The Night's Curse #3 (Waverly Stump and The 7 Realms)

Chapter 17

The feast held in Selene's honor did not bother Waverly at all. She was quite satisfied that Cassiope now knew who she really was but the revelation only prompted the flower spirit to bombard her with very strange, very annoying questions.

"Have you slept ontop of the moon before?"

"No." Waverly moaned in reply to the thousandth question as she trekked back to camp with Cassiope jumping, floating and bopping behind and around her.

"Have you met your mother?"

"Yes. I have."

"What is she like?" Cassiope gushed.

"Really nice." Waverly said and passed under an elm tree. Cassiope floated right through it but the host tree spirit came out looking quite offended by her unexpected intrusion.

"Is moon dust a real thing?"

"Yes."

Cassiope gasped. "Do you have some?"

"No."

"But why?"

"I don't know. My mother has it, i do not."

"Does your mother visit you?"

Waverly hesitated. "Yes."

"Can i see her?"

"You cannot."

"Why?"

Waverly scoffed exasperatingly and briefly halted. "Because you just can't, Cassiope. Even if she were here right now, you would not be able to see her unless she wills you to."

Cassiope wore a sad look. "Does she hate me?"

"No." Waverly answered with an alarmed expression. It was obvious she had hurt Cassiope's feelings. "I meant that she doesn't always want to be seen because people do not like her that much."

Cassiope's sad look dissolved and was replaced by a curious one. "People do not like Selene? Why? She is nice, is she not?"

Waverly climbed up the steps to her front door and pushed it open. "She is nice but it's complicated. A long story."

"Tell it to me." Cassiope demanded with a wide grin.

"I can't. I am still very weak."

Cassiope retreated at last. "Oh, oh yes. You did a lot of writing yesterday so you need to rest a little bit more."

Waverly sat on her bed and spread her legs out eyeing her broken bathroom door. "I just need to regain my strength. My entire system is still on fire."

An impatient knock made Waverly turn. She urged Cassiope to open the door and in came Phyllis, Regent, Grace and Ceylon. Some of them looked wide-eyed and the others look excited.

"Is it true?" Phyllis shrieked and flung herself next to Waverly. The bed reacted to her weight and shrunk down.

"Hello." Waverly waved to them then turned to Phyllis. "Is what true?"

"That last night someone put those glowing symbols in every single house to chase away the Incubuses." Regent said. His gaze was unbelievably sharp.

"And that it was you."

Waverly felt her face stiffen with an uncomfortable cold. "What?"

"Don't lie to us." Ceylon said sharply then his face and voice softened at once. "We're your friends, aren't we?"

Phyllis gently grabbed Waverly's shoulder and turned her so they came face to face. She spoke in a gentle tone. "Is it true? Did you really do that? Is your mother really Selene?"