Novel Hearts

by Rebecca Boucher

  “Thank ye, nay,” I said, rising to my feet. “I’ll see thee in the square tomorrow.”

  Mr. Douglas frowned, closing his eyes and nodded. A moment later, I walked out of the bar, steaming mad, thinking of Lucia. She couldn’t really be a witch, could she? But I knew that it really didn’t matter; I loved her. Of that, I was sure. I hurried home and dressed into a clean shirt and trousers, waiting for the sun to set. When it was near dusk, I headed toward the edge of the forest where I promised Lucia I would meet her.

  As I neared the forest’s edge, there was my Lucia, waiting for me. A smile spread across her face and her eyes shone a brilliant blue as the moon began to rise. I hurried toward her and reached out to her. She skipped toward me and took my hand. “Let’s go,” I whispered, looking around to make sure that her parents weren’t watching. We ran together into the forest for a while when we suddenly came to a clearing where several huge stones stood as a testament against time. I came to know it later as Stonehenge.

  “Where are we?” I asked, stepping into the clearing. The moonlight lit up the stones.

  “It’s a sacred place,” she said, “the sacred place of my people.”

  “Of thy people?” I asked, stopping as she walked on.

  She turned to face me when she realized I was no longer by her side. “Aye, my people. Druids. I’m from long descendants of Druids.”

  “Witches?” I asked.

  Lucia laughed. “In the literal sense, aye, but the magic we practice is natural magic that comes from Mother Earth.”

  Then, I realized that it did matter. “Let me take ye back …”

  “Fredrick, I’m not evil. I call on the earth for the power of healing. It’s not a bad thing,” she said, trying to convince me.

  “Why are ye telling me this?” I asked, taking a step toward her, truly curious.

  “Because before we go any further in our courtship, I want ye to know everything about me,” Lucia said, then continued, “but ye can tell no one of this. People do not understand and will burn us both at the stake if they find out.”

  The thought of my sweet Lucia burning at the stake sent a shiver down my spine. “Show me,” I said, still unable to believe.

  She closed her eyes and held out her hands to one of the huge, ancient stones standing before her. At first, a faint glow radiated from the stone, but then she began chanting in an ancient tongue and it glowed brighter until the whole stone light up the circle. Then, the next stone lit, and the next and the next until every stone in the circle glowed brightly, turning the night momentarily into day. Then, when she opened her eyes and stopped chanting, the light went out just as suddenly as it had appeared.

  I watched her, wide eyed, unable to speak at first as she slowly walked toward me. “How did ye do that?” I asked, mesmerized.

  “I told ye. This is a special place, the holy place of my father’s, and there is great energy here,” she replied.

  “What is this place?” I asked, looking around at the stones spaced symmetrically within the circle.

  “Years ago, it was a place of burial. Years ago when witches were ready to die, their families brought them here. At the moment of his or her death, their power was released here in this place and their spirit went on to join our ancestors. Then, the body was burned here in a sacred ceremony,” Lucia explained, matter of fact, as she walked around the circle of stones, letting her hand trail over them as she passed.

  “Used to?” I asked, beginning to regain my tongue. “Is that ceremony no longer performed here?”

  “No, not any longer,” Lucia replied, turning to face me. “Today, we realize that our power is released any place that we are and our spirit goes on to be with our ancestors, regardless of where our body is.”

  I nodded, trying desperately to understand. “Ye said that ye only perform good magic? Is there dark magic, too?”

  She nodded her head, then said, “Aye, there is dark magic, but my family and I do not practice it. We practice only good magic. We want only to heal, to help people.”

  Then, I understood, and when she crossed the great circle of ancient stones walking toward me, I met her halfway in the middle. I reached up a hand to touch the side of her face, pushing back her long sun-streaked hair that glowed silver in the moonlight as she leaned into my hand. “Thou art so beautiful, Lucia. I’m sure you already know that I’m in love with thee.” I pulled her into my arms close to my chest. “I love thee, Lucia, and I always will.”

  “It matters not that I am a witch?” she asked, as her blue eyes shone a pale gray in the moonlight.

  “It matters not,” I replied, wrapping my arms around her. “I love thee.” And then I softly touched my lips to hers and she responded, returning my kiss. My heart raced as our lips moved together as passion enveloped us in the moonlight, here in this sacred place. And in this place, I knew she would be mine … forever … my forever love.

  “I love thee, too, Fredrick,” she returned, reaching up to press her lips to mine, and I had never felt such love and warmth before in my life. “Fredrick, there is the Summer Solstice ball coming up. The town will celebrate it with dancing and song, but it is very special to my people. It’s lots of fun. Will ye come?”

  I nodded with a grin, and my lips crushed down onto hers again. Passion enveloped us both as our lips moved in familiar ways, as if we had always been together, as if we were meant to be together. “Aye, I will go, but for now, I must bring ye home. Your family will miss thee.”

  She nodded sadly and replied, “Aye, you’re right … and my father is a light sleeper.”

  I laughed, then said, “Well, I guess we had better go, then. I want to keep my head this night.”

  We laughed and she laid her head onto my shoulder as we slowly started making our way back to her house. On the edge of the forest, I pulled her into my arms once more, pressed my lips to hers and they moved together, as one, until she pulled away. “I had better go,” she whispered, her breath a soft caress on my skin.

  “Until tomorrow?” I asked, hating to let her go.

  “Until then,” she whispered, then added, “I love thee, Fredrick.”

  “And I love thee,” I returned, then watched as she skipped across the road and slipped quietly into the front door of her home.

  The weeks went by and I saw Lucia every day, but never again in the moonlight until it was time for the Summer Solstice ball. That day on my way into town to do my trading, Lucia was waiting on the rustic bench as was usual. “Good day, Miss Collins,” I said as I approached.

  “Lucia, please,” she said with a smile. “Will I see ye tonight?”

  “For what?” I teased, but the confused look on her face was too much, so I burst into laughter. “Aye, dear Lucia. I understand the ball will be in the town hall?”

  “Aye, it is,” she replied, then added, “Mother and Father are going, as well.”

  “I’m looking forward to it,” I said, taking her hand, “but please wait for me. I want to be the one to escort ye tonight.”

  “Are ye sure? I could go with Mother and Father and meet you there.”

  “Nay, I want everyone to see the most beautiful girl in town on my arm,” I teased, as she laughed.

  “In that case, I will be waiting,” she said, smiling.

  I walked into town to conduct my business and everyone was talking of the Summer Solstice ball. Nothing much ever happened in our little village, so this ball gave much needed excitement to the town.

  “Will ye be going to the dance tonight, Mr. Lee?” Mr. Franklin asked, making small talk as he paid me for a pelt.

  Next to him, Mr. Douglas caught my eye and shook his head, warning me not to say it. “As a matter of fact, I am,” I replied, as Mr. Douglas rolled his eyes.

  Mr. Franklin laughed as the eyes of every man present were on me. “Pray, do not keep us in suspense! The rest of us are married men, so who will ye be taking?” The rest of the men agreed as they laughed, obviously living vicariously through me
.

  “I shall be taking the lovely Miss Lucia Collins,” I replied, as everyone grew silent and their faces fell. Some were looking at the ground, not wanting to meet my gaze.

  “That witch woman?” Mr. Franklin asked, as his face contorted into a snarl.

  “Mind thy tongue, Franklin,” I corrected as the other men said nothing. “She is a lady and I want no one to say anything ill of her or her family again. Is that clear?”

  “Now, don’t ye be ordering me around, Lee,” Mr. Franklin replied. “That woman and her family are witches!”

  “I’m warning ye to be on thy best behavior tonight …”

  “Thou? Warning me?” Mr. Franklin sneered. “Worry not, for if she is going, then I will not.”

  “It’s thy decision,” I said, feigning nonchalance.

  Mr. Franklin’s face screwed up into a snarl as he stormed off, followed by a few of the men.

  “Ye really shouldn’t taunt the men like that, ye know,” Mr. Douglas warned.

  “But it’s fun,” I said, not heeding his warning.

  He rolled his eyes. “I shall see ye tonight.”

  “You’re getting the Misses to go?” I asked, clearly shocked.

  “Actually, the Misses would go without me, whether I go or not!” Mr. Douglas said, laughing.

  “Tonight,” I replied, as I headed back out of town toward my home.

  On the way home, I found myself looking forward to the evening, but a little worried about Lucia. I could handle the rumors, but I wondered if she even knew what the town folk were saying. Lucia and her family were very inconspicuous about their ways, but people still talk. At home, I dressed in my finery, which consisted of a nice black suit, white shirt and boots, and waited for the sun to go down.

  At dusk, I headed toward Lucia’s house, unable to wait any longer. The sun had set when I arrived, and she was sitting on the rustic bench in front of her parent’s apothecary. She stood when she saw me, smiling, and I had never seen a sight more beautiful. Her blonde-streaked hair was pulled up on the sides as the back cascaded down to her waist. She wore a light blue dress that matched the exact color of her eyes in the moonlight. “Ye look lovely,” I said, catching my breath.

  “Thank ye, Fredrick,” she said, blushing a faint pink in the moonlight. “Ye look very handsome; quite the gentleman.”

  “Thank ye,” I said as concern colored my voice. “Lucia, there’s something I need to tell ye …”

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Lucia asked, suddenly concerned as she stepped off the porch and walked toward me, but how was I to tell her? As the silence wore on, she finally said, “Just spit it out, Fredrick. What’s wrong?”

  “Lucia, they are saying things about ye and thy family in town …”

  “Shush …”

  “Lucia, they’re saying that ye be a witch! They know!” I said placing a gentle hand on each of her shoulders. “They don’t understand.”

  “What’s there to understand?” she asked. “I am a witch.”

  “But not a bad one,” I said, taking a deep breath. “They don’t understand.”

  She reached up and placed a hand lightly on my cheek. “Ye understand and that’s all that matters.”

  “Are thy parents ready?” I asked, looking toward the front door.

  “They already left,” she said, then added, “Are ye going to offer me thine arm?”

  I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, and offered her my arm with a smile. “Shall we?”

  She nodded with a smile and, together, we walked toward town, but as we neared the square, shouts coming from the town reached our ears.

  “They be witches, I tell ye, and they have the gall to come here tonight?” Mr. Franklin was shouting to the crowd, trying to incite a riot. “I say we string ‘em up!”

  “Look, sir, we came here tonight to enjoy the Summer Solstice and to dance, that is all,” Mr. Collins replied to the crowd.

  “I say they came to do a spell on us all, since it is the Summer Solstice!”Mr. Franklin replied. “Mark my words. When ye wake in the morning to boils all over thy bodies, you’ll remember these words! Let’s string ‘em up before they have the chance!’

  “Now listen hear, ye, Mr. Franklin,” Mrs. Collins said, pointing a finger at him as she crossed the square. “I treated your wife when she had the fever just last month and now she be fine! And the lot of ye,” Mrs. Collins said, pointing to the crowd as they stepped back. “I did nothing but help ye loved ones. Will ye turn thy backs on us now? And thee!” she said, pointing again to Mr. Franklin, now holding a rope. “No one believes thy words. After all, ye be just a sack full of hot air!”

  “Those are my parents!” Lucia screamed, but I placed a hand firmly over her mouth and pulled her into the shadows before anyone saw her.

  “Shush … stay ye here,” I ordered, pointing to the shadows, “no matter what happens.” I wouldn’t let her go until she nodded. “If anything happens to me, meet me at the stones.” She nodded once again.

  “Franklin!” I shouted across the square toward where he stood with Lucia’s parents. “Do ye not have anything else better to do than to harass innocent people?”

  “Mr. Lee! I see ye came after all!” Mr. Franklin yelled across the square. “And did ye bring the lovely Lucia with ye?”

  “Leave my daughter out of this!” Mr. Collins shouted as two men grabbed each of his arms.

  “Leave my husband alone!” Mrs. Collins shouted, then advanced upon Mr. Franklin and slapped him hard across the face, leaving a red mark.

  “String them up!” Mr. Franklin yelled to the crowd.

  A few people in the crowd shouted “Yeah, string them up!” “They be witches!” “Do it now!”

  “Now, let’s just calm down a bit, shall we?” I asked, then turned toward the crowd. “They have done nothing but help thee! They have done everything from helping people with births to those very sick from the fever! They are innocent and have done nothing wrong! Let them go!”

  “I say, let’s not give them a chance! String ‘em up!” Someone shouted from the crowd and then more shouted, until everyone wanted their blood.

  “Go! I’ll distract them and then ye run!” I said to Mr. And Mrs. Collins.

  “I’m not leaving my home!” Mrs. Collins shouted at me, then yelled to the crowd. “I’ve helped ye! Will ye not stand with me now?”

  But Mr. Franklin incited the crowd, preying on the naivety of the people until they were an angry mob. It was clear the crowd didn’t understand the Collins family, and people—even good people—will kill what they don’t understand. Suddenly, someone grabbed Mr. Collins and Mrs. Collins knocked the man to the ground. Within a second, they had a rope around her neck and around Mr. Collin’s neck, as well. I tried to stop them, but before I could do anything, they were hanging from the end of a rope.

  Lucia! I thought to myself, rushing toward the woods as someone tried to grab me, too, but I was too quick for them. I ran to the hiding spot where I left her and she wasn’t there. Then, I remembered what I told her … that if anything happened, I would meet her at the stones.

  I ran as quickly as I could into the woods, headed toward the ancient stones in the clearing. When I arrived, she was sitting on her knees, crying into her hands. “Lucia?” I softly asked, but she jumped a mile.

  “They be dead, are they not?” she asked, looking up at me with tear-stained eyes.

  “Aye, I’m very sorry,” I said taking a step toward her.

  “Touch me not!” Lucia shouted, hysterical.

  “Lucia, all is well. I will care for thee,” I said, then remembered something. “Lucia, we have to run … tonight. There is a ship leaving tomorrow … the Mayflower … and it’s headed for the new country … America,” I said, trying to talk some sense into her. I grabbed her shoulders, and continued, “But we have to leave … now!”

  “But we’re not married,” Lucia said.

  “No one knows that,” I said, a bit surprise
d that she would think of such a thing with our lives on the line.

  “I will know,” she said, then looked into my eyes with the most pitiful look I’d ever seen.

  “Tell you what …” I began, “Let’s grab what we can from our homes and I know a preacher man who will marry us tonight.”

  “Can we get married here?” she asked, her eyes pleading, and I knew at that moment, I could deny her nothing.

  “If we can. Let me talk to Paul first,” I said, then added, “but no matter what happens tonight, we are leaving, married or not.” Lucia nodded, drying her tears. “But we have to go … now.” She nodded again and we were off. We ran through the woods as quickly as we could until we reached her house, but the apothecary was already ablaze. They wanted to make sure that they killed her, too, or that she didn’t return. “Come on, let’s go,” I said, pulling her away as a new wave of fresh tears rolled down her face. She nodded and let me pull her away, in the direction of my home. In the surrounding woods of my home, I looked around and everything looked to be in place. “Ye stay here and wait for me,” I instructed Lucia, kissing her hard on her soft lips. “I’ll be right back, but if I don’t come out, then go to Blackwall by tomorrow. I don’t care how ye have to get there, but be on that ship when it sails. Maybe things might be different in the New World.”

  “Wait, let me do a protection spell over thee,” she said, regaining her senses. Then she began chanting in a language I had never heard before. A moment later, she replied, “It is finished.”

  I nodded and headed toward the house, when suddenly a musket blast came from inside my own home. But suddenly, the bullet slowed in mid air until it fell onto the ground at my feet. I looked around and Lucia had her hand up, having stopped the bullet in mid air.

  “See? What did I tell ye? She’s a witch!” Mr. Franklin yelled from inside my house, then came onto the porch with four other men.

  “Run!” I yelled to Lucia, but she held up her hands, as her blue eyes turned to fire. She held up both of her arms with her fingers spread and shoved. Suddenly, the four men heading toward us fell backward. “Nay, Lucia! Don’t let them do this to thee!” I yelled, fearing that using this kind of magic would kill, not her body, but her soul. Then, with her hands still up, she slowly tightened her fingers into fists as the men on the ground started to choke. “Nay, Lucia!” I yelled, but she was way beyond hearing me. Suddenly, she began to chant in the foreign tongue and all four men stopped twitching, as they lay dead upon the ground.