The Necromancers

Chapter twelve

I was wandering around the houses and reached the place where Stella said my ma and aunt Morana lived. It was an old run down house and not much of it was left. It was destroyed. Stella told me that people hated my ma so much that they stoned the house down to what it was right now, soon after she destroyed everything.

My ma was admittedly a violent person but never to such an extent where she would destroy something big enough for people to give her this treatment. Or would she? I cant hate her though nor can I hate these people for protecting whatever they had been protecting. Beathan knows whatever comes out of these people's mouths is a riddle most of the time. At least to me because the others seem to understand each other quite well.

While walking inside the house I could smell the same pungent smell from the beasts and realized that they were now following me into the house as well. Over the past few days they had a tendency to appear out of nowhere. Especially when no one is around.

"Why do you keep following me like lost puppies?" I sighed as I turned around to took at them. Uh...on a second note, they look nothing like puppies. They look more like the creatures who eat puppies just for fun.

They both obviously said nothing but just shared a glance with each other as if they knew a secret and I didn't. I didn't bother much with the two of them because obviously there were more pressing issues at hand. The house was hauntingly quiet. Like it possessed some dark secrets that shall remain buried and dead. And that was what drove me further into the house.

There were not many rooms in the tiny house. Just a bedroom, a kitchen and what looked like a small bathroom with a room that could be passed for a pathetic excuse of a library. I started with the bedroom first. There could be something, anything that I could find. The bedroom too was in shambles. I had to remove stones upon stones to find something, what, I didn't know myself.

When I got nothing in the bedroom, I went to the other room, briefly stopping before the kitchen. The memory of that day flashed in front of my eyes and I stumbled back. A flash of anger shot through me. At Drystan and Ophelia and Sorin. But then I remembered that they hadn't been the one to kill my ma. And I was confused more than ever.

I've never been good with feelings. It was a real struggle to distinguish my feelings from each other, but now it just felt like I was drowning, into a bottomless hole.

Again I searched through the torn pages of the books scattered at the other room and before I could begin my search a gust of wind got a few papers at my feet. Now, I wasn't a believer of ghosts but at that moment it sure felt like someone else was there with me and the two creatures. Using my magic I sensed nothing which was weird because I could swear on every deity ever worshiped that I did feel someone around me.

I tentatively picked up the papers from the ground and looked through them to find something useful. It was just pictures but I still kept the papers in my tote bag and just as I was about to move further into the house, the shrill voice of my ringtone pulled me out of my trance.

Had it not been for my phone ringing I would have walked into the room and...I don't know. I just felt compelled to enter the room and find something.

"Hello?" I spoke softly into the phone.

"Astoria? Baby how are you?" Ophelia asked me gently with the warmth of a mother.

"I'm fine. How are you?" I asked and looked around the room, not finding anything useful, I began my walk back out of the house.

Ophelia made sure to call me once in a while and if that isn't going to be the death of me then I don't know what is. At times I couldn't take her sweetness. She is too kind and nice. Always looking out for me and for the kids at the palace. Her kindness is truly commendable, because I have never seen or met anyone as kind as her. Hell, not even my aunt calls me anymore. And when I try to call her, she does not pick up.

"We are doing great, child. I wanted to ask if you are allergic to any kind of fruits or foods or flowers?" Ophelia giggled at the end. She was quite young for a lady to have a kid as old as Drsytan but then again witches are immortal creatures who reproduce once in a while. According to a myth, a witch can only conceive when another witch has died, it is said that they are reborn. I don't know how much of that is true because none of my neighbors had particularly young kids. I'm surprised that Drystan is closer to my age than any other witch that I have come across.

"No no. I don't have any allergies, at least none that I know of."

"We were just finalizing the designs of the ball room so I decided to check with you." She sounded drained and I felt bad for her. Part of me wanted to go back to the palace to aid her with the preparations but I had to be selfish.

"You can do all that after a good nap Ophelia. I believe you need some good rest. How about you go to the spa? You truly sound drained." With all my might I said that. Afterall I was talking to the queen and no matter how informal she was I had to remember that everyone has boundaries and I shouldn't cross them. Especially since I was new to all of this.

"You are right. I will take some rest right after I have done some last work."

"Mamma you should- oh, you are talking to granna?" I heard Drystan in the background making my heart turn to stone in a second. Although my mind knows that he didn't do a thing but my heart believes my ma more and thus holds him accountable for it all.

"No. It's Astoria. I do have to call your granna too."

"How is she?"

"Astoria is doing alright." I sighed hearing them talk about me as if I wasn't on a call hearing all of it. But all in a good sense.

"Ophelia I will give you a call later okay? You need to rest up and of course talk to your mother. Don't keep her waiting." My throat dried at that. Ma must have been waiting for me too that day. And I wasn't there to protect her from whatever it was. She had purposely sent me out just to protect me from evil.

"Sure baby. Take care."

"You too." I mumbled and hung up. turning to the two creatures behind me, they paused too and recoiled a little at my sudden sharp turn. "You know whenever she calls me baby, I have this urge to curl up on her lap and sleep all my problems away. She says that with so much love and I feel appreciated and loved by her. My heart literally flutters whenever she calls me baby. How funny is it?"

They just shook their heads. As if telling me that it was alright. That everything would soon be okay.

And I didn't really mind their company anymore. We might be becoming friends.