Chapter 31
"It was a long time ago...I was about Harmione's age."
As Hope spoke I began to envision her as a child. I didn't know much about her childhood but I was about to find out.
"Yahwahtacsip...Better known as the Ledgerdomain...It was a place for not just humans but other creatures as well to study magic. All magic of the universe as you know flows throughout the realm...I was born to Hadara MorrĂgan and Spellbinder at the time better known to our people as Urien...I grew one year every two months. As I grew so did my powers. My mother and father were impressed as to how I was able to catch on so quickly."
"Like Harmione." I interrupted.
Hope nodded and continued her story.
"Anyway when I was 5, I heard father talking to mother...we all had different names...Spellbinder, Charmcaster...but then he called my mother a name I never heard before...he called her Striga..."
"What does it mean?" I interrupted again not meaning too.
"My mom was cursed... A Striga is transformed into a monster by a curse. She is filled with nothing but hate towards all things living. She can devour them without ever feeling remorse."
"Devour?"
"Yes...and she wanted to...she wanted to devour me..."
"What!"
"It's true...because father knew it was a curse he tried for years to break it to no avail...he had no choice but to kill her. He drained her of her life force...and he placed a sapphire inside her heart...as we were told sapphires can hold back the curse for a time even though it can't break it...Dad wanted her to find peace in death...her body was taken to the far reaches of the Ledgerdomain and dumpped into a sapphire coffin. Hoping to remain there for all of eternity."
I stared at her as she spoke.
"It was then shortly after, Addwaitya attacked...Dad was forced to send Uncle and I to Earth. Then Addwaitya murdered him in cold blood and here I am Ben."
She had tears in her eyes.
"Here I am."
I stood and sat on her bedside.
"The spell Dad used on Mom must have been repelled and now...now she's here...and I suspect she'll want Harmione...to devour her the way she wanted to devour me...only she's resorted to her human state...she can't use her Striga powers because of the sapphire in her heart...and as I said...it's my fault."
"How could it be your fault Angel?"
Hope looked at me.
"She might have been your mom at one time...but she's not anymore...whatever she does is her own fault...curse or not..."
"Where is Harmione?"
"With mom and dad."
"Are you sure she's safe there?"
"If Hadara can't use her powers then Dad can take her down easy..."
"Ben...I..I'm sorry I never told you before...but this isn't supposed to be happening."
"I know Angel...I know."
I placed my forehead to hers. She understood me so much, and I understood her. A couple of weeks past, and they opened the school back up. Harmione wasn't allowed back. Until I knew she was safe I forbid her to go. Mrs. Brunner understood my concerns and was happy to home school Harmione. Gwen and Kevin found out they were having a girl. They decided to name her Genesis. I tried to be there for Gwen all I could but she understood my concern as well. Kevin and Gwen started staying with us to further protect Harmione. I was content that they were there. Hope was discharged from the hospital. Though she was still recovering, she was wheelchair bound. The doctors said with physical therapy she'd be back on her feet soon. I even started going with her to do physical therapy on my shoulder. We tried to be in better shape should Hadara attack again. We were actually counting on her to do so to stop her for good.
It was late one evening and Hope wheeled into the living room. She began looking through her old spellbooks to find something that would stop Hadara. I entered and watched from afar. I was so overjoyed to see her there. I hid my cigarettes away and my mind and body was beginning to relax. I loved her so much I couldn't contain my smile as she skimmed the pages of the books. It was 3 a.m. when we both went to bed. It made me feel somewhat depressed for Hope as we sat in that living room for hours tragically looking for a way to destroy her own Mother.
I thought she may be having second thoughts and wanted to free her mother from her awful curse instead. Though Hope was against it. She said if her father couldn't she wouldn't be able too.
We entered the bedroom. Hope sat in her wheelchair brushing her hair. I took off my shirt and tossed it in the floor.
"I'm sorry about your mom."
"Don't be...I cast her from my life a long time ago."
I turned around and walked over to her putting my hands on the arm rests of her wheelchair.
"Still it must be hard for you..."
Hope put the brush down on her vanity.
"Ben...I have you now...any part of my life before you just doesn't exist...I don't want it too...I love you."
"I love you too."
I leaned in to kiss her. She smiled into the kiss and kissed me back several times. Her hands travelled down my neck to my chest. I held tight to the wheelchair. She continued to kiss me. I felt her hands drift to my jeans. She unzipped them and unbuttoned them. I smirked into the next kiss. I felt her hands inside my jeans, then inside my boxers. I knew what she was doing. I groaned into her mouth as we kissed.
"Ben?" She said breathless.
I placed my forehead on hers and grunted.
"Yes..." It was getting harder to speak as she kept her hands in my boxers.
"I did hear you in the hospital.."
"You did?" I said breathlessly. I closed my eyes against the pleasure she was discreetly giving me.
"Which part!" I said in a loud pant not meaning too.
"I don't want you to think about suicide every again...even if I'm not here..."
"Hope..."
I grunted furiously and my hips bucked.
"If I die...you don't die too...that's not how that works."
"Angel...I can't live without you..."
"Sweetheart...I can't live without you either but if worse comes to worse we'll have to try...for Harmione..."
"For Harmione."
I kissed her again. She mumbled into my mouth. I let go of the chair and held her head. Her beautiful silver hair tossed up between my fingers. I picked her from the chair. Her legs wrapped around my waist. It was a lot like our honeymoon night. The air was still. It was somewhat chilly. We felt alone, as if we were once again the only two people on Earth. It felt almost like a dream I never wanted to wake up from. We both felt like we drifted into a sea of white blankets. Her magenta eyes sparkled in the darkness. The moon was full and high and I felt charmed again.
She had me under her spell. Her beautiful spell of her loving touch. She lied back bare on the bed. I stroked every inch of her. We realized we had more in common with each other then we originally thought. We both at one time had nothing to live for until we found each other. That bond we share grows stronger and brighter everyday. I interlocked my fingers with hers, and kissed her neck. She arched her back and groaned. I nipped at her collar bone, and felt her legs wrap around me. Gently I gave her what she wanted. The way she's given me everything. As we made love I heard her whimper. So I stopped.
"Ben..." She said to me. "Why...why did you-"
"I'm hurting you." I answered back.
"No...no it's alright."
"No Angel...that was a pain whimper I'm hurting you..."
It was then I realized it wasn't really me, her stomach wound was still very sore. They gave her stitches that would absorb into the skin, and we're supposed to keep an eye on it for infection. By her body position, I knew that area was sensitive. I leaned near her ear and whispered.
"To be continued."
She smiled. I pecked her lips and gave her a kiss. We went straight to sleep, awaiting the day and for what was to come next.
