Second Chance

Chapter 17

It took Morrigan quite a bit of time to find the very place where the Ghostly Hour was.

Once inside, she immediately headed closer to the orphanage and waited for Goldberry to reappear.

At that time, a light was on in one of the houses. Morrigan involuntarily looked in the window. Everything looked clean and tidy inside. Two people-a man and a woman-were sitting by the fireplace. They just sat and looked at the fire, hugging each other. It seemed to Morrigan that they were sad. Probably, their heads drooping on each other's shoulders spoke about this. Only then did she see a frame with a black ribbon on the mantelpiece. From this distance, Morrigan would never have made out who was depicted in the photo. She was about to go inside-no one would have noticed her anyway-but at that moment a black figure appeared again.

Morrigan swore softly. After all, she never figured out what to do. She needed to stop Goldberry from committing this terrible act. But Morrigan had no idea how to make herself seen. Maybe she should just want, like with Gossamer Line, to be seen and that's it? It was too easy, but it was worth a try. After all, once at the Wundersmiths' lesson, she even thought that thirteen-year-old Ezra noticed her for a second, but then Morrigan did not want to be visible. But now she wants to.

Morrigan did not hesitate any longer and went to the side of the woman until she finished what she had started.

"Wait!"-Morrigan didn't even have time to think about what she was going to say. After all, Goldberry was a Wundersmith. Who knows what she could have done to her, considering how she was spoken of.

The woman turned sharply. Her lips barely moved and her hand shot up quickly.

Morrigan was taken aback by the force with which she was pressed against the wall. But she was even more surprised that Goldberry sees and hears her. So it worked out.

"Who are you?" - the woman said threateningly.

"I... I'm also a Wundersmith" - Morrigan said quickly, she couldn't think of a better one anyway.

Goldberry grunted, half incredulously, half mockingly.

"Don't lie to me, girl. I know all the Wundersmiths of my generation, and you are clearly not among them. Unless... hmm, no, that's impossible" - she thought for a moment.

"And if it is possible?" - Morrigan knew perfectly well what the woman opposite was thinking right now.

"People don't travel in time. At least, they haven't heard of it yet. Otherwise, they would have used it long ago".

But Goldberry still let Morrigan go. She was studying the girl intently. Before Morrigan's eyes Maud appeared as an exact copy, studying the girl in the same way at their first meeting.

"Hmm, wunder is enveloping you from all sides. And there's too much of it" - she tilted her head to the side. - "Problems with studying?"

Morrigan frowned. The Kindling said the same thing the first time they met.

"Inferno?" - Goldberry raised an eyebrow and looked at Morrigan again, but this time with great interest. - "Is this your first Art?"

"Uh... yes" - Morrigan decided not to tell her yet that she had learned a lot from her. There was no time for that now. - "Don't do that" - Morrigan pointed behind Goldberry to a small bundle by the door. - "This is a big, just a huge mistake. Believe me. I know better" - she absolutely did not know what to say in such cases.

"It's none of your business" - the woman said harshly.

"I'm sorry, but now it's my business too. Out of all this, a real chaos, a catastrophe is happening in my time right now. And all because you gave up, got scared, I don't know what prompted you to leave her" - Morrigan winced, realizing that she was talking too brazenly with a woman who is much older and more experienced than herself. - "Uh... I'm sorry, the last few months have not been easy".

"You're old enough to hear and understand what I'm about to say" - Goldberry looked over her shoulder at her child, and then turned back to Morrigan. - "I don't need this child".

This phrase sounded too loud, although in fact it was uttered almost in a whisper, and struck Morrigan to the core. She involuntarily took a step back, as if she had been slapped.

Goldberry is not done with this.

"I don't have time to babysit her. I have responsibilities that require full commitment and that cannot be abandoned. I assure you, you will understand it yourself when you grow up".

Morrigan shook her head. No, she will never understand what good reasons there may be to abandon your own child. Why give birth to a child at all if you're not going to take care of them and just want to get rid of them right away, as if they never existed?

"But..." - Morrigan was going to convince Goldberry, but she had already turned around and started moving away from the girl. Only at last she stopped and said, without turning around:

"I'm sure you'll become a great Wundersmith" - that was her last phrase.

Morrigan was left standing there all alone, except for the child. She was shaking, either from the cold or from shock. Goldberry's last phrase made her angry. This phrase was simply inappropriate. Now Morrigan understood that Goldberry was not interested in anything except her "gift". She didn't care about people and their feelings as long as it didn't concern her abilities, her business, her "gift". Morrigan desperately wanted to hit her, yell at her. But she restrained herself. In the end, it was necessary to do something with the child. Morrigan couldn't leave the girl here.

Morrigan carefully and at the same time awkwardly took her in her arms. She turned her head from side to side, trying to find a way out of this situation. Her gaze fell back to the windows of the house where she had watched the couple a few moments ago.

She walked right up to the door and stared at it, thinking. Morrigan suddenly thought that these people would need a child no less than this little girl would need parents. Morrigan carefully placed the girl on the mat in front of the door and, taking a deep breath, knocked on the door. Without waiting for an answer, she ran to the end of the alley and disappeared around one of the turns, sticking only her head out from behind the wall. It was a great place to observe.

The door creaked and swung open. A woman appeared on the threshold, trying to see who was knocking. Finding no one, she turned her gaze down and gasped, stepping back. It seemed to Morrigan that the woman would just slam the door, but she did not. On the contrary, the woman picked up the child and began to rock her slightly. At that moment, her husband came up to her, looking extremely surprised. His wife whispered something to him, and they disappeared into the house.

Now Morrigan was standing in front of the exit from the Ghostly Hour and a moment later took a step back to her time. She hoped that everything would be fine now.