Our Magic Binds Us

7. But Why?

"It can't be. Why would he do that?" Sabine said. "It makes no sense. He has no interest in the history of the Witches; he has shown that on more than one occasion."

"Why did he banish you from the community? Why did he force us not to have any contact with you? Why does Centaurus do anything? Because he can." Cyllarus replied. Sabine's stomach flipped, she and her friends hadn't spoken about the banishment and the ruling since that day by the stream when they found Talia.

Everything had just slipped back into normal routine that felt so natural and as if no time had passed between them at all, it hadn't occurred to her to bring it back up, and now it was out there again and she felt sick. She knew there were still things to be discussed between her and Chiron. Things were back to normal with everyone but him, certainly, they were talking again like they used to, even holding hands at times but things weren't exactly as they were, they hadn't been alone together long enough for a start to talk of their relationship. She knew they needed to, it was like a big flashing arrow pointing at them every time they were close to each other but she didn't want to have to relive that moment again, she had done it so many times in her head since the ruling that the thought of going over it out loud emotionally drained her. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply a couple of times to steady herself.

"Sabine... are you ok?" Talia asked touching her arm.

"I'm fine; it just makes me so sad to have to remember that we are not even supposed to be sitting here together eating dinner. I've gotten so used to having you all around me again that the thought that at any moment it could all be taken away scares me. You are, in my eyes my family and I love you all, and that includes you Talia, I couldn't bare it if it was no more, but there is something going on that we need to get to the bottom of and I think maybe the ruling is somehow related to it, and if that means we have to go over and over what happened that day then that is what we will do, no matter how much the memory of it hurts." Chiron got up from his seat at the table opposite Sabine and in a few quick strides he was at her side. He held her hand and touched her cheek where a silent tear had just fallen.

"We will all be here to relive it with you and as much as it hurts, and believe me it hurts us too, we will face it together." She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and was lost in their depths. He leaned his forehead against hers and they both closed their eyes. The rest of the group had also gotten up and were all now at her side and gathered around her all placing their hands on her back and shoulders so that she knew they were there.

***

After the dishes were cleared and everyone was relaxing in the sitting area of the cottage they set about trying to make sense of all that they had discovered.

"Look, we can talk about all this till we are blue in the face, the fact still remains that we need that grimoire." Pholus stated frankly.

"Yes Pholus we know, but it's not as if we can just call on Centaurus and say "Good day to you, you know that grimoire you had removed from the archives for whatever reason, could we just have it back for a short time?" I don't think he'd be too pleased to hear that, plus the fact we don't even know why he has it." Sabine replied sarcastically.

"Well exactly," Hylonome said "we don't know why he has it. He might just have removed it for safe keeping, he might be more than happy to let us take it for a while, if I said that I was studying ma........." Pholus cut across her.

"And you're supposed to be the one with the most brains around here. You and I both know that Centaurus does not do anything unless he has a valid reason and usually something that will benefit him. He says everything he does is for the good of the centaur race but really its only ever for him. You know this Hylonome you have said it yourself numerous times and you have made us all listen every time you do." Pholus stopped and breathing heavily after his rant looked at Hylonome with questioning eyes. She looked back and for a while said nothing, eventually replying.