The Soulmate Curse

FENNEL (for change)

"I'm pregnant!" whispered Keira. Her excitement was contagious.

"That's amazing! Congratulations!" Finn replied in the same hushed tone, giving her a big hug.

They were in the middle of a Darrow coven full moon Esbat ritual with the usual theme of 'release'. The Darrow women would get together to celebrate every new sunrise if they could. It was understandable. They were a fun crowd. Tonight, however, was more solemn than most. They used this night to release whatever didn't serve them from their lives. Grandma walked up to the cauldron to get the ritual started.

"I just found out this afternoon," Keira whispered. The others were focussed on the cauldron and what Grandma was saying. The first on her list was the release of the painful past. It always was. "I haven't told anyone else."

"I won't say a word," said Finn with a smile.

"Thank you," Keira said with an apologetic face. "Sorry. I was just bursting. Had to share."

"Don't apologize. I totally get it," said Finn. "How did Lance take the news?"

"He can't stop smiling and he now exclusively talks to my belly," said Keira giggling a bit. That earned them stares from Grandma and their mums.

It was Keira's turn after that. She took on the solemn vibe and walked up to the cauldron. She didn't say a word. Most of them never did. They took a few moments to direct their thoughts to what they were thinking, but they wouldn't say it out loud. She dropped the piece of paper she was holding into the cauldron filled with different herbs and papers from the others. Finn went over after Keira. She had just one word on her piece of paper. A name. Zhen.

It had taken a while to write it down. But it was time. Zhen was right. She turned to look at her mum and there was a smile on her face despite the sombre mood that characterised their full moon rituals. Finn couldn't purposefully destroy that. Then there was the fact that she was the reason why what they had with Zhen had gone awry, not once, but twice. First with that stupid engine design and then inadvertently introducing her mum to Aldo. It was a little overwhelming, to say the least. And even if it somehow worked with Zhen, she'd be an anxious, insecure wreck wondering when the curse would come into effect again and she'd brutally destroy what they had. So, it made sense. It was time to release all of that.

Finn folded the little note several times as she recited her spell. "I release that which no longer serves me. May my guides and angels help me in this endeavour. May my human self let go and allow for healing. So may it be."

She was the last to drop her note into the cauldron. The others gathered closer, all silently meditating on their intentions of release for the ritual. She sparked the plasma beam lighter and used it to light a tinder dry herb bundle that she dropped onto the notes. They burst into life, turning the written words into ash and smoke that travelled into the moonlit sky in strings of wispy white swirls. The coven members stayed silent as they watched the smoke, focussing all their intent on the swirling tendrils rising to the sky and the release it represented.

"I can't wait until you meet your soulmate," said Keira as they piled their plates high with the potluck dinner dishes that ended every Darrow coven get together. "It'll be good to see you go gaga over the girl who'll own your heart."

"You're not scared?" Finn asked curiously. She'd never seen Keira so carefree about the future.

"Why would I be scared?"

"The curse?"

Keira turned to look at Finn's mum and smiled. "Your mum changed everything, Finn. Look at her. At how happy she is. In love. Again. Grandma says your mum broke the curse. So, no. I'm not afraid anymore."

Finn felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest for an instant. There was nothing that could be allowed to happen between her and Zhen, ever. She'd been right to release her, despite the cost. The result was worth it. Breaking the curse was more than Finn could have hoped for as a silver lining to her predicament. Yeah, it was worth it.

"I'm happy for you, Keira," said Finn. "But, if the curse is broken, maybe that means I don't get to find my soulmate."

"Not this again," she replied. "Are you really just going to be married to your career forever?"

"We're doing pretty well, my career and I," said Finn. "Went steady just the other day. It's looking good. We might be levelling up our relationship soon."

"Promotion?" Keira asked, adding just a tad bit more to her plate than it could handle. Finn reached out and grabbed a dumpling before it fell to the ground.

"I think you're set," said Finn, popping the delicious pork dumpling into her mouth. "No, not a promotion. A new account. Gemini Ventures."

"What! No way!" Keira exclaimed through a mouthful of food. A few partially chewed pellets hit Finn.

"Graceful," said Finn, but she was beaming.

"You've only been talking about GV for forever! That's your dream company!" said Keira.

"Career soulmate," said Finn with a smile. "See, it's not so bad."

"Congratulations, Finn," Keira became thoughtful. "You really are serious about this, aren't you?"

"Thanks. And yes. I really am," Finn replied, cutting off the last of her feelings for Zhen. "This is who I'm meant to be."