Chapter 77
Thursday 24th September, 2020
Star’s Point Of View
Fox teleported Jonah and me to Georgianna’s old coven house. We appeared in a large dusty cobwebbed room with a grand staircase before us.
“NOAH!” I screamed as soon as I arrived.
Zaya and Eli appeared with Jamie. Jamie and Fox disappeared and brought back Harper and Holly, and my Dad and Jessie. Asriel appeared of his own volition with his Fae magic.
“Where’s Alto’s body?” I asked Jamie grabbing her by the shoulders.
I was frantic. Noah was about to make a huge mistake if he hadn’t made it already.
“NOAH!” I screamed again.
“It’s right here!” Said Jamie, pointing to the middle of the room. There was a fine casket there, still gleaming though it was ancient. It was engraved with symbols related to our pack. It reminded me so much of the a Pharaoh’s sarcophagus.
“Ok! So Alto is here! He’s here in Georgianna’s Coven House! We did it! Didn’t we?” I asked desperately.
What more did Georgianna want?
“GEORGIANNA!” I called.
“She wants him to be taken to their old haven in the woods,” explained Jessie. “We knew it would be best for you to hand him over to her.”
“I will levitate the body,” said Jamie. “Their old haven is in a cottage in the woods. There’s a floor-length mirror in an upstairs bedroom. The mirror is a portal to their real haven. Am idyllic land of Georgianna’s making for just the two of them.”
That did sound wonderful. They would have been better off there permanently, keeping away from Alto’s awful brother, Oleander.
“Why didn’t we teleport straight there?!” I asked.
We were waisting time!
“For some reason you can’t teleport in and out of that woods. You have to use more powerful magic to leave the woods like a summoning so Fox will stay here as a safety net to summon us back if anything goes wrong,” said Jamie.
Fox nodded.
“Someone needs to stay here to protect Fox if need be,” said Jessie.
“No, I’ll be fine,” insisted Fox.
“No one should be alone in this house and the woods behind it,” said Jamie sternly.
Noah had come here alone.
“This is all my fault!” I cried. “I shouldn’t have left the ICU in a hurry like that. Then, Angie wouldn’t have gotten the chance to kidnap me.”
“You did it because of me. I pushed you too far. And I let down my younger brothers. It’s my fault, Star,” said Jonah. “If Georgianna demands another sacrifice even after we return Alto’s body. I will go. Not Noah and not Jessie.”
“No one’s going anywhere,” snapped Jamie. “It doesn’t matter whose fault it is,” she said, getting impatient with all of us.
I had never seen Jamie lose her cool even a little before.
“We need to decide who is staying with the summoning party and who is going into the woods with the curse-breaking party,” said Jamie, making everyone focus on the task at hand and forget about assigning blame.
She was right.
“Well, I definitely have to go into the woods along with all the Quads. I’m assuming Noah is already in the woods somewhere and hopefully he’s ok,” I said, feeling out of breath.
I was so worried about him. I pictured that day when he helped me with my bag, on the first day of school. He had seemed so sweet and I had liked him instantly even before I knew we were mates. I wanted to be with my mates, all four of them.
“I’m not letting Jamie go into the woods without me,” said Jessie.
“Dad, Harper, Holly, Asriel are you four willing to stay here to help call us back if necessary?” I asked.
“You shouldn’t go in there without a family member with you!” Said Harper, still not that willing to trust the Quads. He and Dad only liked Eli. Asriel nodded, silently agreeing with Harper. Even his earrings were quiet during a time like this.
“What if Heath comes while Harper and Holly will want to stay together so they can stay here with Fox. I doubt Harper would want Holly in harm’s way and she’s the only Luna here who doesn’t have to go into the woods! We need Jamie’s magic and Star needs to help break the curse,” said Eli, trying to find some middle ground. “Asriel can also stay with Fox for extra magic to do the summoning! We have to make sure we can be brought back here properly!”
Asriel nodded. His earrings wiggled, both agreeing, a rarity among them. They usually fought. Holly blushed at being called a Luna. Harper sighed but he nodded. He hugged me tightly.
“In and out and straight back to me! No reckless behaviour!” He commanded.
Even though he spoke softly, he used his Alpha voice as an extra deterrent against any unsafe behaviour from me. I was to be a Luna in my own right so I could not be commanded totally but as the elder twin in an Alpha lineage, his commands could influence me, just not permanently.
We pulled apart and I nodded. I gave Holly a hug. She seemed shocked.
“Take care of my big brother! That’s an order,” I said, sniffling a little.
I was scared but so ready for this to be over. Holly nodded fervently. I hugged Asriel. He rubbed my back gently.
“Fox, we’ll be back soon!” I said.
“Fox, we’ll be back soon!” I said.
The wizard smiled and nodded.
Dad hugged Harper and ruffled Holly’s hair. He nodded at Harper. Dad, Jamie, Jessie and the three remaining Quads walked outside. I followed them. We walked around the house with Alto’s casket levitating behind us. The coven house was huge but we were swift. At the edge of the woods. Jamie insisted we shift so we would be faster. She healed my stab wound as well as Jonah’s with some witchy herb salve that tingled and glowed while it shrunk our wounds until they were gone.
“We need to some Georgianna like we did last time,” said the Witch Luna to her Alpha, Jessie.
“Once summoned, she’ll lead us to the haven but she moves extremely quickly gliding through the woods. Her feet don’t even touch the floor,” said Jamie.
We all shifted except Jamie, the only non-werewolf present. She climbed onto Jessie’s back and began to chant with her eyes close. We all closed our eyes too, waiting anxiously. My heart was racing.
“Georgianna, can you hear us?” Said Jamie in a stage whisper. “Are you here? Will you come to us?” She asked.
A tense eerie silence fell over the woods. The wind whipped my fur back. It was near to dusk. The last few rays of sunlight were fading. The woods seemed to call to us. I opened my eyes slowly. Had I been in my human firm, I would have screamed. Georgianna was crouching near the edge of the woods, her hair dark and wild, her gown lily white but ragged. She straightened and turned away from us. She seemed to float away. She did not take steps. She barely moved her feet at all. She glided away from us, moving faster and faster. We took off running through the woods, following the ancient witch. She sped up almost as if she was trying to shake us off. We sped up too. I glanced backwards and was impressed to see that Jamie could levitate the coffin all the way though we were moving so fast. I was practically breathless by the time she seemed to stop somewhere and then she disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
We found ourselves in front of a cottage in the middle of the woods. Jamie seemed to know the way. She sent the levitating coffin ahead of us. She led us through a back door into a room even dustier than the coven house. She went up the stairs. Jessie’s Alpha Wolf remained close beside her protectively, sometimes walking slightly ahead of her. We went down a hallway to a bedroom. There was the floor-length mirror. Jamie closed her eyes. The mirror’s glass sublimed into a mist. Jamie sent the coffin through the mirror. All the Alpha wolves had to shift back to fit into the frame of the mirror. Only my she-wolf was small enough to fit but I shifted too. Jamie quickly conjured clothes to preserve all of our modesty. She and Jessie stepped hand in hand through the mirror. Jonah went next. Eli and Zaya held my hands and Dad walked in front on me. We entered the mirror. I gasped.
We were in a beautiful forest, like something out of a fairytale. However, there was a hazy mist obscuring much of the lovely scenery and there was a silence cast over the land as if the inhabitants were in mourning. I supposed they were or at least she was. She had to be the only inhabitant. We walked through knee high grass that got steadily taller until it was waist high.
There was a huge castle ahead.
“Is this right?” I questioned.
“Yeah,” came Jessie’s voice. “We’re in their fairytale haven that Georgianna conjured up so long ago. Inside the castle, in her chambers, she lies.”
I took a deep breath. Eli and Zaya walked close beside me and my Dad and Jonah walked just ahead of us. Jessie and Jamie were leading the way, a little further ahead.
“Where is Noah?” I whispered as we entered the grand castle.
My voice echoed through the hallways more times than should be possible. I clasped my hands over my mouth.
“We’ll find him,” whispered Jonah.
Eli and Zaya nodded, determined. We went up a sweeping staircase. How big was this place? We were now going through another long corridor. Finally we came to quarters that looked like they belonged to a regal young woman. There were personal feminine touches amidst all the grandeur. My heart almost stopped when I saw her.
I held my breath for some reason as I approached the canopy bed. The curtains billowed in a wind I could not feel. Georgianna lay there on one side of the fine bedding with blankets piled on top of her as if she were merely sleeping. Her face seemed relaxed. Her chest was still. This is where she had chosen to wait for Alto in death. Jamie had levitated the coffin all this way. She set in down near the other side of the bed.
“That’s it,” I whispered.
“No,” hissed Jamie, trying to keep her voice extremely low in volume. “You and the three Quads who are here offer the body in exchange for Noah and the curse ending. Put him to rest near to her. Noah and Eli pried open the coffin. A rotten smell emanated throughout the room. I covered my nose. Jonah led me to the coffin. There were only skeletal remains in here with some light long hair at the head and a jewelled crown and fine robes adorning the body. He was nothing like the perfect Georgianna, fully intact, just motionless.
“Let’s lift him out of this and put him next to her,” I insisted.
If we were going to do this, we had to go all the way. She wanted him near her so be it. I helped the three Quads lift the heavy remains using the robes to hold it all together. The smell was unbearable. He was surprisingly heavy even after decay. We placed the clothed and crowned skeleton in the bed, tucking it in. We stepped away. There was silence.
“NOAH!” I called.
Nothing.
“NOAH!” I cried again desperately.
No, no, this couldn’t be happening. Nothing was happening. Uniting the bodies wasn’t fixing anything!
“Georgianna!” I managed to force out though I had begun to sob.
Why? Why had we done all of this just for her to take Noah anyway? She wasn’t even here!
“SHOW YOURSELF!” I screamed angrily.
“Calm down,” implored Jamie.
“NO!” I screamed. “WHERE’S NOAH? WHY ISN’T THIS WORKING!”
I sank to my knees. The pain ripped through me. I curled up into a ball and sobbed. The other three Quads were crying too though quietly.
“I brought back Alto,” I said softly. “Give back Noah! I’ll stay cursed if you want,” I bargained. “I’ll stay cursed. I won’t be with any of them if they can all stay alive. I’ll stay away from them, I promise,” I tried.
Jamie and Jessie exchanged a glance. They seemed surprised nothing was happening too. Dad got down on his knees.
“Honey, get off the floor, come here,” he said softly. He pulled me to him. We were both still sitting on the floor. I lay my head against his chest and he cradled me, rocking me, while I sobbed. I made myself get up.
“Should we summon Georgianna?!” I asked, willing to try anything.
“She should know that Alto is here. She holds dominion over this place!” Said Jamie
I looked at her through tears.
“Let’s try,” said Jamie softly after a while.
We formed a circle and held hands.
“Luna Georgianna of Mount Viper, Coven Mother, we call to you! Do you hear us?” Said Jamie. Her voice seemed magnified magically. It echoed through the room and the floor trembled.
“We are in your dominion. We bring to you as promised the body of your fated Alpha, Atto!” Said Jamie.
A cold wind blew through the room though the windows were shut.
“Please accept this offering and bring Noah back to us. Please spare these members of Oleander’s lineage and their successors and so on. Please let the curse and suffering end here. Accept our apologies and our condolences and our offering,” said Jamie, as the wind continued to pick up.
The room shook like there was an earthquake, it became difficult to hold onto each other’s hands.
“What’s happening?!” I yelled as the grand chandelier overhead fell from the ceiling, narrowly missing Jonah and me. Shards of glass scattered everywhere.
“She’s angry!” Said Jamie. “That’s all I can feel! Rage!”
What? Why?
“What about Noah?” I asked.
“We may have to leave the castle and try again. I think she’s bringing it down!” Said Jamie. “I’m so sorry, Star! I’m sorry!”
Jessie pulled her against him as chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling almost hitting Jamie. Dust continued to fall on us. The ground was shaking violently.
“We have to go!” Said Jessie in his Alpha voice to get everyone’s attention.
“No!” I squealed. Nothing had been fixed. Noah was missing!
“We’ll figure it out later,” said Dad. “He’s right! Come on, Honey!”
He pulled me towards the door. I fought against him and he half-carried me out into the hallway as the castle continued to collapse.
“NOAH!” I screamed, hoping he would appear somehow and then it would be ok to leave.
Jonah, Zaya and Eli followed us, looking pale and sick. We were almost to the staircase. I couldn’t let anyone die or get hurt because of me. I willingly hurried downstairs with them and ran out of the castle. When the others had moved away from the castle a little, I felt my misery, making it into something, crafting my emotions into magic. Fae magic was emotional. I knew that with an inexplicable certainty.
I conjured a barrier between the castle and my father, my three remaining mates and my new friends, Jessie and Jamie, so that they couldn’t follow me. I saw the looks of horror on their faces as they reached for me and hit an invisible wall.
“STAR!” Screamed Zaya desperately, kicking and punching at the invisible wall.
Eli was searching for a weakness in it. My father shifted and rammed at the wall.
“What are you doing, Star?” Cried Jonah. “We’ve come this far. Noah did this to protect you. Don’t let it be for nothing!” He called after me.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
I was already running back into the collapsing castle.