The Cursed

Chapter Twenty Nine

Lilura

I arrive back in my room, soaked to the bone, and shaking. I killed my friend, and what was the love of my life. For what?

Because he didn't tell me his mother was responsible for my curse?

That's exactly why, a small voice in my mind says. That's exactly why he had to die. Above all, however, that would send a message to the Queen. She would know I held power and knew it's properties. She would know I could kill her if I wanted to. And I want to, I really do.

I cannot move with haste. I have to rest and prepare a plan of attack. She is powerful, not as much as me, but enough where blindly attacking as I attacked Everette and Willa will not suffice. It could lead to my demise.

Alepou paws my leg. I look down at the fox who paws my leg and starts to walk around the room. He goes to the door and sits by the opening, staring at me, asking permission to leave. I flick my hand, allowing him to pad out of the room. I sit on my bed and remove my dress. I float it to lay over my chair and collapse onto my pillows. My eyes slip shut and open lazily.

I desperately want to sleep, but Alepou should have supervision. Especially with Willa's body downstairs. I groan and sit up, casting a seeing spell. There's an image in the air following my fox trotting around the house.

He sniffs down the stairs to the door of the room where Willa crafted her spells. He looks up at the ceiling, checking if I allow him in. I send a hand of air to push him a step further down the stairs. He huffs, but continues to make his way to the kitchen. A jar of jam lays shattered don the ground. He happily begins lapping it up.

Seeing he his content, I lay back onto the bed, close my eyes and sink into a light slumber, unable to rest with the beginnings of a plan unraveling in my mind.

"Lilura, darling, I found you. You have given yourself away, you see. I always watch my son carefully, and to my surprise I felt magic aboard his ship. Naturally, I had to see the disturbance for myself. Do you know what I found Lilura? I found the girl who loved him to end of the world kill him and let his blood flow onto his beloved ship. But then you have given yourself away. You told him Willa was dead. Willa-Sage, the old hag, is one of the last witches. As Queen, it is my responsibility to ensure their cursed magic remains imprisoned and safe for my subjects. We can't have cursed magic on the loose can we? Which is why you must die. For the safety of my kingdom, and for revenge for my son. My Everette."

The words come out in a snarl from the Queen. Everything else is dark, but her voice comes from the void and echoes around me. It enters me and flutters in my chest, sending fear through me. She knows where I am. She's a step ahead. I need to start planning and working now.

I sit up, wide awake. I wave my hand over the air in front of me, sending another image of Alepou in front of me. He's curled in a little circle by the fire, fast asleep.

"Alepou," I call, "come to me." He sits up immediately, ears perked. "Now." He obeys and quickly makes the trek to my room. He sits at the foot of my bed, curling his tail over his paws.

I need to prepare for the Queen's attack. I may be more powerful, but she has years of experience and knows exactly what she plans to do. I do not have the time to learn spells and how to summon beasts such as the mermaid. She's stolen the time I was depending on.

I hate to admit it, but facing her alone would be a fool's errand and a most certain death sentence. With what little time I have, I must set protections around myself and Alepou. That will buy me some time if they're strong enough. Then I have a few hours, days if I am lucky to study.

I stand, with Alepou mimicking. I leave my room and make my way to where Willa's body lays.

Preserved in magic, she looks as though she were asleep. Such a shame she had to die, her help would be most valuable. But nonetheless, j must continue. With a sweep of my hand, Willa's body turns into a small twig, wrapped in yellow cord and set with a crystal on the top. Her magic has been shifted from her physical form into the crystal, and there I may channel it into my protections and wards.

I walk to Alepou, wand in hand, and pluck a gift of his red fur. Going to the table full of the soiled spells against me, I set down the fur and wand. I brush the remains onto the floor, and with a crash that would've startled the little girl I once was, I begin to work.

Casting circles, making salt lines, laying potion after potion down around the doors and windows, I finish the protections. The room reeks of the sea where I gathered salt, and rosemary. A sickening scent.

But I have protected myself enough for a few days at most.

I need to find help and learn a spell or two to end the Queen. I need to do it myself. No friend or companion can help me end the one who I owe my pain to.

The souls I will have to help need to be strong, follow me without question, and be skillful. I can't have a lumber-headed idiot following me like a lost puppy. They need to be clever enough to trick and fool the Queen. A cat plays with their food before they eat it.

And I cannot wait to see the Queen's head on a golden platter.