Charming the heart of a man is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Especially when it's already bewitched by somebody else - literally!
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All that former witch-in-training Avalon wanted was a simple job to get her life back on track and forget abo...
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Gil met them in the hallway, about to follow them. He was holding her suitcase, the pink sleeve of her favourite sweater peeking out from between the zipper. There was a worried expression when he saw her face contorted in pain. "Whoa, what's up with you?"
Avalon didn't stop her movement, focussed solely on the task of moving, so Zelo quickly explained the situation to him. She wanted to pick up the pace, but the continuous pain, though clearly wanting her out of the house, didn't allow for a faster journey.
"Nina didn't waste any time, did she?" Gil grumbled. The Brazilian followed them down the stairs, watching Avalon worriedly. "She really wants Avalon out of the way."
"Agreed," Zelo said. "But this spell isn't of her making. It's Fidelia's coven's doing."
"How do you know?"
"The spell's colours and texture. You can't see it, being human, but it's not Nina's magic forming it. It's coming from several people. Plus, I recognise Fidelia's magic in there. Her purple and bronze smoke is hard to miss," he said. They turned another corner, ever so slow in their descent to reach the ground floor. "This is a spell one cannot cast alone. The rope that pulls someone out of a specified location requires at least three strings. The one pulling on Avalon has six."
"So it's like a community– um, coven spell?" Gil wondered. "That aquella-stuff you guys mentioned earlier?"
Zelo mumbled affirmatively. "You're smarter than you look. It's an aquellare spell. The combined magical powers of a coven that enable you to cast highly potent spells."
"So it's making her get out of the house? Then what? It's not going to harm her more, right?"
"The pain will stop as soon as she leaves the house. The spell is bound to the four walls of a person's living space. Until then, there's nothing either of us can do. You can't cut the rope once it's bound to you. Unless you're willing to part with your soul. Which no person in their right mind is. Hold on a little more, Avalon. We're almost out."
Gil gulped audibly, followed by a whispered "Fuck".
They made it down the last stairs to the ground floor. But instead of leading downstairs to the car park, the path drawn by the spell led her down the hall.
"Oh, Moon Goddesses," Avalon groaned, recognising the way. She halted, the pain becoming stronger to force her to walk again. She swallowed heavily, fighting the feeling of impotent nausea. Bile rose in her oesophagus. She could feel strands of hair sticking to her face; her skin was damp. "It's leading me through the living room."
The noise from the television sounded so much louder than it probably was. Neymar was in the living room, watching TV. Clueless as per usual as to what his girlfriend was doing to everyone and their nanny. And I'm just as helpless now as he is. Pathetic!
Gil pursed his lips when his eyes met hers, recognition and concern contorting his features into a grimace. "Will you be all right?" At her curt nod, he continued. "Should I get your car and meet you at the front?" Avalon nodded again. He gripped her shoulder in a gesture of reassurance, then continued down the stairs into the basement, reliably holding on to her suitcase.
