Morana
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"Drink this," Alejo said and brought my attention from the window and to him. He held a cup to me.
"How... How did it become evening?" I asked and looked back out the window.
"You've been meditating for several hours."
I twisted my head back and shook it. "No way! It was half an hour at max."
"Well, it took you about half an hour to reach all the way in. And half an hour to get back out again. But you were in deep meditation for," he turned and looked at a clock over the TV, "around six hours."
"That's not possible." I kept shaking my head, though the light from outside couldn't be lying. It really hadn't felt that long though.
"Drink this and we can talk more after. I've also ordered some Chinese food that should be here soon."
He moved the cup closer to me again, and this time I took it. A sweet scent hit me as soon as the cup came close. It made me wrinkle my nose. Since it was in a cup and warm, I had rather expected something like chamomile tea. But whatever it actually was, was almost sickeningly sweet in its scent.
"What is this?" I asked and looked back at him.
"It's a tea brewed on garden angelica. It's to help you regain energy quickly," he answered, and I could see in his eyes that he was slightly worried. His eyes kept looking around my face.
It wasn't until then I again felt how tired I was. Completely exhausted really. And sweaty, as if I had been sitting under the scorching sun and not in a cool apartment.
I wanted to just lay down on the floor and sleep. But I also had a lot of questions, so I scrunched up my nose and drank. Thankfully, it didn't taste as sweet as it smelled. Instead, it was a rather pleasant amount of sweetness.
I ended up drinking it all in one go. After that, Alejo helped me up from the floor and I sat down on the couch again. He poured me another cup, which I happily drank.
"Why am I so tired?" I asked when I was half-way through the second cup.
"Magic takes energy. Just like working out. Things will get easier and easier with time, but right now you'll exhaust your energy even when doing the simplest things," he explained and then, to my surprise, placed a hand over my forehead.
"What..."
"Just checking," he mumbled, and then took one of my wrists and checked my pulse as well.
After what felt like ridiculously long, he finally let my wrist go and seemed content.
"A bit slow, but nothing too bad," he said, more to himself than me.
"Why did you do that?"
He pushed his hair back with one hand. Shook his head and sighed before answering.
"I had a bad experience with falling ill one time right in the beginning of learning magic."
His words made my heart ache slightly. I doubted he had had anyone fussing over him when he had started to learn. No one to guide or explain or make sure he was alright. Had he exhausted himself and fallen asleep where he had been? He would then have been tired and hungry and cold from the sweat, that was at least what I felt now. And that was a recipe for illness.
I put the cup down and leaned my head against his shoulder. Wanting his sadness gone and wanting his closeness and for him to know I was here for him now.
"Well, if you make me sick, you'll just have to take care of me," I said jokingly, and closed my eyes. It was comfortable leaning like that and he placed his arm around me, repositioning slightly so I could easier curl up against him.
"Morana, don't fall asleep," he told me, but his voice sounded oddly distant.
"I'm not. Just closing my eyes," I answered and tried to open my them again, but it felt impossible. My eyelids were as heavy as a water filled aquarium.
"You need to eat first. And you should shower and change clothes as well."
"Mm, I will."
I had most likely just fallen asleep when the doorbell rang. The shrill sound interfered too much with the sound of Alejo's rhythmical heartbeat, so I frowned and straightened myself. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes as much as I could while he went to get the food.
It was hard to eat. After every bite, I wanted to stop and lay down on the couch and sleep. Half the time, or probably more than half, I only ate because Alejo fed me.
"Why am I still so tired?" I mumbled before accepting the scoop of chicken and rice Alejo dangled in front of me.
"Because it's not a normal tiredness," he explained and put some more food on the spoon. "Your magic is a separate energy than the one you regain from sleep and food, though they are intertwined and one effect the other. Time is the only thing which can help you regain your magic properly, though there are some herbs which can quicken the process. Like garden angelica."
"Why not just feed me the tea then?" I asked and took the food from the new spoon Alejo had prepared.
"It can only do so much. You'll have to sleep to recover your energy. This food is just to make sure you also don't wake up being famished."
I swallowed and nodded, not having anything more to ask and also feeling completely done with being awake. I leaned back and closed my eyes again.
"You should shower first," he said, but I could feel his finger gently brushing hair out of my face and then pull me towards him so I could lean on him.
"Just five minutes. Then I'll shower," I answered and snuggled my head into his shoulder. My nose ended up towards his neck. I couldn't tell what he smelled like, but it was a pleasant scent.
"And in five minutes, you'll say five more minutes?"
"Yeah."
He laughed lightly. His chest moved as he did. It ought to have been annoying since I used him as a pillow. But instead, it made me smile.
I was almost asleep when Alejo spoke next. Or I already was asleep and his words were a part of my dream.
"Who on earth can be more perfect than you?"
As my consciousness drifted off, I was certain it had been part of a dream, because next thing I knew, I was surrounded by the shadows again. This time it was just two words they hissed at me over and over again:
"Find us."
YOU ARE READING
The Five Cursed Witches: Volume 3 - Morana, the Witch of Life
FantasyMorana knows she's different from other people in more ways than one. Firstly, she's sixty-seven years old but stopped ageing in her twenties. Weird things have also happened around her right after she's wished for it. But most importantly, no matte...