Cursed

Chapter 23

The two boys rushed down the path that led outside of Feldcroft, praying that lighting would strike again. Sebastian stopped abruptly, nearly causing Ominis to run straight into him.

"Do you feel that?" He asked.

Ominis strained his senses. "The slight buzzing in the air? What is it?"

Sebastian recognized it. It was the same hum Juniper heard before the deranged witch's hideout swallowed them. Juniper's journal said she found texts on curse-eaters where they were being held. Was the derraged witch also possessed with one?

Another strike of lightning landed mere meters from where they standed. The hairs on their necks and arms stood up from the static. Sebastian hurried Ominis into the direction of the lighting. They stood not far from the path where the hum was loudest.

"They must be under us." Ominis said, feeling a slight vibration in his feet.

Sebastian placed his palm on the grassy floor. "Should we dig?"

"No, you idiot. There must be a cave entrance somewhere."

They followed the stream line until they reached an opening, not much taller than the height of Sebastian. But the two became aware of the eerie lack of noise. No lighting, no vibrations, no hum. It was like the whole world was holding its breath. The path to the cave was dark, and no light came from it. Sebastian hesitated before going in. He had not chosen to enter a cave since the incident with the inferi if he could help it. A sob broke out from deeper in the cave. Any hesitation melted away instantly, and he ventured the cave with Ominis one step behind him.

                             ______

Juniper's body trembled from exhaustion. The power she was fighting was more stubborn than she had anticipated. Every time Anne cried out in pain, Juniper would reach deeper into her ancient magic core, hoping she could take away at least some of her pain. Anne sat on the stone platform with her head between legs, strongly bracing against the surge of power emitted from Juniper. Wind rushed around in circles, the girls' hair violently flying around their faces. It was getting harder to breathe. Juniper would periodically shout out encouragements to Anne if she sensed the poor girl weakened. Almost done, she kept telling herself. Almost done.

The curse relented. A ball of darkness came from Anne's chest. It bubbled and brewed in the air like a virus ready to infect its next victim. Anne felt the immediate suge of strength return to her limbs despite the fact of also being exhausted. She took many deep breaths before untensing her body. The curse-eater inhabiting Juniper's body jumped out to extracted blubbering magic, causing Juniper to go limp and fall to the ground.

"Finnaly." She screeched. "I'll become restored!"

The ghost lady was shriveled like a wilting flower. Her arms and fingers were too long for the rest of her body. Her legs were a tail of mist that connected her to her host. Her hair was surprisingly put together in a neat bun. The scene of her coming out of Juniper's body startled Anne, not having seen the curse-eater before.

"You must be Denera, Juniper's curse-eater." Anne said to the woman, knowing it was crucial to the plan for Juniper to be upright before the woman consumed the curse.

"More like Juniper is my host. But not for much longer. Soon, I'll be able to roam the earth independent of a physical body. I thought the girl might have been bluffing when she said she would feed me an unbreakable curse. But I do love a good challenge and I was sick of my previous host." Denera was only centimeters away from the floating curse but was still out of reach.

Juniper struggled to her feet. She was in shambles but was not done yet. She looked to Anne and gave her a small nod. Anne, ever so cautiously, retrieved the blades from their fallen positions around her.