My heart broke for them both. I could see Mr. Peevly’s struggle plainly. Torn between protecting his wife and basically bringing lambs to the slaughter. I placed a warm hand on his beefy, stubbled cheek as he softly cried. He looked at me as he sniffled. I let my forgiveness emanate from my very heart and through my chest to his. He breathed in deeply, and I could see the frown lines fade from his face. A sparkle returned to glow slightly from his eyes.
There was no place for anger or regret now. Not for me or anyone who came close enough with a peaceful heart. I wouldn’t allow it. Life was too short, too precious to waste on hatred and wishing pain on another. These days, even when I thought about Lou or Lady Veronica, I wasn’t seething with rage anymore. I realized then, with Mr. Peevly at my side and the sun shining down on us so brightly as we squinted at each other, that I had forgiven Lou. I forgave him for everything he had done to me and my family. Not because I accepted it was okay—not at all—but because I didn’t have the room in my heart or my life for it anymore. I was learning and growing here in this little cabin in the woods, and what I was filling myself up with was nutrition of body and soul. The poison wrought from hating Lou was only hurting me and blocking my growth. It had been seeping out and was now gone. When the hurt was gone, repair surely would take its place, or else what would happen to me? I believed when I looked back that I would have died from the stress and anger more quickly than from the original battle.
I forgave Lou, but I would never forget what he had done to us.
I turned back to Mr. Peevly. A wind picked up and I could hear terrible sounds, like the sound of the deepest sorrow. All of a sudden I could see the souls he carried with him, the ones he had led to the slaughter. My jaw dropped. This was new to me. These poor lost souls sailed around his aura, clinging to him. They would torment him and themselves for eternity. Not because they wanted to—they wanted to move on—but because he wouldn’t or couldn’t let them go. Such was his guilt. Sure, I was one who had forgiven him, but there was no way he could hear the forgiveness of the ones he clung to with his mind and memory.
He needed redemption, atonement.
I glanced to Laura, who was watching me with wide eyes, she knew I could see Mr. Peevly’s entourage as well as she could. I was a bit afraid of this new sight. I was shocked. The sight of these beings made me ache inside, their sounds pierced my soul. I tried to keep my cool but this was so weird.
I got an idea.
“Mr. Peevly, I’m going to need you to hold very still and close your eyes.” I put my arm around his shoulders. He looked scared, shivering like a rabbit as he looked deeply into my eyes, searching for my intention. Of course he would fear women now, after what Lady Veronica had put his family through. I wasn’t super confident right now either, I was acting outside of my own volition. Something was guiding me. I smiled softly. “There is no need to be afraid, sir. We are just going to rid you of some baggage.”
With that he closed his eyes hard, still shivering but clinging to me on the wing of a prayer.
I closed my eyes and felt Laura come next to me and lay her hands on me and Mr. Peevly. We began chanting softly, the winds of spirits circling us. I laid my hand on Mr. Peevly’s chest and opened up his heart and spirit to the group flying around unyieldingly to let go of their delivery man who had brought them unwillingly to their death.
Once his spirit was out in the open, Mr. Peevly was finally able to see them all. He cried and told them he was so sorry. The spirits wasted no time. As soon as they had seen him in his true form, they nestled close to him and they cried together. It was as if they wanted to be acknowledged only—that they had lived once, they had had hopes and dreams, they loved and were loved, and now they were gone. What was sounds of sadness turned into music and happy laughter. One by one, the ethereal forms drifted off and away until Mr. Peevly’s spirit was left covered in glistening tears and smiling in the gratifying feeling of being forgiven.
Laura stepped back, and I opened my eyes. Mr. Peevly slipped back inside his body and slowly turned to me. He wrapped his meaty arms around me. I laughed out loud.
“Thank you, Missus. I can’t thank you enough.”
“You are so welcome.” Happy tears streamed down my face now. What a sight to witness. I was shaking as I tried to grasp it all. Ever since Shadow Hills, new magical talents have been making themselves known to me. Each time it was freaky in a sense. Like being on a roller coaster as it took off down hill. All I could do was hold on and see where it would take me.
Laura was staring at me as if she seen a ghost and wasn’t used to it as I knew she was. Her hand went to that old scar on her face again...her eyes went distant. I began to worry so I decided to change the subject for us all.
“Now, Mr. Peevly.” I felt my heart gallop. I remembered Laura and Katerina said we would be going on a trek soon to a local village. I had the best idea then. “Would you like to take a day trip with us someday soon? We could use an escort.”
“Well, yes—well, I would!” He tripped on his words and then jumped up, slapping his hat on his knee. “Golly, that would be fantastic, Miss Nicole!”
Chapter Seventeen
We travelled to a village as autumn was in the air, leaves rustling around our feet and falling to their deaths from the trees. It was a town that time had forgotten and left to its own devices. There was a metalwork barn with steam and the smell of sweat and fire emanating from it; women selling rough and thin-looking produce in the street at tables, waving their arms and assorting their trays; a makeshift cafe that released a strong aroma of coffee; and a general store, which was meager, to say the least. The homes were little more than shacks pieced together with wood, mud, and moss. It all seemed as if it had been pulled from an old Western movie, but there was more of a satiated feel to it with the slight coolness in the air from the nearby mountain range and the greenery at the edges.
I, behind the trio, slowly walked down the main—and what I assumed was the only—road. Mr. Peevly scuttled off to the first family he saw, handing out potatoes and corn that we had brought from our own gardens at the cottage. Many people stopped and smiled at us or waved. They were quite welcoming here. I began to realize I recognized some of their faces. One woman even came up to me and smiled. These were some of the patients from that wretched hospital! I was astonished. How had they escaped?
Mr. Peevly caught my surprise and shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Of course; he had been there to take them away when we’d executed Lady Veronica! He had brought them here to be sheltered and saved. A tear escaped my eye, and I gently brushed it away as I smiled with my whole heart. How had I not known?
“Now that your body is healed, we will heal your spirit by helping others,” Katerina said to me as we walked an uneven road through the town. This had been an ongoing mantra from Laura and Katerina both. “These people are good people, but they require aid to thrive again. Their community was terrorized by Shadow Hills for years. Shadow Hills took their people for experiments. It burned their fields, stole their food and anything valuable, destroyed their homes when it felt like it, and raped their women. If we hadn’t stopped Shadow Hills when we did, with the help of Jones on the inside, this whole community would be gone. It was on the brink of a massacre.”
“And now, all of the patients from Shadow Hills are here, so the need for medical care and food has tripled,” Anna Belle went on.
I looked around again with new eyes, disgusted once again with Shadow Hills. I never dreamed their wickedness had stretched so far. My heart broke for these people. I could see some women look at me with an untrusting eye. Some children bore scars on their fragile bodies as they ran through the street chasing a ball. The men’s shoulders were hunkered down as if by the weight of the possibility they may never find their pride again. I didn’t know why I was always so shocked when I heard or saw for myself the evil people had in their hearts, since it was so common.
The trio would usually see to the children and elder
ly first, giving them candy and teas, and then talk with the townspeople, mostly about gardening and what herbs to use for certain things. When nothing else was needed, they sat and listened to the townsfolk talk about whatever they needed to get off of their chests, especially the traumatized people. The trio listened and were statues with keen ears that absorbed the townspeople’s trials before they healed their spirits and sent the bad bugs of their words away into the wind, never to upset them again.
The people were not afraid or envious. They likened the trio of witches to resources, mentors, or guides. They appreciated their visits and gave them gifts of small metal trinkets or knitted items.
These people had nothing. Anna Belle was handing out cans of soup we had made over the last few months. Katerina gave jars of honey and jams. I looked to my empty hands.
Well, that would not do.
I’d had enough of being useless. I had trained for months, I had studied, and I had performed things I’d never thought I could! I had to do something. Helping Mr. Peevly had opened something good in me that had been locked away.
What else could I be capable of?
I looked around the small town, and then I found it. I marched to the clearing across the road. I stood on the dry mass of dirt that stretched with charred branches and rocks for acres. I knelt down and ran my fingers through the destroyed land. I closed my eyes and concentrated.
I thought about the connection Earth and I used to have. How I had leaned on her, and how she had loved me once—the wonderful moments we’d had, the creations and movements we’d mustered together. I willed her to answer me and ignore me no longer.
Let me help you.
I felt a familiar sensation in my soul then. I could feel her. But she was torn and burned. Stomped and kicked and obliterated. Her heart was broken. She was hiding inside of herself, not wishing to trust or try. I felt her pain and it was as familiar to me as if I was suffering the same. I couldn’t let her be, I couldn’t let her suffer any longer.
I soothed her with a soft song and let her tears come, let her stress be heard. I opened my heart and told her I wanted her to grow again, to sing and dance, to be healthy. To give bounty to these people, to let me help her stand again. For a worthy cause, the town would take care of her and she them if only she would let me help her.
She hesitated.
I could feel her pulling away from me, too brokenhearted to stay.
I pulled her back gently. Brought her to me and told her.
I finally told her I was sorry.
I was sorry I had abused her, that I had let Lou take her and torture her. I was sorry I hadn’t said sorry to her until now. I pleaded for her forgiveness. I pleaded for her to give me another chance to make things right. Make it up to her, to these people who had suffered too.
Help me.
She opened herself up to me then. I stood slowly, letting the energy fill me up to every corner of my soul and body. I then let it leave my fingers and dig deep down into the rows of gravel ahead of me and around me. Searching, feeling the depth of the pain that had been administered just to cut off a food supply to people but that had also damaged my element deeply.
Then I felt it.
Rich, moist, and fertile. I could smell it before I felt it. I smiled in spite of myself. I opened my eyes and could see the ground shaking, rocks vibrating, dry dirt becoming nothing but grey cloud above the field then drifting away. I flicked my wrists, and with an explosion, the beautiful soil beneath the destruction erupted forth into the skies like a geyser. I parted the dry dirt with a sweep of my hand and then allowed the soil to settle on the earth where it belonged. I smoothed it out and worked it by crunching my fingers in the air. I drew lines in the air that created plot lines for planting.
This felt so good.
It felt easy this time. I was sure of my magic now and able to carry out impossible tasks with ease.
I reached to my pack I had been carrying and pulled out the jar of assorted seeds I had been saving from harvesting at the cottage. I opened the lid, and the seeds flew out into the air, swirling and twirling as they found their spots on the soil. With another sweep of my hand, the wind turned the soil over and covered the tiny seeds.
Now I needed rain. I found a river close by, again by scent. I drew it to me with the wind as my aid. It was a succulent wave by the time it stopped over the plantation. I asked it to feed the seeds. Soft and gentle rain came down, wetting the earth. I swore I could see Earth dancing in it, careful to not step on any seeds. I smiled. I closed my eyes again and concentrated, willing the seeds to sprout, willing them to produce a bounty so rich that kings would be fit to feast.
Then the growth began.
Carrots and turnips were swollen to bursting from the earth. There were radishes the size of golf balls, and tomatoes the size of baseballs that pulled their vines down. Tangles of green beans and peas crawled over the perimeter of the field for acres. Lettuce heads bounced around, making room for eggplants and zucchini the size of my arm.
One more time I saw Earth as she admired what we had created. She looked up at me and smiled. I nodded, and tears clouded my eyes.
I had her back. I had never felt so grateful or in touch in all my life. I felt whole and complete. I finally had reconnected with Earth. I would never hurt her again or let anyone touch her if I could help it.
I turned to walk back to the town, and that was when I noticed the whole town was behind me! They were in awe and crying tears of joy. The women came and hugged me tightly. The children were at my feet before they ran into the field to get the fresh produce. The men came with wheelbarrows and nodded as they passed. Women held up their aprons to collect the grapes and blueberries that had now grown to the size of lemons.
The trio were standing with their arms around each other. I smiled sheepishly. They opened their arms to me and invited me into their circle.
Chapter Eighteen
“You found her, didn’t you?” Anna Belle was vibrating with excitement, asking me if I’d found Earth. I nodded and grinned, my heart happy, my soul free.
“I think this trip was just what the doctor ordered.” Katerina winked at me before she brushed a tear from her cheek in pride.
I looked over to Laura, who had a hand covering that scar near her temple again, but she quickly caught herself.
“You’ve come a long way, princess,” Laura said. “Now it’s time to meet Agnes.” That was all I got from Laura. That was saying a lot coming from her. I grinned wider than before.
We came to a stop outside of their small hospital. Mr. Peevly had gone to help the town harvest, not wanting to intrude on our gathering. An old woman got up from her rocking chair and greeted Laura. She was tiny—she couldn’t have even been a full five feet tall. Her hair was whiter than snow and loosely held back with a pencil. They laughed and shared a few intrigues as Anna Belle, Katerina, and I stood back, respecting their meeting.
“Agnes is an old friend of Grandmama’s,” Anna Belle whispered over her shoulder to me. “Their families grew up in the mountains together up there,” she pointed a nonchalant finger in some direction, “and they have stayed friends ever since.”
I was mildly shocked at this. How Laura could keep a friend for that long was beyond me. As if hearing my thoughts, Laura whipped around and shot me a nasty eye.
“Does she have magic?” I whispered back.
“No more than anyone else.” Anna Belle winked at me. “She was a nurse during the war. Her sweetheart died there, so when it was over, she came back here and set up this hospital.”
Laura finally moved to the side and let Katerina and then Anna Belle make their greetings. Agnes cupped both of their faces in her hands, calling Katerina “lioness” and Anna Belle her “sweet girl.” Then she looked at me with guarded eyes.
How do you come?
The words came to me in my head. Anna Belle had made me memorize them on our trek to the village. Agnes held her lips tight.
Kateri
na had discussed meeting witches with me a few days ago. They usually stood with their defenses up and asked your intentions. I knew what my response would be from my schooling. I held my arms open, wrists and palms facing Agnes.
I come in peace. I bring an open heart to our first meeting.
She stood still, hand gripped on her cane, then relaxed. “You the one who made the gardens grow again?”
I nodded. “Well, I didn’t make it grow. I asked my element to begin again, and she did.” She looked me up and down again and harrumphed. I supposed that meant “good job”? It was starting to make sense to me how Laura and Agnes had remained friends so long.
“Well, since you all busted in on me without warning, I guess there is something you can help me with. Come on.” Agnes eased herself up out of the chair.
We all ascended the three steps and went inside. There were some beds against a wall, and tables and cabinets, all wooden and handmade, lining the opposite. I let my hand run over the smooth wood and thought how Jasper would appreciate seeing this. Small bottles of liniments and crushed herbs stood silent in shelves, all labeled and organized by its plant family. Agnes moved slowly about. Only two patients were laid up. She said a few words to each of them, and Katerina moved in. She sat next to each of them in turn on their beds and held one hand while she let her other flutter over their faces. She blew soft words in the air that fell in gentle swirls onto their closed eyes. Their eyelashes sparkled for a brief moment, then faded away in a contented smile on their mouths. Katerina slowly got up from the last bed with strong melancholy emanating from her.
“It’s a pain-relief spell,” Anna Belle offered. “Best given while sleeping, as it brings the most luxurious dreams.” Anna Belle sighed wistfully.
“What is wrong with them?” I wondered aloud.
“Cruel experiments from their time at the horror hospital or as it is better known, Shadow Hills. These are the last two patients.” Agnes spit on the floor. “Nothing anyone can do for them now. They have a foot in the afterworld but one foot still here.”
The Lightning Witch Page 8
