*
“So you were such a pain in the ass. You should saw yourself the way you were behaving.”
“Yes, plus that you had blond hair with cold eyes, demonic and blue.”
“Ok, I’ve got the idea.” Angell said smiling. “Anyway, I am really sorry girls.”
“Hey! What is that ring?” Serena asked, observing the girl’s ring from her pointing finger.
“It’s a ring which… ahm.” Angell not knowing what to tell them.
“It is a ring which belonged to my mother. From generation to generation.” Amira said quickly, saving her daughter from explanations.
“Wow, cool. Anyway Angell what happened to you?” Lania said.
Angell sighed from all her power, taking a drink from her sweet with cinnamon wine. Then she looked at her mother, like she was asking her from the eyes if was ok to tell the truth to the girls of not. Her mother closed her eyes, smiling, softly nodding her hear.
“Girls, can I trust you?”
The two of them changed some looks.
“Like always…”
“Only to not think I am crazy or something.”
“Crazier then you are now? We don’t think that is possible.” Serena laughed.
“We promise Angell, whatever you will say.” Lania said, giving Angell courage.
“Ok, so…”
She spent the most part telling them every single detail what happened after she left the wedding. Amira was sometimes strengthened her story with a yes, is true. While she was talking about how she found the flower, putting a wish, and so one, the girls were sipping every single word from the girl’s mouth, articulating sometimes a wow or God, both displaying on their faces a curiously, trustable and pity expression. When she finished the story, Lania had her eyes wet with her hand at the mouth, and Serena remained opened mouth. A moment of silence came, in which only the pendulum from the clock could be heard.
“So… oh my God, now I understand. That’s why Kristall suddenly appeared. You brought him alive from that paper. You know what I still don’t understand, what is the Marked?”
“Well it’s terrible to be Marked, trust me. Lovin was Marked and he… anyway.” Angell said, bending her head.
Amira bowed her eyes down, trying to get away from a thought, like Lovin really did died. Angell took her glance from her cup, and then further said.
“When a person, besides me, tears or touch a Forget-me-not flower, it’s Marked, and means that it will carry a curse. In two or three days will start to lose its memory, will not have a clue who or what is he or she, from where is it, and so on. After that… death.”
“But from where do you know that a person it’s Marked?” Lania asked.
“Well, the 14 number will appear in his palm callus. Like a burn.”
GLANG. Serena’s wine cup overthrown on the carpet, and Amira quickly ran to clean it. The girls were looking odd at their friend’s behavior, which she was standing on her feet, shaking like a leaf, with her hands on the mouth, looking terrified.
“Serena, what is it?” Angell asked.
Serena didn’t say a word, and showed her left hand to Angell. Was like a lightning just streak Angell when she saw her palm, where the 14 number was crested.
“NO!”
In the next days, Angell, Lania and Serena were standing together, being unbreakable, fearing that Serena to not happen something, even if the curse started to do its effects, Serena forgetting more than usual. At one point she didn’t recognized Lania, meeting like for the first time with her. Amira wasn’t complaining at all that the girls were living at her place; on the contrary, she was very glad that Angell came back to normal.
The February month came, and Angell’s birthday was very simple. Her mother gave her as a gift a silver little chain, and Lania with Serena (even though she was like a plant with no memory) gave her an expensive perfume set and a lily of the valley flowers bouquet.
“Oh girls you shouldn’t have.” Angell said, hugging them.
“This isn’t all the surprise.” Lania said, smiling.
“What do you mean?” Angell frowned, getting suspicious.
“Me, miss Amira, Serena poor of her, and Emell here, we brought you a special gift.” Lania smiled.
“A car?” Angell giggled.
“Don’t be ridiculous Angell.” Amira said.
“Your gift it’s already at your door.”
Angell smiled to the persons which were in her living room (Lania, Emell, Amira, Sabrina with Doriss and Serena) and she shake her shoulders, going to the entrance door. When she opened the door, her heart came into her mouth. The gift wasn’t a car or an object. Was a person.
“Ma… Marvell?”
Marvell was standing straight at the door, with a lovely red rose bouquet, smiling to her.
“Happy Birthday Angell.”
Angell passed from amazed to happiness. The girl let her tears to come out from her beautiful and green eyes, and then she jumped in the boy’s arms, kissing him.
“Oh my God Marvell. I am so glad that you’re here.”
“Well how could I miss your birthday.”
The others started to applaud at the scene with the lovers hugging.
“Angell, don’t leave your gift at the door. He will freeze.” Amira said, in the other’s amusement.
“Yes. Sorry. Gift, do you make my honor to come in?”
“I suitably am.” Marvell laughed, entering.
The night came quickly, and all of them were partying for the first time from so long. Angell wanted her birthday to be even the end of the sufferings and the beginning of a new chapter.
After the midnight the music was still on. Amira was dancing with Doris, Sabrina with Marvell, and Emell with Serena, even if she was laughing not knowing why. Lania and Angell were seating in the kitchen, seriously talking, far from the loudly music.
“I don’t know Lania. I fear that this will not end up that fast. Persons were missing. I am afraid that will happen the same think as Lovin or Mariuss. And Serena will be next.”
“Stop thinking like that. Mariuss is fine. He is in OldStory. I visit him with Serena a week ago. He was weak and ill. He just said that… he will no longer come by, that he will leave the island for good, and to take care of you.”
“Mariuss told me, when I saw him last time at the sea-port, to be carefully with Kristall. He knew, Lania. I don’t know from where, but he knew what was going on. And I like a stupid girl didn’t listen to him.”
“Angell. Let’s be serious, you didn’t know that this will happen, right?”
“Yes, this is true.”
“Therefore… stop worrying, let’s go back, to dance, drink, have fun… you don’t turn 23 years old every day, do you?”
“That is true.” Angell said smiling.
“So, then let’s roll.”
“You go first, I will take some drinks from the kitchen and I will come.”
So Lania went back in the living room, taking Amira to dance. Angell watched very thoughtfully on the kitchen window.