Hiatus is over! Yay!
A few days later, I am yawning as I slump over my bowl of cereal, Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper enter the kitchen, Jasper gently sits beside me, his hand rubbing my back as Esme moves my cereal out from under me, while Carlisle leans against the counter. "Sheryl and Jennifer have been pouring over every book, for help in warding the creature. When they turn in for the night, Garrett, Rosalie, and Emmett take over." Carlisle explains as Jasper's fingers card through my hair.
"Why is it taking so long?" Jasper asks softly.
"It's fine, my love. Not much is known, about the Shadow People. I mean, there isn't even anything in our Grimoires." I murmur, leaning into his embrace as his lips trace the crown of my head.
"You haven't been sleeping, you're weakening by the day. I'm going to find something to help you, darlin." He murmurs softly, rubbing my shoulder as a thrilling chill streaks down my back.
"Have Alice and Pandora found anything, maybe?" I ask softly.
"No, Pandora's been asking around her hive, anyone with connections to witches, they've asked, and we've turned up nothing." Esme says softly, resting her hand over my own, a worried expression on her face.
"It's alright. Jasper's been helping keep me awake." Just as I remember that, Jasper's eyes seem to widen, as if an idea pops into his head.
"There's an idea!" I frown, raising my eyebrow at him as Jennifer enters, Garrett by her side.
"Where's an idea?" Garrett asks.
"A spell!" Jasper jumps up, walking over to Jennifer, his hand coming down on her shoulder. "Is there any chance of there being a sleepless spell?" He asks as Jennifer frowns, shaking her head.
"N-No. Why?" She asks.
"If she casts a sleepless spell over herself, then she wouldn't have to go to sleep. She wouldn't lose sleep, which would make her weaker, and she'll worry less about the nightmares, and maybe she'll even regain her strength." Jasper explains.
"Instead of dosing me up with artificial adrenaline or hyperactivity, with your power." I add, causing him to explain. "It doesn't exist, Jazz, but…" I look over at Jennifer, who blinks in surprise.
"You can't be serious!" She answers, causing everyone to become confused.
"Why not?" I counter, causing her to shake her head.
"You're more powerful than I am, any day, and even you haven't succeeded!" Jennifer points out.
"What?" Esme asks. "Maybe we can help."
"She wants me to write a brand new incantation." Jennifer explains, causing Jasper to look between the two of us.
"Is that possible?" He finally asks her.
"It is. But, it takes really strong magic to work, and a few hours to even come up with the right incantation. It's not like a chant, or a spell." Jennifer explains before.
"How so?" Carlisle asks.
"An incantation is a whole paragraph, unlike spells we normally use, the only similarities are some involve ingredients, and almost always need at least six people." I explain.
"Almost." Jennifer adds.
"Couldn't you split your magic, like before?" Esme asks, causing me to shake my head.
"No, we would, both, have to be a full power for that to happen. It doesn't help that in this incident, I'll never be at full health." They nod in understanding, I can feel a wave of lethargy roll over me, and I curl up against Jasper's side.
"I should take her home, let her at least rest, not sleep." He rubs my arms.
"She could rest here," Esme offers, causing Jasper to shake his head.
"We've been fine in the house, Esme." Jasper answers softly.
"What he means is, they want some alone time." Jennifer explains as Jasper lifts me from my stool.
"Is that such a good idea?" Esme asks.
"Jenni's just got her head in the gutter." I murmur, curling up beside Jasper. "Jasper's been sticking me in ice baths. Instead of having a gutter mind, maybe she should start on the incantation." I counter, causing my sister to roll her eyes, but she grabs a paper and pen from the drawer in the kitchen, and Garrett follows as they wander out, and Jasper walks out the back door, carrying me towards the house. Once inside, he deposits me on the couch, while he runs to draw me a lukewarm bath, before he brings me into the bathroom, allowing me to soak in the water until it turns chilly, then he makes me drink an espresso shot, and he makes me sit in his lap in my towel and undergarments, while he's shirtless, attempting to keep me awake with his chilliness. We watch horror movies, and he makes me ahi tuna on toast for lunch, before I finally start to feel the exhaustion getting worse. When my head starts to fall, my eyes heavy, Jasper takes that as cue to make me another espresso, and dinner, which turns out to be chilled corn soup with hot pepper croutons, before he finally allows me to dress in shorts and a tanktop, before he carries me back to the house, and a soon as we're inside, I notice something. Sheryl, Mary, Jason, Zeke, Max, Winnie, Melody, and Jennifer are pouring over books and scraps of paper, before Zeke hoots, launching to his feet.
"I got it!" He crows, drawing everyone's attention. "What about a sigil, instead? Sigils can be deactivated, or have, something similar, to a timer built into them."
"So, what? We tattoo a sigil on Lily's back or something?" Jennifer scoffs, drawing her fingers through her hair.
"No, we magically inscribe it on her arm. It won't mark her permanently, and we can remove it, or let if fade away naturally." Sheryl answers, causing Jennifer to frown, before pulling out a fresh scrap of paper.
"We'd have to create a new sigil." Jennifer explains, drawing a circle on the paper. "But, I've got an idea." She scribbles across the page, then stands, crossing to shove a sigil drawing into my face. "What do you think?" I study the sun and spiral-like drawings, before I smile at her.
"I think this might just work." Sheryl goes to step forward, but I glare pointedly at her. "But you have to draw it, not her." At my words, Sheryl frowns, but sits back down, and I hold out a hand to Jasper, who hands me a pen, which I enchant before I hand it to Jennifer. Jennifer grasps my arm, slowly tracing and sketching the sigil along my humorous, when she lifts the pen from my arm, burning heat streaks through my arm, causing me to gasp, grabbing my arm, before curling up as my knees give out.
"Darlin?!" Jasper calls.
"Don't touch her!" Sheryl yells. "The sigil is reacting as it should. Just give her a minute." Even as she says that, the pain continues to cripple me, then everything goes black. Agony rips through me, before my eyes fly open, and I bolt into a sitting position, causing everyone in the room to freeze.
"D-Darlin?" Jasper slowly approaches me, but I tilt my head to him in confusion.
"Yes?" I can see the worry on his face.
"You okay?" He asks softly.
"Fine. We should go to Seattle." I state, moving from the couch as Jasper frowns.
"Why?" He asks.
"Because, I think we could use this as an opportunity to look China for the wedding, and register for gifts." I answer, causing everyone else to chuckle.
"Aren't you tired, at all?" Jennifer asks.
"Nope." I answer, popping the 'P' as she smiles, and Alice and Pandora walk inside.
"Anything?" Jasper asks.
"No, you guys?" Pandora glance at me in worry.
"A solution for now. A sleepless sigil." Jennifer answers, causing me to smile. "She's totally up for planning the wedding, Alice."
"Great!" The pixie-like girl beams, bounding over to me, and takes my hands in her own, before dragging me toward Esme's work office, Jasper follows in silent worry while Pandora walks upstairs, for bed, and Jennifer follows as the other members of our coven leave. Alice and I manage to sit up the whole night, planning drinks and floral arrangements, table cloth patterns, and even start on our vows, whether they'll be traditional, or not. By the time we're done, we've moved into the kitchen, but even Alice looks a little haggard, and Jasper seems be worrying himself to death. He managed to get me to agree to going home, where we cuddle up on the couch, watching Beauty and the Beast, and Alice in Wonderland, before he suggests a game, trying to keep me entertained through my obvious boredom of being up all night and day, before long, we're in bed together, cuddling up while he reads to me in his soft southern voice, soothing and lulling me to the point where I could feel like I would fall asleep, if I could.
It's not for lack of trying, I literally do try it, just to see if the sigil would let me. No go. So, I am content with Jasper and I spending every second of every day, doing what we can, until the day that Alice's vision came, or better phrasing, lack thereof.
Ta-da! I'll be starting on the next chapter tonight. Maybe even post it tomorrow. Anyway, read, review, and enjoy!