by Sarah Noffke
“Oh, yes. The virus was fast-acting this time, and stole their magic immediately. Now it’s taking their spirits as well. What is a witch or wizard without magic, after all?” Sari mused.
“But they have their soul stones. Don’t those help?” Azure asked.
“Yes. They are still alive, but have lost hope, my dear.”
“Well, I’ll help restore that,” Azure said, plucking the staff from Monet’s hands. “I had this made, and Seraphina said that it could heal Virgo.”
Gran lifted an eyebrow at her granddaughter, doubt heavy in her expression. “I think we both know that staff doesn’t have enough magic in it presently to clean that closet right there.” Gran pointed a finger at a door.
“Well, I have to at least try,” Azure insisted, sounding defeated.
“I agree,” Gran said simply.
“Did you find anything out? Anything that could help cure those infected?”
“Of course I did. I have the cure, and have just been sitting on it while I watch my daughter wither away,” Gran said, her tone sharp now.
“Wait, Mum? What’s wrong? I thought she was better now that she had her soul stone,” Azure said.
“I think we all knew that wasn’t going to be a long-term solution. It’s slowed the virus, but that thing was meant to do more than just steal our magic. It was meant to kill,” Gran said, venom in her words.
Azure’s eyes widened in shock. She tore forward, sprinting through the corridor in the direction of her mum’s room. At her door she found someone guarding the space.
“Richard!” she said, her voice low. Her father stood with his head down and back against the wall next to Emeri’s door.
He lifted his head, his tired eyes springing to life. “Azure,” he said, relief in his words. A moment later he bounded forward and wrapped her in his arms. The movement was full of hesitation and at first Azure’s arms stuck out awkwardly, but then she folded them over his shoulders. She pressed back, shaking her head.
“Mum? What’s going on with her?” Azure asked, her eyes on the door.
“She has taken a turn for the worse.” Richard twisted his fingers together. He didn’t look so good himself. Dark bags hung under his eyes, and he looked to have aged a great deal in a few short days. Sari would have told him about Frederick from her scrying. The unknown fate of his son and the Land of Terran wasn’t the cause of his stress. It was the uncertain fate of the woman who lay in the next room.
Azure grabbed her father’s hand, which got his attention. He drew his blue eyes up to stare at her. “I’m going to fix this. I don’t know how, but I’m going to save her…” Azure’s voice trailed off. She couldn’t go in there right then and see her mother dying. She had to focus on her being alive. She had to keep her strength, and use it to find a solution. Maybe she was being a coward, but she knew her limitations and her biggest was time. It was running out.
“Go be with Mum. Take care of her. Reassure her. Tell her I love her, and that I’m going to make her better. I’m going to save Virgo,” Azure said, pressing her fingers into her father’s hands.
He shook his head. “She doesn’t want me in there. I’ve already tried.”
“She doesn’t want you to see her weak, but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t want you with her,” Azure said, and realized how true that was. All the lingering looks between her mother and father made sense. So many things made sense now, but it wouldn’t matter if the virus stole her mum’s life.
A tender pain surfaced in Richard’s eyes. “I know that if anyone can save her, it will be you. I’ll go be with her. And you go and do what you need to.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Azure, out of answers, strode for the one place she thought she’d find a clue. She pushed open the giant door to the library, the smell of dust tickling her nose at once. The large library was open to all of Virgo, offering them access to thousands of volumes. Presently, however, no witches or wizards were to be found browsing the aisles. Only one other was in the library, and her cat-eyes spied Azure immediately.
“You’ve returned,” Laurel said, closing the book in her hands. She wore a long black robe over her fur-covered body. The werecat didn’t have a heavy expression like Richard, but her condolences were written on her face.
“Yes, and not a moment too soon,” Azure said, scanning the shelf opposite Laurel. It was the first section she was going to check: Horticulture. Azure pulled down a book at random and began scanning through the pages.
“I’ve already read through all those books, and there doesn’t appear to be an answer in them for your problem.”
Azure ripped her gaze up. “All these books? You’ve been through the entire section?”
“Yes, and some of them twice,” Laurel stated.
“But you don’t know potions, do you?” Azure questioned.
“That’s true, but I know herbs and their various properties. Essential oils work much the same way as potions,” Laurel told her.
“With all due respect, potions are incredibly complex. You might have missed something that a witch would find useful.” Azure’s tone reeked of her frustration and stress. She hadn’t meant to be so direct with Laurel, but time was running out.
“That’s true, I might have. Are you a potions expert?”
“No, that would be Monet. However, I sent him to the potions shop to scour for ingredients and see what he can mix up,” Azure said.
“Yes, and thank you for allowing me to use the shop. I was able to catalogue and create many essential oils,” Laurel said.
“Good, good.” Azure felt the nerves buzzing in her chest. She didn’t want to be rude, but she didn’t need the werecat distracting her. Scanning the books’ spines, she waited for one of the volumes to jump out at her.
“Did you learn anything that could aid you while you were gone?” Laurel questioned over her shoulder, not getting the hint that she was interrupting her during a crucial moment.
“Not really. I now have a staff that could have done the job if I hadn’t used it to heal the Dark Forest,” Azure said, absentmindedly.
“Wow, you were able to heal the Dark Forest? That’s incredibly impressive. I guess what they say about you is in fact correct—not that I doubted it,” Laurel said with a slight purr.
Azure spun to face the werecat. “What do they say about me?”
Laurel twisted her white whiskers with her claw tips, a slight smile on her face. “Your people seem to think that you’re more powerful because you have the blood of both witches and humans. They didn’t think that at first, but since your reign has begun they’ve convinced themselves of it, based on what you’ve accomplished.”
Azure shook her head, rolling her eyes. “My people are wrong. I’m sorry, but I’ll only fail them if they are hoping I’m going to save them. I’ve been convincing myself that I can, but it appears that I can’t.”
“But you healed the Dark Forest. That seems like a pretty incredible thing for you to do, and not something a witch or wizard could do easily,” Laurel argued.
“That was because I had an incredibly powerful staff. It had Mage Lenore’s crystal ball in it.” Azure blew out a long breath, blowing upward and making her hair flutter off her forehead.
“This is the staff that is depleted and won’t work now?”
“That’s the one,” Azure agreed, a morose tone in her voice.
“Too bad. If only you had another instrument with similar powers that could be used…”
“Well, I don’t,” Azure nearly yelled, her frustration about to erupt. It was like Laurel was taunting her.
“That is unfortunate. Maybe your people are wrong. Maybe you’re not more powerful from being both human and witch. Maybe you’re in fact weaker. I know that as a Were I have the strengths and weaknesses of both my sides. I have the knowledge of both. The abilities of the cat and the human. Maybe you do not. Maybe you, Queen Azure, aren’t as strong because you’re a hybrid.” Laurel pulled a book
from the shelf and studied the back cover, not at all concerned that Azure was fuming beside her.
“I’m not weaker because I’m half-witch, half-human!” She wrapped her hand around her soul stone and ripped it off her neck, holding the necklace in front of Laurel’s face. “Look at my soul stone! It’s proof that I’m unique. A witch with an amethyst of a different color. That makes me strong. This is an incredibly powerful soul stone, which holds both my power as a witch and human…” Azure’s eyes dropped. Widened. Her mouth fell open. “The only way to heal those in the kingdom of Virgo of this virus is through a human,” Azure repeated the exact words Mage Lenore had told her when she sought a cure.
“If I remember correctly, you’re a human. Had you forgotten that?” Laurel asked.
“I hadn’t. I just didn’t think…”
“You thought the solution was outside of yourself, rather than—” Laurel lifted an eyebrow at Azure, giving her a knowing look.
Azure held her blue amethyst soul stone up and peered at it. “I just didn’t think the solution could be so easy.”
Laurel gave her a sympathetic look. “It’s funny for you to put it that way, because I think that most would consider what you’ll have to do to save your people to be incredibly hard.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Monet asked from across the work table. Various jars of potions and ingredients lay around the space. He’d been combing through Charmsgood’s shop trying to concoct a cure, with no luck.
“Yes, I’m sure.” Azure laid her soul stone on the table, feeling as though she’d placed her heart on the surface instead.
“There will be no going back. If this doesn’t work, you’re—”
“I already know.” Azure cut Monet off, unable to bear what he would say next. “Just do it. This has to be the cure.”
“It very well might be, but it might not be. If you just give me more time, I should be able to figure something out.”
Azure shook her head adamantly. “We don’t have more time. My mum is going to die. The people of Virgo are all going to die.”
Monet peered over his shoulder at a giant cauldron smoking in the hearth of the fireplace, its contents bubbling. “Okay, well, the potion looks about ready. Just one last ingredient. Are you sure?” Monet’s face was serious, his pale green eyes full of compassion. He flexed his jaw, stress leaking to the surface.
“Y-you know I am,” Azure stammered.
He nodded heavily and picked up a hammer from the side of the table. He lifted it in the air, hesitated, and then dropped it to his side. “The thing is, I’m not sure about all this. I kind of need you around for…the rest of my life. And if something does happen to you and you don’t have a way to rejuvenate… Well, I’ll have to kill you.”
Azure shook her head, a small smile on her mouth. “That makes zero sense, Monet.”
“You make no sense.” Monet lifted the hammer in the air. “On the count of three. One, two, three!” He brought the hammer down hard and sharply on Azure’s soul stone, breaking it into several pieces.
She threw her hands to her chest, feeling as though the hammer had struck her straight in the heart. She gulped, suddenly feeling naked. Her soul stone was broken. Forevermore she’d live without it. If she got sick, it couldn’t help her. If she needed extra power, her soul stone couldn’t aid her. She was on her own. But this was the sacrifice she’d had to make. That soul stone was an accumulation of her magic before she reached full power, both her witch and human magic. That human magic was the key. It had to be the secret ingredient. Mage Lenore had said that only through a human could the virus be cured.
Monet swept the bits and pieces of the soul stone into the palm of his hand, careful to get every splinter. He emptied his hand into the simmering cauldron, making it spark at once. As he stirred, he lifted his eyes and stared at Azure. “It’s changing color,” he offered.
“What does that mean?” she asked.
“Probably not a damn thing, but it’s turning a pretty blue,” he said, eyeing the space at her neck where her soul stone had sat moments prior.
“Am I crazy?” she asked, peering at the cauldron of liquid, which was turning into a smooth substance.
“You’ve been crazy all your life, and you’re just now asking this question? I’m the one who is crazy for fucking up this potion and not tempering the egg yolks when adding them.”
“Monet!” Azure yelled, her voice full of warning.
He released a giant smile. “I’m only kidding. You know that I didn’t put egg yolks in this. It’s a fucking potion, not a damn cake, Queen Buttface.”
Monet pulled a vial from the shelf. He lifted the ladle and spilled a couple of teaspoons into the container. He flicked his wand at it, instantly making it cool. “A small amount should do it, but go ahead and give your mother the whole thing just to be on the safe side. If it works, we have a cure. If it doesn’t, we’re fucking screwed, especially you.” Monet’s eyes fell to Azure’s neck again.
She reached out and took the vial, which was at room temperature. “Thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Monet gave her a smile that lit up his whole face. “And I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Sounds like we’re the perfect team.” Azure turned and hurried for the House of Enchanted.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The door to Emeri’s room creaked when Azure opened it. Richard was asleep when she entered, his head resting on his hand. His other hand was pressed into Emeri’s, by her side. It also looked like he was about to slide out of the chair where he sat beside her bed.
Azure had never seen her mother like this. Her emerald-green hair had paled, like Finnegan’s. It was down, draped along her face and resting over her shoulders. Her skin was pale as well, and her breathing shallow. It was clear by looking at the woman in the bed that she didn’t have long to live. The virus had depleted her magic, and her years were catching up with her. A witch couldn’t live long without magic, which was both their fountain of youth and also their very undoing if they didn’t possess it.
“Mother,” Azure said in a whisper, nearing the other side of her bed.
Emeri stirred like she was trying to open her eyes, but was unable to. Azure gulped and felt something sharp in her throat, like she was about to dislodge another soul stone. Then she reminded herself that inside the vial was her soul stone, melted down and hopefully part of the cure. The blue liquid was her last hope. It was everyone in Virgo’s last hope.
“Mum,” Azure said again, rocking her mother’s shoulder, trying to wake her.
Emeri cracked her eyes open, her gaze lazily looking around the room. Her vision was unfocused, but finally she stared straight at Azure.
“Oh, hello, dear. You’re finally back. I was afraid you wouldn’t make it in time,” Emeri said, her voice a hoarse whisper.
“Shhhh… I’m here now, and I’ve brought you a cure.” Azure lifted the vial and held it out.
A look of uncertain hope crossed her mother’s face. “Are you sure?”
Azure shook her head. “No I’m not, actually. You’ll be the first to test it. Will you, please?”
Emeri nodded, pushing to a sitting position. Richard didn’t budge, only snored a bit. Emeri stared at him for a moment, a sweet sincerity in her gaze. She licked her cracked lips and pushed her long pale-green hair back. Those actions took much effort, as if they might be her very downfall for pulling so much energy from her.
Azure pressed the vial against her mother’s lips, and tipped it back as her mother tilted her head. The liquid slipped out and disappeared. Azure stood, appraising her mother. What was she looking for? How would she know if the potion had worked? How would she know if it hadn’t?
Emeri pressed her hand to her chest as if she’d had a sudden heart palpitation. “Oh, my,” she whispered.
“What is it?” Azure asked, kneeling again and looking straight at her mother.
“It’s so intense.” Her hands covered each other as she pressed them more firmly into her chest.
“What is?” Azure asked, worry growing in her voice.
“The rush…” Emeri doubled over, as if being assaulted in the midsection.
“Mother, what’s happening?”
Emeri lifted her head, taking steadying breaths. “It’s okay, Azure. It’s just so much to experience at once.”
“What? What is it?”
“My magic,” Emeri said through tattered breaths, now sitting up straighter. “It’s flooding my system again.”
Azure was about to question what she meant when her mother’s hair changed, returning to the vibrant emerald shade it had once been. Her eyes shifted from pale green to her normal richer color. Her complexion took on a rosy shade, and the life in her seemed to buzz like music in the air.
“Did it work?” Azure asked, noticing that her mother’s strength was growing moment by moment.
Richard lifted his head a bit groggily. He stared at the woman in the bed before him, as if trying to place her in a distant memory.
“Yes, Azure, I do believe it worked. I felt my magic return. And now I feel like I have enough energy to run laps around the House of Enchanted,” Emeri said, a wide smile on her face. She was more beautiful than ever, her lavender soul stone contrasting with the green hair resting on her collar bones.
“Oh, thank Merlin,” Azure said, needing a moment to breathe past the adrenalin.
“How did you do it?” Richard asked, looking between Emeri and his daughter.
Emeri’s eyes dropped to Azure’s bare chest, and she sucked in a sudden breath and nearly choked. Covering her mouth, she released a single tear. “Oh my. She made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Azure picked up her mother’s hand and pressed it to her chest where her soul stone used to sit. “It was nothing you didn’t do for me, Mum.”
