?”
“It will.”
“Well, then… Kerensa will definitely not want to stay here or on the other side, without her beloved companion. So, whatever happens, you won’t have to worry about her.”
“Oh” he sighed, unexpectedly disappointed.
“Although I do feel you’re starting to grow on her. I might even dare to say, she will miss your bickering encounters.”
“I don’t… I really don’t think so” he suddenly choked up.
He took a step backwards, hastily mumbled “I have to go, Miss Eseld” and again turned to leave.
“Please, come with us” she repeated.
He rushed to the front door.
“Just think about it!” she shouted.
He did not answer.
And then, just as he nervously turned the knob, a scream tore through the silence of the night and made them both freeze.
“Oh, no.”
Eseld dropped the package and run to Bersaba’s bedroom.
Delwyn dropped his sack and followed her.
***
When they opened the door, he saw the bed was empty.
“Oh, no. Miss Be!” Eseld almost threw herself towards the window, next to which a strange black mist was slowly dissolving.
“Bersaba?” Delwyn wondered. “What did she do?”
The halfling raised her hand to stop him. “Don’t come any closer, she’s not dressed!”
“What are you talking about?” he ignored her and quickly approached them. “She might feel uncomfortable again, but she obviously did something and might need my help.”
It was Bersaba that answered this time, without the weird utterance from before, because of her lost teeth. She emerged from the mist and hugged her friend. “Eseld’s worried that your manly nature will be provoked, now that I look as young and presentable as I once was.”
The witch’s rich, long, dark hair was the first thing that made him realise what she’d done.
“Oh, Miss Be” Eseld sighed in relief. “I thought you’d tried and failed. Why would you do this without the proper preparation? I thought you were dead in there.”
“I’m sorry I worried you. I just had to do it now that my magic is still strong; and that no one was expecting me to.”
“I could’ve helped you.”
“If I’d let you help me, If I’d let any more time pass, it would only add to the stress we’re all feeling. That I’m feeling, now that my death is much closer than we thought.”
“But you could’ve died here and now. How would that be better?”
“I felt that relying on my determination more than my fear would make my magic work better.”
Eseld slowly broke away from the hug. Tears were running down her face and she quickly wiped them away. Took a deep breath and looked at her friend for a few moments.
“But it’s not perfect” she complained. “It’s not like the other times. Your eye did not come back. And half of your body is still covered in the fire scars.”
“And my left hand’s fingertips are completely numb” Bersaba added. “It’s not perfect and I wasn’t expecting it to be, dear; whatever preparation we did. This is it; this is the last one. I’m lucky to have been able to do it, considering today’s diagnosis. But my body feels strong again. I can walk and breathe normally; and I can speak clearly again” she forced a smile to show her teeth, all back in their place, although somewhat discoloured. “I can chant my spells properly.”
“Are we pretending that only your fallen teeth were to blame for your terrible spell poetry?”
“It’s always been the worst, hasn’t it?” Bersaba laughed and then teared up too.
But she did not cry. Instead, she looked at the healer.
He’d taken off his cape and had left it on the floor beside her.
“Is that for me?” she asked.
“I don’t need you to cover” he answered, visibly offended, even in the dim light of the room. “I’m never… provoked, as you said, just at the sight of a beautiful woman’s naked body; that’s an evil man’s excuse.”
He turned around and started walking away for them. “But I left your stove go out before” he added, “because I thought you would sleep, safe and warm in your bed. The room is already cold. So, if you want it, until you find something of yours to put on…”
“Thank you. I did not mean to imply anything sinister about you.”
“You shouldn’t have done that” he suddenly snapped. “The spell. Not alone. You could have failed. You could have died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You should be.”
He reached the room’s door and stopped. “Will we be going wherever you want to take me?”
“Ah, yes. When is it convenient for you?”
“You have more important things to do than take a stroll with me; we should get on with it as soon as possible. I’ll clear my schedule for tomorrow, right after lunchtime. Sounds acceptable?”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll be waiting in the yard of St. Cyllin.”
“Are you coming into town, then?”
“Just up to the church. And I won’t take up much of your time.”
He did not offer an opinion on these last words. He just said, “Eseld, I’ll be waiting for my cape by the front door” and left.
CHAPTER NINE
Next morning, just after a glorious sunrise and the seemingly solid promise of a warm, sunny day, an unending blanket of heavy clouds filled the sky in what seemed mere moments; and released a heavy and constant rain upon the whole township.
Delwyn had already done a full week’s laundry since early morning. And now as midday approached, he was sitting resigned on the steps of his backyard, eating his lunch; staring blankly at the clothesline, full of pants and shirts and sheets that were dripping instead of drying.
“Pity” he heard a voice right behind him.
He jumped up with a terrified cry. He stood still in the rain for some moments and then turned around and hit his foot angrily and repeatedly on the muddy ground. “Fuck! Mr. Penrose, what the hell!?”
“Oh, dear. I’d no idea you use that kind of language, Mr. Bowen.”
“Are you joking!? You’re a ghost!”
“But I’m a ghost that you know.”
“You appeared right in front of me without any warning!”
“Behind you.”
“Shit! My heart nearly stopped!”
“I thought you weren’t afraid of me.”
“You’re in my house!”
“I’m sure you can see we’re both outside your house.”
“Are. You. Joking!?”
“Of course not.”
“Shit! What are you doing here!?”
“I told you I go places, to see and learn about things in this world.”
Delwyn looked at him and just… sighed.
“My heart nearly stopped, Mr. Penrose…” he repeated, complaining now more than yelling; and then “Fuck!” He was furious again as he lay down his gaze, realising his angry foot had stained him whole with mud – including his last clean shirt.
“It’s like you suddenly don’t know any other words, Mr. Bowen.”
“Mr. Penrose, I can’t go meet Bersaba like this!”
“You could take one shirt from that lot over there and dry it in front of your fireplace.”
“That’ll take time and I need to be on my way in a short while.”
“You should’ve taken it in earlier, then.”
“I didn’t know I would need a shirt, did I?”
“You didn’t know you would have to leave?”
“I didn’t know you would make me like this!”
“Like what?”
Delwyn showed his shirt.
“Did I do that?”
“No, I did but…”
“But what?”
Delwyn growled a “Never mind, Mr. Penrose” and run into the house.
“You know Mrs. Ellis?” the ghost asked suddenly, just before the healer closed the door behind him.
Delwyn’s body tensed. “Brianna Ellis?”
“Yes.”
“Of course, I know her. But how do you know her?”
“She died a week ago.”
“I know.”
“She was your patient, they say. But when she had her crisis, they didn’t call you.”
“Yes.”
“And a young master Bobbi, a boy of twelve, an alderman’s son; he was your patient too.”
“Have you been spying on the whole city?”
“But when his bowl sickness started acting up again, they also called another healer. And the boy died too.”
“The other healer wasn’t to blame. She just didn’t know all the details about Bobbi’s treatment, and she didn’t have time to assess the situation properly. And the poor boy…” he stopped and took some deep breaths, trying to compose himself. “The poor boy’s mother is long dead and his father already had other sons and heirs and didn’t really care. No one could help the healer in any way; no one could help Bobbi.”
“I found out that more people stopped calling on you as a professional. One or two even stopped calling on you as an acquaintance. It seems you weren’t really honest about the amount of work or patients you have, as of lately, apart from Bersaba. It seems, now that Master Jory is dead, you’re nothing to them but a witch’s spawn conspiring with the sick witch in the forest, to eat people’s babies alive or something.”
“Indeed” Delwyn managed a sad smile.
“So, why don’t you come with us to the other world?”
“Have you been talking to Eseld?”
“Of course.”
“I need to think what to do with my clothes, Mr. Penrose; and then I need to go” he said and closed the door.
The ghost stared at the house for a while and then flew out in the rain and dissolved.
***
St. Cyllin’s was one of the smallest churches in town. Built many centuries ago, on the edge of a high and steep hill, overlooking the town on one side and enjoying a full view of the ocean on the other. Not many people visited there frequently during the last decade; for St. Cyllin was the patron saint of the previous king and the previous king was a thorn in people’s sides, that they were thrilled to get rid of. But the location was one of the most breathtaking in all the township – and that church stood much higher than all the others. So, they turned it into their new cemetery and put their dead to rest ‘closer to God’ – but also, they believed they gave St. Cyllin the chance to atone for his supposed sin of ‘blessing the previous evil king from above, instead of striking him down the moment he came on the throne’ by watching over their departed through their journey to heaven.
***
Delwyn had no success cleaning his shirt, but the rain hadn’t stopped when he came out of his house. So, he wrapped himself tight in his second coat – a large and leather one he’d been using all winter in town – and hoped the weather would help him keep it on.
As he reached the top of the hill, he saw someone walking slowly out of the churchyard, covered in a heavy, dark, hooded cape. He slowed his pace, but the person saw him and waved.
“I’m here! I’m sorry for being late!” he yelled and went on.
“Don’t worry Delwyn, I was not leaving! I do feel I was rather early!” Bersaba pulled her hood slightly back and flashed a wide smile.
He hadn’t really registered her transformation and was taken aback for a moment. He’d been so used to her previous appearance and so frustrated with her yesterday that he hadn’t realised what she had accomplished. Even with the heavy rain blurring everything, the wonderful sight of her delighted expression made him miss a step. When he finally approached her, he had to cross his hands – hidden in the coat – to stop them from trembling suddenly.
“I’m sorry I let you wait” he repeated.
“This is the first time I’ve come beyond the outer part of the forest in almost three years. I assure you; I wouldn’t mind waiting all day, just being here and enjoying the view.”
“Three years? You haven’t gone out of the forest since the fire? Why?”
“My only goal was to heal in order to go through the door again. I didn’t care about anything else.”
“And now?”
“Now…” she looked at the dark sea and sky. “I’ve found Siobhan. And, whatever happens, these will be my very last days in this world.”
“And you just wanted to see the view before you’re gone for good?” he asked, feeling a weird sting in his chest.
“It is exquisite, isn’t it? But initially, I didn’t come here for that.”
“So, what are we doing? Did you want to pray?”
“Oh, no!” she laughed. “No. I just wanted to say goodbye.”
“To whom?” he asked but immediately realised and looked towards the cemetery, next to the churchyard. “Oh.”
“Shall we?” she proposed and started walking, as the rain turned quickly to a drizzle.
***
Jory’s grave could not be missed among the others. Not because it was new and still adorned with some frail bouquets of wildflowers; after all, other people had died recently and their graves were still cared for by loved ones. No, that wasn’t what made the Master Healer’s grave stand out. He was a very humble and private man, but he had saved hundreds of people in the township through the decades, including the Lord Mayor’s daughters, some years ago. And such a man, the people had decided, would not be laid to rest under an unimpressive flowerbed or a simple stone plaque. Instead, he should have his own mausoleum like a nobleman – at heart, if not by title. A mausoleum constructed from the best marble public money and private donations could buy, protected by a high-pitched roof with elaborate crosses on its edges, a proper metal door, two stone angels guarding it and another angel inside, guarding the crypt. A masterpiece for a master.
***
“He would absolutely hate this” Delwyn said, as they awkwardly stood in front of the small building. “I’m certain now; he’s gone and won’t ever be a ghost. Otherwise, he’d already be up and about, tearing down this whole thing with his ethereal powers.”
“Ghosts don’t have any powers, as you mean them” Bersaba smiled. “But… I’m sorry? Is this your first time here, too?”
“I came to the funeral and a few more times after that. But it is my first time seeing this; it must’ve been built sometime later. I heard they wanted to make it grand, but… I did not expect this.”
“Eseld has definitely been here too; but, surely, before that thing. She wouldn’t fail to mention such a…” her voice faded as she struggled to find the words. “…an interesting sight.”
“Just mention it? She would curse the very stone of this abomination if she could!” Delwyn exclaimed, and they leaned on each other, laughing.
“Do you need to go inside?” he asked her when they calmed down. “I don’t think we’ll find someone to give us a key.”
“No, it’s alright. I’d hoped maybe I could lie down next to his grave and spend some time with the memories of him, but now… no. After all, Jory as a person is not in there anymore. Nor would he be otherwise, of course; but with plants and flowers taking roots in his body, at least there would be a feeling of him returning to nature as he should and would like. This…” she looked disparagingly at the stone angel guards. “This is a betrayal of everything he stood for.”
“Well, if Master Jory’s last wish could not be respected – even with the great love and devotion he almost commanded in people, even with his last will clearly expressing that, once he was gone, he would like to be buried in the depths of your forest – what, I wonder, will happen to the rest of us?”
“You’re worried about you being a witch’s spawn and all?”
“Shouldn’t I be?”
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Indeed. That is why Eseld asked you to come with us.”
“I see you’ve all been talking about me.”
“But you are a friend. And we’re worried. Of course, we would talk.”
“I assure you I can take care of myself.”
“I have no doubt.”
“And if all goes wrong here, I can always leave and find a place where they might accept me as I am or won’t know me at all. I’ve done it before and I can do it again.”
“Yes, you can. We’re just proposing a place where they’ll surely accept you as you are.”
“But a place utterly unknown to me, where I’ll be left alone soon enough. We keep talking only about you dying; but Eseld might die too, right?”
Bersaba sighed. “Although I’ve planned for her to not be in the actual fight with Siobhan, I doubt she’ll let me go alone. I hate to think about it. But yes; she might die.”
“Even Kerensa will leave once you’re gone. And then… what? I mean, I don’t mind Mr. Penrose, but he’s hardly the right person to help me adapt in a new world.”
“Mr. Penrose will be gone too; he’s much more involved in my plan and the fight. And he knew, since I freed him, that he would have to sacrifice his afterlife in order for us to have a good chance of winning.”
“You freed him? Who could prison a ghost?”
“Many witches could; in our case, Siobhan.”
“What use could she have of him? What use could you have of him?”
“He was her uncle, and he knows things.”
“Her uncle!?”
“Yes, it’s a whole story.”
“I’m sure! But that’s not the point” he shook his head. “Do you see what I mean? I obviously appreciate you worrying about me, but going to a whole new world? It’s not an easy choice anyone can make, especially under these circumstances. And what if everything goes wrong or I don’t want to stay anymore? Will I be able to come back at will, as you do?”
“I don’t know. No one knows. We’ve been guarding the door for so many generations lost in time that we don’t even know how it opened in the first place. If we did something or if we just found it; or even if we share any other bond with it, except keeping it hidden and safe. The only thing I’m sure of is that, for the first time in over a thousand years, I am the last of my family; the last of the guardians. The door might go on without me or it might rust and crumble the moment I’m gone; or maybe even…” she took a deep breath “…implode and destroy everything in its vicinity.”
Delwyn looked at her, his eyes suddenly open wide with terror. Bersaba did not look back at him.
“You must think me even more selfish than before” she said. “When you only knew I’m just letting down just my loved ones. But please rest assured that I’ve done everything in my power to keep the forest and the town safe from such a possibility as the last one I mentioned. I’ve been frightfully aware of what my death might truly mean for everyone – beyond the sentimental strain on my closest ones – since the day I looked at my childless self in the mirror, sometime after the fire. If my bloodline is, somehow, what holds the door and the worlds together, then… it was all over, right then and there; painfully apparent on every one of my scars and blisters that wouldn’t ever fully heal and would chase away any suitor in an instant.”
He felt his whole body grow cold.
She didn’t wait for him to say anything and went on.
“I never thought much of having a family of my own, you know? I mean, I knew I had to, because of our assumption that the door might be tied to us specifically and because I was an only child; one of the few in our bloodline, as I was told. There were no cousins or other relatives, legitimate or otherwise. We were the last ones; I was the last one, carrying the weight of two worlds on my back.”
“Bersaba, I’m so sorry.”
She pretended to clear her throat.
“Point is…I wasn’t in a hurry to have a family. And neither were my parents and for good reason. I was young and strong and beautiful – and I never thought of myself as some great beauty before the fire, isn’t that funny? But I know now that I was as charming and attractive as any other person, confident and happy with their lives. I’d already shared my time and my bed with witches and plain men alike, but I didn’t want to settle down too early just for the sake of the guardianship or a simple, pleasant affair; I was dreaming of a deep love. And I was willing to wait as long as it took because I was young and strong and beautiful. And stupid.”
“It’s not stupid to want that.”
“But the door will probably be lost now.”
“You did not know what would happen. This was an unimaginable burden to carry. And you did good. No matter what I say; no matter what anyone says.”
Bersaba did not answer; instead, she raised her hand and waved her fingers. The metal door of the mausoleum made a clicking sound and slowly opened.
“I think we should go inside, after all” she said.
He followed without saying a word.
They took off their coats and sat on a small stone bench opposite Jory’s crypt.
“I met Siobhan when we were both children. My mother, who was from the other world, was friends with her mother. Their family’s magic was always darker and much more… controversial than ours; and that fascinated me visibly. I learned transformation magic from them, did I tell you that?”
“No.”
“Well… I was neither a quiet child nor very accommodating as a young lady. And I’d inherited impressive power, which I demonstrated even as a baby. All signs of someone needing constant attention and guidance, to ensure my and others’ safety, until I could handle myself properly. My parents knew they couldn’t keep me from experimenting with other spells besides our family ones; as any other witch regularly did, nothing to it. So, I performed spells quite often with Siobhan and her brother – but always with supervision. And I think I did fairly good through the years, with my spells as well as my character. I was happy and I enjoyed my life. I was nothing if not ambitious, but I’d also learned – many times the hard way – that humility had power too. I was young and strong and beautiful” she repeated pompously and quickly wiped a tear from her eye before going on. “So, four years ago, when she and her brother wanted help with a spell, to bind a very special familiar she’d chosen for herself, I said yes immediately. We didn’t say anything to anyone else and we didn’t have to. We were adults now and the three of us managed great power already on our own. It was just a familiar calling and binding. Admittedly, a very difficult familiar to call and bind; but we would be fine” she scoffed. “We arranged to be just the three of us in her house; always did that with all the difficult or more dangerous spells, to keep everyone safe in case something went wrong.”
“And something went wrong” Delwyn said.
She just looked at Jory’s crypt with an expression of such sadness that broke his heart.
“We nearly died that night, me and her. Her brother did die.”
“Oh, no” he whispered.
“I don’t know exactly why everything failed; Siobhan had opened the gate early on but, for some reason, she couldn’t convince the familiar to come through – and that wasn’t even the hard part we’d anticipated. We’d started before sunset and now the moon was already rising in the night sky and still the creature was refusing to come to her. And we couldn’t do anything to help. It’s a peculiar time when a witch attempts to form a familiar bond. Others can help in keeping the spell active and the gate open – thus offering the witch as much time as needed to properly do what she has to, without worrying about the basics – but they cannot interfere anymore. Otherwise, they risk complete failure of the spell. And it is not a procedure that can be done lightly or often. But we’d started before sunset and now the moon was up, did I say that?” Bersaba suddenly struggled to remember. “She was so tired and her legs had started shaking and our legs had started shaking… and her brother had asked her to stop, we both had asked her to stop so many times. She would die if she went on, that much was certain by that point. We have powers but we still exist in mortal bodies. I didn’t know if she could hear us asking her to stop and couldn’t or if she wanted that specific creature so much that she wouldn’t listen. I didn’t know…”
Delwyn held her hand. “What happened?” he asked, as calmly as he could.
She took a deep breath. “I made a decision. To save my friends; to save us all. Young, strong and stupid me would save us all…”
Her lips were trembling.
“Bersaba?” he tried to keep her focused on their conversation. “What did you do?”
She raised her head proudly.
“I took over the spell” she finally said.
“What does that mean?”
“I started chanting over her. It wasn’t difficult; her voice was almost gone after so many hours. I took over the spell in order to shut it down.”
“I didn’t know this could happen.”
“Oh, she was furious; she looked at me then and I knew, at that moment.”
“She actually wasn’t listening before.”
She nodded and teared up again. “Siobhan fought me by words, while her brother was yelling at her to let go. We were chanting practically at each other and he was crying. And then!” her eyes opened wide. “A voice came from the gate…Bersaba of the First Blood, daughter of Carys and Aron, the Darkness has heard you. And I accept you” she exclaimed and then fell silent again.
“And then what?” he asked.
“Those first few moments, I didn’t have time to realise what I’d done. I didn’t want a familiar yet; I just wanted to shut the spell down. I didn’t want any familiar and much less that one.”
But Delwyn did realize. “Darkness… oh, Lady of the Night. Kerensa…? Kerensa was the creature?”
A sob came out of her, but she managed to hold her own. “Kerensa started coming out of the gate. In her real form; magnificent and terrifying. My dear old friend screamed with rage and stretched out her hand to grab the demon. Me and her brother threw ourselves at them. We knew not to do that. You don’t enter the area of an active gate and you don’t touch anything that comes out of that gate until the gate is gone. If you do, you do at your own peril; or others’.”
“You both wanted to save Siobhan, who also knew not to do that. In that moment, when a loved one is in danger, rules or consequences don’t matter for most of us.”
“I’m…I’m afraid to admit that, for me, it was not my love for Siobhan which moved my body.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t want a familiar yet.”
“You said so.”
“But the bond was there now; and such a bond is mightier than anything. Unreasonably so at first, when both parties are getting to know each other. Even more so when they’re not prepared for the bond beforehand.”
“What does that have to do with saving Siobhan?”
“I wanted to save my friend; I really did, I swear.”
“I believe you.”
“But at that specific, single moment, I think… no, I know; I didn’t care about anyone else than Kerensa.”
He sighed and squeezed her hand.
“Oh, Bersaba. You were overwhelmed by something so powerful that you hadn’t prepared for. I can understand that.”
“When we reached the gate and touched Kerensa and each other… there was a blast; threw us all back. I got up a while after that. I couldn’t see Kerensa anywhere. Siobhan was unconscious. Her brother was dead.”
“Oh, Bersaba.”
“I made a decision for everyone and I killed a man. I’m paying the consequences appropriately, don’t you think?”
“You didn’t kill anyone. Someone died because of a chaotic situation. That’s very different. And if you really thought your physical ailments as appropriate consequences, you wouldn’t be hunting down Siobhan.”
“Oh, I’m not hunting her for what she did to me, but what she did to others to find me.”
“She didn’t know where you lived? About the door?”
“No. Literally, only a handful of trusted people knew on the other side; as it is on this side, too. And she tortured and killed them all.”
She started crying.
“Fuck” he whispered.
***
He let her calm down. It took some time and both their handkerchiefs.
“Better?” he asked timidly once he saw her taking some breaths without breaking down again.
“Mr. Penrose wasn’t kidding when he talked about your language” she mumbled and surprised him. “Eseld had mentioned something too, but I thought she was exaggerating.”
“When did you have the time to see Mr. Pen-” he demanded but stopped himself. “He’s a ghost, of course. And it doesn’t matter, anyway. Please go on if you’d like.”
“Well… I adore that little weird family I’ve got now and I’m crushed to make them sad when they see me like this or to have to leave them; but I cannot spend my days peacefully with them, as much as I’d love to. Not when others suffered greatly in Siobhan’s hands, for my sake. And, to be honest, I wouldn’t have met Eseld or Mr. Penrose if I chose to do nothing in the first place.”
“So, you’re hunting her for the sake of those who died to protect you.”
“And I’m also hunting her for her brother’s sake.”
“Her brother? Didn’t she burn you alive to avenge his death?”
“Not at all.”
“But what…? Oh… oh, no. Did she attack you because of Kerensa?”
Bersaba nodded again. “Because she thought I stole her.”
Delwyn tried very hard to remain collected. He got up, paced for a while, put his hand on Jory’s crypt. “So… so, she…” he struggled for a few moments. “She went mad; killed others to get to you.”
“She first accused me to anyone who’d listen on the other side. That I’d planned from the start to steal Kerensa; and killed her brother when he tried to stop me; and that I had tried to kill her too, but she was stronger and she survived.”
“And people believed her? Didn’t they know you and your family? Was your reputation tarnished beforehand or something?”
“Our reputation as a family had nothing to do with all this. My personal reputation though… my mother had died some years before and it had almost broken me, even though it was a natural death of old age. And I was unleashing my sadness very… inconsistently. My father was very old too and had also been very sick for a long time already. I was practically living alone. And, to most people over there, I was a woman of loose morals.”
“Really?”
“It wasn’t because I was having affairs while remaining unmarried; but because I wasn’t submitting my magic to any coven or guild. None of my family had done so in the past; but I was always considered so unsteady, that it fueled their general distrust towards me. And, as I said before, I was known to be quite ambitious. I was quite ambitious. Many were sure that the bit of maturity I exhibited here and there was, in fact, forced upon me by others and not acquired naturally as a trait. I guess it was easier for them to conclude I had strayed from my parents’ teachings and had lost my path, than to believe that the generally quiet and timid Siobhan would be capable or even willing to sacrifice everything and everyone for a familiar, as rare as Kerensa was. And when some searched for me, to hear my side, I wasn’t at my home in the other world; I was hiding here, on this side. Everybody thought I’d fled; because of guilt or because the darkness had claimed me whole.”
“Why didn’t you do anything to defend yourself?”
“That year between that fateful night and Siobhan’s attack… most of it was a blur to me. I was practically mentally shuttered by trying to co-exist with Kerensa. She is a Higher Demon, and I wasn’t prepared for her. I was strong, but I wasn’t prepared. It took many long months for us to agree that she had to tone herself down substantially, in order for me to slowly learn to live with her next to me and in my mind. But when that finally happened, I was so cut off from the other world and my father was finally dying.”
“And you had to deal with that.”
“Indeed.”
“So, Kerensa took then, the form she has now?”
“Yes. A simpler form. She retains her magical presence, of course; and some of her magical powers. But she is… easier to handle; both physically and mentally.”
“I see.”
“Do you understand?”
“I think I do.”
“I mean, everything I said?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad” she exhaled loudly, obviously relieved.
“So, when Siobhan attacked you, did she go back and pretended to have found, fought and killed you, all in honor of her dead brother?”
“No. As I found out, much later, she’d said nothing to anyone. Not even about the door. When she went back after attacking me, she disappeared from anyone who knew her; left her house and the rest of her family.”
“But what about your friends she tortured and killed? Was she not found out?”
“No; no one saw her do it. And she staged the deaths to look like someone or something else had killed them.”
“And why wouldn’t she reveal the existence of the door to anyone else…?” he wondered, mostly to himself.
“I don’t think it ever mattered to her; even if it did, she was probably too far gone already by the time she found out. She didn’t care about anything else; she was obsessed with Kerensa and me.”
“She was fixed solely on what she thought you took from her.”
“What I would gladly give back in an instant, before I truly connected with Kerensa.”
“I can imagine Kerensa is powerful as a demon; but for one to lose themselves over a familiar… it seems…”
“Unbelievable?”
“Pathetic, to be honest.”
“Oh, Delwyn; a higher demon as a familiar is not just rare. Among witches, it might just be a symbol of power, greater than the crowns of kings and queens!”
He looked quite unfazed by the comparison.
“Kerensa would eat her guts if she saw that unexcited face” she tried to joke.
“It excites me much more to see you smile” he stared at her and she dropped her gaze.
“I mean, after all you’ve been through” he added hastily.
“Of course” she agreed. “And thank you. So…” she got up. “Shall we go?”
“Yes; you’ve strained yourself enough. Has Eseld come with you to help if you’re tired? Or will you walk back alone?”
“I’m not tired. But I was hoping you would accompany me back. Eseld has prepared a whole feast as our last full dinner in this world.”
“Last dinner? Are you leaving so soon?”
“Day after tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”
“Eseld had said I could tell her if I wanted to just visit the other world and see what I think of it. But if you’re going that soon…”
“I cannot risk losing my magic, now that I know how quickly I’m falling apart.”
“I see.”
“But maybe you and Eseld could visit the other side tomorrow, while I pack our things and close the house.”
“Oh, no” he hurried to answer. “I didn’t say that I wanted to; just that Eseld gave me the choice.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to?”
“Yes, well… yes.”
“Alright, then. But we would love to have you with us today. Just as a friend this time. That is, if you have no patients to attend to or a previous engagement with friends.”
“Since you’ve obviously met with Mr. Penrose, I think we both know I don’t have anyone anymore.”
“Nonsense, Delwyn. You have us.”
CHAPTER TEN
It was these words that Bersaba had uttered so naturally – and later, the unexplainable familiarity he’d felt at dinner among this utterly unusual company – that made him feel light in the head and, at the same time, like a huge rock was pressing on his chest.
You have us.
She wasn’t being polite; she really meant it. As everyone really meant their invitation to the other side of the door. As Mr. Penrose was really frustrated about him losing his job because of stupid, plain people.
You have us.
And yet – he had nothing. Soon, they would all be dead or gone. And what was he to do in a new world, all alone? He was already alone here.
Maybe you and Eseld could visit the other side tomorrow, while I pack our things and close the house.
***
Tomorrow had come.
Now, he was standing at the edge of town, staring at the edge of the forest as the sun was reaching its highest point.
He nervously looked around him.
He took a step forward, then a step back. And then again.
“Delwyn?” he heard a man’s voice far behind him. “Delwyn Bowen, is that you?”
He turned around. His jaw dropped. “Pete?”
“Yes!” the man cried and run to him. “I can’t believe you’re here! Mare, this is the guy I was telling you about! The best healer I ever met! Delwyn, this is Mare, my partner! My God… how long has it been, my friend?”
“Five years” Delwyn smiled awkwardly. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” Pete asked back.
“I mean, I grew up in this township” the healer smirked.
“But I remember you said you were never coming back!”
“And I remember too that I was drunk that night. Nice to meet you Mare” he stretched his hand to the woman.
“Nice to meet you, too.”
“Are you a ranger, like Pete?”
“Yes. We’ve been travelling together for some time.”
“Is he still not funny?”
“Always” she smiled warmly.
“So, how did you end up here, Pete? I mean, it’s a large town, but it’s hardly a trading hub. I’d have thought that high-level rangers as yourself would prefer the neighboring province.”
“We do; we passed through here a while ago and went over there for a job. But we came back because your Lord Mayor issued an invitation to all, to help with a boar problem you seem to have on your northern parts” he pointed at another forest barely visible on the horizon, far beyond the other side of town. “Good money, but no advance. Is he good for it?”
“I think so, but I’ve only been back just a little under a year. Only met him once; he seems a just man.”
“Alright, then; I’ll take your word for it.”
“Please don’t. I’m not a reliable source for these things.”
“You’re a healer and, according to the skills I’ve witnessed, you must get called all around the place. So, you know people and you hear things. You’re the most reliable source.”
“Not really.”
Pete looked at him a bit more closely. “Everything alright?”
Delwyn’s eyes wondered again to Bersaba’s forest. “Yes.”
“Are you going to see the witch?”
“What?”
“The witch; in the forest.”
“How do you know about the witch?”
“You told me.”
“When?”
“The night you said you were never coming back here.”
“Oh, I was really drunk.”
“Don’t worry; haven’t said anything to anyone, except Mare. But that doesn’t count because she’s the other half of my soul and I just really wanted to show her.”
Pete looked at her and she caressed his cheek.
“I swear, Delwyn” she said without taking her eyes of her partner. “I won’t say a word.”
“I don’t mind, Mare. Our witches’ house in the forest is not exactly a secret; just something we don’t talk about.”
“We found out the Master Healer was a friend of the family, but he died a few months back. Did you take over for him?”
“Yes. Not as a Master Healer, though; just for the witch’s treatments. She is…”
“Sick, yes, we know, we were told. We even got to see the house up close!”
“What? When?”
“A few months back…” Mare tried to remember. “Ah! It was about a week after the Master Healer’s death.”
“Oh, right!” Pete confirmed. “We were on our way to our job in the next province and thought about making a slight detour. The previous night we’d celebrated with the townsfolk at the Remembrance Fire in his honour. Were you at the fire, Delwyn?”
“No. I was at a twin birth.”
“Oh, good” Pete sighed in relief. “It would’ve been hilariously tragic for us to be in the same place at the same time and not see each other.”
“But it was closed shut” Mare stepped in again. “The house, I mean. She seemed to be gone or even dead but now I think… she knew we were spying on her. There was a great earthquake and we had to run.”
“I don’t know about any of that” Delwyn tried to evade the conversation. “I only took over her care to just make her comfortable until she passes away.”
“I tell you, it was horrifying” Pete continued. “And, as we found out, no one else outside the forest had experienced the earthquake; only us. I tell you; she knew. And she wanted to get rid of us.”
“She could’ve killed us” Mare said, “but she didn’t.”
“She would never do that” Delwyn snapped, but immediately regained his composure. “And you don’t have to worry about her.”
“Is she dead then?” Mare asked, and the hint of sadness in her voice pleasantly surprised him.
“Not yet” he answered. “But I don’t think she will survive longer than tomorrow” he lied.
“So, are you going now?” Pete asked again.
“Where?”
“To the witch. You were looking at the forest, pacing back and forth… I thought you forgot something and were contemplating if you really had to go back home and get it.”
He looked again.
You have us.
Last chance.
“What?” he turned back to Pete.
“I said. Last chance, to let us buy you some drinks before we leave for the boar thing.”
“Um… I… yes, let’s go.”
“Are you sure?”
No.
“Yes. I’ll be going to the witch tomorrow morning, anyway; to say my goodbyes” he said.
And started walking quickly back into town, trying to ignore that damned rock pressing on his chest.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Next morning, he entered the forest sometime before sunrise and strolled the only narrow path that led near the house. Although he met many animals and creatures on his way, although the wind had picked up during the night, he felt surrounded by an eerie silence; like everyone and everything knew and mourned Bersaba’s departure and the guardian bloodline’s death after more than a thousand years.
He walked and walked, with his eyes on the ground, with heavy steps and a heavy heart for what seemed – as every time – like he was walking for hours, although he knew it was much, much less. And when, finally, he raised his eyes, he found himself in front of the ancient, perfectly carved and preserved oak door. The doorbell had a new rope; he snorted, amused by the thought of Kerensa replacing and guarding it with all her might against the rats. And then his eyes watered unexpectedly, as he realised that she’d done that even if there was no point anymore. She had found a home here as much as he had.
Do not attribute human characteristics or behaviors to her kind, Eseld’s words echoed in his mind.
Damn rock on his chest just grew heavier.
“Well, she doesn’t make it easy for me not to attribute, does she?” he mumbled to himself through a faint smile.
“What was that, Mr. Bowen?” Kerensa’s voice came from right behind him.
He jumped forward and hit his body on the door.
“Oh, no; did I finally scare you? I really hope I didn’t finally scare you” she laughed – and all birds from the trees around, flew away.
He pressed his lips and shook his head. “Of course not, Lady Demon. I just misplaced my step” he said, unable to hide the tremble in his words – and he was not sure if it was her startling him that made him sound like that or the thought that he would miss their bitter encounters as much as she’d been said to.
But he had no time to come to a conclusion. The door opened behind him and he barely stayed upright.
“Delwyn!” Eseld welcomed him. “What are you doing, banging on the door again? Didn’t you see we fixed the doorbell?”
***
“I think this is all” Bersaba said.
She was standing in front of two small, overflowing carts; Mr. Penrose was laying comfortably on one of them.
“Will you really be needing all of these until your fight with Siobhan?” Delwyn asked.
“Most of them are for Eseld; to keep, after I’m gone.”
“Won’t she be coming to fight alongside you, after all?”
“She hasn’t included me in her fight” the halfling girl said, pretending to be offended.
“That doesn’t mean you won’t go” he replied. “And we all know it.”
“I’m hoping she survives” Bersaba drawled the words, looking intently at Eseld while the girl tried not to smile. “Come, Delwyn.”
“Where to?”
“I’ve something for you too” she opened the door to her bedroom, and he followed her inside.
She went to the bed; took a large book that was laying open there, closed it and gave it to him.
“This has the names and locations of all the kingdom’s known witches; and some more, in other countries. It’s been updated through the last years, as I was searching for any blood relatives to take over the door. You can use it to seek refuge almost anywhere you like. I’ve noted all the friendlier ones and they’ve been notified of your existence. They will stand by you in almost everything you might need or ask. Most of them will do it out of pure love or respect for me and my family. Some of them will do it because they’ll see what a wonderful person you are. And the rest… well, we’ve acquired many debts through the centuries and many have not yet been paid off and won’t be, apparently; at least, not to me. The ones who owe the debts, know you’re the one who inherits them. And those debts have also been written in a separate piece of paper at the end of the book. So, you’ll know what you’re trading for what.”
He just stood there, with the book in his hands, his mouth half open.
“I… I have no idea what to say, Bersaba. I mean… I cannot accept this.”
“Normally, I would leave that with Jory – even though he was old, I would trust him to guard and pass it on to someone appropriate. And now I’m almost certain you would’ve been that someone for him, as you are for me.”
“But that is such an important heirloom.”
“I will not give this to anyone else. And there’s no reason to take it to the other side.”
“Yet another impossible burden for me” he tried to joke.
“But you carry those with such grace” she tried too.
“What if I'd chosen to come with you all?”
“You wouldn’t look so sad if you had.”
“But what if?”
She put her hand on his chest and he closed his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the sudden warmth all over his body.
“What if we’d met in a better time and a better world?” she asked. “What if we shared the feeling of health and the tingling of an unknown yet exciting future?”
He did not answer.
“There’s nothing to be gained by what-ifs. Only pain and suffering await, when one succumbs to fantasies.”
Her hand fell slowly in its place. “And yet… in so little a time, you’ve become most precious to me as a healer and a friend and-” she hesitated. “So, the fantasy won. I wanted to transform sooner than later because of my situation, as we said; but I also wanted to say goodbye looking like the person I wish you’d met. And now I stand here, as nothing more than a crooked memory of that.”
He clenched the book in his one hand and raised the other to her face. She did not frown or move away. He leaned over and kissed the scarred skin over her lost eye.
“Please, know” he said when he drew back “that I appreciated and held you in my heart as you were; before you conjured up this beautiful memory of what you looked like.”
Her face lit up.
“I will know that” she mumbled.
“And please know, that I am trying very hard to not beg you to stay. Because I understand now why you need to do this.”
“As I understand why you cannot up and leave everything you’ve known and go to an unknown world, from which you probably won’t be able to come back.”
“Look at us” he managed a sad smile. “All understanding and mature.”
“I think” she forced a trembling smile back, “we could be great together.”
“I agree.”
“If we had more time.”
“If we had more time” he repeated.
She took a step back and a deep breath. “You need to stay away from here for at least a few weeks. The outer forest and the town should be safe from a possible implosion, but this area will not be.”
He put the book in his backpack. “Alright. I’ll stay away.”
“But if nothing happens…” she searched her coat’s pocket and took out a key “…it’s yours.”
“What’s mine?”
“The house.”
“No, no, no. You can give it to another witch.”
“I don’t want to. There’s nothing special about this building. It only hid the door from prying eyes and it’s just where we stayed when we were on this side.”
“But… what would I do with it? I will not be staying in town; especially now that I have your book.”
“You can do whatever you like. Maybe, if and when you decide, you might come and visit.”
“Visit who?”
“Eseld might still survive on the other side, you know. The door might remain.”
“Then, give it to her.”
“She doesn’t want it.”
“Neither do I.”
“Please, Delwyn. It’s a safe place; the safest you’ve felt in years. You said so yourself to Mr. Penrose.”
“I mean, we were joking about me having a big mouth but this damn ghost-” he stopped himself and took deep breaths to relax. “I’m sorry; that was so insensitive of me, even if I meant it metaphorically.”
“Not at all” she laughed. “That poor man couldn’t keep his mouth shut for anything, even when he was alive; he can’t help it. Rather fitting, his current mouth. And, you know, he’s actually dead because he absolutely could not keep a tiny little secret. It’s the reason I brought him with me, even when I was certain that he genuinely wanted to help me against Siobhan; I couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t blabber about our plan to anyone he saw in the other world. Kerensa generally cannot stand him, but on this aspect… he is truly insufferable like that, poor thing.”
He stared at her blankly for a while. And then—
He started laughing.
And she laughed too.
And they fell into each other’s arms and laughed some more. Until their sweet tears of delight turned to bitter ones of sorrow.
***
“Well, it took you long enough” Kerensa nagged, when they finally came out of the room.
“We had important things to talk about” Bersaba scolded her and opened the door to the other world.
“If you and your irritating pride would just let me plan and kill Siobhan myself, you would have all the time in the world and you wouldn’t have us here, waiting for you like petty servants.”
“Aw, Miss Kerensa” Eseld patted the toad’s head. “You are so sweet to want to give them more time! But you know Siobhan has strong defenses against creatures like you; against all magic as we found out, remember? You wouldn’t make it past the swamp around her castle alone; you saw how it is, during our last journey in the other world. She would feel you right away, even in this… lesser form of yours.”
“Are you patronising me again? It sounds like you’re patronising me again. You. Me.”
“That’s why” the girl ignored her and turned to Delwyn “we made a whole plan to get inside and didn’t just attack head on. It’s a good plan.”
“I don’t doubt that” the healer answered, obviously sad.
“There could be other plans” Kerensa interfered. “There are several items in the other world that could mask my magical presence and help me pass Siobhan’s defenses undetected. Appear as just a plain toad strolling in her swamp.”
“Very, very expensive items” Eseld observed.
“Money was never our problem, was it?”
“Indeed” the girl agreed. “It was never about the money or other plans. It’s been three years and you should’ve accepted by now that Miss Be just wants to do this herself.”
Eseld patted Kerensa’s head. Again.
“I shall never accept such stubbornness. And what about that hand of yours, Eseld? Do you want it cut from the shoulder?”
“If it was your own that Siobhan had killed, would you have let me or anyone else deal with it, Kerensa?” Bersaba asked.
“Probably not.”
“Definitely not!” Eseld exclaimed.
“Do you want your tongue cut out too, girl?”
“Would you prefer I put my cursing hand on your head, Miss Kerensa?”
The demon looked at the halfling, utterly surprised. “I never thought I’d see the day when you threaten me without being visibly angry.”
“Well, it’s a special day. Our last in this world. Thought I’d try something new.”
Kerensa scoffed but stretched her long mouth in a big, disturbing smile.
“I like it” she finally said. “Gives me hope for you if you survive the fight.”
“Have you given him the key, Bersaba?” Mr. Penrose asked while doing something that resembled a yawn.
“I shall keep it” Delwyn answered.
“Good.”
“In case the house and Eseld survive.”
“I do not want it” said the halfling. “I’ve said so many times before.”
“As have I. But I thought it’d be nice to actually share the house. I mean, if you survive… I’d love to see you again, Eseld; my first, dearest friend in here.”
The girl’s cheeks turned redder than her eyes in an instant; she run and hugged his torso so hard that he shouted in pain while laughing.
“Of all the reasons for me to stay alive, Delwyn, you might be the most exciting one! Excluding Miss Be, of course.”
“Of course” he agreed.
“And Miss Kerensa.”
“Please don’t include me in your silly, sentimental declarations” the demon grumbled.
“And Mr. Pen-”
“-also, no need to say my name just to be nice, girl. I’ll disappear long before this fight ends, and I don’t mind one bit. And, to be honest, you are nice and I’m kind of fond of you; but we’re not that close.”
Eseld seemed disappointed for a moment, but she turned to Delwyn again.
“I’ve never had a plain human friend!”
“I’ve never had a halfling friend, Eseld.”
“E’ve never hed e helflin frien, Eheld” Kerensa mocked him.
“Not to mention a demon friend” he replied.
“We’re not friends, Mr. Bowen.”
“We are something, Lady Demon.”
She looked at him with a sly smile. “When I’m free to do as I please, I definitely won’t be returning to my Cauldron immediately. Instead, I’ll come to inspect my most anticipated meal.”
“I’d like to see you again too” he replied, in all honesty.
Kerensa did not expect that but said no more; she belched as loud as she could and turned her back on him.
“Well” Bersaba coughed a bit. “Shall we? I feel I’ll need to rest pretty soon.”
“Yes, indeed” Eseld straightened herself and inspected the carts once more.
“What about me? Don’t I get to say my goodbyes to the boy?” said the ghost.
He glided slowly in the air and stood right in front of Delwyn’s face and again pointed his broken finger at him. “Absolutely nothing plain about you; you hear me?”
“Yes” he replied nervously.
“You’ll do very well to remember that. Every moment of every day.”
“I will.”
“Alright; I’m done” he resumed his place on the cart. “Let’s go kill the crazy witch.”
Delwyn felt the rock on his chest again.
“Good luck to you all” he said hastily, to hide the tremble in his voice.
Bersaba approached him and took his hand in hers. Her grateful expression made him want to run.
“Thank you” she said in a low voice.
“Again?” he tried to dismiss the weight of the moment.
“And again; and always. Thank you, for every-” she coughed again.
“Let me get you some water” Eseld run to the kitchen.
“No, I’m-” she coughed again, harder this time.
She didn’t have time to put her hand in front of her mouth. When she caught her breath again, they looked at each other.
“No, please, no” he mumbled with a terrified expression, as he saw the amount of blood dripping from her mouth.
“Oh, no…” she only managed to whisper, as she saw the amount of blood that she’d spread on his shirt and face.
Her eyes rolled upwards and her body collapsed. He bent down to hold her from hitting the floor.
Eseld dropped the glass she was bringing from the kitchen and run back to them.
The halfling’s scream echoed through the whole forest.
***
“What the hell was that now!?” Mare hissed at Pete.
The new hollow trunk they’d chosen as a hiding place on the high hill, was not very large as the previous one. So, they had to stay absolutely still for some time before they could be sure that no one in the house had realised they were there.
“I told you we shouldn’t follow him!” Pete hissed back.
“We should go-” she tried to sit up, but he held her down.
“Do not move. You wanted to see the dead witch or whatever you thought we’d see.”
“Did I force you here?”
“We don’t know what’s going on and if they’re coming out.”
“Oh, my God; do you think something happened to him?”
“I’m hoping not. Maybe that was the witch’s dying cry? I don’t know. But we’re not moving. Not until the light of day is gone.”
“You want us to stay here until nightfall!?” her eyes opened wide. “And to walk in this forest during the night!?”
“I want to be able to move and run away without being seen that easily.”
“Yes; great idea. Because the witch won’t have any way to see in the dark.”
“He told us yesterday; the witch is probably dead.”
“Probably is not certainly.”
“Well then; another reason to sit tight and wait, right?”
“I don’t want to sit and wait. I want to leave.”
“We also need to see if Delwyn comes out alive.”
“Oh, now you’re worried about him?”
“Just…” he shook his head. “Stay down Mare. Just for a while, and then we’ll see what we can do.”
“What we can do to run away safely or save your friend if he doesn’t come out?”
Pete did not answer.
***
“We need to go” Kerensa whispered.
Delwyn was sitting on the floor, holding tight in his arms Bersaba’s body – back in its previous state, before the transformation.
Eseld cried, curled-up in her friend’s lifeless bosom.
Mr. Penrose was sitting on the cart with his face in his hands.
The demon was awkwardly pacing back and forth.
It had been over an hour since she died.
“We need to-”
“Shut up!” the halfling girl screamed again. “She’s dead, you insensitive, vile creature!”
Kerensa took a deep breath. “Eseld, dear” she said – so gently that Mr. Penrose raised his head to see if it was really her talking. “Bersaba needs to be on the other side. Where her whole family’s ashes are spread. Where she wanted to be when she died. And believe me when I say, that I wish I could shed this wretched form I’m in and howl my sadness as a proper demon, uprooting the whole forest with my claws” she growled and then sighed. “But… please. The door might disappear or explode at any time. She needs to go. We all need to go.”
Eseld looked at the toad with a puzzled look and then looked around like she didn’t realise where she was. “You’re right” she finally said, suddenly much calmer. “I’m sorry. We need to go, yes; and we need to kill Siobhan and…”
“There’ll be time for Siobhan.”
“We can’t let her get away with what she did.”
“Of course, we won’t. Who do you take me for? But we don’t have her with us anymore” Kerensa turned her eyes on the dead Bersaba but quickly looked away. “Without her…” she hesitated for a moment. “Without her, there’s no open fight. We need to find another way.”
“No open fight?” Mr. Penrose asked. “Why not? Aren’t you the strongest, amphibian?”
“Not in this bloody form, I’m not.”
“But you said, many times before, that you could take on Siobhan by yourself.”
“And Eseld said that I exaggerated and that I couldn’t. Who are you going to believe?”
“I’m afraid to say.”
“The girl. Believe the girl, old man. I’m not in the mood; not now.”
“Go back to your real form, then.”
“I can’t. I said it before; I wish I could. That means I can’t, doesn’t it? I took this form to keep Bersaba from going crazy when we first bonded. To change back now, I’ll have to return to the Cauldron.”
“Well, then? Go.”
“She won’t be able to come back if she enters the Cauldron again” Eseld said. “Not unless she’s summoned by and bonded with another witch; and who knows if and when that’s going to happen.”
“Ah. And we don’t want that, right?” asked the ghost. “Because then, she won’t be able to help us unless this hypothetical, unknown other witch helps us?”
“You must’ve been the brightest your tutors ever met” answered Kerensa. “I’m sorry; I said I’m not in the mood, but I can’t help it with you.”
“I don’t mind, creature.”
“You don’t?” now she was surprised with him.
“I mean… I liked Bersaba; I really liked her. I remember when she was a little girl and came to our house to play. I mean, I knew now she’d be gone soon; but not like this. I liked her. And it’s difficult for me to accept that she’s gone. I feel… not ready to accept that she’s gone. Is it because I’m a ghost and can’t deal properly with reality or time or feelings?”
“No, it’s not” Kerensa sighed again.
“Certainly not Mr. Penrose” Eseld agreed and started crying silently again.
The demon turned her head. “Mr. Bowen?” she called in a low voice. “Are you with us or has grief taken over you?”
“No” he whispered. “Yes; I’m here. I’m just-”
“We know. But we need to go. Put her on the other cart.”
“Put her on—she’s not a sack of flour!”
“She’s not anything now. That’s not Bersaba anymore; just a bunch of already rotten flesh. And she’s starting to smell. If we don’t go now, her funeral pyre will stink so much, it’ll be impossible to stand by it and honour her as we should, from dusk until dawn.”
“What are you going to do about Siobhan?”
“As I said to Eseld; we’ll need time to arrange another plan but we’ll figure it out.”
“So, you really won’t go back to the Cauldron now that you’re free of your bond?”
“You’ve figured me out quite accurately since the first day we met, so what do you think? Will I leave the matter of Siobhan to a maybe possible chance bonding with some other, unknown witch I do not care for?”
“No.”
“Indeed. Now, put her on the cart and go. You need to be as far away as possible from here for some time.”
“Do you care for me, after all, Lady Demon?” he scoffed but looked completely defeated.
“She cared. I only wish the door holds, so that I can come back once this whole revenge thing is done, to make your life impossible” she scoffed back but looked the same. “Now, go.”
“Alright. Well, then.”
He got up slowly, the dead Bersaba still in his arms. “If you’re all willing to finish what she started, no matter the cost… let’s do this.”
He started walking.
“Delwyn, where are you going!?” Eseld called out to him.
***
Pete opened his eyes in terror; he’d felt a sudden shake from the ground underneath him. “Mare, another earthquake!” he yelled and sat right up.
The forest was dark and silent.
But there was no earthquake. Had he dreamt it?
“Mare, where are you?” he lowered his voice, frightened he must’ve been heard – hoping he hadn’t been. “Is it nighttime? Mare, did we sleep? When did we sleep? How…?”
He felt a bit dizzy; he stayed still as he was sitting, closed his eyes and fell asleep again.
After some time, his body leaned backwards, but his brain woke him up to avoid falling.
“What-?” he looked around for his friend. She wasn’t lying next to him. “What happened? Mare? Mare!? Where are you!?”
“Pete!?”
She answered from somewhere far and lower and behind him. “Are you awake!? It’s nighttime! And I’m right here!”
He got up and turned towards her voice; towards the house.
“What the hell are you doing, yelling like this and what the hell are you doing down there!?”
He discerned her figure in the darkness, much easier than he would’ve expected. Because she was standing all alone in a clearing, some hundred steps away from the high hill.
Exactly where the house should’ve been.
It took some moments for his mind to realise.
The house was gone.
EPILOGUE
Two years later
Siobhan took a large sip of her warm, strong drink as she was laying on her bed, while her personal servant was trying to make her, broken and bandaged, leg feel as comfortable as possible.
The witch grumbled. “Eseld! Get on with it!”
“I’m so sorry, Mistress. I thought your drink would’ve taken the pain away already.”
“It has!” she yelled with a tipsy voice and threw her hand in the air, spilling some of the drink on the mattress. “You’re just making me angry!”
“Forgive me Mistress. But your leg has to rest on a proper angle, so that you don’t damage the bone further until it’s properly cast.”
The witch mocked the girl. “Well, you know about proper angles, how impressive. Too bad you’re not that good and devoted to your Cursing Art.”
“I’m only thinking of your well-being Mistress.”
“If you did, you’d learn better curses for my enemies than ‘You shall not defecate for three days’. You’ve been here for almost twenty moons and you’re no better than the first day you arrived here with your filthy pet.”
The witch glanced at the big, black toad sitting silently on a chair next to the bedroom’s door and staring at them through narrowed green eyes.
Eseld also took a sneak peek at Kerensa and the elaborate collar adorning her neck – negating her immense magic presence, making her seem and feel like a plain toad to Siobhan’s senses and magical defenses; a very, very expensive item they’d bought once they came back to this world and hatched their new plan against her. The demon had impressively put up with it as she had with Siobhan’s insults – really, as she had with the witch’s mere existence for twenty months. But the girl knew; this wasn’t going to last for much longer, even for Bersaba’s memory’s sake.
“I’m so sorry Mistress. I’m just so inexperienced” she tried to sound sincere. “And there’s no other Curser around to teach me properly and quickly.”
“Is it my fault, then, that you’re useless? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
“Of course not.”
“You didn’t whimper about being inexperienced when you came here back then, begging me to offer you shelter and promising to pay me back with your left hand’s power.” Siobhan spit on the floor. “If you weren’t that good at keeping my house and treasures in such pristine state, you’d already be lying dead in the swamp, feeding my precious Harpies with your halfling flesh.”
“I swear I can be better, Mistress.”
“Yes, yes, you’ve said so already so many times, it’s become a joke. And I’ve no more patience. You have two more moons.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“After that, you’re dead; you hear me?”
Eseld knew it was the drink speaking – and it wouldn’t matter anyway, even if the witch meant it – but she pretended to be surprised and frightened. “Loud and clear, Mistress” she answered.
Kerensa suddenly growled through her teeth and Eseld’s eyes opened wide.
“She’s just hungry” she apologised for the toad.
“She won’t be if she’s dead next to you” the witch replied nonchalantly. “Two moons.”
“Yes, Mistress” the halfling mumbled and looked again at Kerensa, visibly angry.
The toad did not react at all this time.
“Very well.” Siobhan did not pay any attention to them. “So. Are you done with the leg?”
“It should be fine.”
“Am I presentable?”
Eseld dared a vague but honest remark. “You’re exactly as you should be.”
The witch got offended again. “You mean, lame?”
“I mean perfect, Mistress.”
Siobhan laughed. “Oh, if only your cursing hand was as proficient as your tongue, girl!”
“If only, indeed” Kerensa derided.
“What was that, you talking filth?”
The toad didn’t answer.
Siobhan tried to stare down the animal but quickly found out she couldn’t. Her pale cheeks turned red with fluster, but she did not say a word about it.
“Come on, then!” she instead yelled at her servant again. “Let him in!”
Eseld ran to open the door.
“Wait!”
The girl’s body froze and her heart rate went up.
“Are you sure?” the witch asked. “I look good?”
Eseld tried very hard not to laugh and she wished Kerensa tried too. “I am positive, Mistress” she emphasised, looking sideways at the toad – who had closed her eyes in agonizing restraint – and opened the door.
“Welcome!” Siobhan exclaimed with delight and pointed at her leg. “Just look at what they’ve done to me!”
The man who entered the room smiled broadly as he closed the door behind him.
“Miss Siobhan, dear; whatever happened to you?” he asked in a worrying tone.
“My damn servants, is what happened! They can’t seem to learn how to properly clean the marble staircase! Their skins will soon be drying over my swamp, I assure you!”
“I do not wish to think such vile thoughts, while I’m with you dear” he exclaimed with a pained look.
Her pale cheeks flushed an almost deep red color.
“It seems you, sir, might need to stay with me much longer than other times. You know; to heal me properly. This is not some skin-deep wound as others before it. It is, I fear, broken” she cried with an exaggerated sad expression.
“I…” the man struggled to find the words. “What a magnificent bedroom!” he instead observed, ignoring her drama. “All this time I’ve been your personal physician, I’d never had the pleasure of seeing it” he added as he took off his backpack and his cape with the embroidered hood.
“Well, as I said” the woman tensed again, annoyed he didn’t pay immediate attention to her. “This is a serious wound and I won’t be able to walk for a few weeks at least. The usual room downstairs – where everybody can come and go – wouldn’t do, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, Miss Siobhan” he agreed.
“And even if I could walk tomorrow, I could not possibly have my people and creatures around the castle see me weak like this now, could I?”
“Even if you were bandaged whole” he finally looked at her, “it would not take away one bit of your glorious presence.”
“Oh, master Delwyn” she giggled like a little girl. “You spoil me with your flattery.”
He bowed deeply. “And I’m quite happy doing so.”
“You should tell Eseld now, if you need anything to drink or eat or anything else. In a while, she’ll be gone for the night. And I took the liberty of sending everyone else at the lower levels of the castle. To give us some privacy. I truly wouldn’t want them hearing me moan or scream through the night; from your treatment on my poor leg, I mean. I am all alone, at your mercy” she slyly smiled.
“Indeed” he repeated and approached the bed. He touched, ever so slightly, her hand. “It seems I might make you scream tonight.”
“Oh, will you?” she almost demanded.
“To make sure the leg is cast properly, of course.”
“Of course” she said and stared at him, totally mesmerised.
He pointed at the woman’s cup. “Is that…? Have you been drinking, dear?”
“Oh, no, not at all.” She swung it around, almost hitting him in the face. “I wish it was a good brandy or maybe even some warm wine” she sighed. “But it’s just a little something I let Eseld prepare for my pain. Warm water, honey and some plants. I didn’t think it would be drinkable. But she knows her plants, after all.”
“Yes. Yes, she does.” He smiled again and then straightened up. “Well, then.” He turned to Eseld and winked at her. “Dear girl, will you please bring some linens, hot water and some straight, thick sticks or metal rods?”
She winked back. “Yes, sir; right away.”
Delwyn turned to Siobhan again and leaned over her. “You have no idea how long I’ve been dreaming of this moment” he whispered.
“Oh, dear; master Delwyn, how daring of you all of a sudden” she replied and then yelled at the halfling girl. “Eseld, you may go!”
Delwyn quickly looked at the wall behind the witch’s bed. Mr. Penrose’s ethereal form timidly emerged above them. His terrible face almost glowed with joy; his broken hands moved frantically in a silent clap of anticipation.
“Eseld; before you go” he stopped her. “Will you please empty my backpack while I make a first appraisal of your Mistress’s leg?” he asked and then rested his hand on Siobhan’s, drawing the entirety of her attention.
“With great pleasure sir.” The girl’s eyes sparkled bright red, as she quickly locked the door and unlocked Kerensa’s collar.
The demon stretched her mouth in a creepy smile and Eseld stretched the fingers on her left hand.
“What’s that?” Siobhan shook her head and tried to steady the cup in her hand. “I feel something… did something magical entered the castle…?”
“Relax, Mistress” said the halfling, in her curse-voice, feeling the witch’s blood – that she had acquired some weeks ago – boiling in her chest. “Everything is fine.”
“At last Siobhan” Kerensa chuckled. “We meet again, you jealous monster.”
“Delwyn, will you do the honours?” Eseld asked.
“Yes, Mr. Bowen” Kerensa agreed. “This was your plan; almost two years in the making, since we passed through that damn door. Finally, the opportunity you’ve been blubbering about, has presented itself. I hate to say it, but you were right. It’s only fair that you should have the first blood” she grinned, utterly amused by her – once again – horrible joke.
“What is going on…?” Siobhan couldn’t focus.
Her cup fell on the floor; the sharp sound startled her.
“What is going on!?” she screamed now, realising she could not move one inch and even her tongue was starting to go numb.
He turned his head to his friends and flashed a sad smile.
“Oh, Lady Demon; humourless, as always.”
“On the contrary” the toad dismissed him. “I think Bersaba would appreciate the subtlety of such an inside joke.”
“To be honest, I also think she would” Eseld sighed. “They were both irritating like that…” Her eyes wondered in the past for a moment and then she shook her head. “Anyway, both of you; not the point. Go on then” she urged him. “What will it be, for starters? A cut on the face? A punch in the stomach?”
“Oh, no.” He got up. “You two have suffered and bled for this moment, much more and much longer than me.”
“Indeed!” Mr. Penrose cried out. “Well played, boy!”
Eseld’s eyes sparkled again, brighter than ever before; her cursing hand started trembling.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
The toad rolled her tongue over her whole body in delight. “Say no more.”
He looked at her sideways. “I wouldn’t dream of it… Kerensa.”
She looked back. “And yet you spoke more words; but… well played indeed. Delwyn.”
“She’s all yours, ladies” he bowed deeply to them and got out of their way, while Siobhan stretched her mouth in a distorted, silent scream.
The End
A. Garda
Artwork: 'Door of No Return' by Tylonn Sawyer (charcoal and pastel on paper)
Available for sale at https://www.artsy.net/artwork/tylonn-sawyer-door-of-no-return
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