down before the whole liberty came apart, with her buried in books.
Anna walked over to him, still clutching her shoulders. She placed a shaky hand on Victor’s shoulder. He shot around, his eyes had changed color again, this time to blue. Anna then said. “I’m sorry this happened to you, I’m sorry your father had passed. I know what that’s like, to have a parent you dearly love just pass like that. I know how frustrating that feels, and how achy it feels. When someone you think you love stabs you in the back for something you never did. You’re not alone, I pulled the knife, and I don’t know what happens in the story next. But, we can find out, go through your father’s work and find an answer to all of this.” Victor then let everything go, the books returned to proper place. And the wind stopped.
Anna looked at him, he looked as if he was about to cry. But no tears or wateriness came to his eyes. Anna placed her arms, around his waist, the bended them to rub his shoulder blades. As she hugged onto him, he seemed to hold her back. They stayed like that, then they went to sit by the fire again. This time they both lay, Anna hugged onto him. Trying to prevent an emotion break down from happening again. “Was it your mother who died?” Victor asked, Anna’s memories returned to that fateful day.
“Yes, she was very sick for a long time. She got sick when I was 15 years, and for about 2 years she was in bed. Finally she was no longer with us one morning. I had a nightmare one night; my mother’s disease wasn’t contagious. We knew because, she had a disease that made her hair fall out. And her chest grew lumps, well anyway. I went in to sit by her for awhile, while she slept. It always helped me get back to sleep, I noticed she wasn’t breathing. I panic and called for my father, he rushed in with Eva. The doctor who had lived with us to care for my mother was there too. They sent me out, and awhile later, my grandmother said the doctor pronounced her dead. She’s been dead for a year now, the doctor said, she died just before I came in. She had left me a note, saying something like. ‘Find yours now my love, goodbye, I love you so much’.” Listening to Anna’s story seemed to calm down Victor a load.
Anna felt a small tear roll down her face. Victor noticed and wiped it away. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He said hugging her tighter, she shook her head and said. “No, it just, I miss her, the way she use to talk to me. Hold me, love on me, I felt protected in her arms. But she’s gone now, I must learn to mange without her now. Just as you must to mange without your father.”
Victor sat up and said. “I do guess though I must explain myself to you then.” Anna sat up and was ready to listen. “Explain what?” Anna asked, now curious. “Well, for the episode you saw back there, that were my powers acting up.” Anna nodded proceeding she was following. “Well on the dagger there were translation notes that described the terms of the curse. Well first off, I’m still cursed. And sadly so are you now it seems.” Anna looked shook, she was cursed? She looked at him intensely for him to continue. “On the notes, the curse is described as a broken heart spell. The spell only works on a male, a male of power wealth, and more importantly magic. The catch of the spell is, when the male is stabbed by a female. She gains his power, and everything he owns. The signs are the servants turning to stone and the sleep curse. And the land the male was protecting begins to die, you see Blackwood was once a beautiful place. My family use to heal and keep the land safe, the duty was to be pasted to me. But since my recent nap, I have not been able to do my job. Anyway, the curse can be broken the dagger describes a maid of
one, one of I don’t know. She will pull the dagger free from the curse male, but as the male regains his power. The evil female, will do everything in her power to kill the maiden. Which is you, for as long as the maiden lives so does the male. They say if a witch is successful in killing the maiden, the male will physically live, but his depression consumes him. For the males are now connected to the maiden, therefore I am connected to you. But that’s not all; the maiden will heal the land once more. But at a cost…” Anna was at the edge, first she frees a sleeping mage, then she finds out a witch was now out to kill her, and on top of that. Anna and Victor are forever connected, and Anna is supposed to heal the land. But at what cost.
“What cost?” Anna asked, Victor shook his head. “I don’t know, the notes stop there the rest of the dagger is covered in my blood. And even if we tried to wash it off we can’t, the blood will forever be there until the curse is broken.”
Anna fell back with a long sigh of frustration. “Then why were the pages in the book ripped out, why is fate deciding that we don’t find out whats the key to breaking the curse?!” She said with slight anger and annoyance. Victor turned and looked at her, then said. “Yes it is frustrating.” A thought then came to Anna’s mind.
“Who was Marry Beth?” Victor sighed angrily, then looked at the fire and said. “She use to be my best friend growing up. Her mother was an herb witch that lived in the village. As a young boy learning to be mage. My mother would bring me to the herb shop, our mothers had been friends before we were both born. We grew up together learning magic, as teenagers that is where it all turned bad. She got in trouble with many people in the village including your grandmother. As I learned Light magic, her father taught her Dark magic. Both of our mothers died in a carriage accident, that’s what really turned Marry Beth. After that she disappeared for awhile, when she returned she was not the same Marry I once knew. She wore all black all the time, got in fights with all of the villagers. She spoke differently to me. On the night of the ball is when she returned, that night I picked her. I didn’t want her to ever leave me again.”
“When I finally had a chance to really speak to her, she was different. The way she talked was very unlady like, trust me on that. She spoke vulgarly, did horrible and vulgar things. On the night of the wedding, before I was suppose to walk down the ale with Marry. She came to my room, and this is what caught me. That we should just slaughter everyone at the wedding, just for kicks. And that we should go to war with the mortals, that we should run the world together. When she purposed this, I called the wedding off, I’m sure your grandmother heard our shouting. I held my family’s ring to her face and told her my power would never be hers. I turned to recollect myself for a moment, when I turned around that’s when she killed me. The pain was sharp, it grew cold and dark. Then I remember falling on the bed and going to sleep.”
Anna got back up and said. “I wonder what could have happened to her to make her like that so much.” Anna asked, Victor shrugged his shoulders. Anna that moment wanted nothing more than to get out of the itchy dress.
Anna stood and said. “Come on, maybe we can find a way to awake your servants.” Victor then stood, his height over towering Anna again. They walked out, and looked at the frozen people. “Alright, how do we do this?” Anna asked, Victor shrugged his shoulders. He walked over and poked a man, with
no avail of anything. Anna walked over, feeling the shape of the man’s face. To Anna, he had more of a rat face. With two buck teeth and only hair on the top of his head, with was swirled in a funny way.
When Anna stroked his face, still nothing happened. Anna stepped back next to Victor, Anna shrugged and said. “We’ll figure out something tomorrow.”
They walked away to find a room for Anna, as they walked on she noticed herself grow very tired. She struggled to keep up with Victor’s fast pace and to keep her eyes open. Victor opened a door, to reveal a guest room. It was bright red and a fire burned, huge windows were on her left. Anna looked to see it had started snowing, the gentle flakes made Anna even more tired. Victor noticed her weariness and lead her to the bed. She sat for a minute, then lay down. Taking small pillows and buried away her head, she heard Victor giggle a moment. Before she felt him pull a blanket over her, Anna buried herself deeper into the sheets. Then noticed that she was still wearing the itchy dress. Although she was more tired than itchy. She felt the cover lift again and two fingers press over her brow. In that moment, the dress turned into a
silk nightgown.
Anna smiled in comfort, then felt the cover move back over her face. Curling into a ball, she heard the door shut. Then fell into a dreamless sleep, as she moved in the silk blanket canon.
Anna still in the silk cocoon the next morning. Felt a finger poke her side, being extremely ticklish. Anna burst out of the covers, she picked up a pillow ready to hit Victor in the face. But instead, she saw a man before her. He looked deathly scared of pillow still raised above Anna’s head.
She let it down, then examined him, she recognized him as the rat face man. He was no longer stone, and he seemed quite clean. Anna then looked at him again, and realized, he had whiskers!
He had a pair of small and round glasses at the tip of his nose. Then she also noticed, the place where human ears were suppose to be. Were no longer there, instead grey round ears struck up on the top of his head. Now he really did look like a rat, Anna felt her jaw drop slightly. The man stood straight and said in a squeak like voice. “Forgive my lady, the master told me it was time for you to arise. And to wake you, I took the liberty myself to introduce myself. I am Albert, head staff and trusted butler to his grace. I’m sure my features frightened you. Most humans cannot see what we really look like. Please forgive me for poking you awake, I had no intention of scaring you.”
Anna found her voice and said. “Oh its quite alright, I’m just very ticklish. I’m Anna.” She said introducing herself to Albert. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Lady Anna. Seeing as you will be a guest for a long while. The master had me, take you some breakfast as well. And said, to come out and explore the rest of the manor when you felt like it. I’m sure Holly, is somewhere. She will help you dress once you’re finished with breakfast.” Albert turned around and placed a silver tray on Anna’s lap. It was full of food, bacon, eggs, toast, and some things Anna didn’t even know what they were. But it all looked so good, Anna didn’t even care what it was. This was more food than most of the villagers ate in a week.
“Good day my lady, when you are ready just call me. I will give you a grand tour.” With that he rat man exited the room, Anna then noticed a long worm like tail whipping in the air. Albert closed the door behind him, then Anna gorged herself.
Anna licked her lips 20 minutes later, with the silver tray completely empty. Anna sat up from the bed and stretched her arms and legs. Then she looked out the windows, it was still snowing. Anna then felt the necklace still on, she went to a mirror and opened the locket. She gently brushed her mother’s picture.
Anna then looked around for a wardrobe, she found a wavy dresser next to the bed. Anna walked over to the dresser, and when she touched the knob to open the middle drawer. She heard yelp, Anna jumped back. Then the warobe itself, turned into the shape of a women. With doors running down the front of her figure. She looked like she had a long dress on, for Anna saw no legs. But drawers going up and down her front. The dresser lady placed her hands on her hips. “Careful please, these things are very fragile.” She said, Anna nodded. Then the women said. “Forgive me, I’m Holly, I’m called that because that was the type of tree I was carved out of.” She said her name with pride in her voice.
Anna then cleared her throat. “I’m Anna.” Holly giggled and said. “Yes I know, here we should find you clothes before the master comes looking for you and a nightgown.” Holly pulled open one of her own doors