The Soulmate Curse

GARDENIA (for emotional strength) - Part 2

Finn was in that space between being asleep and being awake, listening to Zhen's heartbeat. Zhen's deep breaths told Finn she was asleep. She wanted to stay like this forever. Warm in Zhen's arms. Without a worry in the world, or rather, on the moon. Except that it wasn't possible. She was messing up whatever was between her and Jesse, their parents were engaged, an innocent man was about to lose his life and Roy Cruz was trying to steal access to the stars.

"Zhen," whispered Finn. Zhen hummed before waking up. She sounded like she was about to say something, but Finn beat her to it. "I'm so sorry. I know we said we wouldn't do this. It's just..."

"Please, don't apologise. Not for this," Zhen said, snuggling up close and kissing the top of her head.

"We promised we wouldn't."

"I don't regret it. Not a single second of it."

Finn lay back on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "Our parents are engaged to be married in a few weeks. I've never seen my mum so happy. I don't want to... I can't..."

"Yeah, my dad fixed his boat and took me night fishing," said Zhen, laying back and looking up at the ceiling as well.

From what she'd told Finn before, that was a big deal for Zhen. Suddenly, Finn felt even worse for letting her emotions spill over. She couldn't mess things up with Zhen and her dad. That would be the worst. Then there was the fact that their parent's communion had brought hope to the Darrow women. Everyone in the coven was talking about it. Grandma had even started a page in the Darrow Coven Grimoire about the breaking of the Darrow Curse. She always insisted on writing the entries by hand, taking ages to eke out stories and spells using cursive writing and calligraphy, but that's what made their family grimoire a thing of beauty. Finn closed her eyes.

"It was selfish," she said with a sigh. "But after the last three days, watching the Earth rise, having fun with you, being on the moon... I just... I couldn't imagine living the rest of my life without... I mean, we're technically not sisters... yet... I just wanted to..."

Zhen reached for her hand under the covers. "You don't have to explain. And, as they say, it takes two to tango. This doesn't fall solely on you."

"This can't happen again," Finn said. She sighed and sat up, the covers falling to reveal her naked body. She drew her knees up to her chest.

"No," Zhen agreed, although there was a reluctance to her voice that made Finn's chest tighten with need. Maybe once more? No. No more. She wouldn't stop if she gave in. She had to be strong.

Finn suddenly jumped out of bed and rummaged through her bag for a while. She came back with a small hologram maker and a beautiful large quartz crystal that fit in snugly in her palm. She set up the hologram maker and pointed it at the ground, between the two beds.

"What are you doing?" asked Zhen, who'd been watching her run around naked this whole time.

Finn stood up, walked into the holographic projection, gave the crystal a little squeeze in one hand then reached out her other hand towards Zhen.

"Join me?" said Finn.

Zhen took her hand and stood up. She kissed Finn. "Will you tell me what we're doing now?"

"Not if you keep distracting me," said Finn shyly, directing Zhen to stand opposite her, inside the circle.

"Something Wiccan?"

Finn nodded. "Something Wiccan."

Zhen looked at the hologram of the circled pentacle underneath their feet and raised an eyebrow.

Finn smiled solemnly. She placed the quartz in the middle of the pentacle. "Listen, Zhen. I know we're soulmates..."

Zhen smiled curiously. "We are?"

"We are," said Finn, smiling back. She was close to telling Zhen about the curse, but she chose not to. What was the point if it was broken? It would just sound weird now. "We are, but we both know that we can't be together in this lifetime. So..."

"So..."

"This is a ritual. It's a simple one, something I've made up," said Finn, looking down as she tried to explain this. She'd never done anything like this before.

Zhen gently lifted her chin. "Tell me."

"It's a spell. A twist on a love spell. It's going to help us find each other in the next lifetime," said Finn, moving closer to Zhen. "And the next, and the one after that, ad infinitum."

Zhen moved closer too. She cupped Finn's cheek. "What should I do?"

"Just be you," Finn replied. She kissed Zhen one last time, then took a deep calming breath to centre herself before whispering her spell.

I place this love in Aphrodite's hand/ To keep alive this twin flame/ And when our ashes go back to the land/ May our spirits find each other again

Finn felt energy buzz around her. She opened her eyes just in time to see Zhen's hair move in an impossible breeze before it fell once more.

"Was that you?" Zhen asked.

"That's never happened before," Finn whispered in surprise. She could still feel something sparking between them for a few seconds more. Something exhilarating. Was it because they were on the moon? Wiccans believed their spells worked best during a full moon. What if they were cast on the moon?

"That was it, wasn't it?" said Zhen, a little sad, but resolute. "We can't go back to the last few hours, can we?"

Finn bent down to pick up her crystal and the hologram maker in an effort to tamp down the sudden despair that washed over her without Zhen noticing. She tried to remind herself that this was the right thing to do. She turned to Zhen and smiled.

"That was it," said Finn. "We keep our promise, and we support our parents as best as we can."

Zhen nodded and picked up her clothes. "Until we find each other in the next lifetime?"

"And the next."

"And the one after that."

"Ad infinitum."

They dressed in silence. Finn locked away the memory of the past few hours. Maybe one day, when she was strong enough to bear the loss, she'd replay it. Let herself live in it for a few moments. It would never be enough, but it would be better than nothing. She looked up just as Zhen was zipping up the front of her standard issue lunar base jumpsuit.

"Alright," said Finn, putting away the last of her things on her side of the room. "Let's go save the world."

"I'm starving," said Zhen light heartedly, lifting the tension from the room. "Before we go play superheroes, can we at least find the mess hall first?"